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Elaine Expat Interview
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Elaine Expat Interview
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'Interviewer' What is your name? Elaine Please enter the name of your Blog Montevideo Living What is your current age or age range? 23 What country are you native to? Dublin, Ireland What area of Uruguay do you current live in (Providence, City, general area etc.) Parque Rodo, Montevideo How long have you lived in Uruguay? just over 4 months, arrived October 2008 ~~ When you moved to Uruguay, did you bring your family? What do they think? nope...arrived on Uruguay's fine shores with no friends, no family, no apartment, no job..it was a bit of an adventure really Did you leave your family behind? How do you handle the separation? I left half of them (parents and one sister) in Ireland and the other half (sister and brother) in Australia. We're very close so its hard no to see them (especially at Christmas!) but we're so lucky to have skype these days, I can still see them and talk to them all the time. Some of my friends who have been here longer and are working here find it very difficult because the wages in Uruguay really aren't good enough to allow you to fly to Europe or USA to visit family or friends regularly, if even yearly! What made you decide to relocate to a different country? I studied International Relations, have always had a very strong interest on South American politics and economics and I thought the best way to really understand it would be to live here. I also want to learn another language and that will just never happen sitting in a classroom in Dublin! Why did you choose Uruguay, or what factors helped you to decide to choose Uruguay Expats? lots of reasons...as I said I moved here alone and I wanted to choose a fairly safe and secure place to start out. Uruguay is quite developed, its economy and political system are relatively stable, and serious or violent crime is a good deal lower than other countries in South America. Also Uruguay is small, its capital city Montevideo isn't too intimidating (its nowhere near as hectic as Buenos Aires) and its easy to navigate. The people here are very friendly and welcoming, still very family oriented, it reminds me of Ireland when I was little (before all the money arrived and changed everyone!) What other countries did you consider? Why didn't you choose those? I didn't really consider elsewhere. I researched almost all countries in South America and for a short time Buenos Aires was a maybe option but Montevideo was my only serious consideration Was it difficult to get the documents you needed to live and/or work there? (residency and/or working permit) UGH! YES! The whole cedula (state ID) process has been a nightmare and a half! I think it's easier if you're retiring here but if you're working it can be a pain. You have to get documents from home, pay for them to be stamped/certified at the embassy or consulate in your country, then come here and pay again to have them stamped and legalized. Then your job has to perfectly fit in to their little pidgeon-holed descriptions or they won't be satisfied. For me, it has cost a lot of money, time and energy...but I don't want to have to leave the country every 90days so I hope it will all be worth it! What was the most difficult part of the transition? Lowering my expectations! When you first arrive in Uruguay EVERYTHING will irritate you...customer service is terrible, you will never/rarely get an apology if something is wrong, you will always wait in a line, consumer products (everything from clothes to furniture and electrical appliances) are all of terrible quality and yet still massively overpriced and you have to just accept that "things are the way they are". Once you drop your standards a little, stop expecting things to be as good as at home then you'll be ok...but sometimes I really miss good customer service and fast/easy transactions! What was the biggest mistake you made in the transition to living in Uruguay? none...it's not easy, actually its probably impossible to find and secure a job or a nice apartment solely over the internet so I couldn't have done that before. I had my documents stamped and ready and I did as much research as I could...I think the only advice I could give is to try make contact with people here before you come and ask them questions, post on forums and read other peoples answers. That's the best way to prepare yourself. What was the easiest part of making the transition? The expat lunch on Sunday at Old Maz was a great opportunity to meet some people (who spoke english!) and ease myself in to the settling process. I want to speak spanish but sometimes its nice to have a place to go when you need a break or when you have a problem you need help with Do you plan on returning to your home country? Why or why not? Yes...eventually! I love Ireland too much to stay away and I'm very close with my family so it would be hard to stay away from them but I hope to stay here at least a year without returning (I would love a little vacation but the flights are just way too expensive!) Do you miss your family, friends or old home and habits? Of course, but not enough to make me leave so soon! What do you miss the most about your home country? I really miss cheap affordable shopping in Dublin...here even poor quality, second hand or cast-off clothing is more expensive than the nice things I can buy in Ireland, its very strange. I also miss good chocolate (but the ice-cream here at Las Delicias is incredible so its a trade-off). I think what I miss most (and this probably sounds strange) is good customer service. After a while you get really sick of having to fight for what you're entitled too...the food that you ordered and not just what they happened to find in the kitchen, internet service that works, a correct bill, clothes that don't fall apart etc. Are there the same recreational activities in Uruguay? I live on the coast in Dublin so I really need to be beside the sea. There is a beautiful beachfront walk-way here called La Rambla and it stretches for many many kilometres so you can run, walk, cycle and take in all the views of the water and the beaches. I'm sure there are the same amount of gigs and cultural activities but its much harder to find out about them. In many cases you have to be a local and "just know" when these things will happen How easy has it been to make new friends in Uruguay? Its very easy to make expat friends. Meeting locals (especially if you are young) is harder because they work ALL the time and often go to university after work! Also your spanish has to be of a good enough standard to have at least a basic conversation because otherwise you'll find it even harder. I found couchsurfing.com a great way to meet the locals here, they often arrange meetings and trips and its a group of people of all ages and nationalities. Do you have many friends from your home country in Uruguay? no...but us Irish have managed to infiltrate pretty much every country in the world, I'm sure they're here somewhere I just haven't been actively looking for them What are your favorite activities that are available? I love listening to the live camdombe (drumming groups) that march through the streets on the weekends. I also really like concerts in the outdoor theatre 'Teatro Verano'. What things do you miss about the place you left behind? - good quality but cheap clothes - english magazines - competition between shops so you can always find a cheaper price - good customer service & redress if something is wrong - fast moving lines - foreign cuisine: spicy thai noodles, indian curry, good chinese food - good quality bread! I miss thick wholesome homemade brown bread, here they only seem to sell white foam! - alternative medicines: natural remedies, acupuncture, massage What things do you NOT miss, or what do you PREFER about Uruguay? - THE RAIN! I really don't miss the rain! - here you can buy your groceries for very cheap in the street markets, the produce is fresh and local and its also kind of a fun experience :) - here the beer is very good and very cheap! In Ireland they only sell horrible international brands like budweiser and heineken and a pint is almost 6euro! here Patricia beer is so nice and a litre bottle is 50pesos (less if you return the bottle after!) Do you speak the language of Uruguay? a little...i try! Its amazing how much you can say when you really need to but I am very much still learning...life here would be so much easier if you're fluent! Do you think it is crucial to know the language in Uruguay, or can you get by with a handheld translation dictionary for a while? as above...yes you can get by but its important to know it for so many reasons - out of respect for your new home and culture, to really intergrate in to society, but also it will make your life so much easier if you can really deal with all these companies that don't have a clue about customer service! Was medical insurance difficult to get before you went or after you first arrived? I STILL haven't gotten around to sorting that. Its confusing! there are so many different companies, some only offer emergency services, some only offer routine day-to-day coverage and apparently if you don't have the right one its pretty much impossible to get an ambulance in an emergency, great news! Did you move to your new location after retirement, or are you currently working or looking for work? I'm working..but finding a job here can be hard. 99% of the time you must be fluent in spanish and also many employers will favour Uruguayans over foreigners What types of sources did you use to find a job there? (agency, newspaper, website?) every Sunday in the "El Pais" newspaper there is a large jobs section What are the top ten things you DON'T like or find strange about Uruguay Expats? - Men are very pushy here. EVERYONE will comment at you on the street (even men old enough to be my father or grandfather will hang out the window of a taxi and say something!). If a guy asks for your number and you give it you will probably receive a call 5 minutes later and then 5 or 6 messages the next day! They also feel free to touch you or hold you only 2 minutes after meeting you for the first time! - I don't like how staff in banks, hospitals, shops, anywhere really, will finish their conversation, text message, book, tv program before they look at you and acknowledge your presence! Did you buy a new home or did you decide to rent? I rented but its quite expensive to rent, especially in comparison to the wages paid! Many young people have to live with their family until their late 20s or 30s because they cannot afford to move out. Rent is high, furniture is expensive, then you have to pay communal building fees (gastos communes) and also the security deposit (garantia) which can be 4, 5, even 6 months rent in advance (which is not used toward your rent but kept in a separate account as a guarantee!) What is the average cost for housing in your area? depends on the apartment but anywhere from 300 US dollars to 900 US dollars. Some people really overcharge for their apartments! Was it difficult to find housing in your new country? YES! the garantia was an especially big challenge for me Is the cost of living comparable to what you experienced before? Explain the difference. you can buy food cheap in the street markets here but everything in the supermarkets is overpriced. The cost of living is very high in comparison to the wages...the prices for many things (clothes, electrical appliances, furniture) are the same or in many cases much higher than in Ireland but the wages are not even a third of what they are at home. Sometimes I really don't understand how people survive here! How do you feel about the local people? Are they friendly? yes and no. when you meet people on a personal basis yes they are very friendly but as a customer staff are not polite or friendly to you... What is the best thing about people in Uruguay? the laid back atmosphere Do you have any suggestions for people who are thinking about moving to Uruguay? come with a lot of patience! you will need to adapt your way of life because if you expect the same as you have at home you will be disappointed. Once you adapt Uruguay can really win you over. Do you think you will stay in Uruguay, or it is not suitable for the long run? It is nearly impossible to save in this country, most people rent for their whole life for this reason! I don't think I could permanently live in a country where I couldn't afford to fly home to see my family. Do you have any blogs or websites that you find enjoyable about Uruguay Expats for people living there? I'm going to start documenting my experiences here so I can provide some information and advice for people moving here. My blog is at http://montevideoliving.blogspot.com/ I also found the Sociedad Southron Forum (google it) quite helpful for information. Please the url of your Blog
Elaine Expat Interview Total Uruguay Expat eBook |
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