Pros and Cons of Spain

Hi everyone! With less than two months to go I have been thinking about my return to NZ, and I have made a mental list of what I'm looking forward to. Of course, it's only fair that I say what I'll miss too, so here goes.

Things I'll Miss About Spain:
1. The friendly smiles in the hallway.
In a big apartment block I see quite a lot of people entering and leaving the building, and 95% percent of the time they'll smile and say "Hello!" or "Good Day!" to me. EVERYone does it, old people, teenagers, harried mothers with prams and ten billion shopping bags... in New Zealand it is not the custom to talk to someone you don't have to interact with. Spaniards are so much more... open.

2. The window blinds.
Every window in every apartment block has the same kind of blind, and they're great. They're vertical (not venetian) blinds that you control from inside so you don't even have to open the window, and if you let them all the way down they block the light completely. Perfect for siestas and sleeping late.

3. The bread.
The bread in europe is divine. Infinitely superior to New Zealand. Baguettes, sliced loaves, specialty bread, even the cheapest stuff is soft and fluffy on the inside and just the right level of crunchiness on the outside.

4. The apartment blocks.
I am the sort of person who can freak myself out without any horror movies. Occasionally I get scared when I'm home alone at night, so to live in a flat, sandwiched between other flats and other apartment blocks, provides a sense of security just not present in the separate houses of NZ. I'm not saying that I would trade the lack of space permanently but it has been something I've appreciated this year!
Also, they're a lot warmer, partly because the spanish actually heat them, and partly because there's very few outside walls for the heat to escape through.

5. The laid-back attitude.
The italians are more notable for this, but it's the way of life here in Spain too. "I'll meet you for coffee at 10:30" means see you at ten to eleven at the earliest. "I'll come over for dinner at 9" (usual dinner time here) means you'll maybe see them at 10. Unbelieveable. It's great though, especially not having to worry about being late to class. No-one cares if you walk in ten minutes after class has started, some students have two classes back to back and take a 15-min cigarette break in between.

6. The long lunch break.
Uni starts classes at 8:30, it's true, but the shops don't open til 10. Then at 2 everything closes and people go home for lunch. Some shops open again at 5:30-8 (and the big american chain stores don't close for lunch) but mostly between 2:30 and 5 the streets are fairly empty. It's a very relaxed life, but it doesn't include a lot of time for extra activities (eg band practice), especially if you take a siesta.

7. Fashion.
Everyone here looks so nice! I don't know about anorexia/peer pressure issues etc but dressing well is very important. It is quite pleasant actually. Although I have to say, I have noticed that people don't tend to shower as often. Greasy hair with product in it is still greasy hair.




Things I Can't Wait To Get Back To In NZ!
1. The water, and the milk.
The tap water here is DISGUSTING!! So is the milk actually. Yes you can buy water at the supermarket, but it costs quite a lot if you only drink bottled water and it's very heavy to carry home. The milk is worse, it's impossible to find fresh milk at all pretty much. In NZ I hated the taste of plain milk, I'd always have it with cereal or tea, but after trying the milk on offer here I would drink a whole bottle on NZ milk straight without complaining. The water is pretty-much self-explanatory I think.

2. The doorbells.
The doorbells here in Spain are so annoying. To start with, we have two, one for the door onto the street and one for the door into the flat (yes that means two keys as well), and they sound EXACTLY alike. I hear it and go to the telephone to let someone in, and I'll be like "hello, hello?' and then I'll hear a tap on the door. So the next time I go to open the flat door, and the person standing on the street gets impatient and pushes the button several times in succession to tell me to HURRY UP COZ IT'S COLD! And to make it worse, is the sound is a very demanding LET ME IN!!!! I HATE IT!! You wanna come in? Ask me nicely! The worst times are when my flatmate can't be bothered to use her keys and expects me to drop what I'm doing and open the door for her. I'm busy! Take your rude doorbell and f&%k off!!

Ok. Rant over.

3. How people speak.
Over here, I often think people are having a huge fight, whereas they're actually just having a minor disagreement. People speak very harshly, and I admit, sometimes I do speak more harshly than I mean to, and it's nice that they don't take offence, but I do resent being told to do things instead of asked.

4. Apartment blocks vs houses.
More space!! Can't wait!

5. Greenery.
Theres lots of redery and yellowery here (read: dirt. Parking lots etc) , but also lots of concrete. Nothing wrong with grass, people! Also no-one will walk diagonally across a lawn. They all walk along the side and stay on the path. It won't hurt you, promise.

6. Smoking, or less of it.
Smoking is a huge thing here. Almost everybody does it, and the spanish attitude to the law prohibiting smoking inside bars/pubs (passed several years ago) is that it doesn't exist. I. Hate. It. There is NO excuse for harming yourself, your friends and family, and costing your country god-knows-how-much in healthcare, littering (cigarette butts EVERYWHERE) and the smell! Sometimes I don't go out because I don't want to have to wash the stink out of my hair the next day. Smoking is foul. This is one of my strongest beliefs.

7. Trash on the street.
I'm not talking about litter/broken bottles left behind by drunkards - both countries have this. But I have seen spanish people screw up a piece of paper and throw it onto the ground, and keep on walking. McDonald's wrappers, coke cans...here, every morning, you can see street cleaners at work. They have trollies like in mall food courts, and they use brooms with twigs (yes exactly like witch stories) to clean up the streets. There are plenty of rubbish bins too!

8. Windows, and light in the mornings.
A good percentage of windows look into 'wells' in the middle of buildings, and as such there is no view apart from other people's washing or the window opposite. To get any privacy you have to close the blind, which blocks all the light. I'm looking forward to waking up to sunlight streaming through the curtains again.

9. Fashion.
Here it's much less acceptable to venture outside in less-than-fashionable clothes. I'm looking forward to not having people look sideways at trackpants.

10. Personal space.
Standing in line at the bank/supermarket. Overtaking someone walking on the sidewalk. Gaaaah! Get away from me! Move over! Make room! If it's obvious that I'm going to walk past you when you're standing there gossiping with your friend and blocking the whole footpath, MOVE!
I know, I know, it's just a cultural difference. I've gotten used to it. But I have to remind myself that it's not that that guy is being a dickhead on purpose, it's just that for a spanish person, there IS enough room for them to pass.
Old ladies behind you in a queue are the worst.


That's all I've got at the moment! I dare say I'll think of a few more to add.
Have a good day :-)