Maria Lopez: Galica, Language, Superstitions
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She talks about differences between Galicia and Madrid. Maria talks briefly about ghosts and superstitions of Galicia and about the Galician language. She sees similarities in Ireland and the Irish and Galicia.
Maria came to Cork to learn English, on the recommendation of a friend. She talks about the importance of Christmas in Galicia as a family time and the importance of the Feast of Santiago in July.
Maria is happy to continue to live in Ireland and neither she nor her family have experienced any antipathy.
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Hunter, Stephen (1999), Life Journeys: Living Folklore in Ireland Today, Cork: The Northside Folklore Project.
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Transcription
SH So what really brought you to Ireland?
ML Okay from the practical point of view it was to improve my English because I did a degree you know after dropping my medical studies. I did a degree in English philosophy to become a secondary teacher and then by the time I finished I..my marriage was not going very well whatever you know and a few circumstances were together you know and I wanted to leave the country definitely then. My choice could be an English speaking country and because one of my best friends in Madrid was married to an Irish man from Cork you know she recommended to me that Cork would be an ideal place and everything. I came here and I’m here. I just came for 10 months and now it’s been almost 4 years since I came.
SH And what do you think of the relative living standards between the two? Cork and (?) would they be similar standard of living or expectations? Would one be better than the other one? Or what would be some similarities or differences?
ML That’s a hard question because I don’t know. There are many differences regarding you know as simple things as times for meals you know? That is kind of a big issue when you first move here you know? For me, it was really difficult to think about having my dinner at 6 when in Spain we never have it before 9 or 10 or if you go out for a dinner even later you know than some it kind of a big difference but I would say that nowadays we could just go towards … there are not so many differences. Most people try to be happy to get a living from their work and to improve their situation.
SH Would you think that Irish people had a similar amount of money, disposable incomes, spending power or a bit more?
ML No, I would there are more money in Spain because I don’t know how it works but most people that I know they are in debt. That some Irish people have rents in Madrid for example if you consider a teacher married to a nurse lets say their standard of living would be better in Spain than here. I don’t know exactly why maybe the tax system is stronger here or wherever and definitely things like food are much more expensive here than they are… the bare essentials not much you know? They are expensive.
SH What about the poorer people do think they would be better off here or the welfare state would be more inclusive here for them?
ML Definitely the welfare state is better here you know? They have more support from the state then they will have in Spain but for example, if you think people here they have kind of benefit employment or whatever but the thing is that if you go onto some kind of work in the black market it’s much better paid in Spain then here you know? Then I think that makes the difference because definitely Spain is the country in Europe with the highest rate of unemployment but people are surviving. They are so happy if you go to a disco it’s full of people. If you go to a restaurant it’s full and then I don’t know how people can manage but definitely they are managing.