Anyone living (lived) in a pareado or adosado in spain?

[luisHK]

Been in Madrid suburbs for a few days now. It is less exciting than downtown for sure, the poshest area where the international schools are is particularly boring apparently.
Possibly the wealthiest area in whole of Spain and 1 or 2kms away downtown of that same suburb the park looks like a third world area, dirty and aggressive looking migrant kids playing soccer ( where it is forbidden) with a ball that would have been thrown to the trash ages ago where we flew from. Weird,the ball looked like it came out of a documentary on destitute Africa.
Besides that shithole part the ambiance is noticeably friendlier than in most places I ve been(i speak decent spanish, which helps), I m much less stressed when going out than in difficult China.
Son managed to literally knock himself out on his first BMX outing at the bottom of the skatepark bowl. I was lying on the grass a few meters away playing on my mobile when a bunch of locals came to alert me. Surprised afterwards a bunch of people came around try to comfort him and help out while not noticing anyone filming but I was in a bit of a shock and might have missed that. His helmet was poorly attached, flew out and I thought he had broken his jaw although a visit to the emergency service proved overdone, just some hematome on the chin.
He s half Asian and doesn t speak a word of Spanish but seems to find playmates everywhere. he does seem to find friends no matter the country, but i m usually less talkative than in Spain
Overall it looks quite relaxed, not surprised again it comes as the favourite capital for expats in Europe with the reputation to be a place where it s rather easy to make friends.
But ime as well petty crime is a hassle, better be more careful with one's belongings than in developed asia

 

[luisHK]

Funnily enough, people in Asia are far more helpful.

I would have expected this not to be the case in? the Philippines, is ur experience different?
Mine in develloping Asia and even Singapore( not the best areas there) would point to :
Don t expect much help from the locals, and sometimes expect them to jump in just for the sake of beating up a foreigner.

 

[luisHK]

About Spain being late technologically, I picked up a bunch if 100euros notes at the bank overseas before coming, all the same new notes. The shops in? the malls next to where we stay Haven t updated their note controlling machines which Don t recognize those notes. Nobody seems to have seen those before and I got them rejected in over half the shops? !? Those are Euros I picked up in Asia, and this is Spain where Euro is legal currency...

 

[d08]

I would have expected this not to be the case in? the Philippines, is ur experience different?
Mine in develloping Asia and even Singapore( not the best areas there) would point to :
Don t expect much help from the locals, and sometimes expect them to jump in just for the sake of beating up a foreigner.

While I have not had any violent events happen to me, I know people that have been robbed violently and bystanders were helpful (this was Manila). I had only a small encounter where the GF was scared of a drunkard trying to befriend the foreigner (me) and we got help from nearby police. This however was not really a dangerous situation, drunk guys trying to be overly friendly are rarely a threat.
Filipinos are concerned about the country's reputation, it's quite different from mainland Asia where I hear the foreigner is always at fault, no matter what he does.

 

[luisHK]

, it's quite different from mainland Asia where I hear the foreigner is always at fault, no matter what he does.

Yes that has been my experience/impression as well, glad to read it might be different in Manila although it doesn't have the reputation to be very safe outside Bgc and possibly Makati.
I might still give a try to the Philippines later on btw, possibly when the kids have finished high school.

 

[d08]

Yes that has been my experience/impression as well, glad to read it might be different in Manila although it doesn't have the reputation to be very safe outside Bgc and possibly Makati.
I might still give a try to the Philippines later on btw, possibly when the kids have finished high school.

I'm not in Metro Manila nowadays, last place there was a resort type condo but that gets old as well with the pollution and traffic. I'd suggest to venture out of Manila as soon as possible. Personally I've taken a liking to the mountains with the cooler climate and a different mentality but that's not what the Philippines is really known for.

 

[blueraincap]

agree that the surrounding areas of most major european city cores look like 3rd world shitholes. I expected them to be nicer areas similar to uptowns in north america with nice houses and quiet neighborhoods, but most i saw are crappy and rather densely populated places. Paris is beautiful and "romantic" then take the train up north to Gare du Nord and I thought i was in nigeria, further north the worse it gets, thou nowhere can be worse than napoli

 

[d08]

agree that the surrounding areas of most major european city cores look like 3rd world shitholes. I expected them to be nicer areas similar to uptowns in north america with nice houses and quiet neighborhoods, but most i saw are crappy and rather densely populated places. Paris is beautiful and "romantic" then take the train up north to Gare du Nord and I thought i was in nigeria, further north the worse it gets, thou nowhere can be worse than napoli

You need to go North or more often nowadays East as well. The cities will be less metropolitan but in some ways better.

 

[p0box4]

agree that the surrounding areas of most major european city cores look like 3rd world shitholes. I expected them to be nicer areas similar to uptowns in north america with nice houses and quiet neighborhoods, but most i saw are crappy and rather densely populated places. Paris is beautiful and "romantic" then take the train up north to Gare du Nord and I thought i was in nigeria, further north the worse it gets, thou nowhere can be worse than napoli

That is what open border policy got us and it's only getting worse.

 

[p0box4]

Possibly the wealthiest area in whole of Spain and 1 or 2kms away downtown of that same suburb the park looks like a third world area, dirty and aggressive looking migrant kids playing soccer ( where it is forbidden) with a ball that would have been thrown to the trash ages ago where we flew from. Weird,the ball looked like it came out of a documentary on destitute Africa.

Aggressive looking migrant kids are all over Europe now, once you point them on something they are doing is wrong/illegal you are a racist, they get away with everything.