Spain is different, we all know that. We behave
in a different ways than some of our fellow European countries, and we do and
believe certain things that would definitely shock you, mainly if you are
British. This is just a brief summary:
- We are loud. VERY loud. When you come to Spain one of the first things you notice is that there is always a humming noise about. It might take you a while to realize that it is the sound of people talking. Why is it so audible? Several reasons, mainly because we are loud, and because of the good weather. We spend the majority of time outdoors, and we are very sociable people, we always meet in big groups, and we all have something to say, and we need to make ourselves heard, so we raise our voices even more. We are not having an argument, we are not about kill each other, do not worry.
- We are touchy people. We like to invade other people’s personal space. We hug, hold hands, kiss a lot, link arms, we pat each other’s back like there is no tomorrow. We believe that if the table is set for four, you can certainly squeeze another 3 unexpected guests.
- We are a very family orientated country. And by family we don’t mean mum, dad and the kids. You have to include aunts, uncles, grandmas, grandpas, cousins (various degrees), boyfriends and girlfriends of any given relative, the relatives of the any given boyfriend and girlfriend, and so on. So when there is a family gathering you can find yourselves easily with 20 guests. And those family gatherings are not something planned in advanced the majority of the times. It is more like, we were passing by and decided to stop and say hello. Always unannounced, no previous call, no matching agendas 3 weeks in advance. And because we believe you can always find a sit for one more at any table (as explained before), then you end up with a full house. We have a saying “donde comen 4 comen 5”, which means that if there is food for 4 there is food for 5, or 6 or 7 or whichever amount of people that decides to turn up.
- Chickens and rabbits are not pets, are food. So we eat them. If someone is breeding them is because they have full intention to eating them. And tasty they are boy.
- Pets are animals, not people. We love our pets to bits, do not get me wrong. But we believe they belong outdoors, because they are still animals, and they need freedom, space and love. It is not normal to find a dog sleeping in someone’s bed, or even in the bedroom, or even in the living room. And because they live outside you can hear them when they bark. We are used to the noise, so we don’t take notice of it. Animals do not need to be accompanied at all times, what they need is space to be. Different would be to have a dog locked inside an apartment barking all day. That is not good by anybody’s standards.
- Siestas are a myth. What we do is have a break between the morning and the afternoon shift. Which in my opinion is stupid. The majority of people will just rush home to cook lunch, eat as fast as possible, tidy up and wash the dishes and then rush back to work. Instead of resting it feels like a marathon. And it doesn’t make you any more productive in the afternoon. I am all for uninterrupted shifts! We wish we had the time for siesta …
- We like a party more than anything in the world. Any excuse is good for a party. If we have to adopt foreign festivities we are happy to do so, such as Halloween or St Patrick Day. Or maybe just because today is sunny, let’s get together and celebrate it!
- We do not say please and thank you 20 times in any given minute. This might make you think we are rude, which is very far from the truth. Once you start learning Spanish you will realize that please and thank you are implied on the tone of voice and the way that we say things. For example, when ordering something in a bar we do not say “Can I have…?”, we say “I want?” Why? Because the question asked by the waiter is not “What can I get you?” but “What do you want?”. It is important to know Spanish is order to understand us, not the lingo but the culture.
And I am sure there are plenty more, but you
will have to come here and discover them for yourself!
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