"My Four Months in Spain"

by Rebecca de Dios

I am Rebecca, sixteen years old, the child of a couple of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) both working
in Barcelona, Spain. They have been here for eight years, but this is the first time they've brought me
along. It happened because the school calendar of the university I'm about to attend changed. Instead of
starting in the usual month of June, classes will commence in August. We took advantage of the long
vacation from April until the last week of July, so instead of them going home to the Philippines, they
sent me to Barcelona, one of the most well-known cities in Spain.

My parents work at a large hotel in Barcelona. Before I arrived, they adjusted their work schedules so
that one of them would always be with me. They have different shifts at work, but they managed to
have Saturdays and Sundays free so they could be with me. Because of this, we were able to visit
beautiful places in the cities of Madrid, Seville, Toledo, and Valencia. In my four months in Spain and our
trips to different cities, I learned and experienced a lot about their customs, culture, and traditions.

Climate and Weather

In the first month of my visit (April to June), I experienced mild weather. However, in July and August
(which I didn't experience), considered their summer, the weather is extremely hot, comparable to what
we experience in the Philippines in the months of March and April. During these times, many tourists
flock to Spain, especially to the city of Barcelona, to visit their beautiful beaches along the
Mediterranean Sea.

Culture and Tradition

One of the things that the Spaniards take pride in is their rich culture and traditions that trace back to a
distant past. They have numerous museums and theaters where their history is reflected. They allocate
days and times for free admission to museums. For instance, we entered the Reina Sofia in Madrid for
free, a museum known worldwide. The public can enter for free on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays,
and Fridays from 7 to 9 pm. It is also free from 2:30 pm on Saturdays, and on Sundays, it is free from
morning until 2:30 pm. In our visits to various museums, I saw masterpieces by famous artists like
Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Antoni Tapies, and others. Another famous museum we visited,
not for free, was the National Art Museum of Catalonia, where even the building itself is awe-inspiring.
We also explored the old buildings and historical sites in Toledo, one of the oldest cities in Spain.

Language

Their national language is Spanish or Castilian, which we also call Spanish. They also have several
dialects used by certain groups like Galician, Catalan, and Basque. English is understood by some, but its
spoken form is not as widespread. According to my parents, fewer Spaniards speak English compared to
other European countries. However, in the hotel where they work, their Spanish colleagues are
proficient in English because most of their guests are tourists from various parts of the world. If you plan
to stay in this country for an extended period, you need to learn Spanish because almost all signs, labels,
product names, and important documents are written in their language.

Religion or Faith

One noticeable thing in Spain is the presence of grand Catholic churches in almost every corner, making
it easy for foreign workers like my parents, who are looking for a place of worship. Despite the majority
of Spaniards being Catholic, ranging from approximately 80% to 90% of the population, many do not
regularly attend church and only participate in church rituals like baptisms, weddings, and blessings for
the deceased.
Their Food and Other Customs

If there's one thing that stands out about the Spaniards, it's their eating customs. Their breakfast, called
El Desayuno, is usually just coffee with milk and bread. It's light because around 10 or 11 in the morning,
they eat again. Tapas are commonly eaten during this time. Tapas are small servings placed in small
containers, like plates of finger food such as small fried squids, bread with tomatoes and cheese,
skewered tuna and olives, and more. It seems that our habit of eating between breakfast and lunch
comes from them.

Their lunch, called la comida, is their largest meal of the day. They have a wide array of dishes prepared
for lunch, and bread is their staple food, which they use to scoop up sauces from their plates. Some of
their favorite dishes are also familiar to us, like paella, gambas, cochinillo asado (similar to our lechon de
leche), and more. They allocate two to three hours for lunch because, aside from the abundant food
they prepare, they're also accustomed to having a siesta, a short rest or nap after eating. The entire
country observes siesta, and stores, schools, and workplaces usually close from 1 to 4 in the afternoon
for a long lunch and siesta. However, I noticed that in Barcelona and Madrid, their largest and most
foreigner-populated cities, big supermarkets and stores remain open even during these hours.

By around 5 or 5:30 in the afternoon, they have another light meal called La Merienda (which sounds
like our merienda). It's usually bread with a spread. Then, dinner is around 9 in the evening, but the
night of the Spaniards doesn't end here. It's common for them to go out for a stroll (which they call
paseo) and pass by restaurants or bars after dinner. They only go home to sleep past midnight or even in
the early hours of the morning. On days off, they often stay out until 3 or 4 in the morning. Before
heading home, they typically eat churros, which are elongated fried doughnuts, dipped in hot, thick
chocolate. They really enjoy this. I think our Filipino love for food might have been influenced by the
Spaniards who colonized us for more than three hundred years. But no matter how hard I try to emulate
their eating habits and sleeping schedule, I just can't. Even my parents, who have been here for eight
years, can't fully adapt to this schedule due to their regular work hours at the hotel.

Sports

In the Philippines, there's a basketball court in almost every corner of the barangay. In Spain, football (or
soccer) is the popular sport played or participated in by almost every youth anywhere in the country.
Their week isn't complete without watching their favorite soccer team. Real Madrid, a soccer team
based in Madrid, Spain, is considered the most popular soccer club in the world, with over 228 million
supporters.

Clothing

I noticed that the Spaniards dress more formal compared to us. Only young people wear jeans and t-
shirts, especially in the City of Madrid. Older women usually wear blouses and skirts or dresses. Men
typically wear collared shirts, slacks (not denim), and leather shoes. Inside the church, formal attire is
required. They have a dress code, and wearing inappropriate attire is prohibited in the church, which is
considered a sacred place. After our sightseeing, I barely saw anyone wearing rubber shoes or sneakers,
except for tourists strolling along the beaches of Barcelona. Even in the church, they maintain a formal
dress code.

I learned so much in my four months of stay in Spain. They share some similarities with us due to the
influence of their colonization of our country but they remained different and unique in many things. I
thank my mother and father for the opportunity they gave me to learn many things and be more open
and respectful of the world's diversity of people and races.