About me and why I decided working from home in Tenerife:
About me took me a long time to start writing about. I am not famous nor have anything special to show for except one of the most beautiful gardens I created for my family in Durban South Africa. But, that's all in the past and I don't own it any more. My name is Gabriele which was spelled Gabrielle when I lived in Paris for 2 years and Gabriela during my 3 year stay in Lisbon Portugal. I am German by birth and upbringing. The Spanish in Tenerife, where I stay since my husband's sudden passing away in 2001 use my name like the Portuguese. During my 25 years of marriage to a German in South Africa I was mostly called 'Mrs' by my husband and Mom by my now grown up 2 children a son of 30 and a daughter of 29 who still live there. We used to be a very closely knit family. The fact that we all live so far apart can be painful, at times. Thanks to the Internet keeping in contact is not too expensive nor too hard. So much about me and whats left of my family.
My homepage for my far away family and...Writing my homepage Tenerife holiday home insider.com is also for them to show what the island where I am living, now, is like. It's also a way of letting them share in what I am doing in Tenerife. Of course, my website is for supplementing my income, first of all. Do I hear you say you can't write?You, too, can learn how to write. It is easy. You will be free and don't have to slave for a boss, who looks over your shoulder or in your dress cleavage... A few mistakes by a non English speaker don't prevent your success to make money with writing in most cases. Sign on to my email newsletter and get the free ebook... Grab it... It will help you to write better. You need that to make money online. Why did I settle in Tenerife?Well, I had not intended to do so. Ideas about me and my future were very undecided, though, 7 years ago. We had bought a little atico (penthouse) in the north of the island in 1997. I came there later in 2001 to sell it but, encountered problems. They were not only of a financial inheritance related nature because, I had to clear the 50% still in my late husband's name who died age 51. Several experts told me to rather wait out 4 and a half years, as this is the time in Spain, when inheritance tax elapses, which made lots of sense, as I had a half share already. I opted to learn Spanish for free.Little did I know that such tramites (errands with documents of official nature) for inheritance are no easy matter to deal with. I stayed on. I tried to learn Spanish well. I only watched Spanish TV and almost only read Spanish newspapers. I had some dictionaries and grammar books to consult but, took no language classes. I became a member of the public library in Puerto Cruz and taught myself reading Spanish books. It was free to join. Talking to locals as much as possible also helped to improve Spanish skills. I ought to mention about me that it helps much to know other Latin languages to start with, I admit. The work situation in Tenerife:Thinking about me of a person with not only language but, also PR talents wasn't good enough.Tenerife which is part of Spain has its own laws. Firstly, at least, one local needs employing by a company. The fact to be past 50 didn't help me at all. Some, even told me straight into my face, they were only employing 'blondes' below 35. Needless to say is that age related Tenerife work discrimination made me often feel older than I was. At the time I wrote the following poem: About me poem and the computer addicted old hagYes, I wrote many more poems in German and English at the time. All for the sake of staying healthy and sane... However, this doesn't make me a poet. I know so, as I was born 28 km north from Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main was the birth place of the great poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a writer, whose works I am familiar with. What about jobs with foreign companiesForeign companies gave me the excuse, they would get problems taking on a foreigner without a residence permit. That law, at least, has changed but, still wouldn't work in my favor. You will see just now, how everything work related about me, evolved over the years.
Tenerife unemployment agency:
A positive Tenerife event about me:I was granted an IT course in Spanish by my local unemployment agency INEM la Orotava for classes paid by Brussels. During the 8 months of 5 hour morning classes I learned more Spanish than IT. The school was called Centro de Estudios Tecnológicos ARBOL in Los Realejos Avendida de Canarias,14, Los Realejos.
This episode about me is still something I am proud of but, also, feel some regrets for at the same time. I am sorry, I couldn't get more out of it because of inferior language skills at the time and no previous IT skills. What didn't help me with my studies was the fact, I had no PC at home in those days, either. I didn't know how to use a mouse.Mind you, I didn't even know how to use a mouse well when I started off. I feel a little ashamed to have to tell this about me. I got my diploma to entitle me to manage a small company in Spain anyway, though, thanks to much perseverance. However, I was far from being skilled to managing my own company. Theory is not good enough but, practice in real life is what counts. This is all I can say about me. Diplomas and good company testimonial didn't help.Perhaps, the best part about me is, office work was not strange to me. I had worked a few years for Central German bank head office in their foreign department for their international contact service acquisitions. I managed an international, small forwarding/shipping/export company in Johannesburg for and on behalf of my late husband. I last, was a director in an Import/consultancy agency in Durban South Africa, mainly, employed for public relations, interpreting and translations. Computer work wasn't part of it. Nobody in my family was allowed to meddle with the company PC, except my husband. My son and daughter could use it on occasion, much later, however. My company still exists but, is dormant. The struggle about me to make money:My life was circling around family, support for my husband's business ventures, my garden and a few friends, I found time for. Many were also business friends. Everything related about me or you is normally not a priority in a marriage, you know... Just figure, how I was feeling in Tenerife, when I didn't find work. After I had lost much weight until the scale showed 47 kg with a size of 1,65 m, this became a handicap. Grief and worries were something, which didn't hit me instantly after my husband's passing away. I, suddenly, had so many problems which didn't only include a 2nd inheritance a while later but, queries for clinic payments in Malaysia, where my husband stayed before his death. This situation was a hard nut to crack also because, Spain insisted on apostille (spell: uposteej) a document Malaysia was not using. That era about me is not one I would like to go through again. Controversial information Internet and off line:Real estate agents rather confused me than helped me. Internet information was often controversial. The Honorary German Consulate Santa Cruz as well as a Spanish Public Notary and a Spanish Social Work lawyer called Macarena in Los Realejos town hall helped most. Succeed I did despite limited financial means but, with the ambition to tackle everything myself. You get tired of odd jobs.I had some odd jobs, I am very tired of now. Soon I realized, the best for me would be being my own boss, especially, as I could never find work with a proper contract for social security. This has become a wide spread norm today in Tenerife. All the jobs, I had, were temporary work including public surveys called encuestas where I walked for miles knocking on doors to have Spanish and foreigners answer my questions. I had to fill in sheets of paper, where people had to sign. A way to get to know Tenerife people:I was invited into people's houses during those inquiries. That way I learned a lot about Tenerife people and how they live.I got some insight into their social conditions, into their life and culture. The inquiries were of a social and not of commercial nature. Oh yeas, what a way to learn Spanish by doing surveys... My pal César Francisco Real Real:In a later Internet course at Audiostudio Puerto de la Cruz I also made friends with my study body Cesar Francisco Real Real who now lives temporarily in Majorca, where he found a well paid job. We stay in contact. An uncommon way to learn Spanish for free:Here, I ought to mention about me that doing Spanish Internet courses in Tenerife is a tough way of learning Spanish. After my family's 2nd inheritance incident we decided to purchase a holiday home in Tenerife for the kids to have a place to stay when visiting as the little atico penthouse has limited space. I tried my luck to rent out to tourists but, gave up quickly. This is a long story. I let out the studio which is kind of a condo on long term, now. I use a limited contract of just a little over 6 months which gives me the chance to decide to sell, when the time is right. Why I bought a holiday home in Tenerife with Usofruct:The studio was bought in the name of my children with usofruct and a full power of attorney for myself called in Spanish an Apoderamiento largo. I suggested this to my children above all to spare them the agony of perhaps having to deal one day with inheritance in a country, where a language is spoken, they hardly know. The procedure to buy property with all those criteria was a nightmare for us in those days. The fact that we all lived on different continents with different cultures far away from each other did not help.
Rent this Tenerife property, a Tenerife apartment, a studio in Los Realejos, 5 minutes by car from Beach Playa Jardin Puerto de la Cruz... It is up for long term rental. My last renter, who, finally, enjoyed living there for more than 2 years, lost his job due to the 2009 recession. He moved in with his parents in Tenerife South by Adeje. Living in a Spanish community:Living in a vibrant Spanish suburb mixed with many foreign settlers or visitors, who spend extended Tenerife holidays, I made many casual friends over the years. A few of them may be called good friends.What about me and what am I up to now? Traveling an exciting multi faceted island in company is what I enjoy greatly. Writing about it gives me great pleasure and fills my days. A homepage which pays off:Earlier on, I was considering to do one of those free blogs instead of a homepage. Look, how many blogs are around... Many more than homepages. And you know what? Very very few people make money with their blog. Only those, who were taught to do a proper homepage with all that is needed, succeed somehow. They could be doing better, though, because a blog is only a blog.You are not taken by the hand and taught pace by pace how to enter the world of Internet to earn money with your free blog.Many blogs are not found on the Internet, unless you dish out their addresses. This happens with homepages, too, if nobody teaches you the ropes to make them succeed. My website pays itself off, lately. It only does so because it is found by search engines. Adsense will do better, once we are out of recession. Finders fees also contribute to earnings. It's great to be able to afford a good host who gives you support, the best free tools and a helpful forum. Compare with other hosts and you'll see, I couldn't have done better for myself which is the way I, absolutely, feel about it. I am, now, busy exploring more ways to earn money on-line, which I take time to do, as I don't just want to recommend any odd company by affiliating, for instance. Never too old to be creative and to enjoy life:Discover Claude's story. He's only a little bit older than I am. We only age when we don't try something new any more, you know... Are you not a native English speaker and don't 100 per cent understand everything I talk about on how exactly I am working from home, now?
Get a better clue!
I conclude, I am very happy to give you all this information in German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian and Chinese about me and how I am working from home. A challenge has become a life style.Although, I am a slow, clumsy learner, I am also a steady learner. I am happy to say, all my hard work is paying off, as the program I use is cut out perfectly for Dummies like me. I cannot wait until I am finished with my site to start with a new one.Why? The more sites, you have, the more you can earn. And mind you, they better be less large like mine. Having more home pages always gives you a better scope to make money online. This actually was my mistake as I didn't listen. Meantime, I am not short of working from home ideas or, of ideas for computer work from home or any other home business which, ideally, should be combined. Often, I feel like an absolute dummy and behave like one. Lets blame it on childhood. So easy, hey? Perhaps, in one of my ezines of my email newsletter I will tell you more about me and what a pathetic kid I used to be.
Should I move from Spain, ever, to stay with my children, my motto will always be: Own more free time to enjoy by working online...
About me and how proud I am of my son and daughterMy daughter Trish used to work for a big software producer in IT Web design and then also in IT Web Usability. She went back to university in Durban in 2008. Now, she lives in Europe and will study with a UK university online next year, in 2010.My son Marc made himself a name as ENG Cameraman for News for a South African private TV channel. He also worked as editor. Generally, my kids still live too far away from me. However, I am managing fine with IT Web design, Web Usability and Web Video without their help thanks to sitesell.com.
Find more Internet secrets about me in the context of 11 Internet dating tips which I hope will be useful. They even include relevant poetry online written by myself. Didn't most of us, try web dating at some stage, at least? It is worth it, I say. Please, return from about me to Tenerife Holiday Home Insider Homepage...
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