Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

Thats exactly what I mean!! Lifes the same
Jo xx

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

I speak Spanish (allbeit with a Wallace and Grommit accent) and shop at Mercadona. I also try and understand something of the politics, history and customs of the country I now live in. I don´t know what else is meant by integration. What´s important to me is that Spain no longer feels like a foreign country, it´s simply "home". People who talk at lot about "integrating" never seem able to tell you actually what it means. Bit like the idea of being "British" - everone talks about, nobody agrees on it.

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

Don't be confused, our original irritations were fired up by 'sweetpete' (s) long rant on his plight while picking on an easy target such as immigrants and about the state of the UK while not realizing that he was in exactly the same position in Spain, a immigrant.

Lots of us of a certain age forget to grasp that we live now in a global village, where there is free movement of labour and immigration to whoever and wherever we choose to live. Why should this just be for the British, or 'white' people and not to all so long as they have the necessary skill, qualifications or requirements of the host country.

If people find the complexion of the area is not their liking well think again, who is going to undertake the menial jobs and services along with the shortage of professional skills such as doctors, nurses, IT management, 'poaching' or the brain drain is what the US, Canada, Australia and NZ have been doing continually since their foundations from English speaking countries and now from 'non-white' countries as does Spain from Spanish speaking regions of the world.

Most migrants if going to retire should not be too smug either, after all they might be adding to the economy of the country at the same time putting pressure on the health service, if in the EU, inflating house prices thereby depriving local families of living in the area, and so on, all very familiar to regions in the UK

So spare us all the derogatory remarks about spungers and the like, of course many find it difficult initially to find work, but in due course do. As for milking the welfare system, there are rotten apples in all communities but the vast majority contribute in many different ways, the arts, culture, politics, economics etc.

No way can Britain remain in aspic as remembered in our youth, a halcyon time when Britain was 'Great', Gt. Britain is a geographical term that's been hijacked to inflate our ego. The UK is a very pleasurable place to live because of its worldwide view and in most cases its willingness to embraces all communities and cultures rather than give into the 'Little Englanders' wherever they may live, and I know this applies to most countries and also in Spain too, after all walk along most of the Costa's they could easily be mistaken for Blackpool and a good day!:confused:

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

Integration is discussing what you watched on Spanish TV last night, rather than Eastenders.

It is voting in Operacion Triumfo rather than X Factor

It is buying and listening to the opinions in EL Pais or Hola rather than the Sun or Daily Mail.

It is sending your kid to a school where Spanish/Catalan/Basque/Gallego is the main language.

It is eating tapas/paella/chorizo or going to venta/sidreria etc once in a while.

It is being interested when the Spanish football or basketball team play.

And most importantly, it is imagining a possible life for your children in Spain when they grow up, rather than assuming they'll go back to the UK

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

I reckon just 10% intergrated....:o

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

I`m pretty much the same as you regarding activites etc but consider myself intergrated in to the Spanish way of life , I`m not interested or bothered by cricketmans views or anyone elses ,Spanish or English ,just do what you want to do :thumbup:

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

I dont care whether any of you are "integrated" or feel "integrated" or not. Just thought I'd have a go at defining integration as people were discussing it.

The 2 most important things are language and media. As that keeps you in touch with what is going on. Oh and attitude of course.

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

I can tell you're in Marketing..:lol:

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

Well yes.... It is often said that the USA is the most uniform country in the world because it's media and advertising strictly tells its inhabitants how to behave (and think!) :)

Btw, why do you feel Spain cant hold a future for your children? My OH is Asturian and she and her family have had a top rate education and have amazing jobs. Much better than my family who grew up in an industrial Northern British town :D

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

Integrated or not I don't know, But when England play Spain now that is a time of dilemma.

I know how the Indians must have felt when Norman Tebbit said, they say they are English but they 'failed the cricket test'

On a more serious note, being an EU citizen, I am happy that I am integrated into the EU, no matter which of the EU countries I choose to live in.

Cricketman, I was wondering if your wife is integrated into the Andalusia way or proud to a Asturiana !

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

Heavens NO!!!! I wouldnt wish that on my kids - Spains got enough problems finding work for its own children in the future. When we lived in the UK I didnt imagine my kids would stay there either!! I want them to go where they can work, have families, lives and be happy - I dont believe that will be Spain - but it might be???!!?

BTW, My Spanish nieghbours watch Eastenders, unfortunately I dont so cant talk to them about it - but I've heard the Eastenders signature music coming from their house and X factor when it was on LOL

Jo xxx

Jo xxx

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

I didnt say "demand" that they would stay in Spain, only that it would be a possibility for them.

You've got some strange Spanish neighbours, ones that would get Sky installed and are obviously fluent in English :rofl:

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

Yes definitely a proud Asturian! Andalucia is like a foreign country to her :D

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

That for me was the biggest hurdle, learning not to be worried about making mistakes. When I did try speaking it I found the locals laughed with me rather than at me and corrected me all the time which helped me no end.

When I lived in France I came across a retired English gentleman who had been there for more than 20 years and either couldn´t or didn´t know how to speak a single word of French and every time we saw him he would go on and on about how the French were rude with him and never helpful.

2 days ago an English man stoped us on the street and asked us, in English, if we know where there are some upmarket bars that he could go to. Instantly he apologised and asked us if we spoke English. We took him to bars near our home and went for a drink with him. He said he´d been in Madrid 18 months and he had a note book with him with all his Spanish he was learning, he was also making an attempt to speak Spanish to the girl behind the bar.

The first person isn´t intergrated, the second is integrating and I consider myself to be intergrated.

Re: A Life in the UK or Spain?
 

yes, but it doesn't mean never doing anything English, either

why not 'as well as', instead of 'rather than'