Time is flying by! This first week in Barcelona has been memorable, to say the least. The food is delicious, the coffee incredible, and the weather extremely nice. I?m getting the hang of the metro system and we are becoming more and more efficient ordering meals as a group by the day. Eating out has been one of my favorite parts of Barcelona because of how fun we can make an afternoon. We?ll decide we could eat and start walking, happen across something that looks too good to pass up, and have a wonderfully long dinner. Like true Spaniards.?
I am a Spanish speaker, reader, and writer, but found there was a bit of a learning curve from the dialect I grew up speaking in Mexico and at home to the Spanish spoken here in Barcelona. Things I?ve noticed and loved practicing is that Barcelonians say ?Vale? as a confirmation, like when we say ?Okay.? It?s also normal, when you walk into a coffee/sandwich shop the owner will immediately greet you with a cheerful ?Hello?, or ?Hola.? You are expected to say ?Hola? back with the same energy before you even think, or browse, what you are going to order. For the most part, however, I have had no issue communicating with local restaurant and shop owners.?
Through group presentations, I have learned about the movement for Catalonian Independence. There is a complicated and tragic past to the present-day movement. I love the sense of pride and unity that the Catalonians feel so strongly about.
Two memorable trips since my last blog have been visiting the beautiful monastery on Montserrat and touring a Freixenet winery and cellar. Montserrat is one of the most interesting geological formations I have ever seen, and the sculptures, history, and detail that make up the monastery were fun to learn about. The passion and technical expertise that Freixenet showed over its product, Cava, a sparkling wine, was so cool. We went underground to look at 100-year-old bottles and the process it takes to make them and I immediately looked to see if I could spend some time learning about it.?
I?ve learned a lot about the culture here from talking to local people. On a day trip to Cadaques, I spent two 30 minute taxi rides talking to our driver about my experience of Spain so far and their view of the culture. He said that people in the Catalonian area are easily the most driven to work, save money, and have personal finances in general. Outside of the big cities, however, it is not abnormal for people to prioritize being happy and playing it by ear every day over pursuing financial independence or a career. I was told that someone would announce that they were going to dinner and casually invite strangers to eat along the way until a group of 10-20 was eating a meal and drinks. It?s a very sharing culture whose stress doesn?t escape the moment that they are in.?
Week 1 has certainly made it in the official books of my memories. I cannot wait for what is to come.