To Tell FIL To Go Back To His Own Country?

[JeremyVile]

OK, yes, that's a hideous phrase but honestly, he is pushing me to as yet undiscovered areas of my psyche.

He is Spanish, lived here most of his life and retired to Spain with MIL 6 years ago.

Currently they are here for Christmas, been here a week and will be going some time in January.

So far he has announced that The English are obsessed with America, that we have no identity of our own, no cuisine to speak of, our schools are laughable, our weekly rubbish collections are 'backwards'.
The Scots (my mother) are tight (ooh, original), alcoholic (my family barely drink at all) egomaniacs.

I deal with it by ignoring mostly but have been broken by, of all things, Goose fat!

He saw some in the kitchen last night and asked what it was for, I said that at Christmas I do the roast potatoes in it. (TBH, I dont know why I do, I just do) He then commenced a massive, and very arsey, rant about the Brits having no idea about food, that olive oil was the best thing to use 'that's what we always use in my country'. Goose fat is unhealthy (true, but if we're going down that route then surely he'll be expecting boiled potatoes with his (unbasted) turkey??

The fact is, it has nothing to do with the healthier option, it is because it is not a Spanish thing and he massively resents anything that he cant skew to being about his country.

Even sodding potatoes

Oh, and to top it off his general cultural angst only really gets going from the second week of visits onwards.

Oh farkin' joy

His own country....tame I would have told him to go to hell TBH

Bet he liked out NHS system though!!

My FIL is like this about South Africa,you know that country with no problems at all

I would cook him a seafood paella where none of the ingredients have been cooked, or even killed.

Then I would tell him that Spain will be a lovely country when it's finished.

My dad can be just like this. except he is from Portugal and lived most of his life in the US.

I have taken him out for 3 pub lunches this trip alone and he has done nothing but moan about the food he was served. (TBH, it was a bit dismal, but for cryiong out loud, would it kill him to just shut up and eat??!)

then he comes in the kitchen and watches what I am doing over my shoulder which drives me friggin nuts.

aarrgh. you have my sympathies.

Ha!
Desi (my lovely Desi) I have said similar to that in the past, He says "well it doesn't take us long to build, we are hard workers"
I said "yes, and only 4 workers died putting up that bridge in your town this ear - that's progress"

Alas, he filled me in - it was the fault of the workers as they are Portugese (Filthy Pigs)immigrants who drink on the job

Cheers, OA.

I wonder if it's an age thing?

...or just a twat thing?

well, i never! wait till i tell my dad!!

Ha - I thought that very thing OA!

goose fat is the healthiest of animal fats. It?s high in healthy mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids and low in saturated fats. It makes superb roasties as we know. Olive oil is healthier overall but imo it useless for making roast potatoes and gives them an unappealing taste. Anyway how much oil does a little spud absorb? Roast and be merry and ignore the winger. I am pschying myself up for taciturn FIL as well , who will arrive too early (usually sitting outside in the car when we get home from church),want to carve the bird, complain that the knife not sharp, hack the thing up and then want to leave early before we've finished dessert. Have bought very sharp carving knife this year...for the turkey of course

It's an Iberian thing.

If you want to get him reeeeeally worked up, mention recycling or anything remotely eco-friendly. sends my dad batshit.

oh, yes. the Dull Knife Issue. We have that one here too.

For the "Turkey". Well, of course....

look up some really shocking statistics on spain and store them up as ammo.

God yeah, recycling sends him loopy.
When he goes on about having daily refuse collections there I always mention what a shame it is that there doesn't seem to be much recycling going on.

That, and "Just as well really, can you imagine how much worse the streets would smell if they didn't collect rubbish daily??"

Haha! he hates that one. Might be due for an outing.......

That's perfect.

Unemployment is just over 8% in Spain if that helps. Am off to find out about drug use or teen pregnancy or something.

Christ, teen pregnancy is over 3 times higher in the UK than in Spain (but don't tell him that).

The other truly irritating thing my dad has been doing is looking at the weather in Portugal each day and announcing how hot and sunny it is over there. Then he starts rubbing his arms and begging me to turn the heat on again.

Thanks for trying OA - my fail-safes are fatal road accidents, the number of women killed in domestic violence and how his local Mayor is as bent as a paperclip.

And yes, the weather thing - so friggin' irritating.

this has really cheered me up! am chuckling.

Not all spanish men are like this, my dad is Spanish and he wouldn't dream of using olive oil for doing roasties! And he and SM do some recycling, but the recycle facilities in Spain are even worse than here.
So JeremyVile this makes you even less unreasonable since being Spanish does not give your FIL the right to act like a ignorant old git. Actually he sounds a lot like my (English!) FIL.

dont invite him to stay for more than a week. he obviously cant handle it.

If he thinks goose fat is unhealthy ask him about the amount of pig fat they consume here in Spain - especially the 'mantecados' - a sweet sort of uncooked almondy pastry-type thing bound together with the stuff - instant heart-attack material!