Meeting Madrileños

One of my goals here is to make friends with some real Spaniards.  I think it will help immerse myself in the true Spanish culture as well as help my ultimate goal of becoming fluent.  Though Madrid is full of welcoming and friendly people, meeting the locals has been a little more challenging than I expected.

The main problem I’ve encountered is the communication barrier. It’s hard to have more than basic conversations in a language other than your native tongue. Every witty and intellectual bone in my body is lost as here I am solely the ditzy, blonde girl who can barely muster out, “Hi, My name is Laura. I am from Atlanta, Georgia – the city with the big airport.”

But as the weeks go by, my communication is slowly improving. I’m learning to embrace the humor in the cross-cultural mix-ups, particularly in the American-girl-meets-Spanish-boy culture. Here are a few trends I’ve noticed during my interactions with new amigos:

1. Spanish boys absolutely love Facebook. When they get out their phones at the end of a conversation, it’s not to get your phone number. It’s to save your name in there so they can go home and add you on Facebook. They don’t wait around either – you will have a friend request and an accompanying message before you even make it off the Metro.

2. Even if you try to speak Spanish, the boys who can speak English will only reply to you in English. Not only do they know you won’t really understand their Spanish, but they also love the chance to practice their English.

3. They don’t grind when they dance. Though they are not as into dancing as some European men stereotypes may presume, Spaniards will give you plenty of breathing room as they won’t even touch you while you dance. They aren’t afraid to shake their hips either.

4.  Most Spanish boys have some sort of connection to a bar, which can score you free entry and usually free drinks. It’s significantly more economical to hit up local places with the locals, rather than pay tourist rates with groups of Americans. If you play your cards right (aka repeat “I’m hungry, I’m hungry” every time they ask what you want to do next), they might even buy you a pizza. Or four.