Tag Archives: Madrid

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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Learning to drive the Spanish way

Posted on Wednesday, 28 February 2018 by aspyinthehouseofwords

When we arrived in Madrid we didn’t have a car. In fact, neither of us knew how to drive. I had taken few lessons when I was eighteen, but all I could remember was that my feet barely reached the … 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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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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Some things have changed for the better

Posted on Monday, 16 April 2012 by aspyinthehouseofwords

When I started translating in the early 80s, I used to write out the translations in a large exercise book and then type them up on a portable typewriter at the dining room table. The agency I worked for at … Continue reading →

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