A New Life in the Sun: Road Trip
Road Trip, Really?
Well, what a waste of space this is. Let’s give Fred something new to voice over while rehash all the old footage from the previous show.
Advertised as;
“Fred Sirieix takes us on a road trip around some of Europe’s most beautiful locations, meeting the Brits who have started new lives abroad. ”
NO. Fred revisits a few folk from years back living in Europe.
Sounds like a promising new TV show?
Wrong. So, basically you visit the people who have already been featured on A New Life in the Sun. This is to the extent that they even use the same footage.
If you’re looking for something new, you’re in the wrong place. This is like Groundhog Day, based in Europe.
They might as well call this show A New Life in the Sun Revisited. Oh wait, they have already done this too.
Well not to worry, there’s nothing like milking the same old footage and using a new voice over.
A New Life in the Sun: Where Are They Now?
Wait have we got yet another spin off?
Yes, it seems we have.
The question I ask is, do we care?
It’s fine to focus on a handful of people, but what about those who turned up with £5k to buy and revamp a bar and use the funds to pay rent on the accommodation for 12 months. You know who I mean, the failures. Those who ran out of money in week 3 of arriving.
The people who move out of their council house, sell all their possessions and move to open a hotel in France with their £9k cash budget.
Personally, as someone who doesn’t mind watching shows like a Place In The Sun or Life In The Sun, I loathe the fact this is pure rehashed footage used with a different voice over.
Do People Make A New Life In The Sun?
Some do but as I was reading this, a lot of this is so true;
1) Firstly and most importantly they have not done enough, if any, homework. They have absolutely no comprehension that for example someone who was, say, a dental receptionist in the UK is going to find it almost impossible to get the same job over here. Especially one who speaks no Spanish.
So,would you be happy if you rang, say, your dentist in Derby and found that the receptionist spoke only Spanish? So why should a dental receptionist expect to find work in a Spanish dental surgery? “Oh, well I could learn.” ¡No digo nada!
2) They have absolutely no comprehension of how expensive Spain is. I am sure I speak for many when I say that I find Spain is now only marginally less expensive than the UK for many things.
3) They make very little effort to learn any Spanish. A hobby-horse of mine so I won’t continue. NOWHERE in Spain is English universally spoken. Even in Benidorm, Torremolinos, Marbella or Torrevieja, Spanish is still the official language. NOT speaking Spanish will massively harm your chances of getting work. FACT.
4) They quite bluntly do not have a work appetite. Somehow they expect to work fewer hours for more money than they did in the UK.
5) Many were losers in the UK. Somehow they think if they come to Spain and do all the things they did wrong in the UK they will succeed. It’s pure folly to think if you do the same things you failed with before that you will get a different result if you continue to do them wrongly over here.
6) On the same track many are quitters. (Winners never quit and quitters never win.)
7) As they have done so little preparation re 1, 2 and 3 that when a problem happens they are not ready for it and struggle to overcome whatever the problem is.
Working In Spain?
Rule 1: Be honest with your level of experience and work history. Just because you have unblocked your toilet back in the UK, doesn’t mean while driving through France you should become a qualified plumber for when you arrive in Spain.
You think this is a joke? I have seen a truck driver who ‘became an electrician in Spain and had no idea what he was doing. He even installed an electric boiler and used UK plugs and adaptors.
Rule 2: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the bar and go to look for work. The prices on “A Place in the Sun” are pre the introduction of the euro….and it rains!
Rule 3: You will NOT make 60,000 euros a year as you come straight off the plane. You won’t be employed and you won’t get a contract until you earn both.
Rule 4: If you think the UK is tough, wait till you try Spain.
Be realistic in your plans.
Just because you have 2 weeks in Benidorm on the beach enjoying 28 degrees of sunshine, you need to realise living and working in the heat of summer, isn’t the same as your 2 weeks Jet 2 holiday.
