Category: Advice

6 Things I Learned to Love in Spain

Published on by DU Abroad1 Comment
President Obama with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy
President Obama with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy
  1. Two Kisses: a Spanish greeting includes two kisses beginning on the left side then the right. However, these are not real kisses. You either lightly touch each other’s cheeks together or kiss the air (no lips touching cheeks action).
  2. Small Bubbles: space in general is limited in Europe so it makes sense personal space is not as big as it is in the U.S. This was awfully awkward at first but then I found it very efficient; there is a lot less yelling.
  3. Walking: in Spain walking somewhere mean actually going walking speed, not that shuffle awkward thing that Americans do because they are in a hurry. I learned to take the time to greet people, enjoy the weather and take a few minutes to myself.
  4.  Late, Always Late: the concept of time is very different around the world. I had to get used to the fact that my professor or friends may be late and they wouldn’t even apologize for it. This was probably because they were walking slowly (see number 4) or because time is respected differently in Spain.
  5. Manzanilla Tea: chamomile tea is just as common as coffee in Salamanca. This was wonderful for me because people in the U.S.  look at me funny when I say I hate coffee. In Spain, I was able to participate in the cultural norms without having to drink any coffee.
  6. No Tipping: camareros are paid better than they are in the U.S. so nobody needs to tip. You are welcome to give a small tip if you are super impressed, and small only means a couple euros.
Coffee OR Tea
Coffee OR Tea

Going to another country and learning the nitty-gritty details about the culture can be exciting and fun but it can also be very difficult right around the time homesickness hits. The important thing to remember is that these things don’t have to be better or worse than home, they can just be different. As soon as we stop comparing our experiences abroad to home we can enjoy them a lot more. Although all of these things seemed odd at first, now they are what I miss most about Spain.

Adrianna Romero, Peer Advisor

Missing Pets While Abroad- Missing my cat, missing my dog, and discovering missing barking

Published on by DU AbroadLeave a comment

An easy thing that comes to mind when people ask me if I miss home is my pets.  Missing them is just as applicable when I’m here in Denver studying, as it was when I was in Seoul studying abroad. I miss playing in the deep Minnesota snow with my dogs, making snowmonsters that Monte attacks and destroys—tearing down what took 10-15 minutes to make in less than 10 seconds.  I miss our cats that climb up into my lap to be petted.  And I miss discovering baby kittens on our farm.

I learned that in South Korea, most Koreans prefer dogs to cats and see cats as a dirtier animal.  Do people prefer cats or dogs in the country you visited?

One of the highlights of my time in Korea was spending a few weekends at my friend’s home, with her super cute small white terrier.

This is Nana. She looks cuter with hair.
This is Nana. She looks cuter with hair.

That is when I learned that it is common for owners in Korea to de-bark their dogs.  I was shocked. I didn’t know the procedure even existed. Well, it does. And people in the United States practice it too; it’s just not widely advertised by veterinarians who practice debarking.

If you want to learn more, check out the 2010 New York Times article by Sam Dolnick titled Heel. Sit. Whisper. Good Dog.

Colorado appears to be full of dog-lovers, and I expect most Coloradans who read this will instantly object. But after looking into the procedure of de-vocalization, it doesn’t bother me very much.  It is a procedure done for humans’ convenience; it seems comparable to de-clawing cats.  Additionally, dogs recover quickly, and it doesn’t turn them into unhappy pets.

The procedure has been has been done for decades and animals can generally still make wheezing or squeaking noises.  There isn’t data available to tell us how many dogs have been devocalized, but experts say that it is most common in private homes, dogs who compete in show circuits, and in drug dealers’ attack dogs.

On the other hand, I doubt I’d ever do that to my own pet in my lifetime.  Devocalization is banned in New Jersey except for medical reasons, in Ohio it can only be done on nonviolent dogs, and is banned in European countries as well (Dolnick, 2010).

What do you think? Would you ever de-bark your dog, like they do in other parts of the world? Have you ever de-clawed your cat? Have you met a de-barked dog? Was it happy?

-Emilie, Peer Advisor