MUSINGS was a project undertaken by the New York Honors Semester the last several times it took place in New York City. Entries were random thoughts collected over time, entered anonymously in an informal 'publication' that served as a keepsake for students in the Semester. So that you know hoe to read this document, note that in this case there are only two time frames: roughly the beginning (toward the end of Orientation Lab); roughly the end (two weeks before leaving the site). For the early one you were asked to think about What Surprises You about Spain? and for the later one you were asked to consider What Surprises You about Yourself in Spain?
My biggest surprise has been that I didn't think the food would be so bland. I am accustomed to spicy food that is rich in flavor.
Not to be cynical, but somehting that really surprised me about Spain was the VERY limited access to e-mail. This is just one of the contradictions I've picked up in the modern Spain, which seems to be trying to cope at once with becoming an emerging contender in industrial Europe while distancing itself from an impoverished and virulent past.
When I went to a bullfight I was really shocked and pretty shook up...The atmosphere and the overall great excitement of the Spaniards made me feel, at times, as if I was in Ancient Rome. Spaniards were going crazy at the first sight of blood...
I was cheating and eating American food. I was hungry and craving French Fries; there are McDonald's everywhere in Spain...just the same and yet different. The menu is mostly the same...and they sell beer. All...are housed in the type of luxurious settings that one associates with an upscale restaurant..and the popularity surprises me.
The most shocking aspect about Spain is that I haven't been shocked...this place isn't CHina or Afghanistan, and I think that it's important for my fellow students to realize this about the great nation of Spain.
The internet is so slow and computer access is almost nonexistent...it seems like the old fashioned pen and paper proves to be much less stressful.
All the piropos that bother me here and the fact that most of the Spaniards don't consider Puerto Rican Spanish real Spanish and they make fun...
One thing that surprised me about Spain--neverending "piropos."
...the total lack of pianos: it took me 5 weeks to find a place I could practice, but people have been nice about it.
I am glad English is rare because it forces me to speak Spanish more often, but it was probably the biggest myth that people in Spain speak at least a little in English. Despite the language barrier, I am really enjoying my time in Spain and am really enjoying my classes.
...that they eat chocolate with their cereal instead of milk!
that the bus drivers stop the buses to talk to one another through the window when there isn't a lot of traffic (and sometimes when there is)...and that the grocery stores are stocked on a rather random basis...
...the mostly desert vegetation around here...and the inefficiency of the internet servers here!
...the rather large amount of American music I've been hearing: American pop music and cheesy teen bands. It's a kind of funny and comforting phenomenon.
...the fact that the biggest store I have ever seen in my life does not sell bars of soap very much surprises me.
...the strange food from the supermarket. I can't find JIF peanut butter or my regular cereal...paella: there are these ugly whole shrimp in it, with their heads and legs on. I can;t figure out how to eat these.
...the difference between how the family is treated her and in the U.S. Children are not raised to be very independent, but remain dependent on their parents until they're married--up to age 35! Even older couples can be seen strolling along, hand in hand, and you often seen teenaged daughters and sons affectionately hanging on their parents...I think that Americans could learn a lot from this slow-paced, family-centered lifestyle!
...the ease and efficiency of public transportation...We also got kicked off the only usable playing field for playing frisbee...a bigger hassle and disappointment than I care to explain now.
...the way Spanish men react to us...It's as if they have never seen a woman before...I was very shocked that people in a predominantly Catholic society are so affectionate and sexual in public.
...the political parties...here, even 15 year olds are adamant about what they believe in...Maybe that comes from being a young democracy.
...the food here in the Madrid area isn't as good as I expected.
�how I feel both sad and depressed that this semester is coming to an end. Before I came here I was a bit nervous about fitting in�but looking back at my experience, I not only fit in well with our group but also I was able to adjust very well to this new environment, culture, country, and language. In the beginning of this semester I had a hard time understanding Spanish and adapting to Spaniards, but now, two weeks before the end, I am surprised to say that my Spanish improved and I got used to Spaniards as well.
Now that I have been here for 4 months I have acquired a love and respect for the Spanish culture. It took me a while to get used to the subtle differences from my own heritage, but I was glad to share a common bond with them�At first I felt like an outcast, but now I feel accepted by my new Spanish peers.
�I would say the confidence I have gained since being in Spain. During the three months that we have stayed in Alcal�, I have surprised myself with the ease with which I have been able to start and carry on conversations with people here�when I continue in my studies and career, I will revert to this newfound confidence again and again.
I have done everything and had no fear�Most people feel uncomfortable when they go somewhere new�but I am fine with this after my NCHC experience.
�how I adapt to difficult situations. Spain's universities are woefully under-funded and under-equipped by U.S.A. standards, and professors in Spain have a totally different style of teaching than in the U.S.A. These differences, however, are not necessarily bad; they have forced me to make use of other types of resources, to make do with what I have, and in general to adapt to a situation that is beyond my control. Adaptability is the most important quality I've learned that I have.
�how differently I truly think from Europeans. I always thought that I would be more at home in Europe than I was in the United States; however, �I have discovered how differently I think from people here! I am much more of an American than I had once thought, before coming to Europe.
I arrived in Spain safely and have proved to myself and my family that I am, in fact, a competent person! What surprises me about myself is that I can, as the cheesy clich� goes, do anything I put my mind to! I have mastered public transportation, communicated in a different language, survived while traveling and even endured Spanish food. I have grown up a lot while here, and have gained much more self-confidence and competence.
�I fell in love with Spain and do not want to go back home.
�that I survived without a broken bone, stayed sane, and miss family/friends.
My tolerance and even fascination with the Spanish bullfight. It may be a short-lived interest, but a surprise nonetheless.