This week was a little bit easier on the school side, purely because I have gotten into the swing of things. The metro is a breeze to get around the city now and I really do not know how I would be surviving without it. I really have enjoyed the lectures this week, even if they were a bit more leaned toward economics. It is very interesting to find the links where the economics of this region have found their place in the cultural aspects of the city. The city really has started to feel very comfortable to me, and I am trying to soak in and enjoy every minute that I have here.
This week, I learned that Spanish people, and most Europeans for that matter, are very interested in American politics. I have now had multiple conversations with people that begin with me saying that I am from the United States, then going straight into what I think of Donald Trump. The reviews on my opinions are very mixed, but nonetheless, the people find it very interesting to hear my point of view. This does not leave out, however, them telling me how narrow-minded I am for letting that man into the presidency. It truly does show how their culture is a lot less based on the policies of economics and economies than they are on social and cultural issues. They also do not seem to like the idea of not being a welfare state. This is not surprising to me, as most of the people I have spoken to about this have been young, and no nothing other than living in the EU where if a smaller country is struggling, then the larger countries pick them up. With this being said, I did speak to one man that was a waiter at a restaurant, and he brought up a term that I have not heard in a long time: “The American Dream.” He spoke about how much he loved the idea that he could immigrate to America, and based on his hard work rise to be a part of the American Dream and I found that very inspirational to hear during this more pessimistic mind-frame that we have found ourselves in during COVID.
Most of the waiters I talked to seemed to have had the job for a long time which I found very interesting. When you think of being a waiter as an American, you think of it as being a job to maybe get you by on the way to your next career, but here it seems to just be a way of life and they really enjoy it. I spoke to one waiter that had been a waiter at the same restaurant for 27 years! That is pure dedication to a business and I thought it was really cool. A group went this weekend to the island of Mallorca and it brought with it a bit of a culture shock, but only at night. It was amazing during the day, but at night it got a bit frustrating. There were more solicitors selling things than I have ever seen in my life, and it is crazy how they are able to pick out the group of Americans and all of them come by to give it a shot. It became quite annoying. We were sitting outside at dinner and probably got asked to buy things more than 25-30 times. So, with that frustration came the coolest realization of the weekend: I felt like I was “home” when we made it back to Barcelona. I have only had that feeling when going back to my parent’s house and eventually my house in College Station, and I would not have guessed getting that feeling here, but I truly love that I have. I am really looking forward to finishing strong on this last week of classes, and seeing what the week has in store.