Warning!!

[dido72]

You should give it a go Annie, so much fun especially when the kids "help"

Must say though I'm not much of a gardener, all that muck ruining my nails

BTW just been on the phone to "them" again as they promised faithfully they would transfer the money on Friday and it still isn't done...latest excuse is they are having to do security checks on Currencies Direct, as if they haven't had dealings with them a thousand times before

[k]

Dido, I have the opposite problem. we opened a spanish account whilst in spain. It went ok but I had the mans name must be primera thing. I am now struggling with the internet acces and blow me, I haven' t got to the bottom of their issue now for over 12 months. It just isn't happening. I know it is in reversal of your circumstance and yours is much worse, but seriously, regardless of the joint account, I know in my case it is the man issue. I speak the spanish - ish but I can never get anything done because they want to speak to my worse half.

I have encountered a few times the fact that I may as well be invisible. Men do not look at me whilst I translate for my husband and also translate for a supposed OH rsponse. ( It is all pants.polite response )
I have sat at spanish dinner party's and the men have gaffawed at my expectations of dual duties and the women have applauded, then on command from the men, the women shut up

An uphill struggle if an englishman and a mountainous struggle for the lady of the hose especailly in a pueblo IMO. I hopw you get it soered soon.

[dido72]

Thanks K, still not got it sorted, long story!!!

If Spain is about 50 yrs behind the UK attitude wise, then surely womens lib must be about to happen soon?

[Paula]

Well lots of Spanish girls going topless on the beaches
Not sure thats a step in the right direction or not

[Julie]

must say our Spanish friends are much like us, they share the kids, household chores etc, maybe its because both partners work, we don't have any Spanish friends were the wife stays at home, in the village its still a bit woman do the cooking etc but you always see them all mucking in together at weekends, maybe our village is a bit more mod
Got to say, i havent seen anyone wash a car, man or woman they all use the car wash, well them that have a car, still quite a few with push bikes here.

[sueb]

last spring my neighbours whitewashed the back of their house and the chimney stack, and guess what, he held the ladder while she went up onto the roof and did the painting?? oh yes, they must be in their 80's!!!! and she was so competent that i assume she always does the painting, chimney and all....wonder if he does the cooking?

[Lavanda]

Opend my first bank account in Spain, bought my first house and paid all my bills and did all the negotiations by myself. No problem. I married two years ago. I bought a finca last May. On the escritura I am shown as the owner BUT my husband's name also appears as I am defined by virtue of the fact that I am my husband's wife. It's hysterical.

[dido72]

Woo Hoo!!!

We have our money back at last, it has been a long and frustrating journey but we have sorted it at last, many lessons learned along the way

[Julie]

Good to hear it Dido, dont spend it all at once

[dido72]

Thats the problem Julie...no we are going to squirrel it away somewhere safe for a while until we have decided what to do, you never know we might even make a bob or two along the way

[Julie]

Money, the root of all evils, do we spend it and end up short or do we keep it and let some one else benefit after we are gone LOL.

Stay off the pleasure beach, but squander a little going to see Joe Longthorne, then a curry and the rest in the nest egg

[daisylulu]

So pleased you got your money back at last....well done

[jennyshaw]

Great Dido, now when am i coming over for the booze up.

[dido72]

As soon as I get to Spain, the drinks are on me

[crazyred]

I can't believe all the problems that you are all having with beaurocrasy. I make all the financial decisions, pay all the bills & deal with any official issues as my husband is not very good with anything like that. He does however do all the maintenance work and we share the household chores and looking after the children. It probably helps that when we do go to do anything official he just points at me and says 'Jeffa'!!! I have never had anyone say that they need to seak to him if I have gone alone though, and nobody has ever ignored me.

[Lavanda]

Same here. I´ve got five years of Spanish under my belt while my husband has just got five weeks. He loves to smile blankly and point everyone in my direction. No one seems to have trouble with that. Mind you, I´m looking forward to the day I can do that to him!!!