Don’t Forget the Toilet Paper!
Travel abroad can be stressful; with proper planning your memories will last a lifetime.
International travel can be one of the most exhilarating experiences of a lifetime. You will recall with fond memories the walk from your hotel to the money exchanges in the bustling heart of a foreign city passing shop after shop because you don’t have any of the local currency. Perhaps you will look back on an exciting, but confusing dialogue with your waiter after a fabulous meal and still try to figure out what was said. Remember wandering around for hours because you lacked the basic knowledge to ask for directions in Spanish or getting stuck on the wrong metro and traveling miles in the wrong direction because you misread the map. Good times, Good times! With a little bit of preparation before hand you don’t have to have a marvelous holiday tainted by frustrating memories of currency and language barriers.
Plan on it
First, have a basic plan. You don’t have to hire a travel agent to get a firm grip on your accommodations and sight seeing tours. Self-catered holidays are becoming more and more popular. Ask for help from a friend who has been there. The internet is a valuable and virtually limitless source of information, use it! Dare I even suggest it? You could even use a book to get the knowledge you seek.
Speaking of books, a good Spanish/English dictionary (of or a dictionary containing the languages pertinent to your travel) will be very useful. There are many well written and easy to use pocket varieties. In addition to a dictionary it would be a good idea to learn a few basic Spanish phrases like: how much does this cost or where can I find a restroom.
Airport pitfalls
It is a good idea to pack medications, especially liquids, and any object that is the least bit pointy (your toenail clippers for example) in luggage that will be stowed in the bowels of the airplane. Post 9-11 security is much stricter as to what is allowed in your carry-on. Be prepared for customs. Some items cannot cross international borders. Being aware of what these items are will help avoid entanglements with Customs Officials. Save your receipts. You may need to them as proof if a dispute on the taxable value of your souvenirs occurs
BYO-TP
Bring all your basic toiletries, and check them twice! Restroom facilities internationally are not always likely to measure up to standards you could be accustomed to. To avoid embarrassing and stressful accidents always carry a few coins and your own toilet paper. It is not uncommon for public toilet facilities to charge a fee for use. This fee may or may not include toilet paper, best be prepared.
Armed with the prior knowledge and preparation you will be able to look back on the strange and different things you may encounter with fond laughter rather than the disquiet of embarrassment. May your next holiday be soon, and enjoy the trip.
The author of this article Pablo Conway visits Spain on a regulare basis through out the year. He has been improving his knowledge of Spanish on each visit.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Andalucia’s olive oil and wine
I was just online this morning, poking around a map of Spain. I stumbled across a coastal area on the south west, between Portugal and the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea called the Costa de la Luz. I didn’t pay much attention at first until I saw two things that caught my eye.
First the climate there is milder. Which is not really significant in itself but the milder temperatures do lend themselves to growing grapes. You may still think this information amounts to a hill of beans, but as I poked around further I realized why the author of the website chose to include such a small tid-bit of information. The unique climate in this region creates a unique and pleasing flavor to the wines and oils produced here.
I have heard in the past that Spain is known for its fine wines, but not being a connoisseur of wine myself, never paid much attention. I thought it was really interesting to note that not only is Spain known for wine, but is the third top producer in the world. The Jerez district by the Costa de la Luz is renown for sherry…there is even a nickname ‘the sherry triangle.’
I am much more interested in the other product abundant in the Costa de la Luz: olive oil. I cook almost exclusively with olive oil, because of the health benefits it offers. I am always looking for better tasting olive oils. I had no idea that Spanish olive oil was really a major market. Thank heaven for the internet. I now have a ton more options.
The author Pablo Conway has visited the Costa de la Luz on numerous where he has a property in the Andalucian village (pueblo) of Medina Sidonia
I was just online this morning, poking around a map of Spain. I stumbled across a coastal area on the south west, between Portugal and the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea called the Costa de la Luz. I didn’t pay much attention at first until I saw two things that caught my eye.
First the climate there is milder. Which is not really significant in itself but the milder temperatures do lend themselves to growing grapes. You may still think this information amounts to a hill of beans, but as I poked around further I realized why the author of the website chose to include such a small tid-bit of information. The unique climate in this region creates a unique and pleasing flavor to the wines and oils produced here.
I have heard in the past that Spain is known for its fine wines, but not being a connoisseur of wine myself, never paid much attention. I thought it was really interesting to note that not only is Spain known for wine, but is the third top producer in the world. The Jerez district by the Costa de la Luz is renown for sherry…there is even a nickname ‘the sherry triangle.’
I am much more interested in the other product abundant in the Costa de la Luz: olive oil. I cook almost exclusively with olive oil, because of the health benefits it offers. I am always looking for better tasting olive oils. I had no idea that Spanish olive oil was really a major market. Thank heaven for the internet. I now have a ton more options.
The author Pablo Conway has visited the Costa de la Luz on numerous where he has a property in the Andalucian village (pueblo) of Medina Sidonia
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Friday, June 08, 2007
Spanish lessons for All
The Spanish are by far one of the most hospitable people you will find. Once they get to know you, they treat you like one of the family. The only thing that you have to do is learn how to speak Spanish. Not to much to ask for when all things considered. It is not difficult to learn basic Spanish; it only takes a little effort on your part. Just think about all those times you have visited a Spanish speaking country and how much more you would have got from the holiday if you could only have spoken even a little of the Spanish language.
The visit to the Restaurante could have been better; you may even have ordered the right items of food. We have all been there, we thought we ordered white fish and got squid instead. When I started to learn Spanish I ordered what I thought was eggs in a mayonnaise sauce, instead I got and ate bulls testicles!!! They actually tasted ok, but a little dry for my palette. The important lesson here is to try and speak Spanish it can only enrich your life, plus make others laugh.
Once you start to learn even the most basic of Spanish you will get a feel for there language and customs. There is nothing better than visiting a Spanish museum (museo) or opera and not only understanding the language but feeling their culture. The only thing that may be stopping you from learning to speak is a fear of failure. Let me tell you there is nothing to fear, you can only enhance your language skills, by learning Spanish. You will find that when you start to speak, the Spanish people will help you with your pronunciation. They still help me now.
So take that step forward and learn Spanish free today. There are now so many different ways to learn the language, for instance download the lessons onto your mp3 and listen at your leisure. Burn to a cd and listen in the car or at home. There are now interactive Spanish lessons on the internet. You have so many choices, don't delay start learning today and you will not regret it. In next to no time you will be speaking Spanish like a native. If you would like to learn Spanish, why not try free audio Spanish lessons to see if it is for you.
Pablo Conway has been visiting Spain on and off for about 3 years. On each visit he learns a little bit more Spanish which on his last visit he managed to walk into a shop and obtain a short length of TV coax cable with the necessary connections on each end. Start a course of give away lessons today. www.spanishbankaccount.com/spanishlesson
The Spanish are by far one of the most hospitable people you will find. Once they get to know you, they treat you like one of the family. The only thing that you have to do is learn how to speak Spanish. Not to much to ask for when all things considered. It is not difficult to learn basic Spanish; it only takes a little effort on your part. Just think about all those times you have visited a Spanish speaking country and how much more you would have got from the holiday if you could only have spoken even a little of the Spanish language.
The visit to the Restaurante could have been better; you may even have ordered the right items of food. We have all been there, we thought we ordered white fish and got squid instead. When I started to learn Spanish I ordered what I thought was eggs in a mayonnaise sauce, instead I got and ate bulls testicles!!! They actually tasted ok, but a little dry for my palette. The important lesson here is to try and speak Spanish it can only enrich your life, plus make others laugh.
Once you start to learn even the most basic of Spanish you will get a feel for there language and customs. There is nothing better than visiting a Spanish museum (museo) or opera and not only understanding the language but feeling their culture. The only thing that may be stopping you from learning to speak is a fear of failure. Let me tell you there is nothing to fear, you can only enhance your language skills, by learning Spanish. You will find that when you start to speak, the Spanish people will help you with your pronunciation. They still help me now.
So take that step forward and learn Spanish free today. There are now so many different ways to learn the language, for instance download the lessons onto your mp3 and listen at your leisure. Burn to a cd and listen in the car or at home. There are now interactive Spanish lessons on the internet. You have so many choices, don't delay start learning today and you will not regret it. In next to no time you will be speaking Spanish like a native. If you would like to learn Spanish, why not try free audio Spanish lessons to see if it is for you.
Pablo Conway has been visiting Spain on and off for about 3 years. On each visit he learns a little bit more Spanish which on his last visit he managed to walk into a shop and obtain a short length of TV coax cable with the necessary connections on each end. Start a course of give away lessons today. www.spanishbankaccount.com/spanishlesson
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tips on Learning Spanish
Of course you can always take a community course on learning Spanish but there are lots of other ways you can learn, or improve your Spanish speaking skills.
If you have some grasp of the language put it to use by subscribing to Spanish newspapers of magazines. Most publications are written at the level of sixth grade reading so it shouldn't be too hard to grasp at least some of the meaning. If you have a English – Spanish dictionary by your side so much the better. Major news stands often have a variety of Spanish language publications. You can buy an assortment and then decide which are the most interesting to you.
Listen to Spanish radio. Just about every major city in the U.S. has at least one Spanish station. Listening, even if you don't understand everything that is being said, will get you used to the cadence and rhythm of the Spanish language. After awhile you may be surprised to find that you understand more and more every time you tune in.
Make it a point to speak Spanish at least once every day. Have a conversation with yourself if there isn't anybody else around. Discuss the weather, your lunch, or where you plan on going in the evening. Make sure you say the words out loud and not just in your head. You can also tape record your conversations so you can hear how you really sound, not just how you think you sound. Because we hear our own words vibrating through our head and our chest we don't hear ourselves as others do. If you have a Spanish language tape you can compare how you sound to how the instructor sounds.
Find a buddy who is also learning Spanish and practice with him or her on a daily basis. If you're not next door neighbors use the phone or use email. Try to keep the focus on expanding your language skills, not just repeating to each other what you already know.
Join a Spanish speaking discussion group on Yahoo or Google. You'll get lots of practice reading Spanish in a real life – well almost real life – setting. Start a learn-to- speak-Spanish, or practice-your-Spanish group yourself. Even if you have only a handful of members you'll probably find yourself posting away.
Rent Spanish language movies, some come with English subtitles. Or watch a movie that you already know on a Spanish language TV station. You can find books you're familiar with in English translated into Spanish. You can also find Audio books in Spanish.
Go on amazon.com and order some Spanish comic books or graphic novels. The drawings will help your understanding of the language.
Vacationing in a Spanish speaking country.
The trip itself will motivate you to practice your Spanish and you'll get a chance to hear natives speaking and to talk with them. Don't let the fact that you're learning Spanish deter you from speaking with the residents. Most people are friendly and will appreciate the fact that you're at least trying to communicate with them in their language. You may be surprised that many of them will help you with your Spanish.
Pablo Conway has learnt his Spanish through some of the above ideas. Do not be afraid of making mistakes, it is through making these mistakes that we remember the correct way to speak Spanish.
Of course you can always take a community course on learning Spanish but there are lots of other ways you can learn, or improve your Spanish speaking skills.
If you have some grasp of the language put it to use by subscribing to Spanish newspapers of magazines. Most publications are written at the level of sixth grade reading so it shouldn't be too hard to grasp at least some of the meaning. If you have a English – Spanish dictionary by your side so much the better. Major news stands often have a variety of Spanish language publications. You can buy an assortment and then decide which are the most interesting to you.
Listen to Spanish radio. Just about every major city in the U.S. has at least one Spanish station. Listening, even if you don't understand everything that is being said, will get you used to the cadence and rhythm of the Spanish language. After awhile you may be surprised to find that you understand more and more every time you tune in.
Make it a point to speak Spanish at least once every day. Have a conversation with yourself if there isn't anybody else around. Discuss the weather, your lunch, or where you plan on going in the evening. Make sure you say the words out loud and not just in your head. You can also tape record your conversations so you can hear how you really sound, not just how you think you sound. Because we hear our own words vibrating through our head and our chest we don't hear ourselves as others do. If you have a Spanish language tape you can compare how you sound to how the instructor sounds.
Find a buddy who is also learning Spanish and practice with him or her on a daily basis. If you're not next door neighbors use the phone or use email. Try to keep the focus on expanding your language skills, not just repeating to each other what you already know.
Join a Spanish speaking discussion group on Yahoo or Google. You'll get lots of practice reading Spanish in a real life – well almost real life – setting. Start a learn-to- speak-Spanish, or practice-your-Spanish group yourself. Even if you have only a handful of members you'll probably find yourself posting away.
Rent Spanish language movies, some come with English subtitles. Or watch a movie that you already know on a Spanish language TV station. You can find books you're familiar with in English translated into Spanish. You can also find Audio books in Spanish.
Go on amazon.com and order some Spanish comic books or graphic novels. The drawings will help your understanding of the language.
Vacationing in a Spanish speaking country.
The trip itself will motivate you to practice your Spanish and you'll get a chance to hear natives speaking and to talk with them. Don't let the fact that you're learning Spanish deter you from speaking with the residents. Most people are friendly and will appreciate the fact that you're at least trying to communicate with them in their language. You may be surprised that many of them will help you with your Spanish.
Pablo Conway has learnt his Spanish through some of the above ideas. Do not be afraid of making mistakes, it is through making these mistakes that we remember the correct way to speak Spanish.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Spanish Language: A Brief Overview
Spanish or Castilian is of course, the national language of Spain. However it's not the only language spoken or recognized. About one quarter of the population in Spain speaks a language other than Spanish. Catalan is spoken in sections of Andorra and Sardinia, located in Italy and France. Some say the language is a cross between Italian and French. It is considered a major language on its own, and is thought to be more similar to Italian than it is to Spanish. About 4 million people speak Catalan as their native language.
Galician is very similar to Portuguese, in fact a native Galician can understand around 85% of someone speaking Portuguese. About 3 million people in Spain speak Galician and another 1 million outside of Spain.
Euskara, also known as Basque, is the language of an ethnic group that can be found in both France and Spain. It has a separate identity and intends to remain that way. Basque or Euskara is not legally recognized in France, while it is in Spain. Only about 600,000 speak Basque as their first language. Oddly Basque has no connection to the Romance languages or even the greater group known as the Indo-European languages.
Spanish is spoken outside of Spain in South America. The language traveled as a result of Spanish exploration and some would say exploitation, of the New World. These countries include in alphabetical order: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Other countries that have a substantial Spanish speaking population include: Andorra, Belize, Gibraltar, Philippines and the United States. In total about 400 to 500 million people around the world speak Spanish as their native language making it the fourth most common language in the world.
Mandarin Chinese is number one with nearly 900 million speakers, followed by Hindi, and in third place, English. Spanish is the most widely spread and spoken of the Romance languages as a first language.
Spanish is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. It is the second most widely spoken language in the United States and probably the most studied.
The author of this article Pablo Conway has been learning Spanish on and off for the past 3 years. He has used a mixture of private lessons and CD’s. He has also taken to reading the Spanish newspaper “El Pais” English translation is “The Country”. Why not start to learn this wonderful language today, with some F.ree lessons.
www.spanishbankaccount.com/spanishlesson
Spanish or Castilian is of course, the national language of Spain. However it's not the only language spoken or recognized. About one quarter of the population in Spain speaks a language other than Spanish. Catalan is spoken in sections of Andorra and Sardinia, located in Italy and France. Some say the language is a cross between Italian and French. It is considered a major language on its own, and is thought to be more similar to Italian than it is to Spanish. About 4 million people speak Catalan as their native language.
Galician is very similar to Portuguese, in fact a native Galician can understand around 85% of someone speaking Portuguese. About 3 million people in Spain speak Galician and another 1 million outside of Spain.
Euskara, also known as Basque, is the language of an ethnic group that can be found in both France and Spain. It has a separate identity and intends to remain that way. Basque or Euskara is not legally recognized in France, while it is in Spain. Only about 600,000 speak Basque as their first language. Oddly Basque has no connection to the Romance languages or even the greater group known as the Indo-European languages.
Spanish is spoken outside of Spain in South America. The language traveled as a result of Spanish exploration and some would say exploitation, of the New World. These countries include in alphabetical order: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Other countries that have a substantial Spanish speaking population include: Andorra, Belize, Gibraltar, Philippines and the United States. In total about 400 to 500 million people around the world speak Spanish as their native language making it the fourth most common language in the world.
Mandarin Chinese is number one with nearly 900 million speakers, followed by Hindi, and in third place, English. Spanish is the most widely spread and spoken of the Romance languages as a first language.
Spanish is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. It is the second most widely spoken language in the United States and probably the most studied.
The author of this article Pablo Conway has been learning Spanish on and off for the past 3 years. He has used a mixture of private lessons and CD’s. He has also taken to reading the Spanish newspaper “El Pais” English translation is “The Country”. Why not start to learn this wonderful language today, with some F.ree lessons.
www.spanishbankaccount.com/spanishlesson
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Changes to Spanish Capital Gains Tax Part 2
The new tax system will do away with the system regulating asset holding companies and replace it with much higher taxes. These holding companies are usually owned by more than one person which means that the assets are no affected by “economic activities”.
Property letting has until now not been considered an economic activity unless the company had an employee and premises dedicated to the absolute running of that particular business. Under the old legislation a non-resident owner/owners of real estate in this type of company would have benefited from the same GCT rate 15 per cent as individual resident if assets were disposed of by the company after only 1 year.
The new legislation now means that all companies with a turnover of less than 8 millions euros will now be taxed at 25 per cent up to 120,000 euros profit and 30 per cent above that figure. Tax fraud is now being looked at, with the buying and selling of property being put under the microscope.
Fiscal numbers ( NIFs or NIEs for non-residents ) must always be included on the property title deeds and on the local reference documents of a property (referencia catastral) so that you can obtain services from utility companies.
A massive change is that all offshore companies will now be considered resident in Spain for tax purposes, if their main assets consist of real estate on Spanish soil. This will mean that any transactions involving offshore companies will result in their tax assigned using the market value of their real estate as opposed to the declared value. This will definitely increase their tax liability.
It is anticipated that with the reduction of GCT to 18 per cent most property purchasers will now buy the property in their own name rather than through an offshore company. This will give the tax authorities a better overall picture of actually owns what and who is paying what in terms of taxes.
Pablo Conway has owned a property in Spain for the past 3 years and has viewed the changes to GCT. www.spanishbankaccount.com
The new tax system will do away with the system regulating asset holding companies and replace it with much higher taxes. These holding companies are usually owned by more than one person which means that the assets are no affected by “economic activities”.
Property letting has until now not been considered an economic activity unless the company had an employee and premises dedicated to the absolute running of that particular business. Under the old legislation a non-resident owner/owners of real estate in this type of company would have benefited from the same GCT rate 15 per cent as individual resident if assets were disposed of by the company after only 1 year.
The new legislation now means that all companies with a turnover of less than 8 millions euros will now be taxed at 25 per cent up to 120,000 euros profit and 30 per cent above that figure. Tax fraud is now being looked at, with the buying and selling of property being put under the microscope.
Fiscal numbers ( NIFs or NIEs for non-residents ) must always be included on the property title deeds and on the local reference documents of a property (referencia catastral) so that you can obtain services from utility companies.
A massive change is that all offshore companies will now be considered resident in Spain for tax purposes, if their main assets consist of real estate on Spanish soil. This will mean that any transactions involving offshore companies will result in their tax assigned using the market value of their real estate as opposed to the declared value. This will definitely increase their tax liability.
It is anticipated that with the reduction of GCT to 18 per cent most property purchasers will now buy the property in their own name rather than through an offshore company. This will give the tax authorities a better overall picture of actually owns what and who is paying what in terms of taxes.
Pablo Conway has owned a property in Spain for the past 3 years and has viewed the changes to GCT. www.spanishbankaccount.com
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