La Cultura

I learned a little bit of Spanish on my own prior to coming here. I would say that I knew the equivalent of one college semester in beginner Spanish. Generally, I find that the people here speak very fast even if they know you're a foreigner! I also feel like I can understand Mexicana better than Español because that's what I'm used to hearing. The letter 'c' is typically pronounced as a 'th' which is good to know to expect. Some people speak English in Valencia but I wouldn't rely on speaking English to the locals if you need to communicate. However, the people here at AIDICO love to speak English and they prefer that you do speak it with them because they are trying to learn it. One important word to learn is Vale (bah-lei) which means OK!

Being immersed in a Spanish speaking country, one would expect to learn the language better. As for me, I haven't really learned as much Spanish as I thought I would. In my apartment we speak English as it comes naturally and at work we do too. We've been able to manipulate a little USA in our apartment because we are the only influence in it besides the appliances and furniture there. Our habits are the same as they would be in the States

My feelings are so strong about this because of my very recent trip to Honduras and because I know how drastic the cultural differences can be from my travel experiences abroad and from living in India for a short time. These are experiences that I believe I cannot translate to words. One must simply experience them. 

I would describe my cultural experience here as if I live in a little USA bubble. Sometimes, I don't even feel like I'm in Spain. I think for some people, this is a good thing because it prevents some culture shock. But, as a lover of travel and new cultures, this is a bad thing. I feel like I'm not getting the full experience of this program. This program is about globalization which includes sharing technologies and research but it also includes learning how to become assimilated with another part of the world. When I leave here, I don't want my souvenirs to be solely material. I want to bring back more than just a keychain, I want to know more about how to cook, speak, think, and live like Spaniards.

I know I'll start noticing more cultural differences over the next few weeks and I'm excited. Siestas are real here and the operating hours of the store work around it. There is a mid morning snack called almuerzo and this is worked into the work day. Lunch is eaten after work at about 3 pm. Then dinner is eaten around 8 to 10 pm. At first, I didn't know almuerzo existed and I would just starve the entire work day. But now, I'm not hungry during the work day! Another weird cultural difference here is the color of the people. I don't think the people here are used to seeing brown skin like mine. People have commented to me THREE times already about why I'm dark!!!!! 

The architecture in Valencia is very unique in comparison to Texas. Six to ten story apartment buildings create valleys everywhere, making it really easy to get lost! The street names are posted on the building corners instead of having street signs like in the States, also making it harder to find your way. So far I have not gone sightseeing so much. I have been to a few parties that are organized by international organizations but since those were all at night, I couldn't see the buildings! I hope to visit La Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencias and the main city center soon. The beaches are within walking distance and are very beautiful compared the Galveston area.

I went to a shopping mall called Arena Multiespacio and that was just lovely! It's not indoors nor outdoors. There is a canopy over the entire mall that lets in light and the air from the outside can come in but also the shops have A/C. 

However, Spain can be a cultural shock if you have not experienced the east, west, north, and south of the United States. Public transportation is crucial here in contrast to Texas. Customer service is hard to deal with here in contrast to the south, especially as a foreigner who does not speak the language. It's not easy to get what you want here but I wouldn't blame that on the culture, I would blame that on my ability to not communicate with the people. I would say that this experience is just as culturally shocking as when I moved to Philadelphia for college. I remember how making a dental appointment in Philly ruined my week because of sassy and rude people are to strangers. People are fast paced up there and aren't friendly to strangers like they are in Texas. I think it can be easy to compare the USA to Spain on the fly and say one is better at certain things, but we must remember that Texas, and the South, has a culture of its own. 

For example, we shower when we want, we go explore when we want, we eat when we want. Like I said before, it's hard to explain what I'm talking about. One just has to have the experience to know. During my few days with Ana, I felt the difference. I felt that time passed by slower because of the way that they craft their day. The mind wasn't constantly running and wasn't over worked. I got to experience the language of Valenciana (different than Spanish), the food of a Valencian, the TV shows, the music, and the typical day here. I ate my cereal in a bowl of coffee for heaven's sake! I even ate something that looked like worms!

Part of globalization is being able to have a different mentality and understand how morals can be different from yours. What you think is right can be something someone else thinks is wrong and it is important to be able to love someone spite the big differences. That's the only way we can get a long with other cultures of the world and this is the reason that wars break out. Our ability to not love people of different morales, religions, colors, food, clothing, and even smells causes fights that lead to bigger problems.