We had a seminar (since we get class credit, we have to go to like 4 different 1 hour things) last night on the cultural distinctness of the Catalan. I found it more interesting to notice the mannerisms of the speaker than to actually listen to what he presented (he was Catalan, and he presented all this history about how the Romans built the city which I found entirely uninteresting).
When a Spanish/Catalan person is explaining something, it goes someone like this.
Question
Begin to explain >>>>
Subpoint 1 - elaboration on subpoint one (usually has nothing to do with the main purpose of the answer, just for more information), Elaboration on this elaboration, back to first elaboration, back to main subpoint.
Subpoint 2 - (same process)
Subpoint 3 - (same process, with possibly fewer elaborations since they are beginning to notice the confusion/elaborateness of their answer)
Complex, somewhat ambiguous analysis of all 3 subpoints, and what they have to do with the answer.
Answer.
Por ejemplo -
How does the structure of the city, reflect the way of the Catalan (Barcelonian?) people?
Well the romans were the first ones to build where Barcelona is located.
They believed in (insert ideology) and (more ideology) and used these words for them.
These words have latin root, meaning ______ and ______. This is similar to this other culture _____. Because they had this ideology they built the streets very crooked and complex. Have you walked through these streets? it is the only way to see barcelona! Some say it is dangerous but it is not! Just do not walk around drunk and loud because then the culture will reject you.
Then, in the 1500's, the borders of the city changed.
The borders of the city changed because they were trying to unify the country. But language and their culture was very important to the Catalan and they resisted.
Then so and so came in and took control of the city. Barcelona was known for its revolts so the king built a fortress in the shape of a pentagon to fight the revolutionaries. Do you know that the shape of the pentagon is the best for defending a fortress? where they built the pentagon is now the park called ____ have you all been there? It is very beautiful. and is right by this street that is very popular to tourists. Have you been there? It is not the best place to go for experiencing culture. You should go on the crooked streets.
(and a few more subpoints, but I want to finish this blog sometime today.)
And so, the Catalan people accept you when you accept them.
haha, I mean I'm not dissing this guy's speech. It was just funny that the way he gave it illustrated more culture to me than the actual speech did :). And it is like this with everything. I have been shown how to count the safe at work 6 different times, each time, it is step by step, and each time they will show you by doing at least half of it themselves and explaining what they do eeeeeevery step. It took me awhile to begin to do things on my own, because I was so sure as soon as I did they would come running out and be like 'OH NO I HAVE TO SHOW YOU!!' hehe. Everything that I do (be it speaking spanish, or knowing to do something I've been shown before) is "incredible!" to this one guy. haha. He's hilarious. He knows little phrases in english like "let's go girls!" and "you are so funny!" and says it with this huge smile on his face.
so I titled the post backwards from what I wrote....on to emotion.
I have yet to see genuine American anger. You know, the kind where there's a knot in your stomach and tension in the air when someone says something and everyone knows shit's about to go down. maybe I see that plenty in America because I work at a Starbucks, and we have the bitchiest customers in the world. (*cough* i mean i appreciate your patronage). But there's that distinct moment when two people clash.
maybe it's the time thing, because nobody here cares if you slow them up for something. Or maybe it's just the fact that showing anger isn't culturally accepted - but I just haven't seen it. Even when the lady at the grocery store and I got into a tiff because I didn't know that I needed my passport. I was so frank with her, in spanish. Throwing my arms up in the air and saying "well i don't have it!" (it being my passport). She just goes "ok" and goes about undoing the mess I had gotten myself into. (refunding me all but 60 cents........). Not even the bat of an eye. And I KNOW it's not customer service policy because Spain has no idea what that means. You get your food when it comes and what am I supposed to do about it and what's the problem with getting it late anyway? i know that in many Asian cultures it's rude to show emotion, but here...everything is happiness. Maybe I'm just blind to it, but nobody really gets angry at each other. Everyone just says what they think and lets the others do the same.
"no pasa nada" - ideologically speaking, it means "it doesn't matter, don't worry about it", literally it means "nothing doesn't pass" (or, for those who have problems with double negatives, 'everything passes').
Other minor details -
The blister count on my feet has been lowered from 13, to 8.
I think I ate deep fried shark for lunch....it tasted like McDonald's chicken nuggets except for....diiifferent.
I don't know if I can bring myself to leave a country where they ask "when would you like to come in to work?"
might be going to Madrid in a few weekends, we have a 4 day weekend.
Free cafe con leche whenever I feel like it (and croissants whenever I'm brave enough to ask) is preeeeeetty much the best part of my day. Especially because it's basically like taking a half hour break the minute you start work.
The sleep count the last three nights has been 4, 6, 6. Pero no pasa nada. :)
I saw two LEGIT transvestites last night. One walking on the street, who looked like something straight out of reno 911. The other was a paid dancer at this club we were at. (don't worry, not that kind of paid dancer).
How can a people who don't realize that building a dorm into a hill would impact the wireless internet, think of the GENIUS invention of the bottomless dish rack built into the cupboard right above the sink.
Hopefully I'll get a phone this weekend, it would be lovely to hear some of your voices.
Les extraño mucho -
S
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No se olvíde Padres' Dia. :) We are not picking strawberries...can you believe it?!
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