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AIBU?

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Original poster

Is this acceptable Spanish behaviour?

78 replies

sportmixture · 17/07/2017 20:07

I have rented a house for the summer in the canaries, it is in a small village, there is a small one way road between the house and the sea and we have a pool and there is an almost 5 foot wall between the pool and the road. There are quite a few tourist though not loads as there are no hotels. When we are in our garden ( and when we are not) people walking past keep hanging over our wall pointing at us and our house and acting like we are zoo exhibits!! I understand people will walk past and might glance over but I am talking about practically climbing on the wall, I have tried saying hello but they then act like I am being crazy! Is this normal Spanish behaviour? I spend quite a lot of time in the canaries and I have never encountered this before.

OP posts:
Waffles80 · 17/07/2017 20:09

4.6 million people live in Spain....

NashvilleQueen · 17/07/2017 20:11

I think there may be more than 4.6 million!!

VestalVirgin · 17/07/2017 20:16

It is rude, whether or not it is normal in Spain is irrelevant.

Though I don't think it is considered normal in Spain. Some countries have a reputation for people being more prone to talk to strangers than the English, but apparently they don't want to talk to you. So, very weird.

Groupie123 · 17/07/2017 20:16

No it's not normal.

AdalindSchade · 17/07/2017 20:19

The canaries aren't even in Spain

Original poster
sportmixture · 17/07/2017 20:19

Thanks vestal and groupie I thought that it was not really the done thing here, and if they approached wanting to chat I would be more than happy to engage as I am trying to improve my Spanish, but so many people (generally middle aged women) were doing it beginning to wonder if I was missing something.

OP posts:
Luttrell · 17/07/2017 20:19

People are generally more chatty. You're in a small town on a small island, people are going to talk to you, just as they would on some Scottish island or something. Maybe say hello?

IfNot · 17/07/2017 20:20

Are you naked?

Waffles80 · 17/07/2017 20:20

46 million 😉

Errant decimal.

Luttrell · 17/07/2017 20:20

Excellent geography skills there Adalind.

CoughLaughFart · 17/07/2017 20:20

The Canaries ARE part of Spain.

Original poster
sportmixture · 17/07/2017 20:22

No definitely not naked!

OP posts:
Original poster
sportmixture · 17/07/2017 20:23

I have tried saying hello and asking how they are but they do not want to talk to me, we go to the local tapas bar and people there are friendly x

OP posts:
Luttrell · 17/07/2017 20:31

Oh. Hm. Bit odd then. Maybe if you ask them if you can help or a plain old what do you want, in Spanish, they'll stop treating you like the token tourists.

AnneGrommit · 17/07/2017 20:34

Is your house on fire?

Or, failing that, your arse?

AnneGrommit · 17/07/2017 20:34

Or is there a man on your roof? Santa, maybe?

revolution909 · 17/07/2017 20:38

OT .... Canarians don't consider themselves Spaniards, in fact they kind of diss them

lalalonglegs · 17/07/2017 20:39

Are the passers-by possibly related to the house owner? Could they be pointing out something new that s/he has done to the property? (This is the sort of thing my non-Spanish family members would think nothing of doing Smile).

sog74 · 17/07/2017 20:39

No, it is not normal.
Not from the canaries myself, but nowhere in Spain we do that.

LinoleumBlownapart · 17/07/2017 20:42

I suspect you are the token tourists. It is odd and rude to look and point. I don't know about the Canaries in particular but my experience of other small communities staring at newcomers is not always very subtle! My advice would be to go up to them and say hello and ask them if they are looking for someone or explain that you are just staying in the house for a holiday and introduce yourself, this would be expected where I live.

Gingerandgivingzerofucks · 17/07/2017 20:43

Ask them if they'd like a photo, it'll last longer! (Standard retort when being stared at in France/Spain)

Do you have very fair hair? I was shouted at a lot in Spain when I lived there because of my hair colour. I don't think they see many gingas in southern Spain. Confused

May09Bump · 17/07/2017 20:43

Ask the people at the Tapas bar - obviously do not say "is this a Spanish thing", otherwise god knows what you will be eating for the rest of the holiday!

Maybe ask if the house is of interest - has anybody been bumped off there and your the first ones to rent it? :)

Maybe you have awesome fashion sense and they pop off to google where to buy your outfits / swimwear.

Half of my family are Spanish, we visited the village my MIL came from and the older generation definately had a staring problem. This was a more rural village.

EyeHalveASpellingChequer · 17/07/2017 20:44

Waffles80

46 million

choccywoccywoowah · 17/07/2017 20:50

I thought that the canaries are not part of Spain (as they are autonomous, not part of the EU) but are Spanish (as in a Spanish archipelago). Confusing or what?!

TinselTwins · 17/07/2017 20:51

maybe it's a murder house? people stare at new inhabitants of murder houses (here in UK too!)

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