Thanks for all your ideas! Some of them are really good but... I AM NOT DRESSING AS A FLAMENCO DANCER!!!! That is what everybody is expecting and I want to show other "good stuff" form my country. The problem is that there will be like 10 more country representatives and it is in the cafeteria of the company so NO SMOKING, NO COOKING and NO POWER POINT presentation (but a wonderful idea) I think I am going to buy some vino de la Rioja, jamon serrano, lomo iberico, queso manchego and I will cook some tortillas de patatas y pimientos del piquillo. I will make some sangria too (they love it) and we can have "tapas".
But keep the ideas coming!
Nuria

Sounds so good, can we come!? No smoking or cooking, huh. I think your MUSIC will be important. You can play music, right? that will set the ambiente. Suerte! when is this again?

In my defense, I did read Nuria's post of not wanting to further the sterotype of flamenco dancing and toros. Are these not a part of Spain?

It sounds like you want to go regional. If so, then bring a big piece of bacalao and talk about the north. Find a gaita and talk about Galicia. You could cook up a big pot of cocido or lentejas, maybe some fabada. Put it in a crockpot and you're set. Add that to your plans to bring jamón and add some great bread.

This sounds less like a party and more like an office lunch. Is that so? It's too bad there's no cooking. They would all be drooling as you made some great cocido!

Anyway, I dind't mean to go on like this...have a great party!

Maybe you could have a little sampling of a variet of aspects of Spanish culture, For example:
artists/artwork
music- singers/folk/instrumental
architecture(historical and present)
cuisine
film

It doesn't have to be such a tall order: just a print or two for art, maybe a picture book of Spain with famous buildings and sites, a cd for the tunes, and of course tapas would be great. Good luck.

Yes, it is a party. My company is an international company very well known and they have a very high rate of foreigners (specially in the site where I work, NJ) I have friends from Japan, China, France, Morocco, mexico, Colombia... I mean THIS IS A REAL MIX OF CULTURES. Somehow my company wants all of us to be like "brothers" and understand each other and share stuff, so the best way to do it is having parties (once a year) where we can show part of our cultures. Last year was my first year and although I couldn't participate because I was only a temp, I enjoyed so much. I even cried when an American woman played a Spanish song in a spanish guitar.
Now, I have to confess that I cannot cook (at all) I only can make tortillas de patatas an easy stuff (my mother did all the cooking when I was living with my parents) so it might be a bad idea to cook for my coworkers (I could be fired for trying to kill them)
I am not against flamenco, toreros, etc, but that is something that almost everybody know, I want to show something different so they will learn something new. I was thinking of the ancient history of Spain, when it was Iberia and Iberos and Celtas were living there. How it became Spain, how many different cultures lived in Spain, what those cultures left for future generations... What do you think?

Nuria - That sounds fantastic - highlightening the culture of Spain through its history. It also sounds challanging - do you have any ideas as to how you'll do this? BTW - When is the party - how much time do you have to prepare?

Nuria,

Just like you, I am not great cook and cooking takes so much of your time. What I do when there is an international gathering at my son's school or office, I call a restaurant that cooks food from my country of origin. Find a Spanish restaurant or market and have them cook a main dish and dessert. Your idea of showing history of Spain is good but do you think in a social gathering people would even take time to absorb those information? Show simple items from your Spain that will instantly be absorbed by your co-workers. I agreed that you do need to show Flamenco items. Do you have a beautiful table cloth made from Spain or some other items from Spain or your village?

The party is in February the 14th. Yes, I know it is very challenging to try to show all the history of
Spain and keep the attention of the people but I won't show all the history, just civilitations that lived in Spain and I will try to do it with some humor.
mclarke, that is a good idea but unfortunately I didn't find a "real" spanish restaurant in my area. There are many restaurants but the food doesn't taste the same. I have table clothes, old jewlery, cups and old glass bottles... but they are from my grandmother and great-grand-mother and I am afraid of loosing them so I'll keep them at home, but of course if my co-workers are interested on that they can come home.
Thanks a bunch for all your help, you are the greatest guys!
Besos...Nuria

Nuria - Feb 14th gives us a bit of time to keep trying to help you come up with ideas - maybe all the chefs on the board could post their favorite inexpensive and easy recipes that you could follow .... anyone?

Perhaps something simple like some paper lanterns and a tent, and MissMadrid to dance.Damn the torpedoes...FULL SPEED AHEAD!!.......Rev. Mike