I was aiming at publishing this entry during the week that I left Spain but unfortunately this didn't turn out as planned. I had started the entry but, up until now, was unable to finish it. But as you know it takes some time and efforts to move to a different country and blogging was not on my priority list during the last weeks. My feelings described below are nonetheless still true. ;-) So, here we go:
I would like to contribute my last blog entry of this Erasmus semester to the beautiful country that has been so kind to host me. It has, once again, given a wonderful account of itself! During the last three years I have travelled through Spain extensively and every time it struck me again by how beautiful the country is. With beautiful I mean the country and all it has to offer as a whole: the food, the people and their cultural habits and the experiences I was able to make.
The food
Let me start with the food: it is simple and at times involves too much grease but it is just incredibly tasty. In addition, it is not just the food but the whole act of eating together either in a restaurant or at home. It always involves a large amount of it and it is always consumed with a lot of joy! As you know: a perfect combination for me! :-)
I would like to contribute my last blog entry of this Erasmus semester to the beautiful country that has been so kind to host me. It has, once again, given a wonderful account of itself! During the last three years I have travelled through Spain extensively and every time it struck me again by how beautiful the country is. With beautiful I mean the country and all it has to offer as a whole: the food, the people and their cultural habits and the experiences I was able to make.
The food
Let me start with the food: it is simple and at times involves too much grease but it is just incredibly tasty. In addition, it is not just the food but the whole act of eating together either in a restaurant or at home. It always involves a large amount of it and it is always consumed with a lot of joy! As you know: a perfect combination for me! :-)
At first I was always wondering why an ordinary Spanish person can eat so much and not turn out to be as fat as an elephant. Here is the answer: they eat a small breakfast, a huge lunch, some snacks in between and end the day with a comparable smaller and healthy dinner.
The people
During an Erasmus semester you usually meet people from all over the world (which is awesome in itself) but not that many people that actually are from the country you are living in. The same happened to me during my stay in Madrid: I've found new friends from Denmark, France, Italy (uhm, I mean Sardinia), the US, Canada, Singapore... and many more places that I can't wait to visit in the future!
Nonetheless, the few Spaniards I was able to get to know better were just lovely creatures. Despite the fact that I speak lousy Spanish most of them speak no English at all, the Spanish are not scared to talk with you and they always try to understand what you're trying to say. So, when I told my roommate that I am so super horny because my friend from Germany is coming for a visit (because I did not know the right word for excited and just made one up that sounded alike), she supported me in the best way she could in not making me feel too embarrassed. :-) And when I could not think of the word for freezer and described it as the place in the kitchen that is really, really cold our conversation went on in a normal manner without any big disturbances. In other cultures, such as the German or Dutch one, this would have most likely happened in a different way.
Their sense of family
Many people asked me whether or not you can feel/see/notice the economic crisis during your everyday life in Spain. I usually give the same answer: actually not! I got the impression that while many families and individuals are concerned by the crisis (they have lost their jobs, the are insecure whether or not they are going to loose their job in the near future, their friends got divorced due to their financial and social problems, ...) they try to make the best out of it. Most Spaniards I met explained to me that they are happy that their family and friends are healthy! That is what counts for them the most and I believe that this is an important indicator on why their culture is the way it is. They still want to go out for a drink with their friends despite the fact that they are low on cash. And the typical Spanish Sunday is spent with the whole family (with whole I mean whole) doing something fun together. I found this very insightful and lovely at the same time and hope to be able to adopt some parts of this mindset.
Many people asked me whether or not you can feel/see/notice the economic crisis during your everyday life in Spain. I usually give the same answer: actually not! I got the impression that while many families and individuals are concerned by the crisis (they have lost their jobs, the are insecure whether or not they are going to loose their job in the near future, their friends got divorced due to their financial and social problems, ...) they try to make the best out of it. Most Spaniards I met explained to me that they are happy that their family and friends are healthy! That is what counts for them the most and I believe that this is an important indicator on why their culture is the way it is. They still want to go out for a drink with their friends despite the fact that they are low on cash. And the typical Spanish Sunday is spent with the whole family (with whole I mean whole) doing something fun together. I found this very insightful and lovely at the same time and hope to be able to adopt some parts of this mindset.
The university
When I left Groningen and set sail to Madrid, I expected that living in Spain would also imply being confronted with an unorganized system on a daily basis. However, little did I know that the Spanish university I visited was extremely well organized and that I would not encounter a single problem during my stay in this respect. In fact, I have to say that the university was better managed than my current one... :-)
So, prejudices seem to work only 90% of a time.
When I left Groningen and set sail to Madrid, I expected that living in Spain would also imply being confronted with an unorganized system on a daily basis. However, little did I know that the Spanish university I visited was extremely well organized and that I would not encounter a single problem during my stay in this respect. In fact, I have to say that the university was better managed than my current one... :-)
So, prejudices seem to work only 90% of a time.
Prejudices
Speaking of which: whenever people, usually Germans that have visited Mallorca up until now, start describing the Spaniards as a people that is unorganized, does not work a lot, is unreliable... Really, it is just not true! I think that what gives this impression is the fact that they just have different priorities and a very different mentality from us - which is nice. :-)
So overall, I think it is save to say that I've completely fallen in love with Spain. :-) Hope to see you soon, my love.
Speaking of which: whenever people, usually Germans that have visited Mallorca up until now, start describing the Spaniards as a people that is unorganized, does not work a lot, is unreliable... Really, it is just not true! I think that what gives this impression is the fact that they just have different priorities and a very different mentality from us - which is nice. :-)
So overall, I think it is save to say that I've completely fallen in love with Spain. :-) Hope to see you soon, my love.
