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Having moved to Spain a month ago and thoroughly enjoying it, I failed to see why the British get such a bad press at times? Sitting in a lovely beach front bar having a cool drink with my good lady in Fuengirola,in the middle of the day,enjoying mingling with the locals and trying to speak Spanish to the locals, which they do appreciate the effort, we were amazed that a group of around a dozen males were being really loud and obnoxious sitting at tables. Swearing and talking about the sexual ventures they had been involved in at the top of their voices, obviously thier wives and girlfreinds were not around, To the tune of the ring leader shouting to a waiter oi pedro bring us a drink and hurry up, you get the picture. The bar went quiet as they continued to get everyones back up. Were these young teenagers oh no these were ex pat males average age 60 totally up there own backsides, we think from a golf club, and my god did they think they were the dogs dangly bits. People started to leave the bar. So to finish off do the elderly ex pats lose thier self respect that we were always brought up to respect our elders?? Its amazing how many more mature people in the UK always had a beef against the young generations and wanted to move to say Spain for a better quality of life and be respected more. I cant think of a better way to lose respect. REMEMBER - POLITENESS AND RESPECT ARE EARNED WHATEVER AGE GROUP - AND POLITENESS COSTS NOTHING !! unless you were born here, your a foreigner, just like all the polish and other foreigners in the UK. Dont turn Spain into UK part 2.
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Charlie,
you are so right. We have a holiday apartment near Villamartin but have been holidaying in Spain and the islands for years. We were in Porto Colom in Majorca some years ago and sitting in a lovely local bar having a quiet drink and food when an elderly Spanish gentleman shouted to the barman (in Spanish) that he needed a light as his was broken. My husband promptly picked up his lighter from the table and said "Senor, aqui" The look of amazement on his face that we were English, and tried to speak the language, and approached him politely was quite something. He accepted, said " Gracias" to which my husband replied "da nada" We then continued with our meal, not thinking anything about it. Later we ordered another round of drinks and realised that it was cheaper than the last round so we called the barman over and queried the price. He told us in halting English " you respect my friends, you try to speak our language, you no longer pay tourist rates, you pay local rates" It turned out he was the owner of the bar and for the remainder of the week we had fantastic service. He helped us speak more spanish, correcting our pronunciation by making a game out of it, if we said it right he served us with a big smile, if we said it wrong he would fold his arms and say no! and repeat it to us until we got it right. One day a group of young Welsh men came in with ' finger' spanish (I want one of them whilst pointing) and was quite rude, the barman looked at us, shrugged, and proceeded to charge him tourist rates.
Now we spend several weeks a year over there and our local Spanish bar recognises us, they know we are English, but they speak Spanish to us. If we don't understand they then tell us in English and help us to learn. Our Spanish neighbours do the same because they know that we try. In England you hear the English complaining that we have 'immigrants' coming over who can't speak English, so why do ex-pats in Spain expect Spaniards to speak English? As you so rightly said, if you are not born there you are the foreigner. The common courtesies are not difficult to learn, such as please and thank you and make such a difference.
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Diane
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Hi Parcela,
Thankyou for reply, we are not young, well we are in our heads, a youngish 47, but brought up with victorian parents very strictly but with total respect to all age groups, great believer in treat others how you would like to be treated yourself,just got the heckles up on my my back just had to do a thread, thinking about it more being in town, I have had the door held open for us by youngsters, or if they have been in the way said perdon to us, and was in local mercado when elderly english couple barged past us without a whim or apology.Perhaps my thoughts are changing to which generation really does have a chip of great magnitude on theier shoulders. It seems alot of older people with a few quid think imperialism is still alive, we own nothing now as a nation in the UK. Make you right, just as the immigrants in UK, we had two polish families either side of us in UK, one side not a word of english and obviously did not want to integrate into english culture, the other side a young polish family who even the kids if we saw the would say hello or good morning, all the time in the world for them becase they were genuinly trying. Food for thought I think for many ex pats over here I think.
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Charlie11, we have spent quite a bit of time in the Costa del sol, and found it better than what people write about etc, but although Fuengirola is a decent place to go the strip of bars(mainly brits) that are what I,d call second line to the marina along the front is one of the worst places I,ve visited, full of union flag shorts and bare sun burned chested ex pats who put us to shame, sitting there shouting and balling like they own the place. I don,t know if this is the place you refer to but it sounds like it?.
This message was last edited by pintor on 16/05/2011.
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Can I ask why you started wo threads, one for English and one for British? I notice the replies are all on the English thread, when in fact it isn't just the English that gives Spain a bad name, just as many Scots, Welsh and Irish fall into that category too.
Mark
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Hi Mark,
make u right not fully conversant with this eos yet still learning bit like my spanish , coming along, it kinda morfed into two segments so went with flow and pressed enter,, well spotted, I mean British per say infact most of the entry of the ignorant chaps were english unfortunately but of course guided toward BRITISH as an entirety. Can kinda understand if tourists as I think most of us have been abit loud whilst on holiday but toward people who have moved here for legitiment reasons from whichever country and for a better way of life. Apologies from a decorated ex forces englishman if offence was caused.
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No offence caused to this non- decorated ex forces Englishman  . It's just a shame that everyone jumped on the English thread and not the British one! Personally when I go to other countries, I find Italians to be even worse than Brits!!
Mark
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I live on the Southern Costa Blanca in a VERY small Spanish Village. Near us, though, are several large Urbanisations with lots of Brits and Brit bars where not a syllable of Spanish is heard. Prices are double what they are in the Spanish bars so why do people drink there? Because they can't be bothered to learn Spanish and so can't actually venture into anything but a Brit bar to order a drink. These are always the folk who say they have left Britain because of all the imigrants who won't learn English or adapt to the English way of life. They're also the ones who moan loadly when they have problems with their TV and can't watch "Corrie".
There was a big thread on another forum when one of the companies who supplied English TV got shut down for illegally providing encrypted channels. People were ranting and raving about what a disgusting situation and wasn't Spain such a uselss place to let this sort of thing happen. Lots more heated discussion when one or two got put in their place when told if they wanted to watch UK TV and hated Spain so much to go back home! Thread ground to an abrupt halt!
There are only 4 other Brit families in our village. We all speak Spanish - to various degrees - and are treated well by all the locals. Like you, Charlie, they help with our pronunciation and with some sign language manage to teach us new words all the time. And yes there are tourist rates in the bars for the Brits who don't speak Spanish.
This is Spain and anyone who comes to live here should try and embrace the fabulous culture and learn the language. Yes there are things we all probably find frustrating but hey - we chose to come and live here so we need to learn to live with it.
Rant Over!
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Cheers
Pommers
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I'd say where ever you get a congregation of people with common ground, may it be nationality, sport or other, one has a good chance to come across a certain kind of mob mentality. The English, or if you prefer British, are not better or worse than others. Maybe coming across ones own compatriots under such circumstances amplifies the discomfort plus one does not have the privilege of not understanding what is being said. I am German and , this might come as a shock to many, we can have our moments abroad. Whenever I come across a bigger group of Germans I simply don't approach. There are people who like to move around in groups and congregate and people who find it less enticing. If one belongs to the latter group there is no other remedy than to avoid the first. You can't beat it anyway.
In German we call it fremdschaemen, being ashamed by proxy. Let it go, it's not worth it to spoil your day. Enjoy the good life and sun.
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What is it with you people wanting to force your ways on other people? Hypocrites the lot of you.!!
Loutish behaviour is loutish behaviour in any age group and any nationality and is a pain in the backside. Fair enough to complain about loutish behaviour. But if Brits choose to live in Spain and learn not a word of Spanish, then that is their choice and good luck to them. They know they will miss out on certain benefits like local prices in Spanish bars; they choose not to learn Spanish culture; they know they will not be treated like the local freak show by inquisitive Spaniards amused by their attempts to learn the language; they know that were they to try they would always be outsiders. But if they choose to locate to areas where the bars, shops and restaurants speak English then show some of this respect for others that you pompously claim to possess and respect their right to choose something that has no impact on your lives as you choose to avoid these areas.
And dpj I did learn the language sufficiently to know that your Spanish language skills still have some way to go if you believe "The common courtesies...... such as please and thank you ... make such a difference." One day, you will learn that the Spanish refer to the Brits as "los por favores" because we are forever saying please and thank you while the Spanish have no need for such unnecessary expressions. So are the Spanish discourteous because they say "dame .." without a "por favor"? And if you try translating "can you give me the salt please?" they will look at you with a puzzled expression as you have just asked them whether they are physically capable of passing you the salt. How insulting is that?
And charlie, I don't care if you are a decorated ex-forces serviceman or an ex window cleaner. It doesn't affect the argument and is just a play for the sympathy vote to cover the thinness of your case.
This message was last edited by jek on 17/05/2011.
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jek
Being negatively affected by the behaviour of others, particular others you feel you have a common bond with, is very much a natural reaction. Ranting about the experience is also. Part of the learning curve on the way of getting over such things. Hyprcrite is a strong word to throw around, particular if one appears to preach tolerance. Live and let live.
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Jek,
not only do the Spainsh call us los por favores, they also call us gambons, because we insist on sunbathing until we burn and peel. I know they rarely say por favor and it is a British affectation because it is polite in our language. My own language skills are still very basic, I couldn't hold a conversation in Spanish but at least I try. I'm also lucky enough to have spaniards who talk to me on a regular basis and it makes me feel better to be able to at least show that I try to speak their language. You're right I choose to avoid 'little Britain' in the sun. Methinks I hit a nerve there!
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Diane
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dpj, I hope your modus vivendi in Spain brings you much happiness. You do no harm to others by it and it is your choice. By the same token there are many others who choose differently and come to British enclaves in Spain with no wish to go native. Good luck to them too. They do no harm to others and it is their choice. The nerve that you hit is in considering yourselves somehow superior because you choose to learn Spanish.
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Jek - you say that the Brits in the Brit enclaves don't harm anyone.
Well imho they do - by their constant whinging and whining about the Spanish inefficiency, bureaucracy etc etc.
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Cheers
Pommers
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pommers, if that's your definition of harm I'd advise you never to venture outdoors. And you obviously do not see the irony in a post where you whinge and whine about Brits who whinge and whine. I take it you're a Brit? This message was last edited by jek on 18/05/2011.
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Hi all of you! This is NOT an englishman writing. Im actually a Norwegian living in The Philippines :-) Im a member of Eyeonspain simply because many of you in here provide me with very good info, which is very helpful as my wife (Filippina), our 1 year old little guy and I plan to move too Spain, probably next year. Ok, back too the issues in this thread. Firstly, some here complain about stupid Englishmen, rude language and intolerable behaviour. Some do complain why not Scots, Welch and Irish are not included. Well, I have to go a bit further: Why have you "Anglosaxons" (used for fun, don't get mad) forgotten those who don't use english as their native language? To tell the truth; I've met many Norwegians (and Englishmen, Germans etc.) here in Cebu that can't behave. I've met distinguished English coming from what we Norwegians would call "a furnished home" that have impressed me. However, I can easily spot those who just come here for a) cheap prices and b) cheap women. But please, don't write as all Englishmen living "far out" are scumbags, because they aren't. There will always been someone that behave indecently, whatever nationality. We others just ignore them :-)
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In our defence
Speaking for all the rude english people out there.
we just cant help it.
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Oh Dear, Oh Dear,
Some nice replies, interesting how most have forgotten the emphasis of the original thread, in short politeness costs nothing and respect is earnt not a given right whichever nationality or culture you come from. And I never been decorated for window cleaning just fighting for my country and proud of our Royal family and what we stood for as a British nation 20 plus years ago as a model for the world. There are scrotty types in all countries, agreed but MY PERSONAL OPINION ONLY, The UK has become the united states of Britain, even close to communist,when our elderly folk feel scared to walk outside their own homes for fear of muggings of even rapings reported of 80 year old women as reported constantly in press, or even walking down to the local shops without fear of walking past hooded gangs then my proudness diminishes somewhat. And then you visit another country and witness first hand an age group that should know better, not just having fun but being totally obnoxious and rude, swearing and bragging about the exploits they have with teenage girls etc and making out the UK now is some kind of wonderful place. If it was they wouldnt be here they were not tourists. SIMPLEZZ.
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Don't let it bring you down, Charlie.
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never do my friend, never do, life is to short to worry . Just intersting how if you put a finger on a nerve the power of the internet.
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