Comparing Spain and America (short version)

In addition to the obvious language difference here in Spain (which I continue to work through), many other staples of day-to-day living differ a great deal from the United States.  While I work to adjust each day, I have found the following things (in list form as I feel lazy today on Spain's Labor Day holiday) quite noticeable:

Eating / Food

Maybe the most apparent, the types of foods and even more the TIMES that people eat are far different than in North Carolina.  Residents here have told me they prefer fresh, whole foods rather than processed "foodstuffs" from origins unknown.  This is clear from the fish markets, where most seafood is sold with little or no butchering (and the smell can be quite unique), and even with their meats, as things like chorizo show clearly the fat and meat parts rather than having a singular consistency.  I have appreciated this fresh approach with their cheeses, meats, and breads, as all make lunch time very enjoyable! 

As for the times of meals, lunch starts around 1 PM (at my work, we normally go to the cafeteria between 1-1:30 PM as it only opens at 12:45 PM) and dinner around 9 PM.  For most in my office, this then requires a snack around 10:30-11 AM, which I support fully.  At night, I have more than once been the only person dining at 8:30 PM though, which is an adjustment to anywhere except maybe New York and Los Angeles (even people in Las Vegas eat by 8:30 PM!).  Even at 10:30-11 PM, the restaurants are welcoming customers.  I believe most dinner-time establishments are open from 8 PM until midnight for food, but there is some variety.

Sports

As you would guess, soccer rules the sports landscape here.  I think the Barcelona - Real Madrid rivalry compares similarly with the Steelers - Ravens, Yankees - Red Sox, and any other bigger rivalry in America, whether it be local or national.  As part of this, people at work will rationalize every win by their rival club while blaming luck or the refs for any loss of their team... very similar to America!  Club soccer, in my opinion, is far more popular here, but that is probably because the Euro Championships are not in progress.  After soccer, there is a major dropoff; I haven't heard any other sport discussed much at the office.  However, on television, I can normally find the following competitions: basketball, tennis, handball, indoor soccer, golf, and paddle (an indoor version of tennis, kind of).  There are basketball goals scattered through parks, and biking and running also seem popular as hobbies.

Cars

To summarize this quickly, I'd say that Spain, and maybe all of Europe, value practicality and efficiency over luxury.  Most cars are small, can squeeze into minuscule parking spots, and don't have a lot of firepower.  I see random "expensive" cars throughout the area, but with the price of gas and the space limitations so prevalent here, I suspect most people make the wise decision and buy based on what will work best.  Contrast this with America, where I feel *most* people buy at least 50% based on the style, features, and "popularity" of the car.  One other random note here... you can have a Mercedes or BMW without leather seats and all of the amenities; in America, I'm not sure I've seen that.

Television

It is actually very similar here, except for the whole language difference thing.  I have watched the Simpsons, Family Guy, and Jersey Shore without problem (what a great representation for America!) as well as the Masters and major European soccer matches.  There is no attempt at showing hockey or baseball, but of course that's the case.  There is a pay-per-view sports package that I believe shows more soccer matches (shockingly, some of the Spanish league games are not on regular television) and also the NBA, but I don't have access, nor do I need it. 

In addition to the aforementioned areas, there are many others (clothing, industries, roads, stores, etc.) of which I could go on and on.  The differences here, though, are mostly minor; maybe I will see food at a restaurant that strikes me as odd or a pair of shoes on the subway that I cannot fathom their appeal, but that is the exception rather than the rule.  This work opportunity has given me the chance to completely immerse myself in a new culture and see how things function outside of my comfortable box in America; with that, I am trying to take full advantage.