Spain 🇪🇸

Claudi, 27

Born in Barcelona, Spain

Came to Australia in December 2016

How did we meet?

Claudi was one of my tennis partners at Summer Hill, just like Islam (Egypt).

What is your occupation?

I work as a waiter at an American restaurant called The Thirsty Bird and I was previously a cabin crew member for Ryanair, an Irish carrier.

I studied Economics in Spain for half a year before I dropped out; it was shit and wasn’t my passion. My passion is dealing with people, rather than sitting in front of a computer screen.

Why did you come to Australia?

I was looking for a change after spending 23 years in Europe and I wanted to discover this part of the world.

My mum’s side of the family lives here and I wanted to base myself in a country where I could explore Oceania and Asia.

What do you like about Sydney?

I am grateful for the plentiful number of parks in Sydney, which provide an escape from the “concrete jungle” nature of other metropolises.

I like how each suburb in Sydney has its own distinguishable culture; it’s a very multicultural city.

I also appreciate the convenience of being able to get things 24/7- food, services, whatever you need. This is because I come from a small town near Barcelona, where everything closes before 8 pm.

What don’t you like about Sydney?

As a motorcyclist, I don’t like how very few roads are designed to be bike-friendly.

The terrain is very flat, whereas in Europe you’d be able to bike around the mountains and there are plenty of curves.

It seems like people are always in a rush and are quite impulsive- it’s all about instant gratification and getting things immediately. As a waiter, this frustrates me. It’s ridiculous.

What would you like to say to Sydneysiders?

Sit down for lunch. Don’t eat while walking, put your phone down and enjoy the time for yourself. Chill out.

In Spain, people often take hours to eat lunch. There isn’t much of a takeaway culture as a result.

What languages do you speak?

English, Catalan (native), Spanish (native), Italian, French, Portuguese.

My parents really pushed me to learn more languages.

I can have at least a conversation in all of those and I know a little German as I was based in Dusseldorf while working for Ryanair.

I would like to learn Moroccan Arabic because Morocco’s one of my favourite countries.

Teach us one word/phrase from your native language.

To do something "D'amagatotis" means to do so sneakily, with nobody realising.

An example is going to the fridge in the middle of the night and eating ice cream or cookies. This word is very Catalan.

What is one thing you want us to know about your native country?

It’s a very culturally diverse country. Barcelona was French a few centuries ago and the southern parts of Spain, Granada in particular, has a lot of Islamic-inspired architecture due to the Islamic Conquest.

There’s also the Basque region, where the origin is still uncertain. Some people say it has Viking heritage but no one knows for sure.

The food is fantastic too, which I’ll talk about soon.

Who is the most famous person in your native country?

Pablo Picasso- is there anybody who doesn’t know him?

He was one of the most influential painters of all time. Enough said.

What is the best dish in your native country?

Calçots and a calçotada.

It’s a green onion that you serve with romesco on a terracotta roof tile. Google it for yourself!

To eat it, people use a big bib that can stretch as far as their knees.

This is the most typical dish that you’ll see around Catalonia around February/March: you always go with family and friends to eat this. Everyone gets happy drunk and their hands dirty, it’s something you’ll never forget.

Disclaimer: All posts are personal opinions and perspectives of the interviewees and are not a perfect representation of the whole country/experience.