“Spanish people eat tapas and octopus, they have siesta, and the boys are suuupercute..”

At Stangnes videregående skole we put forward this question to our students:

What do you know about Spain, Catalonia, and Spanish / Catalan people?

Here is a selection of our answers:

1. They love ham and they have a good football player.

2. At least where I have been in Spain, the inhabitants have taken a siesta in the middle of the day. Then all the shops have been closed for an hour, or so…   Spain has quite a warm climate, with bright sun and a hot enough climate to grow palm trees.  As far as the food, I know that the Spanish people are well known, in particular for their famous Tapas.

3. I don’t know much about Spain. But I do know that their climate and society is very different from ours. A lot of teenagers there, around 50% do not have a job, I also believe that their nature is very different from our mountains and fjords. They probably speak Spanish or catalan.

4. What do I know about Spain? Okay, I can say: Not really that much. Most of the population, I would believe, speak Spanish, but there exists catalan, which is a mix of French and Spanish if I remember correctly. There is an area in Madrid, and if I remember correctly one in Sevilla that, at least it used to be, for bullfighting. There is also the annual(?) bull race, if my memory is not failing me. Also, dubble l (ll) is pronounced j. There is a lot of strange food, which I cannot remember the name of.  That would be about it.

5. I think Spanish people are very nice. I think the nature is very warm and dry some places, but beautify in others. I think there is very warm in the summer, but not so much in the winter, although it’s almost like a cold summer in Northern-Norway. And I think the Spanish people eat a lot of fish especially bacalao and octopus. And also spicy dishes.

6. I don’t know more than that it’s warmer in Barcelona then in Harstad. And that they have a church which is not finished. And they speak Catalan.

7. I know the Spaniards generally are friendly people and I have heard that if they see a crying child, they will try to make the child happy again, even if they do not know the child. The climate is vigorous with a lot of trees like orange trees and flowers decorating the towns and surroundings. About food, I think of tapas.

8. They speak spanish or catalan. Spain and Catalonia has a warmer climate than Norway. Barcelona is a big vity with a lot of people and buildings. People live more close to each other with less space, perhaps their houses and flats are smaller than ours. They also have other types of food than we have. They do not bring their own lunch packet to school, and probably they eat dinner later in the evening than we do. They have a siesta in the evening. I think they have a greater variety of food.

9. I know they speak catalan. They also have a siesta in the middle of the day. Spanish people drink a lot of beer. They have good tapas and good food. It is hot there in summer time.

10. I know diddly-squat about Spain and their inhabitants. I am of the impression, however, that they value family more than we do. Norwegian families tend to divide themselves as the years go by and it’s members turn older and independent of their mommy and daddy.

11. I know they speak Spanish. I know that the nature is very different from ours, so is the climate. It’s much warmer there and they don’t have as many mountains and fjords. The people are pretty much the same, humans are humans, but they do have other ways of living and traditions. I don’t know much about their food, but I think they use more spices then we do.

12. I do not know so much about Spain, but I’ve been in Spain many times and I love it. I actually don’t  know anything about the Spanish culture or the Spanish people. But the one thing I know is that the Spanish guys at the hotel I lived in this summer was suuupercute.

13. I know nothing actually, except that Lionel Messi who plays on the Barcelonan football team is currently one of the best players in the world. 

14. Barcelona is a big city. The weather is hot. Spanish people are friendly. They eat paella and white bread.

15. It is really warm in Spain in the summer and just a little bit colder in the winter. There is not much snow, not even every year, I think… The Spanish buildings are very pretty and some of the big cathedrals are so inspiring and different from all buildings in Norway.