HBG

Very true, and the majority of Brits have never spoken to a Spaniard.

DENISE WALTERS

Sometimes its not easy to make friends with a spanish person, as I know in our village they keep themselves to themselves.Always polite but a little bit segregated,except when it comes to business, when they are serving in shops or bars.
Same goes for brits who develop their own little community and do not attempt to intergrate. Or learn the language.
So both as bad as each other me thinks.
I dont think the Spanish would resent us in spain as we do bring money into the economy thro.Taxes etc
I think the spanish gente have been very tolerant of all the incomers.
I know that some english villages people are not accepted and it has taken some of my friends years to fit in.
Myself i do have a few spanish friends some unfortuately are now working in the UK as they cannot find jobs in spain.

sujee

We are not near any tourist bars, our local is very much a local bar for local people. men sit there all day and evening playing dominoes and watching TV. At first we treated politely and as we don't yet speak enough Spanish for a decent conversation we could not engage with them.

After 3 months of going in a couple of times a week, we are now welcomed with smiles and jokes. The owners wife, who rarely leaves the kitchen now comes out to have 'chat' to me as I am more often than not the only woman in the bar. Both she and her son now try to explain some of the local idioms and it is helping us improve. Hubby is usually too busy playing dominoes!

The guys who own the olive groves around us have always stopped to have a chat when we are working near the gate.

I realise that we may never have Spanish friends in the English sense but have found the Spanish here to be more friendly than I had expected and very patient when I am searching for the words and usually failing.

I love this place

casa del sol

I can very much relate to your post, all I would say is the more effort you put into learning the language the more you will get out of it. The Spanish will respect you more for trying and they will help and encourage you every step of the way.

rafikiphoto

Quite a good piece on Spain's route to this crisis:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17549970

Beaverstate

Wow, once you cannot blame the poilticians. That won't be very popular.

Dick Dasterdly

""House prices rose 44% from 2004 to 2008, at the tail end of a housing boom, according to ministry of housing data. Since the bubble burst, they have fallen by 25%.""


I always expessed the opinion back then, even well before 2004 when prices were already shooting up at an unprecedented level, that something had to give eventually with regard to Spain alone, regardless of events in the rest of the World.

Other events no doubt exacerbated the situation, but it was a bubble that was well overdue to burst of its own accord anyway.

rafikiphoto

Well, I wouldn't say that:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18277681

Dick Dasterdly

On the other hand there's very few if any Brits, of the many millions who have visited Spain, who has not spoke to a Spaniard and in addition managed the odd Hola and la Cuenta por favor,....even if just visiting for a few days knees-up.

Beaverstate

Yes true. A story all too familiar throughout the western world. Build on bonds to be paid for later. After of course you pay for the bonds previously issued etc...etc...

Domino

I have to agree with you
when the BH decided to rent this house many of her Spanish work colleagues warned it was "very Spanish" no one will speak English and you will struggle out there.
so we came.
we want to learn the language, not sit in a classroom learning how to conjugate verbs when we don't even know the words, but in real life with real people, in real situations - at La Escuela de la Vida.

I made a point of visiting local bars, sampling the tapas, making myself known visually if not for the witty comment. There are supposed to be 50 but I have only found about half that number so far. Using the local shops, buying the same food as the Spanish do - sometimes getting a funny look as few men seem to shop, just wait outside to carry the bags

This morning on the fruit and veg run the owner was suggesting how many I wanted, commenting on the quality etc. Yesterday the girl in the butchers was asking me how I wanted my 2 chickens cut up before bagging.

Its a fine country, I love it and the people, they are friendly in their own way, but then having visited many countries over the years I understand that I am the guiri here, not them.

rspltd

Perhaps a little off topic but I have found the Spanish , in general, very pleasant and whilst helping with their English they have been helpful with my Spanish. However, much as they are friendly in the general sense, the barriers seem to come down (even with their own Spanish friends who are not of the same clan) when it comes to family affairs. You may get an invitation to Christmas for example but you then realise that the family is coming to the party later - same as christenings. I love reading the postings from aspiring immigrants who say 'I want to be immersed in the Spanish culture' - when you're invited to family gatherings then you will have been.

Rosemary

Being immersed in the Spanish culture does not necessarily mean that you have to be included in their family celebrations but means that you live a Spanish way of life in a Spanish community.

We have been told by my neighbour that we are part of their family. They supported me at the hospital for 12 hours whilst my OH was being operated on and when I protested that they were doing too much I was told that as members of the family this was what they should do.

Last weekend I attended (OH was too ill) the celebrations of the first communion of the youngest member of the family and this involved going to his paternal grandparents country house for the celebratory paella etc lunch. Being part of their extended family is wonderful and we love it but I still do not think that this is classed as being immersed just that we have made excellent friends. Our everyday life in a Spanish working town and mixing with them all on a daily basis is the immersion, being part of the Spanish family is the icing on the top and we value it greatly.

Rosemary

Domino

no other words needed

,

HBG

I love to read the stories from people who have 'integrated', Cman being the most integrated of them all on this forum. But, sadly maybe, they truly are the one-in-a-million.

The rest of us try a little bit, learn some of the language and then switch on the TV to watch Eastenders. We drive miles to Iceland for our ketchup and eat Fish and Chips whenever we can.

You have to ask the Spanish people which type of foreigner they prefer in their country and I'm not sure what the answer would be.