Two things happened recently to make me start thnking about Spain and the love of all things new.
Firstly, I was going over past comments recently, and came across this, from Bill:
“The contemporary Spanish like to look forward, not backward. They like to live in brand new flats, drive brand new cars, build new railways, etc. They’re not interested in the past so much…”
Secondly, while Marina is on maternity leave, I’m putting together a series of special advanced Spanish pocasts with our friend Isabel (who is currently helping with everyone’s written Spanish in the forum).
We are planning to make a recording about how the Spanish would never be seen dead wearing second-hand clothes from a charity shop, something that is both common and seen as perfectly acceptable in the UK in most social groups.
I’d love some input on this. Why do the Spanish run from the old and embrace the new? Why are there no second hand/charity shops in Spain? Will all this change as the ‘crisis’ (set to get worse in 2009) means that out-and-out mad mass consumerism has to calm down, and people might have to reconsider their views on the merits of buying second-hand?
Your thoughts would be much appreciated.
Notes from Spain by Ben Curtis 