Funny The Things That Stick In My Mind - I Ain't An Immigrant, I'm English

[barry1010]

Some years ago there was an on-street interview in one of the early evening news programmes, a youngish couple, Lord knows how the reporter found them.

"Why are you moving to Spain?
Can't stand all the immigrants, don't feel safe with all these foreigners (there was a lot more about them taking all the jobs, not speaking English....)

Can't you see the irony in that?
Yer what? What's irony?

You'll be immigrants in Spain, how do you think the Spanish will react to you?
I ain't an immigrant, I'm English."

I wonder where they are now? Fully integrated in to the Spanish way of life, fully fluent in the language and adopting the customs and lifestyle, I expect.

Any odd things stuck with you over the years?

[bhg481]

Yes, my brother-in-law used to bleat about all the immigrants in his part of the UK and then he moved to Spain and lived in an area full of Brits; he couldn't see he was doing exactly what he had been complaining about.

[barry1010]

It's puzzling, isn't it? Bet he only employed British tradesman, drank it Brit bars and used illegal taxis driven by Brits

[Redhelen72]

My MIL frequently goes on about immigrants and taking all the jobs and using the nhs etc.
She openly admits that’s why she voted for brexit!
We pointed out that she is an immigrant as she is from Belgium!
Her response?
‘No I’m not i married a white man’
I kid you not

[Aircooledfool]

Barry
Interesting insight into expat life in Spain, I can believe that’s really what it like. Do the people who move in these circles ever consider what spains policies on immigration actually are?

[davebro]

I think UK immigrants to Spain generally have a bit of brass and can fend for themselves (and pay their dues re health care etc.). The current wave of immigrants to the UK are a different kettle of fish.

[barry1010]

Air-cooled, I have spent a lot of time in mainland Spain and Tenerife over the years and no exactly what some British ex-pats are like. My sister lives in Rojales, her husband is much younger and I am sad to say they seem to dislike the Spanish and certainly wouldn't trust them to do building work, car repairs, anything like that.

However, I was hoping to hear about inconsequential things that have stuck in people's minds, not necessarily about immigration or ex-pats

[Aircooledfool]

Yes, I do see the point of your post , but I had never thought about how Brits Spain actually , so it was an interesting viewpoint .
Bit off topic , yes, I will try to do better with sticking your mind stuff

[Aircooledfool]

Slipperyfinger again, how brits in Spain think and behave
Sorry twice

[Togo]

//Some years ago there was an on-street interview ... and ... Lord knows how the reporter found them.//

Perhaps the "News" item , like this thread was a clumsy attempt to show the English speaking peoples as racist hypocrites. Deliberately posted today too. Should a site moderator know better or show more self control? ... Or both?

[douglas9401]

Aw Togo, your imagination is running wild, on your special day too.

Have an extra pint of what you like to call beer and try not to let it get you down.

[barry1010]

You are looking in to something that really isn't there, Togo.
What struck me about that interview was the chap didn't know the meaning of irony nor that he would be an immigrant in Spain.

[douglas9401]

Anyway, I'm still struggling with the Americans not being the good guys all the time any more.

We were told they were during my formative years and I try to stay true but it's very difficult.

I blame the internet, trans fats and chewing gum.

[barry1010]

Of course the English aren't racist, the patron saint is a Turkish man who never visited England.

One thing I never do is generalise. I absolutely do not believe that anyone has a particular mindset, attitude or pattern of behaviour on the basis of their nationality, colour, religion, class, sex or level of education.
We are individuals and I treat everyone as such.

[Togo]

//You are looking in to something that really isn't there, Togo.//

Isn't there? It is in your opening post writ large. Make as many excuses for yourself as you can, but the post still exists and conveys exactly what you intended it to.

[Prudie]

Odd thing that has stuck in my mind? Yes, many years ago when I was about 14 seeing my nan on the steps of a local pub with a whisky in her hand shouting at my mum 'I'm not senile, you think I'm senile'.
became one of those family stories :-)

[barry1010]

Oh heck, prudie, my family has a chest full of embarrassing stories, including me as a 10 year old standing up in the sea in my knitted trunks. Knitted swimwear was never a good idea

[Hazlinny]

Barry/ I just laugh when I think of a couple of times I fooled two sets of friends into thinking I was German when I called in. First was in Santa Ponsa when I knocked at the door of friends who holidayed there six months in the year. Headsquare on + dark glasses, all made-up and speakng in a guttural German accent I enquired from the wife if her husband had any fish to sell (he used to fish off the pier and was pestered by Germans wanting to buy the fish he had caught). Wife toddled off along the corridor and I heard her say "there's a German lady wanting to buy fish" .. I was ushered into a room and bargaining started ... this carried on for a little while during which time I was shown three different types of fish .. but I could no longer keep up the pretence and collapsed laughing, much to friends' astonishment.They never let me forget how I tricked them!
Second was similar but I entered a countryside cafe belonging to two friends - again I wore a disguise and asked for Scottish shortbread and tea in my now quite effective German accent ... I did think they gave me a peculiar look but it was a scorching hot Summer day and I was wearing a headsquare! Each time they served someone else, they kept looking over at me until I just couldn't continue and burst out laughing. They said they had been "suspicious" of me!!
We do do silly things from time to time, don't we?