Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

asea

I'm trying really hard to improve my Italian. One problem I have though is asking the Italians to speak Italian back at me - many insist on speaking English back although I'm becoming more stubborn & insisting on Italian.

Merrywidow

The trouble with languages is that your adoptive countrymen want to show off their English. The secret is of course to live in the country and just get on with it. When learning my Dutch I couldn't roll my r's to say three, so I kept asking for two plus one. Lived on margerine till I could say butter and so forth.

I agree with S-D-W and the English reluctance to learn languages. Her Dutch friends speak English, French and German, so do every Dutch school child and they don't graduate till they have passed on all three lanaguages. Had a friend wh's son had to do his last year again to pass his German. I took French for my GCE's way back when and it still gets me by in France but I have forgotten more than I learnt. I worked in Germany for a year and picked up quite a bit there. Spent two weeks in Valencia years ago with a friend who was Dutch but all her friends only spoke Spanish. Its truly amazing what I learnt in that two weeks and as a result still remember. This of course is beside the main achievement of learning Dutch!!! A very difficult language to learn but I still have to keep in practice because of my Dutch rellies still over there (friends too) my nieces of 6 and 3 speak Polish to their mother, dutch to their father - no English there, so I have to keep up. My sister in law has really got stuck in with learning Dutch and her and I can at last have a good natter with each other.

Off next week to Holland for a few days to meet her Polish mother who is visiting from Germany where she works - that should be a laugh trying to chat to her. Languages are facinating.

asea

I find them fascinating too. I'm lucky enough to have learnt another language while I was young (Classical Arabic). My better half speaks French perfectly & we're both keen to learn more languages after we master Italian. We did an intense one week course before we came over & I have to say I really struggled as I didn't understand how to subjugate (not sure that's the right word) verbs & so on. French & Italian I think have some common roots, whereas Arabic is completely different. When (& if) we have kids they will hopefully grow up speaking English, Arabic, Italian & French. I agree with what has been said about some English people who dont' even want to try speaking another language. I see it here & I have seen it when I lived in the Middle East - it can be quite cringeworthy to see! It's a very arrogant attitude, expecting the world to speak English - I dont' understand why people are like that.

LesD

donny-gal wrote: »

bramley apple pies,

Now, there's an interesting issue. Bramley apples!!! Have you seen them round your way DG? If not, what variety does anyone use for cooking in Spain?

(...asked on behalf of she-who-must-be-obeyed!)

chalky_75

Hi. We have found apples for cooking in the Mercadona stores. They simply have por cocina on thr shelf flag. Hope this helps

droopsnout

Hmm. Great bone of contention with me, as there are no apples sold as cooking apples in France. I have two Bramley tree-lets here which I have in pots, and I get just a few apples a year from them.

I really must ask locals what varieties they use for their beloved croustades. There's nothing as good as a Bramley for cooking, so we pick the nearest thing we can find in terms of crispness, acidity and texture. And that appears to be Granny Smiths.

Now I must tell you that I grow my few Bramleys not for cooking, but for eating. I love 'em freshly picked! I would be appalled if Mrs DS presented them in an apple pie.

LesD

chalky_75 wrote: »

Hi. We have found apples for cooking in the Mercadona stores. They simply have por cocina on thr shelf flag. Hope this helps

Thanks for that Chalky. Must look more closely when we're in there next week.

droopsnout

Ooh, you guys in Spain, you'd better be careful! LOL

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7701551.stm

LesD

San Miguel cheaper in Tesco than Mercadona!!!

Having seen a posting on the MSE Grabbit board, I popped in to Tesco yesterday and perused the beer aisle (as one does!) and sure enough............

4x330ml bottles of San Miguel are normally about £3.80. But the Shelf-Edge-Label said they were on offer at two for £3!!!!!

My 'A' level mathematics skills tells me that is equivalent to about 35c for 250ml - compared to the 40-45c in Mercadona.

Mind you, the cashier nearly had a fit and had to call the manager to authorise it!

asea

After a very 'interesting' week, I've just found out that we may be rerelocated - possibly to Amsterdam. Hmmm...

I'd be able to find another houseboat to live on which I suppose would make up for the upheaval. I hope the cats don't mind another long journey though!