Nosiness in Sevilla, by Jennifer Simpson

While in Spain, there was one thing that really stuck out to me in terms of differences, and that is nosiness. I know this sounds bad, but I mean it in a positive way. In Canada, where I am from, I think that we are very individualistic and stick to our own business while in public spaces such as streets, bars, restaurants, and other outdoor areas. However, this became a very positive thing for me while living there, which I was soon to discover.

Either I have always been a clumsy person, or I became much more clumsy while in Sevilla, because I had many awkward moments there, all involving the bicycle I bought and used to get around the entire city. Firstly, I was trying to get into my apartment complex while carrying my bike and a large amount of groceries, and I was struggling very hard with the heavy door. A nice gentleman who happened to be walking down the street saw this, and couldn’t stop himself from exclaiming something in Spanish to me (which I did not understand) and then opening the door for me, and helping me in. I have never experienced someone seeing me struggle in Canada, and help me without even asking. I think that Canadian people are very nice (consistent with our reputation), but they might be a bit hesitant to help without asking or making sure people want to be helped. In this sense, we may think a bit too hard about helping others, rather than reacting on the spot.

This same issue happened again another day, and another older man who was working in my building helped me gather my things as I was struggling with my bike again. Of course, I knew I didn’t need the help, but this man clearly felt obligated to lend a hand. After the second time, I realized that it wasn’t just a one-time thing; the people here really are willing to help you when you’re in need. Finally, my worst incident occurred when I was crossing the street on my bike. I noticed my phone fell out of my pocket, and I ended up falling off my bike out of surprise, and my groceries spilled across the sidewalk. A woman who had been crossing the street beside me immediately asked me a question (to which I responded “Si”), and she grabbed my bike and helped me pick up all of my groceries and organized them back into my basket. I was again so surprised to have immediate help from a complete stranger who by no means was obligated to help me.

I’m not sure if I kept getting help because I’m clearly not a local, because I am a girl, or because I just look like a clumsy disaster on my bike; but I believe it does have something to do with how people think in Sevilla. Additionally, I think the root of this is that people in Spain are much more attentive to others and a bit “nosy”—but in the best way. I did notice this phenomenon in my first few days, however, I took this nosiness as a negative attribution. Now that I’ve seen how nice Sevillians are while being nosy, this is something that I will definitely miss about living in Spain, and something that makes me really appreciate the people here—even if I could never understand what they were saying.