As some of you know, the last couple of years have been very difficult for my family and I. We decided to move to Portugal, as my husband had been offered a good job with better money, he had been looking for equivalent positions in England but had been unsuccesful, not sure why. I had just been made redundant from my job and we were standstill. So when this opportunity came along, we took it. It was good to start with but unfortuantely after a year, my husband was made redundant and things became difficult. We decided not to go back to England (right or wrong) as our house was rented (nowhere to live) and we still wanted to give it a go here.
When we arrived in portugal, my plan was to learn the language and get a job but portuguese is a very, very difficult language and Im a little ashamed to say, after almost 3 years my portuguese is weak. I have done an EFL teaching course but have been unable to find work. But with family support we have managed to weather the storm and hold on, but there have been tears, sleepless nights and shouting and a lot of unhappiness and stress and we are not out yet. My husband is working now, but the job is not good at all, there are no conditions to do his job and is not a situation which can be sustained. So we are really no further along and in no way secure.
But out of nowhere came an interview this weekend, so we packed up and drove all the way (almost all the way) to the other end of the country to Porto. Courtesy of a contact, we stayed in a beautiful 5star hotel, Hotel Infante Sagres, and he had a long interview, hopefully a good sign. The job is good, but means he would need to be away for several months, which I can deal with if the conditions are right and will be in our benefit to do it. So by wednesday we will know, or we have another option. We are looking at the possibility of renting a bar in town, the bar is all fitted out ready to go, but its risky in this climate, but to stay as we are is not sustainable either. So we are at the crossroads, trying to find the right path to a better life, keeping our fingers crossed for better times.
Hi, hi. Wishing you all the best on the Porto situation! We're full of doubts at the moment as well.
ReplyDeleteRegarding finding teaching work, I don't know your background, but I'm convinced that, as with everything, but especially this and especially in Portugal, it's really a matter of getting a little experience under your belt and you will soon have more teaching work than you can possibly handle. The hours are horrible, the pay is not great if you're workin' for the man, but as jobs go, it is fun and creative and a good way to meet Porties in an environment where they are forced to open up a bit.
I just got a call from a friend who used to teach at a school in Quarteira asking if I could start immediately because her former boss contacted her saying they are desperate for teachers. E-mail me if you are interested. I will not be permanently in the Algarve til' September. Provided you can line up childcare, it might be worth the drive just for the experience.
Hello! My fingers are crossed for you too! Good luck with all of this - this is quite the crossroads. I'm following from the Measuring Flower Monday Mingle.
ReplyDeleteMichelle @ Things Sent My Way
Hi
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. Sarah, thanks for your offer of help finding teaching work, but Quarteira is too far at the moment. I was reading your blog and can appreciate your feelings, life here is not always very easy, especially at the moment.
Where will you be living once you are here in the Algarve?