Today, I had the honor of conducting my first interview with a local from Valencia, Spain. I met with a staff member of Florida State University’s study abroad Valencia program. I emailed her asking if she would be okay quoted for the Nomadic Noles Magazine where I am interviewing Spanish citizens on their opinion of the monarchy. She agreed and set up a time to schedule with me.
The conversation flowed naturally and I am happy to say that I learned a lot from the interview. The staff member explained to me how, unlike the United States, hundreds of parties exist in Spanish national government, giving Spanish citizens a variety of options to choose from. The last national election was 2 years ago, where citizens vote for representatives of whatever party the citizen desires. Voting starts at the age of 18 years. However, the monarchy and royal family is not something that citizens have an influence or role in the decision making process. We went onto further discussion about her viewpoint and the intricacies of how exactly the royal family is presented, which I will write further about in my article for the Nomadic Noles Magazine. My interviews differ from my observations walking around as I can go into further detail and learn about topics outside of what I would hear from the average person, like the government structure and history of regime change in Spain. Co-construction is extremely relevant in these conversations as I am extremely grateful to currently residing in a place so different from where I grew up. Having the conversation truly felt like we were learning a lot about the other’s culture, as I took some time to share with her a little bit about my family residing in different parts of Spain than where she has been. We compared and contrast our different country’s government as well. Even outside of the interviews, I’ve had the chance to speak to store owners from Dublin, Ireland and Valencia, Spain about different activities occurring in Spain. One woman even showed me an Instagram account about all of the fun spots in Spain. I have enjoyed learning from Spain. Co-construcing knowledge to me means taking in the culture of another place without negatively influencing or judgement upon what is different from oneself’s life. It is listening to others with open ears, asking questions, and indulging yourself in the new environment (for example, taking the tram or conversing with the local coffee shop owner).
I am not only writing as an intern here, but enjoying my experiences in a foreign country that speaks a different language. I have significantly enjoyed my ability to practice Spanish while I am here. I have had some sweet encounters where Spaniards compliment my communication skills or brighten up when I tell them I want to practice. One of my most formable experiences was figuring out public transportation in a town called Buñol where I communicated with different cafe owners and bus drivers in order to hike with my friends to a beautiful springs location, La Cueva de las Palomas in Yátova. It was a beautiful sight that I am so glad to have swam in. I noticed how much fun everyone was having, with no phone in sight from the locals. Even when my friends and I had issues figuring out the bus system, we met these staff members at a local restaurant that were more than happy to help us with calling someone. Given interactions like these, I have observed how much more connected everyone in Spain is to nature and the community in general. For example, one of the first things I noticed is how when people walk down the street, you rarely see anyone with big headphones or eating on the go. More locals eat outside and converse for hours long.
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