It’s been a month that I’ve been in Ibiza from America now, and as I’ve bumped into far more American tourists than I expected, I would be willing to bet I’m probably the only one that has the extreme fortune to be living here for the entire summer season. Throughout the past month, I’ve picked up on many cultural differences between not just America and Ibiza, but also America and the UK, as a huge portion of people here, whether living or visiting, are from the UK. I’ve compiled my top five differences to help you avoid the embarrassment that I encountered if visiting from America.
1. Do not use the term “double-fisting” over here. When an English friend asked me to hold her purse the other night at the club, I responded with “I can’t, I’m double-fisting” (i.e. holding a drink in each of my hands). The look of complete shock on her face was priceless. I then had to explain the mean of double-fisting. The other meaning.
2. No, you cannot pay your €1.50 bus fare with your credit card. Or your cab fare. Or often times even your dinner meal. As someone who has probably $5 or less in my wallet at any given time at home, I learned this the hard way my first week here when my dinner bill came. I handed the server my credit card without hesitation, and was quickly informed that credit cards were not accepted. Cash only. I embarrassingly had to ask if I could walk to the ATM, and return with cash to pay the bill. I recommend getting as much cash as possible immediately upon arriving in Ibiza to avoid constant and inconvenient trips to the ATM.
3. If you need to buy any items such as shampoo, body wash, etc. refrain from asking someone where the “drug store” is. (i.e. Walgreens or CVS in the states, Boots in the UK). The first time I asked a friend where the drug store is here, she burst out laughing, and asked me how I could even ask that with a straight face.
4. When you leave your restaurant server or bartender at a club a “standard” 20% tip, you will probably wonder why the hell does he/she look so ecstatically happy?! A 10% tip at a cafe or restaurant is considered more than enough but tipping is still optional depending on the service received and not considered as standard as in the States.
5. When ordering shots at a bar or club, I recommend sticking to just straight vodka, tequila, etc. Me at Ibiza Rocks: "Can I have an orange tic tac shot please? Oh, you never heard of it? How about a lemon drop shot? Oh, you haven't heard of that one either. Ok, I'm sure you've heard of a royal flush? Oh, no? A red headed slut? A screaming orgasm shot?" At that point I think they wondered if it was actually a shot that I wanted, which I then just asked for a shot of vodka, and was finally met with success.
