For the 2009 Spring Semester, I am participating in an internship program here in Málaga. I am part of a Non-Governmental Organization called Movimiento contra la intolerancia (or “Movement against Intolerance” in English), which fights to prevent violence and hate crimes by working to eradicate the two steps of intolerance that precede violence: prejudices and stigmatization. Though the term “intolerance” seems vague, we have specific workshops on various types of intolerance, such as: racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, homophobia, Islamophobia, etc. Brainstorming to find the most innovative ways to get today’s youth involved and informed, we then give presentations and hands-on seminars in local middle and high schools.
My position within the organization is two-fold. Half of my time is spent in local middle and high schools giving presentations and interactive seminars to students between the ages of 11 and 16 years. The other half is spent in the office, where I translate various materials, such as reports and informational materials that we send to other organizations, as well as published articles written by the President and other directors of the organization. Though I only started a month ago, I already have a sense of accomplishment, and I am fully enjoying being part of a team of highly-creative minds searching for a way to impact the future.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Comparing the Spanish and American etiquette in the work environment
When I first got my internship at the Fundación Málaga, I thought it was going to be a great opportunity for me to get a hands-on experience in the working world in Spain. It turns out, it wasn’t anything that I had expected. What would be considered the norm for Spanish etiquette during business negotiations, would be regarded as unprofessional behavior. My observations of a meeting that took place at my internship have somewhat shaped my opinions about Spanish work life.
The meeting.
The members of this meeting were creative thinkers and representatives of advertising firms. The objective of this meeting was to discuss innovative ideas for the next cultural event.
1. Almost everyone arrived late. According to the Spanish conduct of doing business, you cannot arrive more than 30 minutes late. Otherwise, it is considered rude.
American rule: You either arrive early or on time. No if ‘s, and’s, or but’s.
2. 1 person out of the whole meeting was carrying the conversation. It was almost a painful struggle to get other people to volunteer and share their ideas. Also, no one expressed any interest whatsoever. When I talked to my boss after the meeting, I asked him if he considered this meeting a success. He said, “Fue normal.” I was completely shocked. He explained to me that the Spanish people don’t like to work together and that there is almost no concept of teamwork in their business world.
Normally, during a meeting like this in America, people would be exchanging thoughts and be more open to different ideas and opportunities that other businesses would have to offer. I believe that American business thrives off of teamwork.
3. Texting and doodling. I understand having this habit in high school. But in a business meeting, this would be considered unprofessional and extremely rude. In the U.S., it would give you ticket/invitation straight to the door. Even though Elena and I did not call for this meeting, we were appalled and offended.
4. Pessimism. Sitting through that 3 hour meeting was almost unbearable. Crisis this and crisis that. Everyone understands and knows that we are all in an economic crisis. The point of this meeting was to simply discuss ideas for a cultural event. Instead, most of the people were thinking about their business’s financial situations even though nobody made a decision about a cultural event yet. La Fundación Málaga didn’t call this meeting to talk about financial support only.
Although all of this is all shocking and new to me, this is the Spanish way of conducting business. It’s only been a little over a month since I started this internship and I have yet to learn and experience more in the Spanish working environment.
The meeting.
The members of this meeting were creative thinkers and representatives of advertising firms. The objective of this meeting was to discuss innovative ideas for the next cultural event.
1. Almost everyone arrived late. According to the Spanish conduct of doing business, you cannot arrive more than 30 minutes late. Otherwise, it is considered rude.
American rule: You either arrive early or on time. No if ‘s, and’s, or but’s.
2. 1 person out of the whole meeting was carrying the conversation. It was almost a painful struggle to get other people to volunteer and share their ideas. Also, no one expressed any interest whatsoever. When I talked to my boss after the meeting, I asked him if he considered this meeting a success. He said, “Fue normal.” I was completely shocked. He explained to me that the Spanish people don’t like to work together and that there is almost no concept of teamwork in their business world.
Normally, during a meeting like this in America, people would be exchanging thoughts and be more open to different ideas and opportunities that other businesses would have to offer. I believe that American business thrives off of teamwork.
3. Texting and doodling. I understand having this habit in high school. But in a business meeting, this would be considered unprofessional and extremely rude. In the U.S., it would give you ticket/invitation straight to the door. Even though Elena and I did not call for this meeting, we were appalled and offended.
4. Pessimism. Sitting through that 3 hour meeting was almost unbearable. Crisis this and crisis that. Everyone understands and knows that we are all in an economic crisis. The point of this meeting was to simply discuss ideas for a cultural event. Instead, most of the people were thinking about their business’s financial situations even though nobody made a decision about a cultural event yet. La Fundación Málaga didn’t call this meeting to talk about financial support only.
Although all of this is all shocking and new to me, this is the Spanish way of conducting business. It’s only been a little over a month since I started this internship and I have yet to learn and experience more in the Spanish working environment.
Two Worlds and One Experience
Already having spent 5 to 6 months in Malaga I have learned, with much effort, to not compare constantly my familiar surroundings in the USA with the Spanish experience here in the south of the country. Sometimes it has been really a difficult task because as soon as you get off that plane and realize that you are no longer ''at home'' the first thing I personally felt was fear of the unknown. I was unaware of what would be waiting for me on the other side of those glass baggage claim doors but I remember just closing my eyes for a few seconds and just taking a deep breath and realizing that its a new chapter in my life that I should fully take advantage of as much as I can. In the beginning everything evoked a sense of “aww” in me because mostly due to the difference of lifestyle and mentality that I was being exposed to. When I first arrived the first month was a constant comparison between the life I know very well and this life I was trying to get used to in Spain. In the last few months I no longer find myself comparing the two “worlds” but I do find myself missing things that I took for granted when I was at home. Being here has also allowed me to see the United States with a more critical eye, which I believe would have never happened if I had stayed in the USA. Hopefully when mid May comes around I will leave with pleasant memories and a lot of learned life lessons. As for now, I try to enjoy the time I have left in Malaga without thinking too much about when I go back home.
The picaresque phenomenon: "Let's see if it works..."
In the text that accompanies our intercultural seminar (Espana, ombligo del mundo by Rosa Maria Artal), the author addresses an important thread in the tapestry of Spanish culture. This attribute of many Spanish individuals and a significant portion of Spanish society is derived from the picaro archetype of the picaresque novel in Spain. He is known as a roguish main character who, within a corrupt society, lives by his wits in order to survive. However, to do so, the "hero" lies, cheats, steals, and generally gets away with whatever he can while avoiding honorable work.
Lazarillo de Tormes, the first true picaresque novel in Spain
This theme is particularly fascinating to me, because as Artal points out, la picaresca exists on every plane of Spanish society - from its children, the majority of which would rather claim unemployment benefit than have an actual job; to its politicians (although name a country which lacks corruption on a political level...). Although a portion of this conduct can be simply be chalked up to human behavior, the extent to which many Spaniards appear to carry out this trickery is worrisome to me. Maybe I'm overreacting, but I don't believe that raising kids to believe that it's all right to "get away with" everything they possibly can without applying effort is good for Spain's future.
Over at the Puerta del Sol blog, Jonathan Holland writes that la picaresca is "more often used in self-defence against bureaucratic excess" - which is understandable. Nevertheless, he then cites a study conducted by ABC in which 36.9% of university students claimed that copying in an exam is justified. I realize that coming from the United States, land of the rags-to-riches, everyone-can-succeed-with-hard-work myth makes me biased. Yet surveys such as these, for me, point to a defect in Spanish society that is only going to get worse if Spaniards do not become more "ashamed" than "proud" of this particular trait, to relate to Holland's observations. If the underhanded actions which characterize industries such as construction (to which Artal devotes much of her third chapter) continue, I hypothesize that the country will dig itself a bigger and bigger moral and economic hole that it may not be able to escape.
Friday, February 27, 2009
11
“El once”. Need I say more? For many of us in Malaga this bus is our life and blood when it comes to transportation. Our only means to get from El palo to El centro. For some it’s a time to reflect on their day or read a book. For the elderly of Malaga it’s their reunion room. After spending over an hour on this bus every day I have come to like the time I spend just sitting back and relaxing while watching the city go by. The bus can be overcrowded at times, just like every other one in the world. I often remember back to when I was in high school. I always took the number 8 bus down York road into Baltimore to go back home. I can’t help but making comparisons between these two famous bus lines in my life.
In the 11 I have become much more accustomed to the polite manner in which people uphold the “if you were there first, you get on the bus first” code of honor. Back home this was a very distant thought. The elderly were respected of course, but after that it’s everyone for them selves. The 11 also has good and thoughtful drivers. On more than one occasion I have seen them get out of their seat to help the elderly or the disabled. Switching to the 8 in Baltimore I have seen a driver skip a bus stop on the grounds that the wheel chair ramp doesn’t work and he didn’t want to deal with the man in the wheelchair waiting for the bus. As I said earlier the 11 can get packed, but I will always be left with the memories of the 8 when I was squished into the back corner of the bus with no way to get out and a man in a white suit sitting next to me preaching at the top of his lungs his version of the “word of Christ”. With these comparisons in mind I leave this entry with the hopes that I have many more culturally fulfilling rides on “el once”.
White Gold
A beautiful fillet of fish, a thick and creamy soup, a crispy pile of French fries, and a plate of golden calamari rings; what do these dishes have in common? The answer is simple: mayonnaise, globs of flavor destroying, rib sticking white gold. Foolishly, though happily, I left the United States thinking that I had left mayonnaise behind. After spending several months here in Malaga, I have discovered that mayonnaise is an integral part of the Mediterranean diet. In reality, the popularity of mayonnaise in Spain shouldn’t be very surprising. The two main ingredients of mayonnaise, oil and eggs, are readily available in Spain. Unlike the United States, in Spain, mayonnaise is not relegated to the demeaning role of a condiment. In Spain mayonnaise can also have a grander role. To my horror and bewilderment one chilly November afternoon, I found myself eating Gazpachuelo, a soup whose broth is derived from mayonnaise. My particular aversion to mayonnaise stems from my allegiance to ketchup, an allegiance that produces the same aversion in Spain. The lack of a Heinz ketchup factory in Spain and the abundance of oil and eggs make the Spanish fascination with mayonnaise understandable. The prevalence of mayonnaise in Spanish cuisine is a visible difference between our two cultures.
Tourist Watching
Working in the Tourism Office of Malaga, I spend a large portion of my day tourist watching. My goal in the office is to determine where the tourist comes from before they talk, so that I can help them accordingly in English or in Spanish. For a tourist abroad, sports emblems are often used as a way to proudly represent their cultural identity. When a tourist walks into our office a wearing sports logo-- be it a hat or jersey, I am able to quickly determine where he is from. Hockey logos, especially the Team Canada emblem, quickly denote a tourist from Canada. National rugby jerseys, or hats with the letters RBS, denote tourists from the UK. The silver fern, symbol of the “All Blacks” rugby team, denotes tourists from New Zealand. Baseball hats, when worn properly, denote a tourist from the United States. I say this rule applies when the hats are “worn properly,” because the baseball hat has been transformed into a fashion statement here in Europe. There is a simple way to clear up this confusion. If the hat has a flat brim and an unofficial, wildly flamboyant pattern with the New York Yankee logo, it probably doesn’t belong to an American tourist. These are simple rules that are not always right, but for many people, sports logos are a deeply important symbol of national pride. For sports fans around the globe, national rugby teams, hockey teams, and baseball teams are fundamental forms of cultural identity.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Invisible Malaga (Part 1)
Living in Malaga for the past six months, we were able to see some of the most beautiful things Spain has to offer as we have had the opportunity to travel to various parts across the country. I would like to talk not about these marvelous journeys however, but instead the far less attractive, but none the less interesting. 
It is true that you never know much about the place in which you are living unless you venture out and experience it on your own. It is quite clear that there is so much more to Malaga than El Palo,
Seeing these parts of Malaga made me think that every city/country has a side that it would like to remain hidden or invisible. However, I think that places like these tell us more about Malaga and opens up a sociological dialogue in terms of thinking about where we all from, the parts of society often ignored which in turn are very serious social problems that need to be addressed. The video below is from a program called Los Callejeros, which addresses different issues around Spain. La Palmilla was featured in a multiple part segment. Check it out!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbOzpSpJqj0
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Cultural Comparisons and Our Subconscious Reactions
About a week ago, I went out for drinks and tapas with some of my friends from Dickinson and three students that go to the University of Malaga whom we met earlier that day. We started talking about Malaga, what we like about it, how long we’ve been and will be here, the University, and what each person is studying, but, like they always tend to do, the conversation began to be a comparison of different cultures and perspectives. I think that it’s a natural evolution because everyone is interested to know how a person sees their own culture; we also all tend to be curious about how others, outsiders, understand our culture. (When I say culture, I mean all of the things that make up a society: the language(s), form of government, schedule, diet as well as the education and health care systems just to name a few of the thousands of components that can be included in a definition of culture.) So, as I said before, our conversation began to be a series of comparisons. We talked about the University (both University of Malaga and Dickinson College) and the culture that comes with American college life. The Spanish students were curious about whether or not it really is like the portrayal of the generic American university that they’ve seen in Hollywood films. We discussed the pros and cons of having 18 as the legal drinking age as it is in Spain compared with 21, the legal age in the States. We also compared the different health care systems that Spain and the United States have. This was particularly interesting for me because I’ve taken a class at the University of Malaga and had other classes with Spanish professors so I feel like I’ve gotten a good taste of what the education system is like, but I haven’t had any direct encounters with the Spanish health care system (and hopefully I won’t have any reason to.) However, even more interesting than the new information and the opinions that we exchanged on the various topics was witnessing the reactions and emotions that people have when discussing their country and their culture. In that specific conversation, and in any like it, there was pride, embarrassment, hope, disappointment, and various other similar emotions. To me, these are very personal emotions that the average person wouldn’t knowingly share with a mere acquaintance but it seems to be a subconscious reaction that shows the deeply rooted attachment that each person has for his or her own culture, sometimes without even knowing it.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Language
During the recent trip to the north of Spain and Portugal I could not stop thinking about how we all communicated and how we were perceived by others around us. I remember back on the first day when I arrived in Málaga and how it was such a struggle to talk with my host mother. Over time we all have grown in our abilities to communicate with the others around us. We have all had our share of communication errors, some worse than others, such as the confusion of words or the continued problems of conjugation, but over time we have been able to overcome these obstacles. Some arrived with a well entrenched knowledge of the Spanish language and continue to build upon it. Those who were not at such a high level had to acclimate quickly as some continue to do so today. For example, the four new students who arrived this semester have to keep up with a group of students whom have already been constantly speaking Spanish for a semester. With this in mind, I have many questions that revolve around the debate of language comprehension. For example, do women learn quicker than men? Do children actually pick up languages faster than adults or does it take the same amount of time just over their earlier years? Or one of the most interesting debates I have heard is that “there are people who just have the knack to learn languages and there are those who don’t”.
We all have the similar fears and desires when it comes to language comprehension. “All I want to do is be able to speak and understand those speaking” which I myself have said and heard other mutter as well. We are able to use the Spanish we know now to understand class discussions and tours with Manolo, but what about on the street? How many times have you been in a position where someone asked a question and your response was to stare back at them and say; “Qué?” For some it’s an unnerving experience, while others will be able to salvage the situation and figure out what was said. The learning environment on the street is a much quicker and sometimes harrowing experience for those not accustomed to it. For those around us the game is different. Many of the thousands of students we see in the street all want to learn English. When we go to a restaurant and order, we constantly find that the waiter will reply in English. The Spaniards around us love to talk, but you get the feeling that they also love to talk at a certain “word per second” ratio. Also, the fact that Málaga is a tourist hub for many English speakers and for groups of students that stay for maximum one semester makes it all the more difficult for people to take us seriously in our desire to only speak Spanish. But for us the comprehension of Spanish will continue to be a road that we have to construct on our own. No one can build it for us.
We all have the similar fears and desires when it comes to language comprehension. “All I want to do is be able to speak and understand those speaking” which I myself have said and heard other mutter as well. We are able to use the Spanish we know now to understand class discussions and tours with Manolo, but what about on the street? How many times have you been in a position where someone asked a question and your response was to stare back at them and say; “Qué?” For some it’s an unnerving experience, while others will be able to salvage the situation and figure out what was said. The learning environment on the street is a much quicker and sometimes harrowing experience for those not accustomed to it. For those around us the game is different. Many of the thousands of students we see in the street all want to learn English. When we go to a restaurant and order, we constantly find that the waiter will reply in English. The Spaniards around us love to talk, but you get the feeling that they also love to talk at a certain “word per second” ratio. Also, the fact that Málaga is a tourist hub for many English speakers and for groups of students that stay for maximum one semester makes it all the more difficult for people to take us seriously in our desire to only speak Spanish. But for us the comprehension of Spanish will continue to be a road that we have to construct on our own. No one can build it for us.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Time Changes in Malaga
While spending more time in Malaga one of the most interesting things that i have had to grow accustomed to has been the concept of time here in Spain. Mostly due to the fact that meal schedules as well as other daily activities such as: classes, work, stores and nightly activities are all affected by the spanish concept of time. As i first arrived in Malaga in August it has been very difficult to adjust to the change of time of meals. I am accustomed to waking up, at the latest, around 9 am then having some type of quick breakfast in a form of a granola bar and then going off to class. Arriving home from class at around 12:30 just to go directly to lunch (that usually lasts at the most a half an hour) and continuing my day until 6pm to have dinner.
But as I arrived in Malaga i quickly learned that my time perception was quickly in the need of a readjustment. Due to the fact that classes here are at 4:14 pm most days i have the luxury to sleep in until 10:30-11 with all the time in the world. I usually do not have breakfast mostly because i am not usually hungry at 11 in the morning, so my usual "breakfast" consists of water. After taking my time in some daily reading or finishing up homework from the night before i usually find myself getting hungry at around 2:30 pm, wondering when lunch is going to be ready. Normally lunch is served at around 2:45 and it usually lasts about 20 minutes at the most followed by a few minutes of gathering my books and then making my way to the bus to go to class. As i said before classes begin at 4:15 and don’t end until 7pm. I usually end up taking the bus back to El Palo at around 7:30 and arriving at my house at the beautiful hour of 8.
Arriving home after an afternoon of classes, I am nether tired nor hungry but when 9:40 comes around i find myself once again wondering about food. Dinner usually lasts a good hour, mostly because my host family is very talkative and very curious about my day. The time to go out is also very different. Since at home, I find myself leaving my house at the latest 9:30 pm and stay out, at the latest, until 1:30 am. But here time is very different, by the time i finish dinner (usually at 10:30ish) I have time to get ready and go catch the 11 before it stops running for the night, and it changes into the N1. Calle Larios (the Center/Downtown part of Malaga) is usually close to empty at 11 at night, not because its late but rather because it´s early. Both the streets and the night-life locations do not fill up till about 1:30 in the morning. Due to the fact that people eat late and thus finishing their dinner at a much later time then 10, they find themselves leaving their houses to start their night of fun at about 12:30ish. People usually tend to stay out until the early hours of the morning, thus enjoying their free time and taking full advantage of the fact the work day does not really start until 9:30-10 the next morning.
Slowly i have changed my perception of time and have learned to adjust to the different timing of things here while also, from time to time, missing my old 'American' time. It will be very interesting to see if it will be another time shock to go back home at the end of the semester and try to readjust to my 'normal' routine. As for now, i am enjoying the abundance of 'free' time and the great opportunity of being in Spain and actually experiencing this difference first hand.
But as I arrived in Malaga i quickly learned that my time perception was quickly in the need of a readjustment. Due to the fact that classes here are at 4:14 pm most days i have the luxury to sleep in until 10:30-11 with all the time in the world. I usually do not have breakfast mostly because i am not usually hungry at 11 in the morning, so my usual "breakfast" consists of water. After taking my time in some daily reading or finishing up homework from the night before i usually find myself getting hungry at around 2:30 pm, wondering when lunch is going to be ready. Normally lunch is served at around 2:45 and it usually lasts about 20 minutes at the most followed by a few minutes of gathering my books and then making my way to the bus to go to class. As i said before classes begin at 4:15 and don’t end until 7pm. I usually end up taking the bus back to El Palo at around 7:30 and arriving at my house at the beautiful hour of 8.
Arriving home after an afternoon of classes, I am nether tired nor hungry but when 9:40 comes around i find myself once again wondering about food. Dinner usually lasts a good hour, mostly because my host family is very talkative and very curious about my day. The time to go out is also very different. Since at home, I find myself leaving my house at the latest 9:30 pm and stay out, at the latest, until 1:30 am. But here time is very different, by the time i finish dinner (usually at 10:30ish) I have time to get ready and go catch the 11 before it stops running for the night, and it changes into the N1. Calle Larios (the Center/Downtown part of Malaga) is usually close to empty at 11 at night, not because its late but rather because it´s early. Both the streets and the night-life locations do not fill up till about 1:30 in the morning. Due to the fact that people eat late and thus finishing their dinner at a much later time then 10, they find themselves leaving their houses to start their night of fun at about 12:30ish. People usually tend to stay out until the early hours of the morning, thus enjoying their free time and taking full advantage of the fact the work day does not really start until 9:30-10 the next morning.
Slowly i have changed my perception of time and have learned to adjust to the different timing of things here while also, from time to time, missing my old 'American' time. It will be very interesting to see if it will be another time shock to go back home at the end of the semester and try to readjust to my 'normal' routine. As for now, i am enjoying the abundance of 'free' time and the great opportunity of being in Spain and actually experiencing this difference first hand.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The kitchen
The kitchen, as I have found, is the heart of the home. It is not only a place to prepare the day’s meals, but also a place to foster relationships. My humble Spanish kitchen has been a cultural eye-opener in ways I could have never imagined.
Simply put, there is never a shortage of food in the house. The pantry closets are overflowing, the refrigerator is so full sometimes the door cannot close, and the five-burner stove is hidden underneath the mess of pots and pans. On the counter sits the ornate pitcher filled with olive oil, which we refill every day from one of our four 5-liter jugs of olive oil in the pantry. As seasonal fruits come and go, our bottomless basket of fruit always displays an array of colors. From the typical apples and bananas to the exotic cherimoya and ever-present mandarins, fruit is a large portion of the culture of Spanish food. Another integral piece of the food puzzle in Malaga is the presence of seafood. Whether fried or in paella, the fruits of the sea are never missing from any meal. Lastly, we cannot forget the wine, which my host mother pours, in what seems like exorbitant amounts, over any dish before she pops it in the over, declaring that as a “good Catholic woman” she must baptize her food. All of these aspects, in addition to fresh ingredients and warm spirit of an eager cook, combine to make a unique kitchen atmosphere. Needless to say, in terms of the culture of food in Spain, their metaphoric cup runneth over.
In the richness of this culture of food, the problem that I face is that I cannot replicate the individual dishes or the sentiment they carry, when I return to the United States. My host mother does not own a single recipe and has never in her life used one. I fear that no matter how many hours I spent watching her bustle around the kitchen, I will never be able to recreate these Spanish dishes nor the passion and love she puts into them. I often stand in the kitchen watching her cook and listening as she rambles on about the neighbors or what happened in Mercadona this morning. Though I entered the kitchen with a book in hand, it takes only a few minutes before I realized that I would not be reading a word of it here. With a wooden spoon in hand stirring the rice, my host mother and I stood over the stove, deep in conversation, yet again.
Most importantly, I have learned that the kitchen is a place for conversation. As you can imagine, with the amount of food and the propensity of the Spanish to talk, the meals themselves last for hours; bring up religion and politics, and you’ve just guaranteed yourself at least another hour at the table. It is through this conversation that you will learn about the hearts and minds of those that surround you. When given this wonderful opportunity, sit and enjoy the conversation, and sometimes debate, that commences during the “sobre mesa.” However, if your schedule confines you to bocadillo on-the-go or a mere hour-long lunch, just stand in the kitchen for a while, quietly sipping your tea, and you will be amazed at what you can learn. Every dish has a story, whether it is the dish served for a Spanish ambassador or the time the oven caught fire, and there is a cook out there who would love to share this with you.
So go to the kitchen. Sit with your family, Spanish, American or otherwise, and talk. You never know what you can learn about a person or culture until you stay for a while in the heart of the home. As they say, “home is where the heart is,” and in Spain the heart resides in the kitchen.
- Marlena
Simply put, there is never a shortage of food in the house. The pantry closets are overflowing, the refrigerator is so full sometimes the door cannot close, and the five-burner stove is hidden underneath the mess of pots and pans. On the counter sits the ornate pitcher filled with olive oil, which we refill every day from one of our four 5-liter jugs of olive oil in the pantry. As seasonal fruits come and go, our bottomless basket of fruit always displays an array of colors. From the typical apples and bananas to the exotic cherimoya and ever-present mandarins, fruit is a large portion of the culture of Spanish food. Another integral piece of the food puzzle in Malaga is the presence of seafood. Whether fried or in paella, the fruits of the sea are never missing from any meal. Lastly, we cannot forget the wine, which my host mother pours, in what seems like exorbitant amounts, over any dish before she pops it in the over, declaring that as a “good Catholic woman” she must baptize her food. All of these aspects, in addition to fresh ingredients and warm spirit of an eager cook, combine to make a unique kitchen atmosphere. Needless to say, in terms of the culture of food in Spain, their metaphoric cup runneth over.
In the richness of this culture of food, the problem that I face is that I cannot replicate the individual dishes or the sentiment they carry, when I return to the United States. My host mother does not own a single recipe and has never in her life used one. I fear that no matter how many hours I spent watching her bustle around the kitchen, I will never be able to recreate these Spanish dishes nor the passion and love she puts into them. I often stand in the kitchen watching her cook and listening as she rambles on about the neighbors or what happened in Mercadona this morning. Though I entered the kitchen with a book in hand, it takes only a few minutes before I realized that I would not be reading a word of it here. With a wooden spoon in hand stirring the rice, my host mother and I stood over the stove, deep in conversation, yet again.
Most importantly, I have learned that the kitchen is a place for conversation. As you can imagine, with the amount of food and the propensity of the Spanish to talk, the meals themselves last for hours; bring up religion and politics, and you’ve just guaranteed yourself at least another hour at the table. It is through this conversation that you will learn about the hearts and minds of those that surround you. When given this wonderful opportunity, sit and enjoy the conversation, and sometimes debate, that commences during the “sobre mesa.” However, if your schedule confines you to bocadillo on-the-go or a mere hour-long lunch, just stand in the kitchen for a while, quietly sipping your tea, and you will be amazed at what you can learn. Every dish has a story, whether it is the dish served for a Spanish ambassador or the time the oven caught fire, and there is a cook out there who would love to share this with you.
So go to the kitchen. Sit with your family, Spanish, American or otherwise, and talk. You never know what you can learn about a person or culture until you stay for a while in the heart of the home. As they say, “home is where the heart is,” and in Spain the heart resides in the kitchen.
- Marlena
Observations in a "guarderia"
So far, I have thoroughly enjoyed working in a guardería for my practica. It is a school for children between 0 and 3 years. As the guardería serves as one of the first institutions of learning for young children, next to their families, I believe that my internship will provide valuable insight into some of the basic values of the Spanish society.
Most of my time has been spent working with the 1 to 1 ½ year olds. As to be expected, some of the kids were unsure in the beginning what to think of me since I was someone new while others warmed up to me rather quickly. During certain parts of the day, all the children play together, allowing me to observe the different age groups. It has been quite interesting to see the development of the different ages and I hope to learn more ways to foster their learning. Also, if you think that understanding the Andaluz accent is tough, try understanding babies babbling in Spanish – quite difficult at times!
The Spanish children in the guardería are already beginning to learn English from an instructor who visits the school once a week to give hour lessons. I’m not there on the day that he comes, but the kids are fascinated to hear me speak in English such as when I sing English songs to them and love to demonstrate that they know simple words such as hello. This is one big difference that exists between
Another thing that I have noticed is that the Spanish are very insistent that the children learn to write with their right hand. Many times they color, and the teacher makes a big deal of showing them to color with their right hand while holding the paper down firmly with their left. If a child begins to color with the left hand, the teacher quickly corrects him or her and places the crayon back in the right hand.
~LindseyWednesday, February 4, 2009
Labor of Love
Walking to class for the first time I can remember being fascinated by the fashion of the Spanish youth. After spending the better part of four months in Malaga, it continues to surprise me. As a rule of thumb, general assumptions made in the United States about fashion should be reversed or discarded. For example, Spanish girls wear baggy pants which expose their multicolored undergarments, while Spanish guys wear their pants skin tight. Another commonly accepted stereotype in the US is that girls spend more time on their hair than guys do. Here guys spend as much time, if not more, fixing their hair every morning. The level of devotion some Spanish men have for their particular style can be disturbing. My host brother invited a friend over for lunch one Sunday; as we ate I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by his hair. This young gentleman had clearly spent an inordinate amount of time in front of his mirror, coaxing individual clumps of hair into tightly ordered, spiky rows. He was truly an artist; with styling gel as his paint brush and hair as his canvas, he had created a masterpiece. After prying my eyes off of his porcupine-like head, I was again flabbergasted. Written on this fellow's shirt was a string of English obscenities that would have made George Carlin proud. This is also quite common; young Spaniards will wear brightly colored t-shirts with English writing. Often the phrases are arranged in a nonsensical manner, with choice four letter words intermingled generously. I have no doubt that the youth of Spain will continue to surprise and entertain me.
Intercultural observations - at school
As one can imagine, the Spanish classroom and its students are similar in many ways to their American counterparts – and very different in others. While I have learned about the educational system of Spain on paper, seeing the daily lives of students and teachers firsthand adds a whole new dimension to my perspective. Simultaneously, I am able to gain insight not only from the point of view of an American, teacher, and student of Spanish, but also from the perspective of a Spanish student trying to learn English. And after attending several classes and observing their struggles with the language, I have realized just how difficult English can be! As much as we complain sometimes about topics such as the subjunctive in Spanish, I think that English would drive me crazy with its countless prepositional phrases, among other details.
So far at Colegio El Limonar, I have taken note of how the classroom is run and how the students behave in general. On the first day I was surprised to hear the students calling their teacher by her first name, since I was expecting a more formal environment considering how everyone must wear a school uniform, the classroom are very plain, any tardiness is unacceptable, etc. Also, the customary method of teaching is lecturing and writing (usually extensive) notes on the board for the students to copy down. While we do this in the U.S. as well, it is more common for teachers to be more creative (at least in my experience, with foreign language classes). Subsequently, in a lecture-based class, the students are less engaged and seldom actively participate. So I can see how the “epidemic” of apathetic students in the U.S. is not confined to our borders; whenever the teacher poses a question in class here, it is rare to see a hand raised in response. Furthermore, I noticed in the ESO (secondary education) classes that a large percentage of students did not bother to complete their homework. I hope to make a difference in this matter by bringing an engaging activity into the classroom at least once a week, prompting the students to practice English and do something interesting for once.
According to our syllabus for this seminar, we should be able to reflect upon our internship experiences in a critical and informed way. However, in order to do so I can’t just sit here and create a list of how our two countries are different. Going at least one step further – asking “why?” after each observation – is essential if we are to attain any sort of “intercultural understanding” at all. For example, in Spain students need to choose at a much younger age what type of career they want to have, whereas in the U.S., even college students are still figuring out what their future entails. What does this say about Spanish society? For me, this observation points towards a higher degree of individualism in the U.S. than Spain, and also towards Spain's possible focus on ensuring a work force for the country. Furthermore, schooling is compulsory through age 16 in Spain, and free - demonstrating the importance of education here.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Introduction
Welcome to our experimental blog. Students who are living and studying in Malaga during the Spring, 2009 semester will be writing here about their experiences. We hope that these observations will contribute to our discussions of issues relating to culture and identity. Fourteen students will be contributing to this blog. Please feel free to comment!
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