Entrevistas

American Way in Spain

1º BACHILLERATO A  -  Curso 2010-11

The other day, we interviewed an American called Dino, who told us about his likes and dislikes and some typical things in his country. He’s from Kansas City, Missouri. He studied Political Sciences in Spanish at New Mexico’s State University and he came to Spain in September, so he has been here for six months and he works now as an auxiliary professor for the English and Tourism Departments at Monterroso High School. He also teaches English to some students from other high schools and teachers from our high school. Dino also told us a curious fact: he got his driving license when he was 14!

Dino in Spain

He had a hectic experience the first time he came to Spain with a group when he was 13: they had a fast tour and they had no idea about Spanish. Now that he’s living here, he loves “chiringuitos”, “tapas”, our healthier food and seafood (the great variety of them), the warm weather and he also likes going to the beach on nice days. Moreover, he added that life here is more fun, easier and relaxing. However, it has been difficult for him to adapt to some of our customs like our “touching” culture (he means shaking hands or kissing another person when you meet them); we has realised that he likes Spain but he isn’t used to some of our customs.

He likes going out to have a coffee or a beer with his friends, and also going to the discos and dance; reading books and news and also listening to music: pop, rock, Spanish pop, etc, but he absolutely hates American country music. 

Between two cultures

Dino told us some differences between the educational systems here and in the US: there, students are always changing rooms because the room belongs to the professor. They respect much more the teacher and they have more choices so being a student in the US is not boring. They spend 8 hours at schools each day. They leave home when they go to university or when they finish their careers. Then, in USA when you finish High School you move from your parents´house because you get a job or you go to the university.
Dino said that Americans eat a lot of meat and some vegetables. For example, pork ribs, a typical meat from his home city: spicy ribs with a barbecue sauce.

Americans think that working here is easier and living here it’s cheaper. Nevertheless, there were some things that annoyed us for example the bad image that there is in USA about Spain and our style life: they consider us lazy because of the “siesta” (they don’t understand the concept) and that it’s easy to be happy doing nothing. In the US, life is more difficult and expensive, they just live for money, he emphasized that. They prefer thin girls, not like us, who prefer girls with curves. They spend time only with parents, brothers and sisters and maybe grandparents; he misses his friend and his family, but not his country.
A question that most of the people always think about it’s the right of owning weapons. He explained us how you can easily kill a person, if you’re in your right. For example, his mother has had a gun since she was 15; and his cousins, who have guns at home or in their cars. He told us that he has never and will never own a gun, but he had used them when he was a boy scout, at the age of 10, he used to shoot bottles and cans.

He answered a few more questions. He said that students don’t have to study a foreign language; that British people are very stuck up, more serious and have a dry humor and that the most popular sports in the US are American football, baseball and volleyball (he doesn’t play any sports, but he likes the team of his city, the Kansas City Royals).

Finally, he said that speaking Spanish it’s a very important skill because of the huge population of Latinos in the US. A lot of people in USA celebrate Christian events. In some American cities people speak Spanish, for example Miami or New York. However, there’s no obligation to know a second language or most people do not want to.

It is hard to understand that some people don’t want their children to learn a foreign language and some of them think that if you go to the US you must speak “American”.