Do's and Don'ts of Spain

What are some general "rules" while in Spain?

Regarding...?

That is a wide topic!

this is an about Spain section, so I guess their cultures and such. just anything that would be considered rude, and i need to stay away from doing. I know the hands on your lap thing is rude.

How old are you?

And...I have no idea why the hands on the lap thing would be considered rude...nor have I ever heard of it.

Certain things are, however, rude in all cultures...1)don't have conversations in very loud (and the operative word here is "loud") voices...there is no need for everyone to know about what you're talking; 2) drinking to get drunk is a no-no. Drinking is part of a social activitiy...not the activity; 3) loud and obnoxious behavior is rude in all cultures 4) don't assume that everyone knows English...why should they?

They (whoever the "they" are) are in their own country and are speaking their own language. This does not suggest that "they" will not speak to you or that "they" will try to rob you because you don't speak their language... So...don't yell at them or speak in loud voices to get them to understand a language that may very well be alien to them.

Ultimately, treat everyone with "respect" and it won't matter if you do or do not speak the language... and, in the long run, people will respect you no matter where you are.

Sheryl

what is the hands in the lap thing? tourists here in barcelona get a bit of a bad rap because they do a lot of things that sheryl warned about not doing.

I don't know about the not speaking loud part. I've been in Madrid for 4 months and everybody seems to speak too loud. My wife is Spanish and when she and her friends get together they all talk loud. When she was in England people there who heard her speak to other Spanish thought she was being agressive.

I haven't been in any situatuion where I thought I may have offended someone. Just try and speak a little Spanish and smile. I'm not very good at the language but I try and people are generally pleased that at least i'm giving it a go.

You'll be ok, just go with the flow!

True, in Spain we speak too loud. I have noticed that when I travel around Europe. But the States are a bit different... I'd say, don't speak too loud when you travel around Europe...in Spain it doesn't matter too much, you'll only show that you are a foreinger because of the language, but that wont be a problem.

i'm 16, and i know proper etiquet and such, but other things that i really shouldn't do, that are totally different then here in the states, I'm going to be staying in someone's home for 2 weeks, and I really don't want to insult them.

worried about spain, you worry too much!

relax!
Maybe the only gaffe I could think of is addressing someone older and unfamiliar to you with the "tu" form instead of "Usted", but as a foreigner and an American most Spaniards wont have very high expectations, so relax and be natural, that's the best impression you could make.....

Worriedaboutspain.... treat anyone as you wanna be treated, that always works

By the way, I think I know what you meant about "hands in the lap". When I was in the US I was pretty surprised to see how over there it seemed to be accepted as good manners to have one of your hands in your lap while eating, while in Spain it is actually considered unpolite.... But it is not really important, and you will find people (in Spain and in the US) understand that you come from a different culture and forgive whichever "mistakes" you can make. I'll give you an example: In Spain one of the main companys selling bread is called "Bimbo", in Spain when you say "pan" you mean "french bread", and if you wanna ask for regular bread we usually say "pan bimbo"... Can you imagine how people looked at me when I asked in the US for "Bimbo bread"???? My friends are still laughing at me... hehehe

Dear Worried,
Worry no more! You seem to be a very pleasant person from your posts. I am sure that you will have a very successful trip. If you want to be ultra refined, use the phrase "Disculpame" or excuse me/forgive me whenever you feel you've committed a gaffe, or when you feel you are interrupting someone. This is cherished in Spain as elsewhere, because it shows that you care and are cognizant about the well being of others. A smile is always a lovely thing to wear.
Buen Viaje,
Booklady

JasMadrid,
I hope that you were not a blond when you asked for Bimbo bread!

JasMadrid writes: When you ask for pan in Spain you don't get French bread or Italian bread, you get Spanish bread! At the panaderia you can get it in several forms: pistola, for example, about 20cm long individual, (or for bocadillos) or a 40cm long, 10cm diameter pan (I avoid using the term 'loaf,' because it isn't really a loaf of bread; it's just pan).

That's what is 'regular' bread in Spain.

I don't understand what you mean when you refer to 'regular' bread: regular bread from where?? Something like Wonder bread??

You could ask for pan de molde and you would probably get a loaf of bread, unsliced or sliced.

I am fluent in Spanish and in more than 40-years of visiting Spain (about twice yearly) I have never heard of Pan Bimbo!

Anita (AKA worriedaboutspain): Spanish ladies tend to be more Cariñosa than Americans. When your hostess greets you with un abrazo you should respond with kisses to both cheeks.

Also: when you get a group of Spanish ladies in a sobremesa (i.e., gathered around a table) they may all be talking at the same time. Don't be afraid to 'jump in there' and express yourself. They will love you for it!

Eddie,

"Pan Bimbo" is "Wonder Bread." Just as Americans use the brand name "wonder" to refer to the sliced sandwich bread in packages, Spaniards use the brand name "bimbo" to refer to their version of this type of bread. "Bimbo" is the brand name.

I would be disappointed if anyone went to Spain and ate "pan Bimbo" with all of the lovely fresh breads you can find in a panaderia.

marilisa

Eddie, you have been missing out big time

I love Bimbo, I can't help it, and I always have some when I visit Spain.

Miche and Agomor, didn't we get through a loaf or two sitting on a bench in Segovia? I remember being pretty hungry.



It's obviously full of preservatives as it stays soft and lovely for days .. but I don't care

Sorry, back on topic .. it's probably not good manners to squeeze and mould the aformentioned Bimbo into balls, however tempting it may be (not that I would of course!).

Jo

I don't know where Bimbo Bakery company is based out of, but their products are on the shelves here in Phoenix,Arizona in the Hispanic areas. Of course it is sold in Mexico as well. I must say that I was surprised to see that word myself, but no more surprised than a Spanish speaking person would be to see a car by the name of NOVA. Bimbo Bakery makes not only bread, but also packaged pasteries as well. Sold on the shelf next to Wonder Bread, Holsum and all their product line.

Eddie, please excuse my mistake about "french bread" and "regular bread". To tell you the truth when writing my post I had to stop and think for a few seconds how you would call in english what I was trying to say. Obviously I chose the wrong option.

However, I don't know how fluent you are in spanish, but not having ever heard about "pan bimbo" is almost impossible.

In Mexico the situation is exactly the same. Bimbo was the only producer of this type of bread for many years. So when Wonder came to Mexico, we still went to the store and ask for "pan Bimbo". Someone told me that the proper name for this kind of bread is "pan de caja" and that Bimbo was just a brand. Anyway, I think I will always call it pan Bimbo .

It would be interesting to know how they call other things in Spain. For example in Mexico we usually ask for Kleenex not for "tissues".

Jabch, here we also say kleenex usually. By the way, we don't say "pan de caja" but "pan de molde".

I just looked up "pan de caja" on the Diccionario de la Real Academia (that includes "americanismos") and it doesn't exist. So I was told wrong, it is "pan de molde"! Thanks for the observation JasMadrid.

I've gotten a little confused with this....so i can go into a bakery and ask for pan Bimbo and they won't look at me like I've grown an extra eye?

Kleenex is a brand name for a brand of tissues.

You got it worried... But if I were you while in Spain don't ask for Pan Bimbo, and eat good bread for once!

JasMadrid writes: Maybe it's because I never eat American or British style Pan de Moldé when in Spain.

I don't think this has anything whatsoever to do with my fluency in Castellano.

One of the things I most look forward to when I visit Spain is the Pan.

Hey Eddie -- I love the pan in Spain too -- Can't wait to gobble some up and soak up the remains of my champinones a la plancha with my pan when I get to Madrid in May.

I do think it is a little bit funny that you gave JasMadrid a little lesson about bread in Spain when he or she appears to be FROM Spain, or at least is a civil engineer LIVING in Spain. :-)

Any trip to a grocery store -- one of my favorite things to do in any foreign country as it gives you a better feel for how the "locals" live -- would reveal a shelf for Bimbo bread (which is exactly what we called in when I was a student there many moons ago.) If you avoid grocery stores, I daresay that any "sandwich" -- as opposed to bocadillo -- you might order while grabbing a quick bite in a neighborhood joint is made with -- you guessed it -- Pan Bimbo.

I'll have a few bites of "real" bread in your honor in Madrid ;-).

Yeah Ann, I'm not only a civil engineer living in Spain, but a 100% spaniard, that's why I also thought it was funny that Eddie gave me a lesson I think I know pretty well. That was the reason for my somewhat bitter response, so I must apologize to Eddie.

About Pan Bimbo: as there are big chain supermarkets with their own white brands, at home we never say Pan Bimbo. We buy Mercadona “pan de molde”. It’s cheaper that the Bimbo one !!.

We use both, Kleenex and “pañuelos de papel”.

it's nice to see we all get along so nicely, :-) lol....but awsome, yes, I love carbs, *i guess that's why the whole dieting thing doesn't work...lol* so I'm def. going to try the pan when I get to spain! I just heard from the cordinator who's running the whole program, and it's a total go. I'll be hearing something soon...I"M SO EXCITED! As much as you guys talk about Pan bimbo, I am going to have to try it though, is it like wonder bread here in the states?

Oh, another question for you who are not from The US, my Spanish Teacher *who's from Chile* says sometimes other people are offended when People from the US say they are "Norte Americanos" because there's other countries in North America besides the US...is this true in Europe? Are people offended?

I don't think people in Europe would be offended by that, but most of you in the US call yourselves "americans" as if those in Chile and Argentina weren't americans also. However, even in spanish when you hear "americanos" most of the times we are talking about people from the US, a mistake we shouldn't make but we do all the time.

The problem is there's really no accurate way of referring to our nationality...

There are other "North Americans", other "Americans", and even other "United Statesians" (Mexico is the "United States of Mexico"). I just say "soy americana" and no one seems to mind, because it's obvious where I'm from (unfortunately--still can't trill an "r" to save my life).

In Mexico Americans were mostly known as "Estadounidenses," however, now more people is using the term "Americanos."

I was surprised to hear from a kid that here in the U.S., they are taught that the American continent is the U.S.A., and that the rest of countries are in north, central or south America. Then I asked: So how do you call the whole continent? He didn't know. I hope this was an isolated case. Probably this is true or he was just confused witht the term "continental U.S.A."

This just reminded me of a huge argument I had with all the members of my host family in Ohio...and it started playing Trivial Pursuit!

They claimed that England was a country/nation in itself, I explained that; no, England+Wales+Scotland+Northern Ireland was indeed a country/nation, the name being United Kingdom or Great Britain....it got pretty bad because they were so adamant and stated that they were sure to know better, because, after all, they shared the same language, so in the end, I had to say that I shared the same continent (with the Brits)! :p (Something that wasn't very clear for some schoolmates, btw, who were surprised at a Southamerican or African with fair hair and skin! )

England is a country in itself, as is Wales, Scotland and Ireland, but they are all part of great britain/United kingdom (not really that united unfortunately.)

How I wish that simple statement could be understood in Spain. How much suffering will it cost to my country to get the point.

Think of great britain/United Kingdom as a Nation/Alliance rather than a country.

The Spaniards are a proud, pleasantly congenial people for the most part. But I would be careful of doing or saying anything in any way touching negatively upon their pride. That way lies trouble.

ONLY the Spaniards???!

Last summer when I stayed with a spanish family, my friend and her close friends knew I was American because she had told them. I have fair skin but brown hair so her friends parents and strangers confused me for a spaniard! I consider that an honor! lol but they always called me "la americana" and when they asked where I was from, I would reply with my state, not the country.

But to go back on topic: try not to be shy! I learned the hard way that being shy is considered very rude!

lol @ pim, No, not just spaniards!!

Jo, I do remember you trying to substitute Compeed for Bimbo. (and she was rolling compeed bits into balls)(on the train back to Madrid from Alcala de Henares).

Do's & Don'ts?....
Don't try and leap over the barriers in the metro, the guardia civil will chase you and cart you off. Jo-anne tried it. I saved her.

Do’s and don’ts of Spain . Read this news from Sevilla ABC paper. In Spanish. Personally I dislike the way Spanish youth spend their free time. I cannot imagine this in the States !!

http://sevilla.abc.es/sevilla/pg050319/prensa/noticias/Sevilla/Sevilla/200503/19/SEV-SEV-034.asp

Lonoma writes: Looks a lot like Spring Break (Padre Island. TX or Fort Lauderdale, FL) to me!

The same goes for the "Festival Internacional Cervantino", which is one of the most important cultural events in Latin America. This is one of the few events that brings high-quality artists from all over the world to the beautiful city of Guanajuato, Mexico. http://www.festivalcervantino.gob.mx

If you go, you will see the "mature" people attending the fine cultural events, and thousands of college students partying on the streets. It gets really wild. Every year the police say they will enforce their non-tolerance policy towards drunken crowds, but the truth is that all these young people bring lots of money in revenue to the local businesses. Probably the same is going on in la Cartuja.

Yep, I am proud to say I went to this one in 2003. Thousands of students in the biggest botellon I have ever been to. It is over by the expo center in sevilla.Can you say tinto de veranooooooooooooo!

Hey, I can think of something you should never do!
It sounds so similar, I guess it's tempting to say you are 'excitada/o' when you are feeling excited about whatever....well, don't! Here it's only used with a sexual connotation, if you get what I mean. :o

On the other hand, if you were constipated and (acting out on an unexplainable TMI attack! ) declared yourself 'constipada/o', people would understand that you are suffering from (a much more dignifiable) cold.

Hello, everyone! I am new to this message board. I did read that you should not touch the fruit at the grocery store in Spain as it is considered rude. You should ask what you want.
Also, expect to wait in line for most things as the Spanish are very relaxed people.
By no means, I am no expert, but I do have a friend that lives is Seville.
He is the reason I am here.
I talked to him Friday 3-25-05 and he gave me his email 'jumpercable.es' but I cannot send him anything! I call him back and I reach his wife who does not like me AT ALL. He is only a friend and does want to hear from me.
Can anyone help?

ILbunny writes:
I talked to him Friday 3-25-05 and he gave me his email 'jumpercable.es' but I cannot send him anything! The company that provides internet in Sevilla is supercable, so try "...@supercable.es"

iMuchas gracias!
I called him back yesterday and he was pronouncing it as "supper" which sounded like "jumper" to me. He spelled it for me and yes, it is 'super'cable.
Thanks so much!

Take it easy. There's no special rules (sometimes I think there's no rules at all). Ask your hostess.