Although the stay in Barcelona was brief, the business program provided insight into the history and economy behind the city. Within the first day, I noticed that almost everyone we interacted with in the city knew at least basic English or could communicate excellently with those who couldn’t converse in Spanish. I was pleasantly surprised since I did not expect many people to know English that well. When spending more time in the city I found many parallels between the U.S. and Spain. For example, many U.S. companies had stores in central shopping districts in Barcelona such as Mcdonald’s, KFC, Taco Bell, Urban Outfitters, and Dr. Martens. McDonald’s was the only one that I would have expected to see in the city, so I was stunned to see the others. The U.S. also seems to have a moderate impact on the culture there as I noted many American pop culture references in products/ establishments and that many residents of Barcelona knew many popular American songs well and. However, I did also notice some particular differences. The residents of Barcelona like to have dinner much later than we do in the U.S., and many restaurants and bars are open late, even on weekdays. Most stores in popular areas also stay open late throughout the week, until around 9 pm, even if they are not large. Some stores that I encountered also actually closed for a few hours during the day to accommodate a break for lunchtime. Also, in Barcelona and Spain in general, it is actually not common to tip service workers such as waiters, unlike in the U.S. Many times, while dining out restaurants would bundle an appetizer, main meal, dessert, and a drink for around 21-25 Euros, which is not something I have seen often in America. Lastly, the metro and bus system in Barcelona is efficient and easy to use. In such a large city it was easy to get across town in under 30 minutes using the metro system. Even to a beginner, the system was easy to learn after an initial attempt and saved a lot of time. Most large cities I have visited in America don’t have such a well-planned public transport system. To me so far it is apparent that Barcelona has characteristics usual of a large city, but also those distinct to its country and region. I hope to gain more insight into what makes Barcelona unique and learn how its residents live.
