During my extensive preparations for my 10-week excursion to Spain, one of the things I tried to ready myself for was culture shock.
I Googled culture shock. I read blogs about culture shock. I bought books about culture shock and was in tears when I couldn't fit all of them in my suitcase.
And then I got here, and now that I have passed the one-week mark and am reflecting a little, I am realizing that culture shock hasn't really hit me yet.
Maybe it's because there are similarities between Spain and the United States.
Maybe it's because I'm so excited about being here I haven't had time to miss home yet.
Whatever it is, I haven't had a moment where I stopped, scratched my head and said, Holy crap
this is culture shock.
That said, I have noticed a lot of really minor differences between Spain and the United States that have stood out to me as interesting, as well as a few similarities that are noteworthy as well.
From the moment our group of Ohio University students stepped foot on Spanish soil, we have wanted to shop. We sought souvenirs, gifts for people at home, items we had forgotten or the ever-necessary pair of boots that dominate the feet of every single Spanish person ever born; whatever the merchandise, the stores here received a good deal of business from our small group of American girls during this first week. However, an experience earlier today taught me that not everyone here is so focused on shopping.
I was taking the bus to Toledo's mall - it was the first time I'd taken the bus here alone, and I was puffed up with confidence that I was able to find my way by myself. As we neared the stop for the mall, I didn't bother to press the stop button; after all, where else could this bus full of people be headed but for the dozens of stores within the mall? I didn't want to be the American loser who pushed the stop button after someone else had already done the job.
Moments later, I watched in horror as we zoomed past the stop for the mall. Of all the people on that bus, not one of them had been planning to go to the mall as I had. I ended up getting off at the next stop and walking half a mile back (in my new boots, which I had bought the day before). I decided not to assume anything after that, even if it was that everyone in Toledo wanted to shop as much as I did.
Another difference that has stood out to me is the hills here. In Athens, we complain endlessly about the hills. However, every single hill in Toledo (and there are about a million of them) is like Jeff and Morton got together and had a baby that was as big as both of them put together, times eight. These monstrosities don't seem to faze the people here, though. Rather, they enjoy taking the scenic route wherever they go - down one hill, up the next, down the third, up the forty-fourth. All of the hills are made of cobblestones, and many of the native Spanish women walk up and down them, without breaking a sweat, in high heels that are half my height.
I could point out dozens of small differences that have caught my eye, but one similarity that has stood out to me has been the testosterone-laden half of the population here.
When I was preparing to leave for Spain, everyone I knew who had been abroad before me warned me about the flirtatious and forward European boys. I came here half expecting to be jumped, only to discover that boys and their sorry attempts at flirting are all pretty similar, whether they're in Ohio or Spain. They still honk their horns and whistle. They still give sleazy up-and-down looks.
The main difference between the guys here and in the United States is that those here are less apologetic for their attention. They're also funnier to listen to when they're trying to flirt in English. One evening in Madrid, a group of us received the hollered invitation, Lessss par-ty! And earlier today, I was asked, Heyyy how it's going? The later it gets in the evening, the worse the English becomes.
To be fair, the cities I've seen so far - Madrid and Toledo - are both extremely common tourist destinations; perhaps when we visit other places, we'll see more of the behavior I was warned about. For now, though, it would appear that boys will be boys, no matter the continent.
- Rebecca McKinsey is a sophomore studying journalism and Spanish who is studying abroad in Toledo, Spain. Send her an e-mail at: rm279109@ohiou.edu.
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Rebecca McKinsey
