|
Re: Why are the British so attracted to Spain?
im going to benidorm to dj for 6 months or maybe longer can anybody plz tell me cheap apartments duplexs?? in or around the area altea even thanks
|
Re: Why are the British so attracted to Spain?
Originally Posted by villagaz
(Post 9964349)
im going to benidorm to dj for 6 months or maybe longer can anybody plz tell me cheap apartments duplexs?? in or around the area altea even thanks
BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums. Please let me know if you need any further help. Rosemary |
Re: Why are the British so attracted to Spain?
Originally Posted by agoreira
(Post 9963757)
Yeh, I'd like a quid for every post I have read on these type of forums that says something like, "we don't want to be surrounded by fellow Brits, we want to mix with the Spanish, send the kids to Spanish school, learn the language etc etc" Do they? Very very few.
I have minimal social contact with most of the British who live near me as they aren't interested in the things that interest me, and vice versa. They gawp at us open mouthed if we say we've been to a concert, or have arranged a trip to a Spanish city - "what do you want to go there for" is the usual response. The furthest they get is sitting outside the nearest bar. Their existence would drive me mad, but I suppose it takes all sorts. Once or twice we have taken other people with us on day trips somewhere (because they've invited themselves along) and it's been a disaster. They hate walking, want to stop for a fag break and a beer every 10 minutes, have no interest in architecture and don't want to eat funny foreign food for lunch. We've stopped telling people we're going anywhere until after we've been! |
Re: Why are the British so attracted to Spain?
Originally Posted by Lynn R
(Post 9964410)
The fact that very few of the British people who move to Spain (or at least my area of it) appear to have any interest whatsoever in its culture could be one reason why the ones who do say "we don't want to be surrounded by fellow Brits".
I have minimal social contact with most of the British who live near me as they aren't interested in the things that interest me, and vice versa. They gawp at us open mouthed if we say we've been to a concert, or have arranged a trip to a Spanish city - "what do you want to go there for" is the usual response. The furthest they get is sitting outside the nearest bar. Their existence would drive me mad, but I suppose it takes all sorts. Once or twice we have taken other people with us on day trips somewhere (because they've invited themselves along) and it's been a disaster. They hate walking, want to stop for a fag break and a beer every 10 minutes, have no interest in architecture and don't want to eat funny foreign food for lunch. We've stopped telling people we're going anywhere until after we've been! By the way, I don't know what it's like in your neighbourhood, but we have significantly more German expats here than Brits. Like the Brits, they also need a year or two to become less "German". |
Re: Why are the British so attracted to Spain?
Originally Posted by Lynn R
(Post 9964410)
The fact that very few of the British people who move to Spain (or at least my area of it) appear to have any interest whatsoever in its culture could be one reason why the ones who do say "we don't want to be surrounded by fellow Brits".
I have minimal social contact with most of the British who live near me as they aren't interested in the things that interest me, and vice versa. They gawp at us open mouthed if we say we've been to a concert, or have arranged a trip to a Spanish city - "what do you want to go there for" is the usual response. The furthest they get is sitting outside the nearest bar. Their existence would drive me mad, but I suppose it takes all sorts. Once or twice we have taken other people with us on day trips somewhere (because they've invited themselves along) and it's been a disaster. They hate walking, want to stop for a fag break and a beer every 10 minutes, have no interest in architecture and don't want to eat funny foreign food for lunch. We've stopped telling people we're going anywhere until after we've been! Rosemary |
Re: Why are the British so attracted to Spain?
Originally Posted by Rosemary
(Post 9964421)
I definitely could not live like they do, but for some that is what Spain is about. Love the Spanish culture, love the architecture and the people. Wish desperately that we were able to enjoy it to the full but it is not lack of interest that stops us as you know. Not had a conversation with a Brit for more than 18 months and that was helping a woman in the hospital who was arguing with the nurse about her treatment and they came and asked me to explain the system to her. Boy was I glad that OH was sent home the same day so that I had no further contact with her.
Rosemary I must admit that when I board a flight to Spain (usually full, despite J2s bizarre claim that Spain is no longer popular with the Brits - has she ever been there :rofl: ? ) I don't expect to keep in contact, or even converse with fellow passengers. I do talk to other Brits when I arrive, as generally they are still living/working there and part of the reason for travelling to say Madrid is to meet up with old friends. Also, the numbers of weekend visitors to the likes of Madrid and Barcelona are vastly greater than 10 or 15 years ago, thanks to the likes of Easyjet and Ryanair. But outside of there, I don't expect to bump into other Brits as I don't normally head for the Med coast. Ok, Valencia is an exception but even there I don't see that many, unless there is a big football match involving a EPL team going on. Hoping to visit Navarra and Cantabria this April or May - if I do bump into any Brits there my guess is they would be the ones interested in language and/or culture. But very, very small numbers compared to the ones who head for the Med sun (I've been several times to Cantabria/Asturias, and never come across another Brit, apart from travelling companions) |
Re: Why are the British so attracted to Spain?
Originally Posted by amideislas
(Post 9964419)
Agreed. Definitely. But usually only the newbies are like this. Those that have been living here for some time eventually begin to "get it". These are the ones we seek to know and socialise with.
By the way, I don't know what it's like in your neighbourhood, but we have significantly more German expats here than Brits. Like the Brits, they also need a year or two to become less "German". Because of numbers, we also socialise with Germans and Scandinavians who have also 'got it', and dare I say Spanish people who understand the guiris in their midst as well. It's a two-way process, calling for a great deal of respect from the participants, no matter where they come from. |
Re: Why are the British so attracted to Spain?
Originally Posted by HBG
(Post 9964444)
'Getting it' is a very appropriate way to describe it. It took us years and we now also tend to only socialise with those who have 'got it'. We have, sadly, got fed up with new arrivals who think they know it all after a short time in Spain. The country is far too complicated to be assessed over a short time.
Because of numbers, we also socialise with Germans and Scandinavians who have also 'got it', and dare I say Spanish people who understand the guiris in their midst as well. It's a two-way process, calling for a great deal of respect from the participants, no matter where they come from. |
Re: Why are the British so attracted to Spain?
I often wonder where the phrase "relaxed lifestyle" comes from:huh: Being on holiday or watching place in the sun programmes I suppose. All the spanish I know are hard-working and live pretty much the same as people in the UK who have jobs. You can have a relaxed lifestyle anywhere in the world if you don't need to work:lol:
Personally, I enjoy the company of Brits too, the same sense of humour/background etc. Although we learnt to be selective! Spanish do not socialise in the same way. If you like meeting friends and going out to a restaurant you will find yourself dining alone with the OH. Even our rich Lawyer neighbour rarely went out except for family occasions and he wouldn't have been seen dead at a Fiesta, likewise most people I knew. |
Re: Why are the British so attracted to Spain?
Originally Posted by Lynn R
(Post 9964410)
The fact that very few of the British people who move to Spain (or at least my area of it) appear to have any interest whatsoever in its culture could be one reason why the ones who do say "we don't want to be surrounded by fellow Brits".
I have minimal social contact with most of the British who live near me as they aren't interested in the things that interest me, and vice versa. They gawp at us open mouthed if we say we've been to a concert, or have arranged a trip to a Spanish city - "what do you want to go there for" is the usual response. The furthest they get is sitting outside the nearest bar. Their existence would drive me mad, but I suppose it takes all sorts. Once or twice we have taken other people with us on day trips somewhere (because they've invited themselves along) and it's been a disaster. They hate walking, want to stop for a fag break and a beer every 10 minutes, have no interest in architecture and don't want to eat funny foreign food for lunch. We've stopped telling people we're going anywhere until after we've been! |
Re: Why are the British so attracted to Spain?
Originally Posted by jackytoo
(Post 9964449)
I often wonder where the phrase "relaxed lifestyle" comes from:huh: Being on holiday or watching place in the sun programmes I suppose. All the spanish I know are hard-working and live pretty much the same as people in the UK who have jobs. You can have a relaxed lifestyle anywhere in the world if you don't need to work:lol:
Personally, I enjoy the company of Brits too, the same sense of humour/background etc. Although we learnt to be selective! Spanish do not socialise in the same way. If you like meeting friends and going out to a restaurant you will find yourself dining alone with the OH. Even our rich Lawyer neighbour rarely went out except for family occasions and he wouldn't have been seen dead at a Fiesta, likewise most people I knew. As for socialising my experience (which is probably non-representative) is that a lot will have a big night out, but not have a regular Friday night with all-men or all-women. They will be with their family at weekends. Sunday is often very fixed, doing the same routine and sometimes monotonous - but I know Brits that way too. |
Re: Why are the British so attracted to Spain?
Another very good point J2 made was about associating with Brits for shared sense of humour. I can make Spanish friends laugh, they can make me laugh but the actual intrinsic, gut, sense of fun is somehow imperceptibly different from nationality to nationality. Possibly also due to my slower Spanish... joking/larking about/messing etc loses its impetus done at 2/3 speed!
nb HBG .. yep, good post. Question, though. If someone has no mega interest in culture in their own country, is it wrong to want to move to a country and not be interested in the culture there but simply prefer the sun? (without prejudice to my blinkered belief it is incumbent on anyone moving to any country to live to learn some kind of conversational native language and on the assumption they're not dossing off the state or avoiding taxes bigtime or something;)) |
Re: Why are the British so attracted to Spain?
Originally Posted by fionamw
(Post 9964487)
Another very good point J2 made was about associating with Brits for shared sense of humour. I can make Spanish friends laugh, they can make me laugh but the actual intrinsic, gut, sense of fun is somehow imperceptibly different from nationality to nationality. Possibly also due to my slower Spanish... joking/larking about/messing etc loses its impetus done at 2/3 speed!
nb HBG .. yep, good post. Question, though. If someone has no mega interest in culture in their own country, is it wrong to want to move to a country and not be interested in the culture there but simply prefer the sun? (without prejudice to my blinkered belief it is incumbent on anyone moving to any country to live to learn some kind of conversational native language and on the assumption they're not dossing off the state or avoiding taxes bigtime or something;)) |
Re: Why are the British so attracted to Spain?
Fiona, you have a point. I know someone who bought a villa on a gated community. AFAIK all the residents are british. None seem to speak spanish. They golf and socialise together and are self-sufficient. They do however, employ spanish gardeners, cleaners etc. A considerable amount of money is going into the area from them...so where is the harm. Where is all the tolerance that is supposed to be around on this forum:lol:
|
Re: Why are the British so attracted to Spain?
Originally Posted by fionamw
(Post 9964487)
Question, though. If someone has no mega interest in culture in their own country, is it wrong to want to move to a country and not be interested in the culture there but simply prefer the sun? |
| All times are GMT -12. The time now is 10:08 am. |
Powered by vBulletin: ©2000 - 2026, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.