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Haribo Heaven!

I've just arrived home from work. Well, that is to say I've arrived home via another bar where me and the lads from work went to have our customary whiskey after our shift. I've been wanting to tell you, but keep forgetting, about a curious fact relating to some bars in Alcala. If you go to any of the bars/discos that are open late in Alcala, instead of tapas you will receive either nuts or a selection of Haribo sweets! It's the most bizarre thing but I must tell you they go superbly with my whiskey and lemon.

I  had a long day today. First, I prepared English lessons in the morning. Then, after a nice lunch on the terrace, I taught for four and a half hours at the academy. After that, I went straight to the bar for a shift. The weather has improved and it was warm enough to put tables out on the terrace today. It was quite a busy evening but, once again, a lot of fun. I keep telling myself that I shouldn't enjoy bar work this much but I do! And I think I'm gaining the respect of my colleagues as well as the customers. The older clientelle in particular seem amazed that a non-Spaniard is working in the bar and speaking such good Spanish!

I told Isidro I'd like to take a couple snaps at the bar so my friends can see where I work. He told me to bring my camera on Saturday and said he'd make sure I got some really good shots. He's making more of it than I intended but I'm glad he wants me to have a nice photo.

I've got to get up early because Isidro told me a woman from the local college asked to meet me in the morning. I'm hoping she fancies a shag but I rather suspect she's going to offer me work instead. Pity because I'd rather have the shag at the moment! Ha! I've got a terrible feeling she's going to offer me a teaching post of some sort which, at the moment, I feel inclined to turn down without a moment's thought. I'll let you know what transpires when I meet her tomorrow.

Time for bed. Goodnight!

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Working and Sleeping

To anyone out there who cares, I apologise for not updating my blog recently. As you may have guessed from the title of this installment, I've been extremely busy with work and have had time for little else. However, in case you're concerned, I must tell you that I love working at the bar! It's such a fun place. I get on really well with all the people and we have a laugh. To be honest, I feel really lucky to have a job where I'm constantly meeting and interacting with people and where there's a real banter with workmates. I'm now used to the long shifts and the exhaustion and aching feet I experienced in my first few days have disappeared.

Another positive aspect of working at 'El Parque' is that I'm spending much less money! I get a meal at the bar and I probably drink more than when I was paying for it, thanks to Isidro! Just about every afternoon when I arrive Antonio makes me a cafe con leche. Then when Isidro arrives to take over, he pours us both a whiskey and lemon! During lulls in the action we usually have a beer and tapas. After closing, when we sit down for a meal, Isidro always opens a good bottle of Rioja.

I'm also teaching Spanish on Mondays (my only day off from the bar) and on Tuesday afternoons I teach four and half hours of English lessons before going straight to the bar for a shift. I get called a couple times a week to do translation and interpretation. Sometimes I feel like turning the work down but I need to keep that side of things going as most of the work is generated by word of mouth, and I want to keep the good reputation that I've earned thus far.

The alarm on my phone just rang to tell me it's time to iron my shirt and get ready for a shift at the bar. Tomorrow's a day off but I'll be busy teaching Spanish, preparing English lessons and catching up on housework. And I'm desperate to finish my front doors! Hope you're well. Bye for now! 

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Oh, my aching feet!

I've got a night off after three long shifts at 'El Parque'. I started my new job as a waiter Thursday night, just as the weather hotted up and everyone in Alcala la Real decided to head to the bars! In the summer when it's hot we put 30 tables on the terrace outside, making a total of 42 tables to serve. On Friday and Saturday nights nearly every table was occupied all night long!

I start at five in the afternoon and work until we close, put all the tables and chairs away and give the whole place a good clean. The last customers usually clear off just after one and it takes us another hour to get all the jobs done. Then, just after 2 o'clock in the morning, the whole staff sits down for a big meal! That might seem strange but after working very hard all night long we're ravenous. On my first night, after finishing the meal, my boss said, 'Off we go to another bar for a whiskey!' So we got in his car and drove down the road to a bar that's open late. It turns out that is the nightly routine! Every night we go to a different bar.

I think Isidro, my boss, was right when he said I'd be famous. I think I already am! Everybody already knows me by name! The Spanish have been very complimentary about my Spanish. All my British friends think it's amazing how quickly I've landed a steady job and some English customers come in are surprised when I switch from Spanish to English.

It's a bit cloudy and cooler here today but still nice. As I write this I'm sitting on the terrace listening to Radio 4 and nibbling on some lunch- chorizo, salchichon, olives, cheese, bread and some salad. Mmmm! Catch you later!

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Bob the Barman!

La Mota Castle 

I start my new job waiting tables at 'El Parque' tomorrow evening! I must admit I'm nervous and I told my new boss, Isidro, as much last night when I popped in for a beer and a chat after teaching English. He said, 'Don't worry, Roberto. You mark my word, you'll be famous!' Perhaps, but I hope I'll be famous for the right reasons! Isidro tossed a tray to me and said, 'Show me how to carry that.' He must have approved because he added, 'You're a natural!' This morning I had to go out and buy a pair of black trousers and a white shirt to wear. I'll let you know how I get on!

If you read my last blog you may remember I mentioned something about a programme that provides grants for renovating old houses in the historic centre of Alcala. I went to speak with the man who's in charge of administering the programme and he was at first excited by my interest. That is, until he explained that one had to show evidence of only having earned a maximum of 16,000 euros in the previous year. When I told him I'd earned three times that much he said I wouldn't have a chance of receiving a grant this year but could try again next year. I told him that the way things are going, there's every chance I'll be knocking on his door this time next year!

I taught my first Spanish lesson on Monday to a retired English chap who lives in a nearby village. We had arranged for lessons to take place at my house but I met him in town because I knew he'd never find my house on his own! We sat and had a coffee while talking about his experience of the Spanish language so far then, before trudging up the hill to my house, he asked me to do him a favour and interpret for him at a washing machine repair shop. It seems a repairman had come to his a month ago to repair his machine, took away a part, and hadn't been heard from since. Well, within a minute I managed to confirm that the new part had arrived and that the repairman would come and install it on Wednesday!

I really enjoyed the lesson and Jeff, my student, seemed very pleased too. He said he definitely wants to carry on! I think he'll be a fast learner. It's just forcing him to use the language that could be tricky but I'm going to build practice into our lessons, learning grammar and vocabulary and then taking him into town to put it to use. He seemed to like the idea.

The weather here has turned summery very quickly, especially when I think how cold, wet and miserable it was when I arrived! The temperature was thirty degrees today and the sky a gorgeous blue with only the occasional wisp of a cirrus cloud. In the full sun, it felt quite warm but the nice thing about the narrow streets in the old town is that one can always find a bit of shade. So far my ancient house, with its thick fortress-like walls, is doing the trick and insulating from the heat outside. It is lovely to return from town hot and bothered, open the door and walk into the coolness. You'd swear the house was air conditioned! I'll let you know how long the affect lasts.

I went to 'Rio de Oro' for a coffee this morning and ran into some fellow expats so we had a chat. One chap said he keeps seeing my leaflets advertising translation, interpretation and Spanish lessons all over town! At least I know they're visible.

When I returned home I was sitting on the terrace enjoying a cool drink when Jerome, the estate agent I bought my house from, called to ask if I'd be interested in meeting to learn about a new project he's starting up. He didn't divulge much other than to say he was going to invite a Spanish chap to the meeting as well and that he'd like us to collaborate with him. 

I had coffee with Juan, my solicitor, on Tuesday morning and broke the news that I wasn't ready to start up a new business with him just yet, not within doing proper market research and writing a business plan. He was perfectly happy with that and that we put the idea on the back burner for now, perhaps start doing some research, and meet again in the autumn for another discussion. I was relieved the conversation went so well. He's a really nice guy and a valuable contact, I think, and I didn't want to put his nose out of joint. Juan reiterated his previous offer about paying me commission should I find him any clients for his legal practice. He said that for every client I refer, he will give me 100 euros. Not bad!

This may sound really nerdy but I'm keeping track of every penny I spend. I've got a spreadsheet with lines for every budget item, e.g. groceries, bars and restaurants, clothes, etc. Every day I enter what I've spent so I can figure out how much I really need to earn to live comfortably. So far, I'm managing to live on about 30 euros a day. That includes food, utilities, clothes, things for the house, mobile phone- everything. At the moment I spend more than a third of my money in the bars on food and drinks but I consider it a worthwhile investment when I consider the important contacts, both work and social, that I've made by getting out and meeting people. Now I just need to figure out how I can earn thirty euros a day and then I'll be sorted!

Wish me luck for my first day of work tomorrow! I'm off to the bar to watch the UEFA cup final, and all Spanish affair. Bye for now! 

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Greetings from Paradise

   Flowers on the terrace 3Flowers on the Terrace 2

Ha! Just kidding, although it is pretty blooming nice here! I shall add more to this blog later tonight. My main reason for coming on was to see if I can upload more than one photo to a blog. I guess I shall see in a minute!

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Stop Press!

I know that in my last blog entry I described in detail various work/business ideas but I had a conversation last night that changed everything. It happened when I walked into my favourite local bar, 'El Parque'. Before I even sat down on my stool, an ice cold lager was placed in front of me and Isidro, one of the managers, brought me into the conversation. 'Roberto,' he said. 'One of your countrymen is working at a bar on the edge of town.' I replied that he must speak very good Spanish. 'No hombre,' came his reply. 'I suppose he speaks very good English but not a word of Spanish!' Suddenly he surprised me by adding, 'You know, Roberto, you should work here!' I let out a little laugh because I didn't think he was serious. 'Como que no? Why not?' Isidro told me he would need help from now until September and asked if I was interested.

Just like that, everything fell into place. I had desperately wanted to avoid taking the English teaching job. I enjoy my one afternoon a week teaching English but in truth was dreading taking on all the planning and assessment responsibilities that the job Veronica offered me yesterday would entail. After all, that's one of the main reasons I left teaching in the UK. Plus, in my heart I know it's too early to be thinking about setting up a serious business like the proposal Juan had tabled earlier this week.

I asked Isidro if it would be alright to work in the afternoons and evenings only, as I'm making progress in developing my translation/interpretation trade and he said that's fine. I also told him that my daughters would be here for three weeks in the summer and he implied he could be flexible about my hours while they're here. We're going to chat early next week to iron out all the details but I'm really happy.

I went over to Veronica's language school earlier today to explain that I received another job offer and would have to decline the teaching post. She was really pleased for me and was very understanding. We talked about translating and interpreting, which she also does, and agreed to pass each other work if we're too busy to take a job. I'm so pleased the way the conversation went, as I was a bit nervous about turning her down.

This afternoon, I went for lunch at 'Rio de Oro' and sat outside in the glorious sunshine. I'll tell you, the weather has gone from cold and miserable to warm and sunny so quickly! I just sat down when Luis, the bar owner, brought out my usual lager. I'm so predictable! Julia and Raquel from the estate agents next door came and joined me for lunch and we had a nice chat. They were very curious how I was getting on in my new house. (They know all about it as they work for the estate agents through whom I bought the house.) I said I'd love to have all my new friends and acquaintances around for drinks on the terrace soon. Ooh, doesn't that sound lovely- 'drinks on the terrace'! Anyway, I asked if they'd come and they said yes, definitely.

We were talking about my plans for improving the house when Raquel began telling me about government funding for refurbishing old houses in the historic centre of town, which is where I live. I then realised I'd seen signs up on some houses but didn't take much notice. Raquel suggested that I go round to the office of Rehabilitacion del Centro Historico to ask how to apply for a grant. Immediately after siesta I went round there but, not surprisingly, they don't see people in the afternoons. But their windows are plastered with posters advertising the grants available. Apparently, it's possible to get up to 9000 euros for new roofs, bathrooms, windows, and various other things. I shall go back on Monday morning to find out more. Wish me luck!

I'm sitting on my terrace in the dark finishing this post. I came out to watch the sun set while I wrote. I love the way the snow-covered peaks of the Sierra Nevadas glow pink and orange as the sun goes down. Now, all around me, the hills that surround the town are invisible against the night sky and speckled with constellations of orange and white lights from the houses across the way. 

I adore my terrace already! And I'm so thrilled to have an outside space again after three years of living in my flat in Rowhedge. Yesterday, feeling flush after earning a wad of cash at the notary office, I bought a table and four chairs for the terrace which I lugged up the hill from the shop- first the table and then the four chairs. Then I went back into town and bought four ceramic planters which hang on the wall. There are pillars that hold up the roof shading the terrace and I mounted the the planters on four of them. This morning, I went to the local florist/nursery and bought some plants to fill them. I've had such a busy afternoon that I've not potted them up yet but will do tomorrow.

I'm also going to buy some more varnish stripper and sanding discs to continue my work on the front door. That will be a job for Sunday, I reckon, but I'll have to save some time to prepare my first Spanish lesson, which I'm teaching Monday at 11am. I've also got to prepare for Tuesday's English lessons at the academy but I think I'll save that for Monday morning. I'm really excited about teaching Spanish, much more so than giving English lessons. I think I mentioned in a previous blog that my first pupil is a retired English chap who has struggled to learn on his own and was pleased to find my advert in a local estate agents.

I ran into an acquaintance called Rob at 'El Parque' this afternoon and he invited me to join him for a beer. We talked about work and he was asking me about Spanish lessons. He's paying a fortune for his family to go to Veronica's school. He asked me my ideas for teaching Spanish and seemed impressed when I told him my method I plan to use. He suggested that he might be interested in doing a deal with me to teach his wife and daughters but we left it open-ended. To be honest, I'm not too keen on poaching work from Veronica.

Is this enough prattle for one sitting? I suppose it probably is! I hope this finds you well. I'm off to the bar! Goodnight! 

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Speculate to Accumulate!

Translating at the Notary

Well, it's been another interesting week! I am slowly beginning to develop work through my advertisements and by word-of-mouth. I've just landed a job teaching Spanish to a retired English chap who lives nearby. He's going to come to my house a couple hours a week for lessons. On Monday, I met up with my friend Helen and gave her a stack of business cards. By chance, an estate agent who lives near her called yesterday to ask if she knew any interpreters, so she passed along my name. This morning I went along to the notary office to translate for an English couple who were selling their house. I stood next to the notary and, as he read each paragraph of the title deeds, interpreted for my clients. My name appears in the deed as translator and I had to sign the document along with all the other parties. The whole event lasted just over an hour, fifty minutes of which was spent standing around waiting, and I was paid my fee of fifty Euros! I really enjoyed it and especially like the work as I feel valued by my clients. The couple are buying another house soon and have said they will call on my services again soon.

I met with Juan, my solicitor, on Tuesday and he presented me with an opportunity to set up a business with him. He's got an office in the centre of town which he uses very little, because he's based in Malaga and only comes to Alcala on Tuesdays. In order to make better use of the office space, he thought of opening a language school which I would run. In Juan's opinion, the market for teaching English is saturated so he has it in mind to teach Spanish instead. As well, I'd be able to base my translation business from there. He offered to pay for all the work for transforming a space into a classroom and equipping it. Juan said he wouldn't charge me rent but instead we would agree a percentage split of the profits.

The main advantage of setting up shop with Juan would be the synergy- would both be able to develop business from each other's contacts. As well, the office has a high profile on a busy main street so the business would be visible. But there are disadvantages. First, I shall have to give Juan a cut of everything I earn. Secondly, I'll have to go legitimate and start paying taxes and national insurance which, in the kind of work I'm doing now, is easy to avoid. The minimum contribution for national insurance is around 250 Euros per month and on top of Juan's cut would mean pressure to earn up to 50% more than I'd originally anticipated needing.

Still, I have to weigh this against the potential to develop the business over time. Juan suggested we gradually introduce intensive Spanish courses.The idea is that people living in Great Britain could come to Alcala for a week or two of language study and immersion in the local community. I like the idea. The problem is I've never ran my own business and while it all sounds exciting, it is scary as well.

The bottom line is: do I really need an office and a classroom in another building? This morning, on the way back from the notary, I was reminded of the expression 'speculate to accumulate' and started thinking of converting my ground floor into a classroom and office space. With that in mind, I phoned my friend Alan and asked him to come round to give me an estimate for putting in some additional electrical sockets. We had a good chat and he gave me some handy advice about some other jobs I'm planning on tackling myself. Juan has been Alan's solicitor for several years so I told him about the proposed business venture. He reckons I should at least have a serious chat with Juan to discuss all the details before making up my mind.

I was sitting at the bar in the park yesterday afternoon having a coffee when a friend saw me and said that Veronica, who owns another language academy in town, was trying to contact me so I went to see her. It turns out she has some English classes she wants me to teach. She told me all about the groups I'd be teaching and we discussed the contract and rate of pay, which is not that great. I've got to let her know tomorrow whether I'll take the job. I think I'll decline. Right now, I think I want to decide between remaining freelance or setting up with Juan.

Friends and other readers of my blog, if you have an opinion about any of this I shall be happy to hear it!

That's all for now. Adios!  

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Look what I can see!

 The Sierra Nevada mountains viewed from my terrace

I'll start with a trivia question: What was the name of the song that Elton John recorded with Kiki Dee? I believe the year was 1975. If you know, send me an email.

Hi! It was a gloriously sunny and warm day in Alcala la Real today- at long last! I didn't realise at first because my house is still like a fridge! I'm hoping to reap the benefit in the summer and pray that it will take ages for the heat of the sun to penetrate the incredibly thick walls of my house. Wishful thinking, perhaps! Anyway, I was dressed in a t-shirt, shirt AND jumper when I left the house to meet my friend Helen for coffee in town. By the time I'd arrived to the park I'd taken off my jumper and, if etiquette had allowed, I would have happily stripped down to my t-shirt! The warmth of the sun felt great against my face. I'm going to have to remember to carry my sunglasses with me. I was squinting all through coffee!

I got back home and was doing some tidying when I remembered the laundry I'd left to dry on the terrace yesterday, so I went up to collect it. It was such a gorgeous day that I stood for a moment to enjoy the panoramic view. That's when I did a double-take. I rubbed my eyes in disbelief and even went inside to fetch my binoculars. I moved into this house almost four weeks ago and had never noticed I've got the most amazing view of the Sierra Nevada mountains from the terrace! Of course, that's entirely down to the dreadful weather we've had since the day I arrived. I took the photo (above) for you to see, though I know it doesn't really do it justice. If you click on the picture you'll see it enlarged.

I'm now a star on YouTube! Christian, who drove me and my belongings down to Spain, made a montage of photos he took throughout our journey and set them to music- a lovely song called 'Senorita Sunrise' which he wrote and performed. Do have a look at it and rate it as well. Christian will be chuffed to know lots of people are viewing the video, as he put so much work into producing it. The link is: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=2874F173D4959AF7. It's also in my list of favourites to the right of this blog.

I tackled the job of tidying my patio yesterday.The patio is small paved area in the middle of my house, which rises three storeys above it. It's cool and shady and quiet. When I moved in it was full of junk, as previous owners had obviously not seen its potential. Well, slowly but surely I've got rid of the junk and swept it out really well, and now I can visualise the oasis that it will become! Time and money allowing, I shall transform it into a sanctuary, filled with shade loving plants, perhaps a water feature, and the walls covered in Moorish style tiles. I had a little root around the cellar as well today as, finally, the fair skies meant a brilliant shaft of white light illuminated the space. It's an interesting space, again filled with lots of rubbish but with perhaps the odd treasure hidden amongst the dross. I didn't have the time or energy to do much in there today. It will keep!

I had to plan some lessons as I'm teaching English tomorrow afternoon. Because it was such a gorgeous day, I decided to sit on the terrace and work. I got my long extension lead out so I could power my laptop, set up one of my camp chairs and cracked open an ice cold lager before setting to work. (My chair has a beer can holder in the arm which was crying out to be used!) Before long, I was beavering away quite happily, enjoying planning my lessons and every so often pausing to gaze at the newly discovered scenery, the snow-covered mountain peaks turning orange and pink as the sun set behind me. It was a scene exactly like I'd imagined it several months ago when I first dreamt of owning this lovely old house!

I received news from my teacher friends back at North Primary yesterday. They've finally got the call from OFSTED and will be inspected on Wednesday and Thursday this week! All my fingers and toes are crossed for them, which makes it very difficult to do things like typing and walking but it's the least I can do for them. I believe I'm officially known at North as 'The Lucky Bastard' for having so narrowly escaped being there for the inspection. I am certain that they will have a good inspection. North is a great school and any inspector worth their salt will be able to tell.

Well, I'm off to sleep now. I've got a meeting with my Spanish solicitor to discuss some work ideas that will hopefully lead to gainful employment. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much though! I'll let you know how I get on in my next blog. 

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House Doctor

The door I've been working on!

Hi, I had a very productive day today! If you've been reading my blog you'll remember that I decided to start stripping the varnish off my ancient front doors. I'm doing one door at a time, mostly because seeing the 'before' and 'after' doors side by side is quite satisfying. I finished the last bit of chemical stripping and got on with sanding. I bought 10 new sanding discs for my drill today and ended up using every one of them! Throughout the afternoon, neighbours kept walking past and commenting or standing  across the road to watch as I sanded. Whenever I spotted someone walking past I would stop immediately so as not to shower them with dust and this worked as an invitation for a chat. Everyone was very complimentary about the transformation of the door and of my hard work. 

I know when Christian was here he said I should keep the doors looking 'rustic' but after spending a while here I've spotted other beautiful old doors that are ruined from not being maintained. I consider the work on my doors conservation and I'm trying to maintain their traditional character. So many of the houses in the old part of town in which I live have brand new aluminium double-glazed doors or else the old wooden doors have been covered with several layers of shiny brown paint. When my door is done I hope it will look like it did when it was first installed.

Enough about doors, already! I got an envelope in the post today which contained a homemade card from my daughters and copies of divorce papers for me to sign. I was thrilled to receive both! I rushed down to the local stationery shop and chose a couple postcards of Alcala la Real as well as a greeting card, wrote messages to Ellie and Imogen, and posted them along with my divorce papers back to England. I was happy to know that divorce proceedings are under way. It's only a technicality, as I feel I've been divorced for three years now, but I shall be glad when it's done and dusted. Getting the card from my daughters made me feel sad though. I'm looking forward to when they come to visit in the summer.

I think I told you last week about a chap from England who stumbled across my blog while surfing the net. His name is Barry and he was in Alcala la Real this week and looking at houses in the area. We met for drinks a couple of times and got on quite well. He's bought a cortijo outside of town which he's going to renovate. Barry told me he could probably use my services as translator/interpreter and he might like some Spanish lessons as well. I might be helping him do some work on his house and he might help me with bits and pieces at my house.

I'm really tired after a busy afternoon of DIY so I shall say goodnight. I hope you're well. Adios!

 

 

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It's Raining, It's Pouring, My Love Life Is Boring!

It chucked it down non-stop today. I heard the rain drumming on my rooftop this morning and could tell straight away it was going to be one of those days. I should have stayed tucked up in bed but couldn't sleep so got up at half eight to make a cup of tea and check my emails. I didn't get to bed until gone half two in the morning so you'll know, if you read yesterday's installment, that last night's fiesta was a lot of fun! I just added some photos of the evening's events to the album 'May Day Celebrations'. Click the 'Photos' tab above to view them.

Yes, the fiesta was quite fun! Hundreds of people came out again for the festivities. When I arrived, all the young people were dancing to the thumping beat of Spanish pop music and the atmosphere was very jolly. I had a couple beers and wandered around enjoying watching the people in the crowd. I saw several of my young pupils from English classes with their families. It made me laugh when I spotted one of my horrors in Class 3a dressed smartly  with his hair slicked down and looking like a proper mummy's boy! He was very sheepish when I greeted him and his family!

It was jolly cold and as the trio on the bandstand started testing their mics I could tell the woman in the skimpy dress was not looking forward to taking off her coat! It wasn't long before they began playing and it became immediately obvious we'd arrived at the part of the celebration dedicated to the oldies. Suddenly, the street in front of the stage was filled with grannies who grabbed anyone they could to dance with! I made sure to stay well back.

Liverpool was playing Chelsea in the Champion's League semi-final so I kept nipping into bars for updates. I ended up meeting this really nice Spanish couple when I enquired about the score in the match.  I also saw a Scottish couple I know. I ended up having a couple drinks with them while watching the end of the football match and then went back to their's for a nightcap.

I got more positive news on the work front. Last night, on a whim, I sent an email to my Spanish solicitor, Juan,  explaining how I'm trying to get established as a translator for English people. I asked him if he'd be willing to send some business my way, as he knows from several months of interacting with me how well I speak, read and write Spanish. I got a super response from him today! He said he'd be happy to recommend me to clients that need a translator/interpreter and he also said he's got some other ideas in mind for me. Juan asked me to meet him at his office next Tuesday to discuss his ideas. It's all very cryptic but I'm hopeful that some good work and a steady income will come from whatever he's got in mind. I'll keep you posted.

I was having lunch in the bar at the 'Zacatin' and ran into Jerome, the chap that owns the estate agents Casa Andaluza. He said he's got some clients who will be having their houses renovated soon. He told me that they're returning to the UK so need someone to oversee the project, e.g. keep an eye on the work, relay instructions to the builders and keep the clients informed. Jerome wants to recommend me to his clients and asked if I'd be interested in the work. I said I would, of course!

Regarding the title of this blog, I named it so for no particular reason other than the weather reminded me of a 70s song by Donna Summer with a similar lyric! Having said that, every time I walk into 'El Parque' for a beer Antonio and Isidro keep kidding me about needing to sort me out with a Spanish girlfriend! I keep telling them I'm well up for the idea and that they need to help me out by introducing me to some single women. One doesn't see a lot of single women in the bars in Alcala. I'm probably hanging out in establishments that are too respectable! I suggested having a singles event or 'speed dating' one evening in 'El Parque' but they just rolled their eyes. Oh, well.....

That's all for now. I'm soldiering on with stripping the old varnish from my front door and preparing it to be refinished. I probably shouldn't be doing the work during this horrible weather but it's a bit like Mastermind- 'I've started so I shall finish.' All the old dears in the neighbourhood keep passing by to admire my handiwork and praise my industriousness. The chemical stripper I ended up buying works a treat but I've still got a job to sand down the doors before varnishing them again. I've spent fifty Euros for paint stripper, varnish and paint just for the door. I only hope the result will be worth it!

Bye for now. 

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