How to survive during your first days in a new city

Hello! Now that you have decided to start a new life (at least for some time and in a new city) here we are to give you some ideas (specially if it´s the first time you do something like this!) So read the following article very carefully… We hope you find a kind of survival guide in it, at least until you get used to the Barcelona way of living!

The arrival
There are many ways in which one can decide to live abroad. If you ask around, you won´t probably find two reasons that are exactly the same… Any way, let´s start  with two of the typical situations you may find when arriving in a new city:

You´re really organized and you had this already planned before leaving your country. You have chosen the language course you´re going to attend, you already know where you´ll be living and maybe even you´ve already contacted a family whose children you´re going to look after and teach English to. In this case, all we can say is: Congratulations! Go and enjoy the city! (In the Entertainment section of this issue you will find a nice book to pick up some ideas on where to go…)

You decided you wanted to live in Barcelona, dropped your job or studies, got a ticket and came here. Well, in this situations we can sure give you some ideas on how to get organized, step by step (specially if it´s your first time here and you don´t know a soul!)

Getting accomodation
Well, newcomer, one of the first things you have to do is to look for a place to live. Meanwhile, you can drop your bag and body for some nights in a youth hostel (if you don´t have a lot of money, these places are quite cheap, clean, and most of them include breakfast). There are many in the city, so you can find them on the internet or ask in a tourist information point (there is one in Plaza Catalunya, just crossing the street from the enormous Corte Inglés Building).

There are many ways of living here, but unless you have a lot of money in the bank to offer as warranty or a good job with a long term contract, the best you can do is share a flat with some roommates. There is an organization that helps you find a place (http://www.habitatgejove.com) but there are also other ways of finding a room. There are always adds on the cybercafé boards (and many of them in English), there are some free magazines that are also available at cybercafés and cinemas that offer films in original versions, such as the Verdi ones, in Gracia neighbourhood.  (Another tip, young survivor: most of the cinemas in Spain translate the movies, instead of subtitling them, so look for the “V.O.S” or “V.O.S.E.” cinemas on the newspaper or you will have to guess what they ´re saying. V.O.S. or  V.O.S.E. stands for “Versión Original Subtitulada” –Original Version with Subtitles. Even if you understand Spanish, it´s never very encouraging to listen to Al Pacino shouting “¡Coño!”).

If you don´t find a place to live that you like, there are many nice (and more expensive) places in the Borne neighbourhood. You can´t miss the notices, they´re all in English. This is a very nice place, the best of Barcelona oldest buildings, and near Santa María del Mar Church (that is known as the church of the fishermen). Many of the universities (many of them in the city) also have boards that offer accomodation. And of course, there´s always the dear and (not so) old internet.

Looking for a job?
Another thing you may have to do is to find a job. If you have a UE passport or a work permission, even if you don´t speak Spanish, there is work for you. (One thing between you and us: Spanish people don´t tend to study a second language, and as Barcelona is a city that is always full of tourists, look for the English/Irish pubs, main shops that sell typical Spanish articles and thing of the sort). You will find many notices on their windows asking for English speaking people to work with them. There are also adds on the newspapers, mainly on Sundays. And again, there is always the internet.

And once you can understand and talk a little Spanish, your advantage of English as your mother tongue will increase!

Have a rest
Once you know where to live (in our next issue we´ll have a look around neighbourhoods) and got a job if you need it, you can have a rest, dear newcomer, because you have achieved quite a success! (To tell you the truth, in this city it´s more difficult to find a place to live than finding a job… So if you´ve achieved both of them, you can really have a rest and relax a little!)