This post won't be long. It's going to be more of a running list of things I've noticed which make Spain different than other places I've been. I've done something like this previously in my other blog. However, after a recent trip to other European countries (Czech Republic, Austria, and Hungary) I've noticed a few aspects of Spanish culture which I didn't appreciate until now.
*Click Here to read my previous blog post*
To begin with, I have to admit that I expected to visit other European countries and be blown away by their efficiency and manners (being that Spain doesn't have the best reputation in these areas). However, I was surprised by how wrong I was! While in Austria I was impressed at the honesty and integrity of the people, in the Czech Republic the customer service was AMAZING, and in Hungary everyone we came across was happy and helpful, there were still aspects of Spanish culture which I found lacking in these places.
To begin with, smoking has been illegal in restaurants and bars in Spain for as long as I've been here (since 2012) and if I'm not mistaken, the law was in place for a little over a year, maybe more, before that. However, in both the Czech Republic and Hungary restaurants and bars still had smoking sections. And, I should mention that they weren't always in a little room in the back of the place. In one specific bar we went to, you had to walk through the smoking section to get to the non-smoking area upstairs.
In addition, Spanish people are generally always conscientious of who's turn it is when standing in lines. It is very common to hear Spaniards walk into a bank or the post office (where the line is always very long) and ask "Who is last in line?". Now, to a foreigner walking into this situation, and not understanding the system, it may seem like Spaniards don't understand how lines work. Often times, after knowing who is in front of them, it's not uncommon to see someone find a chair, and sit down, waiting until their turn to go to the front of the line. Other times, it seems like just a crowd of people. But be sure, they all know when their turn is. This is something that I found a little different in Austria especially. It could be because we were around mainly tourists who were probably rushing to get into the attraction or get their food. However, it made me appreciate this aspect of Spanish culture more.
And the last thing I have found to be different in Spain than anywhere else I've been has to do with the unspoken manners which people uphold on public transportation. You will almost NEVER see a Spaniard recline their chair on a bus or train (and if they do, they will ask the person behind them before they do). The only time a seat is reclined is if there is no one behind them, and when someone does sit there, their chair will be put back to the normal position. I have grown to really love and appreciate this. I would rather sit with my chair straight up, than with someone's head in my lap on a 4 hour bus ride.
Well, I think that will be all for now, but as I travel and appreciate different aspects more, I will be sure to add them to this post.
