New year and grapes
Dec 8th 2009 | 11:12 pm
#61
Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 658
From: Home in Herts
Re: New year and grapes
Why intergrate, live your life as you would normally, don`t change others to suit you and don`t change yourself to suit others.
Intergration is a myth, my partner would never class himself as British, he`s Spanish and follows Spanish lifestyle in the UK as much as he can without imposing on others.
He eats Spanish food, shops in deli`s and complains about Brits and there quirks, I complain about Spaniards and there backward thinking.
It a bit of fun we have.
If others have an issue with that, ignore them, that`s there ignorance.
Anybody watch the F Word yesterday, it was the Spanish night and funny that the 2 British Chefs who run a Spanish Tapa`s restaurant beat the Spanish Chef.
My friend is still insulting the people.
Intergration is a myth, my partner would never class himself as British, he`s Spanish and follows Spanish lifestyle in the UK as much as he can without imposing on others.
He eats Spanish food, shops in deli`s and complains about Brits and there quirks, I complain about Spaniards and there backward thinking.
It a bit of fun we have.
If others have an issue with that, ignore them, that`s there ignorance.
Anybody watch the F Word yesterday, it was the Spanish night and funny that the 2 British Chefs who run a Spanish Tapa`s restaurant beat the Spanish Chef.
My friend is still insulting the people.
- I can understand that our children need to integrate and fit in with the other children at school etc.
But us grown ups should feel that we can still be British and live in Spain. We are not expected to become Spanish.
Dec 8th 2009 | 11:16 pm
#62
Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 658
From: Home in Herts
Re: New year and grapes
It is getting to the point that, it is becoming very difficult not to get a load of grief for posting on this forum.
I wanted to ask the question about what folks have got planned for the new year, but have decided against it.
I was going to ask if anyone had adopted the Spanish custom of eating grapes at midnight along with the chimes.
Then I thought NO NO NO you cannot post something a sweeping as that, because do I mean ALL Spanish people do this?
Well I then thought, no they do not, some women might be in labour, babies are too young, there will folks hooked up to life support machines, others fighting fires, some too pissed, others committing crimes, some will be bonking, and for thousands of other reasons cannot eat the grapes.
So my question will not be asked because eating grapes I now realise that as it is not done by EVERYONE I cannot say “as they do in Spain.â€
Anyway I am getting to the stage where the whole thing on here is getting beyond stupid.................
WTF would I know anyway?
I wanted to ask the question about what folks have got planned for the new year, but have decided against it.
I was going to ask if anyone had adopted the Spanish custom of eating grapes at midnight along with the chimes.
Then I thought NO NO NO you cannot post something a sweeping as that, because do I mean ALL Spanish people do this?
Well I then thought, no they do not, some women might be in labour, babies are too young, there will folks hooked up to life support machines, others fighting fires, some too pissed, others committing crimes, some will be bonking, and for thousands of other reasons cannot eat the grapes.
So my question will not be asked because eating grapes I now realise that as it is not done by EVERYONE I cannot say “as they do in Spain.â€
Anyway I am getting to the stage where the whole thing on here is getting beyond stupid.................
WTF would I know anyway?
I don't plan on doing the grape thing...in fact the old year out, new year in, is a bit rubbish really.
Dec 8th 2009 | 11:50 pm
#63
Banned
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,824
From: Living in a good place
Re: New year and grapes
I like a good party but I think NYE is a bit forced. I won't be doing the grape thing, I shall not be in Spain or the UK thank gawd
Dec 9th 2009 | 12:27 am
#64
Banned
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 699
Re: New year and grapes
I don`t have any expectations on acceptance, so therefore won`t expect people to greet me with open arms just because I`m attempting the impossible.
Dec 9th 2009 | 12:49 am
#65
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,753
From: Alicante province
Re: New year and grapes
I was given a New Year menu earlier, translated into English. Part of it read ‘goodluckyinggrapes’, only the first L was an F.
In the same restaurant, I also found my best reason yet to integrate more, starting now.
There was a noisy birthday party at the next table for an elderly Spanish lady, and as usual, the smoking rule was ignored, which doesn’t bother me anyway. She was drinking and smoking away with the rest of them, the table was full of tapas and red wine.
She was celebrating her ninety-first birthday.
In the same restaurant, I also found my best reason yet to integrate more, starting now.
There was a noisy birthday party at the next table for an elderly Spanish lady, and as usual, the smoking rule was ignored, which doesn’t bother me anyway. She was drinking and smoking away with the rest of them, the table was full of tapas and red wine.
She was celebrating her ninety-first birthday.
Dec 9th 2009 | 3:25 am
#66
Banned
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 7,653
From: Vejer de la Fra., Cadiz
Re: New year and grapes
About par for the course for most English.......
Dec 9th 2009 | 3:48 am
#67
Banned
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,824
From: Living in a good place
Re: New year and grapes
Dec 9th 2009 | 4:12 am
#68
Thread Starter
Banned
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,008
Re: New year and grapes
I don't know if it's necessary or even possible to integrate really
we have spanish friends, eat spanish food, keep a 'spanish' timetable, watch spanish tele
my kids probably are more spanish than english in their mannerisms & attitudes
even I have some spanish mannerisms now
but we are after all english & always will be english by birth
we also have english friends & friends from other countries too, we also eat english food, and watch DVDs in english (or spanish depending on whether we are alone or if we have spanish speaking company)
my income is mostly from the expat community
I think we choose what we like from both cultures
I do think you miss a lot by not at least trying to learn the language though
we have spanish friends, eat spanish food, keep a 'spanish' timetable, watch spanish tele
my kids probably are more spanish than english in their mannerisms & attitudes
even I have some spanish mannerisms now
but we are after all english & always will be english by birth
we also have english friends & friends from other countries too, we also eat english food, and watch DVDs in english (or spanish depending on whether we are alone or if we have spanish speaking company)
my income is mostly from the expat community
I think we choose what we like from both cultures
I do think you miss a lot by not at least trying to learn the language though
You sound like us .living in the life of an inbetweenie.
Dec 9th 2009 | 4:22 am
#69
Thread Starter
Banned
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,008
Re: New year and grapes
I was only joking you know, but the bad news is with the Sundlower seed test, they EU has decreed that you cannot just spit the shells out on the floor, you have to now hit a moving target.
As in: a kid on a moped, something moving at a decent speed, not a doddery 90 year old carrying a coffee accross the bar floor.
but the bad news is with the Sundlower seed test, they EU has decreed that you cannot just spit the shells out on the floor, you have to now hit a moving target.As in: a kid on a moped, something moving at a decent speed, not a doddery 90 year old carrying a coffee accross the bar floor.
Dec 9th 2009 | 4:44 am
#70
Yaaarp
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,354
From: Trying to get the hell outta Spain!
Re: New year and grapes
Ask them to eat sunflower seeds.
If they hold it between their fingers to bite and then separate the shell with the fingernail, then the are still a newcomer.
If they can open the sunflower seed in their mouth and then spit the shell more than 1.5 meters, I would probably say that they are one of us.
Disclaimer(of course not all Spainsh people can eat sunflower seeds in this way, as some are old, toothless, allergic etc)
If they hold it between their fingers to bite and then separate the shell with the fingernail, then the are still a newcomer.
If they can open the sunflower seed in their mouth and then spit the shell more than 1.5 meters, I would probably say that they are one of us.
Disclaimer(of course not all Spainsh people can eat sunflower seeds in this way, as some are old, toothless, allergic etc)
I was eating the damn things when I read this and spat it at my screen. There is an art to doing it properly and my OH tries to show me regularly but I still can't do it right. I will be eating grapes as the Spanish do, one for each chime at midnight. Always done it at home with friends but this year we're all going to Sol to do it.
Dec 9th 2009 | 4:51 am
#71
Thread Starter
Banned
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,008
Re: New year and grapes
I was given a New Year menu earlier, translated into English. Part of it read ‘goodluckyinggrapes’, only the first L was an F.
In the same restaurant, I also found my best reason yet to integrate more, starting now.
There was a noisy birthday party at the next table for an elderly Spanish lady, and as usual, the smoking rule was ignored, which doesn’t bother me anyway. She was drinking and smoking away with the rest of them, the table was full of tapas and red wine.
She was celebrating her ninety-first birthday.
In the same restaurant, I also found my best reason yet to integrate more, starting now.
There was a noisy birthday party at the next table for an elderly Spanish lady, and as usual, the smoking rule was ignored, which doesn’t bother me anyway. She was drinking and smoking away with the rest of them, the table was full of tapas and red wine.
She was celebrating her ninety-first birthday.
So pass the Rioja and cigars around here a bit, I thnk I will join you coz 91 and still out partying aint bad..............
Dec 9th 2009 | 4:54 am
#72
Banned
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,824
From: Living in a good place
Re: New year and grapes
How to eat Pipas is on You Tube, expect you know that though.
Dec 9th 2009 | 4:56 am
#73
Thread Starter
Banned
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,008
Re: New year and grapes
I was eating the damn things when I read this and spat it at my screen. There is an art to doing it properly and my OH tries to show me regularly but I still can't do it right. I will be eating grapes as the Spanish do, one for each chime at midnight. Always done it at home with friends but this year we're all going to Sol to do it.What ALL SPANISH DO IT, DO THEY REALLY???????????? I dont think you know what you are talking about, some are in a iron lung and cannot partake..........etc, etc.
;
Dec 9th 2009 | 5:36 am
#75
Banned
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 699
Re: New year and grapes
Spot the Grumpy B`stard poster on here.
