David in Spain

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In the previous years here in Spain I have got dressed up and gone to see the Carnaval procession and then gone out for a meal followed by a visit to a disco. Never enjoyed the disco because people were smoking in there and it is always difficult to breathe and it is so smelly. More fun while outside on the street seeing everyone walking around looking ridiculous and loving it. Some very good costumes there.
This year for the night of the dancing I ended up babysitting nephews and we survived! Two boys roaming the house dressed as pirates, so we were constantly being stabbed with plastic swords.
The best of this years’ Carnaval was the Talent competition on Thursday evening. Magicians, singers, performers and the most excellent group of drummers. Here is the video of the drummers doing there show.

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I quite enjoy heading into Girona on a Wednesday at the Cafe Pati Verd which is part of the Carlemany Hotel. The Girona Grapevine meets every week to have a chat about whatever in going on in the Girona area. it is great to be integrated and a part of the Catalan community but it is good sometimes to meet with English speakers and chill with it. Today I was in Girona again to meet with a group that is a splinter group of the Grapevine, the Writers group. The organiser of this is Sue Crampton and after our meeting of writers, or scribbling wannabee’s (that’s me) I interviewed Sue so she could tell us more about living in Catalonia and also about Girona Grapevine.

The interview with Sue was quite short and maybe I will be able to catch her again to pick her brains about other topics. There are other questions I could have asked but we were under the cosh as far as time was concerned. In any case I think you will find it interesting, have a listen.

The writing was interesting with six members present and all of the others had short pieces of writing to present and read to the group. I only decided that I would go to the group yesterday so was in listening mode. One of the group is a Catalana and was writing in English. I really do know how difficult it is to write in a second language however long you have been speaking it. Indeed being creative in written form in your mother tongue can be a bit of a challenge, Well done Eva.

Tony Tysoe wrote an interesting piece that was really challenging in terms of idea. Writing is one thing but getting creative and coming up with something that makes you rub a few brain cells together, that’s another level all together.

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In this podcast I talk with Brian Buchanan and he tells us about getting work as a teacher of English both without the TEFL and with the qualification. Brian had a year in Japan which sounds like a real adventure and now has been here in Catalonia for just 10 weeks or so. We get the low down of his first impressions of Girona and Catalonia. Although it isn’t the first time in Catalonia, seeing as he did the TEFL course in Barcelona.

Brian has set up a shop with CafePress to produce tee shirts with a Japanese influence, maybe next he will do some designs inspired by Catalonia, perhaps the squatting figure that you can get here would be good on a Tee. What do you think?

Brian has an interest in music and he chooses the music for a show which is aired in Scotland each week. Sunday Night Leith time 10pm til 12 A900 SHOW or listen on FM 98.8. Links to Brian Buchanan can be found at leithal-music

You can even find Brian at MySpace

In the podcast I mention the British Society of Catalonia and the Witty Walks group. If you are a walker and like to get out and about  in the countryside within reach of Barcelona, you can check out their web site. Not sure if you have to be able to tell jokes while you walk though, get back to me and tell me. I will drag out a few shaggy dog story jokes from the old but good still cupboard.

If you would like to contact Brian then fill in the contact form below.

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During the summer I worked in a Camp site next to the beach in Platja d’Aro. The job was OK and the new boss was trying to improve things by stamping his authority left right and centre. I once made a suggestion that  when some turned up looking for the other camp site that people always got confused with due to a simiolar sounding name, that I should ask how long they were thinking of staying as they were turning around to leave. If they said a week I should tell them I could do a price match for them. It was about 50% of what the price was supposed to be.

I was thinking on the lines of 50% the normal is better than 100% of nothing. The campsite would have customers in that would otherwise be else where and perhaps spending a bit in the bar and supermarket also. The boss as typical of the Spanish way of thinking said no it was not possible and was totally fixated on the loss of the 50% of the standard price. ????? Duh !!

Today I have encountered similar thinking while trying to buy a TV. The one  I have is old and CRT and small compared to the flat panel TV’s that are out now. CRT’s use a lot of electric too. SO I saw I TV that I liked in PC City in Girona. I know that they do Web prices and tried to order one via the web. €499 in the shop and €438 on the web. I had spoken with the sales person in the shop and he said I had to order via the web to get that price. So I went home and tried to place the order. Could have just said no problem let me sort that out for you now and you can take the TV with you today.

Of course there was another problem to encounter. I could not get that order to go through via the web for the Collect in shop type of purchase. The only way was with it being sent and I would have to pay an extra 28 Euro and wait for 4 days. So I put the order through with that and then printed off the papers and went back to the shop and asked them to go with that order and leave off the transport which would not be required.

The response was a Jobsworth answer that no they could not and I even asked the manager to sort it out. No joy at all. They said that the problem was that because there were less than five in the shop that they could not sell at that price. I would have to pay 499 Euro. They had four of that model of TV in the shop and would not do the deal.

I expressed my dissatisfaction and told them I would go to MediaMarkt and buy a TV there instead. The problem with the big company is that they don’t care about the individual customer and would rather lose a sale than break the rules that have been carved in stone.

The final act of the story is that I did some more searching online and found the TV for slightly cheaper including transport. I will have to wait a couple of days and I had to pay by bank transfer which will be quick because it is the same bank as I use so the TV could be sent out tomorrow or next day at the latest.

What are your stories of doing business here in Spain. Any stories like mine or do you have something good to say about being a consumer here? Leave a comment or fill in the form below to send me an email. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Me, I miss a few different food things. The small Soreen Malt loaf is a favourite of mine. On my last trip I brought back four of them. I would have brought back more if I had got space in my bag. Lemon curd can’t be bought here, but I have that one remedied with making my own which is actually nicer than than the stuff in the jars in the shops. In fact I have four lemons in the kitchen waiting to be turned into some delicious lemon curd.

As a vegetarian Spain is a bit of a problem, many of the restaurants give you a funny look when asking for the veggie options in the menu. The best that some chefs can come up with is an omelette. I wonder what on earth they get taught when they are learning to be a chef. Vegetarianism is not exactly a new concept. Having said that I have  found a few Veggie restaurants, one I really like is called Amaranta and is in Girona. It is shear bliss to have a choice of things to eat instead of the usual omelette and a bit of salad or go hungry.

I was able to get Linda McCartney sausages for a while in Carrefor in Platja d’Aro along with some nice tasty Cheddar Cheese and even crumpets. Gosh all this talk of food is making me peckish…

I can get tea bags here now so I don’t have to bring a pile of them in the baggage now although they are a bit more expensive to buy in the local supermarket. I can get Tetleys tea and some times the PG Tips. Last time in Ireland I did get a box of Barry’s tea which was a treat. Trouble with the tea bags is that it is best to take them from the box so they pack better and it then looks like you are a drug smuggler, when the customs agents look in the bag. LOL

Jam doughnuts, can’t eat many of these now but just once in a while it would be great. here is the challenge for you though. Try and eat a Jam Doughnut without licking your lips once. Can’t be done….

I had a place to get Marmite but they stopped doing it and only had Bovril, they probably though they were both the same but Bovril is for meat eaters only.

What is it that you miss on the shelves. Use the comment area below to tell us.

Went to check out the Girona Grapevine meeting in Pati Verd today and it nice to meet friendly bunch. Short podcast coming.

Hoped to have the podcast done this morning but I am on a collision course with a Ryanair trip to England. Leaving the house soon with my ruck sack on my back.

This image is from a previous meeting in the Pati Verd in Girona.

The Sunday of the Girona festival there is the Castels where they send small children to the top of a castle of people all standing on each others shoulders. I am sure it would not be allowed in the UK. But here in Catalonia it is tradition and better to keep traditions going than lose your identity as some might say has happened in the UK.

The first time I saw this I was amazed and I nearly bit the ends of my fingers off let alone the nails, It looks so precarious when they go nine people high. The young ones have the sense to do what they are supposed to and get back down again quickly. Sometimes a group will get so far in the building the bottom layer stage and stop then start again if they are not happy with the stability of it. They practice quite a bit too, probably with harnesses when they are in the practice hall.

Here you are then here is the video of the Castels de Girona from Sunday 26th October 08.

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Podcast 03 Penny lives in Sta Cristina d’Aro and is a neighbour of mine. I was pleased that she was keen to be interviewed for BravaChat. She has a sales position with Calyenty pool heating and was keen to be able to promote the pool heaters that work by exchanging heat from the air. penny told me that these heaters cost about €1 a day to heat a pool and are very efficient using an eco heat exchange method.

I went with Penny to see one of the heaters in action and thought it was very neat looking and very quiet in operation.  A shame I don’t have a pool at home to have the need of one of these heaters.

If you are interested in contacting Penny about the pool heaters her phone number is 645 978 595
This form below is for contacting Penny Berlin. If you want to contact BravaChat use this other form
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Today I went for a trip to Girona to meet with Peter Foremski of the web site MyGironaSpain and after a cup of tea, which always makes an interview run more smoothly, we got down to making a recording. I was using the Zoom H2 audio recorder which allows me to make recordings without having to carry a computer around with me.

Peter was also telling me about another web site his wife Debra has called LittleLanguageLearners with English books for all ages, Girona based but serving the whole of Spain & U.K www.LittleLanguageLearners.co.uk

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Peter Foremski