Howdy! I have accomplished and learned so much during this trip, however, I know that I still have so much to learn during the remaining 18 days here. This week we learned about many interesting things like the productivity slowdown in Europe, and old trade theories. I also was able to take a trip to Mallorca which was very interesting because although they are an island of Spain, the culture was a little different than what I have experienced so far in Barcelona.
To start out, this past week of class was very informative. We got to listen to many of our fellow classmates’ presentations that taught me a lot. One of the most interesting things I learned was about the productivity slowdown that occurs somewhat in Spain, and Europe as a whole. This capital misallocation that Spain and Europe have found themselves in has resulted in their productivity slowdown. Another thing that Spain and Europe have been having problems with is something called capital deepening. Capital deepening refers to using higher technology while producing at the same rate. This is a problem because Europe and Spain are not as technologically driven as other countries like China, America, and Russia. This means that they usually never produce new technology like those other countries, instead, they just follow the new technology and adapt their production around it.
When it comes to my personal experiences this week, I had the privilege of taking a trip to Mallorca. One of the first things I found out was that the Spanish influence is very small there. However, the German influence is very strong. While I was very surprised about the German influence being strong, I was not shocked that the Spanish influence is not as strong because of how big tourism is. I also noticed that most of the food in the area we were at was not of Spanish nature. This did shock me because even when we weren?t around tourist areas, the food was still catered to tourists. Secondly, I got a chance to visit the cathedral located in Palma. This was a great experience because I got to see and learn about its history. While it was not as big or elaborate as Sagrada Familia, it still did a great job at showcasing the beautiful architecture and designs that covered it. Lastly, I noticed that the few locals I did meet were a lot friendlier than their counterparts in Barcelona. While I do understand that that?s how it is in bigger cities, I truly believe that the culture in Mallorca promotes friendlier tendencies.?
All in all, this was my favorite week so far. Learning about Europe?s productivity slowdown, the culture, and old trade theories was very interesting and also being able to experience such a culturally rich island was amazing. This weekend and trip have gone by too fast, however, with only 18 days left I am very energized to continue learning about the many more interesting things involving Europe, Spain, and Barcelona in general while continuing to experience great things.