People of Spain and People of Portugal - very similar or very different? (UK, reputation)
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It is difficult to tell how people actually looks like in every European country, there are some typical traits in almost every country but even more people who wouldn't look like this typical one without having foreign roots. Europe is very mixed up and was always so.
Agreed. I was just talking to a very light-complected Serbian woman with natural red hair, pale skin, and a lot of freckles. Not typical Serbian, but the entire continent is all mixed up.
I spent six months in Spain; but overall impression is that most Spanish look NOTHING like how people say they will. Most look very generic European. The black-haired, dark-skinned Spanish female image is not the norm, but more of an exception - or so it seemed to me, as I was living between Valencia and Barcelona - where I saw very very few who looked like that.
Last edited by Tiger Beer; 06-17-2015 at 06:16 AM..
Agreed. I was just talking to a very light-complected Serbian woman with natural red hair, pale skin, and a lot of freckles. Not typical Serbian, but the entire continent is all mixed up.
I spent six months in Spain; but overall impression is that most Spanish look NOTHING like how people say they will. Most look very generic European. The black-haired, dark-skinned Spanish female image is not the norm, but more of an exception - or so it seemed to me, as I was living between Valencia and Barcelona - where I saw very very few who looked like that.
It's no different when ignoramuses assume all Latinos look like a brown-skinned indigenous Central American/Mexican.
Last edited by Rozenn; 06-17-2015 at 11:30 AM..
Reason: Orphaned
Agreed. I was just talking to a very light-complected Serbian woman with natural red hair, pale skin, and a lot of freckles. Not typical Serbian, but the entire continent is all mixed up.
I spent six months in Spain; but overall impression is that most Spanish look NOTHING like how people say they will. Most look very generic European. The black-haired, dark-skinned Spanish female image is not the norm, but more of an exception - or so it seemed to me, as I was living between Valencia and Barcelona - where I saw very very few who looked like that.
These were probably Latin American immigrants. Locals in Barcelona are not darker than in the rest of the country, plus obviously there are many more immigrants there than in the boondocks.
These were probably Latin American immigrants. Locals in Barcelona are not darker than in the rest of the country, plus obviously there are many more immigrants there than in the boondocks.
That's what I mean. Spanish people look NOTHING like the stereotype.
The stereotype of Spanish is basically that of a Mestizo Mexican woman. I.E. dark complexion, jet black hair, dark eyes, etc.
What I mean to say, is that it isn't true.
This is the kind of image of Spanish women, that non-Spanish people have all the time:
Generally, associated with Flamenco...
But, I seldom saw women like that anywhere in Valencia or Barcelona. I also went down to Andalusia, and I'm sure they are there, but that wasn't the overwhelming feel I got from there either...in real life, the people mostly just looked like everyone else in Europe.
Last edited by Tiger Beer; 06-18-2015 at 07:35 AM..
In my opinion the way people from different European countries look alike could be resumed like this:
So, many people will look like they could come from every country in Europe, some others could look more like southern European or North European, West, East, British, Spanish, Scandinavian, whatever... and some others will have the typical look of a German or a Spaniard or a Russian and also be original of that land, but not necessarily.
The problem comes when people think that Europe is something like this:
The funny thing about this thread. I'm the OP, and what I originally meant was how are the Portuguese and Spanish different culturally or in behaviors.
When I started this thread, I had no idea that people would compare genetics. That was the furthest thing from my mind. Interesting that most of this thread turned into a genetics debate though.
NOTE: Kessel - great model! I agree with that completely!
The funny thing about this thread. I'm the OP, and what I originally meant was how are the Portuguese and Spanish different culturally or in behaviors.
When I started this thread, I had no idea that people would compare genetics. That was the furthest thing from my mind. Interesting that most of this thread turned into a genetics debate though.
NOTE: Kessel - great model! I agree with that completely!
Then let's go back to that question.
I don't know many Portuguese people but I'd say they are not as similar to us Spaniards as many people could think, in terms of culture I mean.
As I was studying languages at the university I got to know that the Portuguese language descends from Galician, in northern Spain, which I didn't know. Our professor told us that the Portuguese, after they got their independence from the Spanish reign, did several things to get some distance from the spaniards and maximize their own cultural singularities too, so at the same time they got some distance from Galician, which indeed was supposed to be almost the same language as Portuguese. I think Galicians and Portuguese can still understand each other when they speak their own languages.
I don't know very much about Portuguese culture, but the biggest cities in Portugal, like Lissabon or Oporto do not like Madrid or Barcelona, at least not in the old parts of the cities. I have the impression that they still have more traditional architecture in their big cities as we do, they also still have the tram in both cities, I think. The pictures I've seen from both cities are really beautiful, but I've never been there, I was only once in the north of Portugal, but just some kilometers away from the border with Galicia, and nevertheless both places - southern Galicia and northern Portugal - looked kind of different to me.
I don't know many Portuguese people but I'd say they are not as similar to us Spaniards as many people could think, in terms of culture I mean.
As I was studying languages at the university I got to know that the Portuguese language descends from Galician, in northern Spain, which I didn't know. Our professor told us that the Portuguese, after they got their independence from the Spanish reign, did several things to get some distance from the spaniards and maximize their own cultural singularities too, so at the same time they got some distance from Galician, which indeed was supposed to be almost the same language as Portuguese. I think Galicians and Portuguese can still understand each other when they speak their own languages.
I don't know very much about Portuguese culture, but the biggest cities in Portugal, like Lissabon or Oporto do not like Madrid or Barcelona, at least not in the old parts of the cities. I have the impression that they still have more traditional architecture in their big cities as we do, they also still have the tram in both cities, I think. The pictures I've seen from both cities are really beautiful, but I've never been there, I was only once in the north of Portugal, but just some kilometers away from the border with Galicia, and nevertheless both places - southern Galicia and northern Portugal - looked kind of different to me.
The current form of Galician has Castilian influence. They both descend from proto-Portuguese or proto-Galician however you choose to define it but it was the common language of of the Kingdom.
I don't know many Portuguese people but I'd say they are not as similar to us Spaniards as many people could think, in terms of culture I mean.
As I was studying languages at the university I got to know that the Portuguese language descends from Galician, in northern Spain, which I didn't know. Our professor told us that the Portuguese, after they got their independence from the Spanish reign, did several things to get some distance from the spaniards and maximize their own cultural singularities too, so at the same time they got some distance from Galician, which indeed was supposed to be almost the same language as Portuguese. I think Galicians and Portuguese can still understand each other when they speak their own languages.
I don't know very much about Portuguese culture, but the biggest cities in Portugal, like Lissabon or Oporto do not like Madrid or Barcelona, at least not in the old parts of the cities. I have the impression that they still have more traditional architecture in their big cities as we do, they also still have the tram in both cities, I think. The pictures I've seen from both cities are really beautiful, but I've never been there, I was only once in the north of Portugal, but just some kilometers away from the border with Galicia, and nevertheless both places - southern Galicia and northern Portugal - looked kind of different to me.
Part of that is related to Manueline style of architecture unique to Portugal.
Agreed. I was just talking to a very light-complected Serbian woman with natural red hair, pale skin, and a lot of freckles. Not typical Serbian, but the entire continent is all mixed up.
I spent six months in Spain; but overall impression is that most Spanish look NOTHING like how people say they will. Most look very generic European. The black-haired, dark-skinned Spanish female image is not the norm, but more of an exception - or so it seemed to me, as I was living between Valencia and Barcelona - where I saw very very few who looked like that.
I went to Spain, several times particularly in Valencia, Madrid and the region of Catalonia as well. I know also plenty of Spaniards, the girls can be very beautiful at times. Spaniards are European by excellence,which means they are White people. I have seen blonde,brown,black and sometimes red-haired people, blue/gray/green/brown-eyed in Spain. The difference was that in Spain/Portugal/Italy, the vast majority have dark hair, dark eyes, and the skin is beautiful not so pale.
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