Life in Marbella

I haven't written in a while because I have been waiting to get settled, with an apartment and a job. Now we have both!

The apartment is great. It's a fully furnished (unfortunately with little old lady decor and aroma) studio apartment located 1 block from the ocean. After a lot of cleaning, throwing out old stuff that we didn't want, and some rearranging, we did our best to create a home. We have a beautiful terrace where we dine every night and morning, that has views of the ocean. Also, there is a rooftop terrace that has a pool (not filled with water yet until the summer), a grassy area to lay out, exercise, or whatever, and panoramic views of the city. We can see the mountains, the ocean, the marina, and the paseo marítimo.

The job hunt has been a little more difficult for me than it was for Cesar. He got lucky on the first try, and got a job at a little chiringuito (a little beachside restaurant) working as a host/waiter. He has been working for a week now. I didn't get that lucky right away. I probably handed out about 30 CVs, and still no luck.

Then one day, Cesar and I were walking around and passed by this incredibly luxurious italian restaurant (look up www.villatiberio.com) with beautiful gardens, etc. When we entered, we saw the parking lot filled with porsches, bentleys, aston martins, and many others. The restaurant is SO nice. I didn't leave my resume that day, but went back the next day by myself during the day and talked to a girl named Melanie. She told me that the owner Sandro wasn't there, and that it was better to come back and talk to him in person. She said, "Who knows, he might give u a chance. He's a really nice guy."

So I went back the next day when she told me he would be there, and he welcomed me with kisses and hugs, sat down with me on the terrace, and started asking about me and my life. He didn't want to know anything about my CV and didn't even ask for it until the very end. He started making phone calls, and asking his managers if there was room for me. Then he said, "Let's try u out in the bar area. Come on Saturday at 5pm." Then he handed me 50 € which is about $80 and told me to go buy a black shirt and pants.

So I went on saturday to my first day of work. I was so excited. It has been forever since I have worked in a restaurant, and this one is the nicest one I could imagine. So my job description is cocktail waitress and assisting in the bar. Nothing reputable like DPT, but it's something. The work was exhausting. From 5-6 we set up, which isn't too hard, then we all eat together (everyone there is SO warm and welcoming). At 7:30 the madness begins. The restaurant is open from 7:30-12:30 mon-sat and literally on the dot, the people start coming. It's WWIII no joke! At the end of the night, my whole body hurt. It even hurt me to type yesterday on the computer because my arms were so tired. At the end of the night we split tips and then they paid me my pay for the evening as well because I am an extra. So I made 105€ last night...not too bad! Evidently for now I am only working Friday and Saturday nights until things get busier and the summer season begins, which fortunateyl is plenty to pay for rent, food, and have about 300€ extra a month. Not bad for working 2 days a week :)

One of the guys I work with in the terrace (the area they call the bar) told me that Sandro must've really liked me because there is a huge pile of CVs in the office that go untouched and he hasn't hired anyone in 3 years. A majority of the people that work there have been there for 18-20 years! Maybe it was the manner in which I approached asking for the job, maybe it was luck. Whatever it was, I am very grateful!

So that's the update. No salsa scene yet. Still on the hunt for that. There is an organization out here called Marbella Baila, but it seems like a majority of their students are beginners. Plus, they go out dancing in cities that are outside of Marbella. That poses a problem because we can get there by bus, but wouldn't be able to get home! So for now, I am still on the hunt for salsa.

Check out my pics of our apartment. Go to the collections page and click on Marbella

Exploring the Costa del Sol, April 25-May 1

Cesar arrived to Madrid on Monday April 21st. After 2 months of a long-distance relationship, talking on Skype, Messenger, etc, we were SO excited to see each other. He arrived really early Monday morning. And guess what???? They lost his bags! I mean, I guess it's a recurring theme. If u plan on traveling to Spain, bring a carry-on only! Lucky for him, they delivered his bags the next day at noon. We spent a few days in Madrid so he could get a feel of the city I love so much. We took the double-decker bus tour around downtown, walked around, bought some cheese and a bottle of wine and sat in Retiro park for the afternoon, walked through the Prado museum, and many other things. After a few days, we started on our quest of where to live for the summer.

On Friday April 25th we took the bus down to Màlaga. I showed him around, since I had already been there. We walked around the modern center, the historic center, and then to the cute little beach town of Pedregalejos.

After a day or two in Màlaga, we took the bus to Torremolinos, which is a small city in the province of Màlaga on the coast. There we had the best Lebanese food I have had since home (Mommy, the hummus might have actually beat yours!), and got to know the city. We quickly decided that this town was more inclined to homosexuals than heterosexuals, so we moved on to the Benalmàdena coast, to a little marina called Puerto Marina. There we found somewhat of a nightlife, with even a few salsa clubs. Definitely more ambiance and nightlife than Torremolinos, but we both weren't satisfied yet.

From there we took the bus to Fuengirola, also along the coast. There we ran into nothing but angry, strange, and unapproachable people. We got out of there relatively quickly.

Our last stop was Marbella. The minute the bus pulled in, we were already liking it. Marbella has a little bit of everything we wanted. It has a beautiful beach, a small historic center called "casco antiguo", and a modern city (for those of us that still need some Zara, Mango, Bershka, Pimkie, and Stradivarius...just in case!) We spent a few days really getting to know the city, walking around until our backs, legs, and feet ached. We finally decided that this was the place for us to settle. It has a lot of opportunity for work in tourism. Also, there is a beautiful gym where that I dropped off my CV for potential work.

Nearby there is a marina called Puerto Banus. This little city has all the glamour and glitz that Miami and Beverly Hills have combined. Nothing but fancy cars, fancy stores, fancy clubs and bars. We also saw a lot of potential here for work. Way too expensive to live, but a short bus ride away.

After many days of searching, we found a little studio apartment in the heart of downton Marbella. We will be moving in this next Monday or Tuesday. We haven't taken pics of it yet because we want to move in our stuff first. The apartment is quaint, with a cute little breakfast nook on an enclosed terrace. But what sold us on the place was the rooftop pool and sunbathing deck. Panoramic views of the entire city, beach, and mountains. It honestly feels like we are on top of the world!

Hope u all enjoy the pics. I will add the apartment ones later once we move in.