Cultural Differences as told by Katrina

I thought I would do an informational blog about the cultural differences in Spain compared to the United States so you can get a little taste of what it is REALLY like to live here. To start out, everyone walks everywhere...everywhere... or rides a bike.. or a moped.. even in their fancy business suits. Classy. There are many people that have cars but it is so expensive to buy a parking space (we´re talking about 40,000 Euro here people)

Further than that, I honestly have not seen a "house" here at all. What I do see are many apartment buildings located on top of businesses or simply and apartment building between buildings with parking below or down the block. No one rents here because "to rent is to throw away your money" I learned in class about "cultura de propieded" (culture of property for a direct translation). This basically is about the people who choose not to move to find a job or not to rent because they love having their own things (ie my own house, my own car) In fact, When i visited a company here called Abengoa, they work in sustainable development, and they said that because they have so many workers, they offered to let them have these passes that would allow them to ride the bus to work for free and the workers were so attached to their cars that they declined. Eventually maybe people will come around.

Unfortunately sleep-overs and making cookies/watching movies at 'home' is not allowed here. Some señoras (host moms) do allow friends to come over but the majority of Spanish life is lived outside of the home. You go to a café or to a restaurant or the park, basically you go anywhere except the home. People here enjoy their privacy and you can relax at your home as much as you want, but they really are not for friends. Not that in the 'States' the size of the apartment i am living in currently would be a no friend zone. Its actually quite large. Friends are outside of the home so along with walking everywhere, another reason aside from work or school would be to hang out with friends. Also, the novios (boyfriends/girlfriends) have to meet outside of the house to make out.. this they pretty much do anywhere they please, park, plaza nuevea, a bench, laying on the road, on a moped, by a fence, on a dumpster, you get it. SERIOUSLY. that is the situation.

As we travel throughout the day of los sevillanos (those who live in Seville) next comes the main event, eating. Now, In the US as you all well know, we eat 3 giant meals a day with the main meal being suppertime. The first and foremost difference, they don't do that here. In fact, the only similarity I would throw out there for the two are that there are 3 meals (sometimes more depending on age, size, diet, etc). A normal eating day here starts out with breakfast. This can be around 8 in the am we will say for an average time, and is usually something along the lines of café(coffee), pan(bread), cereal(which i get at my homestay and generally choose the fruit from the lunch before), fruit, or a little something speacial (aka tostada con jamón(york) tomate y acete de oliva or for those who dont speak spanish or have any idea what i'm talking about, its like a toast sandwhich with ham (jamón york is more like the ham in the US otherwise there is jamón iberica which is.. different to say the least) and olive oil). Prob's my favorite breakfast ever. There is a place right by school where i get one around 11ish (some days when i am not hungry for breakfast) and a cafe con leche... lets just say they know Madelon and I. Otherwise i usually just get toast with oliveoil tomato and salt. eitherway, still, DELISH.

On to lunch. This is the largest meal of the day. Yes, I know, crazy, you actually have a chance to work of what you eat. miracle. seriously. You usually eat at 230-4 (2 is still early) and is usually a few different platos (or like entrees/plates/whatever) and the first one is usually lighter than the other like a salad with olive oil (catching onto a theme at all yet??) vinegar and salt and maybe a few extra things like tomatoes corn... cucumbers, normal salad ingredients.  The second plato is the main one i would say. Sometimes my host mom makes things like pasta but normally its some sort of meat and some sort of starch/carb like rice or potatoes or noodles even. You always get your own loaf of bread (seriously, non carb eaters, you will not survive here. its a way of life). yes a loaf like a... 'my size'... and for dessert, Fruit. Which again, sometimes we get something special like homemade arroz con leche (basically like a rice pudding but so much better). haha

Dinner on the other hand, is very light. This is eaten between 9-11pm. Sometimes i do go out for tapas or anything really, but portions are always smaller than in the US. At my home stay every night my lovely host mom makes us each a sandwich, the contents of which vary from day to day, and we usually get chips, pudding or yogurt, and chocolate (of course). Sometimes there is a little merienda (aka snackish.. which can be a bocadillo (aka sandwhich on a baguette) or something) between lunch and dinner but that is generally for younger kids.

As you can see there are quite a few differences within Spain and the US and I haven't even got in to the government and the people!! (which I wont do because, as well as my teacher teaches, it is still boring.)


There is however a PLAZA just about every turn you make. These are fun to hang out in just because you can eat your bocadillo, or just chill or anything you want basically. Little kids like to chase the pigeons or play fútbol aka soccer which is SO adorb. (Plazas are where you can see people making out as well, very popular ones are in parks). Speaking of children! The children/babies here are dressed up  like DOLLS. not kidding. If i wanted to impose on someones life i would have taken a legitament photo of it because the baby is ALWAYS in realllly nice clothes whenever it is out in the calle (street). Boys wear tights with their shorts and or long socks. Smocks when they go to school, almost everyone has a school uniform, and the carriages? don't even get me started! can we say l.u.x.e?!

But enough about that, going to the doctor here is a breeze. You get medicine right a way, i got in right away, they literally have a cure for everything here, and if not a cure, something for you to take to deal while you have it. .L.O.V.E.

The style is is so different as well. its deffinately tights, leggins, skinnyjeans, very classy clothes (like me going to class in a nice business type suit) the shoes are all heels which i am still trying to figure out how in the hell they can wear those all day long on cobblestone streets. I on the other hand am happy sticking with flats! haha :)


The rio aka the river. I LOVE. I am pretty sure ISA said 'don't go' but i mean, my host mom said it was alright and i guess i would listen to my mom over anyone in the states, SO i go. i mean, everyone goes. to just sit and relax by the river, to tan to listen to music to botellon (aka pre-game).. run.. you can do anything by the river, and believe me, people do.


That i think is enough for my cultural lesson today and will discuss this topic continuously as my trip progresses. Just heading to Portugal this weekend, no big. (!!!!!!) I can't even begin to explain in this size 'normal' 12 font how excited i am to be going. I am also going to get a head start on some of my final projects for classes since i will be traveling basically every weekend until i come home, which i am actually trying not to think about now because i love it here so much. o.b.s.e.s.s.e.d.

TQM/Hasta.