What to Know when Studying in Barcelona

 

Welcome back to Maren's Abroadventures!

       On this week's blog, I will be sharing some common phrases in Spain, as well as things you should know.  This blog will be very useful for students who have never been to Europe previously or for those who would like to know more.


Traveling

The first tip I will give you is to make sure you are standing on the right side of the escalator, so the people who are in a rush can pass by you. I have also found that it is really common to use this etiquette all over Europe, which was surprising to me as an American, yet makes perfect sense. Another useful tip would be to watch out for the bike lane. There have been many instances where I have seen people get hit by bikers because they don't even realize that they are standing in the bike lane until one comes.

  Speaking of transportation, it is always a good idea to stand with your feet wide when taking the metro. Balance is super important so you don't fall into someone near you when the metro stops or goes on a curve. Sometimes, when the metro is very busy between work and school, you may have to squeeze your way on, as long as you don't block the closing doors. When it comes to the bus, make sure you wave it down just in case, since it may not stop if no one on the bus has requested to stop.

Language Barrier

To help you get around, I have come up with some words and phrases often heard:

"Me da ______" = "Can you give me ____"

"Perdón" = "Excuse me"

"Por favor" = "Please"

"No gracias" = "No, thank you"

"¿Pagas con tarjeta?" = "Are you paying with card?"

"Hablas Inglés?" = "Do you speak English?"

"¿Donde está.....?" = "Where is.....?"

"A la Derecha, A la Izquierda" = "To the Right, to the Left"


More Tips

When it comes to eating and drinking, don't expect your bottle cap to separate from the bottle. Bottlecaps have to stay on in Europe, as part of EU regulations to help reduce plastic pollution.

Also, the grocery bags are not free at the stores here, so you will either have to bring your own or purchase a bag for a small amount of change. The grocery stores here do not carry deodorant sticks; they typically only carry the spray kind, so I would make sure to prepare for that, since it was new to me.


While the survival phrases are a nice guide, I highly recommend trying to learn the language as much as you can; it will be very helpful and the locals will appreciate it.


See you next week!



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