Expats in Spain - A place to whine: Freeview in Madrid

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: Freeview in Madrid: "I received Freeview for Christmas, unfortunately my building only has a dish for Canal+. So how do I get a dish on my block of flats to b..."

I am off now for Christmas, but in the meantime...

Engineering Recruitment: REC members reprimanded in OFT breaches

Engineering Recruitment: REC members reprimanded in OFT breaches: "RECRUITER.CO.UK BREAKING NEWS - 17/12/2010 The Recruitment & Employment Confederation has today revealed the findings of its investiga..."

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: House Hunters International

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: House Hunters International: "I was recently contacted via my blog by a Casting Associate Producer for Leopard Films in the USA to see people for their TV program House H..."

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: Alerta Amarilla en Madrid – Yellow Alert in Madrid...

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: Alerta Amarilla en Madrid – Yellow Alert in Madrid...: "A frightening thing happened this morning. I was cleaning my teeth in the bathroom, and as my electric toothbrush broke down, I was able to ..."

CAMPEONATO ALCOBENDAS RUGBY

ALCOBENDAS RUGBY

Engineering Recruitment: 6 Ways to Improve Job Board Usage

Engineering Recruitment: 6 Ways to Improve Job Board Usage: "1. Refresh the Date. Perhaps the most important tip I can offer. Job seekers tend to stop applying to jobs if they see its more than a week ..."

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: English Teacher - Sanchinaro

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: English Teacher - Sanchinaro: "This may seem like a strange request coming form an Expat, but I am looking for someone who can spend some time in a colleagues flat, with h..."

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: English Teacher - Sanchinaro

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: English Teacher - Sanchinaro: "This may seem like a strange request coming form an Expat, but I am looking for someone who can spend some time in a colleagues flat, with h..."

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: Latest on ATC Strikes in Spain

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: Latest on ATC Strikes in Spain: "The government has given the military control over national airspace and will take extraordinary measures if controllers continue with their..."

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: News Flash - Army Takes Control of 10 Spanish Airp...

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: News Flash - Army Takes Control of 10 Spanish Airp...: "News Flash, Army Takes Over Airports (3rd Dec 2010 22:00) It seems unbelievable, but the Army has had to take over air traffic control throu..."

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: PC City or PC Shitty

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: PC City or PC Shitty: "Today all my venom is aimed at PC City. Let’s first set the scene. I needed a new computer on which to play my ever more RAM hungry games. S..."

Dicho lo cual: VISCA EL BARÇA (Y PUXA SPORTING)

Dicho lo cual: VISCA EL BARÇA (Y PUXA SPORTING): "Hace unas semanas comenté aquí la desagradable situación producida entre el el maleducado entrenadorucho del Real Madrid José Mourinho y el ..."

Engineering Recruitment: Why Have Recruitment PSL

Engineering Recruitment: Why Have Recruitment PSL: "Below is a list of reasons why an employer should limit the number of agencies it uses to a select few. Please feel free to add to it: Litt..."

Suprising Tarragona

In one of my earlier blogs, I dedicated a good paragraph to criticizing the Hotel Zenit in Reus in http://expatsmadrid.blogspot.com/2010/11/being-guiri.html .

This blog will sort of equalize things up. I have just come back from Tarragona (Reus’s closes neighbour) and it was a great business trip. I was there to decide whether there is a need to open up an office and what the implications are, especially with heavy unionization and the language issues.

I wont bore you with the business aspects (I will write that in http://engineeringrecruitment.blogspot.com/ ), but the trip was really pleasant.

The AVE as always was on time, the food was fine in Club and it wasn’t expensive. The hire car was waiting for me, but the GPS was set for Dutch and I couldn’t get it working. Luckily I always travel with a GPS, unfortunately I couldn’t get mine to work either as all the road names have been changed, or were, in Catalan.

I was constantly lost, but that’s fine as Tarragona is quite small, though the 1 and a half hours it took me to find the AVE station for the return leg from the centre was stressful. NB to the Tarragona Council, some directional signs would help.

The people hough there were really nice. Unbelievably friendly. An example: I asked for directions to a barbers, and a shop owner walked me there, and after my cut came out of the shop to ask if it was OK!

I went to a Vermouth bar, where you paid 4 € for the glass and could drink as much as you wanted.

The hotel staff were incredibly helpful. The Husa chain is not my favourite. Many of the hotels are old, including the one in Tarragona which has shabby rooms with single beds, but my stay was great. I am going back there just because of the service.

NB to the hotel managers, give a Christmas cesta to your staff.

Engineering Recruitment: Getting Back to Work as an Engineer

Engineering Recruitment: Getting Back to Work as an Engineer: "I mentioned earlier in my '$ale$' blog, that working in recruitment I get a very clear picture of how the economic recovery is on the horizo..."

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: Being a Guiri

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: Being a Guiri: "It is strange being foreign in Madrid. Generally, people are extremely inviting and tolerant. Certainly Madrid is more “Guiri” friendly than..."

Engineering Recruitment: $ale$ Manager$ – The Sign of an Improving Market.

Engineering Recruitment: $ale$ Manager$ – The Sign of an Improving Market.: "For months, most recruitment companies have been convincing their consultants and candidates that the engineering recruitment market is impr..."

Engineering Recruitment: Algeria and LNG 16

Engineering Recruitment: Algeria and LNG 16: "In April I was fortunate enough to be able to attend LNG 16 in Oran. LNG conferences are known to be the who’s who of the gas industry and a..."

Engineering Recruitment: Viva Mejico

Engineering Recruitment: Viva Mejico: "I was recently lucky enough to visit Mexico DF to investigate market conditions on behalf of an EPC.The Mexican market is curious:Mexico has..."

Engineering Recruitment: Viva Mejico

Engineering Recruitment: Viva Mejico: "I was recently lucky enough to visit Mexico DF to investigate market conditions on behalf of an EPC.The Mexican market is curious:Mexico has..."

Engineering Recruitment: I have decided to write a book.

Engineering Recruitment: I have decided to write a book.: "Part of my job as a recruitment consultant is to socialize, have a drink, have a meal and basically pretend to be everyone’s friend. Obvious..."

Engineering Recruitment: So what is a recruiter?

Engineering Recruitment: So what is a recruiter?: "First they have to sell to a perspective client the quality of their service. A consultants job is selling to perspective clients, without a..."

Engineering Recruitment: The new economy is being driven by the renewable e...

Engineering Recruitment: The new economy is being driven by the renewable e...: "In Australia there is firm commitment to invest in the commercialisation of new renewable energy technologies, including geothermal sources ..."

Engineering Recruitment: Coal Gas in Wales - A boost for Welsh Rugby?

Engineering Recruitment: Coal Gas in Wales - A boost for Welsh Rugby?: "Centrica Energy Upstream (CEU) has plans to develop Coal Bed Methane (CBM) using Petroleum and Exploration Development Licences (PEDL’s) in ..."

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: Driving in Madrid

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: Driving in Madrid: "Every day I drive from Plaza Castilla in central Madrid to Campo de las Naciones, on the outskirts. It so stresses me!!! I have made afew o..."

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: A Public Appology

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: A Public Appology: "I am making this public appology on behalf of my country for the shameful refereeing in the World Cup Final and the game AC Milan V Real Mad..."

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: Crazy Communities

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: Crazy Communities: "Today I had a real difficulty in deciding what to complain about. I was torn between grade B celebrities who become famous by sleeping with ..."

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: Socks. What is it with you guys and socks.

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: Socks. What is it with you guys and socks.: "As you may know, I am married to a Spanish lady and have a Spanish child, but spend half of my life arguing about socks. 1. Why should a gr..."

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: I need your help - Tarragona

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: I need your help - Tarragona: "OK Readers, I am coming cap in hand asking for your advice and help. I need to do some market research on recruitment activity in Tarragona..."

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: Is there work in Spain

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: Is there work in Spain: "I am fed up of being told that there is no work in Spain. There is. I run a recruitment consultancy and it angers me that people do not want..."

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: Spanish Engineering Companies doing better than th...

Expats in Spain - A place to whine: Spanish Engineering Companies doing better than th...: "Why won't Spanish people move around looking for work? I am desperate for Engineers who speak Spanish to travel the world. So much so that I..."

Engineering Recruitment: 10 Good Questions To Ask In Your Job Interview

Engineering Recruitment: 10 Good Questions To Ask In Your Job Interview: "As a recruitment consultant I am always being asked : What is a good question to ask? There is a good reason for this. There is nothing wor..."

Engineering Recruitment: Good Answers to Tough Interview Questions

Engineering Recruitment: Good Answers to Tough Interview Questions: "This is a follow up on my previous post, and I must thank the general internet for helping me find a lot of these answers. The key though i..."