Talking to him:
- So, where are you
from?
-
Brooklyn.
-
No, I mean, you must have an origin
from another country… [he has dark skin]
-
Ah, you mean my nationality?
Ethnicity? My parents are mostly Jamaican, my grandma´s father was a Dutchman,
and some English in there, as well.
-
Ah, yes, sorry, we don´t use that
terminology here…
-
Haha, Spaniards are funny!
Funny or not funny, whether you like it or not, we don´t talk about ethnicity. Spain is filled with native Spanish and we consider ourselves white -not Galician, Catalan or Canary Islands white- until Summer comes and we get a nice brownish color which vanishes again in winter. Still, we are not interested in colors, but in individuals whether they are red, black or yellow. Therefore, ethnicity is not small talk for us. Do not blame us for not being familiar with topics of ethnicity which has nothing to do with being open or not to the idea of immigration. We just haven´t got a clue of what you are talking about!
“Spain is different”, and not only because the politicians of the 60´s communicated that motto. Come and visit us, and you will see for yourself why we are so proud of being different. Some would still say that we are stuck in the past, others that we are keeping our doors of globalization closed. I guess that has a name –jealousy-, because the sun helps us blossom and flourish every year in a delightful way.
Globalization has had an impact on us: Chinese stores, American pancakes, Irish pubs, French wine, Holi runs, Hookah bars, language exchange cafes… and we are truly happy for getting the flavor of different cultures in our own country. Despite what has been said, we like variety and experiencing new things, even if it is just to confirm that we still prefer ham and tortilla over any other delicious international meal. Young Spaniards have gotten on the train of this state-of art new world, but still, we have beautifully managed to maintain our purest Spanish traditions and customs. To us, there is a hidden pleasure in going back to Spain and finding that our ways of living, praying, partying and eating are just the same. Oh, home, sweet home!
What is it what we feel so attracted to? Well, you better know some of our customs before the culture shock hits you when visiting our country for the short or long term.
Yes, we are emotional, although we don´t get carried away by our feelings. Giving two kisses on the cheeks is a friendly gesture and we usually maintain eye contact to show that we care for you by paying full attention. We are actors by nature, so it is not only what we are saying but how we move our hands, our eyebrows, make noises… let the show begin! Communication is crucial to us, and we prefer to make it work over a long (long) meal or tapas & beers gathering and covering small talk and deep topics. Just make sure you save the day if you are going out with a Spaniard and take into account that dinner is not served until 9sh.
Do also think twice before asking us “how are you?” It is not a “fine, thank you” answer for us. We might well spend five minutes talking about our ups and downs of the day! And we expect you to do the same.
If you want to make Spanish friends, well that is not difficult at all because we are very friendly and approachable… I mean, if you want to make good friends, try to understand us instead of forcing us to follow your ways. We are loyal out of care and love so we don´t need to follow a code of honor. Gossiping is very common, which makes us quite judgmental and unpredictable and suspicious to others, but at the same time we are very understanding of others' mistakes, and we forgive easily if you know how to make the right gesture to gain our trust back. We do believe in second chances.
In Spain there is a feeling of lack of self-confidence and we are not good at selling the best image of ourselves, and we all know that there is no success without a good marketing campaign. We are not lazy but Spanish don´t give importance of work over family, friends and social life. But rather, working to live, not living for work.
Trust me, I don´t remember last time I had a nap, even though I´ve got two hours lunch break. But it is nice to have enough time to get away from the office, rest our minds and bodies out of the office, and enjoy our three course meals with our colleagues.
This could be a never ending list, but just remember: Spain is different, so are the Spanish!
