Hi, Reese. People from Galicia are openly mocked by other Spaniards. They are assumed to be very distrustful… For example, if you meet a “gallega/o” on a stair, you will never get to know if she/he is going up or down…
Hey, Juan. I'm starting language classes very soon, so I'll ask the teacher about this and see if I get a vague or evasive answer back. 😂
On some level Galicians can seem guarded. They seem to weave "retranca" in and out of their behaviors at will. Some translate this Galician word to sarcasm or irony, but I don't get that sense. It seems more like vigilant ambiguity. I haven't been here long so I can't speak authoritatively about this, only about what I've observed so far. As I integrate and develop more points of comparison from traveling the country, I may have more to say about it. Thanks for the example, lol!
So glad I found you via Days We Spend (why can't I remember if Shawn/Sean spells his name Shawn or Sean?). You are by far the most fun reading I am doing to get me revved up for my move to Galicia in 5 short months! THANK YOU, punky nerd. Great advice, btw. Are there any blues musicians/clubs there, or is that just asking way too much? Dirty filthy blues, I mean, not blues rock. :-)
Thank you for the kind words. You should be excited, because Galicia and Spain in general are wonderful. The people here are great. Their sense of humor is off the charts. So: congratulations on your coming move!
Interesting that you found me through Days We Spend. Always take Shawn and Lainey’s advice over my own, lol. Disclaimer: they’re well-adjusted adults; I’m a crazy person. This is helpful feedback, though. I might lean into ‘daily life’ observations and advice more often.
To be honest I haven’t really experienced the music scene here yet, although it does assert itself on occasion. For instance, a guy plugged his amp in right outside the intermodal here in Santiago and started playing the blues some weeks ago. He was excellent, but my wife and I couldn’t stick around. Relatedly, I did, out of curiosity, look into your request…
I’m not sure if you can find Howlin’ Wolf-style grit in this area, at least not regularly. But I do have some leads on that. Here in Santiago, Borriquita de Belém is primarily for jazz, but does embrace blues, rock, and flamenco. For Vigo, UF and The Hush Rock seem worth trying. In A Coruña, Jazz Filloa looks promising. There are tons of venues scattered throughout Galicia, at the very least.
If you email the festival people in Spanish (their email is listed on the site), they might be able to point in you a better direction than I can. Hope that helps!
Hi, Reese. People from Galicia are openly mocked by other Spaniards. They are assumed to be very distrustful… For example, if you meet a “gallega/o” on a stair, you will never get to know if she/he is going up or down…
Hey, Juan. I'm starting language classes very soon, so I'll ask the teacher about this and see if I get a vague or evasive answer back. 😂
On some level Galicians can seem guarded. They seem to weave "retranca" in and out of their behaviors at will. Some translate this Galician word to sarcasm or irony, but I don't get that sense. It seems more like vigilant ambiguity. I haven't been here long so I can't speak authoritatively about this, only about what I've observed so far. As I integrate and develop more points of comparison from traveling the country, I may have more to say about it. Thanks for the example, lol!
Another common say... if you ask anything to a Galician, such as for example "how is the weather", the usual answer is "why do you ask?"
I always scream INTERNATIONAL at the top of my lungs whenever I pay for stuff in Spain.
Even when I use cash.
😂 “You may not like it, but this is what peak cultural integration looks like.”
So glad I found you via Days We Spend (why can't I remember if Shawn/Sean spells his name Shawn or Sean?). You are by far the most fun reading I am doing to get me revved up for my move to Galicia in 5 short months! THANK YOU, punky nerd. Great advice, btw. Are there any blues musicians/clubs there, or is that just asking way too much? Dirty filthy blues, I mean, not blues rock. :-)
Thank you for the kind words. You should be excited, because Galicia and Spain in general are wonderful. The people here are great. Their sense of humor is off the charts. So: congratulations on your coming move!
Interesting that you found me through Days We Spend. Always take Shawn and Lainey’s advice over my own, lol. Disclaimer: they’re well-adjusted adults; I’m a crazy person. This is helpful feedback, though. I might lean into ‘daily life’ observations and advice more often.
To be honest I haven’t really experienced the music scene here yet, although it does assert itself on occasion. For instance, a guy plugged his amp in right outside the intermodal here in Santiago and started playing the blues some weeks ago. He was excellent, but my wife and I couldn’t stick around. Relatedly, I did, out of curiosity, look into your request…
I’m not sure if you can find Howlin’ Wolf-style grit in this area, at least not regularly. But I do have some leads on that. Here in Santiago, Borriquita de Belém is primarily for jazz, but does embrace blues, rock, and flamenco. For Vigo, UF and The Hush Rock seem worth trying. In A Coruña, Jazz Filloa looks promising. There are tons of venues scattered throughout Galicia, at the very least.
Perhaps more useful: I discovered that Pontevedra hosts an International Jazz and Blues Festival: https://www.jazzpontevedra.com/programa
If you email the festival people in Spanish (their email is listed on the site), they might be able to point in you a better direction than I can. Hope that helps!