AMAA - España - 10 Culture Shocks Visiting Spain - Reaction from Average Middle Aged American

In this video, I react to and comment on the video: "Spain: 10 Culture Shocks of Visiting Spain." My commentary is based on my opinion as an Average Middle Aged American that has not yet visited Spain or Europe. :-)
#americanreactstoukdrill #averageamerican #averagemiddleagedamerican #americantourist #americantourists #touringeurope #europeantravel #europe #cultureshock #europeantourist #europeanunion #spain #spaintourism #spaintravel #spainadventure #americanreacts #americantourist #americaninspain #españa #spana #spain #travel #traveltospain
Original Video: " • Spain: 10 Culture Shoc... "
‪@woltersworld‬
"Spain is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world with incredible beaches, amazing food, fun people, and nightlife like you would not believe. There are a few culture shocks that might catch a tourist off guard when they visit Spain though and these are some of the fun culture shocks and cultural differences that tourists and travelers to Spain should know. From the siesta and late night partying to the friendliness and ability to communicate even if there is no common language. Filmed in Barcelona, Spain"
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[@caleidoscopio4770]

The lack of foreign languages? Spain has several cooficial languages, so they are native bilingual, and most schools are bilingual Spanish/English. English speaker countries are the ones who don't talk more than their own

[@Aa_acro]

The idea at least in Spain of not being served with the check unless you ask for it (although nowadays restaurants mostly in big cities will tell you beforehand how much time yo do have to have lunch or dinner) is because of how traditionally lunch and dinner work here. Going out for lunch is usually a social experience and that in Spain revolves around not only eating your meal, but the conversation around it and what is called the "sobremesa" which is the time after you have finished eating but you stick around the table and have a coffee or a drink and talk with the people you have been eating with. The restaurants usually dont rush in bringing your food to the table and that means that you can spend 2 h or more in the restaurant. As the "sobremesa" is considered part of the lunch or dinner itself it is rude to interrumpt someone who (eventhough they have finished their meal) are still enjoying a conversation in the table and it feels like they are encouraging you to leave. That I think is the main reason why they don't bring it untill you ask for it.

[@kageshira]

We work the same hours but we have more hours of light, also in many parts of Spain traditionally the sun hits hard from 12:00 to 16:00 making really hard to work outside and thats where siesta comes from, people going back home, having lunch, spending their time with their family, taking a nap, and then around 16:00 or so going back to work till 20:00-21:00. Here stores rarely close before 21:00 (and they open at 9:00), so yeah we have a rest time around mid day but we go back to work after. Is also tied to our hours of light as we mentioned, we have sun from 9:00 to 20:00 on winter and from 7:00 till 23:00 in summer Now in modern times offices of course don't do this same as large stores, most restaurants and franchises, but small stores? yeah you bet they still hang their sign "closed, come back at 16:00+). Paella is the most famous dish in Spain if you ask tourists but in reality is mostly done in Valencia and the mediterranean coast, it's a roasted rice with saffron some vegetables like beans and tomatoes and chicken and rabbit as meat (some might include seafood instead of chicken and rabbit) it's really good if done well, but every region have their own dishes in the north you have amazing dishes with seafood (Galicia has great octopus, mussels, crabs and lobster), the center has amazing stews, lamb and venison, etc As for eating or dinning time, lunches here take a lot more for the whole siesta thing, people when they go out they go with friends or family and is a social event, is not just eating but talking and sharing your day or week with those close to you, this is so ingrained in the culture that restaurants don't tell you to leave when you finished, it's unthinkable. Similarly happens in Italy, in case you want to go to Italy the culture is very similar (being part of the Roman Empire and all of that) to the point both Italians and Spanish consider themselves close cousins, even our languages are pretty similar to the point of being able to understand each other like 80% of the time The bullfighting is a tradition that dates back to Greek and Roman times, most of mediterranean countries had it in some form or another. In Spain is basically a torero or matador aka bullfighter is armed with his sword (doesn't use till the end) and a cape, he will tire the bull over the course of the encounter with his cape by feinting and tricking it into attacking the cape, and by the time the bull can't even move he will coup-de-grace it. It can be pretty violent, is also not uncommon that the bull injures or even kills the bullfighter. There was a bull called Ratón that killed three bullfighters in three different encounters. The animal is treated like a stallion, treated like a king and given the best life, food, spaces to roam and cows to mate till the bullfighting match, sometimes if they give a good performance they're spare and go live till they die from natural causes Corridas or the running of the bulls is more dangerous for humans though, you set free a group of bulls that go down a closed street and ends in a plaza (the square) and people rull in front of them. In Galicia (the north) there's a different even with wild horses, it's named rapa das bestas or "the trimming of the mares", basically people go and trap wild horses using only their hands, trim their manes and then set them free till the next year. Way less harmful for both animal and human.

[@Javierxr23]

En invierno en España se hace de noche a las 6 de la tarde

[@Jorge-ob2kw]

More errors. All products and services prices are marked and visible to the buyer be in restaurant shopping centers or whatever.. Spain is perfectly regulated structured and ordered in all aspects of life.

[@FANGOFAN]

Asking for the bill in Spain doesn't work the way you might think. When you're in someone's restaurant, you are IN THEIR HOME, and they treat you as if you were in their home. It's a concept that's hard to understand, but you don't get kicked out of your home. It's about hospitality. As a Spaniard (and perhaps what almost no one says about Spain) is that we are naturally hospitable. We like to share what we have with those who come.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@FANGOFAN- Nice!

[@gemaloretomaciagarcia]

la siesta en realidad es jornada laboral partida, sales mas tarde, pero muchas veces aun es de dia. Aprovechas para comer en familia, limpiar, comprar en supermercados que no cierran. Y vuelves al trabajo. Ahora se esta imponiendo en las empresas mas grandes, la jornada continua.

[@BlackHoleSpain]

About the eating times here in Spain, it's not only "eating" times, but "living" times, because our timezone is *WRONG* since 1941 as we should have Britain's UTC/GMT+0 instead of Central Europe UTC/GMT+1. Besides, during summer one additional hour is added so in the end, we have *2 HOURS* of displacement with the real solar time. That's why we have lunch at 14h instead of noon, we use to have dinner at 21-22h instead of 19-20h like other countries. In fact our lives go with the sun exactly like evey other human being. A related topic is that the country "seems to stop" for a couple of hours after lunch because in summer it's really *TOO HOT* to work because we reach 39-40ºC (102-104ºF). That doesn't mean that Spaniards are lazy at all, it's something that also happens in the Middle East. Small shops usually have split time and are closed 3 hours (1 for lunch and a couple more for resting, some people take a nap "siesta", but most DO NOT, it's a false stereotype) and reopen later from 17h until 20h. However office workers don't stop at all, start at 9 AM and use to finish at 6 PM (that is, 8 working hours + 1 lunch hour ). Also big Department Stores have enough logistics to handle 2 shifts and are open twelve hours from 10h to 22h at night.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@BlackHoleSpain - interesting. Thanks! Could be worse, check out Alaska's crazy solar days.

[@BlackHoleSpain]

@@Average_Middle_Aged_American Yeah, but the reason is more because of the heat rather than the sunlight. This summer is one of the worst I remember in my life. Never before I've woken up at night (at 6 AM it's deep night over here, sun rises at 7:30) to go for a walk in July/August, because sun *BURNS* already at 11 AM and you have to shut your blinds at 1 PM until sunset and live in the shadows for the whole day. And I live in Madrid, not even in the southern half of Spain, as if it were the alien world at Vin Diesel's Riddick movies. But then 6 monts later we'll eagerly look for the tiniest ray of sunlight during winter because it might even drop below zero (Celsius of course). Spain is difficult.

[@Javierxr23]

Y por qué tenemos que hablar inglés . Aprendan ustedes a hablar español

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

I have always said that it is the visitor's responsible to learn the language that is spoken the most in the place they are visiting. However, it is not reasonable to think an American or Brit is going to learn Spanish, French, German, and Russian to visit 4 countries in Europe.

[@anacasanova7350]

​@@Average_Middle_Aged_American yo soy española y he estudiado catalán, francés e inglés muchos años y no lo escribo ahora. Pero si puedo hablar un poco de inglés si me pregunta algún extranjero . Español, francés e inglés son lenguas francas, con ellas se va a todo el mundo.😊

[@anacasanova7350]

El alemán no es lengua franca

[@user-cm9pt8bo3l]

​@@Average_Middle_Aged_American Yes. But we are talking about a language of planetary importance, with which you can travel halfway around the world. It is not about Danish, or Estonian, with all due respect. It is funny that it is an important fact that in Spain, for some reason, the Spanish insist on speaking Spanish hahaha! It reminded me a bit of a famous poem by Quevedo, which dealt with the surprise of a Portuguese who traveled to France and was amazed that the children knew how to speak French hahaha Good videos, friend. Greetings

[@carmenboullosacorreo3919]

Pero nosotros vivimos 💯 veces mejor , porque el dinero no es vida,solo te ayuda a ser feliz con tu familia ,amigos compañeros al final del día cuanto has reído , cuanto has abrazado y te han dicho te quiero pues para nosotros eso es vivir la vida

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

I agree. To me, rich is messured in freedom, not dollars.

[@gmasfe]

Siesta it’s not for naps, it’s for lunch. And also to have a the shop open until 8 or later, and do not work more than the standard 8 hours.

[@taranvainas]

If you have a small shop here and you don't close at lunchtime, nobody, or very few customers, will come in to buy during that time, so you will also close. But not all work stops. Many companies offer what we call "intensive working hours" and those who choose it can go home earlier. Supermarkets don't close during those hours, but you will find very few customers.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@taranvainas - that is interesting. Thanks for sharing!

[@PrincipeMaquiavelo]

Nobody knows more and better about how to live in Spain than the Spanish. Nadie sabe mas y mejor de como vivir en España que los españoles.

[@Jorge-ob2kw]

Another error. Work time in Spain is regulated by law in all sectors in accordance with European normed and regulations. It's not the same industrial working process then hospitality and services for tourists

[@Jorge-ob2kw]

Many errors in the stream. Spain received 90million tourist a year where a lot of service people in hotel and restaurants speak fluid English even others languages.

[@anacasanova7350]

Los españoles somos muy valorados en Alemania Francia etc por ser trabajadores, responsables , honrados , no conflictivos, y muy bien preparados para nuestro trabajo, desde nurses, enfermeras, médicos, ingenieros, arquitectos, científicos o carpinteros, mecánicos, todo tipo de oficios. Etc. Etc 😊

[@DougBrown-h1n]

A straightforward comparison of income doesn't really work. I think you have to put "income" in perspective - how does it fit with the local economy i.e. general living expenses (food, housing, healthcare etc.).But let's face it - at the end of the day it's simply about quality of life. It really is the only thing that matters. If you want to travel to other countries, you just have to accept that they probably do things completely differently. Don't continually compare it to what you think is the right way to do it. It is what it is - immerse yourself in it, instead of hankering after your American expectations. When we visit the USA we find your obsession with working/money, guns, consumerism and the lack of a notional healthcare system truly shocking - we've all found different ways of living our lives - just enjoy it for what it is, or you may as well stay at home.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@DougBrown-h1n - I agree with much you said. Thanks for commenting!

[@anacasanova7350]

No debe preocuparse , sólo pedir lo que vale la ración de pescado, o lo que compre. Cuanto vale el menú o ración.??? Una ración de pescados cuesta de 30 a 50€. Una cerveza normal en restaurantes 3€. si es especial ..... Una ración de calamares , congelados, 6€ En España en general la gente es más honesta que la mayoría de pueblos mediterráneos. No ha de sufrir si viene a España no ha de dar propinas.😂😂😂

[@TomasJerez-ow4ob]

Ok firstly, we live in a delayed time-zone. It means that there's daylight at 10 PM during part of the summertime and everything happens, say an hour later. Another difference. Breakfast is light, lunch is strong and dinner is mild, combine this factor with the slower pace of life and the fact that we are used to have lunch with family or friends, disconnecting from everything else, so your meal will easily take some 2 hours. Some people will take a nap, but most won't, also most shops and offices will close 3ish hours (Except for major cities). Wanna know what I think a real scam is? When the waiter decides that you are done by bringing the bill which is a surprise box because the price list at the restaurant does not include taxes, and when on top of that, you are supposed to tip more than a 20% of that bill (whether or not you liked the service)

[@contrerassev]

Lo que tú llamás normal,NO es normal en otro país,así que no digas que como funciona las cosas de forma normal cuando hablas de la hora de la cena,trabajo,horario,etc ..este tío es tonto,está contando los topicazos más grandes de España,cerrar una tienda a las 2 para comer en casa NO significa ir a dormir,se cierra porque es costumbre quien PUEDE ir a comer a casa y no hay movimiento de compras en esas horas d3l día,mucho menos en verano,el wue trabaja se levanta igual que en otra parte del mundo a las 5 o 6 AM no está durmiendo pir cenar tarde,es lo contrario de lo que tú dices,dormimos menos,trabajamos más horas y vivimos la vida,trabajamos pars VIVIR no vivimos para trabajar,muchos españoles estamos cansados de estas tonterías sobre España,cuenta su visión de Narnia de España,en cuanto a lo del idioma,seguro wue en un pueblo de ohio o Míchigan menos gente habla español de li que se habla en España inglés,y oh sorpresa se habla español en España,vaya increíble,y no,tampoco celebrsmos 4 de julio ni comemos pavo de accion de falsa gracias.

[@rubenm.brandi2354]

Necesitas ver mas videos de España antes de juzgar

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

No doubt.

[@JorgeReyes-bo7uc]

Interesting how your first impression was negative, since most Americans tend to love Spain, and the number of elders that are coming to retire here is increasing. The biggest cultural shock that I had in America was the politeness there, but for me it was not that, it was fake political correctness, I felt like everybody was fake. Here people are direct, it doesn't mean that we are rude or mean, we are actually very friendly and extrovert in general (not in the North of Spain), it's waaaaay different. But when I've spoken with Americans here, they've told me that people being real it's more refreshing. And the bull it's killed at the end of a bullfight yeah. They are not killed in the races (in general, since it's different everywhere).

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

I have done other videos on Spain since this one that show a more positive side. Check them out. I am very excited to go to Spain.

[@cangrejitamora]

Este señor está contando un montón de mentiras a medias, la mayoría exageradas y sin dar una explicación real de porqué las cosas de hacen de esa manera tan diferente en una cultura y en la otra. Muchos españoles son bilingües o trilingües, lo que tiene guasa es que británicos o alemanes lleven 15 años viviendo en España y no hayan aprendido lo más básico de español, pero si se benefician de las ventajas de vivir en España, eso es una falta de respeto al país que te acoge.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

which man? me?

[@Joan-kr1jo]

​@@Average_Middle_Aged_American The one from the video you reacted to. He always does that. I already saw a few videos from him doing that. Lots of generalized stereotypes. Like the siesta. I never take a nap, nor i know anybody who takes a nap where i live in Valencia. Maybe in some places, but not in every region. There's better videos from EEUU citizens, like "ANTOANETTA NOW". Regards

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

​@@Joan-kr1jo- so weird. He has traveled and lived in Europe for decades. He even has a PhD. Thanks for commenting and chexking out my channel!

[@taranvainas]

Maybe salaries in the USA are higher than in Europe, but things here are not as expensive as they are there. And we have a radically different concept of free time than you do. We don't want to be the richest people in the cemetery, we want to live, have vacations, not worry about health, have public transportation that allows us to travel cheaply, we want to have a dignified old age, not be stigmatized for working in a Walmart or a hamburger joint. And speaking of this, perhaps you would be interested in watching a video that compares the working conditions offered by McDonalds in the USA vs. a European country... You will see that salaries are very relative and depend on what type of jobs we are referring to. And you will see that most Americans actually live enslaved by companies and most of you don't even realize it. Living in a country where some have very high salaries while the streets are full of people with no future living in tents is not what you would call a successful country.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@taranvainas - I agree with much of what you are saying. However, the USA does not have a homeless problem, California does. 48 or 49 states have a lower homeless rate than most countries. The cost of living varies dramatically in the USA. Remember, the USA is quite large. We have 50 states, and the median population is 5 million per state. I just made a video about living in South Spain. Please check it out. Thanks for replying and checking out my channel!

[@taranvainas]

@@Average_Middle_Aged_American I'll check out that video, thanks.

[@jiphjuegos1402]

There are as many experiences as people. My suggestions if you come to Spain, let your common sense cuide you. Enjoy the food you are sure to tolerate, don't be afraid of asking, people are mostly friendly and polite. Try to avoid the tourist traps, avoid those places where the only Spaniards are the waiters, this is a clue. Don't travel anywhere being afraid or suspicious, but be wise, prudent. Don't go to a bullfight, most people don't understand or like it, but it's part of Spain, Portugal and southern France culture; un Spain and in France the bull is killed, that's why the "torero" is called "matador". There are many other better and interesting things to do. That man wants to help and explain his experiences the best he knows, even if these are not very accurate I consider them useful. AMAA the paella Valenciana can be with snails or without them, normally you should book the paella in advance and you will ask for your preferences: seafish or chicken and rabbit, snails or without...The paella takes about 30 minutes to cook so appoint it if you want to eat a good one. And this leads to a false information, it's untrue that Spaniards don't need a watch, that don't care about punctuality; wrong, ar this point he's had a non representative experience. Don't be mistaken because you could be considered very rude if you are late at a date. Regarding the prices of the restaurants not all of them offer a daily menu. Many do and usually it will be anounced on a board at the entrance. The waiter doesn't offer it always, no matter if you are local or foreigner. You should always ask, you've got the power. Another important thing regarding restaurants and waiters in Spain is that the adition of the prices given are exactly what you pay in the end. The taxes are already included, you don't have to add 15 to 25% tip for the waiters' service either, the restaurant's owner pays them a monthly salary, not a high one but a real salary. You can leave them a tip if you feel very happy with them but it's not compulsory. Interesting anyway. Enjoy life, ¡hombre!

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@jiphjuegos1402 - wow! Thanks for the advice!

[@Wilderberg-Oficial]

The World´s 50 Best Restaurants 2024 1. Disfrutar (Barcelona, España) 2. Asador Etxebarri (Atxondo, Bizcaia, España) 3. Table by Bruno Verjus (París, Francia) 4. Diverxo (Madrid, España) 5. Maido (Lima, Perú) 6. Atomix (Nueva York, Estados Unidos) 7. Quintonil (Ciudad de México, México) 8. Alchemist (Copenhague, Dinamarca) 9. Gaggan (Bangkok, Tailandia) 10. Don Julio (Buenos Aires, Argentina.)

[@arnodobler1096]

Getting the bill in a restaurant without being asked is tantamount to being thrown out, here in Europe. When (whole) fish are offered, they often have different sizes and weights, which is why they can cost differently, just like at the fisherman. In the USA, you pay more for a 500g steak than for a 300g one.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@arnodobler1096 I can see that. Usually our waiters just say "take your time and let me know if you need anything" when bringing the bill. Of course, NYC and places like that are probably different.

[@leirem.c.1164]

Polite have diferent meanings in diferent places, what is polite in a place is not in other. You have to ask for the bill because is unpolite to bring the bill and presure the customers to leave the place. The bill in the restaurant is not going to change, the prices on the menu are what you are going to pay. The diferece is in a store were you can buy staf by weight, in that case the price is in €/g or kg. (EXAMPLE: potatoes 3€/1kg and you buy 2kg so the price will be 6€) the price that is showing on the tag is NOT per unit. Hope it helps. And about the singing.... never done it, don't know anyone that does it🤷‍♀️

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@leirem.c.1164 - makes sense to me. Thanks!

[@artxxx7832]

paella is the national dish of Spain, its most famous and traditional food, its birthplace is the surroundings of the city of Valencia (third largest city in the country, in eastern Spain and declared by Forbes in 2023 the best city in the world to live in), and snails are DELICIOUS, much better than sauces and other chemicals, In addition to the industrialized food that floods the United States.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

You can get high quality food in the USA, you just have to pay more for it.

[@AntonioMorales-wb8pz]

Querido, la paella es un plato regional valenciano. No le digas a un gallego que su plato por excelencia es la paella porque te puede devorar un " PULPO ".

[@valije]

In the part of the country where I live, Paella is just tourist food. There is more in Spain than Madrid and the Mediterranean coast.

[@pepepacopica4565]

La economía de España no se basa en el turismo

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@pepepacopica4565 - 13% of Spain's GDP is from tourism. I would say it is pretty important to your economy.

[@salozinp]

@@Average_Middle_Aged_American True, although it can also be assessed that the remaining 87% of the Spanish economy has nothing to do with tourism.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@@salozinp - Yep. Doubt any country wants their GDP to drop 13% though.

[@salozinp]

@@Average_Middle_Aged_American Obviously, tourism in Europe is very important. In Spain it is 13%, in Italy 11%, in France 9% and in the United Kingdom it is 10%.

[@marianadurbay]

Te resumo el video la siesta española se rie del sueño americano

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

LOL. Pros and cons in every country.

[@hape3862]

9:00 You must understand that most of the EU is in one time zone, but the sun knows nothing about our watches. Now, in this moment it is 6:39 AM here in Germany, and also in mainland Spain. Here the sun rose already at 5:15 AM, but in Madrid, Spain it'll rise in 5 Minutes at 6:44. (I looked it up.) So the whole day is shifted there by 1.5 hours. Standing up later and going to bed later.

[@Joseph13163]

i was watching a move the other day Custer of the west it looked familiar .It was filmed in spain as many westerns are because the landscape and climate are similar to the west and souhwest.The reason they have a siesta in the afternoon is simple its the climate it gets really hot in the summer.Sorry i can't give you temperatures as i can't convert to fahrenheit without having to google it but its very hot..the Paella is what you looking at its rice and sea food,and its most likely to be mussels rather than snails.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

Great information! Thanks!

[@carmenboullosacorreo3919]

Bistec en lata? No sería mejor directamente de la vaca o buey aquí no se enlata la carne la comes fresca a quien se le ocurre

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

Dont remember the reference to canned steak, but I only eat butcher cut steaks. Ribeyes go for $9.99 per pound on sale here. How much are they there?

[@Joseph13163]

Generally southern countries and the southern parts of those countries are poorer than northern europe.spain portugual greece and southern italy.Retirees go to spain more for the weather its like europes version of florida or hawaii in the case of the canary islands which are part of spain.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

Interesting.

[@RubénMartínez-f5z]

Why do you think should be a problem having Spanish speaking Spanish in Spain. If I travel abroad I dont expect anybody Speaks my language. About siesta... you are wrong most of people in Spain have no time for siesta. And I am from Spain. The 2 hour break is not for siesta.

[@Average_Middle_Aged_American]

@user-jy4kj5jr9g - Please give me.a.time stamp where I said Spainish countries should speak English.