need advice on purchasing ticket, etc.

[mhill]

Hi All,

I've been following the forums for a while and I love this site.  I am planning my move in late August.  I'm pretty much in the same boat with all of you: I love Spain, want to live there and the only way to do it is probably to teach English.  I've saved up a bunch of money and I'm almost ready to go.

I just have a couple of questions:

1. If I get a round trip ticket where the return isn't for 9 months (ex. aug-may2004), will it be ok to just buy a 'refundable' ony way to London within the 3 mo. period to show I have a way out?  (I may not use the second leg in 9 mos. either but I just thought that having it 9 mos. out would be better than having it for 3 when I know that it would for sure just go to waste.

2.  I'm not exactly sold on living in Barcelon or Madrid.  Are there smaller cities one could have a good chance of finding teaching jobs and benefit from the lower-cost of living?

Thanks everyone for the inspiration!!  Mary   B)  

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[Sibsie]

I have noticed a lot of the international schools are advertising for teachers at the moment. It's not for teaching English but in the general GCSE cirriculum that England follows and is all in the smaller costa towns.

With the huge number of legal Brit expats here, I think that being a general teacher in a normal school environment could well be the way ahead.

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[mhill]

Thanks for the info Sibsie.  However, I  hold a degree in Sociology, not education and I am a U.S. citizen.  These aren't qualifications that would be acceptable, correct?  Or do you know if they offer a certification program?

I am looking towards Canterbury.  If it's as good as it sounds,it might be the best way to go.

Again, thanks for the info.

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[flipflop]

Mhill,
If you take the Canterbury course in August or September please post on the site what your thoughts are and how your whole experience with them went. Don't forget about us. I am planning to move in September, January... haven't decided on a course yet.

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[mhill]

will do.  i'm a little stressed, i need to make a decision- so many choices.  it seems though that canterbury is too good to be true, but who knows?

i'll keep everyone posted.  maybe i'll be the canterbury pioneer.  maybe everyone who has taken the class has gotten so many jobs and made so many friends that they're too busy to keep up with folks here.......that would be forgivable.  

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[mhill]

hi all,

i just wanted to let everyone know that i found a really good deal on a flight.
i found it on www.economytravel.com.  $497.00 one way to london, then $80.00 (39.00 pounds) london to madrid on bmi.  bmi is affiliated with united so you can get miles theough them if you have an account with united. www.flybmi.com

now, i plan to buy a refundable one way out of spain so i'll have it if i'm questioned.

economytravel has an 800 number and they were really helpful.  they let me change my flight (at no additional cost) after i had booked it b/c i needed to be in london a little earlier than i had originally planned.

what a relief..........hope this helps someone.  

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