“Culture shock,” the one word we hear every time when we travel abroad. However, I have totally underestimated how big the impact is, especially when it is my first week in Barcelona.
1. Catalan is everywhere!
Barcelona is Located in a Catalonia region, meaning that Catalan is one of its official languages. I initially thought Barcelona was just another part of Spain, I could not be more wrong! Signs, street names, and almost everything is in Catalan. Spanish almost felt like a second language. For example, “salida” means exit in Spanish, while “sortida” means exit in Catalan. You will almost always encounter a “sortida” exit sign rather than “salida.” This has caught me by surprise and there are times where I have to translate words to understand if it’s Catalan or Spanish. Barcelona has a deep and rich history with Catalan, thus they are extremely proud of it.
2. Recycling
Barcelona is serious about recycling! When I first arrived and walked around the city, I saw recycling bins on almost every block. I can say that I have not walked more than 5 minutes without seeing one. According to the city’s website, everyone has a recycling less than 100 meters (328 feet) from their house. In the States, I usually only sort out plastic bottles from trash. In Barcelona, there are 5 different bins, each with their respective recyclables. At first, I was overwhelmed and spent a long time reading each bin. However, recycling is good for the environment so make sure you take part in it.
3. Punctuality
In the States, we value being on time and even arriving early. In Barcelona, things are more relaxed. When you are given a time, it is generally acceptable to arrive late. In a way, this is also true with my classes so far. I went to class around 10 minutes early and I was pretty much the only one there. The professors also start lectures 5-10 minutes after the start time. In the States, the door would shut and the class would begin on time.
4. Bike Paths
If you love biking, you will love it here. Barcelona is generally very bike-friendly with bike lanes to be found everywhere. Some of them are in the street, while some are on sidewalks. As a bonus, many of these bike lanes are protected from traffic and also boldly marked. There are an embarrassing amount of times when I zone out while walking and end up walking along the bike lanes. So, please make sure to look on the floor and respect the bikers!
5. Everything is actually closed on Sundays
Sunday is usually the day when I wind down and get work done. However, I was not expecting everything to be closed! On my first Sunday in Barcelona, I decided to get my groceries done in the morning. Turns out… my nearby grocery store is closed. I then decided to head to a metro station to purchase a student metro card (a really good deal by the way). When I arrived, I then noticed that the place that sells these metro cards was also closed. Since I already come so far, I might as well do some shopping in the nearby clothing stores. And… yes they are also closed. Make sure you open Google Maps to verify if stores are open on Sundays because many aren’t.
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