Interview with Joanna Meredith
What is your name, age and how long have you lived in Almoradi?
Joanna Meredith, 32, lived here for 5 1/2 years
What nationality are you and your partner?
British
How many children do you have and what are their names and ages?
2 kids, Mia is 8, Jacob is 19 months
Do you work and if so what do you do?
I have two jobs, one in an English bar/resaurant, the other is a holiday rental property care business we started about 4 years ago
What was your experience of having a baby in Spain?
It was good. I had private medical cover for all my antenatal check-ups and had an appointment with the gynaecologist every 4 weeks with a scan. The private hospital don't have a maternity suite though, so i went to the new public hospital in torrevieja to deliver. They were great there, no pain relief in sight, and not very sympathetic, but they took good care of me and the hospital was spotless. would def go back there for the next one (if i was to go completely insane and decide to have another one!)
What was your experience of relocating to Almoradi with children?
Hard! There is an english community here but most of them are retired, and a lot of the rest of them are wierdos. Almoradi is not the most English-friendly town, if you don't speak Spanish you won't get very far, apart from the English bars. The town square is nice with lots of people around with their kids, and there are loads of parks here.
How well intergrated would you say you and your children are?
We're getting there! It takes a lot of guts to go out and start a conversation with a stranger in a foreign language, especially as the spaniards seem so mardy a lot of the time! Having the baby over here has made me feel like i fit in better now, and with Mia starting Spanish school it's improving all the time. I suppose it depends which community you want to integrate with, if you're happy to go to the few english bars where everyone knows everyone, you don't need to worry about speaking the language or fitting in.
What language do you speak to your children?
English and Spanish
What is your impression of childcare and education in Almoradi so far?
So far so good! Mia's guardaria was great and her new school is fine so far. (Except for her teacher being a dragon, but that's just personal, there's nothing wrong with her teaching, just her social skills!)
What school do your children go to?
Jacob's at Spanish guardaria in Rojales, Mi Cole, the one in Almoradi where Mia went couldn't fit him in yet, so he goes to one recommended by a friend. Mia moved from an international school where the teaching was mainly english to a local Spanish school, Manuel de Torres.
Why did you choose this school and are you happy with your choice?
I didn't choose this school, the one nearest to us was full so they gave her a place at M de T. It's still only 5 min in the car though, where her old one was 30 min away. I'm fairly happy with it, she's only been there 3 weeks so it'll take a while to settle, although she's already making friends which is the most important part.
Where you live, how good are the facilities for children (shops, resturants, activities etc?)
There are loads and loads of parks, most of them have a bar. There's bowling and a couple of soft play centres. There are lots of bars and restaurants too, and you can take your kids anywhere with you.
The local sports centre runs a lot of programmes for all different activities, they are SO cheap, about a hundred euro for 9 months of going twice a week. There's a muncipal pool too, but we haven't tried it yet. There is a municipal music and dance academy, and private lessons too. Can't recommend any of them in this town though, as Mia goes to a dance school in a different area. I am sure there are mum and baby groups too, but I used to go to one at the Amsteleria in Quesada
Are there any particular service providers (doctors, dentists, babysitters, tutors etc) for children that you would recommend?
We use the british dentist "the Arches" in Quesada, the private doctors in Quesada, Ghost Dance Academy in Villamartin, and Planet Hair in San Luis.
What do you think are the main advantages and disadvantages of being a parent from the international community living in Almoradi?
The main thing is that you can feel quite isolated unless you're prepared to make the effort to fit in. I do like my town though, and i'm lucky that i have great neighbours who've helped me out when i've needed it.
Is there anything that you think would improve childrens lives living in Almoradi?
Can't think of anything!
What advice would you give anyone having a baby or thinking of relocating to Almoradi with children?
If you don't want to learn the language, there are better towns to move to where it'll be easier to fit in.
What couldn’t you live without in Almoradi?
All the parks with bars in!
What could you live without in Almoradi?
It's sooooooo noisy!
(sep 09)
