Cultural Differences

Vale. Our program had a discussion this afternoon about all the cultural differences between the United States and Spain, and I thought I would share some of the more interesting ones.

- It's not OK to smile at guys on the street here. It means that you want them.

- That said, it is perfectly OK to simply stare at other people walking through the streets. Good to know, because I was starting to get really creeped out. I thought it was because they could tell I'm American, but it's just the thing to do around here.

- You have to ask for the check at restaurants, and you don't leave a tip unless the service was exceptional. When you do tip, it's perfectly OK to leave 1 Euro for a meal that cost 20 Euros or to leave whatever change you don't want to bring with you -- a very small tip is not offensive.

- Lunch (la comida) is at 2 or 3 in the afternoon and dinner (la cena) is at 9 or 10. Lunch is the main meal of the day and university classes break and shops downtown are closed for the most part.

- PDA is way more common, and most women would find it offensive if their boyfriends were not very affectionate in public.

- It's rude to walk around the house barefoot or in socks. Everyone either wears slippers or their shoes inside.

- It's considered bad manners to eat with your hands. This includes sandwiches, fries and fruit. But it's rude to not have both of your hands (or at least your arms) resting on the table. It would be unusual if one of your hands was in your lap while eating.

- Saying "gracias" frequently is considered rather strange. Whenever I thank my host mom for food or for holding the door or something like that (out of habit) she essentially tells me to calm down.

- Whenever you meet someone for the first time, you give them two kisses -- one on each cheek, starting from the left. The kiss more or less goes into the air, but your cheeks touch.

That's all I've got for now. Hasta luego.