Today we had a wellness workshop, which wasn't actually about wellness at all. It was all about culture shock and different experiences we've had since being here that have required cultural adaptation.
One main thing that comes to mind is that I have yet to see an elevator in this city. Apparently some of the students have small elevators and there are manners that go along with that, like you must greet the other person in the elevator otherwise it is an insult. Isabela and I don't have that problem since we are always walking up our 5 flights of stairs every day. I'm getting good at it, but it depends on the kind of day I'm having. I'll probably never drink too much knowing that getting back up to my apartment would feel like climbing Mount Everest. That should make my parents feel pretty good.
On the metro the older Spaniards always stare, and I have gotten quite good at staring back. According to Isabela I am actually a little bit scary. I stare down the person looking at me, and sometimes I need a quick break but then I get right back to it. One older man mistook it as a sign that he should hit on me, but otherwise I am just part of the culture! I feel a little bit like I am being challenged to a staring contest everytime I am on the subway. It's okay to blink, but you can't smile, you can't even show that you might be happy. I find myself staring at people by accident now. I'm getting in the habit of staring at people for minutes without looking away. I hope that doesn't freak people out when I get back to the states. One time I was being stared down by a middle-aged couple. They were arm and arm, unhappy faces, just staring me up and down. It's hard to grill two people at once, so I focused on the woman and tried to make a face like I'm a threat. Does she really not care that her boyfriend is also staring me down?
I also learned a couple days ago that the hand symbol that people make for rock on \m/ something like that... well that symbol means that you are being cheated on by your significant other. The reason being that during the times of the vikings, they would take off their pointed viking hats at the door whenever coming in, so if there was already a hat there, that means your woman is sleeping around. My Spanish teacher says that its as bad as giving the middle finger. I asked her if you're supposed to say a phrase with it or something like, "TU MADRE!" \m/ She said that would be pretty sufficient.
The ham thing I've already written about and I'm getting used to it, just not really eating it. Sushi here is the best ever though! I didn't even start liking sushi until I got to New York this past year. Actually, I didn't start liking sushi until the first time I went out to get sushi with Magda and Isabela in East Village. Apparently, even though Madrid is in the center of the country fish always comes straight to Madrid before it is exported to the coasts. It must be some kind of inspection or factory thing, but the fish here is extremely fresh. A place must really suck if you can't get good sushi.
I've been trying to find bagels. Bagels aren't a thing here. I even went to a bread store the other day (Paneria) and they didn't have bagels. Our cultural coordinator looked up some info and sent it to me, so I'm looking forward to having my little taste of home. The different foods here are hard to remember the names, but they are very good. There are some drinks that we were told to try, and some kind of blood sausage, patata tortilla for breakfast, all kinds of different cultural things.
Also, people here are much more rude, but its just a cultural thing. It's weird to say "please," "thank you," and "sorry" as often as Americans do. People don't care so much about that here. Spaniards are very blunt people. The rude people remind me of New Yorkers. A big difference though, is that even though this is a big city no one is ever in a rush like in New York.
Something that I find strange is that I hear English music everywhere. I was on the bus this morning and Shakira came on, and it's a song that I know in Spanish but it was playing in English and I didn't know the words. Really? This is Spain! Can you please play some Spanish music? Enrique Iglesias, Marc Anthony, Pitbull, all of them are played here a lot, but in English and not Spanish. I don't understand.
It's hard to get used to siesta time, too. I haven't napped during siesta at all because I am usually either at school or on my way between school and home, which is usually when I want to go to the market. Why would I want to walk up 5 flights of stares just to walk down and up again? Basically, every time I am ready to go to the market I can't because it is closed during siesta and I have to wait until 5:30 or 6 before I can get food to cook. Not to mention, by the time I get home and feel like napping it is around 4 or 5, and if I nap then I will be up all night. My nap schedule is so off!
I'm looking forward to the culture shock once we get to Morocco this weekend. My good ol'friend Andrew Calivas sent me a good long list telling me things to look out for and be wary of . He's such a good guy. He told me all kinds of things to expect or stay away from, as well as fun things that I should try to do! So helpful. It's like having my own personal wikitravel Guide. I can't wait!
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