entertain

After spending a glorious month in Barcelona, I have realized there are many distinct differences between Spanish and American cultures. Still readjusting to my San Francisco lifestyle, I am constantly hit head-on by these distinctions, and decided to pass on some of my new-found wisdom to all of you Spain-bound travelers who want some American insight on this crazy beautiful city.

Five Key Differences to Note between Spanish and American Living:

1. First, let’s talk schedule. One of the first drastic changes that hit me was the difference of schedules between Barcelona and San Francisco. In comparison to my average summer day at home, with breakfast at 9, lunch about 12:30, and dinner, let’s say, 7ish, here’s a quick break down of the Spanish routine:

Breakfast: 11:00 am (followed by lounging around, watching movies, or going to the pool, or beach!)

Lunch: 3:00 pm (the largest meal-more gory details on that later-followed by about an hour of sitting around the table talking with loud voices and big hand gestures. Next we have afternoon activities-considered after 5:00 pm- consisting of going downtown, another trip to the beach, or some other type of tourist attraction.)

Dinner: 10:00 pm (also followed by an hour of table talk and relaxing digestion. Afterwards, on a night out, there could be an outing to a bar or a disco where one can chat or dance the night away until the wee hours of the morning, very new for an American whose city night life shuts down at 1 am, and that’s late!)

2. Ok, so I definitely make the schedule sound more exciting in Spain, but I do want to emphasize that there are many categories in which I prefer the American lifestyle; such as the housing. Of course I loved visiting all the famous architecture of Barcelona’s Gaudi, but as far as living situations go, God bless America. I have a much better appreciation now for the amount of space we have in San Francisco. There are cases in which I am ashamed of how much space we occupy here in the U.S. and how our only size seems super-sized, such as gigantic gas-guzzling hummers in comparison with the dainty, eco-friendly mini coopers and smart cars of Europe. However, as hip as many of the apartments are in Barcelona, I prefer all the unique houses of all shapes and sizes here in San Francisco, and not just for their looks, but for the personal space they provide that many of us in San Francisco take for granted. Although the towering apartment buildings and narrow winding streets are beautifully ancient and detailed, it is difficult to find a grassy front lawn, open backyard, or even a small neighborhood park, whereas quaint grassy parks with basketball courts and play structures appear on every other corner in SF.

3. Moving on to what may have been the most vital and enriching experiences in Spain: the food. I ate everything, and with my newly discovered palette came a wave of observations about Spanish vs. American cuisine. First, I know it may be hard for many Americans to accept, but we really don’t need butter on everything, olive oil happens to do the trick! Everything we eat with butter is replaced with olive oil in Spain, and as a result, a lot of the same dishes such as eggs or meat have the same flavor, but with a much less-greasy essence! Another note about food: do not travel to Spain if you aren’t too big on fruit because delicious varieties of fruit are served after lunch and dinner every day, an amazing asset for me! If I were to split the two countries into meal teams I would have to call America “Team Breakfast” and Spain “Team Lunch”, with dinner falling subject to the individual. Lunch in Spain is huge, almost always two courses followed by fruit and then dessert. My favorite dishes have to be Paella (a delicious rice plate with seafood or meat) and Canelones (basically an amazing hybrid of lasagna and cheesy macaroni). Don’t worry though, Americans still own breakfast. In every specialty international food store I passed, three things consistently stood on the United States shelf. I am proud to say we are famous for peanut butter, marshmallows, and pancake mix. I have to say, a small piece of toast with tomato or a cup of milk does not compare to a good stack of flapjacks or a stroll down our diverse cereal aisle at Safeway.

4. Of course there are many differences between the customs and habits of Spaniards and Americans, but I would like to examine one in particular: kisses vs. handshakes. I’ll admit, it did take me by surprise when I stepped off the plane to be greeted by firm hands pulling me so close so that complete strangers could land two big kisses on both my cheeks, but I warmed up to this salutation very quickly. One of my American companions did worry that a lot could go wrong with this greeting, such as the awkward turning of the head too soon before the other person leans back, potentially creating some lip-to-lip action, or the classic overly-passionate cheek kiss where one person goes in for a peck and is caught off guard by two wet, lingering smooches on either sides of his or her face. Despite all these worst-case scenarios and pessimistic foreigners, I enjoyed the greeting custom because I automatically felt closer to new people as they pulled me in and introduced themselves between kisses. I guess a handshake can offer warmth and friendship, but many times I feel the firmness of a handshake as a somewhat cold, guarded, or even intimidating introduction. Starting with my family as I reunited with them in the San Francisco airport, I have already began my quest to bring the double-kiss to America, so do your part!

5. Finally, our last vital difference to note: fashion. Discussing European fashion, all I have to say is one word: mullets. You may have previously thought the “Euro mullet” was a myth or a trend of the past; it is still very much alive and thriving. Before walking the streets of downtown Barcelona, I was unaware that mullets could be gelled in so many directions; it is a bit overwhelming at first. Teenage fashion is also different in that here in the U.S., Abercrombie & Fitch tends to cater to a demographic of pre-teen girls just discovering denim mini skirts and obsessing over the male models who stand at the front entrance to take pictures. Luckily this is a stage that most girls grow out of here. In contrast, Abercrombie is like a fashion god in Spain, and sported by anyone from the same pre-teen female group, to the average eighteen-year-old male-skin-tight shirts and gigantic moose labels work for everyone! Although the men’s fashion did leave me a bit disappointed, all my confidence in European style was redeemed by the females of Barcelona. I have never seen so many styles of sandals or so many vibrant scarves. I spotted countless business women downtown sporting very professional blazers with flowy, bright-colored pants which tightened above their ankles and three-inch espadrilles. Mopeds and motorcycles filled the streets, but instead of Hells’ Angels, they were ridden by business men in sharp suits or young women in elegant flowing dresses blowing in the breeze. Although sometimes I missed the very casual wear of America, Spanish fashion made everyone feel like they had somewhere to go.

Despite all of this comparing and contrasting, both San Francisco and Barcelona  have their own wonderfully unique customs and lifestyles. Whether some of these notes have been a positive or negative influence on your potential spanish journeys, I think it is important for all travelers to step outside their boundaries and get a taste of something new. Hopefully now you will seem a little cooler than the average tourist walking around with a fanny pack and an upside-down map. One more thing, Spaniards hate Crocs and high socks, so try not to sport a combination of the both if you want to appear a local.