Print this PostAfter a lovely five-week vacation in the USA to see friends and family, I’m now back in Spain and hopefully will be back to writing entries as normal on the blog. It’s funny when you first return to a country after being away for a while – often times you notice things you hadn’t noticed before. On this re-entry to Spain, one of the things that I noticed is what I like to call the “sidewalk shuffle.”
You see, here in Spain there is a very large aged population and, since returning, I’ve come to realize that, well, old people are everywhere. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; however, it does present a certain problem when you are trying to make your way down a sidewalk.
Imagine the following. You are late for an important appointment. You go out of your house to the street below and being walking hurriedly to your destination. All of a sudden, you come across a row of very old “señoras” sprawled shoulder to shoulder across the entire width of the sidewalk, walking at a snail’s pace, and happily gossiping with each other. They’re pretty much oblivious to the fact that you would like to get past them or that you even exist. You try to pass them on the right and somehow they drift in that direction. You then try to pass them on the left and they drift that direction too. You can’t get around them, they’re taking up the entire sidewalk, and you’re worried about arriving late to your appointment. You’re doing the sidewalk shuffle.
I guess this is just something that happens in Spain… nobody is ever in much of a hurry to get anywhere. Maybe it goes with the more relaxed lifestyle that, culturally, most English speakers aren’t as used to. In any event, I’m back in Spain and back to doing some shuffling when I walk down the sidewalk. A guiri has to do what a guiri has to do to get around in the city, I guess.
Do you know of any “Spain quirks” like the sidewalk shuffle? Put them in the comment section of this post.
Hasta luego,
–Chris
http://abroadinspain.com
Mmmmm.. are the alternatives sedentary lifestyles, taking the car to the strip mall and retirement golf communities? When we get old it would be nice to think that those more agile, (like yourself) will take pause and set off a little earlier just in case they encounter multiple seniors blocking their path!! Muchas gracias jovencita
@Alan – Good point. You’re right, it is better for them to get out. I hope this post didn’t offend you, I wasn’t trying to complain about “old people,” just noting an observation that, honestly, I find kinda “cute” in a way.
hahahaha that’s funny. Anyway, you don’t have to walk behind these señoras all the way to your appointment hahah it’s as easy as “overtaking” them by walking on the street or a simple “perdón” or “permiso” will do it… hahahah
@Victor – I’ve tried the simple “perdón” and usually they are so busy talking to each other that they don’t hear me… so I just buzz around them by walking on the street. haha
@chris- That’s it. I usually do the same hahaha I suppose that we (spaniards) are so used to that things that we don’t even pay attention to them and we just find it normal… In fact, for me it’s quite shocking to travel abroad and find very few old people
Hm…is it a cultural difference? In the UK the stationary person is the one who leaps to attention, saying “I’m sorry (for not anticipating that you would want to walk this way)” and steps to one side.
Perhaps your example reflects, “Hey, I was already here. If you want to get by, walk around me.”
What do you think? Just a different way of looking at the same situation?
@Abi – Good point. You’re probably right, I think it does boil down to a different way of looking at things. Here the general idea seems to be “it’s everyone’s sidewalk, I have as much right to be here as the next guy and if I want to stand here, I will” while in the USA we have an outlook that is more like the one you described for the UK…. we would blurt out “I’m sorry” as soon as we realized we were in the way.
It’s the same in Spain… we say “perdón” meaning I’m sorry if we notice we are in the way of somebody. But you can also say “perdón” or “permiso” not meaning that you are sorry, just as a way of leting the stationary person know that you want to walk this way and he/she wouldn’t allow you. If he/she didn’t realise you let him/her know this way. It’s a way to get people’s attention. It’s also used to approach sb in the street (the same use as excuse me in english)
I’m afraid I didn’t explain it very well… hahahah
I suppose it can be seen (and it might come from that) as: “I’m sorry if I disturb you but I need to walk this way”
@Victor – Thanks for your insight, it was well explained!
You are definitely right. There are a number of old people in Spain. Who are used to sidewalk. It is really very difficult to walk there if you have an appointment and you should reach there.
Hi Chris, hope you had a good break. (The “e” on my computer fails from tim to time, apologies) A big vote of thanks from the children at Silkstone for all your help last term. My son, Nicholas (42 years old) has taken up a post in Singapore. 1300 screaming girls! He didn’t know that whn he applied. His first task is to help out with a Michael Jackson video, Thriller! His era. Have a good start to the term.
Stve (must mend that “e”)
@Steve – Yes, the break was good. You’re welcome for the help… it was no trouble at all. If you need anything else feel free to drop me an email. I wish your son luck in Singapore!
There is a very interesting variation to this sidewalk shuffle which involves heavy rain and some umbrellas, usually trying to poke your eyes out in every corner.
Another, probrably more annoying, version would be the huge deceleration speed which most women in Spain have. For sure you’ve found yourself walking downtown at a steady, kinda fast, pace with other people around you. Then, suddenly, with no indication whatsoever, the woman in front of you will totally stop to look at a window shop while you swear, scream and try not to run over her.
She will probably start walking again once you have stoppped… until the next shoe shop.
Later,
E
@Eduardo – HAHAHA You are VERY right with those observations. I have had both the umbrella thing and the woman stopping thing happen to me here!!
Chris, I’d have not thought you live in Spain if you had not…
As an exercise, next time it rains, keep track of how many women WITH UMBRELLA walk close to the walls and balconies letting the rest of the people WITHOUT UMBRELLA get wet…
@Eduardo – Yet another observation that I have noticed in Spain… in fact, I’ve even been the person without the umbrella who was “forced” into the rain by a woman walking under a balcony with an umbrella. haha