"Spain is different," is a typical phrase you hear from Spanish people when talking about their culture. Indeed, there is a lot to learn and understand for those arriving in Spain for the first time. Below are the main cultural habits for expats to understand, and the best ways to deal with Spanish time management, tapas, weather, and communication. Time management and at the workplace Are Spanish always late? People usually get out of the office late, and to this extent it's quite cultural. The lack of productivity, the lack of organization, but also the good practice includes leaving the office later than the normal time. It is probably another inheritance of the over exploitation of … [Read more...] about Understanding Spanish culture
tapas
Snails
Certainly chowing down on the little brown gastropods is not to everybody's liking, though across Spain they can easily be found on restaurant and café menus and there are even a number of well-patronized snail fiestas. The molluscan delicacies are either farmed or gathered - hunted? - from the wild: the latter are usually collected in autumn after a good downpour, purged on grit for two to three weeks and then gorged on herbs before finally being cooked in a caldo (stock) - anything from garlic, ham off-cuts and herbs to simple tomato sauce. It's not fast food for sure, but it's not unusual to see the odd snail sandwich being handed to the kids. … [Read more...] about Snails
Tapas
There are now fancy tapas bars in the stylish parts of almost every city worldwide. But in Spain tapas run the gamut, from elegantly decorated prawns in honey and basil sauce to potato chips with a splodge of potato salad plonked on top. The name tapa (literally, cover) is said to originate from a small plate that was traditionally placed on top of a glass of drink. ln many bars tapas are automatically part of your drinks order – it's a surprise included in the price. It may be just a slice of bread with olive oil, a few slivers of chorizo, fuet or salchichón sausage, it might be calamares, or patatas bravas - chunky french fries in spicy tomato sauce - it could be pickled fish... you get … [Read more...] about Tapas