Jack Broome

Hello Everyone,
I am a 3rd Year Geography student studying at the University of Newcastle. For my Dissertation research topic I have chosen to study around the idea of [I]why[I] and how British people emigrate to Spain, and once they arrive, what happens next? By this I mean, do they try and maintain a part of British culture and the way of life, or do you throw yourself into the Spanish way of life and cast off any Britishness?
At the moment my research is very broad so any feedback at all would be so welcome! Thankyou!

Sue

Hi,

Welcome to BE. I will let this thread stay but would ask that in future you adhere to rule 10 of the site rules.

Many thanks and the best of luck with your dissertation.

Mitzyboy

I suspect there will be a few people that might give you their stories privately, but of course there is no way to contact you as yet until you have made three meaningful posts.

For me

The Why?
I had sold my company and my wife had in effect been made redundant. I was in my early 50's and couldn't face starting up another company at the time, or working for anyone else. Spain seemed a viable alternative to live life differently for a while with a lower cost of living whilst we had a lower income.
We already had a holiday home here, so it seemed the easy alternative
Then of course the € and $ went crazy!

The How?
I dont know what you really want to know

I had already spent some considerable time researching on the internet for our property purchase. We research area, and what kind of property we could get for our money. That took the best part of 12 months or so, and then we eventually purchased. It was about 2 years from the time it was finished up to the time we actually moved over here.

Once here, the barrage of documentation and beaurocracy was frightening, and in hindsight I wish I'd employed someone to do it for us. It was quite stressful at times as we didn't have much Spanish at all when we moved here and of course didn't know the systems. We had the help of good Spanish neighbours and even so it must have taken time over the first 12 months.

You cant come over here and cast off your Britishness. I dont believe it's possible. However you can't come here and expect to carry on in the way you lived in the UK. This is Spain, and you have to conform to some extent. You'll never be truly accepted here and "fully integrate" as people say, but all you can do is try your best to take on Spanish life and enjoy it.

By the way .... you'll get about twenty different views on this from people on here. Good luck!

Chiclanagir

We came with the view that we wanted to integrate. We did everything to the letter but now regret that we were so honest as it has worked against us. Many people keep their UK "identity". We wish we had done the same. We use Spanish restaurants and I always try to speak Spanish even when the "waiter" speaks to us in English.

snikpoh

For me;

The Why?
We were on holiday here but had continual (daily) problems with our business whilst here. When we got back it suddenly escalated - so we decided to sell up. My wife used to live here when she was younger so that was our decision made (both in our late 40's). We also thought it would be better for our children who would grow up in a better environment.

The How?
We just sold up and came out - effectively retiring but with the intention of working in the property industry (renting/renovating). When the crisis hit, we decided to just sit back and watch for a while.

In terms of Britishness, like Mitzy says, you never can get rid of it entirely. We try to integrate as much as possible but we still;

• watch some Uk TV
• eat at UK times rather than Spanish
• got to bed at UK times
• eat Sunday roasts (given half a chance!)

Like Chiclanagir says, I wish we hadn't been quite so hasty in 'going Spanish'. For example, we matriculated our car straight away (yet so many don't and seem to save a fortune and get away with it), we cut all UK ties - like doctor, dentist, tax etc and signed on for the Spanish equivalent, we got all the necessary licences for building work (even the Spanish don't seem to do this). And there's lots more that we needn't have done causing us headaches and lots of money.


Aahh, hindsight .....

agoreira

In what way has it worked against you? Why do you regret it? Just curious.
Here in UK, I only know of about 4 Spanish people that live here, married locals etc, and they all speak almost faultless English, but I have come across few expats in Spain that speak Spanish to a similar level. A few, but not many. You're probably one of them, are you? Just watched this, and there is an English guy and a South African, and admittedly they have been in Spain quite a few years, they speak Spanish well, totally integrated.
http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/search.h...galicia#912666

HBG

In the mainly ‘British’ areas to the south of Alicante and west of Malaga, a great many expats live in their own communities and have never bothered to integrate, in fact that’s the last thing they want to do, they want their little Britain in the sun and that’s what they’ve got. I would say that applies to the majority of ordinary people who come to Spain from the UK. In those long established communities the Spanish businesses and town halls have geared their business to cater for the Brits, who are valued customers and voters.

There is very little resentment from local Spanish people at the ‘invasion’, most of which is benign and produces jobs for them and their children.

Other Brits, the more adventurous ones, have tried to establish themselves in totally Spanish areas and on the whole seem to do well, eventually. But they are in the minority, and a lot give up and move into ‘British’ areas, where all their needs from back home are catered for, and there’s an Iceland and British Legion on every corner.

We’ve tried both and gave the integration bit our best shot. It nearly worked, it came very close, but then the little things got us down. There are too many to list, and some are daft, like unsilenced motos racing around at all times of the day and night. And the strange bureaucracy in Spanish towns – it really is a matter of who you know.

And if you fall out with the mayor, pack your bags, because you’ve just upset God.

jackytoo

I think the happiest ex-pats in Spain are the ones that don't integrate. They don't speak spanish except eg. "la cuenta por favor". They mix with like minded other British. They think all the spanish love them cos a few spanish where they spend their money welcome them. They know little of real life going on in Spain neither watching TV or reading spanish papers. All the shit passes over their head

JLFS

We came to live in Spain for a change, we were happy enough in the UK and we are happy enough here.

We chose the sunnier part, as I remembered the Galician winters from before I moved to the UK and on holidays at Christmas which were sometimes spent in Galicia.

I like the "cherry picking" that is possible where there are lots of different nationalities.
Foreign food, press, restaurants and so on.

Integration is a very misunderstood word as far as I am concerned, and eating tapas in the local Spanish bar could mean "intergrated" for some, whereas helping out on the local charity stall could do it for others.

Is having a few Spanish friends, or sending children to the local school intergration?
I would not even attempt to define the word.

As for being fully interegrated, I am not sure what it entails for you, but if it means participating in the local events, helping to organise or volunteering in the community, I must say that I did not know very many English people living in England who were that intergrated in their own communities, even though they were born there and had lived all their lives there.

Anyway it is a subject that you could write a book on, so it should make interesting reading, whatever answers you get on this forum.

JLFS

The other side of the coin, so to speak.

An interesting theory, which if you replaced British in Spain, with for example, British in Iran, it would be so obvious that they would be the happiest group.

The ones that mixed with like minded people in Iran would definately be the happiest, so why not it Spain, I dont know the answer myself.

snikpoh

I have to completely disagree with this comment (from my perspective anyway).

HBG

I do watch Spanish TV and read Spanish papers, as well as the English ones, it gives me a mare balanced view of the country I’ve lived in for such a long time, and it improves my understanding of the language.

I also converse with Spanish people on a regular basis. It’s a fallacy to think you can’t do that in a ‘British’ area, there is still a 50% Spanish population even in the most overrun places. There will be a Spanish bar not very far from an English bar, often right next door to it and the choice is yours. The various tradesmen you need will be represented by both nationalities, I take my dogs to both English and Spanish vets and the dogs seem to understand either.

On many occasions I can’t tell the overall difference between Spanish and English people in their attitude to life in general. But I’ll always be a guiri and I’m happy to remain so, a happy guiri in the sun.

(It’s freezing at the moment).

Bigger Jim

Most of the Spanish in our area would tend to drop the, "por favour" and possibly the "la". So is "la cuenta por favor" so bad?

Jim

jackytoo

I am always bemused when I see British who have lived here for years eating lunch at 12.30 ish or dinner at 7pm. Never change their habits, heard people moaning that restaurants don't open until 8pm. They do think they are integrated as they stutter a few words with the friendly barman. So why knock them, they are HAPPY.

I didn't say no one spoke spanish...reading this forum everyone is fluent Just my opinion that the happiest ex-pats are the ones who don't involve themselves in spanish life at all. Hey some don't even know their home is illegal

JLFS

True about the lack of the word "please". I know from experience that the P word is not used anywhere near as much as in the UK
It is not expected for every occasion as in the UK.

It is quiet amusing because one of the ways of spotting a "lived in the UK for a long time Spaniard", is the overuse of the word please (according to Sapnish standards).

It marks me down as a oddball, anyway, although I have cut down on the "pleases" I am still aware that it is overkill for most of the folks I mix with.

After getting so much stick in UK, when I first moved there, it is ingrained very deep.
I soon found out that I was not even allowed to go to the toilet in school unles I said the "magic word"

Strange old world.................