Cultural Immersion Post #1

Culture, to me, is the way of life of the people in a certain area. It exemplifies the beliefs and the characteristics of what the people of the nation stand for in life. When traveling to different parts of the world and experiencing the different cultures of the nations it can be eye opening and interesting to see the similarities and differences between our way of life in the United States and their ways of life over seas. When I think of the culture in Spain I think of life that is simpler and less chaotic than our lives in the United States. I am very interested and excited for the daily “siesta” that takes places from 2 to 5pm. During the “siesta” the country shuts down to allow the people of Spain to rest and relax after a busy, hectic morning of work. I think this is a great idea because it gives people energy and enthusiasm to get back to work after they rest and this could improve the quality of work and maybe even the production of the companies. I also know that in Spain most of the transportation is by walking. This is not only a good exercise and better for the health of the people living in Spain but is also cleaner and healthier for the environment because it causes less pollution and waste. What I hope to learn and gain from the upcoming experience of living in Spain for four weeks is the way of life of the Spaniards. I am excited to be immersed in the language and culture of Spain and I think living with a host family will be important in allowing me to feel like a resident of Spain and not just a college kid who is visiting for school. I am excited for the opportunities that will be presented to me such as visiting different historic sites and also being able to take classes in Spain and see how the teaching may be different from our education in the United States. I am also interested in meeting many people in Spain that I will be able to relate with and learn about the different cultures that they live in. I am excited to go to Europe for my first time and see how the lifestyles are different. I will be able to learn the language in a new environment instead of being in a classroom. I will be able to learn the language by living in it.