Ask a Basque Thread

[Josu]

Is school in the Basque country taught in Basque or in Spanish? Both?

This is a good question.
In basque country we have, 3 schooling models, A, B and D. There is no C as C does not exist in basque modern alphabet.
A model is completely in Spanish, with one subject called Basque, B Model is bilingual, half subjects in spanish and half subjets in Basque. D model is completely in Basque, with one subject called Spanish.

There is a controversy about this issue, because people who wants they kid in D model, think that there is no enough school offer in D model and people who want their kids in A model think the same about A model.
It has become a political issue between basque nationalist parties and other parties as well.

On the other hand a school may be public, private or "concertated"(Private but with gobernments economic help and surveillance). There is a movement over concertated school in which student's parents are the owners of the school in a kind of cooperative, and are having D model. They are called Ikastola, literaly means, Place to learn in basque.

What are the local opinions of the Basque living in France?

I am not very sure about that, I am from Spanish side. However I would said that the basque feeling is much weaker in france area than in the spanish one.

 

[Josu]

The origins of the Basque people are largely unknown, right? But do you guys have legends that attempt to explain where you came from? In Poland we have such a story - with 3 brothers (1 Czech, 1 Polish, one Russian)

Yes there are unkown, there is a legend, called the Legend of Aitor. Aitor was a man who has 7 sons, each son created each basque province. There is a point over this. Aitor literally means in an acient basque dialect "Good Father". This legend calls basques sons of Aitor, sons of a good father.
Aitor is nowadays a common male name.

I also wonder how easy it is to learn Spanish if you only speak Basque.. or the other way around. I suppose that probably never happens, right? You learn both languages as you're growing up? Must be tough since the languages are not related at all.

I learned both languages, as I grow up. However I had some schoolmates that at the age of 14 were no able to speak spanish for them. Basque was spoken by allmost 100% in their town, so they do not have the need of learning spanish, and have some dificuties in speaking spanish. This is an exception as allmost all basque speakers do learn spanish

 

[warpus]

Do you "feel" Spanish?

 

[Josu]

Do you "feel" Spanish?

No. Although my passport says I am Spanish, I feel Basque.

 

[TheLastOne36]

No. Although my passport says I am Spanish, I feel Basque.

Are you the exception or the rule among the Basque?

Also, are the Basque feelings towards Castellanos comparable to the Catalanes (IE, who dislikes the Castilians more? )

 

[Josu]

Are you the exception or the rule among the Basque?

No, I am not an exception, but it wont be true if I say that I am the a rule. There is people who feel just basque and there is people who feel spanish.

Also, are the Basque feelings towards Castellanos comparable to the Catalanes (IE, who dislikes the Castilians more? )

I think that there is a similiar feeling. There is some people who really dislike Castilian and there is people who don't have speciall feelling towards them

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Tell me about the cuisine. What would you say is the best dish?

 

[Midnight-Blue766]

Are you content with living in an autonomous region, or do you think the Basques should be independent from Spain? Or do you prefer something like how both Canada and Britain have a same monarch, but different laws?

 

[Babbler]

How do you feel about the situation of Basque language? Are the governments doing enough to protect it? Do you think endangered, and to what degree? Do you think, one hundred years into the future, will there still be Basque speakers?

 

[MjM]

Are you a separatist?

 

[Josu]

Tell me about the cuisine. What would you say is the best dish?

Pil-Pil Cod



It is a Cod, with a sausse made with garlic, olive oil, and jelly contained in cod. Chilli is optional as well

There are three imortant sausses in our cuisine:
1) Pil-Pil sausse, for fish, mainly with cod
2) Biscay sausse: made with tomato, olive oil, pepper, garlic and bread. It can be used in fishes, and some meats, as pork, duck etc. Rarelly with cow or veal meat.
3) Green sausse: made with olive oild, flour salt and parsley. For fish. Clams and asparagus are optional


Chops and steaks are very common as well, they are served with chips or some peppers.

Crab, served as in this photo is very valuable as well

 

[Josu]

Are you content with living in an autonomous region, or do you think the Basques should be independent from Spain? Or do you prefer something like how both Canada and Britain have a same monarch, but different laws?

I think that Basques should be asked about independence. And 90% sure that I would vote yes.
What I don't prefer, in any case, is having same monarch as Spain. Even having a Monarch

 

[Josu]

Are you a separatist?

Yes, as I have said in a hipothetic vote, I think i would vote yes. However, please do not mix separatism with ETA. I have always thought that a pacific separatism movement is possible, and I do know that there is a lot of people that thinks like me.

And I have some preferences. First preference is independence referemdum, where I would accept if Basque people wants to continue being Spanish

 

[Josu]

How do you feel about the situation of Basque language? Are the governments doing enough to protect it? Do you think endangered, and to what degree? Do you think, one hundred years into the future, will there still be Basque speakers?

Basque language is at risk. This is a fact. Last Unesco reports confirmed this. Governments worked hard in the past to integrate basque in Health care system and public administration. If anybody wanted to work in public administration, knowing basque was supposing extra points to be hired, and people allready working was having a lot of help to learn Basque. Now, there is a non nationalist goverment in basque region, and this kind of helps have been reduced.


In one hundred years I am pretty sure that rather than Euskera, it will be Euskañol (Euskera + Español)

 

[TheLastOne36]

Do you think that Euskara would be fine on it's own if it were to become independent? (For example, many believe that Scotland becoming independent would be a disaster for the country)

Also should you get independence, would you want Athletic Club to stay in La Liga or join a Basque league?

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

It is a Cod, with a sausse made with garlic, olive oil, and jelly contained in cod. Chilli is optional as well

Not sure how to feel about that. It's not a texture I want mentioned with fish, or any meat for that matter.

There are three imortant sausses in our cuisine:
1) Pil-Pil sausse, for fish, mainly with cod
2) Biscay sausse: made with tomato, olive oil, pepper, garlic and bread. It can be used in fishes, and some meats, as pork, duck etc. Rarelly with cow or veal meat.
3) Green sausse: made with olive oild, flour salt and parsley. For fish. Clams and asparagus are optional

The impression I'm getting is that fish (or seafood in general) and olive oil are the most predominant ingredients.

Crab, served as in this photo is very valuable as well

Looks good. That's a vegetable soup in the shell, isn't it?

 

[Josu]

Do you think that Euskara would be fine on it's own if it were to become independent? (For example, many believe that Scotland becoming independent would be a disaster for the country)

Also should you get independence, would you want Athletic Club to stay in La Liga or join a Basque league?

I think there is a confusion here. Euskara is the language, the land is Euskadi or Euskal Herria, both literally mean land of basque(language). Yes, I think we would be fine on our own, nowadays we are one of the economic strongest spots in Spain, for example while unemploiment rate in spain now is about 20%, it is the half in Basque country. And there are very strong companies in Basque country such as Mondragon Cooperative group or Iberdrola

If possible I would like to stay Athletic Club in La Liga as it would be much competitive competition than a basque league, which would be a shame, whith only Athletic Club, Real Sociedad and maybe Osasuna (if navarre chooses independence as well) as competitive teams.

 

[Josu]

Not sure how to feel about that. It's not a texture I want mentioned with fish, or any meat for that matter.


The impression I'm getting is that fish (or seafood in general) and olive oil are the most predominant ingredients.



Looks good. That's a vegetable soup in the shell, isn't it?

Yes, fish and seafood are predomintant in our cusine. Olive oil is predominant in whole iberian peninsula. However meat is very important as well.
A very traditional restaurants, are cider houses, here you have unlimited cider, and a menu that should be like that:
Cod Omelete
Cod or Hake with peppers
Steak
Cheese

No it is not vegetable soup, it is the crab's meat with some vegetables, it is usual to take it in oven about ten minutes

 

[peter grimes]

Has Euskara changed much over the centuries?

Some languages, like English, have changed so much that if I travelled back 1000 years I would have enormous difficulty understanding people. But others, like Arabic (I think) or Greek, are still intellegible.

 

[madviking]

This is a good question.
In basque country we have, 3 schooling models, A, B and D. There is no C as C does not exist in basque modern alphabet.
A model is completely in Spanish, with one subject called Basque, B Model is bilingual, half subjects in spanish and half subjets in Basque. D model is completely in Basque, with one subject called Spanish.

There is a controversy about this issue, because people who wants they kid in D model, think that there is no enough school offer in D model and people who want their kids in A model think the same about A model.
It has become a political issue between basque nationalist parties and other parties as well.

On the other hand a school may be public, private or "concertated"(Private but with gobernments economic help and surveillance). There is a movement over concertated school in which student's parents are the owners of the school in a kind of cooperative, and are having D model. They are called Ikastola, literaly means, Place to learn in basque.

Which model did you attend? Which model would you want your children to attend? (Or, if you already have children, which model are your children attending?)

How highly do you rank preservation of Basque language and culture when choosing a school or a political party?