*Dogs here are kind of a big deal. I swear everyone has one. And with all the dogs comes a leash law, right? Well sort of right. Technically it's the law that all dogs should be leashed and muzzled when they are out on walks with their owners. I think I probably see only two or three dogs a day that are leashed and I have never seen a dog muzzled on a walk. Our dog, Max, wears a muzzle when we're eating because the knows how to distract your attention one way and sneak around to the other side of your plate and steal your bread. Also, in the plaza between my apartment and the university there is a doggie drinking fountain. I'm not joking. I wouldn't have even noticed it was there except for yesterday I noticed a man turn it on for is dog. It probably serves as a hookup for a hose too but that's just what I observed. Anyway, not a single dog wears a leas around here and they never run away. They never fight with other dogs. Sometimes they run out in the road but I think they know better than to do that too. There is absolutely no reason to be scared of dogs here.
*When there is an option to take the stairs or the elevator, ALWAYS take the stairs. I'm sure the American technology isn't that great but it's a million times better than here. In my apartment the elevator holds around three people. It really only holds one comfortably but we've squeezed as many as for people and a dog on it once. This is apparently how it is in every apartment building, at least those that kids in my program are living in. The elevators in the university and in stores are closer to American sized but they are still awful. They all come to a crash landing, especially when you want to stop on the ground floor. The elevator at the H&M store doesn't open the doors for a good minute after you've arrived on your floor and the elevator at the university shakes for around 30 seconds after landing. I'm guessing this is the reason that so many people here aren't obese. They must actually hike up to the fourth floor.
*Also related to stairs, the first floor is not called the first floor. The first floor has a special name that slips my mind at the moment, but on elevators you push the number zero to go to the main floor. So when I have to hike up to the fourth floor for my Basque Culture class I'm actually hiking up to the fifth floor.
*About half of the TV shows here are American shows translated into Spanish. This is great for me so I can understand better what is going on but it's also a disadvantage for me too. The shows don't mute the English speaking like you would think. They just turn down the volume on the English and turn up the volume on the Spanish. So if I'm watching Modern Family, it's very easy for me to tune out the Spanish and watch in English. To bad that doesn't help with my language skills.
*Can someone think of the last time they had bread with their dinner on a regular night? I know the last time I did before I got here was Christmas dinner. Now I eat it for lunch and supper. At first, I dreaded it. you couldn't bite into it because it was so hard and they expected you to eat it. Now it is seriously my favorite part of each meal. It didn't take me long to learn that you don't bite into it, you tear it apart. The Spanish dip it in everything and make sure their plates are completely spotless of any leftover sauces, but that's not quite my thing yet. They refuse to put the bread on their plates too. I thought this was horrible table manners at first and I'm still getting used to it. When I have space, I try to put my bread on my plate, but more often than not I put it on the table. When you pull the bread apart, millions of crumbs fall all over the table. They like to get as many to stick to their finger as possible and lick them off. I like to just leave them where they are. Sometimes they brush them off onto a plate after the meal, but a lot of times the crumbs stay there for a day or two. It doesn't bother them in the least. It makes my mind go crazy, but it's something I'm getting a little more comfortable with. If you ever come to Spain Eat The Bread!!
Today my mom made me salmon for lunch. I'd never had it before today. It's my new favorite thing. I hope I made it clear to her how much I liked it because I'm hoping that she makes it all the time! I have five classes today and plan to be at the school until around 6:30. The rain was light and back to normal today and there were even a few hours of sun. I'm so glad Mother Nature put me through the first two days of this week because now the daily rain is so easy to handle. Tonight is the Stars and Stripes party at a new club in my neighborhood. It's for the international students at Deusto and the public university. That is why I'm writing this blog so early! Apparently it's customary to stay out until 6 am when you go clubbing (even for the 16 year olds). I can tell you for a fact that I will not be doing that! It's a good night out when I make it out until 1 am. This weekend I want to explore as much as possible and restrain from buying everything I see. Since I just realized that my debit card expires in less than two weeks, I'm trying to save my money. Luckily drinks are free tonight!!!
Have a great day :)
No comments:
Post a Comment