Mosaic International Institute’s Blog

It is inevitable that when living in a foreign country you don’t come across cultural differences that stick out like a sore thumbs. There are various cultural differences here in Spain that I just can’t seem to wrap my head around.

One thing, that is very obvious for a girl from California like myself, is the amount of cigarette smoking. Many people had told me that I would get used to it and that I would eventually not notice that my hair and clothes reeked of smoke after a night of going out. However, after almost a year of going out and being engulfed in the grey clouds and haze of the discos and tapas bars, my eyes still turn bright red and I can smell the strong stench of musty smoke in my hair for the next two days (despite showering several times). This is, by far, the number one thing that I will not get used to.

Another thing, but probably minutely noticeable is the way that jackets and coats are so neatly laid over their arms as if they were waiters in a four star restaurant. On the metro, walking down the street, wherever they may be, if it is too warm for the jacket then it will be laid over one arm. I certainly do this myself, but what I can’t seem to figure out is why the jacket is always folded inside out. Is there any method to this madness? This is one thing that before leaving this country I will seek to find out the reason behind.

Here is another, and probably the most obvious of cultural differences: pork, jamón, cerdo, solomillo….however you name it, it is the same product and it is everywhere. Ham is definitely a symbol of España. I never thought a type of meat could be so symbolic of an entire nation until I came to Spain for my first time. Every corner is littered with a Museo del Jamón or a restaurant that displays their glorious ham leg in the window. In a literature class here in Spain (at Complutense) I learned about Xauxa, which is the Spanish utopia where ham grows on trees. I found this particularly interesting, and in a strange way it does make sense. In a country where this product is vital to their way of life, and can also be a very expensive amenity, it only makes sense that the perfect world would have ham available at all times and growing on trees. A curious fact is that jámon has not always been as deeply rooted and important to the country. During the days of the Inquisition many laws were put in place to discourage Judaism. In addition to the laws, jamón was eaten frequently and became a staple of the spanish diet and culture simply because Jewish people could not eat it according to Judaism.

What made me begin to think of these little differences here is Spain was an article I read the other day. The article was warning about Swine Flu and advised on how to prevent contracting flu viruses. It recommended to not touch the faucets in the bathrooms or the door handles. Instead of using your hand it suggested grabbing a paper towel after thoroughly washing your hands and using that to turn off the faucet and open the door. While in the bathroom of a local bar I realized that I was unable to use a paper towel because here in Spain it is common to have the environmentally conscious air blowers. This is when I began to think….Neither my culture (American) nor the Spanish culture is right or wrong about the way things are done, but it does raise a lot of questions about where traditions and cultural norms come from. I always wonder about their origins, so if anyone knows why I always see people carrying their jackets inside out, let me know!

On the topic of pigs (Swine Flu and jamón), I saw this video the other day. Enjoy!