I am currently finishing up my third week here on this study abroad. Every day, small moments give me insight into the unique characteristics of this culture, at both a personal and business level. Here are a few of my favorite anecdotes so far.
In the US, we have become accustomed to merging our professional lives with our own. A good example of this is walking into any coffee shop in College Station, where you are more likely to see a student alone doing some schoolwork instead of talking to a friend. Here in Barcelona, there are way more people just talking and spending time together as opposed to working. The other day, I went to a coffee shop to work on something, and I was told that the only section where you are allowed to take out a laptop is in the back, which surprised me.
One of the most gratifying parts of our business visits is getting to tie in the course concepts with something our speakers mention. One of the things that stood out to me is that when we were talking to the Port of Barcelona, there seemed to be much more emphasis on the “green” aspects of the port, instead of raw performance metrics.
During our visit to the Pallares family’s knife factory, I shared an unforgettable moment with David, the CEO. As I was browsing through the products, he stepped out from the factory doors and into the showroom with a shiny hunting knife. He proceeded to tell me about how he just finished sharpening and polishing that one second ago. thought to myself, “When is the next time I will be offered a literally brand new hunting knife in Catalonia by a third-generation artisan, who also is the grandson of the founder and the CEO of the company?”
In our lunch in Solsona, Manuel encourages us to find adventure in the small moments of our time here. One of the best parts of my days is going to the same coffee shop every single day before class and during lunch. There, I talk to the owner, Pascual, who is turning 50 years old in February and has been working there for the last 33 years. Getting to know about him and the cafe he runs is so interesting to me. Seeing these small cafes, bars, and restaurants in the US is a rare occurrence, as most of them belong to larger corporations. It has been such a unique experience getting to become a regular at a cafe with less than ten seats inside.
These stories are my way of getting to live in Barcelona and learning about the people and the businesses that make up the city. The focus on community is always much larger than that of personal benefit. Being good at what you do in albeit smaller operations is valued here.
