Register  Login  Active Topics  Maps  

The drunk snail’s journey (TAC14)

 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log Post Reply
161 messages over 21 pages: << Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ... 19 ... 20 21 Next >>
Cavesa
Triglot
Senior Member
Czech Republic
Joined 4769 days ago

3277 posts - 6779 votes 
Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1
Studies: Spanish, German, Italian

 
 Message 145 of 161
19 December 2014 at 12:56am | IP Logged 
The last August promise to keep:

My assorted notes about Spain and the people:

1.Really, if you want to have a great time and consider several options, Spain should
be among the top ones. It's not all sun and siesta, it is a country of variety.
Asturias and Leon lie right next to each other and those 50-100 km through the
mountains are like travelling to another continent, Cantabria, País Vasco and Navarra
were again different from each other. So, there is much more to see than just sun and
beaches but there is enough of those as well.

2.Get ready for the real Spanish weather of your destination. In the south, you are
surely going to need your sunglasses. To the north, take an umbrella and good shoes
that can survive rains ;-)

3.The people are, in general, among the nicest I've ever met. They rarely hesitate to
do a little bit on top of their duties in order to help someone. But there are huge
characteristical differences between the north and the south, not that different from
those more widely known stereotypes about the north and south of Italy. The
northerners seemed to me really close to the czechs or many other europeans. The
southerners were southerners, with the good and the bad, from my point of view. We had
a kind of cultural clash between the students from "liberal" background (the Czech
Rep., Slovakia, Lithuania, France) and the "catholic" background (southern Spain and
Poland). It's not as if any of the groups were bad people or anything, there were just
things during our conversations that we just didn't have in commun and with which the
"traditionalists" weren't comfortable and we, the "evil" ones, hadn't expected it. Te
language barrier (the southern spain+poland weren't too good at English) THe northern
Spaniards were awesome and really great towards everyone! They were great hosts.

4.What amazed me was the obvious great attitude towards age, handicaps, family and so
on. A town of 250 OOO inhabitats (ok, Oviedo is technically rather a city and a
capital of Asturias but it seems really small compared to Prague) is not usual in the
Czech Republic to have that many handicapped people in the streets. You are very
likely to meet people in wheelchairs or with sensorical condition in Prague but not
that likely in the towns comparable to Oviedo. Obviously, their system of care is more
centered around homes and families. The system here is often not too friendly and
supportive enough towards the people and their families so many stay in care
institutions instead.

There is a huge difference between old women here and in Spain. It is not just about
the money, the Spanish ladies are obviously more used to taking care about themselves
instead of prioritizing everything else (Czech grannies often take pride in not being
vain and not taking too much care about appearence). While there won't be a striking
difference in style between most girls of my age across Europe, you just cannot
compare everyday outfit of a lady in her 60's in Prague and in Oviedo. The difference
is huuuuuge. I believe it is a sign of a more healthy approach to themselves and their
worth. I hope one day, when I am sixty, I will ressemble much more to the elegant
Spanish old ladies than to the current Czech ones. But the situation is improving.

Families: It is common in Spain for everyone to go to a hospital accompanied by a
family member. I find it funny in cases like a man in his 30's being accompanied just
for a regular check up. But I wish the czech employers would be so understanding
towards people wishing to accompany their relatives because we've got far too many
exemples of the opposite situation. An old man/lady comes to the doctor without being
accompanied, doesn't feel too well, is shy to ask too many questions when they don't
understand and therefore they cannot properly follow the instructions at home.

3.Another resemblance: The way money gets wasted in the public budgets, troubles
typical of newly built hospitals and so on.

4.Cars: Spanish drivers, why the hell can't you use the turn indicators? Really. I
consider this to be one of the worst sins of a driver and it was so common there!
Combine it with interesting and creative use of the roadsigns and it's really enough
to make one nervous.

5.There are three types of european cultures, based on crossing the road on red light
(as formulated by me and a slovak guy):
first: the road is never crossed on the red light, not even when it is totally safe.
countries like Germany will offer such a sight of people waiting so long without good
reason.
second:people crossing on the red light when it is safe. Spain, the Czech Republic and
so on
third: people crossing on the red even when it is not safe and so often it almost
looks like there is noone left to cross on the green: France :-D

6.Walking. People in Spain obviously don't walk much. Me and another czech were
considered weirdoes to like walking instead of taking a bus. And another difference
between the northerners and southerners. The northerners have two speeds, just like
me. The fast "I need to get there" speed and the slow pace "look what a nice day we've
got". The southerners have got only one and it is impossible to make them walk any
faster. And we've really tried. :-D

7.The regional differences are even source of jokes for the Spaniards themselves. It
is no miracle there are separatistic tendencies but normally, it looks like it is just
well meant fun people make of each other and themselves. Actually, I find it stupid
the external image of Spain includes only the areas with separatistic tendencies.
There are various regions, all fascinating, each with their own culture added to the
"central Spanish" one, each with their own way to deal with the idea of being put
together in one country with someone very different.

8.The young people are probably less used to travelling, especially on their own, and
don't have some basic survival skills. The Spanish hosts were surprised the guests
from other countries than Spain had little trouble finding their way around the city.
One of the Spanish guys had real trouble with tidying up the bathroom and a few such
things, all the guys seemed very lost in the kitchen and some of the girls too. I've
heard it from more sources that the teenagers in some of the west-european countries
are just not taught such things and don't have the opportunities to learn them, such
as camping with parents as children and later with friends without the parents. I
think it is well possible. There could be more exemples of being impractical but I
don't mean it as an offense, it's just a difference I've noticed.

9.While you are unlikely to have trouble practicing your Spanish, it is still better
to go to a smaller town for that purpose. The overall level of English is not great
and even those who can speak it are very friendly and open to speaking in Spanish
(eventually Spanish+mimics and gestures) with you. What totally surprised me was the
very low level of English of the students from southern Spain. Yes, they were going on
a national exchange, but still. And it was one of the troubles between the two groups
I mentioned.

10.Spain is a coffee nation, not a tea one. So, don't think you'll find a passable
selection of teas in supermarkets. And, there are no jug kettles in many appartments,
those are a must in vast majority of the czech kitchens. There is either a coffee
machine. Or you just warm the water in a microwave. I asked one of the natives whether
it was just due to the equipment of student appartments but it is obviously normal.

And one more note: You're in Spain, no cappuccino for you! Try mediano con leche
instead.

11.The shops. And everything. I loved how people lived in a more natural rhytm, no
early morning stress, (even though a few large supermarkets might be open at half past
eight, ok, there is something good about the central european madness), more life in
the night. I loved it. I felt so relaxed and I had so much energy despite sleeping
less than at home. In the shops, people were very nice and helpful, this is something
improving here but still not automatic.

12.The girls. How the hell are they so thin despite such eating habits (drinking
colacao at midnight, lots of white bread, nutella and so on) and not doing sports? I
think it is thanks to genetics as the people in the south haven't had to gather fat in
order not to freeze in the winter during the last few millenia. Really, there are few
fat people and very few fat girls of my age. And the most funny thing? I ate
everything, drank alcohol, some colacao, nutella every other day... and I came back 3
kg lighter (which I got back really fast). There is some magic in the country, the
water or air or something.

Really, it is common not to do any sports there. Whenever you say "No, I don't do
sports" here, you're basically an outcast and you're gonna get tons of "good" advice
on how to finally start a better life. There? Noone cares.

On the other hand, there are some things common here that are missing in Spain and
some Spaniards would like to have them. It is uncommon and expensive to learn to play
an instrument, while almost every child here starts one and gets the opportunity to
try. There is no tradition of "taneční", which is a series of basic dance and social
behavior classes almost all the teens here follow.

13. Yes, a group of people can speak all at once. It is hard to understand but they
obviously manage.

14.Less hierarchy. In the czech hospitals (and society overall), the various groups of
people (the nurses, the doctors etc) don't mix too much. In Spain, they respect the
differences and various responsibilities of each group but they are still more
comfortable to communicate as just people.

15. Most don't know the Czech Republic, some know Czechoslovakia. But nearly everyone
has already visited Prague. If not, then at least Budapest. Funnily, many don't
realize there is a connection between Prague and the Czech Republic (and now I could
add a few jokes about how many Czechs struggle with the same idea). I think it's
thanks to the prices. (By the way, the prices of goods are mostly the same as here,
what is much more expensive are the services. What is much much cheaper are the
mussels, the fish etc.)

Czech beer is quite known there, the Spanish beers are not too good. But some of them
are not that bad and none I've tasted was as horrible as the English beers.

Sidra is typical of Asturias. It is an acquired taste but it is very good in the end.
And the manner to pour and drink it is an art. Since my return, I have only disdain
for Cider served here, which people drink totally wrong. :-D

The young people love mixed drinks. Cheap mixes are the best of course. Calimocho is
extremely popular but it is nothing new under the sun. We call it "houba" (mushroom)
and it can be a nightmare :-D

16. So many festivals, so much fun! I loved it! And sidra everywhere :-D Just like
Enrique Iglesias.
7 persons have voted this message useful



garyb
Triglot
Senior Member
ScotlandRegistered users can see my Skype Name
Joined 4967 days ago

1468 posts - 2413 votes 
Speaks: English*, Italian, French
Studies: Spanish

 
 Message 146 of 161
19 December 2014 at 10:59am | IP Logged 
Awesome post about the Spanish culture. Spain is high on my list, especially for when I
start learning Spanish again.

Cavesa wrote:
Garyb, why is there no Italian team? There
is quite alot of Italian learners in the TAC. Or perhaps all of you are multi-romance
learners, so the team would be quite the same as the all-romance one?


Yeah, on the current list everybody in the Romance team is learning Italian, along with
other languages! Most serious Italian learners seem to already have some background in
Romance languages. An Italian team would be nice but my one this year hasn't exactly been
a huge success.
2 persons have voted this message useful



patrickwilken
Senior Member
Germany
radiant-flux.net
Joined 4293 days ago

1546 posts - 3200 votes 
Studies: German

 
 Message 147 of 161
19 December 2014 at 11:26am | IP Logged 
Love your Spanish post. I really want to be back to Spain next year.
1 person has voted this message useful



Cavesa
Triglot
Senior Member
Czech Republic
Joined 4769 days ago

3277 posts - 6779 votes 
Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1
Studies: Spanish, German, Italian

 
 Message 148 of 161
19 December 2014 at 12:28pm | IP Logged 
I forgot to add one note to the point 9. Everyone will speak Spanish with you unless
you're a natural blond. Then, you must be really awesome at Spanish to get over the "oh,
obviously a foreigner, I must try English" shock.

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. :-)

Done since yesterday: A bit of Spanish grammar. I'd like to tie some loose ends before
the year ends. And I don't want to hurry too much with the final overview and new log. At
least a few more days are reasonable for me to wait. (And I have time to choose the final
log name ;-) )
2 persons have voted this message useful



Juаn
Senior Member
Colombia
Joined 5105 days ago

727 posts - 1830 votes 
Speaks: Spanish*

 
 Message 149 of 161
20 December 2014 at 1:30am | IP Logged 
Cavesa wrote:
5.There are three types of european cultures, based on crossing the road on red light
(as formulated by me and a slovak guy):
first: the road is never crossed on the red light, not even when it is totally safe.
countries like Germany will offer such a sight of people waiting so long without good
reason.


The reason is the existence of a rule, which for some cultures and individuals is more tangible than a speeding car. I'm one of perhaps six or seven Colombians who will in fact stay put until the light changes regardless of traffic.

What European countries in addition to Germany would you include in this group?

Cavesa wrote:
12.The girls. How the hell are they so thin despite such eating habits (drinking
colacao at midnight, lots of white bread, nutella and so on) and not doing sports? I
think it is thanks to genetics as the people in the south haven't had to gather fat in
order not to freeze in the winter during the last few millenia. Really, there are few
fat people and very few fat girls of my age. And the most funny thing? I ate
everything, drank alcohol, some colacao, nutella every other day... and I came back 3
kg lighter (which I got back really fast). There is some magic in the country, the
water or air or something.


Did you by any chance shift most of your calories to later in the day, particularly carbohydrates?

Edited by Juаn on 20 December 2014 at 1:31am

1 person has voted this message useful



Cavesa
Triglot
Senior Member
Czech Republic
Joined 4769 days ago

3277 posts - 6779 votes 
Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1
Studies: Spanish, German, Italian

 
 Message 150 of 161
20 December 2014 at 12:21pm | IP Logged 
I know about the existence of the rule and various degrees of respect towards it,
Juan, that's what this exemple is supposed to illustrate. :-) I haven't had enough
time to observe the austrians and the suisse, but I think those could fall into the
category as well.

Yes, I shifted my whole life including calories to later in the day during that month,
which is a complete no no as all the nutricionists say. Everyone, from self-help
guides to real specialists emphasizes the importance of moving calories to earlier in
the day, have you got a different experience? I'd love to hear so, Juan, that could be
some hope for me. From my experience, it partially works. When I eat more during the
day, I am unlikely to devour half the fridge content right before going to sleep.
Combine that with my shifted sleep patterns since early childhood and some insomnia
bits and there arises a whole new question: "what does earlier or later in the day
mean". When I am studying, I sometimes take all nighters as it is much easier to focus
in the night than in the day. So, in such a case, is a 4am meal a breakfest or a late
dinner? :-D

But it is just natural for me to live in the night and ignore the mornings. I really
suffer in the Czech Republic where I am forced to be in class at half past seven in
the morning and write tests at such a time. I suffer from the lack of tolerance for
people with a different biorhytm from the early-bird-post-austro-hungarian-relict one.
I think I'll have to move out to a more normal country as soon as I get the otherwise
useless degree in medicine. :-D

Back to languages. My plan for this weekend is really simple. I need to continue with
my German
2 persons have voted this message useful



patrickwilken
Senior Member
Germany
radiant-flux.net
Joined 4293 days ago

1546 posts - 3200 votes 
Studies: German

 
 Message 151 of 161
20 December 2014 at 12:29pm | IP Logged 
Cavesa wrote:
Everyone, from self-help
guides to real specialists emphasizes the importance of moving calories to earlier in
the day, have you got a different experience?


I don't think everyone says that.

The argument for skipping breakfast would be that it would give you a longer fast period, from when you go to sleep to when you start eating again.

The basic idea is that people get fat because they are constantly raising their insulin levels from snacks. You can lose weight either by putting bigger breaks between when you eat, or by avoiding foods that raise your insulin too much (e.g., pasta, bread, soft drinks etc).

Check out these videos by Jason Fung, who is a diabetes specialist: https://www.youtube.com/user/drjasonfung.
2 persons have voted this message useful



Gemuse
Senior Member
Germany
Joined 3842 days ago

818 posts - 1189 votes 
Speaks: English
Studies: German

 
 Message 152 of 161
20 December 2014 at 7:10pm | IP Logged 
Cavesa wrote:
I really suffer in the Czech Republic where I am forced to be in class at half past seven in the morning and write tests at such a time. I suffer from the lack of tolerance for people with a different biorhytm from the early-bird-post-austro-hungarian-relict one. I think I'll have to move out to a more normal country as soon as I get the otherwise useless degree in medicine. :-D


I know you're not a bro, but still....





2 persons have voted this message useful



This discussion contains 161 messages over 21 pages: << Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21  Next >>


Post ReplyPost New Topic Printable version Printable version

You cannot post new topics in this forum - You cannot reply to topics in this forum - You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum - You cannot create polls in this forum - You cannot vote in polls in this forum


This page was generated in 1.9690 seconds.


DHTML Menu By Milonic JavaScript
Copyright 2024 FX Micheloud - All rights reserved
No part of this website may be copied by any means without my written authorization.