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Get in shape Madrid

February 4th, 2010 | Posted by Courtney in Courtney | Fitness | Lifestyle - (3 Comments)

Let me preface with saying that I have lived abroad twice before and the sight of me when I returned to the States each time was not pretty. The reasons (excuses) for my state were different each time. In London I was 20…and let’s just say that while there I very much ‘enjoyed’ myself…therefore such joyful activities trumped any good night sleep, healthy eating or extensive workouts.  While in Italy I did nothing physical unless you can include eating the food that I love most in the world. Why did I not workout? Simple – ITALIAN MEN!  It took two running attempts to realize that being followed was more undesirable than the outcome of no workouts at all.

Needless to say I am older and more mature now….I was not going to let Spain get ahold of me as well. So with that the search for gyms became a week one priority along with the apartment search, selecting a mobile phone service and starting a bank account.

O2 Centro Wellness located at Manuel Becerra (there are many locations, including a Women’s only gym) is my gym and I love it. Absolutely not a soul on staff speaks English but they’re all very friendly and were patient with our Spanish. Will and I signed up with a 2-for-1 special. We paid €110 each for the initial membership fee and then pay €45 each month. If you’re already dry-heaving…sorry, gym costs are a bit heftier than the USA. But know that my gym is killer!  It has 2 lap pools (one on the roof deck for summer time), massage pool, jacuzzi, loads of updated (with a TV on each) cardio equipment, great weights area, an array of classes and a great spa. Take a tour – you won’t be let down.

I am primarily a runner and swimmer now that my Volleyball days are behind me so here is a little of my insight to these activities in Madrid:

Swimming – Simply [and nicely put], the Spanish like to swim. Young and old. And because of this there are a ton of pools available throughout Madrid to leisurely swim or get in those workout laps. I will say that I happen to enjoy swimming and used to do so quite a bit in the States, but while I am no competitive swimmer, I do swim to get in a substantial workout. So I happen to find it really difficult to swim in Madrid – as it appears there is no socially acceptable limit to the amount of swimmers to enter a lane at a time. One day a few months ago when my lane total topped 5 swimmers I vowed to attempt one more swim or I would hand in the towel…literally. So I timed myself to the only time no Spaniard (especially the older ones) would dream of working out – Lunch/Siesta! Success!!! So my advice to the avid swimmer…go around 3pm on a week day…or learn to swim with your head out of the water.

Running – There are a decent number of running paths in Madrid. Because I live in Barrio Salamanca, Buen Parque Retiro is my best option. I clocked a run of the loop I take once in Retiro and its at about 4.3 kilometers which can be seen here. Despite the afternoon strolling crowds (mostly on the weekends…and be prepared – there are a lot!) they don’t really interfere with the outer running path so its always enjoyable. Green Canal Golf has a running path which surrounds it.  The advantages of running here are a softer surface which is easy on the knees as well as the fact that it is lined with lights for those who prefer night time runs.  I hear an afternoon in Casa de Campo is a great option too but have not yet given it a try.

For more detailed information on active outdoor activities in and around Madrid visit Anglo Info Madrid for a comprehensive listing.

And for the die-hards…I am running my first half marathon on April 11th. We are a team of IE students and partners who will get up far too early for a Sunday and run our bodies into the ground, it’ll be fantastic. For those who think they’re also up for the challenge here is the website for entry – Medio Marathon de Madrid. Good Luck and see you out there!

I know there are a ton of great gym options in Madrid (some a little more ungodly expensive than others)…tell me about your gym.

Studentsphone one of the few options..

February 3rd, 2010 | Posted by swidner in Communications | Stephanie - (6 Comments)

My husband and I arrived in Madrid, and thought we could “survive” with just our iTouch that has Skype to communicate with our families in the states.   We get to Madrid only to find that there are very few free wifi hotspots near us in which to use our little newly acquired Apple gadget.  So, another American friend of my husband’s here in Madrid introduced us to Studentsphone.

Alejandro at cell number 34 607 909 706 is one of the founders for the subsidiary of Studentsphone in Madrid.  He explained the three phones they had at the time, which were two types of Blackberries and a flip phone.  They all have 3G capability, and you can download google maps (a life saver for me), Facebook, and Skype on the Blackberry .  We chose the latest Blackberry® model he had which was the Blackberry® Curve ™ 8520. (they were just introducing it in St. Louis when we went back last Christmas, and we got ours a couple weeks before that)

The only catch is this, you have to pay for the phone and the plan up front which includes a certain amount that you can download per month, which I think its one gig.   So, unless you’re downloading huge file attachments or a lot of extra applications, then you should be able to stay within the limit. (according to Studentphone)  The grand total for two phones and the 15 month contract that comes with the Blackberry® was just about 900 euros.  Then, you have to pay 6 euros a month per phone to keep the plan.

At first we didn’t like the fact that we had to pay so much up front, but now we realize that 1.) cell phones are not cheap in Europe since you usually pay per call or text, and 2) its one of the few options we had coming from the US without an NIE number.   We’re happy that we have the phones, because we are able to blackberry message anyone for free in the world who also has a Blackberry®.  Also, another plus was that Alejandro was nice enough to sit down with us and give us a quick tutorial on the features of the phone, which saved us from having to take the time to read the manual.   He also told us what to do if you get your phone pickpocketed and the steps you would need to take to getting another phone from them.  (more on that later, unfortunately)

Details: Studentphone Calle Maria de Molina, 16, first floor (opposite instituto de empresa)
Madrid, 28006, 607 909 706

Conquering Madrid’s customs

January 31st, 2010 | Posted by Courtney in Courtney | Customs [Aduanas] - (14 Comments)

About 2 weeks after we moved into our new apartment Madrid was hit with a cold front in mid-September.  That caused me to slightly panic – not quite knowing what Madrid’s Fall weather was like, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be in the cold for the long haul.  If this was perhaps the case it was not good news as our boxes had not yet arrived from the USA – in these boxes were ALL our winter clothing.  Then a few days later we got the call we’d been waiting for …our things had arrived in Madrid.

I won’t bore you with the rip-your-hair-out details of first figuring out who called, why they called, what they wanted, what they needed (vs what they said they needed) and how/when we could get our things…no no, I’ll spare those gory details.  I’ll simply tell you what we [over a very long period of time] figured out so that you might one day receive a package and have it in your home in lightning speed to enjoy.

Customs [Aduanas]

Once your items arrive, you will be contacted and then provided a form from Aduanas (one per box) to fill out.  The first order of business was to verify all the shipment information – receiver name, sender name, tracking number, contents…ah contents…we were told to list all the items in the boxes.  Basically they had to determine if our items were being sent to us for resale here.  While that may be seemingly clear – my advice is still to remove/have removed any new price tags on items and perhaps separate bulk items (once you see the costs of basics over here you may want items sent regularly).  Once this information is gathered and filled out – fax it back to Aduanas (Fax: 91 747 10 83).  Make sure you keep the form as you will also need to take it to Aduanas where they will hopefully have your goods and then hopefully hand them over.  You will have to pay an import tax which for each of our [20 - 30 lb] boxes was about €4.

Much of the headache in obtaining our things was in simply reaching someone – anyone – to help find our things.  Given their short office hours, inability to pick up a phone, or leave a message when phoning (with proper call back number) combined with basic disorganization meant once we discovered our items were in fact in Spain, it still took nearly 3 weeks to get them home.

In September of 2009 we dealt with Silvia (postales@speedtrans-int.com) who could speak very basic English.  She was very kind and patient with us.  However, she was not easy to reach.  If she is still working there – try to reach her.

The most difficult thing for us with Aduanas was figuring out their open hours and then locating them.  So here you go – a walking map from Metro Alameda de Osuna (end of the 5 Line).  Their hours are from 9-2pm, Monday – Thursday.  Note that Aduanas is in a Correos building which you will instantly see once crossing the highway.  And for all your mailing needs, The Spanish Post - Correos.

Aduanas in the office of Correos de Madrid Barajas, sita en la Calle Trespaderne s/n C.P. 28042 de Madrid.  Information Tel: 91 833 10 00.

To this day I can not explain why 2 of our boxes were at Aduanas for declaring and pick up (at separate times) and the third was delivered right to our door.  I suppose it will just be one of life’s little mysteries that I must simply live with.

Moving house in Madrid – granny flat to urban apartment

January 30th, 2010 | Posted by jodiehop in House Hunting | Jodie - (4 Comments)

I hadn’t had a great start to moving to Madrid and I realised that I needed to reflect and get things into perspective – why wasn’t I enjoying this amazing city? I needed to change things that weren’t making me happy (and I wasn’t ready to give up on my boyfriend just yet) so I decide next in line was the Granny apartment. I really hated it. Sitting in there every day on my own I decided that my happiness was more important that not offending my boyfriends choice of apartment, and thus justified a move to a nice apartment.

And it wasn’t just the apartment. I didn’t really like the area. Avenida de America is great for transport but that is about it. Madrid is a small city and I knew I should be able to find somewhere that was near the business school for John, but also in walking distance from the city for me. I started asking my new IE friends about where they lived and after a couple of local walking tours, I found a place I wanted to be: Plaza Olavide.

When I mentioned the lack of taste in decor, I really am not joking. What is it with wood panelling and cork board flooring in this country? Trust me, I am not stylish but this went even beyond me. I searched the two main websites: idealista.es and fotocasa.es, setting up searches on both so that I knew immediately as something was posted (beware though, I haven’t figured out how to stop the idealista emails!) I wasn’t aware of the English speaking agency D’Flat that Courtney used, that could have been helpful.

But then I found something perfect. It had white walls, a modern kitchen (I had no oven previously, a common occurence in Madrid), even a wood burning stove. It had the necessary two bedrooms, plus a kind of open loft that would be fine for guests to sleep in for a weekend.

Knowing that half the people just about to start the course (that’s 200 people) were looking for one and two bed apartments within walking distance of the school, I virtually stalked the landlord until I could get to see it. I fell in love with it – it had recently been refurbished, the landlord was willing to provide some furniture, it was in the right area, and it was the right price. Whopeeee

Being Spain, not everything can go that smoothly. The landlord wanted to do things semi officially. Understandably he was a little nervous about just renting it to people he didn’t know, yet neither of us particularly wanted to pay agents fees (yes, you both pay for the privilege). There is a great scheme set up by the government for this situation. It is called MuniMadrid and they effectively act as the agent. They draw up the contract and inventory for signing, and of course  check your credentials. Where we ran into problem number 2.

As part of the scheme, you have to prove a certain level of income – it’s basically to ensure the rent isn’t more than one-third of your salary and can therefore afford it. You must be able to prove this income within Spain, for at least the last three months. Or, we found out that you can have a guarantor within Spain who needs to do the same, only they must have more income to ensure they can pay both their and your rent (IE students note that the school won’t do this). This posed an enormous problem – John didn’t have a job anymore, I wasn’t paid in Spain and we didn’t know anyone in Spain that we could ask.

However, it turns out that there is another governmental organisation out there which is part of La Corte de Arbitraje. This organisation takes three month deposit, asks you to sign a couple of simple forms and then if for any reason rent isn’t paid in any given month, they evict you and the landlord gets the money. Maybe not that simply but effectively that’s what happens. I don’t have, and hope not to have, any experience of this.

So, for me that was one month’s deposit on the apartment (usual ware and tear type deposit, paid back when you move out providing that the apartment is in decent shape), plus three months deposit for not having a guarantor. Four months total, plus the first month’s rent does seem a lot BUT I have heard that some (one person being a Spanish teacher at IE) that they can ask up to eight months! So come prepared.

It took a while, and a lot of paperwork but I feel happier that it is a government scheme that works for both the landlord and tenant. And I LOVE my apartment. Really, for the first two months, I barely left it except to the go the gym which I equally love (more on that in the next post).

Some key points:

  • Language: alquiler (to rent); el depósito (the deposit); amueblado (furnished); desamueblado (unfurnished)
  • Websites: Idealista and Fotocasa

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Obtaining a Student Visa for Spain (from US)

January 28th, 2010 | Posted by swidner in Stephanie | Visas - (19 Comments)

If you read my previous post, Landing in Madrid, you will remember that I mentioned how is was more difficult for us to obtain our student visas than to sell our house or all of our possessions.  Part of the difficulty was being located in Hawaii and having to contact the Spanish Consulate in San Francisco during their narrow window when they take calls.  If you look at the Spanish consulate site at www.maec.es, it will direct you to your nearest Consulate in the US.  Then, on the specific city’s website it will tell you the necessary documentation you will need to bring with you for your in person interview.  One such document is a certified police record from the local police.  I guess this was an unusual request for the Honolulu Police Department, because what should have taken a couple of days to complete took almost a month to have returned to us.   Then, we had to get an Apostille from our Lieutenant Governor to certify our police record.  After no response from the their office, my husband and I went down to his office and waited till it was signed.  We even ended up getting fingerprints to send to the FBI to verify that we didn’t have a criminal record, which was a recommendation from the school because they had a student that went to the Consulate in Los Angeles, and discovered that they request this.  Also, you can apply for your visa no more than 90 days in advance of when you plan to enter Spain, and you must have the Visa in hand 30 days prior to entering Spain.  Plus, once you submit the paperwork it could take 4 to 6 weeks, especially if you are applying for a visa in the summer months. (ours arrived in 4 wks)

Here’s a list of the required documents that we presented to the Consulate’s office:

  • Three application forms downloaded from www.maec.es
  • Original and copy of passport (make sure it hasn’t expired or won’t expire while in Spain)
  • Three passport size photos (we got ours at Costco, or you can go to any AAA office if you’re a member)
  • Acceptance letter (this is from your school usually in Spanish)
  • Planned Itinerary (we reserved our tickets online and printed out the itinerary, also they don’t recommend purchasing the tickets until you have received your visa in the mail)
  • Evidence of funds (we printed out our bank statements, and included a letter from the school regarding my husband’s fellowship, and a letter from our parents saying that they supported us as well)
  • Health insurance (this we didn’t have prior to entering Spain, but in the acceptance letter from the school they explained that we would obtain health insurance from Sanitas, a private insurer)
  • Visa fee $100 USD for US passport holders
  • Self addressed USPS and $18.30 in stamps (as a couple you only need one envelope so they send you your Visa and original paperwork back to you)
  • Absence of Police criminal records (ever state is different for obtaining a local police report in Hawaii it was the Attorney General’s office)
  • Medical Certificate (our doctor’s wrote a letter saying we were in good health on their clinic’s letterhead)
  • Letter of authorization (if under 18)
  • Additional documents-I would highly recommend getting a certified copy of your marriage license, and submit fingerprints to the FBI, the fingerprints we obtained from a local copy who fingerprints everyone who works in the financial sector in Hawaii and then sent them to FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Divison in Clarksburg, W.V 26306)

After this, we finally made our appointment and flew over to meet someone in the Consulate’s office.  After waiting an hour past our appointment we sat down with them, only to learn that we needed to provide a certified copy of our marriage certificate, which they hadn’t mentioned on their website.  I ended up calling by parents in Missouri, where we got married, immediately so that they could overnight the document to the Consulate.

So, we learned a couple of things through this process, always be prepared for anything.  We found that with our consulate that if you have everything, except for one document, then they were willing to make an exception.  Also, while we were there we asked about how difficult it was to obtain a work visa for Spain.  They said that you would need to be sponsored by a Spanish company in order to get an NIE number to work in Spain.(and as we learned later to get a cell phone contract, bank account but more on that later)  The other thing the Consulate’s office went on to tell us is that once you have entered Spain with a student visa it is almost impossible to get a work visa, and we would have to come back to interview in San Francisco.  So, their advice was if at all possible try to get the work visa prior to entering Spain.  I found this to be a catch 22 because most Spanish companies wanted to see that you were already living locally in Spain, before they would even consider giving you an interview.

Details

  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerio Evteriones De Asuntos y de Cooperacion)-has information about local Spanish consulates in the World, application for visas as well as Residential Certificates, Marriage Licenses, and Birth Certificates