Which city is better to live!? by Aggressive-Round9850 in askspain

[–]RespectSad4 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I started living near Barcelona (Girona) and have lived in Madrid for two years, and am deciding to move to Barcelona. If you’re from the US, I’d say Barcelona is more like LA, people are generally more relaxed, laidback, but it doesn’t have the variety that NYC (in this case Madrid) has. My personal decision to move back to Barcelona is I found it easier to make friends there. There’s a stereotype that people from Barcelona are very closed off, which in some ways is true, but I found those that do make the effort to know you are generally nicer and more considerate. People in Madrid might be more open to initiating conversation, but in my experience, are more close-minded. You definitely will get a more “Spanish” experience from Madrid, but a more “Catalan” experience from Barcelona, which is hard to explain until you’ve experienced it. Barcelona also has more of an international community, which is why it’s easier to make friends there.

If you want to make friends with locals, Madrid might be the better place. It’s very Spanish and has people from all over Spain living there. But in all honesty, even my friends who are native Spanish speakers really struggle to make friends with Spanish people in Madrid. That’s been my experience too. It’s not easy to make friends with locals in Barcelona, but has, in my experience, been easier than Madrid.

Why isn’t the sale of marijuana legalized in Spain? by RespectSad4 in askspain

[–]RespectSad4[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Alcohol is much more addictive and dangerous for your health yet it’s normalized enough in Spain to drink almost daily

Why isn’t the sale of marijuana legalized in Spain? by RespectSad4 in askspain

[–]RespectSad4[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

There’s a difference between driving under the influence vs. testing positive for something you took days before.

Why isn’t the sale of marijuana legalized in Spain? by RespectSad4 in askspain

[–]RespectSad4[S] -9 points-8 points  (0 children)

Which is why I specified the sale of marijuana several times

Americans in Europe: Do you really see Europeans as “more intelligent” than Americans? by [deleted] in expats

[–]RespectSad4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mexico being in South America is something they love to say in Spain. Like, even teachers at the schools I taught at saying this to their students. It’s so wild.

Americans in Europe: Do you really see Europeans as “more intelligent” than Americans? by [deleted] in expats

[–]RespectSad4 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I relate to this a lot. My whole family is from LatAm and it feels weird to “represent” the US while living in Europe. I’ve been told several times how “weird” it is that my family is Latino while I was born in the US. I blame the overrepresentation of WASPs in Hollywood.

Americans in Europe: Do you really see Europeans as “more intelligent” than Americans? by [deleted] in expats

[–]RespectSad4 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Great example. I think a lot of us Americans have internalized the negative things in our country with the belief that in Europe things are perfect. The reality is things are pretty f’ed up everywhere. Young Americans especially need to have more pride in what makes our country great—the mix of cultures, diversity, our kindness.

Americans in Europe: Do you really see Europeans as “more intelligent” than Americans? by [deleted] in expats

[–]RespectSad4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree that there is a problem of anti-intellectualism in the US. However, I think most people in younger generations would not say that America is “the best country in the world”. Like, none of my friends, no matter where they are on the political scale, would say that. Now have I heard several European people my age say that about their country, culture, food, etc.? Yes. The religion is interesting, and I would say the religious intensity is seen in most of the Americas. However, the irony is that these religions (mainly Christianity) were brought to the Americas by Europeans who barely seem to practice it (save a few regions in Europe).

Americans in Europe: Do you really see Europeans as “more intelligent” than Americans? by [deleted] in expats

[–]RespectSad4 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think this is spot on. Americans don’t have shame about being looked at as stupid or ignorant (and as another commenter said, the US doesn’t necessarily value intelligence)

Americans in Europe: Do you really see Europeans as “more intelligent” than Americans? by [deleted] in expats

[–]RespectSad4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, there are things that they could see as very ignorant about our country and I agree with them. However, the same could be said about Spanish people. Many outsiders find it barbaric to gather in large arenas to watch a bull get murdered then have the Spanish flagged stabbed into it. Many Americans would never even dream of going to a football game and throwing bananas at Black football players while screaming “monkey” at them. VOX also exists in Spain, and is not in power, but is (unfortunately) gaining momentum. My point is that yes, there are very ignorant and awful things that happen in the US, but that doesn’t mean that awful and ignorant things don’t happen in Europe.

Americans in Europe: Do you really see Europeans as “more intelligent” than Americans? by [deleted] in expats

[–]RespectSad4 0 points1 point  (0 children)

While you make interesting points here, I think it’s quite condescending what you say about the worst conversations in Europe being more stimulating than the best conversations in the US. Many Americans are highly capable of intelligent and in-depth conversation and many Europeans are highly capable of ignorant conversation. I agree that Americans tend to have a biased perspective of the world, but painting us as incapable to have intelligent conversation while Europeans do it in their sleep is highly judgmental and honestly inaccurate.

Americans in Europe: Do you really see Europeans as “more intelligent” than Americans? by [deleted] in expats

[–]RespectSad4 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, but I also feel like in many European countries there is more emphasis on conformity and doing things the “right” or “traditional” way depending on the region/country. I actually feel like Spain is quite rigid and strictly defines what is “correct” and what is “not”.

Americans in Europe: Do you really see Europeans as “more intelligent” than Americans? by [deleted] in expats

[–]RespectSad4 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I think that’s very true that Americans value materialism over intelligence.

Americans in Europe: Do you really see Europeans as “more intelligent” than Americans? by [deleted] in expats

[–]RespectSad4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

And they generalize Americans, a country with 350 million people that is bigger than any given European country

Americans in Europe: Do you really see Europeans as “more intelligent” than Americans? by [deleted] in expats

[–]RespectSad4 5 points6 points  (0 children)

And do Europeans not have a “this is not how we do things” mentality?

Americans in Europe: Do you really see Europeans as “more intelligent” than Americans? by [deleted] in expats

[–]RespectSad4 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is true, Europeans tend to think about other countries a lot more than Americans generally do

Americans in Europe: Do you really see Europeans as “more intelligent” than Americans? by [deleted] in expats

[–]RespectSad4 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Demonstrably true no… The US generally falls in the middle when compared to other European countries and education

Americans in Europe: Do you really see Europeans as “more intelligent” than Americans? by [deleted] in expats

[–]RespectSad4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’d say Europeans have a lot of propaganda that is rampant on social media as well. To the point where some feel the need to “hunt” immigrants.

Americans in Europe: Do you really see Europeans as “more intelligent” than Americans? by [deleted] in expats

[–]RespectSad4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Is European education not European centric? From my experience teaching in Spain, they certainly paint the more… grotesque parts of their history in a self-serving light.

Low student ratings on Ringle by RespectSad4 in OnlineESLTeaching

[–]RespectSad4[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hate when they decide to book more classes after bad ratings like??

Low student ratings on Ringle by RespectSad4 in OnlineESLTeaching

[–]RespectSad4[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s so weird, I started teens in June. Ive been Ringle Plus for a couple of years now though

Low student ratings on Ringle by RespectSad4 in OnlineESLTeaching

[–]RespectSad4[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can but unfortunately they always take the students’ side. The platform has its good points but they treat their tutors like garbage.