{"id":63899,"date":"2016-03-13T15:47:42","date_gmt":"2016-03-13T14:47:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/?p=63899"},"modified":"2016-06-10T14:21:56","modified_gmt":"2016-06-10T12:21:56","slug":"how-to-be-a-little-less-guiri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/how-to-be-a-little-less-guiri\/","title":{"rendered":"How to be a Little Less “Guiri”"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u00b4re not familiar with the term “guiri<\/strong>“, it literally means \u201cstranger\u201d. Basically, it’s just a stereotypical tourist<\/strong>, usually pale-skinned and English speaking<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 though I’ve heard Germans are an exception.<\/p>\n

\"Tourists<\/a>Being a guiri<\/strong> has its downsides. Locals tend to see you either as an annoyance or as an opportunity for easy money.<\/p>\n

There are a few phrases that will bounce around you as a guiri<\/strong> enjoying Barcelona, such as: \u201cHello my friend! You like party?!\u201d, \u201cCervesa, beer, cold beer!\u201d and \u201cHi! Eat something?\u201d \u2013 this one is usually accompanied by something akin to a hug, but is actually an attempt to shepherd you into their restaurant before you realise it\u00b4s empty.<\/p>\n

But a little more seriously, it is well worth being aware<\/a><\/strong> of your guiri<\/strong> status. Barcelona is a buzzing and vibrant city which welcomes millions of travelers every year. However, it is also infamous for its pickpockets<\/a>, <\/strong>who\u00a0are of course always on the lookout for vulnerable, sun burnt foreigners who are likely to have a good amount of things worth stealing on their person…<\/p>\n

Top Tips<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t be that<\/em> guy on the metro<\/strong>. The guy speaking in, what I like to call, \u201clunch-bell English\u201d to his partner about what a \u201cswell time\u201d they\u00b4re having, with his expensive camera swinging around somewhere behind him, his wallet peeking invitingly from his shallow pockets and his rucksack nonchalantly half open, as he squints at the metro<\/strong><\/a> map above him. Sounds like common sense I know, but you\u00b4d be surprised how quickly a great day can be ruined.<\/p>\n

Wear New Balance trainers.\u00a0<\/strong>Everyone else does! You\u00b4ll blend right in.<\/p>\n

\"ramblas\"<\/a>Don\u00b4t get lost.<\/strong>\u00a0Now, of course in unfamiliar territory you may not be sure of where to go, but with the huge technological advances you shouldn\u00b4t struggle too much with getting from A to B<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I\u00b4d recommend the easy to use and free app Citymapper. <\/em>Maps not only act as a huge screen to the outside world, but they are a distraction and somewhat of a flag to pickpockets. Also be aware that the kind stranger offering to help may just be a further distraction. Most mobile phone companies offer good deals on roaming charges<\/strong> and for around \u00a33 per day you can use your phone as normal and reduce the chance of needing to ask for directions.<\/p>\n

No phones on the table.<\/strong>\u00a0Firstly, you\u00b4re on holiday, don\u00b4t be antisocial. Secondly, you may think you\u00b4re aware and observant but these people make a living through distraction and deception. People, even locals, always say \u201cI literally have no idea how they took it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wear your rucksack on your front.\u00a0<\/strong>You\u00b4ll see this everywhere. A lot goes on behind your back, so keep it under your nose and try and get over the sensation of being pregnant.<\/p>\n

Don\u00b4t let all this put you off. I myself have had to come to terms with the fact that, despite living here from almost 2 years, I\u00b4m as guiri<\/strong> as the day I arrived. So my final tip is to enjoy your time as a guiri<\/strong>, embrace it\u00a0 and if you make just a little effort there is nothing that can go wrong in this amazing city.<\/p>\n

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\n 5<\/strong>\n \/<\/span>\n 5<\/strong>\n (<\/span>\n 1<\/strong>\n \n vote <\/span>\n )<\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u00b4re not familiar with the term “guiri“, it literally means \u201cstranger\u201d. Basically, it’s just a stereotypical tourist, usually pale-skinned and English speaking \u2013 though I’ve heard Germans are an exception. Being a guiri has its downsides. Locals tend to see you either as an annoyance or as an opportunity for easy money. There are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":63905,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4595],"tags":[176,1994,968,2348,986],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63899"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63899"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63899\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63922,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63899\/revisions\/63922"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/63905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}