Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

many immigrants still come to the UK hoping to find scraps and work dead end jobs that pay minimum wage an hour just so that they can "live in the UK" and expect to be able to claim for everything under the sun and demand that the country changes for them. Then they come and complain endlessly about how the UK is not foreigner friendly and they can't get a job etc.. as though it is their birth right.
And yet they all claim to being trying to "integrate into English life". How many of them speak fluent English? Sure, some immigrants do try and integrate, but the majority don't. And yet, it is these ones that don't, who complain the loudest.

Hmm, works both ways doen't it!

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

Is this a facepalm? I'm not quite up on the younguns web speak, but I do believe this idiot has just faceplamed himself.

The OP was obviously a troll and nothing more.

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

What is "facepalm" supposed to mean and are you calling me an idiot?

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

In general, people complain about the immigrants in the UK because they are depicted by the media as going there, getting housing, benifits and are allowed to keep their own cultures and religion. IMO from what I've seen its not really like that - but thats the stereotype that, inparticular "the Sun" and the Mail" like to dipict.

Those of us who come to Spain, may or may not integrate - I'd like to, but call me thick, I'm trying to speak the language, but I'm not gonna be fluent anytime soon, so therefore there is going to be a language barrier - I cant see me making best friends with someone I cant chat to. But I am polite, friendly and respectful - but no, I'm not intergrated into the Spanish way of life as such, TBH, I dont really see a Spanish way of life. The Spanish around me are too busy with work, kids, family etc - I'm not even sure I understand what is meant by integrating

The point is, we dont come over here and take handouts, houses or benifits from the Spanish, we come here and try and make it work and we take nothing! Actually if the truth were known, thats really how it is for most immigrants to the UK - without the media finding the odd one or two acceptions!

Jo xxx

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

Do you speak fluent Spanish?

I suspect not.

What you have to remember about 'fluent English speakers', they usually like foreigners to be able to speak in English, regardless where on this planet they happen to be, after all how are they to ask the natives to bring them their tea!:p

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

Well done Jo, how true, its the red-top media, thoughtless, vindictive and uncaring people who you'd have thought with their experience of living in a foreign country would empathizes with the plight of people who were either invited to work as cheap labour, or as a result of the EU open door policy, whereby UK citizens too benefited and lastly citizens from regions where Britain is at war still finding WMD's or for 'peace on our streets'.

I DON'T CARE, SO LONG AS I'S ALRIGHT JACK?

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

I think we need to differentiate perhaps. There are people who "immigrate" and fully embrace the language and culture of the country in which they live. And that's what our governments should look for in potential immigrants. People who will assimilate into their host country and within a generation become part of it's fabric. That is largely the case but some peoples and cultures struggle with this a little more and don't really have the desire to integrate. I can't for the life of me understand why they would what to stay.

On the other hand, in Spain there are 10s of thousands of British and European holiday makers who may have a holiday home here and who have no intention of assimilating. and that's OK too. They're only here 4-6 weeks a year. So for me Irish pubs and Iceland are OK because I suspect they cater mainly to these holidaymakers. Those of us who live or will live in Spain permanently will probably be like most of the people contributing to this thread ==> try to become part of the Spanish community.

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

I've been reading thru this thread and I think I need someone to explain to me what it means to intergrate - maybe its cos I dont live in a "typically Spanish" village??? but I cant see how anyone is intergrated - spanish or British or anyone else here?? Everyone gets up, rushes to work, we may acknowledge each other with a nod... we come home, we go to Mercadona. I very rarely go to bars, but if I do I say "hola" as does everyone else, friends will chat with each other there.......... If I do get chatting its usually with a Brits cos of the language thing. My kids dont go into the village much, so dont play with the local kids and thats mainly cos the local kids all seem alot younger than them. They both have Spanish friends at school but dont make a habit of socialising with them ither than at school. My son has English and French friends at school but doesnt really socialise with them either???

So no, I guess you could say we havent intergrated cos there doesnt seem much to intergrate into??????




Jo xx

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

I think some people believe that integrating is never eating British food, never speaking English or to English people, never going into an English bar/restaurant etc.


tosh IMO

I think NOT integrating is never eating Spanish food, never speaking Spanish or to Spanish people, never going into an Spanish bar/restaurant etc.

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

When Graham was in intensive care the old man visiting his wife in the next bed asked me where we live and when I replied he said something derrogatory about all Brits living in ghettos. My neighbour immediately defended us and told him that we are an integral part of the steet and the community and how we join in with processions, fiesta´s etc. He showed us a lot of respect afterwards. Our Spanish is nowhere near fluent and I am still very nervous about speaking in case I make mistakes but have no choice as we live in a Spanish area and have to do all of our business, shopping etc in Spanish.

We eat English and Spanish style food in the house, Spanish/Chinese/Italian food when out and about, mix with people in our town but do not go into bars. Some would call this integrated but I do not because I do have problems remembering what I have learned so cannot fully communicate with people and it is this inability that makes me feel a little separate still even though we have had it proved to us that we are fully part of the community.

Rosemary

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

All it means is to have some friends, nothing more. You don't have to take part in activities, fiestas, processions, have parties for the neighbours or anything else. Most brits in britain don't do those things and (by the standards of the "integrated" people on forums) probably wouldn't count as being integrated in their own, native country. Yet they still lead full and happy lives.
So long as you treat the people you meet (whatever nationality) with respect and kindness, that's all your social obligations taken care of. If you wish to get more involvede, then do - but don't think that makes you a "better" expat or closer to the other people who live near you.

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

.... its just everyone bangs on about how you must integrate into the Spanish community on here dont they???? I just wondered what it really means!? In fact I wondered if anyone else knows!!!

Even in Britain, it takes time to "integrate" if you move to a new area. When I moved within the UK, I knew no one in my new town and I didnt like it there anyway. I had the advantage of being able to chat to people, I also worked so I guess that helped with this "integration", but I didnt ever think of myself as "part of the community" there cos I hated the place!

I love living in Spain and yes, I'm polite, friendly, respectful and I always try to speak Spanish, I acknowledge my Spanish, english and norwegian neighbours with a wave or a nod when I see them. But my friends here are all English, most have been here forever and I have one who's husband is Spanish. I prefer Spanish bars to english ones, I go to a Lebonese bar in town with my friends occasionally. I shop in Mercadona, the chinese shops, Carrefour, Leroy Merlin... Iceland...

That'll have to do for me being integrated!!!


Jo xxx

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

I am confused too. :confused:

My family life is pretty much the same as my spanish neighbours, which is no different to how our lives where back in the UK.

The only big difference is that everythings in Spanish......

I really don't see that the Spanish are different to us at all..except for some customs and food / style preferences, but they are individual choices.

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

The Spanish are not very different at all. Neither are any other Europeans.

Many Brits tend to think America is the country most similar to us, only because they see it on TV and they speak the same (well, similar) language. I've been lucky enough to travel to quite a few countries and do business with lots of nationalities. In my opinion British people are much more similar to other Europeans than they are to Americans.

I'm rarely outraged by anything a Spanish person says or been scratching my head working out why on earth a Spanish person believes in a certain thing. But working with Americans I was like that every day :)

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

agreed

We lived in the US for a short time before we came to Spain - I honestly felt much more 'foreign' there than here - even though I couldn't speak Spanish when we first arrived