Hi! I've been living in Spain for almost twenty years. My wife is Spanish, my colleagues are Spanish, my customers are Spanish and my businesses are Spanish. Over these years I think I've learned quite a bit about "being Spanish". If you want to get into the under-exploited fast-growing Spanish market, you need to know more than just how to speak Spanish. You need to understand Spanish customs, Spanish etiquette and Spanish business culture. Otherwise, you'll just be another American trying to "sell Spanish".

The first time you approach a Spanish newsstand you'll probably be shocked.
Right next to the Herald Tribune and "El País" (the biggest newspaper in Spain) you'll probably see naked breasts, bare bottoms and sultry gay men staring back at you from the magazine racks. It's enough to shock the most liberal American tourists! The truth is that Spaniards just aren't as uptight as we are. All there beaches are topless (for men and women) and the sight of a naked rump in a thong won't scandalize anyone here. That's just the way it is.

However, this relaxed attitude shouldn't be confused with a relaxed moral code. Spaniards are probably just as conservative in general (in many cases more so) than Americans when it comes to personal relations. Their strong catholic upbringing, although definitely more watered-down than a couple of decades ago, still guides most of their behaviors. They may not go to mass on Sundays, but they'll criticize you to death if you're caught doing something wrong.

This means that you must walk a fine line when you're doing business in Spain. Unless you're absolutely sure, it's best to err on the side of being "a bit prudish". They may chuckle about you being a little "backward, " but it's much better than being branded a complete savage. Spaniards love to party, dance and have a good time. Their discos and bars are almost without exception basically healthy places to be - just don't get completely carried away.

So if you wonder up to the newsstand and get more of an eyeful than you were expecting, roll your tongue back into your mouth and move on. The trick is to be as natural as they are. After all it's their country. If you're traveling with kids be warned. Nobody's going to go running up to cover their eyes. In fact, most Spanish children don't even giggle about these things. So if this subject worries you just don't send them off by themselves to buy a snack!