This was a fun week spent running through and reading in El Retiro, as well as trying out the rowboats in the pond with my friends. I enjoyed some new restaurants and cafes, as well as went for the first time to Mercado de San Miguel, a famous food market here near Plaza Mayor. It was rather expensive, but offers a wide variety of both classic Spanish dishes, as well as unique dishes. I also went to Palacio Real and took a tour of the inside. I thoroughly enjoyed it because I really appreciate the attention to detail in places like that. On Sunday, I took a day trip to Barcelona with my friend. It was very refreshing because the weather was mild. We were able to do a lot of walking without feeling uncomfortable and constantly needing to stop inside of a store to cool off in the air conditioning, as with out trip to Valencia. It was nice to get a break from the heat and spend time near the coast. Although we did not have time in our day to go swimming at the beach, we saw many different works by Antoni Gaudí, including Casa Batlló, la Sagrada Familia, and Park Güell. We were unable to get tickets to see the inside of the Sagrada Familia because our day trip was quite spontaneous, and the tickets book out several weeks in the future. However, the outside is still very beautiful and I was glad we took the time to see it. I have never seen a church with this style of architecture before. A lot of Gaudí´s works remind me of something out of a fairytale land.My favorite part was Park Güell, as it has lots of beautiful architecture, nature, and stunning views. I kept commenting on how I felt like I was in San Francisco, which is my favorite city in the United States. The view looking out at the ocean from Park Güell reminded me of one of my favorite photos that I have taken during my travels, of the view looking out at the San Francisco Bay from the top of Lombard Street.

In regards to communication style, Spain is generally considered a high-context culture, meaning they are more indirect and context is highly important in order to understand the true meaning behind what someone is saying. I have also noticed that the people here are very open and curious. They are not afraid to ask personal questions and want get to know you as well as possible. Additionally, when they speak to you, they like to physically be very close to you. I think that many Americans would find this very friendly, and feel very welcomed, or would either be very overwhelmed and made uncomfortable by this. Vice versa, I think that Spaniards would find some Americans cold or unwelcoming, because Americans tend to value their personal space and privacy more. For example, my host mom was asking me if I was close with my family, including my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, because she has heard the stereotype that American families are not close with one another, that they are more distant, and that people value their independence more than being close to family, whereas here in Spain, relationships are of the utmost importance. Especially during mealtimes, I have found that is is very important for us to sit together with the family because it is a time for all of us to be together. They always ask me about how my day went during dinner and what I did that day because they are curious.

In regrads to miscommunications, I believe that the only miscommunications that I have had here was been due to my lack of vocabulary or other language barriers, rather than culture misunderstandings. Other times, I need to ask for clarification if the instructions that I have received in my internship have been rather vague or I did not understand all of it. Although I do value my independence and personal privacy and space, I tend to get along with others easily and am able to keep a conversation going with anyone. I enjoy getting to know new people and I take the time to ask questions in order to get to know them. Therefore, I have not had many struggles connecting with people here due to cultural differences. I find it very beautiful the importance of relationships and open communication in this culture. I also find it very considerate the time and effort that they put into inquiring and learning about a new person. It fosters a sense of welcoming and appreciation in this culture.

Hasta luego,

Julia