In Spain, things are done differently. That's to be expected with any foreign country, right? Seeing that I've lived here for just about a month, though, I know some things that the casual tourist wouldn't - things that make them stick out in a crowd. Sevilla isn't a hotbed of crime, thankfully, but blending in is always the way to go. Some of these nuances are obvious, and some are a little more subtle, but all of them raise a foreign flag.
1. Bulky Backpackers
These are pretty obvious tourists that generally have a camera around their neck or attached to their wrist, with a map of the city in the other hand. They are plagued with the inability of looking straight when walking around the city - neck pains WILL develop after craning your neck to inspect every building from top to bottom, people. These people also become obstacles for the rest of the city to navigate because of their constant start-stop-buildingscan-takeapicture routine. Raise the foreign flag? Try foreign banner.
2. Purpose-Driven Divas
Men, this applies to you, too. The spanish culture is pretty relaxed, so the walking-style here is pretty indicative of that cultural aspect. Spaniards generally don't walk very fast and love to congregate in the middle of the walking path. (I say walking path because there are also bike paths that are generally right next to these walking paths - refer to #3). With me being a procrastinator and chronically running late, I am very much a power-walker (or driver, but we don't drive in Spain) and got really frustrated with this aspect of the city. There were ALWAYS people in my way moving slower than sloths. So the foreign flag is raised when you see someone fast-walking...and generally with an overall sour look on their face. Now I just leave 15 minutes before I would normally leave for wherever I'm going, and I always get there without a trace of sour on my face. I actually enjoy my walk, who would have thunk?
3. Biker Blockers
There are bike paths EVERYWHERE, denoted by green paint and sometimes little bike symbols. To be fair, you wouldn't notice these symbols unless you were looking for them, but go ahead and raise the foreign flag when you see someone walking in the bike lane and getting dinged at by the locals (so THAT'S what bike bells are for!).
4. Stop Sign Shocked
Contrary to logical thinking, walking spaniards are not indicative of driving spaniards. I would compare drivers here to the ones in India but I've never been, so I'll just explain: AGGRESSIVE. Fast. Red-light-runners. Too close for comfort. Horrible parkers. I don't know how I haven't seen an accident yet. Also, vespas are basically hybrid bike-cars. They go fast enough on the street to keep up with traffic, but they think they're bikes, too, because they are all over the sidewalks. Honestly, scooters? You can't have the best of both worlds! Having lived here, though, you get used to it. As a pedestrian, you have to be aggressive, too, if you want to ever get past a car. With all of the narrow streets, you will feel the need to melt into the wall to avoid getting hit. They have the most excellent sense of space because I come inches within moving cars on a daily basis. Raise the foreign flag when you see someone getting noticeably upset/peeved at how close a car has come to them, or how fast a car has passed them. You won't get hit unless you're not at all aware of your surroundings. As long as you're paying attention, you're good to go on foot!
5. Weaving Weasels
When walking around the city, you will notice that Spaniards don't move out of anyone else's way... in America, it's a common courtesy to avoid hitting people. This concept is lost on them. Raise the foreign flag when you see someone aggressively swerving out of people's ways. This one was hard to get around at first, but I've found that when you pretend to not be paying attention (ie looking at someone/a building/something far away), they will move out of your path because they probably think you're going to barrel them over (because we're silly foreigners).
6. To-Go Getters
Spaniards don't understand the concept of multitasking when it comes to food. This is the one nuance that I ignore because I am proud to be an American if it means being able to eat gelato on my way home from school. You won't find many spaniards getting things to go because they like to sit, relax, and eat there. What's worse is that that foreign flag is raised when you see someone eating and walking. Not ice cream, not a cookie, not a sandwich or muffin, nothing. Honestly I think it's because no one in Spain seems to be in a hurry, and eat-walking is a very efficient time-saver, and thus a foreign concept.
I'm sure there are many more differences, and when I learn them, expect a Spot The Foreigner 2.0 post. Until Then, I'm Tan.
Julia
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