Spain Cross Cultural

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A Day in the City...
Reflections From Within:

I've been in Spain for a few days now and I am starting to finally adjust to both the time change and the culture shock. I love travelling and I have visited Europe before and I am often finding myself comparing Spanish culture to other cultures that I've experienced, even similar ones like Italian and Greek. The biggest thing I find myself observing is the styles of locals and their overall fashion trends. Fashion is something very important to me and I feel as though that draws a connection between the locals and myself because style is something important to them here. While roaming the streets and Las Ramblas today, I noticed that some places were a few seasons or years behind on trends and I found that to be interesting. Fashion is the way I express both my own personal identity and my own culture.

Social Interaction with Locals:

The most rewarding part of the trip for me thus far has been being able to actually practice my Spanish with the locals. I have been studying the language since middle school and I've always wanted the opportunity to come here to learn more and get better and better. There have been situations in restaurants

and grocery stores when my friends did not know how to respond to or ask a question and I was able to step in and help. I've noticed that a decent number of locals do have at least some understanding of English, but not all of them by any means. I spoke to several locals today about where I wanted to sit in a restaurant and which outfit the cashier liked the best on me. Being able to communicate with someone in their native language that is not my own has been one of the most rewarding experiences for me and I am looking forward to continuing to do so here and at home.

The Bigger Picture:

One thing that really stood out to me today specifically was the beggars that I noticed in the streets of the cities and the pushy locals who would not stop trying to sell things like flowers. While at lunch in the city square, a man came up to us offering roses, I know from my previous travel experiences that they are never actually free and they will chase you down for money. We were also asked by several beggars for any kind of money. These two specific situations show that there is a deeper problem related to poverty in the city here and I struggle with how to best handle these sometimes uncomfortable circumstances.

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