Well, it’s a lazy Sunday here in Spain and I figured I would talk a little bit about my experiences here coupled with things I have noticed. As a disclaimer, yes I know there is no right or wrong as far as culture goes. Every country has a different way of doing things and blah blah blah, but I still can’t help but compare it to the United States and think some of what they do is odd.

1. I think what I picked up on quickly is clothing. Spanish people dress nicer than a lot of Americans. During the day, when it is 90 degrees out, Spaniards don’t wear shorts or flip flops. They are always wearing dress pants and dress shoes with nice shirts, everyone, it’s crazy. When I walk around with my 6 or 7 year old pair of blue jean shorts and my flip flops, I stick out.

2. I’m sure it’s not shocking nor very surprising to anyone, but things in Spain come in much smaller sizes than in the U.S. The food comes in smaller portions, the drinks are smaller. Everything here is Coke, I have yet to see Pepsi floating around in restaurants although some convenience stores carry it. The apartment I live in is sort of small, the elevators are small, the streets are small, the cars, everything.

3. Spanish people have a very strange definition of cleanliness. Spaniards love to clean the sidewalks in front of their businesses. I see people cleaning the most random stuff outside. I saw a woman with a mop trying to clean the air conditioner hanging outside of the building. Every morning my walk to class is filled with seeing people moping the area outside by their front door, even cleaning the window ledges on the outside of the building. At about 11pm every night the cleaning crews of the city come out in force. There are armies of men with power hoses and leaf blowers supported by street scrubbing trucks. This all sounds just lovely, I know, but the odd thing is the inside of buildings aren’t always as clean. A lot of buildings have a bad smell to me and I have just watched people clean and do a piss poor job. I mean, the cleaning lady in my building mops the lobby floor with just a bucket of water and a dirty mop head. I just want to walk up to her and tell her she’s doing a horrible job and she needs to put cleaning solution in the fucking water, but I don’t want to cause trouble when I’m not a citizen of where I am living. I also rarely see a clean dish, glass, or piece of silverware. My impression is that no one in Spain can actually wash dishes correctly. They spend more time cleaning the fucking outdoors than inside.

4. Definitely something positive about Spain is their night life. You don’t actually go out until after 10:30 or 11. When I go out on the weekends it’s crazy, there are more people outside than during the day. It can be midnight and you have every age group socializing in the streets. I see 80 year olds sitting at cafes BS’ing the night away. I see entire families with even the little kids who are around 4 or 5 years old. Young teenagers are all over the place unsupervised. And places don’t close until after 2am, even the cafes. Usually more like 4. Also the teenage girls here seriously don’t wear clothes on the weekends. It’s like Harlot Fridays. They are seriously 13 years old walking around a large city with nothing more than a thong when they still don’t have a chest.

5. All they eat here is ham. I swear to God that’s the only meat in Spain, ham ham ham, in everything. It isn’t ham like in the U.S. either, it’s cured in a special way that makes it taste like a used rubber dildo. On the bright side they eat way healthier here than in the U.S. I’m sure this surprises no one. Every day I get servings of vegetables and fruits that don’t come from the onions on a double quarter pounder with cheese with a side of apple dippers. Also from my experience and asking everyone else you do not drink soda during meals at home; it’s always water.

6. Spanish culture is ultra-relaxed. If you are punctual and like others to be the same, don’t come here. Also don’t come here if you enjoy things starting on time. I mean, life just moves so slow here, and also just everything…literally. I mean, on my 35 minute Bataan death marches to class I almost knock people over. I blow past the people on the sidewalk who are doing a normal Spanish pace. The sad thing is that in State College at my university, people blow by me. I’m sure if they were here the Spaniards would wonder why they are running. I mean, it can be nice to be so relaxed here but I occasionally would like something to start on time. If a show is advertised to start at 11, it won’t start until 11:25. If the bus says it is going to leave at 9, it doesn’t leave until 9:30. Just imagine the constant rushed pace of New York City, and picture the exact polar opposite and then you know what it is to be in Sevilla.

That’s all she wrote for that. I’ll have more to talk about later. I figure if I write about my experiences I will be less likely to talk about them and be that obnoxious person that thinks they are better than everyone else because they got to leave the country, BFD. I also want to get most of my pictures posted up here but the internet I’m stealing right now isn’t fast enough for me to upload 200 pictures so stayed tuned, I’ll have them up in a week or so.