Submitted by Fiona Greenaway on the 2017 winter session program in Spain sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences…
My first week here in Zaragoza, Spain has already given me enough memories to last a lifetime. The other fellows and myself have had great conversations and laughs, as well as being laughed at ourselves. For example, a smaller group of us found a nice quaint bistro for dinner one night, and a few of us ordered the steak. To our utter shock, our plates came out filled with slabs of raw beef. We did not want to offend the restaurant or staff, and we assumed maybe it was in their culture to eat the food like this. After each of us trying (and spitting out) our first bite, the wait staff came over with eyes as wide as could be. Yelling in Spanish, it took us all a minute to realize that no, we were not supposed to eat the raw meat, but instead they were going to bring out a hot stone for us to cook it on. Our mistake, but we had the whole place laughing and luckily,we were able to laugh with them. It’s times like these that even though you may be embarrassed or uncomfortable, in the end it just might turn out to be one of your best memories. So, the next time you find yourself immersed in a new culture, don’t be afraid to eat the raw meat.