España

Spanish culture is a part of my daily life in the Netherlands, and this is why:

Through my flatmate Javi I met another ten (give or take a few) Spanish Erasmus students. Together, the boys make up a wonderful camaraderie of friends who eat, hang out, and play futbol together – and invite anyone and everyone to join them. A few days into my stay here, Javi invited me to have dinner with his friends. They eat at about 10pm which is, as they commonly joke, “Spanish time.” The location switches from house to house, and the host is responsible for cooking the meal. Often, the host prepares a Spanish omelet – mostly eggs, onions and potatoes but I think it’s the perfect combination of an American breakfast and a casserole dinner. 

I encourage you all to try it: http://spanishfood.about.com/od/tapas/r/tortilla.htm

Sometimes the other Spanish guests bring an addition to the meal, anything from bread or ham to canned pineapple (Javi brought that once for ‘dessert’). But bringing nothing is also completely acceptable. 

If we go into the city for the night, the Spanish crowd stays out until at least five in the morning. They go to bed after the sun comes up and sleep well into the afternoon. However, there is a method to the madness: breakfast is eaten before going to sleep, so when they get up in the afternoon it’s time for lunch (according to Spanish time) and no meals have been skipped. My Spanish friends don’t sleep any longer than the rest of us, their ‘eight hours’ of sleep are just on a completely different time table.

The Spanish boys share everything, between themselves but also everyone else. Javi told me he had 12 bikes before clarifying that the majority of them (he actually has multiple bikes in random locations around the city) do not belong to him. The Spaniards frequently leave their room doors open and pop over to each other’s flats to get various items, ranging from food to mattresses to tool sets. Although I have somewhat of a limited perspective, I find this a reflection of the generosity which dominates Spanish culture. My personal experience has shown that American people often view their possessions as "mine" or define items by who owns them. This is not to say that Americans don't share or are not generous, but it's not the same as some European cultures -- where generosity is expected, not revered. 

Me and Javi

My flatmate Javi – who says I can call him Harry or anything else I prefer – is definitely a character. He is gregarious, comical, helpful, and extremely lively. The other day I was on the phone and he yelled to me from across the flat, “Kasey, are you on your mobile?” I said “yes Javi” and he said “Oh, I understand everything!” I responded “that’s great Javi” and he joyously added “Ah – yes! That is very good for me!” (Note to self: Don’t talk about Javi on the phone unless you want him to hear it).  His English is mediocre, but his lack of vocabulary and poor grammar is one of his most endearing qualities. A few days ago I spent quite a while trying to explain the difference between pronouncing “shit” and “sit” – a necessary discrepancy because he frequently tries to insult something by calling it “sit.” His English has improved drastically since moving in with us, because obviously Connor, Janii and I cannot communicate together in any other language. Although I cannot accurately convey how hysterical Javi is in words, I can assure you that, without exception, he makes me laugh at least once a day. 

Also, Americans are not at all patriotic compared to the Spanish. The boys brought Spanish flags with them, know an incredible amount of Spanish history, and randomly break out into Spanish anthems. Most of them have shown me pictures of their home city, and I've seen countless YouTube clips of futbol matches, bullfighting (which I hate) and Spanish festivals. When someone mentions Spain in a conversation at least one Spaniard says immediately "my country!" The loud, immediate reaction mimics elephants in cartoons when children pull their tails.

How I would describe the Spanish people I have met thus far in one word: passionate. Incredibly, ferociously passionate.