I first came to live in Spain in 1987, a desire I had had since the age of 15. As an immigrant I found many differences some of which were quite frustrating, others were acceptable, and the rest simply interesting. To start off, let's take a look at social differences.
At that time, many women of my generation, who had got married early in life, (in fact I got married at the age of 20) were simply housewives and content with their lives. They seemed to aspire to nothing else than to keep their homes dust-free and ornate like museums. Children came home from school to find their mothers waiting for them with the "bocata" a sandwich made with half a French stick and either chocolate or chorizo in the middle. Some mothers with younger children would go to the local "patio" or gardens where they actually chased their kids for them to eat the "merienda" (equivalent to a mid-afternoon snack). The kids ran around in circles and their mums ran after them telling them to eat their snack in order to grow strong and healthy. It was and is comical to see those women running and telling their kids off who simply ignored them! Those stupid phrases like "Wait till your dad gets home" echoed all over the city. Those women had little or no authority over their children!
At that time spinning tops and "tazos" (caps) were all the rage and you would see little groups of kids playing together, throwing those tops to hit others, flicking caps, and sometimes arguing about who had won what and when! There was a lot of social interaction after school, meeting new people in the neighbourhood and there was a lot of bonding of friendships. Sometimes mothers, who had finally managed to get their offspring to eat their snack, would sit together and chat as they watched their kids play. Favourite topics: their children's greatness, price of food, fashion, illnesses and local gossip. Some women also killed two birds with one stone and took their knitting or their crocheting with them and as they chatted made Juanin "little john" his winter pullover. If the weather were bad most would simply stay at home and those who didn't went to the local cafeteria for a coffee and a chat while their kids ran in and out of the premises bothering the patrons who accepted this without complaint.
Today, I find that this is not the case, seldom are kids in the streets or in the patios playing with others; mainly because their mothers are at work and the kids are being looked after by thier grandparents, who have neither the time nor the patience of sitting with other grandparents complaining about stuff. Besides, it's no use going to a cafeteria since a cup of coffee now costs 1 euro (166 pesetas) at the very least; a 66% rise in two years and pensions don't go so far as they used to, whatever the current government says!
Another factor that has isolated kids from other kids is the addictive use of the gameboy, a nice little contraption that keeps kids busy (and quiet) when parents are home from work, or in the car, or elsewhere. In fact, you can often see kids in restaurants sitting at the table with their gameboys while the adults talk. No longer do they ask to leave the table to play with other kids prefering to hit those buttons to go on to the next level! I dare say that the quote "Children should be seen and not heard" is so true of today.
to be continued....
