more cultural differences

I'm still sort of "unpacking" my time in Madrid, still figuring out how it has changed me.

I worked a temp job downtown Portland for a week and a half, and one of the things I noticed was how rude people seemed to me when they'd get on the elevator without saying hello.

Of course I remember that this is normal here, but after experiencing how the Spanish create a sense of community in their apartment buildings and work places, not verbally acknowledging other people's presence seems so cold and unnecessarily distant.

I've also noticed a cultural difference between Portland and Central Oregon.

In Portland when one interacts with strangers (e.g. ordering a coffee, speaking with a bank teller, etc.), there is a willingness on both ends to connect, to see the other person as a person, to be open to each other and quickly establish a friendly acquaintanceship.

But so far in Bend and Sisters, although people smile and ask you how you're doing, there is a coldness behind it, an insincerity, an emotional wall. They ask because it is expected of them, but I don't get the impression that these people actually see me as a person, that they want anything other than to get the business transaction over with.

I clearly prefer the Portland culture in this respect. I like to be treated as a respected friend by the random people I do business with or stand in line with. It makes me feel like a person.

I have no idea what could cause such differences in cities only a couple hundred miles from each other. Maybe it's the high desert and Bend's lack of greenery. Maybe it's the political climate. Or the types of people that are attracted to each place. Maybe people who live in the desert would prefer to be left alone. I dunno.

But it might account for a large part of why I had such a hard time connecting with people and making friends when I lived in Bend. And why I feel so much more comfortable and accepted in Portland.