Why are you interested in Spain? What made you come here, or makes you want to come here? How did it all start? Why do you read this Spain blog? What makes the country special? Answer below or in the special forum post! I look forward to reading your answers!
18 Responses to “Open Question: Why Spain?”
Note: Comments are closed on posts after 2 days to keep the spammers at bay!
Lesley
17 Sep 07 at 9:28 pm
Because it’s there. Because it’s near. Because it is endlessly different. Because it’s joyful. Because children are always welcome. Because its landscapes are sometimes austere and sometimes not. Because it’s wonderfully old-fashioned and cutting-edge modern at the same time. Because it’s never too late to eat or go out or party. Because it’s loud and gloriously alive. Because tapas just don’t taste the same elsewhere. Because it’s familiarly unfamiliar.
leftbanker
18 Sep 07 at 7:53 am
I had to come to Spain from the U.S. because I didn’t want to get drafted into the army, but then I was told that there hasn’t been military conscription there since the end of the Viet Nam War. To add insult to injury, they tell me that now I’m too old to join. I also remembered that I already served in the military. I’d go back home but I just bought another jamón and you can’t take those into the country, so I’m stuck here for at least another couple of months. I almost forgot that Valencia is in the Champions League again this year (But in a wicked group with Chelsea. Shakes fist at heavens, “Curse you, Drogba!”). You couldn’t get me to leave at gunpoint until the football season is over. I guess you could say that I’m living a sort of nightmare, but with a really nice apartment, great weather, and inexpensive wine. If you are coming to rescue me remember that it’s BYOB.
spaniard
18 Sep 07 at 8:18 am
98% of british that come to spain do it for one of this reasons :
1- they are retired, have a miserable pension and are almost below poberty line in the uk, so they sell their house and come to spain.
2.- they are working class in the uk, live in a slum area of the uk full of inmigrants and hoddies and have wachted too many times ” a place in the sun “, so they sell their house and come to spain.
3.- Thanks to the value of the pound and the property boom in the uk result very easy to live in a close british ” urbanization ” and live in a real ” little britain ” in the sun. ( with no west indians or pakis around )
4.- They have problems in the uk and think that going to another country is the solution.
Thankfully, the ones that have to make a living in spain return in less of 2 years. Provably they thought that spain was like Dubai or Hong kong, where the bussiness language is english, of course.
Edith
18 Sep 07 at 9:02 am
I would like to retire to Spain too and I’m not British. Of course, climate is an important reason for wanting to leave Holland but certainly not the only one.
Some parts of Spain appear to be almost just as overpriced as Holland. If you want to live in a cheap country you should go to the Turkish Riviera.
I would opt for Spain because the country has always had a special place in my heart and because I already speak some Spanish, albeit not fluently. I would go out to Spanish supermarkets, restaurants and bars and I’d expect to catch up fast.
Since I don’t like expat ghettoes I would socialize with anyone, regardless of nationality. Of course it’s always nice to know some ‘compatriotas’ when you are living abroad but I wouldn’t depend on their company.
luke
18 Sep 07 at 10:14 am
I don’t go to Spain for the terrible weather; it’s far too hot in the summer and the prices are now hardly different from the UK.
One of my early visits to Spain entailed going from the arrivals lounge of Barajas straight to a tanitorio where a friend’s grandfather was being mourned. Expecting the worse, knowing that the mourners had been up all night, I was happy to see a crowded bar full of merriment. On sitting down one of the dead man’s attractive and, by now, tipsy granddaughters started flirting with me in front of my wife. Later I met the decease’s son and tried to say some consoling words when I realised that his dad’s body was right next to me; I hope I didn’t let the shock show. That afternoon we went to see my brother-in-law at a mental hospital, where he was banging his head on a marble wall and a young skeletal girl was tied to a wheelchair. In the evening we met up with a friend who announced at the cafe that his long-term boyfriend kept the fact that he had SIDA secret and now our friend was HIV positive. All this in one day. Other holidays have included a Christmas looking for another brother-in-law in a frozen lake north of Madrid; the police found the body weeks later after it had thawed. It was a suicide, we found a wedding ring in his jacket pocket. Even after these terrible events I was still in a happy, vital place, this is somewhere I want to be because of the humanity. Dark shadows are surrounded by bright light…this is the Spain that I know.
Ben
18 Sep 07 at 11:03 am
Luke, that story is incredible! You must take a deep breath every time you arrive in Spain unsure of what to expect!
Maria Shipley
18 Sep 07 at 11:58 am
I have visited Spain just once back in the 70s after Elton John’s song “Daniel” had come out. I believe his song increased Spain’s popularity at that time.
I would love to live in Spain for a year but only among the locals and I would like to take the time to write about it as well. Getting immersed into the language, culture, and cuisine would be my point of interest.
I could do without immense heat and noisy night life though.
spaniard
18 Sep 07 at 12:52 pm
I would like to say that the people who write here have all a special relacionship with spain, normaly family, but in spain live more than 1 million brithish and nordics and the people who write here dont represent the immigrants ( not expats, because as i say before, a very high per cent of them are here because of economics reasons, or reasons of economics problems in the uk ).
And i would like to say to the americans that read this blog that i love america, i love the language you speak there, and love the anglo culture, thats why next month im going to nigeria to learn more about your culture and learn more english, Im so excited.
bye.
Lesley
18 Sep 07 at 2:20 pm
Luke, I think you’ve got a novel there!
catalonia weblog
18 Sep 07 at 2:56 pm
I think I could team up with Luke and co write the novel! Although I’ve been here for the best part of 16 years, had to go back to London twice (once for a year second time for a year and a half) just to get back to reality as I sometimes find that living in Spain is akin to living in a time warp.
When in the Uk I don’t think I ever went to a funeral, over here it’s a different ball game – I suddenly started to go to funerals of good friends and associates, one funeral was for a poor girl who’s first husband died about 6 months after they got married through hospital negligence then when she finally got over the shock married a great guy and had a little boy she collapsed and died in her flat. Her poor husband was away and the neighbours were alerted by her very young son causing a commotion – very sad.
Another death a few years back was a young guy I knew who got killed on his way to the hotel from the airport, literally coming out of the airport in Valencia. Deaths on the road shock me in Spain – there’s been about 250 deaths this year alone through driving accidents – quite shocking really.
Also, I can’t seem to get my head around the way Spanish seem to bury their dead. They bury them in little boxes housed in maisonette type affairs and there’s no protocol either regarding funeral attire – everyone seems to turn up in jeans and wear more colours than a rainbow, maybe they think I’m a prude for going in black!
Anyway I’ve only just begun about “my Spain”, still lots to come I’m afraid!
Ben
18 Sep 07 at 3:12 pm
“there’s been about 250 deaths this year alone through driving accidents” – more like 1900 I’m afraid… And wow, another shocking story…
Lindsey
18 Sep 07 at 6:29 pm
My interest in Spain didn’t really take off until I travelled there for an Interntional Horn Symposium in Valencia in 2004. I had never been out of the States, and had never been on an airplane, so it was a very exciting trip for many reasons. We only stayed a week and a half in that extraordinary country, but it was enough for me to return to school the following semester with the Spain bug.
I took two years of high school Spanish in order to graduate with honors, but never took learning the language seriously until I visited Spain. After my brief encounter, I picked up a Spanish minor on top of my Music Education major (which already took 5 years), and looked for a way to go back and get a better feel for the country. The following summer (2005) I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to study at the University of Alicante and live with a host family. Everything about my month-long experience was so radically different than my life in the American South that I was endlessly fascinated by the landmarks, the rich history that is right under the surface of everything about Spanish life, and all of the differences in values systems between your typical American and your typical Spaniard. I found that by and large, the Spanish public is so much better informed than their American counterparts. I was amazed that there were newpapers available to patrons at almost every cafe. It seems that so often in America, people choose to remain ignorant about events that directly affect their lives. Going hand in hand with how well informed everyone seemed, it appeared that people knew the power of speaking their mind in Spain. I appreciate the political and social directness of the Spaniards I encountered.
I suppose most people who go to Spain to study who have a respect for the country and its people and traditions try and assimilate themselves into the local culture. I was no exception, and at times had to deliberately dissociate myself with several of the other American students in the program I went with. I was disappointed that others in the group didn’t take the trip to an entirely different culture as seriously as I did. It wasn’t a Spring Break party for me; I was there to study and learn. I knew that my goals would be greatly hindered if the first impression I put off was haughtily American. It’s so difficult to not be genuinely interested in a country and its traditions when you’re completely immersed.
Mediterranean cuisine is so delicious! The difference in eating schedule was odd to me at first until I realized that it fit my schedule better than 3 square meals did. I don’t think I had a single french fry the whole time I was there, and I burned so much more energy because I walked most places I needed to go. Spain is such a walking culture. I didn’t for a second miss seeing people abusing their health with cheeseburgers and burning crazy amounts of fossil fuel with their oversized vehicles. It was a very nice break from general American excess.
I was lucky enough to get to see several of the sights during my stay in Spain, including much of the Gaudi architecture in Barcelona, the Alhambra of Granada, and the phenomenal art museums in Madrid. These places all live up to grandiose reputations, and I continue to be amazed that I was there.
On my return trip, it was only reluctantly that I made the transition back to addressing people in English. I greatly enjoyed the short time I spent in Spain. It really affected my perspective about America in particular. I realized even more so than I could have in the safety of the South that I want to be an American that breaks European stereotypes of Americans. I want to be considerate and accepting different cultures and learn about Spanish traditions.
To finally answer the original question, the reason I’m interested in this blog is because it gives me a better idea of how Spanish culture works, as well as the opportunity to revisit my memories of places I’ve been. I hope to return someday to gain more first-hand experience of one of the finest countries on earth.
MrMark
19 Sep 07 at 10:13 am
The smell of coffee and churros in the morning. The menu del dia. The overall functionality of the Spanish bar (newspapers, snacks, coffee, canas, whisky, smoking the lot). The dramatic scenery. The climatic contrasts between different parts of the country. The mixtures of sounds and music. The modernity and vibrancy – I started coming to Spain in the late 80s. So far as I’m concerned the UK seems backward now in comparison (look at all the new AVE lines, or all those new Metro lines being put in). As for working – I spent most of the last year working in Madrid and met many Britsh expats in a better situation than they would be back in Blighty. Unfortunately, due to my partner’s situation I’m now back in the UK and unemployed. What’s not so good? Racism (no worse than the UK btw), wife-beating (again in the UK domestic violence accounts for a quarter of all crimes), difficulty in getting a decent cuppa, bureaucracy etc
Yes, there maybe drawbacks; nowhere’s perfect (but Madrid and Spain come very close). But, given the chance I’d be back like a shot. I’d just have to do without decent tea.
Bill Shields
20 Sep 07 at 5:16 am
I haven’t been to Spain since June of 1972, and who knows if I will ever get back. I don’t remember every day, or even most of them, but I remember enough. Franco still had a few years left in him. His police regularly raided the University, mostly the Medical School. I attended the Facultad de Filosofia y Letras. The secret police patrolled the Facultad, not that they were very secret, they were big heavy-set guys with crew cuts, tight shinny suits with the tell-tale bulge under their left arm. I’m not sure if students ever dressed like that but even students in Franco’s Spain had adopted the hippie culture of the times. Our literary criticism professor, Carlos Bustamente, assigned a student to keep an eye at the door to listen for the heavy footsteps of Franco’s minders. We were young we couldn’t take them very seriously, we only knew of Franco’s crimes from stories – we hadn’t really seen any of it. Most of us were from liberal democracies we thought most the ideas were tame.
I love Spain, I miss it. It was intense, relaxed, happy and sad all rolled up in one. That’s why I miss Spain.
Edith
20 Sep 07 at 9:28 am
@ Bill Shields
So you studied in Spain a few years before the Transición; what an interesting experience this must have been.
One of Spain’s best TV series, ‘Cuéntame cómo pasó’, portrays the life of a hard-working middle-class Spanish family, the Alcántaras, during this era. This is not your ordinary telenovela! First of all, it appears to be historically accurate and secondly, it’s not about love stories and intrigues. In a way, it’s more like British TV drama coming from the BBC.
‘Cuéntame cómo pasó’ is well worth watching but so far only the first three series have been put on DVD.
Bill Shields
20 Sep 07 at 10:29 am
Thanks Edith, I’ll see if I can find it.
Phil Taylor
26 Sep 07 at 11:28 am
I live here too and stared my own blogs about where I live in Almeria and my favourite place La Alpujarra. I studied here as a mature student back 1996/7. Been coming here with students as an assistant lecturer from University in Bristol up until I moved here in 2005. Will link to your blog.
Armando
13 Jan 08 at 8:55 am
After twenty seven years of living in the US, I have come to the realization that Spain is where I would like to live the time I have left on this Earth, it is the place where I should have gone when I escaped my native island prison of Cuba and arrived in the US, thinking that I was finally going to be free, free to be who I was, free to find out what I wanted to do with my life, naively thinking that I had found what I was looking for…..ha! stupid of me……Spain is the place where I should have gone if I had known then what I know now…….I hope I can get there soon enough, and the fact that I am cuban will surely make it a lot easier for me to fit in the colorful picture of spanish life, find my latin roots and explore the great contrasts, the history, my origins……I cant wait to go back there, and stay…….