Granada Part 2

---

Individual Reflection

We are now two weeks into our cross-cultural, and one thing I personally miss from home is the abundance of cold drinks. In the US, it is common for nearly all households, stores, and cafes to have and/or serve a variety of cold drinks such as water, milk, soda, etc. However, I have observed that although not impossible, it is a little harder to access these types of drinks. More common are warm milks and coffees or lukewarm sodas and waters. This has been a minor hurdle, but a hurdle nonetheless, for me because I had been so used to quickly grabbing or buying a nice cold drink wherever I happen to be in the states whereas here I must either search for something cold or adapt to the culture and embrace and try to understand the way in which people here enjoy their drinks.

Cultural Interactions

Early on, we noticed that our host parent was very willing to make our food and clean up after us, but she never ate with us or at the same time. Instead, she seemed to be waiting for her partner to return so they could have meals together. We were unsure whether this was consistent in other families until we spoke to some of the other students as well as listening to the lecture on Spanish families on Friday. In the lecture, we learned that many families in the south of Spain may be more traditional in the sense that the mother may stay home and provide more of a “service” role to those in her home whereas the father will leave to work and rarely be seen doing housework (Reyes, personal communication, 2019).

Social Issue

In Spain, the distance between individuals is often much less than what we are used to in the US. Here, many people greet one another with a quick kiss on each cheek, and using touch to communicate is common. Although this may not cause concern in the Spanish culture, it may come across much differently to those from another culture in which this practice is seen as invasive, especially if done so by a stranger. Practices such as these help those from both cultures improve their CQ action. All involved parties can do so by observing and planning how to use and deliver their words as well as their non verbal communication according to the situation, culture, and the comfort of what is happening (Livermore, 2015). This helps all participants to understand different cultures more and know what to expect as well as what to do when faced with unknown situations.

Words: 436

---

Photos

Crepe & Horchata
On the left is one of the few cold drinks one can easily find in Granada, horchata con chufas.