Hello everyone and welcome back to week one of my stay in Madrid as a full-time Intern at a wine company. If you still have not checked out my first blog post I recommend you to go and take a look at it. I talk about who I am, my family, my interests, and what differences and complications I may encounter in my whole abroad experience.
When first landed at the Madrid Barajas International Airport, to be honest, I was a bit lost, and thankfully I knew Spanish. I asked foreign travelers how to exit the airport. I ended up doing a line for 10 minutes for customer service thinking it was the line for the passport check and towards the exit. Later I figured out the exit following other Puerto Rican people. I arrived at the host family’s house and I started to notice some different things. The door locks, the buttons in the elevator, the license plates in the cars, the CO2 level stickers in each car which determined the areas that the car could legally travel to, and of course the difference in vocabulary. The Spanish family loved my accent and already started to ask questions about what I meant when I said a word that for them meant something different. Still to this day, we keep exchanging questions about our differences in vocabulary.
I explored the beautiful city of Madrid 2 days after my arrival. Within the group of students in the program, we were toured around Madrid starting from “El Kilómetro 0” which means The Kilometer 0. This spot is where all the main streets of Madrid start, that is, Burgos, Barcelona, Valencia, Andalucía, and Coruña. At this point, I saw the antique statue of “El Oso y el Madroño” which is known for how the old Madrid, when there were no buildings or streets just grass and animals, how in that whole spot of the kilometer 0, there were just bears and strawberry trees. We then walked towards the famous plaza of Madrid, the Plaza Major, where we were grasped by the smell of churros, jamón iberico, jamón serrano, and their fried specialty calamari. We all stopped and took a look at how the chefs prepared each Spanish dish and took a bite. The magnificent statue of Felipe III, who ordered the construction of the Plaza Major, was used as a point of reunion, where Spaniards met to plan further moves. Onwards to one of the most fascinating palaces of the world, the Palacio Real, where kings from Charles III to Alfonso XIII resided. Today, it is still the family’s official residence, but it is sometimes used for state ceremonies.
In terms of transportation, I adapted quickly as I have previously used a big city metro (New York City). Even though, on the first day back home I stepped on the wrong train, as they say, you can’t succeed without failure. When I got back home after that scare, it was around 9:14 pm and I believed that the family would be sleeping since I didn’t know what time they went to sleep and assumed, they told me that dinner was going to be served in around 30 minutes. I was in shock, I had thought the complete opposite, I had the understanding that they had dinner at 7 or 8 at the latest, but NO! We talked at the table for an additional hour and we finished sharing stories and curiosities close to 11 pm.
To sum up my professional experience so far, where while writing this blog I had my official first day of work. The company is based on wines, that is the liquor industry. It has a large variety of wines and other liquors like whiskey, rum, and beer, among others. The necessary skills and strengths to be successful in this type of industry are to be 100% efficient in communication. What I mean by this is to communicate ideas, errors, accomplishments, and many other important things that can be of help toward the business goal. Things like strong customer service, product knowledge, negotiating skills, and creativity and innovation, are key strengths to excel in this industry.
Strengths can be important but competencies can be important too. Understanding the Spanish Alcohol Regulations, Local Market knowledge & Cultural Sensitivity, knowledge of Spanish Wine and Spirits, and Sustainability Practices can be leveraged accordingly to have the best results in this industry residing in the Spanish market.
In just one week, my time in Madrid has been filled with new experiences and lessons, both personally and professionally. From navigating the bustling streets and historical landmarks to adapting to the local customs and schedules, every moment has been an eye-opener. The warmth of my host family and the richness of Spanish culture have made me feel welcome and excited for the journey ahead. At work, immersing myself in the wine industry has reinforced the importance of communication, customer service, and market knowledge. I look forward to sharing more insights and adventures as I continue this incredible internship experience in the heart of Spain.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story on my first week in Madrid and I expect you to have you as my reader in Week 2!
Hasta Luego!