Things we hate about Britain...and are they any better in Spain ??
Jun 16th 2007, 6:34 am
#31
Livin' in Spain at last!
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: La Hortichuela Almeria
Posts: 862
Re: Things we hate about Britain...and are they any better in Spain ??
Jun 16th 2007, 7:13 am
#32
RETIRED ;-))
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Benalmadena Pueblo,Spain
Posts: 20,156
Re: Things we hate about Britain...and are they any better in Spain ??
Hi all! I agree with all the above statements re thing to hate, ESPECIALLY the "Nanny State" and "Political correctness"! :curse:It seems we fought for freedom and now this is gradually being taken away from us to the point that we are all assumed to be "morons" unable to make decisions for ourselves!
Believe what you see on the TV news, it IS all true!
Our young generation have largely become "binge drinkers" I work with a large number of young people who are really lovely people, and who I get on with extremely well. But the vast majority of them regularly binge drink to the point that they don't know what they are doing, turn up for work hungover and spend most of the next morning in the loo disposing of "the evidence". 
At Christmas, the local authority install urinals on a piece of waste land in the City because of the problems of "doorway deposits". Ambulances and Police are constantly in attndance because of fighting or passing out through overdrinking.
I think a lot of it is peer pressure, but of course this can only continue if family values allow or accept this type of attitude or behaviour.
It is REALLY refreshing for me to hear that the young people in Spain CAN and DO have a good time without having to get drunk to be able to enjoy themselves. Isn't this strange when Spanish children are permitted to drink (albeit that it may be watered down) at home with the family from a very early age. Surely there is a lesson for us to learn here.
HUGE big flashing red speed signs fitted in rural villages! :curse: HELLO, who is going to see them????? If they cut the hedges back motorists would be able to see the EXISTING speed signs!
Resurfacing roads that don't need doing , and not resurfacing roads that do! :curse:They have spent a whole week doing a road about half a mile away. The road is about quarter of a mile long and they have just COMPLETELY resurfaced it, involving detours an' all. There are 3 or 4 houses down that road! Our road is crumbling to pieces and serves hundreds of people!
Traffic light EVERYWHERE and as many per square mile as possible! :curse:
No independent shops, only chain stores or franchises!
I have got to stop myself here because I seems as though the list is endless!
Since having been a member of the forum, have read hundreds of posts, but have yet to read anything which would deter me from moving to Spain. Nowhere is perfect, but it is more than good enogh for me! I am so looking forward to making the move (whenever that will be! God willing not too long!)
You guys are SO lucky to be there already and clearly love your new lives. Savour it you are definately in the right place!
Chris XXX
Believe what you see on the TV news, it IS all true!
Our young generation have largely become "binge drinkers" I work with a large number of young people who are really lovely people, and who I get on with extremely well. But the vast majority of them regularly binge drink to the point that they don't know what they are doing, turn up for work hungover and spend most of the next morning in the loo disposing of "the evidence". At Christmas, the local authority install urinals on a piece of waste land in the City because of the problems of "doorway deposits". Ambulances and Police are constantly in attndance because of fighting or passing out through overdrinking.
I think a lot of it is peer pressure, but of course this can only continue if family values allow or accept this type of attitude or behaviour.
It is REALLY refreshing for me to hear that the young people in Spain CAN and DO have a good time without having to get drunk to be able to enjoy themselves. Isn't this strange when Spanish children are permitted to drink (albeit that it may be watered down) at home with the family from a very early age. Surely there is a lesson for us to learn here.
HUGE big flashing red speed signs fitted in rural villages! :curse: HELLO, who is going to see them????? If they cut the hedges back motorists would be able to see the EXISTING speed signs!
Resurfacing roads that don't need doing , and not resurfacing roads that do! :curse:They have spent a whole week doing a road about half a mile away. The road is about quarter of a mile long and they have just COMPLETELY resurfaced it, involving detours an' all. There are 3 or 4 houses down that road! Our road is crumbling to pieces and serves hundreds of people!
Traffic light EVERYWHERE and as many per square mile as possible! :curse:
No independent shops, only chain stores or franchises!
I have got to stop myself here because I seems as though the list is endless!
Since having been a member of the forum, have read hundreds of posts, but have yet to read anything which would deter me from moving to Spain. Nowhere is perfect, but it is more than good enogh for me! I am so looking forward to making the move (whenever that will be! God willing not too long!)
You guys are SO lucky to be there already and clearly love your new lives. Savour it you are definately in the right place!
Chris XXX
Jun 16th 2007, 7:17 am
#33
Livin' in Spain at last!
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: La Hortichuela Almeria
Posts: 862
No me importa!
Jun 16th 2007, 8:54 am
#34
The Best Fed Scot
Joined: May 2007
Location: San Sebastian
Posts: 565
Re: Things we hate about Britain...and are they any better in Spain ??
Agree with you on the independent shops. Town centres in the UK seem to be clones of each other with identical top shop, burtons, river island, gap... All part of the plastification of the UK, everything neatly packaged and marketed by the big chains. How dull!
Jun 16th 2007, 8:57 am
#35
The Best Fed Scot
Joined: May 2007
Location: San Sebastian
Posts: 565
Re: Things we hate about Britain...and are they any better in Spain ??
Oh, and I'd like to add coffee to the list. Cannae get a decent coffee anywhere in Britain. Bland, overpriced and oversized.
Jun 16th 2007, 9:17 am
#36
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 20
Re: Things we hate about Britain...and are they any better in Spain ??
Granted we are over polite (although the original poster mentioned it as on the decline in the UK) and staff in shops etc do smile. As an example whilst being served at our local market last Friday an older man quite clearly barked to the woman and waved his bag of fruit over my shoulder, wanting to be served straight away. She pointed she was serving us and he mumbled away behind us, she smiled in a form of apology.
Overall life is great I am just saying in the larger towns manners can be a little lacking, but once you fit in with this way of behaving you don`t really pay much attention to it. My wife wanted to add her viewpoint about Spanish men going into pubs she has worked in the West End of London, who would happily go up to the bar and click their fingers for service, despite lots of others already waiting. At least then she could choose to ignore them until it would be their turn.
Fish, fruit, meals out, markets etc are all great and if there is anything like Branston Pickle that we fancy we do have a local English Quick Save (it amazes us how many people do their whole weekly shop in these places, considering they are not cheap).
Tom
Overall life is great I am just saying in the larger towns manners can be a little lacking, but once you fit in with this way of behaving you don`t really pay much attention to it. My wife wanted to add her viewpoint about Spanish men going into pubs she has worked in the West End of London, who would happily go up to the bar and click their fingers for service, despite lots of others already waiting. At least then she could choose to ignore them until it would be their turn.
Fish, fruit, meals out, markets etc are all great and if there is anything like Branston Pickle that we fancy we do have a local English Quick Save (it amazes us how many people do their whole weekly shop in these places, considering they are not cheap).
Tom
Jun 16th 2007, 10:42 pm
#37
Fed up in England!!
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: kent
Posts: 1,041
Re: Things we hate about Britain...and are they any better in Spain ??
[QUOTE=scampicat;4918930]
I've just asked my Indian friends to teach me how to cook some Indian dishes so I can do some Indian diner parties for my mates when we're over there!
In the UK I love :
The green grass/none in my part of Spain for around ten months of the year!
The fact that so much stunning scenery can be fitted into one small place
Rivers with water in them/Water???? River?????
Indian Take-aways
Fish and Chips
In the UK I hate :
The lack of family values /These are alive and well and flourishing in Spain
Political Correctness/?Que?
'Nanny' State
Consumerism and 'keeping up with the Jones's'/Shall I have one sardine or two?
Traffic!/Empty Roads
Highlighted in blue are my opinions ofdifferences between the two countries.
The green grass/none in my part of Spain for around ten months of the year!
The fact that so much stunning scenery can be fitted into one small place
Rivers with water in them/Water???? River?????
Indian Take-aways
Fish and Chips
In the UK I hate :
The lack of family values /These are alive and well and flourishing in Spain
Political Correctness/?Que?
'Nanny' State
Consumerism and 'keeping up with the Jones's'/Shall I have one sardine or two?
Traffic!/Empty Roads
Highlighted in blue are my opinions ofdifferences between the two countries.
Jun 16th 2007, 10:46 pm
#38
The Best Fed Scot
Joined: May 2007
Location: San Sebastian
Posts: 565
Re: Things we hate about Britain...and are they any better in Spain ??
Jun 16th 2007, 11:09 pm
#39
RETIRED ;-))
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Benalmadena Pueblo,Spain
Posts: 20,156
Re: Things we hate about Britain...and are they any better in Spain ??
[QUOTE=Lochy;4923738]
There, if you lived on our CDS urbo you would be near "Nirvana" the best Indian restuarant in Spain or UK.
Jun 16th 2007, 11:15 pm
#41
RETIRED ;-))
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Benalmadena Pueblo,Spain
Posts: 20,156
Jun 17th 2007, 6:28 pm
#42
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 439
Re: Things we hate about Britain...and are they any better in Spain ??
I hate to disagree with most on here, but even though manners in the UK are on the decline, they don`t exist in Spain at all. Maybe in a little town/village where they are delighted you are spending money, they are polite, but believe me in towns manners are non existant. We were actually told by a Spanish neighbour, that we don`t ever say por favor it`s only the tourists that do. Having said that it`s not a problem as you soon get used to barking out requests in shops without ever saying thank you, the staff don`t react any differently to you, indeed the staff almost have more respect towards you. A classic example is walking 2 abreast on a pavement towards a Spanish couple is always interesting as they usually walk straight at you, clearly expecting you to step out of their way. As holiday makers we use to as we had manners, but after a while you think FFS, why can`t you move for a change. So now we also walk 2 abreast and at the last second one of us will go behind the other. They usually continue 2 abreast and we collide. This usually is followed by a few Spanish expletives at which point we laugh at them.
Another example is how rude older men (sexist they certainly are) to female staff in shops, almost throwing the money at them and then waiting for them to pack their bags.
Once you get over this you can have a real laugh, but please don`t make out the Spanish are perfect.
Tom
Another example is how rude older men (sexist they certainly are) to female staff in shops, almost throwing the money at them and then waiting for them to pack their bags.
Once you get over this you can have a real laugh, but please don`t make out the Spanish are perfect.
Tom
Jun 17th 2007, 6:37 pm
#43
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 439
Re: Things we hate about Britain...and are they any better in Spain ??
Believe what you see on the TV news, it IS all true! Our young generation have largely become "binge drinkers" I work with a large number of young people who are really lovely people, and who I get on with extremely well. But the vast majority of them regularly binge drink to the point that they don't know what they are doing, turn up for work hungover and spend most of the next morning in the loo disposing of "the evidence".
Our young generation have largely become "binge drinkers" I work with a large number of young people who are really lovely people, and who I get on with extremely well. But the vast majority of them regularly binge drink to the point that they don't know what they are doing, turn up for work hungover and spend most of the next morning in the loo disposing of "the evidence". Resurfacing roads that don't need doing , and not resurfacing roads that do! :curse:They have spent a whole week doing a road about half a mile away. The road is about quarter of a mile long and they have just COMPLETELY resurfaced it, involving detours an' all. There are 3 or 4 houses down that road! Our road is crumbling to pieces and serves hundreds of people!
Traffic light EVERYWHERE and as many per square mile as possible! :curse:
No independent shops, only chain stores or franchises!
I have got to stop myself here because I seems as though the list is endless!
Since having been a member of the forum, have read hundreds of posts, but have yet to read anything which would deter me from moving to Spain. Nowhere is perfect, but it is more than good enogh for me! I am so looking forward to making the move (whenever that will be! God willing not too long!)
You guys are SO lucky to be there already and clearly love your new lives. Savour it you are definately in the right place!
Chris XXX
Since having been a member of the forum, have read hundreds of posts, but have yet to read anything which would deter me from moving to Spain. Nowhere is perfect, but it is more than good enogh for me! I am so looking forward to making the move (whenever that will be! God willing not too long!)
You guys are SO lucky to be there already and clearly love your new lives. Savour it you are definately in the right place!
Chris XXX
Jun 17th 2007, 6:41 pm
#44
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 20
Re: Things we hate about Britain...and are they any better in Spain ??
Thanks for that, I was beginning to think the Spanish in my area were different to the rest of the country.
Tom
Tom
Jun 17th 2007, 6:45 pm
#45
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 439
Re: Things we hate about Britain...and are they any better in Spain ??
A Spanish friend of mine says this is a big problem in central Malaga and the government are trying to entice young people away from drinking excessively in certain outdoor areas in the city by offering alternative activities for them.
I think alcohol abuse is a problem here in inner city areas.
But I agree in general you dont get that feeling of menace from young Spanish people, like you can do in the UK. Binge drinking in the uk is an obscene phenomenon. And now theres a spate of those grim programmes when you see cctv footage of rough looking young girls on hen nights getting pissed, falling over and fighting.
But then again the media in the uk is so negative, if you got all your information about England from the TV you would think you were going to be stabbed everytime you left your house, theres no balance in the way things are reported.
I think alcohol abuse is a problem here in inner city areas.
But I agree in general you dont get that feeling of menace from young Spanish people, like you can do in the UK. Binge drinking in the uk is an obscene phenomenon. And now theres a spate of those grim programmes when you see cctv footage of rough looking young girls on hen nights getting pissed, falling over and fighting.
But then again the media in the uk is so negative, if you got all your information about England from the TV you would think you were going to be stabbed everytime you left your house, theres no balance in the way things are reported.
As for the UK media couldn't agree more, they hype up everything.