rugbymatt

Yay! Another English vs Spanish pissing contest! One thing I never realised though, just how many pilots retire to Spain...

JLFS

That is what I meant when I siad it was a strange thread........when we are being told not to get heated or argue on the forum, somone puts a "conflictive" title like this.

A sort of "Who is the greatest? and Why am I?" type discussion.

A difficult one to get an answer to without asking the ones who really can, ie locals, so in effect another peeing contest, but with "colonial undertones", and meant to stir feelings.

About your point about pilots retiring to Spain, I know a lot of retired pilots, they worked for the council or zoo, and would pile it here and then pile it there.

You should know that being the owner of more than a few large animals, you too are a pile-it

agoreira

I hope you're not suggesting that Brits reinvent themselves when they retire to Spain? Surely not? Although saying that, I never met many that came from humble working stock!

Rosemary

Some Brits unfortunately do like to give people the impression that they are wealthier than others and will look down their nose at people who do appear to be poorer. I have been told by friends that the people from Madrid who holiday in our local seaside resort look down their noses at the locals, not sure whether this is true or not but that is the locals perception. So both nationalities seem to have the same traits, due no doubt to the fact that we are all human beings.

Our neighbours know that we do not have money, know that we are pensioners and that when work needs to be done that we have to wait until we have enough funds in the same way that they do. When we were in Benidorm market buying tea towels the trader told his companion to charge me Spanish rates as I was Spanish and my husband was English, he had heard me talking in English to OH but used Spanish when talking to the trader.

We have employed an electrician and a painter in our endeavours to reform our house and have been charged the normal rates not extra because we are not Spanish. In fact the painting of the outside of the house was much cheaper than we expected.

People only think you are rich if that is what you portray, this can be either by the way you flash money around or by your attitude towards others. Quite a few of our neighbours have second homes but they are not rich and would hate it if we thought that they were any different from us and the other neighbours.

Rosemary

JLFS

Smiley dont work, but sending them anyway..........

The Spanish would have be really thick to think that the British they come into contact to are rich, if they are not rich. Money shows in most cases.

Seeing the shape a lot are in, beer bellies, tatoos, illegal cars, ducking and diving, asking how much a taxi would cost on forums, comparing internet prices, cheap "el Corte Chino" clothes, and second hand tat, are a bit of a giveway, any local would be hard pressed to think that they are or have been shakers and movers, living on their trustfunds or investments.

Infact in my humble opinion, instead of the locals thinking they are rich, they think they are a laughing stock.

Sorry if my comments upsets anyone, but the question was asked, and as I feel well equipped to answer............

snikpoh

And there's my point I think - how do you define rich?

Is it simply cash in the bank? Disposable income? Multiple properties? Flash car?

Rosemary

It is the same as trying to define a person because of the job they do or the money that they receive for the work they do. One of our friends is a builder and the first time that we had a conversation with him he explained to us that in Spain people are not labelled by the job that they do but by the type of person they are and that is why they all mix so well with each other. His particular group of friends that he associates with on a very regular basis have varied jobs, one is a high level manager, one owns orange groves, two work as orange packers. one is a cleaner.

Rosemary

Rotor

I still work and I know my QNH from my QFE

agoreira

And that's just the women!!!!!!

JLFS

woof...woof..woof......

agoreira

Probably the locals refer the the madrileños as pijos, and paletos, catetos the other way around.

agoreira

I feel your description does indeed fit quite a lot, mercifully I do know some exceptions. Some very good friends of ours own three very nice properties, but you would never know to talk to them, they are completly unaffected, down to earth, live modestly but work hard, the whole family speaks excellent Spanish, totally integrated. But probably an exception.

JLFS

Dont get me wrong, I think I have said before that I think that British people are the best, at least the ones I met when I lived there, of course there are exceptions.

But I cant understand the opinion some Brits have of the Spanish, ie the vein of this thread, I personally think it is ludicrous.

The Spanish would not think that a Brit living from hand to mouth is rich, just for the mere fact that he/she is British and living in Spain.

If the Spanish population was that thick, then we should all be locked up in a secure unit..........

jackytoo

Rare to see real money people being "flash". We had a neighbour who owned a home on the coast. First time we met him he showed us his watch and pointed out it was a "real Rolex" People who are rich don't see anything different in owning an expensive watch let alone talking about it. His villa turned out to be rented

It used to be the case about 20 years ago that most British retirees were comfortably off, mainly retired professionals and self-employed. That all changed when Spain entered the EU and the drift started. I would say about 80% of Brits seem to live hand to mouth, doing odd jobs, selling at car boot sales, making hand made cards etc.

I wouldn't say the spanish aren't class conscious, they have the same markers as other countries, good education, good areas to live etc. I don't believe there are many who charge different prices for the British, never noticed it although have always used people who have been recommended by other Spanish.

PS I would like to state that I have never been a Pilot

Rosemary

Just thought of something that happened when my OH was in hospital for his second operation. Visited the local shop and one of my neighbours collared me to buy a lottery ticket for the seminary where her son is training. I paid her the money and I told the shopkeeper that I had no money now to pay him. My neighbour responded with "thats OK he is rich" and he strangely agreed with her so we both queried this reaction. He stated that of course he is rich in comparison because he has his health and my OH does not. He values health above money and now closes his shop and extra afternoon every week to have more dancing lessons. I think that he probably has the best attitude.

Rosemary