Living abroad has made me a much more observant person. I suddenly notice people, what they are wearing, what they are saying and funny things that happen around me. Maybe it is because I always feel a little out of place, I am not sure but the reality is that I have really opened my eyes to the world around me. I have also found that I take a lot less for granted too... I really look at the things I walk past and take them in. If you live in a place you tend to start taking the places you walk past every day for granted and I realised yesterday that I have stopped doing this as much. I notice the beautiful flowers on Plaza Cervantes every time I go to Uni, and look up at the stalks nesting on the uni building roofs as I walk past. This is a really positive thing to have come out of my year abroad. So, now it is time to share some of these things that I have noticed or seen... they amused me so hopefully they will make you smile a little...
The Spanish seem to have a phobia of sitting backwards on the bus or train. On many occasions I have seen people look at the bus, see that there is only one seat free, that seat is facing backwards so they choose to stand. In the UK people will do everything to avoid sitting directly next to someone, however the Spanish would rather snuggle up close to you than have to face the wrong way. Last week I travelled into Madrid and I was sitting in the train in the station waiting to go (Alcala is the end station) when a large group of women came into the train. They all spent a good two minutes looking at all the available seats before then spending 5 minutes debating which way the train was going to leave. I mean I have only been here 6 weeks but I know which way the train goes out of the station, but that is beside the point. They seemed filled with fear at the thought of having to go backwards! I find this so amusing and every time I am in a bus or train there is at least one person who hesitates about where to sit.. I mean come on! Is sitting the 'wrong' way really that bad!
Eating on the go as also apparently a big no go in Spain. I was eating a chocolate bar (of course it was chocolate) on the way to class a couple of weeks ago and I got the dirtiest looks from the people around me. Food is an important part of Spanish culture and I guess as a result they see it as something important, so you should sit down and appreciate it. They also see food and drink as a very social affair. I found this was the case in Austria too. I was told on many occasions that they hate the 'Starbucks coffee to go' culture because they see coffee drinking as a social affair. They meet up and as a consequence drink coffee.. much like they meet up and as a consequence drink alcohol...none of this drinking in order to be social business. On that point I agree, I really like the completely social attitude in Spain.
Speaking of dirty looks, the Spanish love to stare. If you are in the bus, sitting in a cafe, walking in the street, whatever you are doing people will stare at you. And I don't mean just kind of look at you trying to figure you out, I mean full on STARING! I have a few ideas about this... Sometimes I go off into a complete daze and is looks like I am staring at someone or something but in reality I am probably tired and am just a bit out of it, so maybe that is the little bit of Spanish in me coming out. Another theory is that I am a little confusing. I have often been asked where I am from and when I say England people are surprised. I think it is because I do not look 'typically' English. But then I don't look 'typically' French or Spanish or anything else... therefore maybe the staring comes from people trying to figure me out? The big one is obviously if I am speaking French or English on the phone or to the person I am with, then people stare because we aren't speaking Spanish. Well, whatever the reason the Spanish stare. End of!
One last observation for this post is that of the Spanish way of draining their dishes. In England we usually have a rack next to the sink to drain the dishes (this is of course if you don't have a dishwasher). However here what they have is a bottomless cupboard above the sink where there is a draining board effectively. So you put the wet plates up and then the water drips down and back into the sink... I am not sure whether this is ridiculous or genius!
Anyway, that is enough observation for now. This week has been a funny one with a whole range of events and emotions! I have managed a whole week without chocolate you will be glad to know :) That is an achievement in itself! I will write more about what I have been up to next time..
