Валенсия - Испания | Жизнь других | ENG | 12.09.2021
Aviasales. Service for buying tickets for the cheapest flights. Venice. Pensioners spend their days playing bridge, socializing, getting acquainted with each other and even starting a romantic relationship. Paris. Here pensioners go to nightclubs, dance to the hits of their youth,
drink cocktails or even start romantic relationships. But in this center everything seems to be just the same. Playing cards, getting acquainted, socializing... except there are almost no women. You may ask, where are they? No worries, they'll come here, but later in the evening. They'll come here when they're done with cooking, cleaning and washing. You are very welcome to Valencia. This is The Life of Others.
New York London Venice Amsterdam Tokyo Singapore Zheneva Rio de Janeiro Havana Paris The Life of Others Zhanna Badoeva Finally I arrived in Valencia! It is a beautiful city with delicious food, wonderful architecture, golden sands and warm sea. Does it seem that I have already told you everything about it? It only seems that way! Because I still have a lot to tell you! Valencia is a city in the south of Spain. It is the third largest in the country and is the capital of the region of the same name. The locals have their own language, their own traditions and even their own games.
If I was born a Valencian, then maybe I would be Sonya. Sonya and Moises family Then I'd be engaged in the upbringing of two daughters, and my husband would keep the household. Miguel Casares, veterinarian I could also be Miguel. Then I would have my favorite job.
Everyday I would take care of lemurs and other African animals. True, they would not love me very much. Or I could be the owner of a small cafe like Alvaro. Alvaro, cafe owner It means I’d have the kind of work schedule I like. That is, with breaks for lunch, lunch, siesta, and so on.
In general, I would like to tell you more about the peculiarities of local schedules. After all, we have all heard about the famous siesta more than once. Do you know how the day of the Valencian goes and how it actually starts? And I already know that every morning a Valencian starts out roughly the same. They wake up, take a shower, stretch, and immediately go to the bar for coffee. This is amazing! Pablo Margos Bensal, chef Mostly our schedule looks like this. We get up usually at 7 am,
Then we go to the nearest cafe for breakfast. Usually this is a cup of coffee and a light snack. Usually by 8:00 in the morning we come to work, but already at 8:30 the second breakfast begins which lasts half an hour or an hour. It is usually a small sandwich. At one o'clock in the afternoon, we start lunch, which smoothly flows into a siesta. And it all takes us at least 2 hours.
By four o'clock everyone is back to work, by 5 o'clock there should be another small snack. Most people end their workday at 7:00 pm. By 9:00 pm late dinner starts. It all sounds like a perfectly fulfilled recommendation of a gastroenterologist. But I've got another question here.
Where do people work here? People here work between meals. By the way, we also like to have a glass of wine with a meal. It is allowed to drink one or even two glasses of wine already during the second breakfast. Drinking more wine is allowed at dinner only .
But not everyone has such a work schedule. Those who work in offices, as well as those who cooperate with foreign companies, go to work according to our usual schedule. The rest follow the traditions anyway.
I am interested in how the locals, taking into account all the snacks for the day, manage not only to work, but, for example, to take the child to the kindergarten. Elena Morales Peñarrubia, kindergarten director Public kindergartens start working at 5 am. Private ones can start working at 7 am, but additional hours are extra. We also have half private gardens but the schedule is different everywhere. Today I am visiting a semi-private garden. Here half of the cost is paid by the state and the second is paid by the parents. This is 250 euros per month.
At the same time, the kindergarten itself is very cozy and clean, with a huge number of different activities. And the main children's entertainment here is the pool and this is not at all surprising considering the local climate. Here on the playground in the kindergarten, children have a vegetable garden where they grow vegetables and then cook them themselves, can you imagine? Also, children have a pool where they can splash all day long. In addition to the children's pools on the territory of the garden, once a week, we have eight children a full-fledged large pool where they learn to swim. Many kindergartens in Valencia do this because it is important for the safety of the children themselves.
Moreover, they teach swimming here practically from the age from which children are sent to kindergarten, and this is only 4 months. Therefore, it is not surprising that local kids love water as much as fish do. Let's swim! Why? You don't want to? Look at her! I'm putting her in, and she's getting out. Here you go , girl! Well, the rest of the work for today needs to be canceled now.
You want the same way? Here you go! Do you want? All right! Let's go, guys! Join us in the pool, Mrs! - I'm already tired, sorry, kids. Oh well, that's enough to swim in the pool, it's time to study. Come with me to the garden to pick tomatoes! After kindergarten in Spain, a child can be sent to school at the age of 3. While in kindergarten, as a rule, all children are together, there are separate schools for boys and only for girls. If it seemed to you that these were relics of the past, then I assure you, it only seemed to you. Maria de La Peña, headmaster Separate schools are, on the contrary, a modern approach to education, because boys and girls develop in different ways and this is a fact, and they also have different interests.
So why not divide them up and develop individual programs, this is only beneficial. Paula Torres Garcia, teacher No girl or boy is forbidden from talking to each other. They do it well outside of school, which means there is no social problem in this. Tell me, since what grade are you studying in this school? I have been studying here since the first grade, that is, from the age of 3 year. That is, it turns out that you do not know what it is like to study at a school where boys and girls study together. Tell me about your feelings of studying with only girls in the same school? Afrika Belman Kandero, schoolgirl I like to study with girls, But on the other hand, I don't even have anything to compare with.
Tell me why your parents sent you to study at this particular school? Firstly, they themselves studied at such a school, and secondly, there is a very good level of education. According to the education equation, our girls' school is in the top 10 in terms of education in Valencia. This is all thanks to the individual approach that I have already talked about. Tell me about dating boys, how does it work here? It is quite easy to get acquainted with boys, for example, my older brother made me get know some. Also, all my life I have known the boys in our yard and communicate with them. All right, I've got it here.
But I'm still wondering if there are those big breaks at school that I already talked about. Siesta for the Spaniards is a sacred cause, with no exception neither for kindergartens, nor for schools. From noon to 3 pm there is lunch here and every class comes and dines during this period. Today children have vegetable puree, potatoes and meatballs for lunch, and the children are given only water to drink. By the way, only small children have such a varied menu for lunch. All other residents of Valencia usually dine on the same dish that was invented here and this dish is called paella.
Paella. Paella. Paella. Paella is my favorite and everyone I know's favorite. You've probably all heard about Spanish paella. In fact, this dish is Valencian and not the other way around. Spanish paella is generally a meaningless phrase, some absurd.
Pablo Margos Bensal, chef Real paella can only be found in Valencia, and they only have some rice with anything to go with that. I liked that the very phrase "Spanish paella" does not make sense. This is amazing. I do not understand what is the difference between Spanish paella and Valencian? Initially, the word "paella" itself is a Valencian word and denotes the frying pan in which this dish is cooked. Here it is. Let me briefly explain to you if you do not know what kind of dish it is. This is a local pilaf that is rice with vegetables and meat or seafood.
Is it true that here they eat paella for breakfast for lunch for dinner and even get up at night to eat paella? Paella is very satisfying and is never served for dinner. Most often this is a weekend or lunch dish. How many people is this paella in a pan made for? For three people, Zhanna. Probably here in Valencia they do love to eat?! But on the other hand, where do people not like to eat deliciously? It's my turn to taste this top-notch local cuisine. I can't say anything about the taste of this dish, but it looks very appetizing. I see rabbit meat, rice, beans and there is also chicken here.
I have to eat paella straight from the pan? Right, this is how everyone usually eats it at home. Here it is. This dish is so delicious and generally low-fat. Rice is al dente and it is very tasty. The average check in Valencia is 20-25 euros. Considering the fact that the salary of a kindergarten teacher is about 1000 euros per month, this is a lot.
This does not bother the locals at all, and they will almost always prefer a restaurant to home cooking. Miguel Carases, veterinarian Any Valencian will always eat 100% at home only on Sunday because it is a family day. All other days of the week are most often scheduled for meetings in different places. Maria Albinyana, woman in labor Visiting a cafe is a separate item of expenses planned ahead.
For most, the week looks something like this: on Monday I have dinner at a cafe with a friend, on Tuesday I go to a restaurant and on a date, on Wednesday to a bar with my friends, and so on. Pablo Margos Bensal, chef An important trait in the local character is not to change their traditions, especially with regard to food. If young people are more flexible to new dishes, then the older generation often do not travel outside Spain because it is not clear what to eat and at what time, when abroad. While collecting my cosmetics for a new trip, I found out that my beloved Yves Rocher is celebrating its 30 years anniversary in Russia this year. This is the first cosmetic brand that came to Russia and gave women a cosmetic variety.
By the way, they were the first in Russia to introduce the concept of an eco-bag and release products in this format. In a word, absolutely deservedly Yves Rocher is the largest single-brand perfumery and cosmetic network in Russia. And in honor of the anniversary, there are a lot of gifts and discounts! To be honest, not only in Spain, but also in Valencia itself, there are so many different attractions that you really can not go anywhere. For example, you can look at exotic fish in the local oceanarium, one of the largest in Europe, and if you want to visit Madagascar, just drop by the zoo. Miguel Carases, veterinarian Our zoo has collected many species of African animals, from lemurs to elephants. With our climate, they feel comfortable, the main thing is to take care of them and feed them properly.
What's that? I can see some raisins and dried fruits which I usually buy. They fight just like my dogs do. Do they recognize you as their master for example? And do you know them by names etc? Do you have your favorites? I am a veterinarian and they hate veterinarians because we give them different injections, we cause pain. After all, they do not understand what it really is for their health. I see that they are walking among people ... Do they have any homes or places where they sleep at night?
They have special sleeping areas, these are more like equipped rooms, but not cages. They look very friendly and I do want to take them right in my hands. But this is deceiving... Just as in case with a pretty girl...everything's not that simple. It is considered very prestigious to work as a veterinarian with wild animals. However, the best and most prestigious here is a position in the civil service, any position. Therefore, even with these guys who clean the streets are not so easy to get a job, because this is also a State service.
It is quite difficult to get a job even as a cleaner in a utility service. There are always no places there and the work is considered good. After all, for civil servants there is a package of benefits, many perks and allowances.
In addition, it is almost impossible to dismiss a person from there. Oscar Blesk Marco, insurance agent If you want to get a good position in the civil service, then you need to have some kind of friend, better, a relative, otherwise there are very few opportunities. As I was told, the local people would really be glad to work for the state, as the salary is higher there. Let's say a mid-level official has a monthly salary of 1,500 euros. It's almost impossible for me to achieve such earnings, but I work as an insurance agent.
By the way, Oscar was also out of luck with his schedule, he works in the office, which means he does not have any second breakfasts and a lot of breaks. It is kind of of living check to check on that point. Of course, hospitals are working non-stop. It cannot be so that a woman gives birth, but she has to wait, because the doctor has a siesta? Anna Bernabeu Sifuentes, obstetrician-gynecologist Most local women prefer to give birth in private hospitals like this. It costs about 6 thousand euros, but in your country there will be not only an obstetrician as in a public hospital, but also a doctor. Otherwise, the conditions are about the same, except that in a private hospital, attention and comfort will be a little more, but what unites all private clinics is one unusual tradition.
This is how the ward looks into which a woman gets after giving birth, and here she is already relaxing. The most interesting thing is, when a girl is born in Valencia, the nurse says: “We congratulate you, mommy, this is a girl! So, will we do the piercing?" Most mums agree to do it. The girl's ears are pierced immediately when she was born and only after that the child is given to her mother and congratulated on the birth of a daughter. If the birth went well, then the woman in labor stays in the hospital for two to three days.
If, God forbid, she or the child has some problems, then our clinic has a children's intensive care unit. After childbirth, parents receive small maternity payments, from 100 to 300 euros per month. It depends on the salary, but if twins are born then the state congratulates the family with a one-time payment of 3000 euros. Maria Albinyana, woman in labor In general, it is not accepted to stay on maternity leave and, as a rule, women go back to work four months after giving birth. This is exactly what my friend Sonya, the wife and mother of two girls, did. The whole family invited me to their place faster, and I couldn't refuse! Hi! Come in, Zhanna! Here is our children's room.
This room looks exactly the same as in the brochures. It's so bright! You've got two daughters, right? How old are they? They are 5 and 6 y.o. Do you always walk so beautiful or is this how you meet me? Of course, I dressed for the meeting, as I wanted to look beautiful. Spanish women love to dress up and be beautiful, they are all so bright! They won't go out looking like me now? Well, I don't know. I was in your country! This is where girls love to dress up! We do it not that much. So she decided, why not? Look how pretty she is! Sonya and her family moved into this apartment just three years ago and says that they were very lucky with it.
Usually apartments in Valencia are very small, but here we have 150 sq m, so we live like in a palace! But we have been looking for this for a very long time! You've got such a big bathroom! Look at this! This is the world of ladies. Are you putting it all together or are you the girls yourself? My girls do. Well, good job! Wait, let me get back home and I'll give you a good whupping. Who cleans your house? Is there a housekeeper or you do everything yourself? Basically, my husband does everything, says go for a walk and I'll clean up.
Did you hear that? Oh my, I'll give you a good whupping. After that, I can't help but talk to her husband. Sonya told me that you tell girls to go for a walk, and you will clean everything yourself, is it true? That is, admit they are making you and or are you doing it yourself? Of course I do it myself.The thing is that the husband, before answering that he cleans up himself, was consulting with his wife for a while concerning how to answer me.
All right, who cooks food then? I cook Paella. It seems to me that it makes no sense to ask who is the boss of the family. But in Valencia, is it customary for a husband to earn money and for a woman to take care of the house, or does the majority live 50/50 and get their budget together? Moises Racana, head of the family Here everyone is equal, everyone works because it is much easier to feed a family. The average salary in Valencia is slightly higher than 1000 euros, and in order to live a normal life for the whole family, you need 1500 euros for a month.
Therefore, women, as a rule, do not sit at home but also work. Do you have any problems with his neighbors, if suddenly someone makes noise, can you call the police or make a scandal? Or do you not react in any way, but just wait them to stop? We have excellent relations with our neighbors and no one bothers anyone here. Everyone is trying to comply with the laws, as some fines are even common for the whole block of apartments. Maria Carmen Chirivella, lawyer There is a law that prohibits throwing wet wipes and other garbage in the toilet. that can saline the sewer, and if this does happen, then the fine will be evenly distributed among the residents of the whole house. This is from 750 to 3000 euros.
As for the rest of the domestic fines, they are certainly lower. For example, you will have to pay up to 100 euros for parking here, so it is better to pay for it. This is from 1 to 4 euros per hour, but if we are talking about parking, then there is another funny thing. I've heard the expression "packed in like sardines.", but I never knew what it was,
and finally in Valencia I will find out about it. With us it is absolutely normal if your car does not have enough space, then you can gently push the neighboring ones and squeeze in. In general, they park here in about the same way as our people find a place for themselves in the metropolitan subway at rush hour, brazenly but without fanaticism. What can you do, there are few places in Valencia, especially in the old part of the city. By the way, perhaps that is why the festival, which is famous all over the world, was born here.
Jordi Palanca Gremio, sculptor Before spring, the Valencians used to take out all the junk that they’d packed up in a year and burn it to make room in the house. Of course, no one has been doing it for so long, but the tradition has remained and turned into a festival called Festival de las Fallas. Every spring, hundreds of different sculptures are rolled out on the streets of the city to be burned later.
This is the tradition as it is. At one festival, about 10,000 figures are burned, but as soon as it ends, we start working and preparing for the next one. It takes me about 10 months to make one sculpture, but I don’t mind being burned because it all looks so beautiful. I must say that it is hot in Valencia not only during the festival, but practically all the rest of the time. But the hot sun of the south of Spain has negative consequences as well.
It turns out that in such an environment, head lice is a very common problem. Sonia Amaya, Valencian Pediculosis is mainly spread in schools and despite the fact that my children have never had them, in general, such a problem exists and many parents face it all the time. To solve such a problem without drastic measures, I mean a haircut, there are even special rooms where children are brushed their hair. Do children mostly come to you with this problem? Inmaculada Escamia, hair brushing specialist Mostly yes, but sometimes parents get infected.
How do you do it? Do you get any devices? The first step is to go through the vacuum cleaner. I swear I have seen different vacuum cleaners, but I have never seen a vacuum cleaner for removing lice. Have you studied this profession somewhere or is it your heart's call? I worked in another such center, and they taught me there. Oh my! Look at that! Amazing. I never thought that removing lice could be such a pleasure, so to say! You feeling good?I do. One such session costs at least 50 euros and the price depends on the complexity and the complexity depends on the length and structure of the clients' hair. You wanna try?
Sure! Well, it's simple. Ooops! Now you need to cover it and then comb it out manually and recheck under a magnifying glass. Wow! It's a big deal, guys! Every time I think that there is no such profession that can surprise me. But here I was again surprised by the fact that the head was vacuumed.
I understand that if you have opened a separate office, it means that you have a lot of clients? I have 6 to 8 clients a day and I spend about one hour with everyone. It's hard to surprise me, but here it was not seafood but a vacuum cleaner that surprised me! Here are the peculiarities of the local weather. Despite the fact that our people often dream of living forever and a warm climate, it has its drawbacks. Locals have to figure out how to escape the heat all the time.
In this case, it is advisable not only to avoid the coolness of the place, but also to find something tasty with which to refresh. Every country has its own famous dishes and refreshing drinks. The most popular summer drink in Valencia is horchata and locals are proud of it. Let's taste it because they say it's delicious! This drink can be compared to a kvass in the sense that it is only sold here and can be bought simply on the street on tap. As for the recipe, there is nothing in common with kvass. Yummy!!! Cheers! Many people told me that I would not like this drink, like many foreigners, but on the contrary, I really like it, it is so sweet. And where is it made from?
The main ingredient is a nut, we call it chufa. and some sugar to go with that. It reminds me of a nutty drink, very tasty. This is not only a tasty but also very healthy drink, it contains both calcium and magnesium and vitamin A, and it costs one euro per liter only . Is it the locals who buy it more than the tourists? Of course, the locals know him and drink more, but tourists are told that if you don’t try orchata then you haven’t been to Valencia.
I came to Valencia, drank horchata and I'm feeling good, I feel magnesium, calcium, vitamin A working. I feel a surge of strength! My cameraman wants to get high, so we'll let him try it now! It’s a long way from the end of the episode, and the stories about food and drink were as much as rice in plow. It's amazing that with such a diet, the locals have practically no extra pounds! How do they manage to eat so much while staying thin and slender? Francesc Javier Catalunya, coach Honestly, I don’t know the exact answer, but it’s probably sports.
Each Valencian is engaged in some kind of activity, someone runs, someone swims and someone plays pilota. When we talk about Spain, it is immediately associated with football, right? But there is another sport in Valencia that you and I have obviously never heard of, but I definitely never heard of it! In Valencia, pilota is a sport that is played by, if not more people than football, then exactly the same. In our small region, there are several leagues and more than 3000 pilota clubs. In order not to go deep into details, I will simply say that the rules of the pilota vaguely resemble big tennis. Only they don't play here with rackets.
Pilota is so popular with us that it is even taught in schools. Professional players sign a contract with a salary between 20,000 and 70,000 euros per year. It’s not football, of course, but you can make a decent living with that money. According to the locals, as long as you play at a high level, you can make good money, but it is unlikely that the savings will be enough for you to live on them after the end of your career. That is why many young athletes go to university in parallel with sports, considering that higher education in Spain it is not so difficult. Maria de La Peña, headmaster One can enter university according to school marks, but you have to pay between 800 and 1,000 euros per year for public higher education.
The largest university in Valencia is polytechnic, but it surprised me not so much with its educational system as with its unusual location. I know that there is such a thing as a campus, I think and you know it, a student area, a building, and here in Valencia there is a student street. And all of it belongs to the university. It is true that the university occupies a whole street that runs through the city.
All buildings, administrative building, university dormitories are located here along one single street. If you touch on the topic of architecture, you will notice that the Valencians are perfect inventors. Serci Campiglio, Deputy Mayor of Valencia Perhaps the largest urban project for us was the relocation of the Turia River.
The river flowed through the city, but it often came out of the banks and flooded residential areas, causing great problems. So the city decided it was time for it to flow a little in the other direction. Paco Yopis, Tourism Director of the "City of Arts and Sciences" The transfer started in the late '80s and is still ongoing. So far, about 10 kilometers of the former riverbed have turned into a beautiful park. The old riverbed now looks like a green river that flows through Valencia. This park can be said to be a favorite leisure place for the townspeople. There is a huge number of different paths, playgrounds, cozy benches and sidewalks, and this miracle of landscape design ends with an architectural miracle.
To attract tourists, the city authorities are restoring old historical buildings. What they did here, next to historic buildings, they built the buildings of the future. This place is called The city of Arts and Sciences, and in these quaint buildings you can not only shoot fantastic films, but also watch movies, go to the theater or visit the planetarium. This is a kind of cultural and entertainment center.
Paco Yopis, Technical Director of The City of Arts and Sciences Some of these buildings are designed so that they can be transformed for different purposes. For example, where a big conference was held today, tennis competitions can be held tomorrow. When this place was just being built, many townspeople had an ambiguous opinion about it.
but now everyone is happy to spend time there. In addition, it attracts tourists and therefore brings money to the city's treasury. Surprisingly, the city authorities of Valencia really care about the leisure of the local people. In addition to The City of Arts and Sciences, parks and the oceanarium, where young people and tourists mostly go, they have taken care of the oldest local inhabitants. In every area of Valencia there is a kindergarten, a school and such a center for retirees. They can come for coffee, chat and play cards or dominoes. That's to have fun.
Every pensioner can come to such a centre at any time and find activities to please him. You can do handicrafts, play dominoes or gamble for money. What are the odds today? 2 cents is a minimum. Why are there only men, why are there no women here? Iker, senior They are still at home, and when they finish cleaning, cooking, washing stuff, then they will come here.
Everyone has their own time. Is it good to live in retirement in Valencia? What's so bad about it? You sit and play cards, and once a month you get money on your card. That's awesome. You don't work, but you get money.
I like you friend, sitting over there who's telling you not to be distracted. Okay, guys, I will not distract you, then let's go and look for someone else to talk to. Concha Prieta Linares, pensioner We retire at 65, but if you have worked for 40 years, you can retire earlier.
Pension payments starts from 400 to 2500 euros per month. It depends on the salary you received before. While walking around the pension center a little more I met a Fernandō who was doing nothing and was happy to chat. How old are you? I am 77. Tell me about retirement in Valencia. Do you have enough of pension payments to live a good live? Fernando Sotos Sastre, retired It's enough, by the way transportation and medical supplies is free too. There are these centers, and
they're free here, as well. So I have almost nothing to spend money on. Tell me, do you remember your youth? Has Valencia changed a lot since your youth? It has changed, but for the better. The city became more beautiful and richer, and people began to try harder for it. I know that you, tourists from the outside, probably think that we do not work here, we constantly have a siesta, then lunch, but in fact, people here work from early morning until late at night. Look at the city, how it looks and you will understand that lazy people would never have created such beauty! What should young people know about retirement? What is above importance? Maybe you need to take care of your health, family, work, money? It’s important to understand that we have to take care of the elderly, because when the time comes, they will become exactly the same and get exactly the same. Therefore, dear friends, everyone who is not yet at retirement age, remember that we will all be pensioners and we will all want the same thing.
attention, health, love ... I'd love a cup of coffee, definitely. So let's meet retirement cheerfully and confidently! Even though there are discounts and benefits for the elderly here for so many things, there are some things that have to pay full price. A Valencian has to make certain payments every month: taxes, utilities, pay for kindergarten and school .. you know what I mean. They also have to make payments every month for future funeral while still alive.
They are thinking everything through! Jorge Bort Sospedra, funeral director Usually a place in a cemetery costs from 700 to 1500 euros, often all local people use a funded program, that is, once a month they donate 20 euros for a future funeral. Many people immediately take a package for a family with a discount costing only 35 euros for three family members. As a rule, people think about it in advance so that children do not have to carry it for the deceased. You might think that life in Valencia is floating through... No one’s trying to get tense, and all they care about is a delicious meal. They are not too worried about the schedules and are looking forward to a siesta.
Every day they just rest, satisfied with what they got. And no one seems to be even trying to change it! Although it’s actually deceiving, because if the locals really want something, they will not just change the flow, they will turn the whole river. From the side, it may seem that the Valencians are only eating, sleeping and resting. In fact, as soon as the break is over, they start to work immediately.
Otherwise, how would they create so much beauty in their city? For example, the most delicious paella, the largest oceanarium, paella with a rabbit, the most beautiful park, paella, beautiful stadium, amazing paella, pristine beaches and incredible dust, unique architecture, and of course the best paella in the world! Every Valencian will say that you need to live your life so that first of all, you like it yourself, otherwise you will be unhappy by constantly comparing it to the lives of others.
2021-09-12 18:48
