Integrating into the local community.... How?

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RichardCoeurdeLion
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Integrating into the local community.... How?

Postby RichardCoeurdeLion » Fri Mar 09, 2007 7:09 pm

Because we only come out for a few weeks at a time, a couple of times a year, we haven't realy been able to integrate. We haven't made friends with any Spaniards, but I'd like to. As a little fat get, I always need to have my trousers turned up, and it has become a ritual that every holiday I take a couple of pairs into "Elenas" in San Pedro. Good price there, 7 Euros, or she'll do one leg for 4. We are almost on chatting terms now, but it's very slow progress.

How have other members managed to integrate?

Rick

Campo Kenny

Postby Campo Kenny » Fri Mar 09, 2007 7:13 pm

I know Elena too :shock: ......I just let her do one leg on my pants for the 4 euros then have seamstress Carmen who charges 3 euros for one leg do the other...........I know 2 people now :wink:

Kenny

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RichardCoeurdeLion
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Trousers

Postby RichardCoeurdeLion » Fri Mar 09, 2007 7:25 pm

How much does Carmen charge just to measure your inside leg?

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daisylou
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Postby daisylou » Fri Mar 09, 2007 7:32 pm

Fab question :D I'll be interested to see the responses as we haven't been here long ourselves.

I go everyday to the local village shops...even if I don't want alot but I always buy something. The ladies all make a fuss of Alfie (my 9 month old) and he smiles at everyone which they love! I also have a daughter who is at the small village school so she is settling in well.

I wish my spanish was better but I do learn something new every day and I even understood someone on the phone today!!! :D

Campo Kenny

Postby Campo Kenny » Fri Mar 09, 2007 7:46 pm

Rick.......she gives me a further 50 cent discount for letting her do the sizing up :shock:

Kenny

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RichardCoeurdeLion
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Postby RichardCoeurdeLion » Fri Mar 09, 2007 7:48 pm

Campo Kenny wrote:Rick.......she gives me a further 50 cent discount for letting her do the sizing up :shock:

Kenny

And she lives/works exactly where?

Campo Kenny

Postby Campo Kenny » Fri Mar 09, 2007 7:52 pm

No advertising on A.com....sorry

Kenny

masterob
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Postby masterob » Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:16 pm

If by "integrating" you mean mixing socially with the Spanish, then unless you are able to communicate, in other words, have knowledge and ability to speak Spanish, it will be difficult. Obviously the better your fluency, the easier it is but realistically you will always be an extranjero. But then that´s pretty common wherever you go in the world apart from your own place of birth.
If you have in mind something more than just mixing socially such as becoming actively involved in local life then I would suggest the need to be totally fluent in Spanish i.e. not only speaking and reading it but actually thinking and probably dreaming in it!

Good luck! :)

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Julie
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mixing

Postby Julie » Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:53 pm

Hi Rick

I know where you are coming from because it is difficult to make friends even in the UK.
I go to the library, I am the only Brit that goes there and at first they looked at me rather curiously, but now people are really friendly towards me and stop and chat to me, also i used to go and just sit on the benches with the old chaps and within 5 Min's they were talking to me, this improved my Spanish no end, but i think the easiest way is if you have kids, people always want to talk to them so if you ha vent any small enough maybe you could loan one for a while :wink: :D :D

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Postby katy » Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:43 pm

It depends on what your perception of integrating is. As Masterob says you will always be the foreigner, madrileños are considered almost foreign. Some people think they are integrated if one or two people say -hola amigo- to them or after a few handsigns in the nearest bar. Most spanish don't socialise like the Brits, dinner parties, meeting up in a restaurant etc. the best that can happen is that your husband will be asked to join the domino group for a couple of hours before cena.

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Postby spanish hopes » Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:52 pm

If you asked people in the street I live in here in UK what their neighbours 3 doors down did for a living or what the woman across the road was called, they wouldn't know.
If they saw me pushing my car they would come out to help.
The process of integration means more to some than to others. I have owned in Spain for many years, I have Spanish and English friends over there, My Spanglish gets me by at the moment but will need to improve when I move over permanently.
I make an effort but will never expect to ever be more than a foreigner to the majority of Spanish, but am happy to be a friend to some.
It isn't that important. Treat people with the respect you think they deserve and you won't have many problems.

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silver
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Postby silver » Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:12 pm

"integrating" was easy for me....when I arrived there were only a very few English living here anyway... so I was thrown in at the deep end..so to speak.. and after a few months was able to converse well enough...
To integrate you have to join in...if you have kids at school then its not difficult to start by inviting another parent to a coffee..but even for that you need a basic knowledge of the language (forget sky channels and watch Spanish TV)... if you have a hobby...then join a local club... if retired go for organized day trips (not the ones they do for tourists)... :)
No muerdes la mano que te da de comer.

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Postby katy » Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:52 pm

If retired join the local pensionistas club. They have cheap classes, yoga etc. Some friends do Latin American dance classes for only 3 euros a month!

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Postby CaroleE » Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:27 pm

Hi everyone. We moved out to live permanently in a spanish inland village last August and have tried to intergrate as much as possible, we are the only English in our Street, so at first we were a bit of a novelty, but most people seem to have accepted us. From our first day in residence, our next door neighbour has been very friendly as have her two children aged 14 and 11. We have done lots of favours for them, infact as I write this, my freezer is stuffed full of their food as theirs packed up last Friday, dont know how long it will be before they get another one, in the meantime we cant buy much food that needs to be freezed. At first I didnt mind them coming in to see my husband and I every night for about half an hour, it was a good way to learn Spanish on the hoof I thought. However after 7 months of this, now our terrace is finished they want to come and join us most weekends for an hour or so each day (they dont have a patio that gets the sun). As my neighbour now rings our bell at least once in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon as well as her nightly visits, mostly to see what we are doing in our casa as it needed a lot of work, sometimes its to borrow a cup of sugar or two eggs (always returned the next day which involves another unscheduled visit) I am starting to feel trapped in my own home. My husband is much more chilled about it and it doesnt seem to bother him. Is it me or does anyone else have or has had the same situation??

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safeashouses
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Postby safeashouses » Mon Mar 12, 2007 7:01 pm

Carol we have the same problem as you but in England, that's why we are moving to Spain. Well one of the reasons anyway. :)

You need to get out more, go around to them more often or just don't answer the door sometimes until they get the message.

Don't put up with it or it will 'eat you up' in the end.

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metalmonkey
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Postby metalmonkey » Tue Mar 13, 2007 2:46 pm

we're lucky as we have a bus stop at the end of our drive in the campo. There's a tiny village not big enough for a shop but every night from about tis time of year people meet at the bus stop for a chat so we go down and at first grinned like mad fools but slowly we pregressed to being able to say a few words and have been invited in to neighbours for coffee where we still grin a lot but having spanish lessons is a must, our gang love us to practice on them and we're looking forward to the longer nights when we can get out there again

keep at it ....also the local church is a good place to go
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Postby Miro » Wed Mar 14, 2007 12:53 am

Campo Kenny wrote:I know Elena too :shock: ......I just let her do one leg on my pants for the 4 euros then have seamstress Carmen who charges 3 euros for one leg do the other...........I know 2 people now :wink:

Kenny
I have read all of this thread but am still p*ssing myself laughing over the first two posts.
Kenny, why not just go to Carmen?
Rick, do you have one leg shorter than the other?
Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often

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peteroldracer
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Re: mixing

Postby peteroldracer » Wed Mar 14, 2007 11:45 am

Julie wrote:i used to go and just sit on the benches with the old chaps and within 5 Min's they were talking to me,
Did it help when you went topless Julie? :wink: :wink:
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RichardCoeurdeLion
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Postby RichardCoeurdeLion » Wed Mar 14, 2007 12:28 pm

Miro wrote:
Campo Kenny wrote: Rick, do you have one leg shorter than the other?
Nah. Both legs the same, just that I dress on the right which makes every thing lop sided

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Julie
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topless

Postby Julie » Wed Mar 14, 2007 12:44 pm

Hey Peteracer

Luckily for them, they are probably at the age were their eye sight isn't too good, so if i had , they not notice,it is be a blessing in disguise for them :roll: :D :D

The problem with the neighbors, well I did go down that road with one of mine, but now I just say well I have to get on/go out etc and shes fine about it, took a couple of repeat performances, but you have to be straight with them.
Also I now call at hers a little more just for a couple of Min's, and I think that helped, shes 84 and on her own so I can understand her wanting to chat, i have to say I did find it hard work at one time Good luck 8)


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