The Five People You'll Meet in Barcelona

By Megan

As a high school junior, I  was lucky enough to go on a week long trip to France and Spain to soak up a bit of European culture.  I fell in love with Barcelona and immediately promised myself that I would find a way to live and learn there.  So, my junior year of college, I hopped on a plane and spent a glorious year studying at the Universitat de Barcelona and living in the city.  Granted, a year is only the first course of the city meal, but I got to know the town and people rather well.  Here is a list of the five people I promise that you will meet in Barcelona, even if you are only there for a week.

1. Tourists- Barcelona is fabled to be the number two tourist destination in Europe, after front runner Paris.  And it is plenty obvious when walking nearly everywhere in the city, especially if Gaudí, Picasso, or Mirò ever touched it.  Look for cameras and the shock on the faces of people whose belongings have recently been nabbed.

2. The Hair- Okay, well not exactly a person, it really deserves its own category.  Prime example: The Dread-Mullet.  That's right folks.  Everywhere you go, no matter where you are, I promise, it will find you.  Imagine an everyday 'business up front, party in the back' mullet, except in the back are dread locks, and the owner of the do appears to be completely sane.  It isn't just the dreaded mullet, but hair styles in general that make this city so unique.  Example, moi (see the near mullet encounter I had).  Walk into a 'perruqueria' (Catalan for hair salon) and you are in for quite the experience.  Never once did I leave unmarred by the intensity my hair, post-cut.  I don't think I will ever look at a bottle of hair spray the same way again.

3. Catalan Nationalist- Usually wearing some sort of red or yellow; prefers to communicate only in Catalan; usually sports an above referenced hair-do, a baby dressed in Dior, and/or that certain Mediterranean glow.  They can be found sipping regional wine while engaged in intense political debate over the importance of the region's social, economic, and linguistic independence from Spain.  Catalan's are passionate, full of dreams and ready to talk, especially if you know a few steps of the sardana (the traditional folk dance of Catalunya).  Visca Catalunya Lliure!

4. Street Performer- If it is your first time visiting the city or your twentieth, you'll probably want to walk down las Ramblas.  If you walk down las Ramblas, you'll want to hold on to you purse.  While holding on to your purse, you'll probably see this guy (photo by Amy John) among the myriad of statue performers, holding still until some curious kid drops enough euro coins into his basket to cause a reaction.  If it isn't him, it will be the impossibly fat dancing lady, the golden angel, or the biking dude wearing a top hat with a skeleton companion riding along side.

5.Foreign Exchange Student- Another little bird told me that Barcelona was the favorite study abroad capital of Europe, and let's face it- the beach, famous nightlife, and international community sure do add a little something to the classroom experience. Furthermore, each group of students has specific, stereotypical identifiers: Example A- see the Italian students (photo by Amy John), in the photo to the left, with large sunglasses, dark tousled hair, and that 'get-me-a-coffee-asap!' vibe about them.  Germans are also easily spotted by their sheer height and joviality, and Americans look and sound like the crowd after a high school football game.  Beware, they travel in packs and can be spotted a mile a way.
Honestly, there are plenty other characters in Barcelona, but here are the five I promise you'll run into while visiting.  Any other honorable mentions?
Next Week:  We'll leave Catalunya and visit Italy