May 21, 2019 - Lia Dees

Today started out a little later than normal, but I am definitely not complaining about the extra cup of coffee that the late start allowed. Class started at 10 am at the University of Valencia and was led by a guest lecturer. This guest lecturer is a professor of literature and also directed one of our classes last week. Many students were excited to see him because we very much enjoyed his lecture last week - he has a way of making learning very fun. The lecture covered cross-cultural communication, focusing on how global leaders can improve their communication skills. The class discussed how global leaders should not judge other cultures as “weird” and should instead try to understand the reasoning behind the behavior. We learned that behavior is caused by a chain reaction, beginning with beliefs. People derive their values from their beliefs, and their values influence their attitudes. In turn, these attitudes affect behavior. The professor taught us about low-context and high-context cultures and how global leaders need to be constantly aware of how things like gestures and spacing can be interpreted in different cultural settings. Class was wrapped up with a discussion regarding how global leaders can work through conflicts by listening, finding agreement, explaining both sides, and finding a solution.

After class, we were bussed to a nearby farm that operates a world-renowned restaurant using only crops and meat that come from the farm. The restaurant’s specialty is paella, a very common and delicious Spanish dish made of rice, meat, and vegetables. Many famous actors, politicians, etc. have visited this restaurant and enjoyed the paella - including Dolce and Gabanna! Students were divided into two groups. One group stayed behind and got to cook the chicken that would be used in the paella while the other group ventured into the fields to collect the vegetables for the dish. I went with the group to pick vegetables and we made a quick stop to say hello to the horses, goats, ducks, chickens, and cats living on the farm. The farmer showed us how to pick and cut cabbage, lettuce, and fennel. After delivering the vegetables to our student chefs, my group boarded a wagon and was led through the Valencian countryside by one of the horses. We stopped to see a very old Spanish farmhouse and the farmer explained how and where food and crops were stored. On our way back to the farm, we stopped again and were able to hand-pick real Valencian oranges to take home. After returning to the farm, the other group departed on the same journey as my group watched over the paella and snacked on homegrown white beans and peanuts.

Picking oranges in Valencia.

Pre-paella vegetable picking.

When the other group returned, it was finally time to eat. Our instructors warned us to not eat breakfast, but none of us really knew exactly how much food we were going to be getting. I thought that I was going to enjoy a large serving of paella, but I received much more than I had bargained for - in a good way! First there was bread, then a white bean and cumin hummus. Next came fried potatoes with an aeoli dipping sauce, then calamari with fresh lemon, then salad. Finally it was time for the paella. After the paella, we were served two desserts: a sweet potato ball and cinnamon orange slices and a piece of citrus ginger cake. I definitely am not going to be hungry for a while. The farmer showed us some of his farming equipment and explained a little bit of why he operates his farm the way that he does. We got to finish our day by watching a video of the farmer dancing with his favorite miniature horse.

Paella in the process.