The Quirky Catalans
Trip Start
Apr 01, 1988
1
7
8
Trip End
Ongoing
Catalonia,
Spain
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
The Catalans are a proud self-confident people, who describe themselves in terms of seny, which means something between common sense and fair play. When asked to give you examples of this they will say that they are practical and hard-working, and cite Catalonia's economic success as proof of this. Although fiercely nationalistic at times, most of them tend to take their lack of independence philosophically and so haven't resorted to the violence of their sister nation, the Basques. Their capacity for dialogue and debate means they value their thousand-year democratic tradition, and are confident that they will achieve the degree of autonomy they desire by political pressure, they are often stubborn but seny occupies a central role in their attitude to themselves and the world around.
The flipside of this is rauxa, a kind of good-humoured gay abandon that is so typical of Catalan festivals or the celebrations that occur after Barça win a major football title. Obviously, all work and no play is very dull, so the Catalans' sense of fun is almost feverish. Parties are 24-hour affairs, but despite the crazy excesses, both sexual and chemical, the idea is to enjoy oneself. People drink, hug each other, let off fireworks with an almost innocent joyousness that is so endearing. No-one knows how to party like the Catalans.
Unfortunately, the rest of Spain doesn't share the opinion the Catalans have of themselves. I was giving a class on the subject of National Stereotypes recently, and after having a bit of a laugh at the expense of the Germans, French and Americans, I asked them what they thought of the British. They were quite categorical; we're polite, reserved and very bad at cooking. Given that there were a couple of Spaniards in the group, I thought it best not to get into the sensitive subject of what the Catalans think of the rest of Spain, so I decided to turn my attention onto the Catalans themselves. Typically, the adjectives that are proffered are intelligent, honest, hard-working etc, but this day was a little different, and everybody was a little taken aback when a businessman from Seville blurted out, ' Mean and unfriendly.'
In general, Catalans don't get a very good press in the rest of Spain, and are often described using the very same words; mean and unfriendly. Although completely inaccurate, this stereotypical view does reflect the deep cultural differences between Catalans and Spaniards.
With the powerful seaport of Barcelona as its capital, Catalonia has long been a centre of Mediterranean trade and commerce. Not surprisingly, this means that the Principality has traditionally been wealthier than the rest of the peninsula, and so sour grapes are probably the reason why they are considered to be mean. They are also much less ostentatious than Castilians, and unlike in Madrid, tend to dress down and give the impression that they've got less money than they actually have. Furthermore, the tradition of 'inviting' isn't part of Catalan culture, and people are much more likely to pay for their own drinks and food rather than flamboyantly paying for everyone else's. However, with good friends that I drink with frequently, we often end up paying for rounds secure in the knowledge that, over time, everything will come out in the wash. So whilst not being overtly generous, it's unfair to say that the Catalans are mean.
Similarly, when it comes to making friends, the Catalans function much as I do myself; they take their time. One of the things I find most irritating about other Spaniards is the way they want to be your best friend within the first five minutes. They buy you a drink, are fascinated by the English and will soon be inviting you to their home (and, unfortunately, themselves to yours). However, within a few days they'll be flitting off to charm someone else into an ephemeral friendship. This has happened to me so many times in the last 20 years, but although I have many Spanish acquaintances I can't count one amongst my 'real' friends. When a Catalan invites you into their home, however, you know you've got a friend for life.
So what do I like about them? Well, I suppose it's their gruff directness combined with a very dry sarcastic sense of humour that, having been born and brought up in the north of England, makes me feel so at home here. I was recently chatting with a Mancunian colleague at the British Council in Barcelona, who like me often has difficulty minding his ps and qs in an over polite environment. 'It's bad enough coming from Manchester' he said, 'but after twenty years with the bloody Catalans, I'm even worse.'
I suppose another thing I like is that you have to function on their terms, which oddly means that they are one of the least prejudiced peoples I've ever encountered. They don't care about race, colour or creed; where you came from and the purity of your blood is not a consideration here. If you bother to learn the language and understand the culture, you will be accepted as a Catalan on full terms. The ex-President of the Generalitat, Jordi Pujol, once said 'Any man who speaks Catalan to his children can consider himself a Catalan'. People who continue to only speak English or Spanish and are always harping on about how much better everything is back home will get the cold shoulder, though. But that's not so unreasonable, is it?
The point is, though, that it's up to you how much you want to get involved. If you play by their rules, you will be completely accepted as one of them. I, however, still remain a little reticent at times. This is because, amongst themselves, they are incredibly clannish and group-oriented. They dance in circles. They build human castles. They form groups and societies for just about everything; to sing, to play sport, to discuss politics, study nature and go on excursions. Once accepted you will be invited to form part of the circle, and it's this that I find difficult. I'm an individualistic Anglo-Saxon lone wolf, and so I don't always want to be part of things. It is not then the Catalans supposed unfriendliness that is the problem, but my own.
