I learnt how to accept these cultural challenges as just another part of Spanish life
February 5, 2014
Post written by Matthew Walters. Whilst you are abroad there are many cultural differences you must become accustomed to. Even though Spain is in the European Union and is just a two-hour flight away, there are still major differences in all aspects such as politeness and customer service, behaviour, punctuality, and even little things like …
Adapting to traditional Spanish meal times
February 4, 2014
Soon after I arrived in Granada, Spain I slowly found myself being struck with some of the differences between my life back home in England to this new Spanish lifestyle I was about to experience. Before I came here I knew about the more obvious differences such as with the meal times and that the …
Why is everyone asleep when I want to go shopping?!
Post written by Georgia Brookes. It is February 2014 and I am one week away from leaving Cádiz in Southern Spain forever; the setting of the first half of my Year Abroad. Although at first I found the Andalucían accent next to impossible to understand, and the people rather rude and candid, as time progressed …
The four phases of cultural shock
Post written by Jack Revell. I spent a considerable amount of my childhood outside the UK and as such realised at an early age that the absence of readily-available Cadbury’s chocolate and Marmite in the shops doesn’t really constitute a ‘cultural challenge’. But that’s not to say that there haven’t been any such challenges. According …
The biggest cultural challenge – time!
Post written by Hannah Sheehan. Since living in Spain for five months a number of cultural challenges and issues have come to my attention. Spain and England are too very different countries and possess two very different cultures. To date it has been difficult at times to adjust to the Spanish way of life and …
Enjoying adapting to Spanish culture
February 3, 2014
When people ask me about the cultural differences between the UK and Spain I find it hard to pin point a lot of things but the timing of a normal working day is certainly one of the most noticeable differences! I found myself getting a bit lost in terms of when was suitable to eat …
You can’t expect to become totally Spanish I suppose!
Despite just having finished my first five months in Spain and having loved every minute of it, there have undeniably been a few cultural challenges that I’ve had to overcome and get used to. The first of these is the concept of mañana. The Spanish are probably the most relaxed nation of people I’ve ever …
The Spanish…they’re noisy but refreshingly relaxed
February 2, 2014
Just over 2 hours away from the UK lies Spain; familiar, sunny and an obvious tourist destination for many Brits. I always thought I knew Spain and its culture quite well after various holidays here as well as studying it throughout school and university. However it has only been since living here for a prolonged …
Napping in Spain…that’s a challenge
February 1, 2014
Post written by Madeleine Pitkin. I’ve been in Spain for more than four months now and so I presume I’m as settled in as I ever will be. However, there are some cultural differences which continue to challenge me every day! One first big cultural challenge is the siesta, or afternoon nap time. Between the …
Becoming Addicted to Peru
January 31, 2014
When talking about going away to Peru for 5 months, people would remark as if it were another world that was so far away, so challenging and so different to anywhere else. But I love to explore new places I am unfamiliar with and like to think I am fairly culturally aware. I soon found …
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