greg

I definitely agree with this point. But it goes to say the story goes both ways. Put it this way, Spain has benefited hugely at least the last 20 years from TOURISM (and expats relocating to Spain). An effort to learn English by the locals is about as limited as the effort of the expats to learn Spanish.

For the whole "system" to function and respect to be effectively mutual, locals should make an effort to learn English (especially those wanting to benefit from the tourists) and an effort to learn Spanish by the expats who want to settle in!

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LesleyP

I have not been here very long but my friend speaks fluent spanish and I know enough to get by for the moment. We were still ignored, having said that I suppose its the same in Tesco at home! and I smile at everyone and say hello even if they choose to ignore me.

JazminesII

Hi LesleyP

Its a shame you've experienced that. My other half and I speak reasonable spanish and we've found the locals appreciate the effort and respond to us warmly ;-))

You definately have the right attitude....keep on smiling and saying hola ;-))

wagon ropes

I am certain that you would have similar experiences of pleasant and unpleasant members of staff in any country. Also I am afraid that, having heard the way a lot of Brits speak to staff in the shops in Spain, I am amazed any staff member will speak to us at all!

The thing I find most dificult is not saying please and thank you. I know it is 'not done' here but I just cannot help myself.

Just keep smiling!

Beachcomber

I think it depends where you shop. Generally I find the staff in Mercadona surly and unhelpful and those in Supercor friendly and obliging.

Consequently I use Supercor when I can and Mercadona only when I have to.

Spanish neighbours are great and can never do enough for us.

leamingtonspa

Hi all,

I found this forum whilst searching information about moving back to the UK. I wand to add my bit about this particular talk you are having in this forum.

First, Spanish are not that polite as so many Brits think. They can be quite rude people and above all, quite vulgar when they talk.

I'm not trying to be negative about the Spaniards, but bear with me for a bit to understand my point.

I'm not a British by birth, but I have lived in the UK long enough - over 25 years - to know the culture pretty well, at least I like to think. I was born somewhere in Latinamerica, making my first language Spanish. I love Great Britain for many, many good reasons. I consider the UK my home and can't wait to go back.

I came to Spain for the first time just over a year ago to live here. I never would have chosen to come here to live, but my husband bought a house here just three months before we met. Although I never visited this country before, I knew the culture quite well...is my heritage. Also, throughout my childhood in my birthplace, I met a good number of Spanish spats. I tell you, they have an awful reputation throughout Latin America!

Ask a Colombian or Peruvian about how "nice" Spanish treat them? What about Ecuatorian or African?

Of course they are many people from that part of the world who are happily settled here, I have met some of them, but the number who are really unhappy with the verbal abuse, sometimes physical abuse, is much greater.

Are the Brits any difference?

Of course they are abuser everywhere, but unless you do your own investigation on the matter, you never will find the true horror on how this country truly treat people from the "third world".

Yes, Spanish tend to be much more kind with European. But I'm fed up of Spanish people complaining to me about the HUGE number of Brits coming here. I live in Sax, Costa Blanca, and my neighbour, Spanish lady, told me how afraid people are becoming here because of the "invasion" of English people to this small town.

Spanish LOVE to come to you and complain about anything (my neighbour complains if we park in front of her house) but if you try to complain about anything, get ready for a opera!

Have you noticed how noisy they are? They have no respect to have noise up to three or four o'clock in the morning. And try to say something.

They are known (by Latinos) to be one of the most impolite, arrogant and vulgar people you can meet, not kidding. They are known to talk very laud and very rare say "sorry" when they are at fault. Don't believe me? Have you been in any supermarket and bumped into someone (Spanish)? Have they said "sorry"to you?, or even bothered to turn their head to show some concern? If they did, then you are very lucky indeed. Maybe I'm the most unlucky Brit in Spain, but I can recall several occasions where I bumped by accident into a person, I guess they all were Spanish, and they never bother to even look at me.

I'm not trying to be funny against the Spaniards, but every negative thing I heard back in my country of birth about Spanish have come true, every one of them. Of course the are many good things as well, like everywhere. But I don't understand how so many Brits think Spain the most wonderful place to be. Sadly most Brits that think that way they can't even speak Spanish!!!!!

I have met quite a good number of English people here, all ages, but mainly people in the retire age. Most of them hardly spoke Spanish. I even met a English lady who have been living here over eleven years and could not hold a Spanish conversation with me!! And guess what? she loves Spain!

How come?

I only can guess. For what I seen, read and heard, my conclusion is that most English, not all of course, fall in love with the sun, the glass of wine and the "good food" (the Mediterranean diet is rapidly becoming something of the past by the highly consumption of sodas and refine food (sugar) and the abuse of tabaco.

Have you notices how much obese people are here? I never thought, not in one million years, I was going to see the amount of fat and obese people in this country. My husband and I have been horrified of the amount of fat kids in this country (reaching the same level as the UK!) So, if it wasn't because of the good amount of sun this people get, and the good portion of veggies and fruits they eat, people here would been dying like the American with cancer and so forth.

But don't get me wrong, the level of cancer here is rising and fast!

Anyway, this country, this culture is not for me. I dread the idea of my little one growin up here. No way!

So, if you really want to understand a culture, please LEARN the language! and interact with them. Don't come and say "I love Spain" just because you love the sun, the wine and food. I really believe that most English people are living in LIMBO here...in a dream world where they dont want to find out anything outside their swimming pool or bottle of wine.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm not interested to find out more, I know enough of this culture, too much in fact and it is there where the problem lies. When you dont know you live in BLISS!



Leamingtonspa

JazminesII

Hey leamingtonspa

Interesting comments but in the main what you say is not something I can relate to. Many people I know (including my partner and I) do speak reasonable spanish and we love the country, culture and on the whole the people of spain we've encountered are warm and welcoming. I agree there are ex-pats who don't speak spanish but I have found its this group who tend to moan more, not those who intergrate ;-))

I work with somebody from Columbia and she has a very different view of spain (loves it) as does another guy I know whose birth country was Argentina.......his family now live happily in spain.....

Of course its horses for courses but I have to say I'm surprised by your preference for the UK.

leamingtonspa

JazminesII thanks for replying to my post! I was off to bed when checked for the last time my mail and noticed your reply.

Well, regarding your Colombian friend, as I said in my post, I have met many Latinos and some are happy and well settled here. But I have also met, here and in the UK, many Latinos who dread the idea of coming to Spain.

Why?

Because of the treatment they can get here! Many have moved from here to the UK and are amazed about the BIG difference between Spanish and English...there people tend to be far more polite and understanding.

Some Hispanic friends I have in the UK (one Colombian by the way) thought I was crazy coming to live here!!! Everything is perspective in this life. Spain for English is the sun and lifestyle, for immigrants like myself, is respect and better treatment as a human.


I'm sure people Brits live happily here, good for them. But again, most English I have met they don't speak the language and I have the impression they live in limbo, no kidding.

I have no problem living in the UK whatsoever. I love the UK. It is my home. Please don't forget there are around 60 millions people living in the UK...ok, many want to leave the country for several reason. I used to belong to a club called 'Amigos' in the Middlands. The club was formed to help Spanish and Latin people to have a place where they could speak the language and interact withe each other. I met many Spanish people living in the UK, and they love it there. Some even dislike the idea of coming back to Spain....such is life.

Many Spanish people love to through me in the face the fact that so many English are moving here. They just love it. Some even say Brits are coming here because of the good medical service they have here (which I havent use so I dont know how good or bad is).

Anyway, Spanish think this is the best country in the world and that everybody (specially Hispanics) want to come here and make a mess of the country. English have no idea of how racist Spanish can be and how open they are about it. Opposite to the English culture, Spanish are very straightforward people, they say what they think (if you haven't experience this, it meant you haven't been living here enough).


There are good people everywhere. I have met some lovely people here, I have met some nasty people in the UK, but for far more I prefer England in every aspect. Having said that, we would consider living in France for a year and see how life goes.....I love France (although still similar to Spanish in many respect, the country is far more beautiful and has the WOW factor I can't find here!


Good luck to all who love Spain

tonispain

Well Keith,

I do say that I am not talking about all of them, you can not blame them all, I say the majority, and I work in the health centre, the amount of times I have to translate, is a lot, and second your disrespectful nickname is guiri, I have read it several times in a few quotes prior to mine, that is why I mentioned the nickname, I don't want to start argueing about languages and all that, I think Lesley sums it up manners cost nothing, maybe you speak fluent Spanish, well ole to you, try to help your fellow countrymen to learn it, I was born in Leeds and lived their untill I was 11 then I came back to Spain with my Spanish parents, in the time they lived their, they learned to speak the language of the country they lived in. Honestley Keith I don't want to argue about this, but here in the south, very few english speak Spanish, maybe in Barcelona it is diferent, bud, see ya.

tonispain

Lea I am so sad to hear what you think of the spanish, I honestley think you are very wrong, it sounds to me that you have a chip on your shoulder, (maybe I spanish guy you could not get to fall for you ? ) just thinking out loud, it doesn't say were it is you are living, but I guarentee that you are mistaken, you can tell that you have a personal reason for hating the spanish, I allways say please and thankyou and apologise if I bump into somone, it makes me sad to read your quote, and you are not respectfull in any way, respect starts at home, don't do somthing expecting to get a reply, do it because you mean it. Yo no soy como tu pintas los Españoles, y soy Espaoñol y con orgullo, tu aptitude me hace triste, y te pido disculpas por el trato que has recibido aqui de mis compatriotas.