Anyone here in southern Spain

[costamum]

Just wondering if there are any other lonely mums out here - DH and I have recently moved to Malaga (city) and I don't know anyone and don't seem to find the opportunity to meet anyone. Having a 28 month old DS and now no babysitter means that our social life is pretty much non-existant! I would love to hear from anyone else who is in the same situation!

No but so wish I was!

Seriously though, poor you - you must be feeling isolated. I hope you find some others in a similar situation. Have you tried contacting your local expats group / association for contacts / info?

We had a holiday there in April and at some point picked up one of those small freesheets for expats - features, small ads etc - it had quite a few toddler groups listed - don't know if any were actually in Malaga though. I think I was reading it on the beach at Marbella (I know how to have a good time !)

Good luck anyway - it's hard being abroad and away from everybody. Hope you find someone soon.

Costamum - I'm in a similar situation.

Live near Granada, also have minimal social life.

We've found a couple of friends here though (after being here for over a year): strangely not Spanish people (we do speak Spanish), but one English woman who the postman got me mixed up with and another couple who we met through Spanish lessons. We were here for ages before really getting to know anyone.

I would recommend you get the free paper Jan mentions: it comes out on a Friday so if you visit any ex-pat-frequented supermarket (Supersol in Torremolinos is probably the nearest to you) on a Friday you'll see it. It's also online: Sur in English

There are toddler groups in Fuengirola - not sure about closer to Malaga. I found it very odd - such a mixed bunch of people, some of whom I had absolutely nothing in common with. But some nice people too. Not really in touch with any any more as we moved pretty soon after I started going to them.

So - sympathy, try the paper, and do feel free to come and visit us: we're an hour's drive away from you and the skiing season is nearly here! Not that I can ski of course, being a fat pregnant lump, but I can look at the mountains! (looking at them right now, through the office window). What do you for a living in Malaga? and why Malaga?

PS - didn't mention that we are in touch with a couple of people from when we lived on the coast: one is an ex-student of mine.

Best way I've found to meet people is to advertise for a conversation-lesson swap thing in local supermarkets and to actually go to Spanish lessons.

Ooh, Lucy, I've just been googling and found SUR in English!

You may know about this already, costamum, but under Groups there was this:

The English-Speaking Group of Malaga
Contact; Anne
Meeting place; Happy Palace Chinese restaurant, Malaga (just before La Malagueta beach);
every Monday at 18:00.
English / Spanish exchange (conversation) Phone #; 952 222 144

Wow, thanks everyone for the great suggestions. Lucy123 - good question, why Malaga??? Actually DH is doing a course here (he is spanish, though not from Malaga!) hence the move. I'm not working/haven't found anything yet. I'm toying with the conversation swap lessons though. What I have found is that on the coast there are loads more opportunities to meet people - more groups etc but here in the city it seems a bit less. I shall have to investigate further! I actually recently managed to get hold of the Sur in English - the only english paper where I live! Thank you Janh for the group details! Will let you know how it goes!

costamum -

on the plus side: we lived on the coast for two years and moved because we got fed up with the ridiculously high propertion of people who were:

a) racist little-Englander b*stards
b) out to rip us off (NB never trust anyone on the coats who asks you how much rent you pay in any of your first meetings with them! )

Thre are nice people too, obviously, but it did start to get us down. We have found in the cities the vast majority of people you meet (English or Spanish) are nice. So you're not really at a disadvantage!

Thanks for the warning - I did imagine it was a bit like that on the coast which is in part why we came prefered to come to Malaga as opposed to the "costa". (Also quite a bit cheaper!) We were previously living in Seville (where my DH is from) for just over 3 years and obviously had DH family close by and friends so I didn't feel quite so isolated!!! Luckily for me during my time in Seville I did manage to pick up quite a bit of Spanish since as no-one seemed to speak English there!

ooo, I love Seville! we nearly moved there, but dp fell in love with the mountains!

We had the opposite language problem on the coast - no-one would speak Spanish to us! So my Spanish now is still pretty flakey. it's good enough to get by, but not good enough to make small talk with (for example) other nursery mums.

Seriously, I think we should meet up in Salobreña (halfway) one day!

antone else reading this in England and thinking it all sounds lovely?

cd - it is lovely. But can be lonely in the nice areas. Why do you think I'm on Mumsnet all the time?

I lived abroad for a while _ its hard isnt it? Funny the things you miss too

mmm. newspapers (European editions are v thin), pubs, fish and chips, being able to understand snatches of overheard conversation, beggars who just sit there rather than hassle you while you're eating at a cafe.

That kind of thing?

I'll probably regret posting this as I have a big fear of internet stalkers, but now I want to show off. this shows where we live (villa pictures are of our old house).

Back again! Yes Seville is a great town - it took me a while to get used to living there but now I miss it!!! Gosh, I tend to get huge fish and chip cravings over here - half the stuff I really miss are things I never ate that often back in the UK in the first place - weird huh??!! Anyway, Lucy123 I would love to try and meet up one day - I don't know how one would go about it?

Flat tummy Luce...

not any more codswallop! (7 months preg)costamum, I'll email you through the site.