Thursday, March 22, 2012

Times I feel more like a foreigner. Temps quan em trobo més com una estragera

There are times, when trying to do something with a group of Catalans, that I really do feel very different.  Like a foreigner.  Honestly, Catalans are not exactly worlds apart on a cultural level, but there are some issues that emerge, especially as you get into more intricate work, that is....different.

Hi ha temps, per exemple quan estic intentant de gestionar una idea amb un grup de catalans, quan em trobo molt diferent. Com una estrangera.  La veritat és que els catalans no son en un altre món per nivell cultural, però hi han moments que surten, sobretot quan estem intentant treballs que són més intricat, que estan...diferents.

Another world view, shall we say. 

Un altre vista del mon, es pot dir.

Also small things, they've never heard of a walkathon, particularly when it is paid by the kilometer.  And bigger things: they cannot imagine a world without opposicions - brutal and stupid massive examination process to become a civil servant of any sort.  So if you've gotten a teaching degree, then you have to go and jump through a whole other lot of exams to start to actually teach, for example.  Just ask Kate.

Hi ha coses petites, com no han sentit mai una walkathon i em costava temps per definir-ho però el que li costava era la concepte de ser 'sponsorship' per kilòmetres caminats.  També coses més grans....no poden imaginar un món sense oposicions - que són brutal, estúpid i massiu exàmens per ser funcionari, de qualsevol tipus.  per exemple, si ja tens una carrera com a mestre, encara has de saltar unes quantes altres exàmens abans de començar de ensenyar....opts preguntar la Kate, per exemple.

Small things that make me sit up and notice.  My boss even says that I always have a different point of view on things.......sometimes a weird one.  I quote.

Coses petites que noto.  Fins i tot, la meva cap diu que sempre tinc una altre punt de vista en tot....de vegades, un molt estrany.  Cito

6 comments:

Beth said...

Perhaps he should have used a word (or words) other than “weird” – such as “unique” and “Canadian.” :)

elpadawan said...

Well, as expatriates, we're always the weird ones when outside of our homecountry :)

kate said...

Yes, jumping through hoops...

oreneta said...

Beth, she didn't mean it totally negatively, I think....I am also sometimes amazed by how they view things.

ElP, Expats indeed, freaky, everywhere we go.

Kate the living breathing truth.

Anonymous said...

Oreneta, I REALLY miss you!

Hug

Nomad

oreneta said...

Good lord you too Nomad...:HUGS AND HUGS AND HUGS!!!