CRUZ TOURS ESPAÑA, S.A.
Duuuuuuuuuuuuuudes!
As I was telling people about my move to Madrid the standard reaction was...
"Heeeey! When can I visit???"
Therefore... My initial post HAS to be something like...
COME AND VISIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!!
Why???
CRUZ TOURS España, S.A. !!!!! - an extension from the highly successful CRUZ TOURS Portugal, with the following start-up packages:
. La movida de Madrid! - targeting random strikers looking to party hard! Forget the meaning of morning... we tried to visit El Rastro and Segóvia starting on Saturday and Sunday morning but it was just not possible...
. Madrid romantique - targeting chilled out couples or families (they are actually out there...). It focus on the History and shopping potential of Madrid. For the night, already identified Jazz bars or Flamenco shows, or, Paco's tasco! Sisters, stay tuned for the "rebajas special!". (btw, I actually stepped in a modern art museum...)
Here's some initial thoughts about cultural differences Portugal vs. Spain as a teaser (I guess more relevant to portuguese... they are closer!):
=> "Aaaahhh... Me encanta Lisboa!" This is pretty much the standard response to an introduction from a portuguese. They love Lisbon, they generally like Portugal very much and actually visit us often. Either that or indifference :)))
=> Girls...
Relevant to whomever is in the market, there is a slight difference between Portugal and Spain in this matter... Exemplifying:
What is the typical reaction from a girl in Lisbon when approached "politely" in a bar/disco by someone she doesn't know?
a. She looks through you as if you were Patrick Swayze in "Ghost";
b. She runs away as if you were Godzilla;
c. She pretends not to understand portuguese (hint: this is a true story);
d. She looks down/up as if the gravity law has just been increased or reversed 10 times;
Answer:
a, b, c, d, ... ALL!
What is the typical reaction from a girl in Madrid when approached "politely" (or with a loud "está de pu#$% madre!!") in a bar/disco/tabern/botellón by someone she doesn't know (real example)?
Tuga - Hola que tal!? (Hi, how are you doing?)
Chica - Hola! Que pasaaaa? (Hello! wassuuuuup?)
Tuga - aarrghh... blurp... figiwigi... brlanbrlan... (aarrghh... blurp... figiwigi... brlanbrlan...)
--- he is in shock - they talk back! ---
Chica - Oyé tio! Que te pasa coño?? (Yó dude! Everythin'ok?)
Tuga - blublublu..... arr arr arraña...
--- he is catatonic in near coma when he realises... They are actually able to ask questions!! ---
Chica - Ah... Portugues! Venga... Una caña!
=> La movida Madrileña... You have to come HERE to experience it ASAP!
=> Tapas... Smoked ham, cheese, padron-peppers, potatoes alioli, brave potatoes, Chorizo with wine, Sepias (seafood stuff), Morcilla (from Burgos, else my boss will kick my ass!!), Mushrooms on the board, etc etc etc ...
=> Caña + .... TAPAS! - they actually GIVE you a snack when you ask for a beer!! How cool is that??
=> Lower taxes, VAT, gasoline, etc. - as a tourist you don't get this but it is always good to mention!
(to be continued...)
Ok... Seriously now... Moving into a new town, a new country, as many of you know always has unexpected effects in ourselves. Obviously, a move to Madrid, Spain, a quite similar culture as my own, has the inherent sensation of being a no-brainer move, without any issues whatsoever... The happiness vs. time graph (remember) is expected to be quite flat... the iceberg is pretty much visible above and below water... Isn't it? Mmm...
Digging slightly deeper there is a feeling of a traditional anti-spanish culture that is "still" pushed in portuguese schools. This is specially felt in history classes, while reading about our grand feats, when we kicked "their" butts a couple of times in history, when it was "their" fault that we lost our empire, bla bla bla bla bla Well... After only 2 months here I am already in a different mindset... yet again, the powerful concept of an exchange experience proved me wrong!
In 2 months my approach towards Spain has passed from a glass half-empty to a glass half-full, realising that although I still and absolutely love Portugal, I see in this 40 million people country an opportunity and not a threat... Yes yes, not only mentioning high density of nice-looking señoritas around here... But these, will definitely be the topic for many more posts ;)
(to the internationals... EPISODE VIII coming out soon with more details!!)
