I look in on the Discover Lanzarote forum (see Links below) too from time to time. A few months ago, a business owner on that forum claimed that he worked an average of 100hrs per week, just to keep his business operating.
Assuming that this nice round number is really the case (And who am I to disbelieve the man?), this 100 hours/week equates to just over 14 hours per day, 7 days a week. Or just over 16-and-a-half hours per day, 6 days a week, if the business owner takes 1 day a week off.
Leaving aside how anyone could do this on a continual basis the point made by this workaholic is a valid one: most people have to work long hours on the island just to make a living.
Many moving to Lanzarote state that they're ready for this type of work environment. However, the reality of it only hits them after a few weeks/months of this endless toiling. It's hard going when you've only got yourself to consider, but when there's close family involved too, then the stresses can really begin to emerge.
This situation is not unique to Lanzarote. It happens everywhere. What IS different about Lanzarote though is the fact that so many ex-pats work in the bar/restaurant trade. Dealing with the public, by definition, can be stressful enough. Add to this stress the boundless supply of cheap/free booze that comes with the territory and plenty of co-workers/holidaymakers to share it with, and you've a recipe for trouble in the camp.
But that's only part of the 'Living in Lanzarote' story.
If there was a real roadmap for emigrating to the island, then it'd be a bestseller. But while general do's and dont's are very useful, such rules don't apply equally to all those who move over. Neither is it possible to completely take off the rose-tinted glasses before you arrive in Lanzarote.
To finish my rambling then, I'd say good luck to those who decide to make the move. Just be prepared for where your journey may end up taking you.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Moving to Lanzarote (Part 1)
I keep an eye on the Lanzarote Holiday Gazette forum (see Links below) and the only topic vexing people there at the moment is whether or not now is the right time to move to the island.
A few new people to the forum have declared that they're either currently in the process of moving over or are moving in the near future. The newbies have asked for advice, naturally enough, about making such a move. And indeed, advice has been very forthcoming from people who have varying points-of-view, both from those who reside on the island and those who holiday here. Work, schools, property prices and crime levels are mostly the topics covered.
Now, I've pontificated on opening up a new business on the island previously, so I won't re-visit that. I'm also going to leave aside whether or not now is the right time to move, save the same advice that applies to any new venture in life: try before you buy. That is, come to Lanzarote for 3 - 6 months, work as you would have to if you were a resident, and then decide what you want to do.
What really fascinates me is the diversity of opinion on proposed new ex-pats in Lanzarote. Some business owners fancy that they're the only ones who know enough to make a living there and potential new ex-pats obviously threaten this belief a little. Others claim that being fluent in Spanish is not a requirement for running a business in Lanzarote, but is a prerequisite for enjoying life on the island. Some advisors try to pull the ropes up after themselves and declare that nobody else should move to Lanzarote now, while some wannabe ex-pats assume they just need to find work here and all else will fall into place.
However, something I have noticed during the discussions is that nobody mentions the sensitive issues of marital break-up and alcoholism (i.e. the seemingly high levels thereof) amongst ex-pats on the island.
Anyway, lunch and a siesta calls. More anon...
A few new people to the forum have declared that they're either currently in the process of moving over or are moving in the near future. The newbies have asked for advice, naturally enough, about making such a move. And indeed, advice has been very forthcoming from people who have varying points-of-view, both from those who reside on the island and those who holiday here. Work, schools, property prices and crime levels are mostly the topics covered.
Now, I've pontificated on opening up a new business on the island previously, so I won't re-visit that. I'm also going to leave aside whether or not now is the right time to move, save the same advice that applies to any new venture in life: try before you buy. That is, come to Lanzarote for 3 - 6 months, work as you would have to if you were a resident, and then decide what you want to do.
What really fascinates me is the diversity of opinion on proposed new ex-pats in Lanzarote. Some business owners fancy that they're the only ones who know enough to make a living there and potential new ex-pats obviously threaten this belief a little. Others claim that being fluent in Spanish is not a requirement for running a business in Lanzarote, but is a prerequisite for enjoying life on the island. Some advisors try to pull the ropes up after themselves and declare that nobody else should move to Lanzarote now, while some wannabe ex-pats assume they just need to find work here and all else will fall into place.
However, something I have noticed during the discussions is that nobody mentions the sensitive issues of marital break-up and alcoholism (i.e. the seemingly high levels thereof) amongst ex-pats on the island.
Anyway, lunch and a siesta calls. More anon...
Monday, January 25, 2010
Amendment to the last post
The post entitled 'Just entertain me, damn it!' might have given the impression that all the musicians/entertainers on the island are preening wannabes. This couldn't be further from the truth.
There are a few wannabes, but most of Lanzarote's musicians/entertainers are down-to-earth, honest types who are good at what they do. I consider many of them friends.
And there are some really innovative artists there too. One of the best is Rory. Check him out on You Tube:
Rory mixing it up
I miss going down to Buddy's to see him play.
There are a few wannabes, but most of Lanzarote's musicians/entertainers are down-to-earth, honest types who are good at what they do. I consider many of them friends.
And there are some really innovative artists there too. One of the best is Rory. Check him out on You Tube:
Rory mixing it up
I miss going down to Buddy's to see him play.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Just entertain me, damn it!
Following on from the rant below re freedom fighters and office junior clerks, I thought I'd have a go at some musicians on the island this time around.
Unfortunately, there's many a musico who fancy themselves as something of an ar-tee-ist, rather than an entertainer. On an island where gigs and popularity are the only real currency, this pretension is something of an indulgence.
If you want to play the music you like, then do it in the confines of your own bedroom; not in a bar full of holiday-makers who, for the most part, just want a bit of a sing-a-long and maybe something to dance to before the end of the night. The majority of people I've met on the island over the years (be they tourists or residents) have no interest in "appreciating your talent". If you can hit a high C and shatter a glass with your voice, or play the 8-minute solo of 'Freebird' note for note, nobody cares! The punters just want a laugh and a good time, not a recital performance.
One popular musician/entertainer told me some years ago that you could indulge yourself on stage by playing one song you like for every 10 songs you play for the crowd. For the 10 years I've been in Lanzarote, I've never seen this guy out of work. I'm not advocating this as a roadmap for being a success on the island, but such a sense of self-awareness is surely a prerequisite for us all.
Unfortunately, there's many a musico who fancy themselves as something of an ar-tee-ist, rather than an entertainer. On an island where gigs and popularity are the only real currency, this pretension is something of an indulgence.
If you want to play the music you like, then do it in the confines of your own bedroom; not in a bar full of holiday-makers who, for the most part, just want a bit of a sing-a-long and maybe something to dance to before the end of the night. The majority of people I've met on the island over the years (be they tourists or residents) have no interest in "appreciating your talent". If you can hit a high C and shatter a glass with your voice, or play the 8-minute solo of 'Freebird' note for note, nobody cares! The punters just want a laugh and a good time, not a recital performance.
One popular musician/entertainer told me some years ago that you could indulge yourself on stage by playing one song you like for every 10 songs you play for the crowd. For the 10 years I've been in Lanzarote, I've never seen this guy out of work. I'm not advocating this as a roadmap for being a success on the island, but such a sense of self-awareness is surely a prerequisite for us all.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Freedom fighters & office junior clerks
A bit of a rant here now, so apologies in advance.
Why do some idiots (mostly Irish, I'm ashamed to admit) turn into freedom fighters after a few drinks when they're on holidays? Give these clowns, men and women alike, a few pints and all of a sudden, they want to start singing "rebel" songs?
Let's leave aside the fact that most of these eejits have never even been to the North of Ireland, nevermind know anything about the Troubles there. But no, surrounded by people they don't know, in a foreign country, they start bawling about Sean South and the Black n'Tans.
A true story: I was in a bar a few years ago and the musicians were both Englishmen*. A drunken Irish couple asked them to sing the Broad Black Brimmer. Now this couple weren't trying to be smart, you understand. It just never dawned on them that such a song might be offensive to an English person.
* Any Irish musician worth his or her salt would be equally offended to be asked to sing such clap-trap.
It said much about what they really knew about the song itself or its meaning. Like most people who sing rebel songs, this couple knew nothing of the North. (Like myself - perhaps I'm lucky as I know nothing much about it either. But then I don't ever profess to know much about the Troubles. And certainly not enough to sing songs about the suffering of either side.)
Why oh why do people who wouldn't pick a fight with the junior office clerk at home turn into wannabe freedom fighters on holidays? As a friend of mine once said, they wouldn't fight their way out of a Tayto bag!
Why do some idiots (mostly Irish, I'm ashamed to admit) turn into freedom fighters after a few drinks when they're on holidays? Give these clowns, men and women alike, a few pints and all of a sudden, they want to start singing "rebel" songs?
Let's leave aside the fact that most of these eejits have never even been to the North of Ireland, nevermind know anything about the Troubles there. But no, surrounded by people they don't know, in a foreign country, they start bawling about Sean South and the Black n'Tans.
A true story: I was in a bar a few years ago and the musicians were both Englishmen*. A drunken Irish couple asked them to sing the Broad Black Brimmer. Now this couple weren't trying to be smart, you understand. It just never dawned on them that such a song might be offensive to an English person.
* Any Irish musician worth his or her salt would be equally offended to be asked to sing such clap-trap.
It said much about what they really knew about the song itself or its meaning. Like most people who sing rebel songs, this couple knew nothing of the North. (Like myself - perhaps I'm lucky as I know nothing much about it either. But then I don't ever profess to know much about the Troubles. And certainly not enough to sing songs about the suffering of either side.)
Why oh why do people who wouldn't pick a fight with the junior office clerk at home turn into wannabe freedom fighters on holidays? As a friend of mine once said, they wouldn't fight their way out of a Tayto bag!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Restaurant review
I was thinking about doing a restaurant review for one of the many eateries I've dined at in Lanzarote. But on mature reflection, I decided against this. It wouldn't really be fair on the restaurant involved and I might be back there again to eat at some stage!
Instead I'm going to allow a comparison to be made between eating out in Ireland and eating out in Lanzarote. If nothing else, this might make us feel better about what we're charged in restaurants on the rock.
During a recent trip, Mrs. Pub Spy and I found ourselves in Kinsale, Co. Cork, Ireland. Well, we made it our business to find ourselves there, to be honest, so spend a voucher Mrs
. Pub Spy received during the course of her daily toil. She'd spoken of a desire at her place of work to someday visit Co. Cork and, lo-and-behold, some grateful guest gave her a €100 dinner voucher to spend, if she ever got there. It was for a certain hotel in Kinsale; a coastal town, some 20-odd miles from Cork city.
Anyway, that's how we ended up there eating out in Kinsale during a recent trip. So far, so boring.
To cut to the chase: (1) the food was very nice, (2) the service was fine, (3) the atmosphere was grand. But a look at the receipt says much about how lucky we are to be able to tick these same three boxes when eating out in Lanzarote, for a fraction of the cost.
The price of the two main fish courses really put the tin hat on it - give me the Flatboat in the Old Town any day!
Instead I'm going to allow a comparison to be made between eating out in Ireland and eating out in Lanzarote. If nothing else, this might make us feel better about what we're charged in restaurants on the rock.
During a recent trip, Mrs. Pub Spy and I found ourselves in Kinsale, Co. Cork, Ireland. Well, we made it our business to find ourselves there, to be honest, so spend a voucher Mrs
. Pub Spy received during the course of her daily toil. She'd spoken of a desire at her place of work to someday visit Co. Cork and, lo-and-behold, some grateful guest gave her a €100 dinner voucher to spend, if she ever got there. It was for a certain hotel in Kinsale; a coastal town, some 20-odd miles from Cork city.Anyway, that's how we ended up there eating out in Kinsale during a recent trip. So far, so boring.
To cut to the chase: (1) the food was very nice, (2) the service was fine, (3) the atmosphere was grand. But a look at the receipt says much about how lucky we are to be able to tick these same three boxes when eating out in Lanzarote, for a fraction of the cost.
The price of the two main fish courses really put the tin hat on it - give me the Flatboat in the Old Town any day!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Best pub in Puerto del Carmen - past and present
Let the rambling continue... And what better thing to ponder than the impossible and the hypothetical?
So, what was/is the best bar ever in Puerto del Carmen? Freddies, Charlies, The Two Wheels, The Craic n'Ceol, The Brendan Behan? The strange thing is when I think of these bars, I tend to think of them as they were, years ago.
Some have now gone. Others remain and there's nothing wrong with them in their present state. But the nostalgia-filled glory days of years gone by make it impossible for the modern-day Charlies and Freddies (does Freddies still open? I haven't been in that vicinity in the early hours of the morning in some time) and even the Behan in its new location, to compare with their earlier incarnations.
Perhaps its a sign of aging on my behalf, but it seems that the days of Dave Miller in the Two Wheels, Eamonn and Kirsty in the Craic and Freddie himself in Freddies will never be repeated in the Old Town.
Being a different country, the past, of course, is usually viewed with rose-tinted glasses and I do also remember the down-side to having a good time 'back in the day'. Those dark, come-down times usually lasted all day and often into the following night, when you turned up for work ready to cry if a door slammed, because your mental state was so tender and weak.
Thankfully, the human mind banishes bad memories (for the most part) and the rose-tinted images remain. I assume I'm not the only one who takes a similar trip down memory lane these days, with the island apparently quieter than ever and the devil-may-care looks missing from everyone's faces.
Will they ever return?
So, what was/is the best bar ever in Puerto del Carmen? Freddies, Charlies, The Two Wheels, The Craic n'Ceol, The Brendan Behan? The strange thing is when I think of these bars, I tend to think of them as they were, years ago.
Some have now gone. Others remain and there's nothing wrong with them in their present state. But the nostalgia-filled glory days of years gone by make it impossible for the modern-day Charlies and Freddies (does Freddies still open? I haven't been in that vicinity in the early hours of the morning in some time) and even the Behan in its new location, to compare with their earlier incarnations.
Perhaps its a sign of aging on my behalf, but it seems that the days of Dave Miller in the Two Wheels, Eamonn and Kirsty in the Craic and Freddie himself in Freddies will never be repeated in the Old Town.
Being a different country, the past, of course, is usually viewed with rose-tinted glasses and I do also remember the down-side to having a good time 'back in the day'. Those dark, come-down times usually lasted all day and often into the following night, when you turned up for work ready to cry if a door slammed, because your mental state was so tender and weak.
Thankfully, the human mind banishes bad memories (for the most part) and the rose-tinted images remain. I assume I'm not the only one who takes a similar trip down memory lane these days, with the island apparently quieter than ever and the devil-may-care looks missing from everyone's faces.
Will they ever return?
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