The Spanish Experience: Part 1

So after being here for about 5 months I've observed many things about Spain. There are many great things and also some strange things that I don't understand, but I guess that it's the general experience of living in another country. This post is to give my friends back home some insight into what I've been experiencing in my daily life!

 UHT Milk

Ok so this is something I found absolutely strange. People in Spain drink UHT milk instead of fresh milk. Coming from Australia where we favor fresh over packaged milk, I found this mind boggling. In the normal supermarket I couldn't find fresh milk. I mean in Australia we DO have UHT milk, but we tend to keep it in the pantry for emergencies. I've gotten used to it now, but once I get home I think I will be grateful to have normal milk back (especially with Milo!)

Take-Away Food and Drinks

This is something I've found to be very rare. The only take-away coffee type place here is Starbucks. The Spanish people prefer to sit down and enjoy their coffees which is great, but in Melbourne it was just so easy to grab a hot drink on the go. You rarely see people walking around with a take-away coffee cup in their hands. The same goes for food. The Spanish people like to sit down to eat their meals, which I find is a much better idea than rushing around with a sandwich in your mouth. They like to actually make TIME for lunch. The one thing I miss thought is take away sushi places (of which there are none) and make your own sandwich bars (again, none).

         Olive Oil

Ok. I understand. Olive oil is made here. Its good. I do like it. But I REALLY don't like it in the quantity that it is used here. At home when I cook I use maybe a small about of oil to cook. Here it is practically the main ingredient. And salads are drenched in it. Once again I'm pretty much used to it, but when I can, I have all my salads without oil...and then I receive strange looks from confused Spaniards asking me why I don't cover my salad in it...




The word 'Vale'

This is a fantastic word. Honestly. EVERYTHING is 'vale'. It basically means 'ok' or 'great'. It is always used in excess. Say it more than once...'vale vale vale'. Great word. Definitely going to be using this a lot when I get back home.





Public Transport System

The public transport system here in Madrid is fantastic. In fact its pretty good wherever I've been in Spain. I have only waited for a bus for a long time once in my first month here. Other than that, everything is always prompt. Metro is reliable (unlike Metro Melbourne which is shocking), Buses are reliable (again...unlike buses in Melbourne) and also the prices are MUCH BETTER. 1 euro per trip in zone A. I honestly don't want to go back to Melbourne to our crappy transport system. Train is cancelled. Thanks for telling me Metro Melbourne. Take a leaf our of Metro Madrid's book!

Noisy Spanish children and disobedience

I thought I knew about noisy and disobedient children until I came to Spain. My GOD are they loud! The same goes for adults, but kids are the worst offenders. You tell them to be quiet and then don't listen. You need to say it so many times, and then once they are quiet...they start up again. Also they physically cannot speak in a soft tone of voice. Everything has to be a million decibels higher than it needs to be. I once tried to teach some of the kids how to talk quietly. That was a fail. They thought speaking quietly meant whispering. It is impossible. I've also found that Spanish kids are very disobedient. It is a generalisation, because I know a lot of good kids, but so many have dirty mouths and are just horrible sometimes. A lot of parents don't dish out punishments for their kids. They treat them like princes and princesses instead and tell them that it doesn't matter.

Churros

Whoever invented these things was a freaking genius! Oh man. I love me some churros from San Gines in Madrid, especially after a fun night out. Tasty.