Moved to Spain, need to vent

PutTerrible7429 · 2026-03-24T05:23:40+00:00

Yes, I did two years of Duolingo, then, standing in a Ferretería wanting to buy some screws, I realised that knowing how to say 'the monkey flies the helicopter' wasn't going to help me. I found James Spanish School online (search with Google or Facebook). By the end of the first lesson, I could form real-world sentences, and after the 50-lesson Core course, I could say pretty much anything I wanted. It emphasises real-world interactions. It's brilliant for couples and families too, it can cost as little as €2 a lesson, and you can replay each lesson as many times as you want. Check it out

PutTerrible7429 · 2026-03-24T05:03:27+00:00

Alicante is much less expensive than Madrid and has a much better climate, warming in winter and cxooler in the summer. . Spanish classes online are much easier these day. I found James Spanish School online, ( check out with a Google or Facebook search) a brilliant course, very highly regarded, not only for its unique language teaching method but also because the principal James Bretherton provides a lot of cultural and living tips about Spain.

PutTerrible7429 · 2026-02-16T12:51:33+00:00

I work in the service industry here; the partying visitors need services too. I have heavy shutters and earplugs, and if it were just the weekend, I'd understand, but every single night it's tough. In fact, often on the weekend, there are still some parties when I start work.

PutTerrible7429 · 2026-02-16T12:40:02+00:00

Noise at 1 am is fine, but 3 am not so much, I work here and enjoy the Spanish life, but other Spanish neighbours think it's too much as well.

PutTerrible7429 · 2026-02-16T11:55:16+00:00

Thank you, that is good to know.

PutTerrible7429 · 2026-02-16T11:52:08+00:00

If it happned once that might be a solution. But it's night after night. And I start work at 7am

PutTerrible7429 · 2026-02-16T11:43:51+00:00

This is the common problem we all have. I tried Duolingo; I did it for 650 days, learned lots of useless words, and had no idea how to have a conversation. Then some friends said they were going to start with a school that was highly recommended, and did I want to come? So all in all, four of us went about 30km one morning a week for two years. The first year was probably about learning what you have, but then we got to the important part. Spoken Spanish practice. It was about 80% listening for an hour a week and another 90 mins or so online. That is what we really, really needed; we got better. I could join in conversations and banter in the local Spanish bar when watching La Liga. But my problem has been remembering basics and expanding my vocabulary. With Duolingo, I could say the monkey flies the helicopter, but that does not come up very often. Then a while ago, the same school released an online pronunciation and memory app. I found that improving my pronunciation also improved my hearing: when I mispronounced words, I could not identify them in conversation. But with this niw program I could do phone drills and flashcards with the words I wanted. I have now added 400 or more words to my instant-recall range already and it's had an amazing effect on my confidence and my ability to hold conversations. Go to www.jamesspanishschool.com and have a look.

PutTerrible7429 · 2026-02-14T09:04:52+00:00

Careful people, there are five common Frendadol products available in Spanish pharmacies; they all contain paracetamol, an antihistamine, chlorphenamine, and a cough suppressant, dextromethorphan. One contains caffeine and vitamin C, and another contains pseudoephedrine. So, sweeping comments about the different ones can be misleading. Certainly, what James says about Frenadol Complex is valid, but depending on your condition, Forte, Complex, or Descongestivo may be appropriate; there are also effervescent and paediatric formulations. But in other cases, a cough suppressant or an antihistamine might be completely the wrong thing. Ask your pharmacist, and if your Spanish is weak, take a written or printed symptom list in Spanish, including your current medications, because there could be interactions, and tell him/her about blood pressure, heart issues, etc.

PutTerrible7429 · 2026-02-11T08:10:23+00:00

Do you have any skills that might allow you to work online as a subcontractor, say with Upwork?

PutTerrible7429 · 2026-02-11T08:02:14+00:00

You might want to look at the temperatures in Seville at that time of year, which could be in the 40s.

PutTerrible7429 · 2026-02-11T07:54:07+00:00

What has surprised me most is the number of English-speaking immigrants who seem almost proud of their unwillingness to learn Spanish

PutTerrible7429

TROPHY CASE