Spain is not what you think it is

[Andrew Gubb]

you all know the drill by now

[supertom]

I heard they don't really understand the term "vegetarian" I heard people get seafood or even ham in their vegetarian food

[Manuel]

I'm very interested to see what kinds of ideas people have about spain since I'm half spanish and been there many times!

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by supertom

I heard they don't really understand the term "vegetarian" I heard people get seafood or even ham in their vegetarian food

True. Many spanish people erroneously think that fish is a kind of vegetable (or they think that vegetarian means someone who doesn't eat red meat). A "vegetable sandwich" (Spanish: bocadillo vegetal) usually contains egg and tuna as well as a couple of vegetables if you're lucky.

Vegans can get lost in Spain. Most people don't know what the word means. Even in most restaurants. You have to explain it to them

[Manuel]

One thing I HAVE noticed in Spain is that (at least compared to Holland, where I live) the people make a lot of noise and the women are a bit "macho".

I do LIKE Spain a lot, though, but there are some things that I find less pleasant. I have noticed that Spanish people always have to have some kind of noise present. For example, when you visit people at their homes, they very often have the TV on, even if they are not watching it at all! It's like they are uncomfortable with total silence. I really think the Spanish soul is a restless one, for whatever reason. It's even noticable in the language! Where you often need a lot of words to say little! Language is a very interesting thing in general. Like Agota was mentioning about the language of Lithuania. I found that totally fascinating! You can tell a lot about a people's characteristics through examining their language, because it's an expression of the group thinking, so to speak. I once read that English has a lot of verbs and Chinese has a lot more nouns, which would correspond to the Western tendency to focus on taking action and the Eastern focus on a more descriptive tendency of Life.

All very interesting indeed!

[Angelique]

How popular is flamenco and guitar playing? Are there a bunch of gypsies dancing and playing on the streets like I imagine?

[Weena]

What the hell is going on with the cucumbers????

[Cuore]

*Spanish girl talking...*

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

A "vegetable sandwich" (Spanish: bocadillo vegetal) usually contains egg and tuna as well as a couple of vegetables if you're lucky.

True, you may have cooked ham in it too...

Originally Posted by Manuel

the people make a lot of noise and the women are a bit "macho".

LOL (I don't disagree)

Originally Posted by Manuel

It's even noticable in the language! Where you often need a lot of words to say little!

Yeah, you the English speakers are so lucky to have so many words to express concepts that we don't have in our language. And that plenty enriches the view of the world. *envies*

Originally Posted by Angelique

How popular is flamenco and guitar playing? Are there a bunch of gypsies dancing and playing on the streets like I imagine?

LOL I'm afraid you'd get disappointed with the street dancers. But yes, flamenco, sevillanas and guitar are very popular in the south of Spain.

[ZephyrusX]

Originally Posted by Manuel

the women are a bit "macho".

Oh, I'm taking the next flight to Spain!

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by Angelique

How popular is flamenco and guitar playing? Are there a bunch of gypsies dancing and playing on the streets like I imagine?

I think that vision of Spain would correspond more to the South, but I can't speak for them because I've never lived there. In Barcelona (which culturally is supposed to be Catalan and not Spanish, though I would still call it pretty much Spanish) there isn't a huge amount.

There still are modern bands who do a distinctively Spanish style. Check out Rosana:

YouTube - ‪Rosana- A fuego lento‬‏

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by Weena

What the hell is going on with the cucumbers????

No idea, I don't watch the news! All I know is that they're delicious!!

[supertom]

Originally Posted by Weena

What the hell is going on with the cucumbers????

We must return the honour to the cucumber.

[Grandiouse]

Will be in Galicia for at least 8 months teaching. Hopefully, it is going to ROCK because I am very excited.

[Weena]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

No idea, I don't watch the news! All I know is that they're delicious!!

And that they make heaps of people around Europe die, if they are coming from Spain...

[1by1]

No, no, it's not spanish cucumbers at all, it's german brussel sprouts!

And in the la laguna de san cristobel in the canaries where I lived there are many festival days with traditional clothing and dancing in the streets (though not flamenco, thats an andalusian thing)

[Weena]

Originally Posted by 1by1

No, no, it's not spanish cucumbers at all, it's german brussel sprouts!

Oh, TWIST! I should have kept up with the latest updates

[Tanja]

Originally Posted by Weena

Oh, TWIST! I should have kept up with the latest updates

I think the latest version is that the soybean sprouts did it

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by Weena

And that they make heaps of people around Europe die, if they are coming from Spain...

Death by deliciousness!

[Northern Cross]

Hey Andrew,

I'm also from the UK and am considering a move to Spain. How did you come to pick Barcelona over other cities such as Madrid and Valencia?

And if you don't mind going into it a bit, how in your experience has Catalan culture differed from Spanish (Castilian) culture?

I'd love to get a job in Spain for a year or so. But first I'd actually like to learn the language so would love to be there for full immersion. Could you speak Catalan when you moved to Barcelona?

Thanks for taking the time to start the thread!

[garentee]

Spanish Red wine is some of the best!!

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by Northern Cross

Hey Andrew,

I'm also from the UK and am considering a move to Spain. How did you come to pick Barcelona over other cities such as Madrid and Valencia?

Hey there!

I came to Bilbao when I was young because my parents moved for work. I later spent a year in a boarding school near Madrid, and in the last two years I've moved to Barcelona.

I chose Barcelona very freely, as I was looking for anywhere to go which wasn't my parents' house. I was attracted to its reputation as a cosmopolitan, alternative city. It's also the second biggest city in Spain asides from Madrid. It's got a beach and the climate is much more moderate than Madrid or Bilbao. Actually it's the best climate I've ever lived in. On the west is some nice green forest (Madrid is semi arid, it only has scrubby small oaks and suchlike), and there are some wonderful beaches a train's ride away.

I didn't overly like the cultural atmosphere in Madrid. Speaking generally, I think they are less open to alternative things than in Barcelona, and more often racist. Bullfighting is legal in Madrid, and illegal in Barcelona. Skinheads/nationalists have an annual march in Madrid, they don't in Barcelona.

And if you don't mind going into it a bit, how in your experience has Catalan culture differed from Spanish (Castilian) culture?

Not a huge amount - I consider Catalonia more a part of Spain than a real country as they'd like to think. The Basque country (Bilbao etc) now.. that's a country. Very different from Spain. Catalonia not so much.

They have a different set of traditions e.g. for at Christmas, and they like to Speak Catalan though you really don't need to know it for anything practical. I'd say the biggest difference between Catalans and Castilian people is that Catalans are more introverted in character. That goes for the good and the bad; a Castilian person who's an assh*le can be extroverted with his obnoxiousness and make life crappy for you, while Catalans who have negative tendencies will express themselves with silent disdain. On the positive hand, Castilians (especially in the South) are more fun and easier to make friends with, while Catalans may be more refined.

I prefer Catalans in a very general sense, as an introverted assh*le is less obnoxious - and easier to avoid - than an extroverted assh*le. People who are conscious and full of light can't really be defined by their culture anyway.

I'd love to get a job in Spain for a year or so. But first I'd actually like to learn the language so would love to be there for full immersion. Could you speak Catalan when you moved to Barcelona?

No, I still can't either. (As I mentioned it's not necessary in Barcelona - everyone knows Spanish so it serves no real practical purpose to learn Catalan, except so as to fit in).

But I couldn't speak Spanish when I moved to Spain, if that's what you mean. It was pretty hard to start with, though more sociable people than me would probably learn the language faster. I know someone who speaks passable Spanish after only two years, and I've met a couple of people who learned it faster.

Thanks for taking the time to start the thread!

Welcome!

[munish]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

True. Many spanish people erroneously think that fish is a kind of vegetable .

Bengalis in India also think that eating fish is vegetarian.