Hi Hector! I'm Emma and
I'm a Modern languages student
at the University of Exeter.
Firstly, thank you so much for coming today
and for taking part in this interview
for Transcultural Devon.
I'm very interested to hear about your experiences
and your life,
and...
I hope you enjoy this opportunity!
And...
if it is okay, I am going to ask you a few questions
about your experience of moving here,
to the UK.
So,
I am going to ask questions in three parts
firstly, your motivation for migration,
your hopes and realities,
your identity, and finally your advice.
Okay, please could you introduce yourself
and tell me a little about yourself?
Okay, very well,
I'm Hector,
and...
I've been here in England for six and a half years already
[I came with my ex-partner and her daughter]
and...
the truth being, we wanted a change from Spain
because the employment situation
isn't too good at the moment,
and we also decided to make a change
so the daughter could learn English here,
in an English school.
Yes.
[Originally we were moving for one year]
but in the end,
I mean look, I have been here for six years already,
so what was meant to be for a short period
in the end was for a lot longer.
Okay, thank you
and...
could you tell me a little about your job
here in England?
Is it the same as in Spain or different?
Well, I am a vet and...
in Spain I worked with small animals.
I worked in a type of animal protection, with dogs and cats
and I found the first job that I had
before...I arrived here.
I had an interview,
and I started as soon as I was in England.
[It was a little different because I was working...]
in the area of animal health, in abattoirs
completing post-mortem inspections,
I had this job for two years
[and after this I then changed jobs]
and started to do TB testing on the farms
in Devon and Cornwall,
Yes.
[and a year and a half ago,]
I changed jobs again, and started working
for the Ministry, for the Government.
Okay!
[But I will always be a vet!]
Okay, thank you, and
why did you decide to move here, to Devon?
And to England?
Well, to be honest we didn't know exactly
where we were going to go
but I had a friend who was working
in the first company that I worked for.
He told me that they needed more people, and more vets
so I sent my CV and had an interview [Yes.]
and in the end
we decided to accept the offer
that was for here in England but,
we didn't know where exactly it would be
so, they gave me a position that was here
close to Exeter,
and we started to look for schools
and colleges around the area
and we saw that Exeter suited us the best,
and therefore we decided to come here.
I see,
and now do you live in Exeter city centre?
Yes, I live in Exeter, close to Polsloe
very close to the centre, about 20 minutes away.
[Okay]
When I first moved here,
I lived in Leeds for a few weeks
then I lived in Hertfordshire for a week,
Yes.
[but since then, just in Exeter.]
And do you like living in Exeter?
I do like Exeter, but...
I miss the Spanish weather a little
because I am from the south of Spain
so I miss the sun a lot.
Yes.
[Other than my family and friends]
but above all, what I miss the most is the weather.
The winters here aren't necessarily cold
[but...]
it is always raining
and the truth is, I need the sun, a lot of it!
[laughter] Yes!
[so it is what I miss the most!]
Okay, so you mentioned the weather,
but what was the hardest thing
to leave behind in Spain?
Well apart from the weather,
my group of friends and family
because my family, are all in the south of Spain,
other than my sister, she is in Italy.
Okay
[But also making a complete change,]
and having to form new friendships here,
but in the end this is
something that happens naturally.
It's something that, well..
with living in a new place and simply being in a new city
in the end, you are going to meet new people,
a new group of friends,
you are going to do group activities
like playing football,
allowing you to meet a lot of people.
But, what I found most difficult at the start
was the complete change,
leaving behind my friends and family,
and just starting a new life, [Yes.]
in a new culture, a new house,
new customs,
you have a lot to do,
like bills, housing, schools,
the language, and all that. Well...
it's like...
a purpose, but it is also something that
you work towards, you know?
It's like...
a reason, for moving from one place to another
it's like a goal.
Yes.
I can imagine it is very difficult.
And, when you moved to Devon,
was it the first time you had been to the UK?
Well, I'd been here before
but... only visiting.
I have been to Scotland,
visiting some friends,
I have also been to Bristol
Yes.
[but only for a holiday,]
for a few weeks, or couple of days.
Okay, and you mentioned that...
you miss your group of friends in Spain
therefore, is there a Spanish community
here in Devon?
Is there a big community or not really?
Here, well definitely in Exeter,
I believe there are loads of Spaniards,
for example, we have created a WhatsApp groupchat
so we can play football
and I think there are about 50 or 60
not only Spaniards, but lots of different nationalities
[80% are Spanish people]
but there is a lot of people,
English, Italian, South American
from Paraguay, Peru, Chile.
But there is...
I believe, many Spaniards living here
in Exeter and in Devon.
People that, for one reason or another,
have also decided to make a change
from Spain to here.
And I believe always, well almost always
the main reason why people move here
is for work. [Yes.]
The situation is really bad in Spain
they don't give you much help
or...
many economic benefits
or opportunities like they have here.
Therefore, many people decide to make a change
after many years of trying to find
a job relating to their degree
but not every degree gives the same opportunities.
So they decide to have a fresh start elsewhere
and the main place people go to
for the language, and the proximity to Spain
is here, to England.
Yes, that's true.
And... what...
would you say helped you to adapt
to a new society in England?
Is there something in particular?
Well, at the start,
the family I had helped me a lot
my ex-partner, and her daughter.
Yes.
[They helped to motivate me.]
We had to adapt, and just get to know the area really,
because none of us knew the language,
So, being together,
I believe helped us a lot
and in the end, we were meeting people quite quickly
so we found a good group of people.
I think that above all, when you
go somewhere that isn't your country
the most important thing is,
to find a group of people that you can identify with
and you feel comfortable with.
Yes.
[If you are with people]
it doesn't matter if you are in England,
in the US, Ireland, or wherever.
It could be one of the worst places in the world to live
but if you find people,
to relate to, to share experiences with,
to have a few beers with, to do sport with
it's fundamental.
If you don't find people you feel comfortable with
I think it is very difficult to endure.
At least for me, due to the person I am, I-
am an extrovert who likes to meet people
if I don't find people in a new place,
I don't think I would stick it out more than a few months.
So for me, the most important thing
is the people you are going to meet.
Yes, I agree. And...
would you say that you experienced
culture shock, when you arrived in the UK?
Because the culture is quite different?
Yes, I noticed it quite a bit because...
the way of life is quite different.
I suppose it's influenced by the weather,
but over in Spain, we are used to doing everything outside
always in the street, always outside.
But here it's more difficult.
There is more of a pub culture here,
people do socialise as well, but for me the culture is quite different.
It's not that...
it's a huge difference
that perhaps it would be
if you went to Asia, as the culture is so different,
[Yes.]
because we are still Europeans.
But... every country I believe has a different culture,
different habits,
and at the start it was a little shocking
but little by little, you adapt to where you are living.
Although you will keep your traditions,
for example I keep some of my Spanish habits.
But in the end, you are going to adapt
and mark your country as here.
Yes, and...
is there something that surprised you about living in the UK?
or the British public?
Well...
I suppose at the start when I arrived
there were more things that surprised me.
Now, after a lot of time I believe I have accepted everything
there is nothing that...
well, I always compare things from here to Spain
to see if we do things similarly
or we do things differently,
but, I don't see it as surprises.
I can notice the differences,
but it isn't something that really shocked me
like it would in another place.
Okay, and...
what have you found the most challenging,
and the easiest about living here?
Well...
for me, what I find most hard
like I mentioned earlier, is the weather
the rain,
and not being able to enjoy the sun
or the beach as much as I would like.
At the beginning, I also found the language hard
especially, I remember when I spoke
on the telephone,
I understood almost nothing when I had to
sort out the electricity bill,
or the water bill, or rent.
I found it so hard to understand people talking on the telephone
Yes.
[And now, well I got used to it because...]
part of my work is to stay in contact
with farmers on the phone,
I have to call them, and have to approve moves, or licences.
[So I have to spend a lot of time talking to them on the phone]
so in the end, you start to understand more and more.
But at the start, I found it really difficult.
Yes, you talk about speaking on the phone,
and as we have already spoken in English,
I know that your English is now fantastic,
[laughter]
so how did you learn it?
And how much did you know before moving?
Well...
actually, I studied it in highschool
in Spain, for two or three years
but, it's English that you learn in...
well at least, talking in relation to my country, Spain,
the English that you learn,
for me is very basic.
You learn vocabulary, grammar
you learn verbs, a lot of things
but I believe, until you move to the country
in which the language is spoken,
[you won't learn the language]
because you can know a lot of vocabulary
but when you are in a conversation
with an English person [Yes.]
at the start this happened to me,
you don't realise how little English you actually know.
Because you can come here having studied something
but until you are in a conversation with
someone here, from England
Yes.
[you don't really realise how low]
in my case anyway,
the level of language that you have is.
Therefore until you move to a country that speaks it,
you won't fully know or understand it.
Yes, I experienced the same
when I was in Spain, it's very difficult.
And do you believe this level of English
helped you to assimilate into the UK?
Having learn't English? Yes.
Yes.
[For me it has been fundamental,]
knowing how to defend myself completely
in almost all situations.
I believe that if you don't stand up for yourself in the language
well clearly you can survive with no problems
I know a lot of people... well I mean I don't speak it very well
but there are people that speak it better, or worse
[Yes.]
and they are still here.
However, knowing the language where you are
is fundamental, because you need it in your daily life.
So you need to learn it in some form,
whether it be a high or basic level
but you need to know how to stand up for yourself
in any situation or for anything you might need.
You need to practice the language for all the challenges you may come across.
Yes, very true,
and have you ever felt 'out of place'
or different as an immigrant and
have you experienced any discrimination?
No. No I haven't.
Well...
I have never experienced discrimination,
perhaps maybe one time,
but I'm not sure if I consider it.
In parties there have been a few comments
telling me to speak in their language
or something like that,
but they are very specific cases.
The truth is that I haven't felt
a very racist feeling here, in England.
You can see it happening, in other places
but it's not something that is mentioned
as something that happens here very often.
Okay
[It can happen, it happens in Spain, Italy and elsewhere]
this discriminatory sentiment can occur,
but it's not a norm that I have noticed here.
Okay, that's good.
And do you think that Brexit will affect
your life here a lot?
Well...being honest
I don't know how Brexit will affect it
I think due to the job I have,
it won't affect me currently,
but, I believe the people that decide to,
in the future, in a few months,
perhaps move to England to work,
I believe it's going to be more difficult.
It is going to be more complicated when it comes to starting a new job here
but...
as I arrived here more than six years ago
and I have already got a settled status,
I don't think Brexit will affect me too much
when it comes to my world of work.
Okay, that is good. And...
[I hope!]
Yes! [laughter]
[and...]
Do you think in general the UK is a welcoming place?
Yes, yes. Um yes...
I think that...
I speak on my behalf,
and the behalf of a lot of people who come from abroad,
the UK has given me the facilities to get involved here,
and to set myself up here,
which, I didn't think I would get at the start.
But the truth is I don't have any complaints regarding this.
Because since the very first moment
I have always had opportunities, and if
something didn't work out, I was able to find something else and
you always have a chance to do something
or you can...
progress in your career.
The truth is that...
you are given all the help to move here.
Okay, and in terms of
the current situation with the pandemic
how have you found the lockdown period in the UK?
and have you spoken with family, in Spain and compared the two situations?
The truth is that for me,
it has been quite a hard year
due to the fact that I'm here
with restrictions on returning to your home, or to your country
honestly, it's tiring.
And... in terms of my job for example
I'm now working from home 80% of the time,
which is also very tiring
because I like to go out, to visits,
to farms,
but right now I can't. [Yes.]
[Therefore for me it has been a hard year]
in terms of the pandemic
but I think that's just in general
because the whole world has been affected.
I don't think that anyone is comfortable with the situation.
So it's something that, well it's a pain in the neck
that we have to try to improve in some way
and we hope that maybe with the vaccination
it could be a way out, or a solution.
I think that here in England the rate of vaccination is quite high
they are doing it a lot quicker
in comparison with other European countries
[we can only hope that,]
the situation improves.
And the situation in Spain...
I think that, at the beginning of the pandemic
I think the lockdown here was much more relaxed
because, since the beginning,
you were allowed to go outside on the street for an hour to do exercise
however when I spoke with people in Spain
they had a hard lockdown because
they couldn't leave to do anything
only to go food shopping.
The streets were empty,
it was something completely different.
It wasn't like here, you saw people walking in the street
but in Spain, you weren't even allowed to walk.
However now, for us here,
since November or December I think
everything has been closed: the restaurants, the bars, the gyms.
However in Spain, for some time now,
before Christmas, you could go out.
You could go out in the street,
grab something to drink in the bars,
I think there is a curfew they are open between 6pm and 8pm
but I think now,
they have a lockdown, but not as serious as ours.
Yes, yes it's true, it's been a hard year
it's been a hard year for everyone.
Yes, and... as time has passed,
how would you compare your experience of migration
with what you had hoped it to be?
In what sense?
For example, what did you think before coming here?
And is it the same as what you hoped it to be?
I..., well when I came here
my idea was to stay for only one year,
Yes.
[so in the end,]
due to life's circumstances
you're getting another job,
you're making new friends,
in the end you are living your life
[and...]
at the beginning, I was only staying for a year
but in the end, well I decided to stay
I don't know for how long but...
I also want to return to where i'm from.
Okay
[But, you never know,]
you never know if you are going to be here for one year,
six months, five years, ten years
you never know.
Okay, and now a little about your identity
do you think you are a very different person
when you are in Spain?
Um, I don't think...
I think not, I believe
I'm the same here, there, wherever
you are the same person, you don't change your way of being
when you are in a different country.
Yes.
[They only thing you change perhaps is your habits]
based on where you are, but...
in terms of personality, I am the same
whether I am in England or in Spain
I behave the same with the people here,
people in Spain, my family, everyone.
Yes, that's great.
And how do you maintain for example, your Spanish traditions?
while you are here in the UK?
Well, for example I love to cook
Okay
[I try to cook lots of typical Spanish food]
because I like the food, and...
I could cook other cuisines, but...
I do try to cook typical dishes from here.
Yes.
I am from the south of Spain, it's sunny, there are beaches
and here we are also in the south, with beaches that are really beautiful
it just lacks the weather,
so here I try and do the same,
when spring and summer arrive
I tend to go on the weekend to Cornwall and Devon, to the beaches
I try to do these things.
Okay, and what type of food
is typical for your region in Spain?
any examples?
Well...
in my region they make Spanish omelette,
gazpacho, salmorejo,
Yes.
there is guiso, which is like a stew
[Ah okay,]
there are loads of typical dishes.
Yes.
and, in a normal year, how many times do you go to Spain?
Well in a normal year, I usually go for
two long holidays which are Christmas and Easter
and possibly another two more times
perhaps a long weekend, or five days
for Easter for example, or another time for four or five days
in total more or less four times a year.
Okay, and you have mentioned your plans to move back to Spain
do you think you will continue living
in the UK, I don't know, for a few years?
Or potentially forever?
What do you think?
Well to be honest I don't know,
I don't think I will go back to Spain
any time soon, let's say between now and a year
[but my intention is to return if I find something]
if I find a stable job there,
I would go back to Spain.
After six or seven years,
I feel good here, but I don't feel
as if I want to live here forever.
I know if I had the opportunity,
I'd go back to Spain.
Okay... yes.
And now some of your advice,
what are some of the most important things
that people can do to improve the process
of moving to a new country, or community?
I believe that, mainly, have an open mind
open to everything that could happen
good things, bad things
and always keep it as open as possible,
because, when you leave and change from a place that
is your comfort zone
to somewhere completely different,
a country where you don't know the language, the people, the culture
you need to be open to any experiences that might come up
whether good or bad.
Therefore, you need to have a clear mind, a calm mind
and although,
at the start there are more bad things,
you have to always have a positive mentality
[Yes.]
because it will change, at the start, nothing is easy
it is not just handed to you.
So at the start, it could be, that you find it more difficult
to get into a routine, a job, a language, the people
[but in the end, I believe]
if you stay positive, with a clear mind
you will meet people, you will get to know the place,
you are going to enjoy what your doing
and in the end you will feel comfortable.
Okay, yes. And would you like to
move to another country?
or just Spain and England?
Well, I lived in Italy for a year,
I did my Erasmus year there for 11 months
and, to be honest,
if I found something else
if I got a job opportunity,
I wouldn't say no to moving elsewhere
because I like to go to new places. [Yes.]
So, it's not that I just want to go back to Spain,
I want to go back if perhaps there's another job opportunity
but if I'm given an opportunity elsewhere in the world,
[and it is in line with the job I'm doing]
I don't mind moving to another country
to have another experience.
I don't know... you only get one life
you have to make the most of everything
that comes your way.
Yes!
And, what advice would you give to other Spaniards
specifically that are moving to the UK?
Do you have any advice?
The only thing I would say is if you can move to the south of England
because I think Birmingham and Manchester [laughter]
me no, but I do know other people that prefer these places
but I need to be in the South, always.
Yes, with the beaches
[Yes.]
But what I would say to them is
to come with a desire to learn, to meet people,
to experience the culture,
and that if you have the opportunity
or you have a job,
or you want to start a new life
don't be scared to do so, try it
and if it fails, you always have time to go back
to your country, to Spain, France, Italy, wherever.
So if they decide to change their life
or try a new opportunity here in England
do it,
Yes.
[it will most likely work out]
[but if not, it doesn't matter!]
It's simply another life experience
and if it is bad, it's not a failure
simply another experience, you can return and then try again
it's not a problem.
Yes, I think that is very important advice.
Okay, and is there anything I haven't asked
that you would like to add?
No, well I don't know,
well like I said, for now I'm here, and..
I don't have any issues with where I am
and what I am doing right now
and, I don't close doors to anything.
In the end, you will keep going
and you will continue leading your life by force of habit
so whatever is coming will come,
if I have to stay, I will stay, if I have to leave, I will leave
I don't put limits on anything
I don't put expiry dates on anything
simply do, create, work,
for as long as you can.
Okay, well,
thank you very much for participating in this Hector.
It was very interesting and I hope you have enjoyed it!
I hope you continue...
[It has been a pleasure!]
enjoying living here in the UK.
I will stop the recording now.