You know you're in Spain when....

The following are my first impressions of Spain after living here for almost two months.  I find myself being very observant every time I adventure into a new store or just in general when I am walking around.  The thing about where I live (Badajoz), is that there are hardly any English speakers, even less tourists and there isn't much diversity. So the following are just my personal observations that I find amusing, the list is probably going to grow as I spend more time here but here's a start!

You know you are in Spain when...

• Everyone greets everyone..even complete strangers "Hola! Buenos dias! Que tal? Hasta luego! Adios! (very friendly people)
• You get two kisses on the cheek when introduced
• People touch you when they talk to you
• The people are very fashionable- especially the women
• Speaking of fashion, the women color coordinate like none other.  If your shoes are green..then your belt, your earrings, and your eye shadow is also green.
• The people smoke like chimneys
• ^^^Maybe this is why they are all so thin? (Obesity is not an issue here)
• The men wear a lot of cologne
• You can buy a bottle of wine for 1 euro
• Everything shuts down at 2pm and opens later around 6 or 7 (restaurants, bars, shops)
• The bathrooms have dibets.. don't think I'll ever be using that

 

"Closed for the strike"

• Everyone talks about "La Crisis" and the students go on strike
• Your landlord thinks its normal to show up unannounced at 10pm (okay this is just my case)
• It is completely acceptable to take long naps in the afternoon
• Your lunch is the biggest meal--around 2 or 3
• You don't eat dinner until 10pm or later
• Ham is plentiful..they are very proud of their ham products
• Cafes line all the streets---usually packed with people
• Speaking of cafe...you know you're in Spain when coffee is served with milk and sugar (Cafe con leche) and it's the size of a shot (but very strong)

"They call this a cup of coffee?"

• You are served free snacks when you order something to drink (chips, olives, bread, potatoes)
• Its not unusual to go out past midnight and party until 5 or 6am
• No one eats the skin of the apple (I still can't figure this one out- the skin has a lot of nutrients!)  
• You don't have to leave a tip at a cafe or restaurant (pretty nice for my wallet)
• Every third person you meet is named Maria- this gets confusing

Okay so these bullet points were pretty random but they are just things that popped into my head at the moment.  Like I said, these are just my FIRST impressions, I still have a long time to go and more places to see here. Spain is a country that cannot be generalized because it varies so much depending in what area you are in..keep that in mind!

Disclaimer: I don't mean to offend any Spaniards, these are just my personal opinions.