Many people would read my blog and think that I really dislike living in Spain with all my complaining about how this country functions. That would be a misinterpretation though. I love Spain and love living here but like every single country in the World it does have its ups and it has its downs.
After working 3 weeks in a small town in Catalunya I came back quite disappointed with the "hardworking Catalans". For almost all my life I was led to believe that the Catalan community are the hardest working in Spain but after being in a small town it is just as bad as any other town in the rest of Spain or even in Italy (I lived in an Italian village too).
Businesses are complaining about Crisis, they complain at how the Chinese Bazaars and the 1 Euro shops are taking their business, the Chinese are buying out all the bars in Barcelona and as the days and weeks pass Barcelona is becoming as multi cultural as London or any big city is.
This is not bad in my eyes but its not being accepted by the locals.
I don't want to critisise any locals but the fact is that Spanish people don't want to work as hard.
I completely understand that it is hard to function on a daily basis when there is a lot of heat involved, you do feel lazier and less likely to do work when you are in hot and humid conditions but this can't always be the excuse.
I was in a small town and I was shocked and embarrassed at how we were treated there by the local bars. We would go every evening to spend EUROS in bars and the staff never seemed to be content with the business. I actually had one member of staff complain at me the customer telling me that we need to stop disturbing him and order and pay for all our drinks at once. REALLY?
This man was not busy, we were literally his only customers and we were spending a minimum of 50 euros a night for 3 weeks, do the math. This man was fed up of us going up to the bar and ordering drinks, he was fed up of us wanting to pay individually because some of us would have to go back to work. We felt bad for ordering in a bar. I always say: "only in Spain": My fellow Spanish friends may defend this one man and say that this doesn't show what Spain is like but its just one of many examples.
On Facebook my friends post pictures of their local businesses and ask you to go there instead of any Chinese Bazaar. How are we expected to use the Spanish businesses when they are always closed? The shops in Spain are still funcioning the way they did 20 years ago. Times have changed and excuse the pun but so should the shops now. How can a person working 9-6 go to a bank if they close everyday at 14.00. They are open once a week till 20.00, what if you finish at 20.00?
My point is that if Spain really want to get out of this crisis they really need to sort themselves out. We need to develop as a Country, there is so much potential and its being wasted on laziness.
When one wants a plumber, an electrician or anything like that they have to wait days on end and the problem is that because all are on the same level, no one seems to be in competition with one another so they all will come when its good for them and not for you.
If you do decide you want to live in Spain you do have to learn how to be patient and accept these things. Everything you want done will get done but in Spanish time not your own. So don't predict you will take a day to do one task here because that isn't how things work.
I know many people would be angry with me dissing the system but these people need to wake up and see it for themselves. Spain need to wake up.
After working 3 weeks in a small town in Catalunya I came back quite disappointed with the "hardworking Catalans". For almost all my life I was led to believe that the Catalan community are the hardest working in Spain but after being in a small town it is just as bad as any other town in the rest of Spain or even in Italy (I lived in an Italian village too).
Businesses are complaining about Crisis, they complain at how the Chinese Bazaars and the 1 Euro shops are taking their business, the Chinese are buying out all the bars in Barcelona and as the days and weeks pass Barcelona is becoming as multi cultural as London or any big city is.
This is not bad in my eyes but its not being accepted by the locals.
I don't want to critisise any locals but the fact is that Spanish people don't want to work as hard.
I completely understand that it is hard to function on a daily basis when there is a lot of heat involved, you do feel lazier and less likely to do work when you are in hot and humid conditions but this can't always be the excuse.
I was in a small town and I was shocked and embarrassed at how we were treated there by the local bars. We would go every evening to spend EUROS in bars and the staff never seemed to be content with the business. I actually had one member of staff complain at me the customer telling me that we need to stop disturbing him and order and pay for all our drinks at once. REALLY?
This man was not busy, we were literally his only customers and we were spending a minimum of 50 euros a night for 3 weeks, do the math. This man was fed up of us going up to the bar and ordering drinks, he was fed up of us wanting to pay individually because some of us would have to go back to work. We felt bad for ordering in a bar. I always say: "only in Spain": My fellow Spanish friends may defend this one man and say that this doesn't show what Spain is like but its just one of many examples.
On Facebook my friends post pictures of their local businesses and ask you to go there instead of any Chinese Bazaar. How are we expected to use the Spanish businesses when they are always closed? The shops in Spain are still funcioning the way they did 20 years ago. Times have changed and excuse the pun but so should the shops now. How can a person working 9-6 go to a bank if they close everyday at 14.00. They are open once a week till 20.00, what if you finish at 20.00?
My point is that if Spain really want to get out of this crisis they really need to sort themselves out. We need to develop as a Country, there is so much potential and its being wasted on laziness.
When one wants a plumber, an electrician or anything like that they have to wait days on end and the problem is that because all are on the same level, no one seems to be in competition with one another so they all will come when its good for them and not for you.
If you do decide you want to live in Spain you do have to learn how to be patient and accept these things. Everything you want done will get done but in Spanish time not your own. So don't predict you will take a day to do one task here because that isn't how things work.
I know many people would be angry with me dissing the system but these people need to wake up and see it for themselves. Spain need to wake up.
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