Wendy Flint
Why don’t you tell us about cultural differences between your native country, Perú, England and Spain?
One of the main differences between these 3 locations is the language. Obviously English in spoken in England and Spanish in Spain and in Peru, the latter not being the same in those two locations. As a native Spanish speaker from Peru it took me some time to adapt to the linguistic differences between the Peruvian Spanish and the European Spanish with the purpose to immerse into the Spanish culture as “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. As a result of my immersion, I have discovered how much my variant of Spanish differs from the European Spanish.
Another cultural difference is that dancing is part and parcel of a good party in Peru. In Spain that doesn’t happen as a rule of thumb and in England only after a few drinks, we can see some dancers on the floor doing some pirouettes.
Our eating habits are also different. In England it is common practice for people to eat on the go or have a cup of tea and a butty in the van or in front of the computer. In Peru, office people eat a succulent lunch a 1:00 pm but they do not encapsulate themselves in their offices at lunch time and whatever the lunch may be there is also a small container of chilli sauce to accompany your meal! In Spain, 3:00 p.m. is a good time to eat, the presence of bread on the table is always noticed and a little kip afterwards is always considered!
Tell us some things that you like and you would change about tourism in Spain.
I love the Spanish traditions maintained over the years in terms of the typical Andalusian costume worn very proudly in local fairs and festivals year after year by men, women and children. I also applaud the hospitality offered by the waiting staff when you visit a tapas bar or a typical Spanish restaurant.
What I would change about the tourism in Spain is that the festivals and fairs held in different areas should be promoted and advertised in English as a way of encouraging people from other countries to take part of these activities and have an active involvement in local traditions by foreign residents and tourists in Spain. In that way, in my view, people will have the opportunity to integrate and become more aware of the Spanish culture and experience it first hand.
How would you describe the main characteristics of the GH (Hotel Management) students? How do you see their future as hotel managers?
GH (Hotel management) students are learners who are motivated to grow professionally by expanding their studies or exploring a new area very different from what they were doing in the past. GH students have social skills and are good communicators since their main interest is to work with people and provide them a good service. GH students are demanding in terms of learning and show conscientiousness when they engage in a project. Their attitude towards learning is serious and inquisitive which demonstrate that they are interested in succeeding in their careers and become good professionals so their future as hotel managers will be very promising and it is foreseeable that it will have excellent results
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