No Spanish?
 

Hello all, Well I think you should know what type of English person has come to Spain, I have been a working man all my life and also been a single parent with two girls (aged 5 months and 14 months when I took them on) I have had to work all hours to get to where I am now, retired at 47, worked as a SP, payed all my taxes etc and can now afford to come to Spain to live Work and try to enjoy life, but this story has to take the "Whatever" I will let you judge the person involved!!!

I was down the bar the other night (Los amigos Sax Alicante Provence) and some English (new) people came in, I had not see before, they were new in the town, as they did not know how to order a beer or gin & tonic? I tried to help them as I am that type of chap. Well I have never been so embaressed in all my life!!!! Chap to bar tender "Beer and a G&T Please?" Barman (Spanish no English) que? "A Beer and a F*****G G&T please!" barman "No Intendo?" I approached and said "Can I help you with your order?" Male: "Who the F**K are you?" Me "I am a local, can I help?" Male "But your F*****G Einglish, your not Spanish". Me "But I have lived her for four years and I speak Spanish, can I help you to order your drinks as the barman dose not speak English?" Male "Well he F*****G ought to, we come over with loads of dosh and expect to have them speak F*****G English" I disapeared under the door on my way out with my wife and friends and went to anoter bar, well away from what ever is coming to this country.

I did go into Los Amigos later when the "ENGLISH PERSON" left and apoligised for my "Fellow Countryman" left with after he had been served with a rather low qulity beer and a glass of lemoade with a hint of spit, sorry I should I say "sprint" (sorry) it really makes my blood boil.

Why do the English come to Spain and Expect everyone one to speak English, Afterall WE ARE IN THEIR COUNTRY.........

If you are thinking of coming to Spain and want to speak ENGLISH all the time then for god's sake STAY ON THE COAST we dont want you to come inland thinking that every Spanish person speaks English They Dont, Learn Spanish if you want REAL SPAIN... Sorry for my rant But think of us who do live Inland and have to live hear after you have left, as no one speaks "English" we try to intergrate and be involved with the loca comunity and it does work "For Us". So come and join us we are intergrating with the Spanish way of life.

Living the Dream (thank God)

David SR

Re: No Spanish?
 

I live on the Coast, where there are alot of English people and many other nationalities. I speak a little spanish and go to college to learn twice a week in the evenings. I do find it very difficult but my daughter who is 2 has just started guaderia (nursery) and already knows spanish numbers, por favor, ola, adios etc, and know that I have to stop being embarrased about my spanish and just speak it.

The spanish I think are very tolerant people compared to other nationalities. Especially if you say, lo siento, hablo un poco espanol, (sorry, I only speak a little spanish). And generally, they say I speak a little english and we get through the conversation.

Although it is quite english here, I get very embarrased being english sometimes, especially in the supermarket when you hear...how much, what, where the bear, I often see the girls who work there struggling and try to help out when I can. Today actually, I had to take my daughter to the pediatrician who can speak english, but I went in there today and said..from now on im going to speak spanish and he said fantastic and that he will help me out in English if I need it. He seemed so proud of me to finally do it and even said I speak quite well.

It comes down to respect as always and sometimes there just none. Out of all the nationalities I mix with here, the English are the worst for speaking spanish, or even trying.

If the english dont start trying a little more I can see problems arising..more racism etc just like everywhere else where you have immigrants who dont want to integrate.

Im sorry if this is long but this is a subject that often annoys me too. And the reason I am writing this at 5 am in the morning is because I have just got the bloody stomach bug my husband and baby have had!

Re: No Spanish?
 

I have got used to it, I used to try to help, but now i just let the waiter piss in their drinks ;) ;)

Re: No Spanish?
 

Trouble is too many of them are are here like that, why Unfortunately I generally avoid the English like the plague as most that I have met, I didn't want to get to know any further.

I remember being slightly inland, Ronda, I had taken a boyfriend with his bicycle up into the mountains as he wanted to free wheel down the mountain again. We had stopped in a venta for a coffee, and lo behold Mr Engish and wife, who looked like they had been on a buffalo safari, plonked themselves down, didn't speak a word of spanish and couldn't order. He started shouting at the poor waiter who didn't speak English and was doing his best to try and understand. I also stepped in, and ended up ordering their food. When the soup arrived he said "I'm not eating this muck" so I walked over and asked him what his problem was, he said it was cold, so I grabbed the spoon stired it (it was hot at the bottom) nearly tasted it (like you do with a kid) but stopped myself and said now its hot so damn well eat it! It turned out this buffalo hunter had an appartment for 15 years yet couldn't even order soup, bread and coffee. Must admit his wife did smile, think Mr Buffalo man was probably a bully, he did eat all his soup, :D

Re: No Spanish?
 

So technically they will be pissed, :D

Re: No Spanish?
 

I hope and pray that our little town (:scared: frightened to even say the name incase it advertises it to the wrong people!) doesn't get that type of Brit moving in:eek: ..........there is some building going on and it worries me that these kind of people might buy inland and treat the lovely people in our town with such disrespect.

We have seen this this behaviour:o .....and given them a wide berth.
Please don't misunderstand me, we are not snobs, and certainly not rich and privilaged. We are just down to earth working class people that will have to work when we move over to Spain......the difference is that we respect people and expect to have to adapt to Spanish life not vici versa.
If you've no intention of showing respect to others and can't be bothered to learn the language....stay away!:mad:
Mary

Re: No Spanish?
 

If you are thinking of coming to Spain and want to speak ENGLISH all the time then for god's sake STAY ON THE COAST


No Just Stay Away Full Stop.

The other thing. Why do these arrogant idiots think the own everthing?

I respect you for walking away but I give em hell.

Re: No Spanish?
 

Spose it depends on how much wine the waiter has had :D :D

Re: No Spanish?
 

The type of Brits described in the above posts make me cringe. We have around a dozen Brits who live in our small town, the earliest for about three years, and most still make no effort to speak the language or join in the local community. We do try and avoid them, but if they see you in a bar they will attach themselves like limpets and want to discuss the latest happenings in Coronation st etc :rolleyes:
An example. The last time we were there in November a fellow Brit starved of conversation joined us at the bar. "Have you seen the weather forecast?" he asked. "Yes I said, It looks like it will be a bit warmer tomorrow" It was only when he started talking about the predicted temp of minus 4 that I realised that he was referring to the UK forecast he had seen on sky tv.
I was gobsmacked :o
We are also as Mary puts it, not snobs, but ordinary down to earth working folk.
Although we haven't yet made our permanent move into our old house.
(still quite a bit of work to do) we are wellcomed back by all the locals as though we are long lost family every time we visit. I'm sure that if we had not made the effort to intigrate this would not be the case.

regards
BW.

Re: No Spanish?
 

Here Here could not agree with you more. I also have had a similar experience when in a shop and someone was trying to order some steaks which the assistant had to cut and the customer had no idea how to ask for them bigger or smaller so after him rolling his eyes and cursing uner his breath I helped him with my very limited spainish.

I am moving to Spain next year and am desperate to learn the language I cannot wait. I am movin to Spain to intergrate with people I like and respect not to spend all my time with English people. My son is nearly 5 and has a good grasp of the basics (including rolling his tongue) although he will go to a Bi Lingual school in Spain because I want him to have the advantage of both languages.

I think anyone who comes to Spain and does not even try should go back to were they come from!

Re: No Spanish?
 

All these dodgy Brits need to reside in Torremolinos, Benalmadena & Fuengirola.
Please leave the rest of the coast free of @ssoles.

When on holiday a few years back (before we moved here), myself and my lovely lady were picking people up from Malaga airport but were early so we decided to stop off in Benalmadena/Fuengirola seafront for a quick bite of English grub - this was obviously a MISTAKE.

We were sat in one of the hundred pie n chips road side cafe's - I know I know, a mistake.
A young Spanish couple with yound child came and sat at another table (i say table, more like a plastic bench) where they attempted to order an 'agua' and a 'naranja fresca'.
The lovely, helpful Irish lady who was serving and I think owned the place simply met their freindly request with an 'eh?'
They asked again, politely, patiently...
Waitress with a rude sigh 'sorry I don't know what you want, you will have to speak English'

That was it for me and that place...a huge wave of guilt and I was for once, ashamed to be born and bred in the UK. :(

Re: No Spanish?
 

Just for the record, I am a Brit and reside in Fuengirola. My Spanish is not perfect but is adequate to use in business and also when socialising with Spanish. I have friends from all over Europe, including British friends and I agree that most of them do not make the effort to learn the language.

However, I do not agree that the majority of Brits on this part of the coast are @ssholes, from my experience (and I have lived here 7 years) these are the minority.

Popping into one of the 'hundred road side pie n chips cafe's' does not give a true picture of living and working in Fuengirola. It's certainly not something I would enjoy doing.

I honestly believe that the worst enemy a Brit can have living abroad is a narrow minded 'fellow Brit' who for some reason gets above himself once they have left their old life.

I have met many British @ssholes in my years here, not all of them fit into the loud mouth typical yobbish Brit as described in this forum.

Re: No Spanish?
 

Yeah I will second that sunnysenorita, I think most of the Brits who live here are OK, its just the loudmouth tourists that cause the problems.

Re: No Spanish?
 

[QUOTE=BritBull]All these dodgy Brits need to reside in Torremolinos, Benalmadena & Fuengirola.
Please leave the rest of the coast free of @ssoles.Quote.

There are quite a few assholes also in Marbella area and Puerto Banus must win hands up. I think it must be one of the most souless places to go to on the coast.

Re: No Spanish?
 

You certainly notice it more in the summer don't you. The winter is so much more pleasant and the people different.