My roommate Irene (pronounces ee-ray-nah) and I are still getting to know each other. Our discussion about American and Spanish cultures have led to her expressing surprise about some things I had never considered could be seen as strange in American culture:
1) Shaking Hands. She was completely baffled by the idea that when Americans are introduced to someone new, they shake hands. In Spain everyone kisses on each cheek. The other preshcitas and I tried to explain that kissing on the cheek is usually reserved for family and friends if it happens at all. Irene also thought it was strange when I told her that I kiss my parents on the cheek when we say goodbye.
2) Breakfast. This morning I heated up left over Tortilla Espanola for breakfast. A tortilla Espanola contains eggs and potatoes. Completely acceptable breakfast food in America. Apparently, it is strange to eat eggs for breakfast in Spain.
3) She was shocked to hear that Michael Jackson’s music is not popular among those of our generation. My thoughts on the matter: our generation simply missed witnessing is height. His greatest musical moments occurred before we were born or before we were old enough to understand who he was. By the time we became aware of popular culture, his moment has passed. His public problems overshadowed the musical genius. I attempted to explain that in Spanish but it was rough. Apparently, Jackson’s popularity remains high and hasn’t faltered the way it did at home.
*** Awkward moment: Irene was listening to “Promiscuous girl” by Nelly Furtado and asked me to explain the lyrics. I was like “uh…she wants to have sex with him and he wants to have sex with her. They have sex with lots of people” in Spanish. And she was like “¿Como puta?” I was like “uh más or menos” ***
As time goes on I’m sure I will have more cultural issues to share.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment