Uber in Spain, by Hannah Ervey

One thing that I definitely did not expect to be different when I came to Spain is Uber. As an international company, I expected it to be standard no matter where you are. Although, as most of us have learned with KitKats or Coke, just because it comes from the same organization does not mean that it will be produced similarly everywhere. For Uber, the fundamentals are all the same, like the concept and the app’s function, but differences are seen in the superficial aspects.

The first time I used Uber here in Spain was when my mom came to visit and we used the service from the airport to her hotel. We found it interesting that our driver was wearing a suit and had a sleek black car. In the U.S., I’m used to being picked up by people in casual clothes and normal vehicles, so in this situation I felt like we were important arrivals getting a personal car service to our residence. However, as we took more Ubers throughout her stay, I began to notice that every driver was dressed to the nines, and even more surprisingly, everyone drove a black Fiat Tipo.

At first, I thought these differences were related to the fact that Spaniards generally take more pride in their appearances than Americans do. I did some research, and the vehicle requirements are pretty strict. All Uber vehicles must be black, less than 6 years old, and in perfect condition. These guidelines may exist to keep the taxi culture alive and help those drivers stay on their feet. This is a major difference than in the U.S., since taxi protests usually have no effect. Moreover, I’ve taken some pretty grungy Ubers at home, so we definitely do not have these same regulations and push to keep the taxi system thriving.

As for the suits, I could not find any requirement of this from Uber. This may well just be cultural. Perhaps they just believe that nice dress goes with a nice car. Maybe they want to feel more important. Whatever the reason, you will rarely see an Uber driver in the United States pull up in a BMW, sunglasses, and a sharp suit.

Bottoms Up by Grace Saban

The drinking culture in the United States is quite different than what it is in Spain. Both countries have certain stereotypes, but one is far better than the other. The first major difference is obviously the legal drinking age; in the United States you have to be 21-years-old, and in Spain you only have to be 18-years-old. This should be a major cultural shock for me because I'm only 20, but similar to most young adults in the United States, I've drank before. The main point I want to discuss is the stereotypes or assumptions that people have in regards to the countries differing drinking habits. In the United States, it is common for some young adults to drink with the intention of getting drunk. In the college culture, if you go to a party and blackout you probably won't be shamed for it for very long, some people may even applause you. In contrast, I've noticed that Spaniards drink much more casually and usually only in a social context. For instance, my host parents will have a glass of wine or Cruzcampo with lunch and dinner, and even offer one to a handyman coming over to fix a broken appliance. Then, when going out on the weekends and being in bars full of both Americans and Spaniards, it is easy to distinguish who is who due to how they are drinking. If the person is loud and excessive, they are most likely American. If the person is taking their time on their drink, not obsessing over it and enjoying their company, then they are most likely a Spaniard. Finding myself in situations where I can easily notice such things is disheartening to me. I wish that more of the people I've socialized with could respect their settings and try to fit in with the Spanish way-of-life. Although this topic may seem dull, it is probably the most shocking cultural aspect I've really had to accept. I also understand that since I am an American who chooses not to drink often, I may show a bias towards Spaniards.

Food and tapas in Spain by Jake Hopen

Coming to Spain, I knew I was going to expect a cultural shock. This does not surprise me as many students in Spain experience the same experience. I wanted to focus this post primarily on the aspect of tapas in Spain, and what I was not used to.

For me, I thought that the meal times and plates were the aspects that surprised me the most. In the United States, people eat at around 6 in the afternoon. While in Spain, people eat at around 10 at night. In addition, lunch time is later in Spain, while in the United States we eat at noon. This was a huge cultural shock to me, especially waiting for 2:00 PM to come when you are hungry at 11:00 AM or 12:00 PM. At the time that I was hungry, it was still time for breakfast. I had the option of eating bread with olive oil and tomatoes, rather than a typical American breakfast, such as bacon and eggs. Tapas are also common in Spain, where people eat mini savory snacks and share them with friends and family. I remember when I went to a restaurant for the first time with my friends, and tried so many different tapas. My favorite tapa is the patatas bravas. Everyone in Spain told me to try that dish, including my friends because of what they had heard. I was a fan of sharing small dishes and being happy rather than regretting what I had eaten. The good thing that I discovered is that if you are not a fan of one tapa, you can try another one without complaining. I absolutely loved how I could taste the authentic Spanish food instead of the huge portions typical of the United States.

Young Adult's Independence-A Contrast between the USA and Spain by Maria Mendez

 

Both Spain and the United States are considered to be WEIRD (Western, Industrialized, Educated, Rich, Democratic) countries, so it seems safe to assume that they share similar cultural values. However, even with countries that are considered on the same level, they differ drastically in terms of what they value and the societal expectations set by these values. During my time living in Spain, I have noticed that the expectations in terms of a young adult's level of independence are very different between these two countries. In the United States, young adults are expected to move out of their parent's homes the moment they have finished their educational endeavors, whether that be after high school at the age of 18 or after college at the age of 22. The level of independence expected from young adults seems to be much higher in the United States than in other WEIRD countries, such as Spain. In Spain, it is socially acceptable to live with your parents throughout your 20s given that it is the age in which most young adults are beginning to shape their career. The United States, however, has a strong stigma against adults who live with their parents. The stereotype views adults who live with their parents as lazy or regressed in the development of their life. I have found that Spanish households are much more understanding of the struggle of setting up a career and therefore try to help young adults by allowing them to stay at home as long as they need. Many college students in the United States pick a university that is far from home, beginning that transition of independence much earlier in their lives. Spaniards, on the other hand, tend to attend their local university making living at home a much more feasible and logical option. It also means that Spaniards tend to begin the transition of independence much later in their lives.

Social Interactions in Spain and the United States by Yovelys Alvarez Lara

During the few last months I have been in Spain, I have noticed differences when it comes to social life or social interactions in Spain in comparison with the United States. Spain is more of a social “going out” country while the United States is more of a conservative and “I need my space” country. One big factor for these differences besides culture could be the weather.

I have noticed how in Spain is trendy to always go out with friends and socialize outside the house. It is not likely for someone to go to a Spaniard house for a visit and spend time there. College students during their breaks get together with friend and go out to drink a beer and relax. They are even allowed to drink inside the institution as a casual interaction with friends. While in the United States this is not a common activity. People are more on their own and always on a rush and most of the time they just do not have time to socialize. The workforce plays a huge role in United States emphasizing how if someone is not running late for work, they are getting out of work, tired and wanting to go home to sleep after 8-15 hours shift or an overnight shift.

As well, culture is a big influence in these interactions. The European culture is more relaxing, everyone takes their time to places and just enjoy walking around, while in the American culture people are more on a hurry and always having to do many things at the same time. Most people are too busy to even interact with their neighbors. Finally, I would say that weather is also a big influence to these differences. Spain or Europe in general has a better weather than the United States. People are able to go for walks and hang outside the house more often because there is not snow or zero degrees’ temperature that can avoid it. Also, people are seen to be happier due to the amount of sunny days the country gets. I would say that snow, cloudy clouds and cold weather have a huge impact on Americans mood occasioning them to become less happy and preventing them from enjoying their outside or surroundings.

“The Chinos” by Taryn Peng

Within ten minutes of arriving to Spain for the first time, an older white man passed me in the street and put his hands together, bowed to me, and said “Ni hao.” “Ni hao” is “Hello” in Chinese, and despite not knowing whether I was Chinese or not, or if I understood the language he was trying to speak to me, he still felt the complete and necessary urge to greet me the way he did.

I didn’t know what to do, so I didn’t do anything. But after talking to several of my other Asian American friends who had studied abroad in Spain previously, all the advice I had gathered was “This happens daily” and “Get used to it.”

This set a pretty accurate tone for my experiences with racism in Spain. It is embedded in daily life and no one thinks twice about it. For example, the little corner stores, or “alimentación” stores, are commonly referred to as “Chinos” because the people who own the stores are often Asian. However, again, these stores are called “Chinos,” regardless of whether the Asians who run them are actually Chinese or not. They also do not sell anything Chinese or even Asian—just basic things that *even* white Spaniards need. Without any thought of whether the people who own these stores are Spanish citizens, maybe born and raised, equally Spanish as white Spaniards, using the word “Chinos” to prejudicially call these stores and people without getting to know them only serves to contribute to othering non-white peoples living in Spain and never allowing them to be as Spanish as white people.

Adjusting to ‘Siesta’ by Kate Murphy

One aspect of the spanish culture that shocked me most as I was adjusting was the hours of eating or even more specifically, siesta. In the United States, I usually eat my meals a lot earlier, especially lunch and dinner. Adjusting to eating lunch at 3pm instead of 12pm and eating dinner at 10pm instead or 6 or 7pm, was a major alteration in my daily routine. Not only was this hard for me to modify in my schedule, but, I also had to adjust to shops and restaurants closing during siesta until they reopen again around 5pm or later. In the United States, I was certainly not familiar with this occurring mid-day and it was strange at first for me. Eating with my host family for the first time was tough because originally, I participated in siesta and took advantage of resting. Sometimes, I still do because it is relaxing to rest when having a hectic day. Likewise, it was very difficult for me to train my body to eat dinner so much later than I do in the states. At times, it is still very difficult for me to wait that long for both lunch and dinner. However, overall, I really enjoy having siesta because it is a great time for the spanish culture to come together to eat, socialize, and take a break from work to relax and be able to have a social life. I think the United States could use siesta because we are known for working too hard that we stress ourselves out, overwork, and therefore, live shorter lives. Having lived here for three months now, I can confidently say that I am finally in a daily routine within the spanish culture and feel like I am familiar and comfortable with both Seville itself, and its beautiful culture.

What the Social Life is Like in Spain - by Michael Medina

       
While staying here in Spain I was able to notice a numerous amount of differences in the social life here (going out to eat, going to the club, etc.) versus the social life back in United States of America, specifically Massachusetts. Here in Spain I noticed that when people tend to go out for a quick bite to eat it is associated a lot more with being sociable with the people that you go out with. Back at my home city it is a lot more common to go out and grab the food quickly and head back to your home to enjoy it there instead of at the restaurant. While looking at the small bars around every corner in Los Remedios I saw that they were usually full of life later at night, with people of all types of ages there and it was really something that caught my eye. The reason that I say so is because usually back home there isn’t many younger kids or older people out anywhere past 10 on weekdays where here it seems to be very common. Even my parents who aren’t that old wouldn’t be caught going out that late on a weekday to have something to drink or something to eat. So going out and walking around during the night to see young kids running around still playing on the playground as well as elderly people walking to go find a seat at a small café was definitely a sight that I needed to get used to seeing while staying in Spain. That was one of my first impressions of the social life here in Seville, and I think it was definitely something that I liked a lot more versus the social life back home in the States. Another aspect of social life that differs drastically from back home would be whenever people go out to eat and socialize. Going out with some of my Spanish friends I noticed that there is rarely any phone usage at the table unless it was used to show another person something relating to the topic of conversation. Besides that, I never really noticed anyone texting at the table or seeming to be attached to their phone, even amongst the younger generations where this applies more. Visiting a restaurant in the states it would be almost the complete opposite where everywhere you look you will be bound to find someone on their phone, not socializing at all and this is a lot more common in the younger generations. Those were really the two things I noticed most about going out for food that were drastically different from the social life that follows within the United States.

Moving onto Nightlife I noticed a plethora of differences from the night life in the United States. The Night life here in Spain starts later than the night life back in the United States, in Spain I noticed that when people are going out to the club they do not go to the actual club until around 1 am which in the United States at that time the night would be coming to an end. This was one of the major differences I saw and then one of the other things I noticed was that when kids my age go out in the US people do not dress as nicely normally as people do here in Spain. These two social events were the first things that caught my eye when staying here in Spain due to how drastically different they were compared to the same events back in the US

Playing at night by Delphine Bolduc

When I came to Spain for the first time, it was in Madrid. I arrived there during the night so I went for a walk. What I saw while walking in that city at night shocked me. The Sun was already down for a long time and children of about five years old were still playing at the park. I could not understand how. In Quebec, the french province of Canada, young folks of that age go to bed early. When one is around that age, he usually goes to bed at seven pm or so, because if a kid stays up later, he is way too tired to go to school, learn well, and do his homework properly. So eleven! For me, it was something inacceptable. But then, I came back to Spain to study. And after having lived here a few months, I now completely understand. I understand that I was being ethnocentric. The rhythm of life here is really different than the rhythm of life in Quebec. Here, you can take your time. Napping is not seen as laziness. Young people here seem to have so much more energy than the kids in Quebec, even at eleven pm. I now feel that it is completely correct to go play at the park at that time of the day. If they have the energy to stay awake later, why would they restrain themselves?

Smoking habits Spain vs. US by Lizzie Henninger

 Immediately after getting out of the cab that took me to my host stay once arriving in Sevilla, I was greeted with a gigantic puff of cigarette smoke to my face. As I assume anyone would be, I was shocked and quite frankly a little grossed out. Although, after spending around 3 months in Sevilla, I have come to realize that smoking in public spaces, homes and school grounds is more than common and accepted. This has been one aspect of Spanish and European life in general, that has been hard for me to adjust to. I can typically expect to breathe in large amounts of cigarette smoke walking to and from class, the store or even in the park. While smoking habits are also quite common in the United States as well, I feel as if it is more common for people of all ages to smoke even though they have been educated on the potential threats and harms to ones health. I have even realized that the bags that most of the nicotine is sold in has graphic pictures of lung cancer patients in the hospital on it. While my time in Sevilla is slowly winding down, I can say that I have gotten fairly used to the smoking habits of those around me, but am eager to return back to areas where smoking is not as widely accepted.

Schools in Spain by Julie Fitzpatrick

As an education major, I was very excited when the international center announced that there would be an opportunity to teach in schools here. I knew that they would be different than the schools/daycares that I had taught at in the United States, but the one difference I noticed the most was how much more freedom the children have here in Spain. Every day, I arrive at the school while the children are at recess. I often notice many kids climbing on things and doing things that would be corrected at schools in the United States. When there are kids climbing on the fence, I feel that I should tell them to get down because it seems dangerous, but the teachers are not concerned, and I have noticed that the kids don’t get hurt like I think they will. Another act of freedom that I have noticed is with the bathroom. In the daycare that I worked at in the US this summer, the bathrooms were in the classroom, and often kids had to be supervised in there, or have their diaper changed. At the school I teach at, all of the classrooms open up to a courtyard and the bathroom is across the courtyard from the classrooms. The children, although they are 3-years-old, are allowed to leave the classroom (with permission) on their own and come back when they are done. I think teachers in the United States need to trust their students more and give them more freedom within reason. It is interesting to see the degree to which the teachers trust their students and how different the classroom experience can be in another culture.

Up Close and Personal, by Cora Thibeault

One of the first things I noticed when interacting with Sevillians was the way in which they held conversations. One of the first conversations I had with someone from Seville was with the leader of our program who has lived in Seville for many years. At first I was confused as to why she was standing so close to me and every time I stepped away she would move closer. I found out later that this was a part of the Sevillian and Spanish culture. This is something we are not used to as an American, as this is not necessarily part of our culture. When we have conversations, especially with someone we do not know well, we keep some distance known as personal space. When I was having this conversation with a Sevillian, originally I felt that my personal space was being invaded and I was confused, but now I know it’s just a part of their culture. This shows that they are interested and care about the conversation they are having. One of my professors explained to me that they thought it was strange that we were so far apart when we were conversating, and I found this interesting. It really shows how something so small can be different between cultures.

Dining Experiences, by Cassandra Delacey

Before coming to Sevilla, I had learned that it is customary in the Spanish culture for everything to run more slowly, however I have realized the extent to which everything runs slowly was more than I had anticipated. The biggest difference between the US and Spain in this respect is the customer service in restaurants. Because waiters are not working for tips, along with the inherent slowness of this culture, going out to eat can become an hours-long ordeal. Waiters take a long time to greet you, give you menus, take your order, bring out the food, and later the check. I have been used to waiters constantly checking up on me throughout a meal, and wondering what else they can bring in a timely manner. However here, I find myself having to try to flag down any waiter to get another bottle of water (that we have to pay for), or for the check. The slowness of eating out is sometimes preferable, in order to facilitate longer meals full of good conversation, however other times I would like to be able to eat and leave in a shorter amount of time in order to get on with my day. This has especially been difficult during lunches while visiting a new place, because my friends and I will want to grab a quick bite to eat before moving on and continuing with sight-seeing or other activities. We have been trying to fit so much history and culture into each of our trips, and we are often stuck sitting in the restaurant waiting until we can see a waiter that will be able to help us get the check.

I do appreciate how waiters here are paid enough to live off of that salary, because I don't think that people in the US should have to rely on tips in order to survive. I do believe that the customer service could be better in Spain, even if they are not working for tips. I don't think I can say which way is better, but it is a bit of a shock when you expect a restaurant experience to go one specific way, and it ends up being very different from what you had been expecting.