Nightlife of BCN - Febuary 19th

It would be an absolute injustice to the city to not mention the nightlife of one of the greatest party locations in Europe. I will admit that I am not a huge fan of going out to clubs/discotheques…I rarely indulge myself with such “pleasures” and perpetually ask myself why people find such an activity so stimulating. Regardless, I figured “when in Barcelona,” I mind as well experience some of their clubs.
One of the things that had the greatest impact on such an experience was the fact that everything starts so late. If you would have told me that I wouldn’t be eating dinner until 11pm (23.00), I would have told you that you were crazy. Furthermore, if you would have told me that clubs do not even open their doors to let people in until about 1 – 2 am, my reply would have been, “Lunacy.” However, here I am writing about such experiences having walked back into my room at 6am a few nights before…I think much of my club experience must be related more towards an “Americanized” experience in Barcelona because I went with American students, to a club packed with Americans, and amongst bartenders who spoke English. In hindsight, I regret this decision. Although I enjoyed the time I spent out with these individuals, I could have enjoyed that “club” experience back in the states; as such, I decided that I want to stop going to clubs and start going to bars.
Certainly, one of the best ways to start talking to a person and attempt to get to know them is over a few drinks. Intoxication always succeeds at “loosening the lips” of individuals while also relaxing the nerves. Therefore, it could be argued that drinking/alcohol proves to be an effective catalyst when it comes to learning about another person’s culture/way of life. However, I recognize that it is absolutely impossible to learn about Spanish culture/Catalonian culture while I am at clubs like Opium, Shoko, and CDLC. It is within the walls of the local bars/establishments that you will find the local people who truly represent the nightlife of the city. Furthermore, it is these individuals whom will provide you with the truly valuable cultural wisdom/knowledge which you will never forget.
Unfortunately, I have not found the courage to walk into one of those local bars [with or without a smaller group of people] in order to experience that atmosphere. However, I have spent quite a lot of time in tapas bars and cafés to make a few assumptions about the local populace. The first of these is the fact that people from this city, and likely many other European cities, have a greater overall appreciation for life. Individuals do not drink and eats simply for the sake of eating and drinking; rather, people go to these local establishments as a way to socialize with their friends and family. To people from Barcelona, the seemingly simple action of sharing a glass of wine/eating some cheese is deeply tied to notions of trust and business. Like I mentioned within the Roman Barcino journal, “people would not conduct business with a person until they broke bread with them.” That simple statement proves that sharing a meal with a person is indicative of a deep connection between the individuals and symbolizes their trust for one another. Now, I doubt this “traditional” notion of breaking bread still has as much weight to this day as it did back in Roman times; however, the vestiges of that cultural significance still leaves its impression to this day. People from Barcelona understand that sharing a meal/coffee with other people is an action that holds a great deal of significance. Furthermore, the time that they spend with together is very valuable and they appreciate every moment that they have together. Now, I’m likely exaggerating this notion a bit and, by doing so, making everything within Barcelona seem a bit more “valuable” than America. However, I do not think I’m too far off in saying that people enjoy life here more than within the states.
The other major difference that I noted [and really enjoy] is the fact that people actually talk to one another. What I mean here is you are able to find strangers within these cafés/tapas bars talking to one another! People who do not know each other area actually engaging in conversation! This is something that would rarely happen back in America and it’s perceived to be weird when it does actually occur. I find such an idea extremely uplifting. To think that strangers feel comfortable enough to talk to one another about anything and everything…I don’t know but I must some sort of chivalrous individual. Anyway, these experiences basically boil down to the fact that I am beginning to truly realize how “slower” and “down to earth” the lifestyle in Barcelona/Europe is when compared to the United States. At this point, I am beginning to get the feeling that people here know how to “live better” than people in America…