As an American in Europe I had felt like an outsider, by Raquel Collins

By the time I had been in Spain for two weeks I could feel myself conforming to the ways of Spanish society. I was beginning to dress like them, have tapas for dinner and drink little coffees. By a month in I had my own tabaco—I even rolled like the Spanish, and my wardrobe began to consist mainly of Zara. I wore a shoulder bag to school instead of a backpack, and my clothes were more fitted and posh. I even started watching Elite… but all of this was and is expected of me, given that we as westerners have a tendency to conform to the ways of society so we don’t appear as a foreigner. As an American in Europe I had felt like an outsider and wanted to be enculturated into the Spanish norms, so I changed the way I was perceived in order to do so. Societally in Europe, everyone dresses more posh and professional always, even to just grab a coffee or walk their dog, where as in the states people wear more casual clothing, such as asthelsuire. As stated in the Valley Magazine by Alyssa Opris; “one stark difference between America and Europe — style is more valued by Europeans as a whole, but people in America don’t mind as long as it’s comfortable.” Perhaps this plays into the whole sterotype of american’s being lazy and at times “unhealthy”, while the europeans have a more sophisticated and clean asthetic. Moreover, as a way of managing anxiety and preserving self effacement, we confrom to society by blending in. Maybe we just want a sense of belonging, or cope with anxiety, or want to be enculturated, but regardless, it’s fun to be inspired to dress differently, dress up and maybe even appear european. However, self preservation and expression can still be maintained while trying to achieve a kind of european look, which may just be the beauty of fashion and style. While I conform to the ways of this society, I still maintain my sense of self as I wear pieces that I actually like and will continue to wear even when I'm home, so perhaps this is just the beginning of the European me. http://www.valleymagazinepsu.com/the-casual-american-vs-the-formal-european/

My sister and myself wearing more european clothing (Zara) such as leather jackets and Sambas

Orante trees, by Nicolette Stein

As I walk around Sevilla and enjoy the many sights, I of course notice the orange trees that line so many streets and are found in different areas throughout spain. It surprised me just how much it was a part of the culture and the history. With this common attraction of Spain I had asked people and wondered about the reasoning. It can be seen through the historic view of being a symbol of history and in the article saying it could bring happiness. The qualities in the orange are of course known for some healing purposes and mentioned to be in a lot of oils and used to create different scents. When I first got here a tour guide told us why nobody used the ones from the trees because they have a more sour taste and so I tested it for myself and it was very different from the oranges I was used to. I also noticed how it brightened up the city and added to the atmosphere and the smell that surrounds the streets. Experiencing this can relate to the idea of being surprised at the difference of oranges' purpose and how the history is so rooted in the meaning of them and what they represent. I see how it is related to a culture shock to me as it is something I don't see often and not a part of my own culture but can appreciate learning about it. The ideas that this represents the cultures own history and storytelling of the origin of the oranges and how this affects the values within the culture.

https://devourtours.com/blog/seville-oranges/?cnt=ES

Siesta time, by Jake O’Brien

When coming to Spain the one thing I was not aware of was what a siesta was. A siesta is a time in the United States this is not a thing. We are so going to go that we don't take any breaks. People here in Spain value their time and their time to take breaks. They value life, happiness, and family over their jobs. With that, they scheduled a couple of hours in their day dedicated to a break and family time. This part has become a crucial part of my day. I like to take this time when there's no class to take a break. I get a chance to just relax and take in the beauty of Spain. It gives me a chance to catch up and just take a few hours to myself before going back to class and other activities. We in the USA are consumed in our work life. We are all about work and not about life or happiness. Another way to show that Spain values a siesta and family over work is having nothing open on Sundays. They take Sundays as their family time and their time to take a break. They use this day to spend with their families and not worry about work. Back home we are working all day every day and have limited time without families. Coming here and taking a couple-hour break was a culture shock. We talked about in class how people can experience culture shock in many ways. I was shocked to come and not be so go go go. I got a chance to come relax take time for myself and catch up on life. In a few months when I go back to the United States, I will miss my siesta time. I will miss the couple of hours I have to myself and relax. I will miss having that time in my day to catch up and more. Because once I go back it's all about working and school where here I got the chance to value life and friendships a lot more. It gave me a few months to reflect on the beauty of life and value the friendships and time that I have for myself more.

The presence of dogs in everyday life, by Anna Renner

 I have loved my time in Seville for many reasons, but primarily because of the loving atmosphere. Every day, as I walk through my neighborhood, Los Remedios, on Asunción Street, I see families, children playing, people laughing, and most importantly to me...dogs! I have three dogs back home in the United States and adore animals. I was surprised to see so many dogs able to sit at restaurants with their owners, in the streets of one of the largest cities of Spain, and inside some stores and restaurants as well. In the United States, it is often prohibited for dogs to enter restaurants or stores, especially when they are indoors. I find the restaurant experience far more fulfilling when four-legged creatures are also allowed inside! I noticed that most of the dogs here are either off-leash or on a regular leash and have not seen any electric shock collars, spikes, or harnesses. In the United States, I regularly see dogs with shock collars or spikes and harnesses. Many dogs in the United States bark a lot and the dogs here have been very tame, which could explain this difference. I also noticed that there were no stores selling animals. In the United States, many stores sell animals like PetSmart. After some research, it came to my attention that it is illegal to put a shock collar or spikes on your dog and it is also illegal to sell animals in stores like PetSmart. The only way to get a dog here would be to get a dog from a breeder. Spain seems to have more regulatory laws than the United States when it comes to dogs, and I like that Spain is actively protecting more animals. Stray dogs and animal mistreatment is a problem in the United States and the implementation of similar laws may help combat that problem. It has been fascinating to observe the many cultural differences between Seville and the United States, and I am excited to continue learning and adapting to the culture here (through the process of acculturation and deculturation)! My time in Seville has already been truly special, largely due to the warm and loving atmosphere that permeates the city which is exemplified by the presence of dogs in everyday life.

External Source Link: https://www.euronews.com/2023/09/29/spains-new-animal-welfare-law-explained-what-you-can-and-cant-do

 

Work Schedules

Over the past three months living in Sevilla, there have been a couple of things that I have noticed that are very different from the lifestyle in the US, one being that the work schedules are very different. Spanish people, from what I have noticed, really value their time away from their jobs and spending that time with family and friends. They make sure that they have time throughout the day to relax and spend time with others that they love and care about. You can see this everywhere in Sevilla, from getting beers with friends at 2pm, closed restaurants during siesta time and reopen around 8pm, most grocery stores and restaurants are closed on Sunday are among some of the things that I have noticed. For a lot of things being closed on Sundays, Spain being a Catholic country also plays a role, however, Spanish families also take that time to spend it with ones that they care about. Sevilla football games are also something that will shut down the city. If there is an important match, especially for the Real Betis vs Sevilla game, there are no stores open except for some bars where you could watch the game. Before coming to Spain, I had heard about famous siesta time, but didn’t really think anything of it until I actually got here and needed to buy something on a Sunday and I couldn’t because all of the stores were closed. It was just something that I had never really thought about in the US, where the average work day is from 9-5, and most restaurants and stores are open every day of the week. One of the first things that we discussed in class was what is culture, which we defined as the ideas, values, and things that we cannot see. The different work schedules is a cultural difference from the US, as it is part of the environment that people have created in Spain. Even though at first I thought it to be a little different that people would want to take a break in the middle of the day for a couple of hours to chat with friends, I have come to appreciate that time and do exactly what it was meant for, to share that time with the friends that I have made abroad.

Street near Plaza de Cuba is empty in the middle of the afternoon because of siesta time.

https://perezlegalgroup.com/business-hours-in-spain/#:~:text=In%20general%20the%20working%20day,and%20retail%20(see%20below).

Slow down and Appreciate, by Charlotte Luddy

As I came to Spain, I was coming off of a pretty busy summer in which I was going to work everyday, interacting with family and friends and traveling a ton. I would often eat breakfast on the way to work, and just felt a constant sense of being “on the go”. As soon as I arrived in Spain, everything felt slow. From the pace of people walking on the street, to the times that places opened for breakfast, even to the lengthy meal times. I had grown quite accustomed to the immediate gratification of getting what I wanted when I wanted it. Everything here moves slower, though. At first, I was confused and perhaps thrown off by this. Why couldn’t things just be always accessible? Did this store really have to be closed on Sunday? Sure, a nice sit down meal sounds good every now and then but did every single lunch have to stop the day? As we talked about in class, perhaps the more individualistic mindset as an American can foster this sort of on the go stress that can be slowed down when faced with a shared meal with friends. My frustration soon turned into a deep appreciation for the slower pace of life. I did not understand just how rushed my mindset was when I had come into the semester, but gradually the Spanish culture wore on me and helped me to slow down, take a step back, and appreciate whatever was in front of me. Sure, there were still times when I wanted to get on with my day, or had to fly past some slower walkers on the street. But, overall, my time in Spain has really helped me to appreciate the little things in life and the value of taking it easy as I move through the things that I have before me each day. As shown in this article,https://www.alifeinprogress.ca/a-slower-pace/, sometimes asking “Do I need to be this stressed or am I on autopilot?” Is a good question.

A Day at the Mercado de Triana by Folajuwon Samo

In an effort to explore more of Sevilla, I thought about one of my favorite activities to do with my family in the States, going to the international supermarket, and looked into where I could get a similar experience in Spain. I looked for the closest market to me and stumbled upon the Mercado de Triana, which came with rave reviews, so I went to check it out myself. Upon getting there, I was thrown into an environment I'd briefly seen before, but with a new pair of eyes. In the market, there was a wide variety of products to choose from, each from stalls that provided the best selections to their customers. The main walkways seemed lined with the stalls, and you could find little restaurants and samples all over. I’ve never seen anything like it, really. There's fresh produce like red and green peppers, apples, tomatoes, butternut squash, lemon and lime, fresh herbs, eggplants, etc. There was also a range of spices and nuts that you could pick and weigh yourself. Wide variety of meat and seafood selections that you could talk about with the shopkeeper and ask what was the best that day, what they just caught, the best ways to cook them, etc. There were special jams and pastries to try from and special holiday snacks to buy. The restaurant stalls offered a great carta of food, most likely from the fresh produce and ingredients available around them.

I think this type of market is very different from that of the US as those are usually broken up in aisles in one big market. There's a section for produce, meats, seafood, international snacks, etc. However, the Mercado de Triana provided a unique experience for me, as I've never seen this type of market where individual shopkeepers have their own products and interact with their customers. It can provide a feeling of community, in my opinion, as you’re interacting with the people around you that live in your community. This could also tie into the culture of friendliness in Spain and trying to move away from COVID protocols that kept people apart. People sat at restaurants and near stalls with each other, giving me the impression that going to the market could be an all-day affair. Overall, I thought it was a very fun experience that added to an already meaningful semester!