Travellatte: Things Americans Don't Appreciate

Things Americans Don't Appreciate:

1. Elevators:

I do not think people realize that in Spain, elevators are hard to come by. In Spain, it is a rarity to find one. If you move into an apartment and live on the fourth floor, your only option is the stairs. I guess this is a good thing and probably one of the many reasons there are hardly any obese people here in Sevilla. As for me, it has really helped keep me in shape. I've had to lug two 50 pound suitcases up three flights of stairs once a week since arriving in Spain. (Where's my Dad when you need him.) Thank goodness I had the best personal trainer ever who made me do push ups and stuff. Otherwise I'd probably be falling down the stairs instead of slowly ~~dying~~ climbing up them.

I know it seems little, but that muscle right there is a BIG deal.

Can you say, "Which way is the beach??"

2. Salad Dressing:

We are all very aware of my obsession with Ranch dressing. And I knew ahead of time that it would be impossible to find in Spain. Therefore, I brought my own giant bottle with me. But to not find any salad dressing in Spain at all never crossed my mind! The lack of dressing is shocking to me. Most Spaniards have never even heard of "dressing." (Every time I mention it they think I'm referring to putting clothes on my lettuce.) The only "dressing" options they have here are oil and/or vinegar. This was great the first few days. But now we're onto day 19 and all I want is real dressing. I would take anything at this point for it to not be vinegar and oil. I can't even open my ranch yet because I don't think it is proper etiquette to bring your own dressing to the dinner table and start pouring it all over the salad. (I'm not even sure how to even mention I have a bottle of ranch dressing in my suitcase in Spanish!?-- Tengo "ranch" en mi maleta?) This brings me to my next point...

3. English:

I really miss English. You don't realize how precious your own language is until no one around you speaks it. My "sister" had her first day of school today and brought home some of her textbooks. Because her school is bilingual, most of her books are in English, I literally sat for about an hour pouring over English grammar. This stuff makes me yawn when I have to teach it to the little ones back home. But today, it was heavenly. There are just so many things I want to tell my homestay family, but I have no idea how to say any of them! For example, the toilet in my bathroom has been constantly running water the last few days. Knowing that water costs a lot here in Spain, I want to tell my family. But I don't think "you're toilet water is running" translates well. Bah. (Thanks Dad for teaching me that running toilet water is a bad thing.)

4. Long Showers:

In the U.S. we take very long showers. In Spain, I'm lucky if I get to shower for more than five minutes. I like to call this ninja showering. Ninjas are fast. My shower is fast. I think this expensive water situation is due to the fact that it never rains here. Again, I've been here for 19 days and it hasn't rained once. Clouds also don't exist. If this was New Jersey, my mother would be crying "DROUGHT" to the world.

5. Siestas:

Siestas are the greatest gift to man. Mandatory nap/relaxation time EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Americans need to get on this. Nap time is essential. We all get hit with the daily exhaustion right around 2:00/3:00 pm. Why are we denying ourselves the right to nap?!

6. Lined Paper:

Trying to find lined paper in Spain is like trying to find Waldo. It is extremely hard. They love grid paper here. This is great when you want to make graphs. But for writing, it is dizzying. Could you imagine trying to write a one and a half page essay on grid paper??

I really LOVE Spain. And I also really LOVE America. But I think I Americans need to appreciate life more like the Spanish. The Spanish don't believe in getting fast food or coffee to go. They want you to sit and enjoy life. They work hard, but they also know when to put work aside and spend time with family. It is unheard of to drive more than thirty minutes to work each day. They understand and know more about the U.S. than Americans. This can be said for all countries. We barely know our own capitol. Everything I mentioned above is so little and unimportant in peoples lives. But Spain has made me appreciate everything I have and don't have. The Spanish way of life has been a cultural shock. And it has taken a lot to get used to (I'm still adjusting to a lot of things). But it is a life I am ready to embrace and enjoy for the year ahead.

Lastly...

(And on a completely different topic)

I'm sure you are all wondering if there are mosquitos in Spain. To answer your question.... YES! I don't get bit at home where they run rampant. But in Spain, they must really LOVE American blood because I get at least two new mosquito bites a night. (Times that by seven and I have an estimated twenty bites.) So yes, I even miss the American mosquitos.