Submitted by Jasmine Edwards on the 2017 summer session program in Granada, Spain sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures…
I’m not usually someone who goes out at night. At home in Delaware, my days are spent on campus or Main Street, or even the mall, and my nights are spent at home or at the gym. Although I am invited to parties on weekends, I usually decline because I have a lot of homework. Imagine my surprise, then, when I came to Spain and realized most of Granada’s citizens leave the house at 8:00 PM and party into the early hours of the next morning! That was certainly my moment of culture shock. Of course, it makes sense, and I should not have been so struck by the cacophony at 1:00 AM on Sunday morning signifying another wild night. The sun is at its highest from noon to 3:00 PM, and in an already hot area, it becomes impossible to accomplish much outdoors. Thus, Spaniards take a siesta. However, they love to walk and to drink, so the bars are places of immense cultural and social importance during the later hours. This was absolutely an adjustment I had to make. If I want to shop, I can’t go in the afternoon like I usually do at home. In Delaware, I go to class in the morning and shop or hang out with friends afterwards, reserving any inside activities for nighttime. In Spain, it’s pretty much the exact opposite. I confess that after 19 years of an American schedule, this Spanish one is going to be confusing for a long time. After dinner, which is served much later than in Delaware, I have been walking around the city to adjust and meet more people. They are all incredibly friendly and always kind to me when I mess up the language. I was nervous walking at night because it’s a dangerous thing to do as a woman on a college campus in the United States, but so many people are out and so many lights are on that I’ve often felt more comfortable in this strange city than at home! So although my body is lagging, my mind is completely open to this new way of life.