Spain vs. USA

So beyond my own personal enjoyment of exploring different places, meeting new people, and engaging in ranging cultures, I think that an exchange is the perfect occasion to introduce others to the country I'm residing in and to explain the differences and similarities between the country and the USA, where I normally live.

So here's my first comparison: 

http://0.tqn.com/d/gospain/1/0/r/H/-/-/Spain_flag.gif

http://www.woodworkersshoppe.com/american-flag.gif

VS

Note: this is all from my personal experience and I'm not speaking for every person in both countries. These are just general observations

Behavior

	Spain	USA
Greeting	In Spain, one of the first things you'll notice is that whenever you meet a person, regardless of who they are, you give them two kisses, one on each cheek. Exception: you only give one kiss to children	In the USA, hand shaking tends to be the way to go, and sometimes with a friend, you may hug them. Kissing only occurs between children and their parents.
Passing strangers on the street (not in a big city)	When out on a run or on a walk, people tend to avoid eye contact and have no reaction to one another. Exception: if you know the person, people do greet each other and tend to say “adios,” “hola,” or “hasta luego”	When out on a run or on a walk, not everyone will do this, but you often make eye contact with others and smile, nod your head, or say hello.

Food

	Spain	USA
Meals	Spaniards tend to always have three meals every day and there's close to no snacking in between.	Americans seem to all have a different meal schedule that varies incredibly because if you're hungry, you'll just grab something out of the fridge, regardless of what time it is.
Breakfast	Breakfasts are usually small with coffee or hot chocolate to drink and then a small muffin or some cereal to eat.	Americans, once again, tend to be incredibly mixed. I know of people who don't eat breakfast, who eat some toast, and some who eat two fried eggs, an orange, some cereal, and then drink some milk.
Lunch/ Dinner	Both meals are usually served in three portions: the first dish, second dish, and then dessert. One dish tends to be lighter than the other, for example you'll eat a soup and then meat, or some fish and then a salad. Also, dinner is served late, meaning around 9 or 10.	Both meals usually tend to be one “dish” but there are a mixture of things on this “dish.” For example, the main food may be steak, but you'll have potatoes and salad on the side. Also, I know people who don't eat lunch at all. Once again, this is largely due to the fact that a lot of snacking goes on throughout the day.
Pork	So essentially, Spaniards eat every part of a pig, including the skin. Just the other day, I was eating dinner and my host family began to explain to me what part of the face of the pig I'm eating. Also, Spain is famous for its ham because it's completely different than what Americans consider ham. Spanish ham is cured and then left to hang for up to 24 months. If you want a more detailed explanation, look up “jamon serrano” or “jamon iberico” online.	Sausage.... and ham (American ham).

Driving

	Spain	USA
Speed Limits	Speed limits are written in kilometers per hour, but on the highway, the speed limit is around the same as in the USA	Speed limits are written in miles per hour, but once again, the speed limit between the two countries is similar when it comes to highways
Left Lane – Right Lane	It's immediately noticeable on the highway that the right lane is where cars drive normally, and the left lane is only used for passing.	In the USA, the left lane is generally the faster lane while the right lane is the slower lane.

Fashion

	Spain	USA
Importance	Fashion is incredibly important, especially in small towns, as everyone looks at you, and if you are poorly dressed, you are looked down upon.	Although there's a ranging scope of importance of fashion in the USA, generally, people do not tend to find fashion to be excessively important. If someone's sick or hasn't been sleeping, it's not weird to see them walking around in some sweat pants and a sweatshirt.
Flip Flops	In Spain, flip flops are a big no no. The only time you should be wearing them is a) to the beach, b) to the pool, or c) around the house.	In the USA, flip flops tend to be just another form of shoes, and you see people every day walking around in them
House Clothes vs. Street Clothes	There is a big difference between what you should be wearing at home, and what should be worn when you go out, even if it's just to the store. Any time you're at home, more pajama like clothes are expected to be worn, and regular clothes you would wear outside are taken off. Also, slippers are generally worn when inside your home.	Although I'm sure there are a lot of people that distinguish between house clothes and street clothes, generally, it's completely normal to wear things you would wear out when just sitting at home.

I'll be adding on to this post when I remember/note more differences.