Category Archives: Life in Spain

Don’t bank on it

Posted on Tuesday, 27 March 2018 by aspyinthehouseofwords

Our first real encounter with Spanish banks was in 1980 when we’d only been in Madrid a few days. We’d found a flat, and we needed to change the last of our travellers’ cheques to pay the deposit and first … Continue reading →

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Hurray for deadlines!

Posted on Tuesday, 2 October 2012 by aspyinthehouseofwords

Hurray for deadlines!  They hang over you and make you put off the procrastination for another day and actually get down to work. And not only that, you feel so good when you meet them and even better when you’ve … Continue reading →

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Summer

Posted on Monday, 30 July 2012 by aspyinthehouseofwords

So much for my determination to write a post every week – it’s now four weeks without a peep. I blame the summer. Too many guests, too much eating out (too much eating in, for that matter) and then fiestas. … Continue reading →

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“¡Muy castizo!”

Posted on Thursday, 21 June 2012 by aspyinthehouseofwords

I’ve been indulging in a little nostalgia recently, remembering when we lived in Madrid in the ’80s, in a fourth floor flat overlooking the Rastro. The great thing about nostalgia is that you can pick and choose, and even if … Continue reading →

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Bailout? What bailout?

Posted on Sunday, 10 June 2012 by aspyinthehouseofwords

I don’t often stray beyond my own little world on this blog, but that doesn’t mean I don’t notice what’s going on around me. At least when I’m brave enough to take my head out of the sand for long … Continue reading →

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Becoming a real translator

Posted on Tuesday, 22 May 2012 by aspyinthehouseofwords

I’d already been working as a translator for more than ten years when I decided it would be a good idea to become an intérprete jurada. I didn’t really need this qualification to translate the typical contracts, annual accounts and … Continue reading →

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Working from home

Posted on Wednesday, 9 May 2012 by aspyinthehouseofwords

I work from home. Home’s a great place to work, you can stumble out of your bed and work in pyjamas if you want to, you can stop for a sandwich whenever you feel like it, and if you start … Continue reading →

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Brits

Posted on Monday, 23 April 2012 by aspyinthehouseofwords

There was an English guy in front of me in the chemist’s the other day, struggling to make himself understood. “What’s this say?” he asked the chemist, pointing at his prescription. The chemist looked blank. “Quiere saber que dice,” I … Continue reading →

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