I was expecting the architecture to have a lot of intricate work and for it to be very old, being that Spain has had very old civilizations. When I came to Valencia, a lot of the buildings were brand new. I visited Umbracle and the neighboring museums and they were very modern looking. The architecture isn't the same as in Texas, however. Apartment buildings turn the streets into deep valleys. There are shops at the ground floor of all the buildings. I live above a cafe and a bedding shop. I noticed that a lot of apartment buildings have rooftop patios which I think is extremely cool but unfortunately, my building does not have this. I also noticed a lot of "green roofs". This is when the roof of a building is covered with plants and the purpose of this is to keep the sun's heat from entering the building from the top. I was expecting to have air conditioning everywhere but that is a luxury here. There are some incredibly hot days but most of the time, I feel like it could be manageable. There are no storm screens either but not very many bugs to keep out so that's not a problem either. So many of the things I thought were standard in every home, aren't here!
Some typical apartment architecture of Valencia
Umbracle architecture
The old district in Valencia
The differences in fashion are really fun to talk about because I think it contributes to how the people here act as a whole. In the USA, everyone tries to dress the same. For example, when I was elementary school, bellbottoms were super cool and everyone was wearing them. Or one time, bandannas were cool in elementary too but they weren't in middle or high school. Here, the people have their own style and it all looks so good! People aren't afraid to wear "outdated" clothes here and they have their own definition of what looks good. The people have the mentality here that everyone is different and should embrace that.
The topic of fashion leads me into the discussion of public display of affection here. People can have full make-out sessions on the streets or on the subways and it is not considered weird! A girl can be topless on the beaches and it's natural. The people here show their emotions when they feel it and they are not afraid of being rejected. I think we have the opposite problem in the USA because we are a melting pot of cultures and differences which causes a lot of clashes between people. In the USA, we are always trying to figure out how we should be but in Spain, they are already the way they should be - or in fact, there is no "should". I would say that a typical Spaniard can feel all six basic emotions in a work day. The lives here are very animated. People are just not afraid to feel.
Lifestyle is different in the sense of what time people do things. I get off of work at 3 and typically one would have lunch at this time here. Afterwards would be a siesta and dinner is at 10. The shops and restaurant operate around this schedule too. I think this lifestyle is making me a lethargic person because I am not very good at taking just naps. I like to sleep for long periods of time. If I go to bed early, it's too loud. I thought it somewhat quiet on the streets but there are always people outside! The trams are always going and people are eating out at the cafes on the street until midnight, even on weekdays!
There are many languages in Valencia. This city is like a college town and there are international studetns everywhere. I notice Italians all the time at work, in the streets, in the shops, and at the beach. This is such an incredible thing to me because I love meeting people from different parts of the world. Valencia has a lot of "intercambias" going on every night where people from all over the world get together to hang out. I didn't expect to speak much English here but here I am experiencing full days without speaking Spanish in Spain! It was very interesting to notice that when people of different languages get together, they use English to communicate. I never even thought this would be the case. English has ended up being the middle ground between a lot of cultures which is cool because that is what the USA is. Although the English here tends to be more British rather than American.
I heard that the food in Spain wasn't very spicy but I thought that at the very least that I would be able to find a chili pepper here so I could cook with it. No! I couldn't find a hot pepper anywhere but I did find some hot sauce which is made in Spain. There must be a secret vault somewhere... The vegetables here are so full of flavor so I don't see many foods with added spices like back home. MSG is definitely not needed here although I would say the food is a bit more bland than what I'm used to.
What I have learned from being abroad:
When it comes down to talking about social identity, I would say that in the USA our identity is to not have one. I, for example, was raised in an Indian family and have lived abroad but spent most of my time in the USA. I have my own identity that doesn't mesh with a single group of people because they don't have the same morals as I. Sure, I identify with certain environmentalist groups or dancers but then I end up disagreeing with their inconsistencies or ignorance in other areas. I think it's hard to have a social identity in the USA because there is so much of everything. I couldn't say that dancing, sports, or vegetarianism are parts of the culture because there so many people who like these things as many as there are people who hate these things. I hate fast food establishments and processing food in ways that are harmful to the land and I always end up finding people who are similar to me in this way. But I think others would say that all of America is fat and is in love with the fast-food culture. I think maybe this was true at one point, but there are just too many people on different sides. All in all, I feel like the identity I have observed about Spaniards is very generalized and may not even be accurate at all. Because I live in the USA, I don't feel like I can generalize the people there because I've experienced it as a mixture of mentalities and cultures.
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