12 Things I HATE about Living in Spain

After 150 very positive videos about life in Spain, I hope you permit me this one video about the aspects of Spanish society that frustrate me. And I hope this video is constructive and helpful for those looking at living here or who do live here.

🇪🇸 MOVE TO SPAIN MASTERCLASS

==== MOVE TO SPAIN RESOURCES ====

==== TRAVEL TO SPAIN RESOURCES ====

==== JOIN EXCLUSIVE LIVE STREAMS ====

==== CONNECT WITH US ====

Editor – Clément Letourneur
Thumbnail designer – Lucas Kieffer

==== WHO ARE WE? ====
Hola, Spain lovers! We're James and Yoly. James is a New Zealander, and Yoly is from Spain. We both live in Madrid. Our channel gives you a local insight into life in Spain and helps you experience this country like a local when you come to live (or visit!).

If that sounds like your kind of thing, bienvenid@!I

⏩ CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:56 Canned White Asparagus
02:32 I Can't Vote
04:14 Torrefacto
06:19 Touristification
08:43 Spam Phone Calls
10:41 Racism
13:47 Banks
15:55 I'm Not Dutch
17:15 Nepotism
18:59 Working Relationships
20:44 Bureaucracy
23:39 The Long Spanish Goodbye

*This description contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you use them 🙏🏻

[perrolutxo]

There is nothing more Spanish than complaining about Spain. You are one of us, James

[therealgoldomenso]

I am a Spaniard living in USA, and I also can't vote since I am a resident, not a citizen. Not being able to vote unless you are a citizen of that country is pretty standard, not just exclusively an issue with Spain.

[valm.]

I'm black and I would try Conguitos when I visit Spain ...the chocolate and the white chocolate ones. How do they taste? It doesn't offend me. I feel secure in my blackness that I don't care about ignorant, racist people. We are all humans and all of us have red blood. Color differences are only skin deep. We all just have to be happy with the way God made all of us unique and celebrate that! It seems like the Spanish laissez-faire attitude about race is the way to be. I think we are too touchy about race in the English-speaking world, especially in the US.

[tanyabillings]

I have lived here for over 30 years and I agree with some of your complaints but I found it really surprising you did not mention the acustic level at which everything takes place. Conversations in restaurants, in the street, in a class, in a meeting. The whole country is shouting all the time and everywhere and me too now after so many years. My family hushes me when I go back for a visit.

[Almblanco]

The thing about Baltasar's black face in Spain is that it is a tradition carried over from a time when there weren't many black people in Spain. Now, evidently, there are plenty of Africans who can fill the role (and be much more convincing). My point is that I don't think Baltasar's blackface is racism as such. It is simply characterization. This is a clear example of anglosaxon sensitivities being applied to other nations where the context is vastly different and thus the same conclusions cannot be reached. The reason blackface is such a big deal in the US is that country has a much more recent history of very holstile racism against blacks and minstrel shows were common to mock this race. The same cannot be said for Spain. All that said, if it was up to me, I'd always pick a real black man to play Baltasar, my primordial reason being that it needs to be as convincing as possible for the children attending the parade (and let's be honest, the black make up is not very convincing...)

[ivesleocelso]

As a Brazilian I had to jump in and comment. Spam calls are so constant here that we usually don't answer the phone if we don't know who is calling.

[Nadine-xvkr]

I love long goodbyes. I am a french expat living in the US and when you leave a party here, you barely say goodbye, and it always gives me such a sad feeling. From having fun, drinking and eating with a bunch of people, you just leave all that, all of a sudden, like a thief. I can't wait to move to Spain for the long good byes 🙂

[elpepinazo]

James. For US citizens when yo take Spanish citizenship, they ask you to sign a document where you say you renounce your citizenship. You sign a document of alligeance to the king and to obey Spanish law. As far as the US, renouncing citizenship must be done by going to a US embassy and signing papers stating that you desire to renounce your citizenship and a couple of other procedural steps. Unless you do this, you are still a US citizen. So the US is happy, Spain is happy and hopefully you will be happy enjoying dual citizenship.

[MarshalWalker]

I'm from the United States and have been living in Spain for 4 years. Your number 12 made me laugh. I've made up a Spanish word for that long period of goodbyes after you're done having drinks or a meal with friends. I call it the "sobrecalle"...jajajaja. I always point out to them...especially if it's in the dead of Summer or Winter when it's blazing hot or freezing cold, that we could still be in a temperature controlled environment enjoying another drink. Instead, we are usually on the street a few meters from where we were sitting inside talking for another 45 minutes to an hour. I love Spain! I love the sobremesa! I don't care for the sobrecalle.

[seatk]

I'm watching this video now and the part about racism struck me particularly. I moved here with my two teenaged boys, both black, almost 6 years ago. One of the biggest reasons we moved was because of safety and racism concerns in the US for black teenagers, particularly boys. We have no regrets.

[rhyljones]

You are like a kiwi version of me! I've been living in Catalunya for 12 years, am married to a Spanish national and have a 9 year old son. We share very similar gripes about Spain despite absolutely loving it as a place to live and raise a family. I especially resonated with the long Spanish goodbye. My wife is the absolute queen at this, sometimes even insisting that I get up and put on my coat as we need to get home as it's school tomorrow...then proceeding to start a new conversation which will inevitably last for another 20 minutes by which time I am sweating in my coat and wishing I had just stayed sat down and grabbed another beer!

[anyaroz]

I completely disagree about the Baltazar celebration. There is nothing racist about it in my opinion. The race is an issue in America and other countries where historically black people were forcefully brought from African continent and used and abused as slaves. Because in US black people are still mistreated and in many cases are discriminated upon - in America any black face is off limits - rightfully so! But in Europe blacks were never looked down at. They weren't discriminated as a group, so Europeans have nothing to be sorry about and also they love Baltazar and admire this character as a wiseman coming from a far away land, from a completely different culture. So, no, I disagree - dressing up as Baltazar or painting the face to celebrate this saint (Baltazar is a saint and is worshiped in Europe as a saint) has nothing to do with racism.

[AndreaAdessi-mwvc]

As an Italian I find that your description matches at 98% with Italy too (most of all southern Italy). Maybe the little difference is in coffee and in pillows. Speaking of the origins of our proximity, I initially thought of the Roman empire and our common Latin origins but I realised that Southern Italy has been a Spanish domination until 1861, so it's Italy that has followed and imited spanish society and not viceversa.
Interesting!

[JuanRodriguez-ywgt]

Painting a white man from Baltasar is common in small towns, but it is because it is not always easy to find black people who want to participate, because in the towns there are already few people per se, and even fewer black immigrants, plus many of they tend to practice another religion and are not interested in participating in Christian celebrations. As a Spaniard, I think that the problem today is the media, which tends to exaggerate the news or distort it to generate controversy and sell more newspapers.

[johnnaismith]

Hi James, I’m 60+ and lived the first third of my life in the UK, the second third in Spain before returning to Scotland for latest 20 years and I can’t wait to return to my beloved Spain for my ‘golden’ years. With all it’s idiosyncrasies Spain is still one of the friendliest and best countries to live in. Love the videos and your enthusiasm.

[kevinbyrne]

In the USA there was a brand of pancake mix which was called "Aunt Jemima". The box featured a small illustration of a black woman wearing a bandana on her head. People complained about an illustration that suggested a domestic servant; so the manufacturer changed the illustration to a younger black woman with neat hair and a pearl earring. No one complained -- except the company's "diversity" officer. So the illustration was removed and the brand's name was changed to "Pearl River Milling Co." Very catchy, right? Sales have declined and a large factory has closed -- costing 500 jobs.

[belstar]

13:32 sorry but its actually you who are unwilling to change your mind you see someone painting themselves black and automatically think minstrel shows from America 100 years ago while its clearly not the same thing

[xcoder]

In Germany, SPAM phone calls without prior consent of the called person, are illegal. If a company would do that, they had to pay a high penalty fee and the authorities will even shutdown entire call centers. If you receive SPAM calls without prior consent, you can report those online. If are called, you can ask the caller when and how you gave contact them permission and they have to answer that to you and if they cannot, again, that's illegal and you report them as well.

[Robert_Hermigua]

It is interesting to hear his rant about banks in Spain. I have a bank account in Spain and in "my" village I have my personal banker. The service is great! I can truely say that I never had a better service from any banker. It is true that service varies a lot from excellent to terrible. But has nothing to do with big corporations.

[gaguayod]

The phenomenon of 'torrefacto' was created during the Spanish Civil War in 1936 – 1939 when the devastated country had a great shortage of coffee. The practice of adding sugar at the final stage of the roasting process was meant to increase the weight of the roasted beans in up to 20%