Blog 4 - Changing Perspectives

After having the time to get further acquainted with my coworkers and the city of Barcelona, I have been able to gain a better understanding for work culture, as well as the living environment. In my first blog, I discussed how I was having issues with the language barrier; however, over time, I have been able to reclaim the Spanish skills that I once enjoyed in high school. Moreover, getting back to this level was not easy by any stretch of imagination. As I acknowledged in my first blog, conversation with the locals has been my main source of Spanish practice. Furthermore, from each subsequent conversation, I have now come to realize that the locals in Barcelona will take the time to help you with your Spanish. Although superficially this does not appear to be a revolutionary finding, I had previously held the belief that Americans were not well-received in Spain. As a result, I had initially remained reserved when having encounters with people in Barcelona. Thus, as my time in Barcelona has progressed, I have been more outgoing when engaging in conversation with the locals, knowing that they respect people who attempt to speak their language. 

Additionally, during my first week, I realized that people stare at others. Whenever I turned to see somebody staring at me, I thought that people were upset with me for some unapparent reason; however, over time, I found that people in Barcelona stare at other people in their vicinity. After recently having this observation confirmed by my program coordinator, I no longer walk around feeling unwelcome. Therefore, through my first four weeks, I have gathered several new observations that have improved my time spent in Barcelona.