Irish and just moved to Barcelona

Hi

I've just moved to Barcelona with work, they have sent me here actually for one year. I'm finding it very difficult to find people in similar situations. Luckily everyone at work has been extremely friendly and helpful.

I just arrived one week ago, last Sunday. I started work on Monday and due to certain circumstances have been working ever since. Today it's raining so I don't mind.

I have had some successes in getting myself organised and settled here, although they are few. I have been afraid to try to do the essential things like get my NIE and a bank account because luckily there is no hurry. Work have organised a hotel for me while an agency are helping me to find accommodation. I expect I will need my NIE and bank account to get Internet in my new accommodation and hopefully a contract phone.

I am working in the Sarria area close to L'Illa on Ave de Diagonal so there is everything I need nearby. I have not yet ventured into the centre where I expect they are possibly more open to the English language, or maybe not.

I am struggling a lot with the languages. I'm trying very hard to learn Spanish but then if I want to order lunch, I need Catalan. Having learned French for 7 years and German for 5, it is unusual for me to be somewhere so clueless about the language. Correction..I go to Portugal at least once a year and can just about say please and thank you, but mostly they have excellent English.

So on the phone front, I managed to get a nice cheap Nokia for 20euro in Fnac. Just realised today that its network locked to Movistar. I should have gone to Phoneshop or Phonehouse I think its called, they just sell standalone phones. I have an iPhone 3G that was hacked, I requested for it to be network unlocked before I came over from UK O2 and I think they got confused and thought I was looking to roam, because I've updated to iOS 4 and now can't access my phone..nada
Hopefully get that sorted soon.

Anyway, say hi if you are in anyway similar situations or in a similar area, would love to hear from you.