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NIE Castellon - What to do when the portal won't list appointments available

  If you're reading this, chances are you are struggling to get an appointment online to comply with a requirement. Facebook Expat Groups has daily posts asking for help with the online portal of Castellon's Extranjeria. Before we get the artillery out Try to log on the portal at precisely 13:30 pm on Fridays. Not 1 minute before - and not 1 minute after - If you already tried that, and did not succeed, then follow these steps. This sequence works for me when I help newly arrived expats in Castellon: First step: Brigada Provincial de Extranjeros y Fronteras: Plaza Teodoro Izquierdo, no. 6  12004 Castellon Parking: difficult to find a space, heavy residential area, parking meters. The police officers outside the building will ask if you have an existing appointment - because they have a list of names on a spreadsheet for that day. They want to locate your name on the spreadhseet to see if you are booked, before they grant you access to the building - But -- they are obligated ...
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After The Honeymoom Phase Ends: Ajusting to Spain

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Every week, my news feed has at an article glamorizing the expat life in Spain. The challenges specific to adjusting to Spain are rarely mentioned.   And they should be - because Spain has its sh*t load of curveballs arising from its peculiar multi-level governance. At best, such articles sometimes featured in high-traffic digital publications hint to Spain's convoluted bureaucracy. Eh ... thanks for alluding to this fact. But the bureaucracies of Mexico, Italy, or France are equally just as challenging. You would expect publishers such as Msnbc, Business Insider, International Living would cover the not-so-rosy side of starting your life over in a foreign language and culture. As it pertains to Spain, there is no testimonials of the weariness that inevitably kicks in when the realities of the Spanish governance model starts to give you a serious case of the jitters. Maybe I am missing the point? After all, publishers’ priority is generating views and incoming traffic to thei...
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How To Find a Handyman in Oropesa

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  Need help with home improvement in Oropesa, but aren't sure where to turn to find a handyman? “Handyman” does not have a single direct equivalent meaning in Spanish. Some people in Spain use the term "manitas" to refer to someone who has basic skills on repairing things, electricity stuff, mechanics, etc. but this term is rather colloquial. Depending on the context, you should substitute “handyman” for “tecnico”. In Spain, any home improvement, even a light repair, is categorized according to a trade. A  “jack of all trades” such as a handyman is not the norm here as  contractors would need to hold multiple licenses across categories. Let’s say you’ve just moved into a property and find that you need to replace some kitchen cabinets and the dishwasher is leaking: You will hire 2 separate contractors: a tecnico de “carpintería” (or carpintero)  - and -   a tecnico de “reparacion electrodomésticos” Alternatively, you can turn to a local business who employs...
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Getting An Issue Resolved with Amazon Spain

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Tricky returns and combative sellers are reasons to reach out to Amazon outside o f Spain . Since living in Spain for several years, I’ve become quite the expert on navigating the ins and outs of Amazon's Spanish subsidiary. I admit.... I am wired with expecting Amazon's predictable workflows and policy guidelines across all their marketplaces globally. I also plead guilty of wanting to be treated with respect, regardless of the Amazon subsidiary I happen to be using. To my defense, let me point out that when I shopped in Colombia, Chile and U.K. these country-specific marketplaces were closely aligned with Amazon's corporate protocols and policies. There were hardly ever any incidents. The majority of transactions were frictionless from start to finish - returns included. So why do I have to prepare boxing gloves using Amazon in Spain? Because Spain gets life right, but work wrong.  Whenever I speak on the subject, it triggers this short-sighted commentary: Since ...
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