# Spain is not UK



## Lolito

Erm.. not sure how to start this thread without coming across as 'insulting' to other people. 

As you probably know, I am Spanish, I have lived in Spain for 23 years and in the UK for another 23 years. My partner is English and I love everything to do with the UK, minus a few little silly things, of course! (No country is perfect!)

I can't remember how long ago I joined this forum, but from time to time I do come across some silly comments posted by Expats, I know all about 'free speech' and all that but sometimes I just can't comprehend why anyone would want to live in Spain and at the same time berates us for silly reasons like:

We are rude
We have no customer service manners
We don't speak English (and apparently all Spanish should!!)
We have siestas
We have lots of fiestas
We are poor
We are losers
We are lazy
We do things always the wrong way
We 'paperwork for this', we 'paperwork for that'.
We 'mañana, mañana'.
.. and a million other things....

I know how frustrating things are with certain things here in Spain, I would be the first to get pi**d off, especially with the 'funcionarios' and the 'bureaucracy' but I also understand that IT IS the way IT IS and I have to put up with it. 

I am not too sure why these people still want to live in Spain when apparently everything in the UK is hunky dory and fine and dandy? 

I have lived half my life in the UK and trust me, there are lots of things I could list here but I won't, simply because 'another country, another culture, another way of doing things'. 

The sooner people start realising that they are NOT anymore in the UK and stops all comparisons. Just try and adapt (or adjust) to your new way of living and try and be as happy as you can in your new country. 

I did that in the UK and it worked wonders. 

....and please! because you are a lazy ****** and don't want to learn our language, don't expect everybody to speak YOUR language. 

Yesterday at Mercadona, an English couple (from Berkshire, according to them) managed to get the cashier crying because she couldn't understand them, apparently they wanted cash-back (in Mercadona!) 

The English man shouted at her saying 'you are an embarrassment, this is an expat area and everybody should speak English'. 

I intervened saying it wasn't an Expats community, not in this area and that it wasn't very nice the way he shouted at the cashier, he started shouting at me saying he has been living in Gandia for 8 years and he knows everything... blah blah blah... 

EIGHT years! and no word of Spanish. Arrghhhh!!! 

Sorry - Rant Over!


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## jojo

I agree with you. Even those folk who dont wish to integrate or find it hard to learn the language, should at least try, or have the decency and humility of remaining quiet and polite. Theres no excuse is there! Lets face it, we dont like it in the UK when "foreigners" dont learn English and expect things to be as they are in their own country.

Jo xxx


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## Lolito

As I mentioned before, my neighbours are English, well in their 70s, and they don't speak much Spanish, hardly any, but they get by usually by persevering, being extremely polite to people and making sure they get understood, I have seen them making the effort. I help them quite often with papework, phone calls and things like that. 

I do understand it is very complicated to learn a new language at that age, but they do try, I know they do. 

I know people think that 'because I live in Benidorm, I don't need to learn Spanish'... well, honey-bee... Benidorm is not Spain, once you get out of that boring sh**t, no-one will understand you! 

tut-tut!


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## xabiaxica

Lolito said:


> Erm.. not sure how to start this thread without coming across as 'insulting' to other people.
> 
> As you probably know, I am Spanish, I have lived in Spain for 23 years and in the UK for another 23 years. My partner is English and I love everything to do with the UK, minus a few little silly things, of course! (No country is perfect!)
> 
> I can't remember how long ago I joined this forum, but from time to time I do come across some silly comments posted by Expats, I know all about 'free speech' and all that but sometimes I just can't comprehend why anyone would want to live in Spain and at the same time berates us for silly reasons like:
> 
> We are rude
> We have no customer service manners
> We don't speak English (and apparently all Spanish should!!)
> We have siestas
> We have lots of fiestas
> We are poor
> We are losers
> We are lazy
> We do things always the wrong way
> We 'paperwork for this', we 'paperwork for that'.
> We 'mañana, mañana'.
> .. and a million other things....
> 
> I know how frustrating things are with certain things here in Spain, I would be the first to get pi**d off, especially with the 'funcionarios' and the 'bureaucracy' but I also understand that IT IS the way IT IS and I have to put up with it.
> 
> I am not too sure why these people still want to live in Spain when apparently everything in the UK is hunky dory and fine and dandy?
> 
> I have lived half my life in the UK and trust me, there are lots of things I could list here but I won't, simply because 'another country, another culture, another way of doing things'.
> 
> The sooner people start realising that they are NOT anymore in the UK and stops all comparisons. Just try and adapt (or adjust) to your new way of living and try and be as happy as you can in your new country.
> 
> I did that in the UK and it worked wonders.
> 
> ....and please! because you are a lazy ****** and don't want to learn our language, don't expect everybody to speak YOUR language.
> 
> Yesterday at Mercadona, an English couple (from Berkshire, according to them) managed to get the cashier crying because she couldn't understand them, apparently they wanted cash-back (in Mercadona!)
> 
> The English man shouted at her saying 'you are an embarrassment, this is an expat area and everybody should speak English'.
> 
> I intervened saying it wasn't an Expats community, not in this area and that it wasn't very nice the way he shouted at the cashier, he started shouting at me saying he has been living in Gandia for 8 years and he knows everything... blah blah blah...
> 
> EIGHT years! and no word of Spanish. Arrghhhh!!!
> 
> Sorry - Rant Over!



I would 'like' that more than once if I was allowed to 


& I'm not Spanish



yet...


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## jojo

Lolito said:


> As I mentioned before, my neighbours are English, well in their 70s, and they don't speak much Spanish, hardly any, but they get by usually by persevering, being extremely polite to people and making sure they get understood, I have seen them making the effort. I help them quite often with papework, phone calls and things like that.
> 
> I do understand it is very complicated to learn a new language at that age, but they do try, I know they do.
> 
> I know people think that 'because I live in Benidorm, I don't need to learn Spanish'... well, honey-bee... Benidorm is not Spain, once you get out of that boring sh**t, no-one will understand you!
> 
> tut-tut!



I've had some of my funniest/embarrassing moments trying to Speak spanish - ice cream cones, chicken and drinking straw requests being the worst lol!!!!!! But it breaks the ice and proves that we can try, laugh and be friendly!!!?? (altho the drinking straw incident proved I was being a little too friendly - dont ask)

Jo xxx


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## 213979

I don't know what to think about this post. 

While I completely agree with you about the fact that if you live in a country you should definitely make an effort to learn the language (IF it has an official language, which my country of origin does not), I also think that many of us use this message board as a place to vent frustrations with people in similar situations. 

I have been here for five years and I'm married to a local. I'm fluent in Spanish. I am very happy where I am, despite occasional frustrations. I haven't lived in the States for over nine years. However, personally, I'm not going to have a _vaca_ if I head over to the US expat board and see people complaining about how things are there. I understand that such complaints are part of the never-ending cycle of culture shock. HOWEVER, I do believe that such complaints are best kept either at home or in conversations with like-minded individuals. I think a lot of people use this forum as a sort of sounding board to decompress. I have yet to find a local who loves bureaucracy and doesn't complain about having to do any sort of paperwork. Why's it ok for them to complain but, since I have a different passport, I can't? 

Lolito, while I agree with some of the things you have said I think you, as an immigrant yourself, might want to rethink some of what you've said. Are you truly not guilty of having complained about the UK to friends or family? I think a lot of what is said here is said in that sense, to get it off of one's back, and would not be said in public. Gosh, I *HOPE* it wouldn't be said in public.


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## 213979

jojo said:


> I've had some of my funniest/embarrassing moments trying to Speak spanish - ice cream cones, chicken and drinking straw requests being the worst lol!!!!!! But it breaks the ice and proves that we can try, laugh and be friendly!!!?? (altho the drinking straw incident proved I was being a little too friendly - dont ask)
> 
> Jo xxx


You know what lesson I hate? Explaining the expression "the straw that broke the camel's back." I have yet to have a class where someone didn't giggle.


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## xabiaxica

jojo said:


> I've had some of my funniest/embarrassing moments trying to Speak spanish - ice cream cones, chicken and *drinking straw *requests being the worst lol!!!!!! But it breaks the ice and proves that we can try, laugh and be friendly!!!?? (altho the drinking straw incident proved I was being a little too friendly - dont ask)
> 
> Jo xxx


I wish I'd been able to see your face when I told you what you'd actually said


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## Lolito

Elenetxu, I know what you are saying but the way I see it, is that one thing is to just come here to moan about something silly and another thing is to berate everything all the time, which is fine too if that is the way you want to see things, but I don't see the point to come here and say all those things about Spain, clearly, if someone is not happy, then go! no-one is forcing them to live in Spain? 

Especially when they moan about something and then they also ADD that 'this is much better in the UK'. What's the point?


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## jojo

xabiachica said:


> I wish I'd been able to see your face when I told you what you'd actually said


aahh, thats right, I think I made an "emergency text" to those I thought would know, after the "strange" and........ well frightening reaction from the barman!!!!!!! 

Jo xxxx


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## jojo

Seriously tho. The point I think Lolito is trying to make is that its very easy for folk in the UK to think of Spain, almost as a UK colony - it isnt, its Spain and it has different rules, regulations, paperwork, language, education...... and we should go there knowing and respecting that.

Jo xxx


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## Lolito

Thanks JoJo... it frustrates me when I want to say something and can't find the right words, then you come here and with 2 lines say it all. Need to go back to school methinks!

pah!


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## xabiaxica

elenetxu said:


> I don't know what to think about this post.
> 
> While I completely agree with you about the fact that if you live in a country you should definitely make an effort to learn the language (IF it has an official language, which my country of origin does not), I also think that many of us use this message board as a place to vent frustrations with people in similar situations.
> 
> I have been here for five years and I'm married to a local. I'm fluent in Spanish. I am very happy where I am, despite occasional frustrations. I haven't lived in the States for over nine years. However, personally, I'm not going to have a _vaca_ if I head over to the US expat board and see people complaining about how things are there. I understand that such complaints are part of the never-ending cycle of culture shock. HOWEVER, I do believe that such complaints are best kept either at home or in conversations with like-minded individuals. I think a lot of people use this forum as a sort of sounding board to decompress. I have yet to find a local who loves bureaucracy and doesn't complain about having to do any sort of paperwork. Why's it ok for them to complain but, since I have a different passport, I can't?
> 
> Lolito, while I agree with some of the things you have said I think you, as an immigrant yourself, might want to rethink some of what you've said. Are you truly not guilty of having complained about the UK to friends or family? I think a lot of what is said here is said in that sense, to get it off of one's back, and would not be said in public. Gosh, I *HOPE* it wouldn't be said in public.


and I agree with you too.....


especially the bit about having a bit of a vent - which of course is what Lolito is doing too.........


I do complain about some Spanish things - nowhere is perfect

and not _everyone _can learn to speak Spanish ( I haven't given up on anyone yet  ) though it really isn't right to expect everyone to speak English or whateveryourlanguageis

as for the other points - I've heard those & many others said by immigrants way too many times - & rarely manage to bite my tongue


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## 213979

Lolito said:


> Thanks JoJo... it frustrates me when I want to say something and can't find the right words, then you come here and with 2 lines say it all. Need to go back to school methinks!
> 
> pah!


Boloney! Your post was very well written!


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## Lolito

I know Elenetxu, but I still think it should have been more 'compressed'.. lol! I remember doing my Psyc degree in London, my teacher would tell me off for using 10,000 words on essays that required a max of 5,000..... lol! 

It was always my problem!


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## mrypg9

After five years in Spain the only thing I truly dislike is the behaviour and attitudes of some British immigrants.
Some people need to know that Spain is not a British colony, that the Mediteranean is not a British lake, that Spanish is the official language of Spain and that Britannia no longer rules the waves and we cannot treat other people as 'Johnny Foreigner' and that racist and derogatory remarks about Spanish habits and culture are not acceptable.

Apart from those attitudes from people I normally steer well clear of I find everything fine and dandy.

Now if we were talking about the Czech Republic....my list of dislikes would be very long indeed...


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## xabiaxica

Lolito said:


> I know Elenetxu, but I still think it should have been more 'compressed'.. lol! I remember doing my Psyc degree in London, my teacher would tell me off for using 10,000 words on essays that required a max of 5,000..... lol!
> 
> It was always my problem!


these $%&/(·") Spanish


never can use one word when 10 will suffice


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## 213979

Lolito said:


> I know Elenetxu, but I still think it should have been more 'compressed'.. lol! I remember doing my Psyc degree in London, my teacher would tell me off for using 10,000 words on essays that required a max of 5,000..... lol!
> 
> It was always my problem!


I completely understand. Heck, it's more therapeutic to write like you (and I!) do


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## Aron

Yes, there are expats who moan about Spain, I see them from time to time, but not my wife and I. We have tried to integrate into everything we can. We have struggled with the language, but we do try. I have got to know many locals in the surrounding villages. I walk in the mornings and everyone I meet is gracious enough to say buenos dias, though I have got used to the local dialect which is just buena dia. The list of gripes you gave, I don't remember ever thinking like that. I do have a problem with officious companies and attitudes, but then I did with some large companies in the UK. I am referring in both instances with electricity companies.
My wife and I love living in Spain. We knew what to expect long before we came to live here as family members have been here for decades, some are buried here.
I have read on another post about hospital treatment. Much of what I have read was not the case when an elderly inlaw of ours was in hospital. She eventually died of her illness, but she had amazing treatment and care whilst in hospital. Two years ago I was rushed into hospital as a precaution. It was a scary experience, but I was well looked after. The follow up treatment is better than I would have received in the UK. 

We have in our street a mixture of Spanish and British. We are a great community, we all get on with each other, as it should be.


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## jojo

I moan about wherever I live - as Lolito says, there is no perfect country. But my moaning is fairly lighthearted - in fact I'd go as far as to say Brits do like a good moan. Yes, Spanish bureaucracy drove me nuts. The PC attitude in the UK is equally as irritating - Spanish winters I found very harsh, but british ones are no better.........

In the end tho, Spain is a beautiful country, its relaxed and where I would love to be, but its a harsh country and it's not easy to simply up sticks and live there anymore

Jo xxx


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## mrypg9

jojo said:


> I moan about wherever I live - as Lolito says, there is no perfect country. But my moaning is fairly lighthearted - in fact I'd go as far as to say Brits do like a good moan. Yes, Spanish bureaucracy drove me nuts. The PC attitude in the UK is equally as irritating - Spanish winters I found very harsh, but british ones are no better.........
> 
> In the end tho, Spain is a beautiful country, its relaxed and where I would love to be, but its a harsh country and it's not easy to simply up sticks and live there anymore
> 
> Jo xxx


Seriously, I'd have to think long and hard to find one thing I really dislike about my little corner of Spain. If I scraped the barrel I suppose I'd say I miss being able to buy pork pies as I'm very partial to a nice pork pie.

But then I can't eat them anymore anyway, on doctors orders...

I agree very much with your last sentence


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## Lolito

Jojo... go looking for a boyf and a girlf for your children and then you are 'FREE' to come over!


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## gus-lopez

Yes I've come across those people on odd occasions; normally when I venture into a Brit area. I step in & square them up straightaway & in no uncertain terms. It's disgusting & an embarrassment to everyone. They shouldn't be let out of the country.
Yes I look upon some of the paperwork /bureaucracy/funcionarios with dread but make a plan , work on the assumption it's going to take all day & if it doesn't , it's a bonus !


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## Aron

mrypg9 said:


> Seriously, I'd have to think long and hard to find one thing I really dislike about my little corner of Spain. If I scraped the barrel I suppose I'd say I miss being able to buy pork pies as I'm very partial to a nice pork pie.
> 
> But then I can't eat them anymore anyway, on doctors orders...
> 
> I agree very much with your last sentence


All I miss in Spain is a Dickinsons pork pie and a pint of Ruddles best bitter. Now saying that, my wife can make pork pies. She adds black pudding. Still prefer the Dickinsons pork pie though!


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## Lolito

I really miss the Kebabs in the UK.. nothing similar found here, although they call it the same, I have tried lots in different places in Spain but they are all equally bad. 

ooopss! that, and Ambrossia Custard!!!!


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## jojo

Lolito said:


> I really miss the Kebabs in the UK.. nothing similar found here, although they call it the same, I have tried lots in different places in Spain but they are all equally bad.
> 
> ooopss! that, and Ambrossia Custard!!!!


 er........... kebabs in the UK are disgusting lol!!! and as for ambrosia creamed rice???? uke:


Jo xxx


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## Lolito

When we first arrived to Spain, we had about 12 bottles of Heinz Salad Cream in the suitcase.... and about 500 tea bags of PG, then we went to the local Consum the next day and they were selling them there too! pah!

Carrefour got Ambrossia custard and rice too. 

So really, what's missing is the KEBABS! or a MAOZ falafel... (just in case you are wondering, I do eat healthily.. most of the time!)


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## XTreme

Brits in Spain? I've always stayed well clear!

If I ever run into any I just pretend to be Spanish!

Which isn't easy when you have the complexion of a geriatric member of the Hitler Youth....but I usually get away with it.


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## angil

I speak 'no' Spanish, other than words I have picked up mostly from cartoons when I was a child (at 45 apparently I am having useful flashbacks!). I have little intention of learning, although being fair I am not sure I will remain here beyond the 2 years it will take for my daughter's A levels. Hubby was supposed to be building ships here but that looks like it has been delayed to the point of cancellation!
I lived in Asia for 15 years and speak about as many words in Korean as I do Spanish! I have some dear Korean friends, I had lovely neighbours etc & I adore the country. I couldn't communicate in a 'regular' fully conversant way! Yet it was our families home & we all long to go back.
That being said we did experience some racism & xenophobia in the city we moved to for our final 4 years but that, in our minds, did not represent all Koreans. In the mind of other foreigners it did.
Some folk just choose to see the negative in a culture/ country, take that opportunity to generalise, and there you have it all Koreans are xenophobic, waygooki haters who in turn deserve our disrespect!!
Learning the language, although I am sure it helps with misunderstandings, has absolutely nothing to do with loving a country, its culture and being polite to the locals. I see no disrespect in not learning the language of the country I am living in, certainly non intended!
I got by in Korea with a smile, a bow, a point and a "kamsamhamneeda! (thank you!)" The Koreans just seemed to understand me!! A wife, mother, hubby working at the local shipyard is the same in any language.
People are people the world over. I have met some right lazy, rude a***holes in the 6months I have lived here in Spain. I have also met some truly lovely Spanish people who again I communicate with through a series of smiles and points! & some are interested in learning English so want to have a little chat (very Korean!), which is nice.
"Its nice to be important but its more important to be nice" something like that!
But at the end of the day who hasn't moaned about another culture / country & felt their own superior from time to time?!? Its when it overspills into rudeness and racism as in the example giving in the opening post becomes totally unacceptable in any civilised society.
@Elenetxu, according to the Koreans you most certainly do have an official language that would be American English which is the language of choice at English schools there!


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## 213979

angil said:


> @Elenetxu, according to the Koreans you most certainly do have an official language that would be American English which is the language of choice at English schools there!


There is no *legally declared* official language in the United States. Why did I mention this in my OP in this thread? Because I hate, hate, *hate* the "Welcome to America, now speak English." bull_caca_ that I hear ever too often, especially when I'm there with my husband whose English is very limited.


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## Megsmum

Phew Lolita

I am soooooooo Glad Spain is not the UK, because we start our new life here in February.

I am not sure we will every be fluent in Spanish, but I can assure you, we will give it 
110% effort, moving to Extremadura is going to be a challenge and I expect to find people I like, people I do not like, people who try to help people who try not to help. Just like I would anywhere I live.

xx


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## 90199

elenetxu said:


> There is no *legally declared* official language in the United States. Why did I mention this in my OP in this thread? Because I hate, hate, *hate* the "Welcome to America, now speak English." bull_caca_ that I hear ever too often, especially when I'm there with my husband whose English is very limited.


Blugger! I thought you were of the male species


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## angil

Approx. 60,000 ESL teachers in South Korea, primarily from North America, teaching Koreans the English of their choice! The only time is bugged me is when I was corrected on how to pronounce tomato by the waitress at my local Mr Pizza!!
That being said in recent years I have noticed a slight change. More and more Koreans are choosing Mandarin as a 2nd language (can't imagine why!?!) & English being their 3rd language.


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## 213979

Hepa said:


> Blugger! I thought you were of the male species


No sir, I am not of the male species.


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## 213979

angil said:


> Approx. 60,000 ESL teachers in South Korea, primarily from North America, teaching Koreans the English of their choice! The only time is bugged me is when I was corrected on how to pronounce tomato by the waitress at my local Mr Pizza!!
> That being said in recent years I have noticed a slight change. More and more Koreans are choosing Mandarin as a 2nd language (can't imagine why!?!) & English being their 3rd language.


Oh gosh, I'm sorry. 
I have the opposite problem here. My English isn't quite valid enough for some on this peninsula. Oh well, their loss  :nerd:


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## Alcalaina

I don't live in an area where you come across the sort of expat described here, the ones who are looking for an English colony in the sun. 

But there is another kind of immigrant, who chooses to move to "España profundo", where they can turn their back on the tacky commercialism of the costas and emulate the life of a Spanish _campesino_ (though with rather more in the bank). I've met a few of them, not just Brits but from all over northern Europe.

They buy a ruin in a pueblo blanco and try to turn it into their dream home, ignoring the advice of local builders and insisting on great big picture windows so they can enjoy the view. OK, the roof leaks but that's all part of the fun.

They grow their own food, keep goats and chickens, adopt Spanish mealtimes and drink in local bars. They speak schoolbook Spanish, but often don't understand what is said back to them and say_ claro_ and _vale_ a lot, smiling and nodding.

For the first two years they wear rose-coloured spectacles and doggedly defend everything Spanish, even the most frustrating things. (Maybe it's because they are subconsciously justifying why they moved here.) They put up with dreadfully cooked food in _ventas_, because it's "authentic". They queue happily for 45 minutes in the post office - "it's so laid back here!!" They pretend to love flamenco singing, even though it sounds to their untrained ears like a cat on heat.

Then one day some inexplicably stupid piece of bureaucracy or inefficiency hits them in the face and it all comes out in a volcanic eruption of pent-up rage. "This bloody country! That would NEVER happen at home!"

If they can get past that, and realise that Spain isn't better or worse than the place they left behind - just different - they will get on just fine.

Whenever you move to a new place, you are going to have to continually adapt and modify your expectations. The place itself isn't going to change - but you might have to.


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## angil

I love love love living out of the UK. Meeting folk from all over the world and dealing with their little foibles! Even if it does mean more anti ageing cream and hair dye to cover me grey! (Not Primor again!!!). Besides it gives this 'whinging pom' something to moan about!


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## Lolito

As Alcalaina says, I think people behave differently when they live in the 'middle of nowhere', than in overpopulated sh**hole places like Torrevieja or Benidorm... you'll have no options but to adapt quickly and learn the language whether you like it or not. Even if you don't want to. Once you realise no-one speaks English in your area, what else can you do? Sign? 

In the case of CAMBIO, they are moving soon to Extremadura, I am from Extremadura myself and there is nothing bad about Extremadura I could possible say. But it is not a place where you will find lots of expats, so regardless of their intentions, they will learn Spanish pretty quick as they have to if they want to survive in Extremadura. Extreme and Hard it is! 

I can say that 100% of my relatives live or come from Extremadura and no a single one of them speak English or any other language, and that's the way it is for at leat 90% of the extremeños today. 

Cambio, any problems you have, let me know, if I can help, I would be very happy. I intend to take my partner to Extremadura sometimes in May (not too hot, not too cold) and show him the area.


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## el romeral

Lolito said:


> Erm.. not sure how to start this thread without coming across as 'insulting' to other people.
> 
> As you probably know, I am Spanish, I have lived in Spain for 23 years and in the UK for another 23 years. My partner is English and I love everything to do with the UK, minus a few little silly things, of course! (No country is perfect!)
> 
> I can't remember how long ago I joined this forum, but from time to time I do come across some silly comments posted by Expats, I know all about 'free speech' and all that but sometimes I just can't comprehend why anyone would want to live in Spain and at the same time berates us for silly reasons like:
> 
> We are rude
> We have no customer service manners
> We don't speak English (and apparently all Spanish should!!)
> We have siestas
> We have lots of fiestas
> We are poor
> We are losers
> We are lazy
> We do things always the wrong way
> We 'paperwork for this', we 'paperwork for that'.
> We 'mañana, mañana'.
> .. and a million other things....
> 
> !


Hear hear.

You missed out a few though:

Driving standards
Lane discipline at roundabouts
Corruption
Banks
Telefonica
Corruption
"Puentes"
Guardia Civil
Corruption
Politicians
Sevillana Endesa
Oh, did I mention corruption?


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## Lolito

Corruption in Spain ..? Never!


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## 213979

WHO complains about _puentes_!?!?!?!?!?!:der: Lemme at 'em.


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## Lolito

There is a puente this coming weekend!


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## Lolito

San Saturnino 29th and St Francisco Javier on the 3rd... mind you, only in Navarra tho...

Got family coming over on Friday!


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## 213979

Lolito said:


> San Saturnino 29th and St Francisco Javier on the 3rd... mind you, only in Navarra tho...
> 
> Got family coming over on Friday!



Lucky! Two puentes in a row (the 8th too, right)!?! This sure is _montarlo bien._



Hey, I do have a legit WTF complaint. 

It really grinds my gears that it's so ok to either tell someone they need to get pregnant or flat out ask "What, are you pregnant?" I was asked twice last night if I was pregnant. I got cornered in the kitchen by my MIL who saw I wasn't drinking at lunch. I really thought about telling MIL "No, your son has just been really stressing me out and I've been overeating to kill the stress... it beats drinking!" but I thought that might be rude. Worse was an ex-coworker who went so far as to point at my fat gut and say "What, kids?" Lady, I have a beer in my hand. 

:jaw: Can I cry now or should I wait for later?


----------



## Lolito

Stay off the beers then!


----------



## Megsmum

Lolito said:


> As Alcalaina says, I think people behave differently when they live in the 'middle of nowhere', than in overpopulated sh**hole places like Torrevieja or Benidorm... you'll have no options but to adapt quickly and learn the language whether you like it or not. Even if you don't want to. Once you realise no-one speaks English in your area, what else can you do? Sign?
> 
> In the case of CAMBIO, they are moving soon to Extremadura, I am from Extremadura myself and there is nothing bad about Extremadura I could possible say. But it is not a place where you will find lots of expats, so regardless of their intentions, they will learn Spanish pretty quick as they have to if they want to survive in Extremadura. Extreme and Hard it is!
> 
> I can say that 100% of my relatives live or come from Extremadura and no a single one of them speak English or any other language, and that's the way it is for at leat 90% of the extremeños today.
> 
> Cambio, any problems you have, let me know, if I can help, I would be very happy. I intend to take my partner to Extremadura sometimes in May (not too hot, not too cold) and show him the area.


Thanks Lolita I appreciate your offer of help. We look forward to experiencing Extremadura, we fell in love with the area and the people we met. It was very clear to us that very few spoke English, so we will HAVE to make ourselves heard, but I hope we manage to do this is a way that leaves those we meet with a good impression of the English in Spain xxx


----------



## 213979

Lolito said:


> Stay off the beers then!


I rarely drink. I guess I'm going to have to drink more so people don't ask such a private question.


----------



## angil

How about "No big sizey" and being shooed out of a shop! Or an older lady (ajuma) grabbing your boobs and gasping in the street! I was a UK size 10/12 at the time! Its the stuff of interesting conversations and giggles over a cuppa (or pint.......of wine!). Not so bloomin funny at the time, granted!!


----------



## Goldeneye

Aron said:


> All I miss in Spain is a Dickinsons pork pie and a pint of Ruddles best bitter. Now saying that, my wife can make pork pies. She adds black pudding. Still prefer the Dickinsons pork pie though!





Lolito said:


> I really miss the Kebabs in the UK.. nothing similar found here, although they call it the same, I have tried lots in different places in Spain but they are all equally bad.
> 
> ooopss! that, and Ambrossia Custard!!!!


Was reading this thread, your comments brought back memories of our early days in Canada.. (24years ago)
When someone I worked with asked why we make our own East Indian food, I responded with "There are only 3 East Indian restaurants in Victoria and non of them are very good" He responded with ... "If you feel like that, why don't you get back to your own country" 
I learned early on, because of my accent I wasn't allowed an opinion here unless it was a positive one.. VERY sad but true.. For months a couple of the guys would make their very Anti English comments, going on about how 'We' stole the land from the Indians, they both would often go on very proudly about how Canadian *their* roots were, they could trace their ancestors back to the first settlers.... To which I quipped back.... Ohhhhh so it was YOUR ancestors that 'stole' the land from the first nations.. I came here when there was legal immigration !! 
Canada as well as most countries have their fair share of bigots..

We have some wonderful 'Canadian born friends' here in Canada but sadly we have also been subject to very unexpected bigotry, blatant intolerance to all things British.


----------



## Pesky Wesky

angil said:


> How about "No big sizey" and being shooed out of a shop! Or an older lady (ajuma) grabbing your boobs and gasping in the street! I was a UK size 10/12 at the time! Its the stuff of interesting conversations and giggles over a cuppa (or pint.......of wine!). Not so bloomin funny at the time, granted!!


I'd like to think that being grabbed by the boobs in the street was a one off. It's certainly never happened to me - yet!
(What is _ajuma_ btw???)
I have found some Spanish people are very forthright with their opinion, especially about kids/ pregnancy as elenetxu says. When we got married quite a few people told us when we should start having children and how many. Actually, I remember the priest in a friends wedding asking them how many children they were going to have in front of the whole congregation, as part of the ceremony!
After I had my daughter it was then when was the next one coming. The only other people who asked me about that were Americans... (I worked at a big American academy/ cultural centre here in Madrid with over 60 other teachers, all but two of which were American).

Going back to what was expressed in the first post, yes, there are those who expect Spain to be fully equipped to them ie British tv, British food and English spoken and that's where the main problem is I think, when it's an expectation, when it's a cause for complaint when things don't turn out like that.

That people can live in Spain without speaking a word of Spanish, and show no interest in the country around them was a surprise to me, (before coming to live here I mean), but that they can demand it and perpetrate it was another. 

It's true that some people find it difficult to learn another language for whatever reason, but there are differences in attitude that are easily detected. Some people seem to project an image of "I'm a guest in a third world country" (often a defence mechanism) and others that "I'm making an effort to understand another culture even though it's very difficult"

A lot of these problems are due to just not preparing the way, just not realising what it's like living in a foreign country. I'm sure we've all bitched and moaned about the Spansih way of doing things at times though and goodness knows the country isn't perfect, (but isn't that one of the things we like about it too?) The worst offence for me is when people say
it's not like that in the UK 
OR 
it's not like that at HOME
As Lolito says, that's because Spain is not the UK


----------



## Derek H

elenetxu said:


> WHO complains about _puentes_!?!?!?!?!?!:der: Lemme at 'em.


Wiki says "puentes = bridges " ??? 

Derek


----------



## kalohi

Derek H said:


> Wiki says "puentes = bridges " ???
> 
> Derek


Puentes are 4 day weekends. It happens when a holiday falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday, and they throw in the 4th day off for free.


----------



## Derek H

kalohi said:


> Puentes are 4 day weekends. It happens when a holiday falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday, and they throw in the 4th day off for free.


Gave you a "like". I also "like" the idea of a 4 day weekend.

I understand where he word Puentes (bridge_ing day comes in. Simples :redface:

Derek_


----------



## Pazcat

What was described in the OP is abhorrent behaviour no matter who you are and I would dare say the type of person who does that would do so anywhere be it Spain or the UK and just change a few key words to suit.
Even if things do frustrate you and they will, that is just disgusting behaviour towards another human being and should not be tolerated.

I do think a "vent thread" would be a good idea though because we all need to let off steam as long as it's not taken too seriously, I can be really p*****d one today and then tomorrow I can laugh about it. The only issues I have had here is regarding that stupid number I was given that never works and the sheer unprofessionalism of places like phone companies, banks, etc. I'm dreading today's interaction with the bank for instance to find out what their problem is this time, most likely I'm spending money or not using the right card or haven't spent enough money or it's Monday. Something like that.

Being relatively new here is an eye opener but it's nothing special, we all run into the same problems, it's the same for the Spanish alike. I guess that's comforting in an weird way. 
I'm trying to learn the language, I can now complete a variety of transactions in Spanish as long as they don't throw with any unexpected questions, then my brain explodes. I have no idea if I'll be able to ever fully speak or understand the language because it's hard for me but I would never expect anyone to speak English or get angry because they didn't.


----------



## angil

Flashback to days in Asia where personal space & inhabitation are non existent! Ajuma is an older Korean woman! 
I am starting to feel Spain & Korea may be brothers from a different mother! Some aspects of their culture (boob grabbing a side!) do seem to be very similar!!!!
Even the healthcare described in a previous post where family members are expected to take over basic nursing / care. Or as was the case in our community the other expat wives and mothers helped out in the absence of family. 
We are here cos hubby was supposed to be working here. Just like I have friends in Vietnam, Thailand, Azerbaijan, Malaysia and other far flung places you wouldn't necessarily choose to live if given a choice. 
I am not here because I had any desire to live in Spain (anywhere but the UK would have done!). It is what you gain from these experiences and what you can contribute while living there that shapes your life and those around you. & with 2 kids in tow its important to get the best out of wherever you may end up.
& no its not the UK, thank goodness for that!!!!


----------



## Lolito

You might like it Angil and stay forever and everrrr!


----------



## Lolito

There might be people out there thinking that they have problems with banks/utiliy companies because they are 'foreigners', but I can categorically tell you, that it is nothing to do with it.

I have spent (easily) a year trying to sort out my landline problems with Orange, now I am with Movistar and it is getting worse. 

Iberdrola won't send the bills to my house, after 2 years of asking them to change the address and send me a copy, they can't get it right!. 

The water company made a mess of things but in the end it took me a few good months to get the bills sent to my house. 

Internet connection... I rather not mention this, it gets me soooo angry! 

Funcionarios in Town Hall, Police, SEPE, etc.... eeek! My worst nightmare, I just get physically sick everytime I go there. 

It took me a few weeks to open an account with the bank and they asked me for lots of paperwork to do so. 

Everytime I see the Guardia Civil when I am driving, I gets so panicky, and they always stop me!! arrghh! Might be because my car registration is NA from Navarra?

I could go on and on... .. and I am Spanish and I do speak Spanish pretty well....

However, not everything is so bad, last year in Pamplona we took the car to do the ITV (MOT) and the queues were amazingly long and took almost 4 hours to do it. 

Yesterday we had Cita Previa (Appointment) and went to Gandia and within 10 mins we were done. Brilliant!


----------



## 90199

Lolito said:


> There might be people out there thinking that they have problems with banks/utiliy companies because they are 'foreigners', but I can categorically tell you, that it is nothing to do with it.
> 
> I have spent (easily) a year trying to sort out my landline problems with Orange, now I am with Movistar and it is getting worse.
> 
> Iberdrola won't send the bills to my house, after 2 years of asking them to change the address and send me a copy, they can't get it right!.
> 
> The water company made a mess of things but in the end it took me a few good months to get the bills sent to my house.
> 
> Internet connection... I rather not mention this, it gets me soooo angry!
> 
> Funcionarios in Town Hall, Police, SEPE, etc.... eeek! My worst nightmare, I just get physically sick everytime I go there.
> 
> It took me a few weeks to open an account with the bank and they asked me for lots of paperwork to do so.
> 
> Everytime I see the Guardia Civil when I am driving, I gets so panicky, and they always stop me!! arrghh! Might be because my car registration is NA from Navarra?
> 
> I could go on and on... .. and I am Spanish and I do speak Spanish pretty well....
> 
> However, not everything is so bad, last year in Pamplona we took the car to do the ITV (MOT) and the queues were amazingly long and took almost 4 hours to do it.
> 
> Yesterday we had Cita Previa (Appointment) and went to Gandia and within 10 mins we were done. Brilliant!


I am amazed at what I read, your world is so different to ours, here the people help rather than hinder and the whole time we have been coming here we have never been stopped by the police.


----------



## Lolito

Well, next week, it will be a year since my sister decided to give us her old car, as she lives in Pamplona, the car reg plate is NA (Navarra). In the past, (ETA era and all that), it wasn't very clever to drive around Spain (to certain parts of it) with a NA registered car. But that's all in the past. 

Still, in the last 12 months, Guardia Civil stopped us about 7 times.... Never in my entire life I've been stopped by police. 

Maybe it is just a coincidence, not sure. I am thinking of changing the registration to the standard European one.


----------



## mrypg9

Goldeneye said:


> Canada as well as most countries have their fair share of bigots..
> 
> We have some wonderful 'Canadian born friends' here in Canada but sadly we have also been subject to very unexpected bigotry, blatant intolerance to all things British.



We had property in Canada, used to spend a lot of time with family in the Ottawa 
Valley, intended to retire there...but changed our minds. 
One reason was that Canada is a hell of a long way from the UK...no frequent popping back for work or visits to family and friends.
But another reason was that we felt that although viewed as a model example of a progressive, liberal country, Canada is actually quite intolerant. 
We found an incredible amount of PC...now I don't smoke, my partner does. Yes, it's not a pleasant habit...but she was made to feel like a criminal or an unclean person even when lighting up in outdoor areas. We were even told that the wearing of aftershave or scent is frowned upon in many offices as 'some people have an intolerance of strong scents'. I once referred to someone I knew as 'old' and was sternly told to use the term 'senior'.
We felt like elderly Goths in the small town where we had a converted mill as we were the only people in the streets wearing black Tshirts or jeans and in Sandra's case make-up. People stared at us. Tshirts with moose or ducks or some wildlife or a flower across the front worn with baggy jeans was de rigeur for women...and no make-up. We were told we should be wearing hats when we went out in summer...everyone of either sex wore straw cowboy headgear. Well, it was farming country.
After not much discussion we decided that we were simply too European in outlook and Canada wasn't for us so we sold up and decided on Prague..then Spain.


----------



## Alcalaina

Lolito said:


> There might be people out there thinking that they have problems with banks/utiliy companies because they are 'foreigners', but I can categorically tell you, that it is nothing to do with it.
> 
> I have spent (easily) a year trying to sort out my landline problems with Orange, now I am with Movistar and it is getting worse.
> 
> Iberdrola won't send the bills to my house, after 2 years of asking them to change the address and send me a copy, they can't get it right!.
> 
> The water company made a mess of things but in the end it took me a few good months to get the bills sent to my house.
> 
> Internet connection... I rather not mention this, it gets me soooo angry!
> 
> Funcionarios in Town Hall, Police, SEPE, etc.... eeek! My worst nightmare, I just get physically sick everytime I go there.
> 
> It took me a few weeks to open an account with the bank and they asked me for lots of paperwork to do so.
> 
> Everytime I see the Guardia Civil when I am driving, I gets so panicky, and they always stop me!! arrghh! Might be because my car registration is NA from Navarra?
> 
> I could go on and on... .. and I am Spanish and I do speak Spanish pretty well....
> 
> However, not everything is so bad, last year in Pamplona we took the car to do the ITV (MOT) and the queues were amazingly long and took almost 4 hours to do it.
> 
> Yesterday we had Cita Previa (Appointment) and went to Gandia and within 10 mins we were done. Brilliant!


Well, I can identify with some of these things but after living here nearly six years I really think things are getting better.

Five years ago on a Telefonica service call they often used to hang up on you if they couldn't understand you or solve the problem. Nowadays someone calls you back to make sure you are satisfied with the service.

Citas previas online for ITV, Agencia Tributaria etc make life so much easier especially if you live out in the sticks.

Banks (the ones that have survived) also seem to be much more efficient and you can even have online chat sessions.

We used to get powercuts regularly and the phone/internet wouldn't work when it was raining. All the infrastructure has been replaced or repaired and we haven't had a problem for the last three years (touch wood).

Never had a problem with the funcionarios here, but we are all friends on Facebook so maybe that helps!


----------



## dreamteam78

I agree. Learn Spanish if your going to live there.


----------



## thrax

I have taught English to about 35 Spanish folk of all ages. We have made several Spanish friends and the real thing is, they all complain about the hopeless red tape, the problems with telephone companies and electric companies but they all have the same human feelings we do. They might speak a different language but they are human beings; they have children who misbehave, they go shopping, they read books and watch TV and movies. They have bank accounts and jobs (some of them) and they all have the same worries and issues and loves and fun that everyone else does. As I have often said on this forum, we are all from planet earth and this is where we live, although it does seem to me that we treat this planet as though we have another planet to go to....


----------



## gus-lopez

The thing is though that the Spanish very rarely complain, even when being talked to/treated like ****. Only 1 in 100 will ever say anything.It never ceases to amaze me. 
On the unfortunate occasions when I've lost the plot over more inefficiency/lack of knowledge of there own & EU rules/blatant lying , etc; list is endless; the reaction from the Spanish is either " well done" or " Ooh! you can't say that to them ! " What ! Why not ? They work for you & should be helping you , not putting obstacles in the way is my answer.


----------



## Aron

If you come to live in Spain you must learn to live like your Spanish neighbours. My neighbours tell me how the system works, maybe not the official way, but their way. Two months ago our electric went. We were the only house in the street with the problem. Our Spanish neighbours all came over, they said to relax, everything is okay. One neighbour phoned the electricity company and said 6 houses had lost power. I asked why he said that and he replied, if it's only you, then it will be repaired in the morning, but the bigger the problem and they'll be here within the hour, and they were.
In our village every local knows every other local. Many are related to each other. Get to know your neighbours, show an interest in their lives, their way of life and you then become part of the community because you get to know them all. Local advice is worth everything, but if it can't be done today, then tomorrow is fine. The one thing above all else that I like about life here, you don't need to hurry.


----------



## g4jnw

It's funny when i read this thread, it's not unique to Spain a lot of the comments - it's how you react.

As an example we moved to a Scottish island and expected it to be the same as the mainland, it wasn't everything happened tomorrow, if you were lucky.
It drove is mad but for some reason after a few years (we were there for 13) we started to really like the way it was laid back, and got into the way of life - 28 days delivery on items - ahh well we just had to wait, 5 days without electricity over Christmas and New Year was one of the best years we had socially, learning Gaelic was hard but we got by (yes there are locals who don't speak or ever want to speak English - its there choice and we respected it, after all its THEIR country!) - BOY was it a shock when we had to move back to the mainland due to family illness - RUSH RUSH RUSH - we hated it, I still get at work "you are so laid back, never get annoyed" true it did me the world of good but it doesn't mean i do a slap dash job, far from it - doesn't seem too far from what people are finding in Spain, sounds the place for us in retirement!


----------



## Lolito

I am so laid back now that whenever I have two things to do , I start to panic... lol!


----------



## mrypg9

This morning we drove into Estepona to buy gas bottles for our newly-acquired heaters. At the depot the man in charge helpfully loaded the bottles into the car so we went to pay.
As the amount was 60 euros we produced a credit card only to be told that only cash was accepted - we had none.
It was just before afternoon closing time so we said we'd come back with money later and went to remove the bottles only to be told 'Take them!'.
We took them and paid this afternoon adding enough for him to have a copa or two on us..
Now...we had never been to this depot before. The guy didn't ask our names or address. He didn't note the car number. He trusted two complete strangers to be honest and pay what they owed. 
No, Spain is NOT the UK.


----------



## g4jnw

mrypg9 said:


> This morning we drove into Estepona to buy gas bottles for our newly-acquired heaters. At the depot the man in charge helpfully loaded the bottles into the car so we went to pay.
> As the amount was 60 euros we produced a credit card only to be told that only cash was accepted - we had none.
> It was just before afternoon closing time so we said we'd come back with money later and went to remove the bottles only to be told 'Take them!'.
> We took them and paid this afternoon adding enough for him to have a copa or two on us..
> Now...we had never been to this depot before. The guy didn't ask our names or address. He didn't note the car number. He trusted two complete strangers to be honest and pay what they owed.
> No, Spain is NOT the UK.


How nice that made my day


----------



## mrypg9

g4jnw said:


> How nice that made my day


Yes, it made ours too.

The nicest thing that has happened to me since a hippie-type woman who came to our kennels looking for a dog to adopt told me I had a 'beautiful soul'.

Strangely , no-one had noticed it before or has noticed it since then, not even my OH who was unimpressed by this profound comment.
People are so un observant...


----------



## Nick Austin

How about people who look like uncooked dough with neck tattoo's standing in their front rooms knee deep in water?

Not so many of them here either


----------



## el pescador

Lolito said:


> I am so laid back now that whenever I have two things to do , I start to panic... lol!


Haha.
Thats so true.

Ive got to go into town int he next few days to start the main stage of Residencia.
Its like a mission and an adventure


----------



## Lynn R

I hadn't seen this thread earlier as it was "before my time", but I agree with many of the points made.
Yesterday I met with 2 Spanish women who I've agreed to help with English conversation, and one of the things they asked was what I liked and didn't like about living in Spain. As soon as I mentioned bureaucracy as one of the downsides, they cast their eyes heavenwards and said it drives Spanish people crazy, too!

I see a couple of people mentioned problems with electricity companies and Sevillana Endesa particularly, but my experience with them has always been good. Yesterday I went down to their local customer service to try to get a copy of my friend's last bill which hadn't been paid due to a problem with the direct debit, as she can't get here until next month to change the contract into her own name. There were notices up all over the place saying that copies of bills couldn't be issued without written authorization from the "titular" and I thought oh dear,I'm going to get nowhere here, although I did have a copy of her NIE and passport with me. I explained the problem to the lovely, smiley lady behind the desk and at first she said yes, you need to present the authorization and gave me the form to get completed. But when I said my friend was really worried about being cut off before we could get the authorization sorted out, she looked it up on her screen and issued a copy of the bill for me, she was prepared to be flexible and disobey the rules to be helpful. Then I dealt with a change of bank details for myself, and had to sign no less than 9 pieces of paper - but we just had a joke together about endless bits of paper, and I said my job in England had been just the same. "Ah, usted sabe"" was the reply. She also told me I was entitled to a 3% discount and signed me up for it, which was nice of her as I knew nothing about it.

Now, if I can just get the saga of my new debit card which the bank has now issued twice with my name spelt wrongly, I'll be able to say this week hasn't been wasted!


----------



## andoba

Lolito said:


> Everytime I see the Guardia Civil when I am driving, I gets so panicky, and they always stop me!! arrghh! Might be because my car registration is NA from Navarra?


The random police checks sicken me. I drive a rather uncommon car from the 80's, and being in my early 20's seems to be a too much suspicious combination. Everytime I run into a Guardia Civil or Policia check I alredy know that I'll be 10 minutes late to wherever I might be going. Thankfully having a tidy boot makes the process somewhat faster.


----------



## mrypg9

andoba said:


> The random police checks sicken me. I drive a rather uncommon car from the 80's, and being in my early 20's seems to be a too much suspicious combination. Everytime I run into a Guardia Civil or Policia check I alredy know that I'll be 10 minutes late to wherever I might be going. Thankfully having a tidy boot makes the process somewhat faster.


Sometimes, being a 'mature' Englishwoman can be a distinct advantage.
We have very many checks around our barrio, from Policia Local, Nacional, Trafico...everyone gets stopped, sometimes they are asked to get out of their cars which are thoroughly searched...and I ALWAYS get a smile and a 'pasa senora! to which I give a winsome smile and drive on.
This happens without fail.


I am available, for a small fee, for the transport of harmless but illicit substances....


----------



## jojo

andoba said:


> The random police checks sicken me. I drive a rather uncommon car from the 80's, and being in my early 20's seems to be a too much suspicious combination. Everytime I run into a Guardia Civil or Policia check I alredy know that I'll be 10 minutes late to wherever I might be going. Thankfully having a tidy boot makes the process somewhat faster.


I used to get stopped regularly - in fact it was always by the same chap - he liked english cigarettes and used to crouch down by my car door smoking one and pretending he was checking my papers lol 

Jo xxx


----------



## Williams2

jojo said:


> I used to get stopped regularly - in fact it was always by the same chap - he liked english cigarettes and used to crouch down by my car door smoking one and pretending he was checking my papers lol
> 
> Jo xxx


Unfortunately my early experience of driving on the Continent was in 
Eastern Europe, namely in the former Soviet Republics like Latvia
and Ukraine. Where if you were stopped by the Militsia for a minor
infringement - it was usually one made up by the Police Officer, who
after going through the usual checks of your documents and papers,
finding nothing wrong with them - will then have the cheek to rub
he's thumb and forefinger at you - which many locals knew - 
means he's looking for a bribe before letting you go on your
way without any further harrasment.


----------



## jojo

Williams2 said:


> Unfortunately my early experience of driving on the Continent was in
> Eastern Europe, namely in the former Soviet Republics like Latvia
> and Ukraine. Where if you were stopped by the Militsia for a minor
> infringement - it was usually one made up by the Police Officer, who
> after going through the usual checks of your documents and papers,
> finding nothing wrong with them - will then have the cheek to rub
> he's thumb and forefinger at you - which many locals knew -
> means he's looking for a bribe before letting you go on your
> way without any further harrasment.



LOL! My guardia man wasnt looking for a bribe, just a ciggie break . 

Jo xxx


----------



## Lynn R

andoba said:


> The random police checks sicken me. I drive a rather uncommon car from the 80's, and being in my early 20's seems to be a too much suspicious combination. Everytime I run into a Guardia Civil or Policia check I alredy know that I'll be 10 minutes late to wherever I might be going. Thankfully having a tidy boot makes the process somewhat faster.


I think, given your age and your car, you might find similar problems in many other countries. Aged 19, my brother bought himself a second hand BMW in the UK (with legitimate earnings I hasten to add, he had a job and was also producing bespoke software for companies in his spare time). It was rare for him to go out at night in it without being stopped by the police.


----------



## HinSpain

I only moved here two weeks ago and still I couldn't agree more if the UK is so great - go back xx


----------



## Isobella

Two weeks, you are still on holiday


----------



## Lolito

I've been here 3 and a half years and I still feel like I am on holiday, I rarely know which day of the week it is?!


----------



## fcexpat

I am in training then for when we arrive in four weeks....Spent 35 mins listening to muzak this morning waiting to speak to HMRC about our P85 form allowing us to leave U K - ended up with a numb bum but thank God for mobile phones which means you can go pee whilst waiting to speak to an adviser ! Having said that when I did finally get to number one in the queue the lady adviser was most helpful answering my mundane questions and wished me well .... all comes down in my view to the way you treat the person on the other end of the phone or the other side of the desk.


----------



## Melissa58275

jojo said:


> aahh, thats right, I think I made an "emergency text" to those I thought would know, after the "strange" and........ well frightening reaction from the barman!!!!!!!
> 
> Jo xxxx


Jojo: Now we're all dying to know what you said!


----------



## jojo

Melissa58275 said:


> Jojo: Now we're all dying to know what you said!


lol The spanish word for a drinking straw is (if said in the wrong way) the same as the spanish word for...... oral sex basically!! Hence the barman didnt know whether to laugh, cry or run as fast as he could lol - neither did I when I realised!!

Jo xxx


----------



## 213979

jojo said:


> lol The spanish word for a drinking straw is (if said in the wrong way) the same as the spanish word for...... oral sex basically!! Hence the barman didnt know whether to laugh, cry or run as fast as he could lol - neither did I when I realised!!
> 
> Jo xxx


"Manual" sex 😅


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## Lolito

I find it funny whenever I have a drink (soft) and they ask me if I want a straw.

Quieres una pajita?


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## 213979

Lolito said:


> I find it funny whenever I have a drink (soft) and they ask me if I want a straw.
> 
> Quieres una pajita?


Hombre, isn't the -ita there to make it sound... less like the other one?


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## Lolito

I always said pajita, rather than paja. I suppose you are right but it sounds better.


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## Nignoy

*An english Trait*



Lolito said:


> Elenetxu, I know what you are saying but the way I see it, is that one thing is to just come here to moan about something silly and another thing is to berate everything all the time, which is fine too if that is the way you want to see things, but I don't see the point to come here and say all those things about Spain, clearly, if someone is not happy, then go! no-one is forcing them to live in Spain?
> 
> Especially when they moan about something and then they also ADD that 'this is much better in the UK'. What's the point?


It is the English way to expect everyone to speak their language and understand them and that the louder they shout the better you can understand them,I discovered in my early 20,s that learning the languages and dialects of the countries I was stationed in came very easy to me, the army made use of this and promoted my studies of the local lingo,s so I could teach other soldiers the basics,but it never ceased to amaze me the attitude of my fellow countrymen to other languages and customs,now I am over 70 and face a new adventure starting Friday when we drive to our new home in San Fulgencio,new country and new language, my malay,thai,khmer and a few other asiandialects or my german and rheto romanic will not be much help, but we are prepared to give it a go,we have all ways managed over the last 50 years to arrive as visitors leave as friends!!and strangers are still friends we have not met yet


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## 213979

Nignoy said:


> It is the English way to expect everyone to speak their language and understand them and that the louder they shout the better you can understand them,I discovered in my early 20,s that learning the languages and dialects of the countries I was stationed in came very easy to me, the army made use of this and promoted my studies of the local lingo,s so I could teach other soldiers the basics,but it never ceased to amaze me the attitude of my fellow countrymen to other languages and customs,now I am over 70 and face a new adventure starting Friday when we drive to our new home in San Fulgencio,new country and new language, my malay,thai,khmer and a few other asiandialects or my german and rheto romanic will not be much help, but we are prepared to give it a go,we have all ways managed over the last 50 years to arrive as visitors leave as friends!!and strangers are still friends we have not met yet


Hey, your German may just come in handy in San Fulgencio!

_Suerte_* with the move!



*good luck


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## Tel Boy

we moved out of London many years ago for many reasons c..p whole basically. We have lived in a very well to do rural spot full of up there own backsides snobs, cant wait to live amongst the Spanish, learn more of the native tongue and enjoy the sunshine England you can keep it.


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## mrypg9

Tel Boy said:


> we moved out of London many years ago for many reasons c..p whole basically. We have lived in a very well to do rural spot full of up there own backsides snobs, cant wait to live amongst the Spanish, learn more of the native tongue and enjoy the sunshine England you can keep it.


Do you think there are no 'snobs' or people 'up their own backsides' in Spain?
Those traits are sadly not peculiar to British people.

I'm happy in Spain but see no reason for running down the UK. It was there that I got my education and because of that was able to get a good well-paid professional job which enabled us to retire early and leave the UK.

Sadly, there are very many Spanish people who are making the opposite journey to you, going to the UK to find work. Spain may be a great place to live for us retirees who no longer need to worry about finding work but it isn't so great for the six million unemployed, many of them youngsters with few if any prospects for whom life in Spain isn't so great.

We should never forget that.


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## Isobella

I don't understand why people have to hate the UK to leave. I also find that the ones who leave running the country down are the first to get disillusioned in Spain. Different country, same s**t, or even worse.


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## mrypg9

Isobella said:


> I don't understand why people have to hate the UK to leave. I also find that the ones who leave running the country down are the first to get disillusioned in Spain. Different country, same s**t, or even worse.


Agreed! I want to 'like' this post but for some reason cannot


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## Expatliving

On a slightly different tangent Lolito, what is the main 2nd language taught in Spanish State Schools? I'm keeping my fingers crossed for my 9 year old, she may end up being top of the class in a subject!!


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## Nignoy

But let us be honest with each other folks,we brits are our own worst enemies as expats,it has got so bad in Australia ,that many bush towns have bumper stickers, ' If You Don't Like It LEAVE'it doesn't matter in what country ,there is always an expat who thinks he is more native than the locals,and whose knowledge of the language is pitiful, my grandchildren live high in the Bavarian mountains near garmisch, we were down there a couple of wwooks ago for the local Oktober fest, we were recognised as Australians because of our Akubra hats,,a british couple decided to take us under their wings and explain everything to us, and what a shocking thing it was that some of the staff did not speak English, when the English lady started to be derogative about the dirndl dresses some of the women were wearing,my English wife took the lady over to meet her step children and grand children who were all dressed in their native costumes,and we explained to the british couple that we were not tourists and we enjoyed their somewhat blinkered attitude to the Bavarian population,to avoid any confusion m children and grandchildren are from my 2nd marriage which was to a Germany lady.


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## xabiaxica

Expatliving said:


> On a slightly different tangent Lolito, what is the main 2nd language taught in Spanish State Schools? I'm keeping my fingers crossed for my 9 year old, she may end up being top of the class in a subject!!


where I live Spanish might be the main second language!!

all students study in both Castellano (Spanish) & Valenciano - some teachers will only teach in Valenciano

the next would be English


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## mrypg9

Nignoy said:


> But let us be honest with each other folks,we brits are our own worst enemies as expats,it has got so bad in Australia ,that many bush towns have bumper stickers, ' If You Don't Like It LEAVE'it doesn't matter in what country ,there is always an expat who thinks he is more native than the locals,and whose knowledge of the language is pitiful, my grandchildren live high in the Bavarian mountains near garmisch, we were down there a couple of wwooks ago for the local Oktober fest, we were recognised as Australians because of our Akubra hats,,a british couple decided to take us under their wings and explain everything to us, and what a shocking thing it was that some of the staff did not speak English, when the English lady started to be derogative about the dirndl dresses some of the women were wearing,my English wife took the lady over to meet her step children and grand children who were all dressed in their native costumes,and we explained to the british couple that we were not tourists and we enjoyed their somewhat blinkered attitude to the Bavarian population,to avoid any confusion m children and grandchildren are from my 2nd marriage which was to a Germany lady.


What has that got to do with the issue, though We're not discussing immigrants who think they know more than locals...
We are talking about people who emigrate to Spain and run down the UK, not English people in Germany die denken ,dass sie alles wissen, aber kein deutsch konnen..


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## mrypg9

xabiachica said:


> where I live Spanish might be the main second language!!
> 
> all students study in both Castellano (Spanish) & Valenciano - some teachers will only teach in Valenciano
> 
> the next would be English


German seems to be gaining in popularity, not sure how widely it's taught in schools though. I've been asked to teach it (although British but fluent) but that was at a language school for adults.
I guess it's because so many Spaniards are heading to Germany for work.


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## Tel Boy

In spain are we


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## Nignoy

mrypg9 said:


> What has that got to do with the issue, though We're not discussing immigrants who think they know more than locals...
> We are talking about people who emigrate to Spain and run down the UK, not English people in Germany die denken ,dass sie alles wissen, aber kein deutsch konnen..


The point I was trying to put over is no matter what country you are in there are always some brits who once the rose coloured glasses effect wears off in their new home country will whinge about everything!!we are newcomers to spain and in our visits this year have come across quite a few Victor meldrew like couples, we are willing to give it a good try in our new hometown, as we have successfully achieved in Thailand,australia, Germany ,England was only a stepping stone to better things after the army.


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## Expatliving

xabiachica said:


> where I live Spanish might be the main second language!!
> 
> all students study in both Castellano (Spanish) & Valenciano - some teachers will only teach in Valenciano
> 
> the next would be English


Stop scaring me!!! Multi-lingual wasn't on the agenda, just one and a bit, maybe a bit more, but three?


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## Pesky Wesky

Expatliving said:


> Stop scaring me!!! Multi-lingual wasn't on the agenda, just one and a bit, maybe a bit more, but three?


Well, where are you going to?


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## Lolito

Depends where you go to live? My nephews and nieces, living in Pamplona, they do Spanish, Euskera and English. 

If you live in Cataluña o Pais Valenciano, you will do 'valenciano'.

English is now the main foreign language at schools. 20-30 years ago, it was French (when I was little). In some schools, you can choose the language you want to do.


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## Stuart M

Totally agree, I intend to move over as soon as I get my Father settled into sheltered accommodation here in the UK. I vist Benalmadena, where I intend to long term let, and already shun the EX-Pat area much prefering Spanish coffe bars etc, when I come I intend to embrace the culture and am looking forward so much to seeing all the various festivals etc.


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## Maureen47

Enjoyed reading this thread , I guess if you move around during your life there is a certain approach that helps you to get the best out of it. Having some of the language is always helpful , personally I find frustrating to be in a place when everything around me does not make sense in terms of the language so always make an efffort to understand the basics although in India whilst working I did find this incredibly difficult ! But there were local requirement in terms of dress and ways of working which we respected and had a fabulous time working with our Indian colleagues. I think your approach to Spain is its not UK and it is different which I assume is part of the reason most folks decide to move there ? Even a move from Scotland to England had some huge differences for us , the schools ran a different system , I was referring to Primary 1 and the other mums said they didn't know what I meant, so you learn and adapt. Some favourite Scottish food was at that time not available in England but you can try some new stuff although I will never get ******* lol .No where is perfect but its about embracing the imperfections and going with the flow and enjoying all the things that do make a place perfect for you.


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## Relyat

maureen47 said:


> Even a move from Scotland to England had some huge differences for us , the schools ran a different system , I was referring to Primary 1 and the other mums said they didn't know what I meant, so you learn and adapt. Some favourite Scottish food was at that time not available in England but you can try some new stuff


After my first visit North of the border to meet future "out-laws", I used to have white puddings and rowies (butteries) sent South to me. After I moved North, I then had pasties and cider sent up to me ! Yes, there are differences, but it's not a bad thing.


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