Like a river bends

Since I've been here which has been a little over a month. I've noticed that Spain is so infused with American culture. I can't walk more than a block without seeing some American fast food from finger lickin' good KFC to trendy Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts or the classic mark of globalization McDonalds. As I am walking down those same streets, every few hundred feet I hear the latest American pop music blasting from various stores, Beyonce, Eminem, Akon you name it and they are desperately listening to it.

I pass by high schools in the afternoon with young Spanish teens pouring out of them and the hoards of kids wear everything from Hilfiger to Ralph Lauren clutching folders of High School Musical plastered with pictures of the American teenage heartthrob Zac Efron. A friend a mine lives with a host family and the kids know every single lyric and dance from that movie, an American movie. I continue on my stroll throughout Madrid and I look at all the new films playing or coming soon, and all the large and highly advertised movies are Americans ones conveniently dubbed for your Spanish viewing pleasure.

Wandering through the streets, I see newsstand after newsstand with a vast majority of the magazine from the states, don’t worry if you can’t live without your Vogue you can get every girly magazine from Cosmopolitan to Marie Claire. After I've had my fill of walking, I hop on the Metro, while waiting for the train I read the advertisements that overwhelm the underground tunnel. I see an ad for Sketchers with Ashlee Simpson, and I laugh. What is Ashlee Simpson doing in the metro of Madrid, and in Spanish no less, I’d be surprise if she knew how to say sneaker in Spanish. The train arrives, I get on and immediately in front of me I see their version of "poetry in motion" and there is an ode to New York with a nice drawing of the Empire State building.

My stop is up I get off the train and walk the couple of blocks to my apartment. On my street to the left of me is Plaza Mayor, the most famous plaza in Spain. I peer over my shoulder and see tents set up in the plaza for some sort of exhibition so out of curiosity I check it out. It seems like a big ordeal. I near closer and I read the logo on the tents "Viva America" it reads, a celebration for my lovely homeland.

It is as if America is everywhere is Spain, they even have a highly populated chain called "VIPS" which we all know stands for "very important person/people" those very important people being Americans. VIPS specializes in making all our delicacies, the all American hamburger, cheeseburger or Texas burger, you can't forget Texas. Not only to they make all the typical America food you miss to eat right there on the spot but they also sell for your enjoyment American products, miss marshmallows or peanut? Well lucky for you, VIPS has whatever typical Spanish stores don't. Not to mention that VIPS isn't the only chain that serves as a beacon for Americanizing your stay in Spain. Spain even has its very own Dean and Deluca, however it is differently named, Hespen and Suarez they call it, so as to mask their American imitation but not too much so that you can distinguish it from sight. The metal shelving, the pristine organization, the ambience, the logo font and the reasonable prices for “gourmet” food, 9 euros (about $12.50) for a bottle of ranch dressing, of course that's reasonable.

American culture is everywhere from the stationary shops fully equipped with Disney princess notebooks, folders, school supplies galore to the availability of coca-cola and sprite at every restaurant, bodega, and grocery store. I know that I live in the largest city in Spain so perhaps that is why America has such a huge influence on the city but it quite baffling. I thought Europe was to have this unique flair, this separation from the West, except I encounter it where ever I go. For all that Europe hates us, they seem to be loving or at the very least doing fine with having a lot of our culture infused into their daily lives like it or not.

I was thinking, I bet if you ask a Spaniard who the president of America is, they more often then not would be able to tell you Bush. If you asked an American who the prime minister of Spain was, I'd highly doubt, unless they were really into politics (but even then) that they'd be hard pressed to say Zapatero. And I don't think that is the stereotypical American stupidity, I think it is the disinterest because in world politics Spain isn't so essential, so important. Perhaps it might be ignorant of an Americans, but of course you’d know who Bush is, America runs the world. Ouch. You might say that is me being too elitist, too harsh but we dominate the global political scene that is pretty hard to deny.

Please don't take this as me not liking Spain because I love it or me thinking Spain is just like America, because I know it isn’t, it has many tons of aspects that are very different. America is such a young country, it is couple hundred years old but Spain has centuries of culture and lifestyle that is so rich is hard to beat. Spain is absolutely beautiful and unique it its own right. But I am just constantly surrounded by American culture all the way across the Atlantic and I had to share my observations of what’s around me.

I will end with my trip to Avila, the walled city about an hour and a half outside of the city of Madrid. It is a relatively small city but it is home to one of the oldest European defense walls dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. It was a lovely day trip that Horchata and I took to escape for the bustling city for a day. Here are a couple of pictures.


A mural made entirely out of carnations of Saint Teresa


Saint Teresa Church, built upon the spot where she was born


The walls the surrond the city of Avila


A view of the city from on top of the walls, it was super cool you can walk on the walls and see everything as this picture shows you


Another pretty view from atop the walls