Tenerife forum

DaveR · Supreme Reefer Joined: 03 Oct 2006 Posts: 1220

Sometimes I am embarrassed by my fellow countrymen.

We were shopping at the Adeje Mercadona today and went to the cafe Los Olivos next door for coffee and a sandwich afterwards.

After I got served an Oldish English guy next to me ordered in English. The waitress spoke no English so I helped him out. After she walked away he said to me " You would think they would learn some English". My reply to him was "Why the hell should they? This is Spain".

The cheek of some folks never fails to amaze me.

Estate_girl · Pro Reefer Joined: 09 May 2006 Posts: 397

That I’m afraid is the mentality of a lot of our fellow countrymen and women.

sunny · Supreme Reefer Joined: 19 Jun 2006 Posts: 3454

So agree Estate Girl, Daverock people like that should never leave England (oh what a bitch I am), I have found even though I am still learning, the Spanish like it when I try (and often get it wrong) and help me out, thats how you learn isn't it.

Sometimes I am so ashamed of our fellow countrymen and women Evil or Very Mad

karlb

I fully agree with you Dave however had I been in your postion I would have totally ignored him and left.

There are far to many idiots around and you never know what they may do next. Crying or Very sad

I had a discussion with my brother a month or 2 ago. I asked him if someone tapped your daughter on the head and shouted some obsenities at her what would your reaction be. Deck him he replied.

I said I would just pick my son up and walk away, only if I had NO CHOICE whatsoever would I resort to fighting back.

Bit off thread lol but what would everyone else do?
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xLisax

Wait. Tenerife is in the Canary Islands.. Is it Spain or not Spain? Cause some people say it is in Spain, Most get affended if you say its in Spain but to be geographically correct, it isnt, is it? Arghhh Its soo hard being blonde sometimes!!

Dave.. That is totally rude! At the end of the day if i was to move to, say, sweden i would learn swedish just as a Swedish person would learn English if they decided to move to England.. Its all Ignorance really, isnt it!

rob

Geographically the Canary Islands are not part of Spain because they are little Islands stuck in the Atlantic Ocean. However they are part of Spain inasmuch that they are governed by Spain and are part of Spanish territory. Spanish is the official language of the Canary Islands.
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xLisax

In the whole of the Canary Islands do they speak Spanish?

DaveR · Supreme Reefer Joined: 03 Oct 2006 Posts: 1220

I can just about live with people not learning any Spanish and bluffing there way through.

What got to me most about this situation was EXPECTING them to learn and speak English.

My Spanish is far from perfect ( vocabulary lets me down) but I use it as much as possible. People have invariably appreciated it and usually try and help. What I struggle with is getting them to slow down a bit. They do at first then are back up to full speed by the second sentence LOL. If I can get one word in 3 it is usually enough to get by on. Embarassed

rob

Yes. In La Gomera they also use 'silbo' it's not a language of speech but of whistling. No I'm not pulling your leg!
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DaveR · Supreme Reefer Joined: 03 Oct 2006 Posts: 1220

We had a demonstration of silbo on our trip to La Gomera and it is fascinating to listen to. They told us that the language was outlawed and made illegal during the Franco regime but is now taught in schools again.

strippersrus

I am now going to ask my Gomeran friend to do this whistle language lol.....
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Rob, they don't really use the Silbo any more, they've just kept it alive for cultural and tourist purposes.

Maybe they were just whistling because they fancied you....? Laughing

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rob

Sorry, I didn't mean to infer that it was in regular use. It is said to have been invented by goatherders as a means of communicating from mountain to mountain, it's understandable over long distances whereas speach becomes just a 'noise'.
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DaveR · Supreme Reefer Joined: 03 Oct 2006 Posts: 1220

rob

Yes, it was added to the curriculum a few years ago to prevent it dying out.
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