Traveling on Planes, by Lizzie Rielly

One of the main reasons I wanted to study abroad was to travel all around Europe and experience new cultures. This means I would be on planes, trains, and buses a lot but I have never minded traveling like other people who find it stressful or exhausting. Luckily, there are many airlines that offer inexpensive flights direct from Sevilla, so I have been able to travel almost every weekend. By the end of my time abroad I will have taken 27 flights. That number is very alarming, but I have had mostly fun and enjoyable experiences on planes. One of my first flights was to Oktoberfest in Munich. The flight attendants were super fun and since most people were going for Oktoberfest, it was a rowdy flight. This is when I first noticed the major differences between traveling in America and traveling through Europe.

 
Every time I get on a plane, I am not sure if I should say hola, hello, hallo, hej, kaixo, etc. The flight attendants always speak English, but the other main language varies based on where you are traveling to or from. When there is an announcement from the pilot, flight attendant, or automatic message, it will say it in two or more languages, but in America, it is only ever English.

One thing that is different between the two cultures is how people behave on planes. As we have learned in class on our lessons of social behaviors and social development across cultures, Spanish people are generally more social than American people in all aspects of life, and even when traveling. Here, people travel in groups with their friends or family. Many people in America travel by themselves to visit family or go to work conferences, meetings, etc. In Spain, on the plane, people often get out of their seats and stand in the aisles talking to their friends. This would not fly (no pun intended) in America. You are allowed to unfasten your seatbelt when the seatbelt sign is turned off, but flight attendants will not let you stand in the aisles because it blocks the way when people are trying to go to the bathroom or when they are passing through the cabin giving out food and drinks. The last flight I was on, this group of 5 young women were traveling together and every 10 minutes one of them would come and talk to the girl sitting next to me for a little while, then return to their seats. Also, when the plane lands there is a big difference in how people act. Most notably, Spanish people clap for the plane landing. This is very strange in America and there is a joke that people who clap when the plane lands are weird. I don’t know why people do it, but I have noticed how most of my flights end with a round of applause from the passengers. This is especially prevalent on RyanAir and Vueling flights that have a lot of turbulence and sketchy landings.

Another big difference between traveling on planes in America and Europe has to do with the prices. The flights themselves are very cheap, but there are many added costs and hidden fees when you get further down the line. For example, there are no free snacks on the plane and you have to pay for overhead luggage or to pick your own seat. In America, most planes have all these features included in the price.

 BBC: ‘Ryanair set to cut winter fares to boost demand’

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59117027

The Spanish Gaze, by Jesse Brewer

One of the many remnants of the Franco regime is a degree of homogeneity in terms of race in Spain. Many Sevillianos are ethnically from the Iberian Peninsula and have certain characteristics, and those who don’t fit that mold are few and far between. The overall direct culture of Spain combined with the homogeneity leads to foreigners generally being stared at—a phenomenon an article from the Berkley Center at Georgetown dubbed the “Spanish Gaze.” In stark contrast, I was raised on Saint Martin, an island that is home to just about every nationality there is, where staring at strangers is considered rude. As a 6’2 man with blonde hair and blue eyes, the biggest instance of culture shock I experienced was how much I stuck out here in public. Half the people I walk past on the street stare me down and when the night falls and the drinks start flowing, people will often stop me in the street to ask me where I’m from. Quite literally dozens of times, people have stopped me and asked if they could take a photo of me to show their friends. That being said, there seems to be a direct correlation between the frequency of this occurring and how drunk the crowd is. At the previa outside El Corte Ingles before the Sevilla vs Betis game, I was grabbed by the arm and pulled to a group to take a photo while I was in the middle of taking a photo with another group. Before arriving in Spain, no one had ever stopped me for a photo. I cannot imagine a Saint Martiner ever stopping a stranger on the street for a photo, no matter how strange they looked. I found this to be an interesting example of the Spanish culture of “directness” that exchange students often mention. I actually have one of these photos since the Spaniard got my Instagram and tagged me in his post, so I have attached it below.

The Directness of Communication in Spain versus the United States

A stereotype that I heard about Spaniards throughout my time here was that they were more direct and straightforward, particularly compared with people from the United States. In fact, if I recall correctly, I heard it directly from my study abroad program during orientation, and a blog post (1) from their website mentions “the Spaniards way of being straightforward.” Moreover, even my Spanish professors confirmed a propensity for Spaniards to be more direct and straightforward. While this may be a case of confirmation bias, I have personally experienced some supporting evidence for this claim, as have others.
For example, Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs opens their article, “The Direct Etiquette of Spain,” with a mention of Spaniards’ tendency to be more bold in staring. My friend and I frequently received strong stares throughout our time here, ones that were shamelessly unbroken by eye contact. While we thought this may be due to us being somewhat of a social anomaly (that is, Asian), it was interesting to see that this article mentioned staring as a general component of Spaniards’ directness.
There are also examples in the way Spaniards make requests. For example, in the United States, when ordering something at a restaurant, you would probably say something along the lines of, “Can/Could I please have a. . .” However, in Spain, it is rare to begin a request with “puedo” or especially “podría” (3). This is not to say that Spaniards are rude, but again, seems to be a testament to their straightforwardness. (Personally, I find it refreshing; perhaps I have something to learn from them, and shouldn’t skirt around what I am trying to say as much.)

Regarding what we have discussed in class, Spain has a much higher Uncertainty Avoidance rating than the United States (4). This could be an explanation of, or at least correlate with, the cultural tendency to be more direct; instead of leaving things up in the air, Spaniards are direct to get the point and avoid uncertainty. However, it is crucial to note that defining a culture too strongly by stereotypes is detrimental to appreciating its unique facets and multidimensionality, and thus, these must be taken with a grain of salt.

References

1. https://www.ciee.org/go-abroad/work/teach-english-abroad/blog/cultural-differences-between-spain-and-us

2. https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/posts/the-direct-etiquette-of-spain

3. https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/spanish-culture/spanish-culture-communication

4. https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/spain%2Cthe-us

Living Life on Relaxed Time, by Jahnavi Mahadik

When I first stepped off the plane in Sevilla I had no idea how different life was going to be there. I was used to the fast-paced environment in the United States where I came from. As I entered the airport in Madrid I immediately realized how relaxed Spain was. In the airport no one was running around as you would see in America, instead everyone was enjoying their time and laughing with family and friends as they were making their way to their gate. In Sevilla though life seemed even more relaxed, there was never a rush in anything that was being done. It seemed as if they loved to do things on their own time and enjoy doing it. This relaxed feeling can be seen in restaurants. The waiters and hosts will take their time getting to you to take your order whereas in the US they would be there immediately to take your order. At first this was annoying to us as we wanted our food because we were hungry. But as we spent more and more time in Sevilla I started to realize the beauty of this relaxed time. This relaxed way of living gave so much more than what I expected. This time could be focused on building everlasting relationships and getting into deeper conversations that never would have been brought up if we were being rushed. We were so accustomed to the fast-paced lifestyle in America that we did not even give Spanish culture a chance. But once I realized how important this time was I never looked back. I am glad that Sevilla and Spain in general taught me how to go about life in a relaxed manner and how important that time really is. Spain and America are different in their own ways, but the way they go about life is the complete opposite and I am grateful I got to experience a different way of living.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sex-murder-and-the-meaning-life/201210/culture-shock-spain-versus-america

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.

A sense of unity, by Melo Wilson

My short time in Sevilla was my first time in Spain, and my first time travelling across the ocean to Europe. Although I spent 2/4 months there, I enjoyed every second of it, learning how to put myself out there more, improving my Spanish, trying new food, and making the most of my time in Sevilla. From my short time there, one of the major things that I noticed in comparison to the United States was sense of unity and community between Sevillanos.

I’m from New York City and although New Yorkers say that there’s an unspoken sense of community between each other, it doesn’t compare to Sevilla. While walking through the streets of New York, everyone has their heads facing forward without little acknowledge to the people they’re passing and bumping into. On the other hand, in Sevilla everyone would enjoy each other’s’ company at a cevercería, or a botellón, any situation where they were outdoors and drinking. Americans tend to drink to get drunk but Spaniards drink to enjoy hanging out with their loved ones.

When I arrived to the apartment of my host family, I was greeted with a brief explanation on how to kiss both cheeks when I greet a woman. From there on, I knew I would have to adjust some things to fit the culture of Spain because I went there to learn how the Spaniards live. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

The public displays of affection of the couples in the street, whether a gay couple or a straight couple, they weren’t afraid to show how strongly they felt about the other. This was inspirational because America isn’t full of affectionate people, myself included, but seeing how Sevillanos interacted with each other, I’ve started to change the way I act, showing my affection more to my love ones. When people ask me “How was Spain”, I will always make sure to bring up how welcoming and comfortable I felt to the point where I wasn’t afraid to be myself in any way.

Caring Strangers, by Sydney Kleis

The day I arrived in Spain I got a call from my doctor back in the U.S. that my MRI results actually showed that I had a femoral stress fracture and that I needed to be on crutches for 4-6 weeks. What I had planned on being a fresh start and time filled with exploration turned on its head. After I got over the shock of my change in mobility for my first weeks in this new place, I was bound and determined to do as much as possible with my two new friends – my dear crutches. This included going to class daily and having to walk a while after I got off the bus.

One morning on the bus, it started to downpour. I couldn’t hold an umbrella and I hadn’t left the house with my raincoat on. As I was crutching through the rain, one elderly man cautioned me not to slip with my crutches in the wet street. Another man who was delivering food offered to give me a ride to where I was going, which I politely declined out of caution. Once again, an elderly man walked up next to me and started talking to me, holding his umbrella over me while we walked together until I got to my destination.

Now I share all this because I was shocked. Three people took time out of their morning to express caring concern for me. Thinking about being on crutches back in the U.S., I believe it would be rare for someone to stop and help me on the street. This story is just one example of how I noticed that Spanish culture is much more relaxed when it comes to one’s personal agenda and people more likely to help strangers. In the U.S., most people are too busy, time-bound, and “stranger-danger” is engrained in our minds at a young age. While I still believe that some people would help me wherever I am in the world, this rainy morning highlighted some fundamental differences in cultural values to me – especially concerning use of time and relationship.

Yoga retreat

The most amazing experience I had in Spain was when I went to a yoga retreat in Cadiz with my mother. On our 2 hour drive to Cadiz we got lost and took the wrong roads. But then we finally took the correct road and it lead us to right where we needed to be, the yoga bubble. When we got to the yoga bubble we were greeted with a hug from a yoga instructor and it was just what we needed to take away from our stressful drive. While my mother and I were at this retreat we learned a lot about ourselves and a new way of life in which we learned how to relax and get away from our busy lives. We also met amazing people from all over the world that had taught us new ways of cooking, and culture as well as learning. The whole weekend we ate healthy meals the chief at the yoga retreat made, all the food from local farmers markets. The food was all vegetarian, this opened our minds to a new way of cooking that is healthy and delicious. After we ate dinner and had left overs such as oranges and melons, we fed the donkeys that lived outside, it was an amazing experience to be able to feed these amazing animals. Overall while we were at this yoga retreat we were learning about ourselves, and others and in the end that everyone in the world is looking for a deeper meaning in life.

My New Personal Bubble

I come from a family who loves to travel, my father is always looking into the next place he wants to visit or plot where he’s going to retire. I am not the type of person who dreams of living in another country but I knew that if I didn’t take the opportunity to study abroad I would regret I applied with my fingers crossed and was approved. As the flight date got closer and I became more nervous than excited. I had travelled to Europe before but living there for four months and visiting for a week at a time are very different. As the butterflies in my stomach got worse I turned to my father, I was hoping he could settle my nerves as he usually can. He did calm me down but he gave me some advice that I couldn’t shake lose. I am very much my father’s daughter, but where we differ is that he is a very close talker and I am someone who needs their space. He warned me that in Europe, southern countries in particular lacked the concept of personal space.

A few days passed and I couldn’t get the idea out of my head that everyone would always be really close to me no matter where I went while I was abroad. I decided that I should talk to someone who had actually been to Seville instead of my dad who was just assuming rather than telling me based off personal experience. My great aunt had actually lived and taught in Seville for over 10 years, so before I left I gave her a call hoping to find out if I should really be worried or if I was blowing this way out of proportion. Thankfully, she told me I had nothing to worry about and that my dad was just trying to ensure that I was aware of my surroundings while I was alone studying abroad. She said people did have less of a sense of personal space but not like my father described, which made me feel a whole lot better and I quickly brushed off what my dad told me.

This, however, was a huge mistake. I started to notice how much more “rude” the Spaniards were as soon as the flight landed. I happened to sit next to a Spanish woman, I was on the isle and boarded before she did. She sat in the window seat. We were in the middle of the plane but closer to the front, she kept to herself and I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary until we landed. The plane landed and she immediately unbuckled and began looking at her other family members sitting around us who were already standing up and starting to gathering their bags and standing in the isle waiting to exit the plane. I was waiting for the rows in front of me to move forward and leave the plane because that is what you do, you don’t cut the people off in the row next to or in front of you to leave the plane first because it is rude. The woman next to me started to move closer to me, I was expecting her to wait just like I was but she stepped over my legs and bag as I was sitting so that she could get into the isle and get off the plane faster. I was shocked and had never seen anything like it before. When we made eye contact I gave her a little bit of a nasty look which she completely disregarded. As the line to exit started to reach the rows directly in front of me I started to stand and put my bag on so I could leave my row.

As we boarded the shuttle from the plane everyone was so close we were touching, I went to a corner where I thought I would have a little space but the person directly behind me stood so close to me that our whole sides were touching. I didn’t know why he was standing SO close to me when there was so much room. I couldn’t even turn my head without touching someone. I felt like we were all breathing on each other and I was the only one who thought it was uncomfortable. This was not the end either, in every line I stood in I felt the person behind me up against my back or backpack. I would try and move forward to give myself a little bit more room and then would keep inching forward. Dirty looks, moving forward, trying to take up more room all did nothing to change the fact that everywhere I went in Seville my sweat was mixing with someone else’s. Whether it was going out to eat, standing on the metro, or talking one on one to someone there was less than an inch of space between us at any given time. I know that it is very normal here but I still can’t help feeling a little violated and that people are being rude when they are getting extremely close to me. I am still trying to adjust when someone bumps into me and doesn’t apologize or doesn’t even try to avoid me at all.

Unfriendly or too friendly? by Abbi Solomon

The holas and smiles and friendly hellos vanish as you enter the streets of Seville and pass people on the streets. You immediately think to yourself “how rude” or “what did I ever do to them”, but soon you will realize, just like me, it is simply a cultural difference.

Living in Boston, Massachusetts all of my life, it has been instilled in me that when you pass by another or make eye contact you smile and greet that other person, but not here in Seville. It was on my walks to the gym where I realized no one wanted to smile at me and when I made eye contact, it felt different. I thought maybe I had something on my face or was just standing out as an American, but it continued to happen. I had no idea what was going on and why when a car stopped for pedestrians or someone held the door, it was not normal to say please or thank you or
smile. But how wrong I was!

I soon came to learn that this was a giant culture shock. Little did I know that making eye contact
with someone in passing was a way of signaling you are interested in that individual in a  romantic way. I felt SO embarrassed about all of the people I had glared at and smiled at without even thinking twice. I also learned quickly that directness is an action that the Spaniards love. When a car stops or someone holds a door, it is expected in this culture and please/thank you is not necessary. Where I thought I was being ignored, I was actually in the wrong and simply uneducated on the culture in Seville.

I am not saying a smile or hello does not go a long way here, it still does, but be aware of your surroundings and understanding that not every culture is the same.

Cultural Differences in Greetings: Spain and the United States, by Madeline Bird

The personal bubble of space that is designated to each person either shrinks or entirely disappears when you step foot on Spanish soil. The Spanish culture is saturated with physical contact and close quarters which is the complete opposite in the United States. The American greeting is a handshake- the handshake allows each individual to keep their distance while still being friendly and saying hello. The Spanish greeting is “dos besos”, which means two kisses. Dos besos brings the two people very close and allows each person to give an endearing kiss on either cheek. The two friends or newly introduced acquaintances are, by default, closer because of the lack of personal space in this greeting. The United States and Spain are overall very similar countries, however, the United States has an extremely individualistic society whereas Spain has more collectivist practices; we can see the contrast in the two societies reflected in their different types of greetings.

My Experience: I am American and am quite used to my personal space as well as the handshake as the common greeting. Often when I am introduced to new Spanish people, I reach out my hand to greet them and introduce myself and then remember- while they stare at my hand like I am very strange and I have a mini panic attack- that dos besos is the way to go! I am working on perfecting my execution of dos besos, as I have had a few very awkward encounters, including but not limited to, going to the wrong direction. Soon, I will be a master of two greetings as I am slowly being enculturated into the Spanish way of life.

Spain and US Culture Differences by Logan Waterman

I have lived in Spain for 3 and a half months now and it has been a remarkable experience. I have learned so much about the Spanish culture, and the differences/similarities between the North American and Spanish cultures. I live in Nervion and I think this is part of the reason that I never experienced any real culture shock because the commercial look of this neighborhood is very similar to a typical American city and I found this to be somewhat comforting.

I felt a bit of culture shock though surrounding food and meals. The biggest shock came from the change in mealtimes, I found it difficult to eat breakfast so early (typically around 8) and then wait 7 hours (at 3) to eat lunch. Furthermore, it was challenging to eat dinner at such a late time. My host mom usually has dinner prepared between 10 and 11.Whereas at home I have breakfast at 9, lunch at 12 and dinner at 6. I realized that moving to a new country also meant more or less completely altering my daily routine in terms of meals, free time, commuting, etc.

Another significant cultural difference that I have noticed here is the way people who are strangers interact, and how in many ways they do not at all. Back in the states when eye contact is made with a stranger on the street is often followed by a stranger or a ‘hello.’ Here, however, smiling is far less common, and in the first couple months here when I flashed a smile at a stranger I was greeted in return with strange glances, or awkward forced smiles. I already feel that in many instances I obviously look American, or at least foreign in some regard. However, now that I have become aware of this I tend to smile at strangers a little less here in Spain, but in other countries across Europe, such as Italy, they smile all the time. It is these little differences in people here that I tend to notice the most I think.

Despite these cultural differences, I have come to appreciate the Spanish culture in many ways. The way that Spanish people take their time during meals to recount the events of the day and to spend time with family, or to focus on more than solely work. People in the United States are always in such a rush and in Spain things are more slowed down, and I feel that this has an imperative impact on stress levels and the wellbeing of individuals in each country.