5 SPAIN CULTURE SHOCKS (pt 2) | AMERICAN IN SPAIN | Mi vida en España

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In this video, I talk about five culture shocks I experienced while living and working in Spain. As an American girl, I was very surprised by the cultural habits in Spain. I appreciated their slower way of life! I was also surprised by how little Spanish I actually knew! Check out Busuu for help learning a language!
Follow me on Instagram @holamorgann / holamorgann

[@clarabuendiamartinez3559]

The thing is that 11 pm is not “late at night” in Spain 🤣

[@krisl1095]

oh really? when it comes to kids' bedtime, 10 p.m. is very late; exceptions are the holidays or special occasions, but even then, it's usually at a family member's home or a family friend's hous; one reason being they can go to sleep comfortably in a guest bedroom, for example.

[@jaimealoro]

@@krisl1095 I dunno, 10 was my normal weekday bedtime as a child here in Spain

[@j_laskada]

About your last point... The thing is.. is not really about having or not money to pay a babysitter. I really believe it has to do with the fact that we are quite social and in general, we use the rule of the more the better. So, bringing your kids, babies, friends and so, it's most of the times welcome. And let's be honest, as a kid, it's quite cool. You get to go to bed late, to play day and night(literally) and whenever there are some local celebrations, nights are just about music, dancing and fun :)

[@Eimainoksia]

Kids and everybody are involved in the culture thats why you can find people of all ages together in any situation. Everybody is always welcome :)

[@gmy]

Yeah! In fact, sometimes in summer at 11 pm families go out for dinner! 😅 I know it’s crazy to other people from other cultures, but here it’s quite normal. All my live (i’m 34) I’ve been going out with my parents, their friends and their children, and they are my best friends. And with my aunt, uncle and cousis too. The parents are eating or drinking and talking, and all the children are playing around. It was a win-win for me! 😅 About the alcohol, it’a true that in Spain we drink a lot, but not as much as it looks, not to get drunk, it’s just a social thing.

[@cesarfamilia]

Hola Morgan! Love your videos. About the kids in bars and restaurants, I have to say that Spanish get surprised about how de-attached families are in the States. It is not that a nannies are not available, but rather the family goes out together 😀 just a different mindset.

[@j_laskada]

Agreed!

[@tombstoneblues1023]

Exactamente, las familias quedaban y quedan juntas, niños y todo.

[@mischiefmanaged9261]

I’m in the States & agree.

[@joanbv3277]

Yo tambien creo que en España incluimos a niños y mayores en todos los eventos que podemos. Para que vayan a dormir tarde hacen antes una buena siesta.

[@TabbyeLynne]

7:32 the children are there because they are part of the family, it's a cultural thing, if you are going somewhere to have fun you take your kids, if you invite someone to have dinner or go anywhere it's a given that they'll bring their kids if they have any, the family is a package deal. How do children in the USA learn to behave in public if they never go anywhere?

[@eduardomg4066]

Bueno, a las 23:00 horas con niños y con música… no sé yo, ahora en el bar de un pueblo cenando pues igual, pero tanto como llevarlos a un sitio ruidoso… no sé yo… Saludines.

[@caballoloco100]

Extra Virgin olive oil is high in antioxidants which helps repair cells from cell oxidation. In other words it keeps healthy cell growth. Spain is a family-oriented country, hence parents take their children with them anywhere they go, as people like socializing. Bear in mind that there are many regional differences across the country, even languages as castilian is the main but not the only one. Spanish cuisine ranks as the second best in the world after italian, and before French cuisine, according to experts, so Spain is a foodies' paradise. Every province has its own distinctive dishes. Also, Spain has had many settlers throughout history which have left their mark in the landscape and architecture.

[@rose_yts]

Oh, come on, rubber is what we call erasers in England!

[@javierpulido6295]

Yeah, Inditex (Zara, Bershka, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius...) is a galician company

[@HolaMorgan]

oh i did not know that!!

[@manuelfg2902]

No hay zara cerca de donde tu vives?

[@villenmillenion7986]

Yes, we are not really proud about that one xD

[@manuelfg2902]

@@villenmillenion7986 oh sorry.....May i know why?🤭

[@villenmillenion7986]

@@manuelfg2902 We have a love-hate relationship with Amancio Ortega the founder of inditex who is from Coruña, it's an inside joke xDD

[@JesusRodriguez-tm8go]

Actually, Italians buy a lot of olive oil here. Companies bring semi trucks to Spain to get them loaded with olive oil to take it them to Italy

[@pedromantese4416]

The last one I don’t really think it’s about the money, I remember as a kid being at 11-12 pm (which isn’t late in Spain 😂) with my parents and their friends in a restaurant and it felt great to share dishes with people from all ages, I got to listen to several interesting anecdotes and always had a great time

[@retalittlegeorge3067]

I just found you. I like the way you present your stories. I lived in Spain but like you most of the people I hung out with spoke English. Keep it up.

[@retalittlegeorge3067]

Must read about Amancia Ortega. I think that's right. You know Zara. It's an interesting history.

[@VCorbi]

In Spain we learn UK English, so we say rubber because of that.

[@HolaMorgan]

yeah it definitely took me by surprise haha

[@manuelfg2902]

@@HolaMorgan hahaaha Im trying to figure out your face the first time a kid asked you for a rubber...... Hahahahaha, sorry.. IMAO Inside your head you probably wonder... Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?? 🤣

[@l.g.8010]

Que rápido crecen 🤣

[@manuelfg2902]

Deberiamos aprender el inglés de América

[@VCorbi]

@@manuelfg2902 ¿Porqué?

[@ignaciodelavega8644]

Hi Morgan, simply "merece la pena" just say "gracias" for another great video. I insist that you do not look for excuses, it will stop returning to Spain, we are waiting for you this summer. Hi for everyone from Toledo, Spain.

[@dylangimenezfritman5855]

I think your 3rd point is a good one to make specially for Americans going to Spain that we mostly learn British English since they're closer and were part of the EU. So as an American you might find that we use different words than what you might expect. The specific case of "rubber" as "eraser" might also have to do with the fact that in Spanish we use the word "goma" which is literally rubber in English so it could also be a case of literal translation.

[@raidensergi2378]

Morgan. I have a master in human resources I remember when I was doing an internship in company and one of my job was to find a native american/british/australian teacher in order to teach workers to improve their level of english. The reality is that it was very difficult. The great majority of candidates were spaniard with C2/proficiency level of english.

[@jlmdot]

Can any native british confirm about the rubber thing? I think eraser is just american english...I went to a British school and they taught me rubber so I think that's the reason.

[@jessicadelaney9296]

I'm Irish and we all say rubber! Nothing unusual about it, we would never say rubber meaning something else.

[@jlmdot]

@@jessicadelaney9296 thank you! I will sleep better tonight :)

[@mischiefmanaged9261]

Yeah… you don't want to say that in the US. 🤣

[@jlmdot]

@@mischiefmanaged9261 I can imagine why 😅.

[@luismiguelsoria7985]

Se nota que te encanta España, òjala puedas volver a visitarnos algun dia

[@ragechibi]

love the editing Morgan! you're doing awesome :D did you make your animated intro?? :O

[@Subdood04]

Lived in southern Spain in the 70s. We used to do the bar thing too as kids. Very surreal at first.

[@juliancalatrava9250]

I’m glad for people of USA are interested in spain I love USA and I hope learn more of your country and language

[@ibgvox]

I'm SO sorryy about #2!!!!!!!!

[@jillchinnt]

Your second point is totally what I'm afraid of when I go on exchange. I know for a fact that the Spanish I learned in class will be completely different from the Spanish they actually speak daily. My level atm is also B1, hopefully it'll be enough to get by in the beginning😅

[@raidensergi2378]

The reality is that the spaniards that goes to the university must achieve b2 level of english. The reality is that In my basque city when I studied my degree of business I had business english 1, 2 and the 3 was optional. I learnt how to write a commercial letter in correct english, it was not easy to pass because it was a difficult vocabulary that I didnt use it never before nor in UK and not in the english academies that I studied. I remember when I heard that even american students that were there failed the test. The main exercise that it was difficult was to translate the whole letter. However, in other degree like economy or similiar was only to achieve the level B2 at the end of the career. The importance of the english is really high in spain.

[@HolaMorgan]

dude yes i totally get that! Let me know if you try Busuu too because then you could talk with people from other countries before you go! Youll definitely be fine :)

[@timupton5625]

For me, the Spanish way of accepting small children in all environments is way better than the protective and restrictive Anglo-Saxon approach e.g. barring children from pubs (I once saw a noticeboard outside a pub near London with a warning in capitals: 'No animals, no travellers, no children'). In Spain children are introduced from an early age to the atmosphere of a bar, and they sit down to have dinner with their parents in a posh restaurant. Why not? Treating them like adults in these environments probably helps to avoid them turning into binge-drinking alcoholic teenagers (or young adults in the US). The other benefit is that drunken adults tend to behave much better when there are children around.

[@cmolodiets]

Rubber is actually what british people call an eraser

[@xalau5270]

No more videos? come back to Spain!

[@humphr3y]

Merece la pena escucharte en español ;)

[@jrdelrosal]

¡Más vídeos, Morgan! Get back here!

[@manuelfg2902]

El próximo vídeo en español porque lo pronuncias muy bien, animo!!

[@pedrogallardo8770]

Yea we are taught the word "Rubber" back in school hahaha We also learnt "queue" for "line" and when I lived in the US absolutely nobody understood when I said queue I felt so stupid

[@meelp.8266]

Aqui es algo normal que los niños salvan siempre que sea con sus padres en un entorno controladony se hacen quedadas con otros padres y cenan hasta tarde y no pasa nada es normal. No se usan niñeras, como mucho se quedan con los abuelos.. es mas comun adaptar las salidas a cosas con niños ir a cenar y al cine, quedar para cenar con otros padres , centros con recreativos.. las jornadas laborales no suelen adaptarse al horario escolar asi que coinciden despues del trabajo de los padres.

[@fezterhollywood]

Hi I just discover your channel really good content and details is always fun to see what other people think of your culture. I spent one year in deep Tennesse and felt the same way. By the way don't worry about your spanish we appreciate every effort don't think people is laughing at your spanish is just that is very weird for us to hear foreingners trying to speak spanish. You should come down to Malaga next time!!!

[@marioesdfsdf9150]

Morgan podrías hablarnos un poco sobre la música española o latina que te guste oír??

[@nycalien]

As a person who moved to US for work, I was shocked (es shocked not surprised) by how controlled and contained Americans are. They are their own bubble of "the best" mentality. We, Americans doesn't have full freedom and we're not the only ones who enjoy the freedom.

[@policarpiodemaria5279]

Bendiciones 😁👍😁

[@MrTruthAddict]

11pm is social hour. The baby is part of the family.

[@hamzamhe5499]

HOLA ME ENCANTA TU VÍDEO 👍

[@HolaMorgan]

muchas gracias!!

[@mariajesusmoya7174]

You can always look for a native tandem partner to help the person with English and be helped by the native with Spanish.

[@JolotoRM]

Hola, desde la opinión de alguien q no tiene ni idea de moda(yo) ,sobre lo d q en Europa en general empezamos/vamos adelantados en tema moda, desde España me da la sensación de q es completamente al revés, siempre creo q se tiende mucho a idealizar a EEUU(USA) y a copiar lo q se hace allí, no solo en ropa.

[@rose_yts]

Verdad, pero copian lo que las celebridades de Hollywood llevan como moda. El promedio de la gente de los EEUU no suele importarse mucho con la moda o elegancia al vestirse.

[@VictorDiaz-kv2xf]

There is a lot of slang in each country.

[@arturojarque1068]

Being at night, at a restaurant with kids is just a social habit in Spain. We spend time with our sons and daughters, until they "fly".

[@ebonytv3414]

Spain and many other places are family friendly including children.

[@jesusretegui1537]

Did you go to the north part of spain?

[@jdmagicmusic]

great as always, thumbs up, #33

[@argiberico]

2:18 Ah!! The CEFR is soo relatable. 5:15 Oléé!! We need so many more people thinking like this jejejej 6:05 Yes, Zara is Spanish, specifically from Galicia (Escocia).

[@cuantoqubit3502]

Jajaaja

[@MrTruthAddict]

Their oil is not fattening. I lost weight when I was there. Unless I went to the bakeries and got the croissants etc

[@louaceveu1925]

They just prepare the kids for "La Marcha" early on in life

[@trinitymorris6386]

Hi I’m going to be an Au Pair in Madrid. I want to bring them some American snacks as gifts. Could you tell me what candy they Don’t have there ?

[@user-vt2sn5fk3q]

🍟Good luck and success

[@tonofrias3789]

La mayoria del aceite de italia es aceite español que se vende a la industria italiana a granel

[@povalex4088]

Hey I really like your videos! I am thinking about traveling to Spain! Did you work with my cousin Sofia M? lol i'm gonna follow you on iG

[@animatefelipe1990]

What i felt shocked about spanish culture is to have dinner at 9. It is too late from my point of view. Because most of koreans tend to have dinner at 6 or 7 after getting off the work. When i was in Barcelona, KFC around Sagrada familia was too crowded with customers at 9 pm. It was really surprising

[@TabbyeLynne]

9 pm is an early dinner in Spain 🤣

[@dopolla1]

Does Busuu teach Catalan?

[@necronomiconz]

Zara started in spain because its from spain jaja all inditex shops are from spain.

[@tommypickles218]

No one replies to their emails here in Spain. That's a weird culture shock

[@helenahuerta415]

I was exchange student for a year in highschool. First day: can I borrow a rubber? .... The whole classroom -_-

[@simongonzalez1422]

Here is the thing, you can not learn a language from a book or in a class. Also, language learning has nothing to do with grammar. Learning a language is about listen and repeat, just as babies do, just as we once did. Hola Morgan, you are the cutest, the prettiest girl who ever talked Spanish...

[@pablolazaromartinez3541]

Hi Morgan, have you given Up the Channel?

[@PAWONTRESNINOS]

ck ck ck...u look beautiful sist... but ur eyes not blue n ur hair not blonde...u like indonesian girl u really beautiful...

[@manuelfg2902]

Sweetiest girl ever...... A treasure

[@santitortosa2700]

Estás siendo muy generosa con los choques culturales, un Español sé parece a un Estadounidense, lo mismo qué una pera a un caballo 😂 Nunca sé puede generalizar, vosotros NO TODOS, venís al mundo a trabajar a alcanzar un estatus social, necesitáis reconocimiento y atención constante Los Españoles venimos a vivir, y si para ello hace falta trabajar pues se trabaja NO TODOS, nos quejamos por todo, pero no hacemos nada para cambiarlo Estamos peleados dentro del país todos con todos, Los de Izquierdas con los de derechas, los del Real Madrid contra los del Barca, los del Sevilla con los del Betis, algunos Catalanes Vascos y Gallegos con el resto de España Pero... llega la hora de comer y no se habla ni de deportes ni de política sé disfruta sé ríe y uno sé relaja, luego llega el Lunes y vuelta a empezar 😂♥️

[@mariajosemartinez5135]

A mí me enseñaron "eraser" 🤔 Me siento un poco marciana ahora mismo 😂 Aunque "rubber" tiene sentido. Es como si en EEUU se le llamara borrador y en Reino Unido goma. En español uso las dos palabras. Sobre lo de los niños, mi hijo es pequeño y yo no le saco a esas horas porque no me gusta. A mis padres no les gustaba y tampoco lo hicieron conmigo. Cuando sea más mayor sí que le llevaré a cenar y otro tipo de planes a otras horas, pero ahora mismo no, aunque sé que es costumbre. Yo ni siquiera le dejo acostarse tarde en Nochebuena y Nochevieja 😅

[@ebonytv3414]

Where you teaching American or English as it’s not the same.

[@jesskaitlyn9419]

Ahaha pass me a rubber

[@HolaMorgan]

Yeah I’m like FOR WHAT THO?😂

[@wmorenolugo]

They do start going out to bars very young 🤷‍♂️

[@Stephanie-vn6ir]

Im sorry but I don't agree with the whole fashion thing. All of those trends you just talked about started here in the States. I'm almost 60 years old, a teen of the 80s .NYC put Fila sneakers on the map back then along with all the distressed denim jeans and jackets. Madonna, Cindy Lauper, and the GoGos. A lot of new wave and punk bands in the 70s and 80s started all these trends, and these other countries copied us....along with rap and hip hop.

[@RS-ln3ns]

IT'S VERY UNUSUAL FOR A NON SPANISH AMERICAN TO BE INTERESTED IN THE SPANISH CULTURE. I WONDER, IF YOU HAVE SOME SPANISH CONNECTIONS IN YOUR FAMILY. IN THE UK, THEY ALSO CALL THE ERASER A RUBBER. IN NORTHERN SPAIN, SUCH AS GALICIA AND THE BASQUE REGION, PEOPLE DO LOOK VERY MUCH LIKE YOU. THE PEOPLE IN NORTHERN SPAIN, ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE PEOPLE IN THE SOUTH.

[@dianabalan]

"Merece la pena" no. It's "vale la pena".

[@rolflin]

Es correcta también la primera