Thought I would tell you about a few of the colorful characters we came across in the first weeks in the bar.
We had the expert expats, as discussed in earlier blogs.
Now they are expert in running a bar, I find this an interesting concept as most haven't even worked in a bar. They may however be expert from the customer side of the bar, we do live in Spain after all, with its huge bar culture.
Observation can be helpful and as I have said before it is well worth listening too, you just might pick something useful up !
People
Over the years of working in many different forms of public service, I have come across the weirdest people and here in Serón it has been no exception.
Some people are easier for me to cope with then others, some are a shear delight and turn into the most amazing friends.
Then on the other side of the coin, you have the people who you never ever want to see again.
Sometimes this is after the first meeting. Sometimes it takes a while to see through the fake facade and get to the real person. I find this the hardest, you make a judgement on someone, then their face starts to slip and you see something you really don't like.
Other side of the coin
Of course there is an upside to this and it happens the other way round too.
Let me tell you about how this happened in those early days, one was a very positive experience and the other was not.
Face
We had known this expat for a while, his face had already started to slip before we got the bar, but when we opened it totally fell off!
We will call him Mr. Big just to protect the identity of the guilty.
So here Mr Big is sitting at the bar, telling anyone who is willing to listen how he was the first Expat to live in Serón, ok no harm in that. Turns out not to be even close to true, but that is really unimportant, if that's what he wants to believe, let him carry on.
I find it very sad that someone is so unsure of themselves that they make up things to make themselves feel important.
I am pretty sure that he is trying to put out to the expats here that he is the English Mayor, ok, again no crime there, but then he got carried away with himself and I had to put my foot down.
Unbelievable
He offered someone a job in my bar ! MY BAR ! Let me clarify that, he didn't suggest someone, or suggest I may have a job for them and they should come and speak to me, oh,no. He told them they had a job in my bar. Someone I had never meet. I had to walk away, this was just such a liberty, who did he think he was ?
Our business, we decide who works for us, end of.
I did after calming down point this out to him.
He also a few other ideas. He made it sound, his way or no way. It got to the point I would serve him and make sure I didn't engage in conversation. I didn't want to hear it and I didn't trust myself not to tell him to go forth and multiply.
I didn't like what was under the mask, one little bit, in fact it was starting to show through as controlling, aggressive and threatening. He had done nothing wrong, so I couldn't stop him coming into the bar if he wanted to, so I had to find away of coping with it.
The other side of the coin
On the other side of the coin we meet Lohou (real name!). Lohou scared me, I am not easily scared but he scared me. He is Moroccan at the time living and working here illegally (now he is legal). He was very in your face, boosting the number of languages he speaks, five fluently and another two a little, English being his weakest language.
He is a stocky chap, with scars on his face and so looks at first sight intimidating. Then he talked at me, not to me. I would refuse to be left alone in the bar with him. That now seems totally neurotic. I do tend to do things in the extreme (had you noticed?), so why being neurotic should be a surprise to me I have no idea.
True Friend
Turns out he is really shy and over compensates when you first meet him.
He has turned into a true friend to all of us, we would not want be without such a bright, intelligent, genuine and loyal friend in our lives. I know Barry and the girls share that feeling a 100%.
What happened was his mask slipped when he became comfortable with me ! To the point he calls me his English Sister! Barry and I have had many good nights out with him, together and separately!
He has rented a friends house because I recommended him and he never let me down !
He truly treats us as family and I believe we treat him the same! One year he had Christmas dinner with us. This year he was unable to join us to see the New Year in and the we all feel the gap, we of course phoned him.
You will hear loads more about this truly remarkable man and wild party's he was part of in the bar ! The Moroccan music and the dancing, just you wait (think I have a video!).
Dealing with people is always interesting !
I feel truly blessed to have been able to see through these masks, although in both cases wish it had happened a little earlier.
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