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Interactions 1 Reading, 4e

Elaine Kirn, West Los Angeles College
Pamela Hartmann, Los Angeles Unified School District

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Galicia, Spain

When I went to visit Marta in Trabada, a small village in Galicia, in the north of Spain, I was shocked, not only because of the natural beauty, the lush green countryside, the tiny stone houses but because her daily life was so different from my own in New York City.

Marta and her family spent most of the time in the kitchen, eating, cooking, and chatting, because it was the only heated room in the entire house. The television was mounted on the wall, and the family watched TV as they ate dinner: rabbit cooked in garlic sauce. At night I slept under a big pile of blankets to keep me warm, and then next morning I had to shower with cold water even though it was the middle of winter. That day, Marta took me out to the yard to show me the animals they raised, including the pigs, chickens, and...rabbits. I realized then where my dinner had come from! Marta said that the family grew or raised almost all the food they ate, and that people in the village only bought the necessary things that they couldn't produce themselves. Marta even made her own soap.

There is no public transportation in the village except for a bus that goes into the city of Lugo once a day, so Marta usually borrows her father's car to get around. As Marta and I drove into the center of town, we stopped every few minutes to say hello to an uncle, cousin, or friend. Most people in Trabada only spoke Gallego, the local language, and didn't speak Spanish or English, so it was hard to communicate. But people tried very hard to connect with me: motioning, gesturing, and most of all, smiling. Everyone knew I was a visitor – not only because there aren't very many Asian people in Galicia, but also because everyone in the village knows each other. The town center consisted of one post office, a small convenience store, a church, and a number of bars and cafes. At night, Marta and I went to the only dance club in town. The drinking age is sixteen, and there are people of all ages, from 16 to 60, not like in the United States, where you have to be 21 to get into a nightclub.

I loved visiting Marta and her family, but I don't think I could ever live in a tiny village without heat, hot water, and shopping. I'm too accustomed to my life in New York.

New York, NY

The first thing I thought when I arrived in New York was, "I don't think I've ever seen so many tall buildings in one place." It was amazing. You can't even see over to the next block because all of the buildings are at least four stories high.

What shocked me the most was the amount of waste I saw. In my house we make almost everything, and we use and reuse everything we make. We boil our own hot water for baths, we burn wood for heat, we raise animals to sell and eat, and even make our own soap. In New York the apartments are heated with steam, and they are so hot that many people open the windows. I wonder why they bother heating them at all? People eat out all the time, they eat on the street, and they throw away a lot of food. Emily takes a long, hot shower every day. Many New Yorkers pay people to wash their clothes, clean their houses, and they shop all the time. (I have to admit, I do love shopping in New York!). But even though the culture is so different from my own and seems excessive on one hand, on the other hand I loved being able to see a movie at midnight, or to buy a candy bar at 4 a.m. "The city that never sleeps" is very different from my own sleepy village.

I also liked the ease with which I could travel around the city. Where I come from there's only one bus; otherwise you have to use a car. Here, the buses run uptown and downtown, the subway goes to almost all of the boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx—and ferries go to Staten Island and New Jersey. A car is not necessary at all. People in New York have a reputation for being rude, but every time I asked for directions people were friendly and helpful. I loved that in New York you see all kinds of people. In my village everyone looks and dresses more or less the same, and everyone is from the same place. In New York, even if you're foreign, you fit right in because people speak so many languages. Many people asked me where I was from, some spoke to me in Spanish, and one person even spoke Gallego! I had heard so much about the nightlife in New York and I was excited to go out dancing at the Limelight, a famous club. I was very disappointed to find that I couldn't get in because I'm only 20, and the drinking age is 21. I couldn't believe they were so strict. Luckily there are lots of bars and cafes that will let you in, even if you're under 21.

I had a fabulous time visiting Emily in New York, but I don't think I could ever live in such a big, expensive city. At the end of the day I think I prefer the peace and quiet of my little village.

Understanding Specific Details

In mixed-up order, here are some sentences describing Trabada and New York City. After each item, write the letter T if the sentence describes Trabada, N if it describes New York, or B if it describes both places.


1		The drinking age is 21.


2		People speak English and Spanish, among other languages.


3		A car is the easiest way to get around.


4		People cook most of their own meals.


5		People are friendly.


6		Shopping is a common activity.


7		People are careful with resources like heat, food, and water.


8		Families spend a lot of time together.


9		People go out to bars and cafes.

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