An American In Catalonia

[Dixie]

You're a good student

[ahmads]

You're a good student

[Elba]

You're a good student

¡GALLEGO!, but finally a student

[louvicine]

One important thing is that country people in Catalonia are pretty much the same as country people anywhere else in northeastern and north central Spain, as in Aragon or Old Castile or Navarra. They just speak a different language, but they think in similar ways--except nationalistically--and they do similar things and live in a similar way. The food is a little different, OK, but that's about it. They're more like one another than either is like the country people of Andalusia to the south or the country people of France to the north. It's the city people, the "we've gotta-prove-we're more-Catalan-than-you" folks, who seize on minor or even invented regional customs (dancing sardanas, building human towers, holding correfocs) and regional foods (escudella i carn d'olla, tomato bread, all i oli, calçots) and declare them the heart and soul of Catalanity. Country people blow all that stuff off (except for the food) and watch the Barça and Spanish TV variety shows while listening to Spanish and international pop music.

I understand perfect what happen at Catalunya. Here at Andorra is similar in this aspects. a little more french, we are at the frontier. But Dixie, even if the politican situation is difficult, and so the cultural, catalan countrie have and advantage. We fight for our freedom.

[ahmads]

You're a good student

¡GALLEGO!, but finally a student

Elba >>Who is Gallego??????

[Elba]

Ask Dixie

[Shazzam]

Wow Dixie that is confusing!!

I have a friend who lived in Spain for a long time and married a Spainiard; originally she was from Northern Ireland, then she moved to Australia (so consider the differences there). I noticed with her that when she was around our family her accent tended towards Irish, when she was with her husband she spoke english (except for when they were arguing, then it was full on spanish).

We are lucky in Australia, english is the excepted language even though we live in a multi-cultural society. Pretty much if people come here they need to learn english quick or they will have massive communication problems.

[Shazzam]

You're a good student

¡GALLEGO!, but finally a student

Elba >>Who is Gallego??????

I think Galileo was a famous Italian teacher

[Dixie]

Gallego is a person from Galiza.

[Shazzam]

Gallego is a person from Galiza.

Spelling mistake on my part.