some insights/revelations, etc.

Things that aggravate Americans about Spain, but at the same time, makes Spain Spain:

1. The lack of one stop shops: In the states we are bombarded with one-stop-shops and come to expect the convenience. For example, in the states you can buy a notebook at the grocery store, pharmacy, Wal-Mart, etc. But not in Spain. You have to go to a paper store if you want a notebook, true story. The one chain that is somewhat similar to a one-stop-shop in Spain is Corte Ingles, but it is so overpriced, it makes going to the papelaria just a necessity of life.

2. The inability to get coffee “para llevar”- to go: Here if you get coffee, you are expected to sit and enjoy it. Not take it with you. So coming from a culture where I could find a drive-up coffee shop almost every mile along the streets, not being able to find places that have to-go cups is aggravating in all senses.

3. Breaks in the middle in the day, that inevitably make the work day longer: So I started work this past week and was given my schedule. For some reason, schools take a ½ hour break from 11:30-12:00 for a snack, and then take a 2 hour lunch from 1-3. My question is, why not just wait that extra half hour for lunch, and why do we need 2 hours for lunch when we JUST had snack?!? As an American, I don’t like “wasting” time taking unnecessary breaks. I want to go work, with coffee in hand, get it all over with, and go home. But not here. I appreciate the slow pace, but it feels extremely abnormal and unnecessary.

4. Of course, laundry: no explanation needed.

5. Lack of acceptance of debit/credit cards: While you can use debit cards at larger department stores, going to the stores that are conveniently located require you to always carry cash. I am one that ALWAYS used my debit card at home and got annoyed when places would say I couldn’t use my card for my $1 purchase. Therefore, not being able to swipe and go is……aggravating to say the lease.

6. Everybody communicates via phone, and emails go unanswered: Ok this is a really hard one given it is 2009. Back home, I used email to communicate with EVERYONE. It didn’t matter if they were near or far, I would email them, and it wasn’t even expensive to call people, I just didn’t really do it. But not here. People still call, even when it costs a ton of money to place and receive calls. For example, I am trying to set up private lessons to make some extra cash, but everybody wants to call me instead of just emailing me. I was talking about this with a girl at work and I was telling her I don’t know why I find it so aggravating but I do, and she explained its because we are so use to being able to do things on our own time-schedule. If I see an email, and know that I need to answer it but what to think on it for awhile, that’s okay. But when people call (and they never leave voicemails) the only way to know what they want is to answer and be put on the spot.

I think that’s my list for now, but I am confident it will grow. In other news, I had my first private English lesson and it was a lot more exhausting than I thought it would be. It is a pretty sweet deal to get paid good money to just sit and talk with someone, but I’m constantly trying to think of new vocabulary words, but words that aren’t impossible to understand if you don’t understand the cultural context. It really makes me reflect on how I use words.

The woman I talked to yesterday was 24 and recently graduated from pharmacy school (I just can’t get away from pharm-tards can I?) Anyways, she was saying that a lot of the pharmacies want their pharmacists to know English because many immigrants and expats go into pharmacies needing help, and often times we/they don’t speak Spanish. She was also saying that she eventually wants to work for a pharmaceutical company, which if she does, she will be interviewed in English, all of her work will need to be done English, everything in English. It’s mostly because many of the pharmaceutical companies that operate in Spain are based out of the states or UK, and the tops of the companies only know English. We sure are a cocky language! Learn our language or don’t have a job. Cocky.

I am finding that giving private lessons to Spaniards is a great way to learn about Spain. Ana was telling us about the justice system here and we were baffled by the leniency. First, if you are under 18 you cannot be charged with anything, period. A couple years ago a 17 year old killed a girl, and nothing happened because he was under 18. Also, you can’t be in jail for longer than 30 years. So if you commit murder when are 20 and are convicted, then when you turn 50 you are released from jail despite still having 25+ years to commit more crimes. And lastly, you can’t be imprisoned past the age of 55. So if you are 40 and you kill someone, the most you will serve is 15 years because you age out of the system. So Ana’s tip was, watch out for the old people and the young people because you just never know about them.

And yes, I get paid to talk about stuff like this in English…it’s a sweet deal if you ask me!

NEWS FLASH: I walked around my neighborhood last night and I fell in love with Madrid. Despite my complaints in regards to culture shock, it is a place that cannot be given justice through explanation, it just has to be experienced. Last night as I walked through the streets with thousands of Spaniards, watching people eat at the sidewalk cafes, walking through the hustle and bustle in a t-shirt and flip-flops in October, I finally understood how lucky I am, and subsequently fell in love with the City.