Cultural Differences

I LOVE learning little cultural differences in everyday life, and I realized after being here for 7 weeks that I've just gotten used to the little things here. I don't want to forget the confusion I experienced my first few days here, while I learned daily things I should or should not be doing, so I figured I'd share them with you all.

1. They don't tip here. It's so weird, but I've gotten used to it and now when I go back to the States I'm sure I'm going to forget to tip. They also include taxes in the prices, so what you see on the menu is what you pay.

2. Spaniards have a fear of floors. They never touch the floor with bare feet. Ever. We have to wear shoes or slippers in the house at all times to avoid touching the evil floor. And they don't put things on the floor either. When I come home from class I always want to put my purse or backpack on the floor next to my desk, but it's not allowed. Anything that touches the floor is evil, or something. At restaurants you can't put your purse on the ground, either. Everything goes on the table.

3. They don't say "thank you" (or, to be fair, "gracias") as much as we do. They only say it when they really mean it. My host mom always seems offended and weirded out that we thank her about 10 times during each meal. Try having a meal with a senior citizen who spent all morning cooking for you, sets the table for you, serves you all the food herself, clears each plate after you're finished, passes you the water and bread multiple times, and serves you the best dessert you've ever had...all without saying thank you every two minutes.

4. We have to say goodnight (and kiss goodnight) to every individual person in the apartment before sleeping. If we just say goodnight to the general room full of family, it's rude. If we go to sleep without saying goodnight, we might as well move out.

5. Spaniards don't have any idea what personal space is. They will stand on top of you and think it's normal. When walking on the street, they don't move out of the way to make room for you to pass. You just have to bump into each other. This is especially annoying in the rain with a bunch of umbrellas...and when you think someone is stealing from you because they're standing so close.

6. They are much more blunt here. Host moms tell you if they think you're fat. Guys in bars tell you what they really think of you, and what their real intentions are if they're having a conversation with you. Professors tell you if they think you're stupid. At first this is hard to get used to, but it makes compliments mean more.

That's all for now, I'm already starting to forget some! This is a picture of my bedroom here, for those of you not on facebook who want to see what it looks like.