Amy+Diary+Entries

=Diary Entries=

Today we arrived in Madrid around 9. 20 this morning and had to try and make our way out of the airport and find a taxi to take us to our hotel but tying to find a taxi driver that could understand what we were saying was very hard we have been practicing out Spanish but still there was a real communication problem. When we got to the Grand Hotel Almenar where we are staying we were so tired and ready to just sleep but decided we should try and adjust to the time difference and get settled because we are going to be here for over a week so we want to make it feel like home. Once we had showered and changed our clothes (we should have been ready for the weather before we got off the plane) we took a walk around the area to see what is around, we sat in the park and fed the birds and took in the atmosphere it is very different to Australia. We then went and found a very cute little café just around the corner from our hotel and had some lunch and already we love the food here it is very good, but the service wasn’t the best the waiter was finding it hard t understand that but I guess that is to be expected when you are in a foreign country but the food id very good we will never want to leave if we keep eating like that. We found a map from the hotel lobby and found where the famous "triangle of art" **Museo del Prado**, (Prado Museum), we thought we could take a look tomorrow but for the rest of the day we just lounged around the hotel and went for a swim in the heated pool. It was a very good first day except for the jet lag.
 * Day 1:**

Today we woke up early to get a good start on the day. We decided to have breakfast in the hotel and then go out and sight see for the morning, it was a beautiful day. We planned to go and look at the museum **Museo del Prado**, (Prado Museum) so before lunch we went and looked at the wonderful art works that they have there, it was very big and took us a few hours to see everything and I think we missed a lot because it was like being in a maze. After the Art Museum I was dieing to hit the shops so we went to San Sebastian is known as a stylish city, so it is stuffed with high-end shops. There are the popular chains Mango and Zara, as well as H&M and the gorgeous Massimo Dutti. In the old part of town is where we found cool boutiques filled with quirky designer gear. There are fantastic shoe stores i remember one in particular whose rainbow of amazing women's shoes in the window changed daily. For gorgeous, one-of-a-kind women's shoes and accessories, we noticed that most of the shops are freestanding, but there is an enclosed shopping mall that has the cineplex as well as the cities only McDonalds. The people were so friendly and helpful in every shop we went into they were all willing to help us we were greeted into every shop with a welcoming smile, it made the shopping much easier. After we shopped til we dropped we went back to the hotel to sit back and relax for the rest of the evening. After our big day of shopping yesterday that not only hurt our feet but also our credit cards we decided to take it easy today and go out tonight and party it up and enjoy the night life of Madrid. We watched a fantastic flamenco show the costumes and the colours that were used was amazing it was s good to watch, we then moved onto the Plaza de Santa Ana and Hertas and enjoyed the many wonderful bars and disco pubs that are open at all hours, these bars attract people of all races and cultures from all over the world it is amazing to just sit and watch people everywhere. The clubs never open before 2 am. People normally start arriving at 3 am, and the club closes around 7 am. We met some really nice people while we were out the locals are very nice and willing to help you wih anything you need. The streets are busier at night then they are during the day people dance in the street no one drives everyone walks to where they want to be and it is crazy here at night.
 * Day 2:**
 * Day 3:**

Today we decided to watch the bullfighting. The Ferrier de San Isidro (San Isidro bullfighting Fair) which begins on 15th May is the only one of its kind in the world. It was really exciting the crowds that turn up to watch are huge. Fights are normally held every Sunday, starting at 7 o'clock in the evening. Some of the fights will be //novilladas// (fights with young bulls and less experienced fighters). Today we also found a really nice restaurant which we had dinner at before we went to the bullfighting, and we had some of the freshest seafood I have ever had. Today was one of the best days we have had on this trip.
 * Day 4:**
 * We did some research before hand so we would know what was happening when we got there to watch and it was really interesting to read all about it**. A bullfight normally lasts around 2 hours, but there is no fixed time limit and depends on how many bulls are sent back to the corral or any other incidents during the fight itself. So we knew what to expect when we arrived.

Our last day, we had an awesome time here we saw so many things I thought I would never see in my life. The locals here are so nice and accommodating, besides the language barriers we didn’t really have many problems. After packing we have to make our way to the airport and head home.
 * Day 5:**

=Part B= //Cultural Misunderstanding:// A cultural misunderstanding that may occur between an employee and an international customer may include: table manners some cultures slurp their food which in western culture this is bad manners they believe it helps cool down their food, eating with their fingers, belching shows their sign of appreciation. Another misunderstanding is each cultures way of greeting people a handshake is most common but bowing is used by Asian cultures, embracing and kissing is used by many Europeans and Arabs or even a slap on the back is used by some western cultures. Many of these can be misinterpreted and considered rude or unkind if faced in the workplace.
 * International Visitors:**

When working with staff from different cultures you have to take into consideration their cultural holidays are different to holidays that we celebrate in Australia. For example Jewish people don’t celebrate Christmas, their main religious festival is Passover which is normally held in April, and this would mean any employee that was Jewish would want or need this time away from work which could cause a problem for the employer if this was going to leave them short staffed.
 * A Staff Member from a Different Background:**

=Effective Listening Skills=
 * Asking questions to clarify our understanding shows that we are listening to a person.
 * Concentrate on the speaker and resisting distractions
 * Provide appropriate feedback also shows that we are listening
 * Let the speaker finish without interrupting them, and then we can give them out response.
 * You should have eye contact with the speaker to show you are listening and concentrating on them.
 * Offering feedback nodding and or shaking your head.

=Complaint Handling=
 * Listen and Acknowledge - //don’t take it personally//
 * Express concern and empathy
 * Take responsibility
 * Indicate what action will be taken - //fix it yourself, refer the problem on//
 * Take Action

When an international customer has a problem with something in your hotel: Listen to the problem they are having and acknowledge that you understand the problem //(even if it is only a small minor problem)// by telling them that you will take care of the problem or that you will let the manager know. You should apologise to the customer on behalf of the establishment //(not you personally).// Then you should take care of the problem whether it is something you can do yourself or involve someone who can help with the problem. You should also let the customer know that the problem is being fixed and let them know how it is going to be dealt with.

=Japanese Visitor=


 * Forms of Address:** Bow on arrival greeting or sometimes a handshake is acceptable except n the first meeting.


 * Levels of Formality/Informality:**


 * Work Ethics:** They have very high standards and work ethics.


 * Personal Grooming:** they have a high standard of grooming because it represents professionalism and respect for themselves, the employer and people around them.


 * Family Obligations:** Japanese teach their children to respect their elders but elders are respected by all Japanese people, they are a very family oriented culture.


 * Religious Holidays:** Chinese New Year


 * Customs:**


 * Special Needs:** Prolonged eye contact with Japanese guests creates a tense situation. They will perceive you as rude and inquisitive.