Estados Unidos vs. Espana

So, as you can imagine there are many differences between the United States and Spain. We hear about them from time to time, but living these differences has been very interesting.
So lets start with the food. It is very funny when my friends and family jokingly tell me not to gain too much weight while I am in Spain. It is funny to me because I am close to 100% sure gaining weight is impossible here.
The first reason is because Spaniards walk everywhere. Literally EVERYWHERE! For example, my college is two miles away from my house. It takes me thirty minutes one way. Mind you I walk there at least twice a day. Thirty minutes is not considered a long walk in Espana terms. Then, to go out at night is another six-seven hours of walking from place to place in order to party. There are literally six bars on every street. So, my friends and I pop in and then pop out and walk to the next place. I definitely wear a pair of slippers and carry my heels until we get inside the discoteca.
Second, the food here is extremely healthy. Most dishes are not fried. And, if they are fried, it is cooked in Olive Oil. That is the only oil used here. Even the patatas fritas are cooked in olive oil. Also, the portions are much smaller! So, let me share some of the dishes my host mother has cooked so that you can understand better what I am eating.
Everyday breakfast is extremely simple. Usually tostada ( toast) con marmelade and cafe (coffee.)
Lunch is generally a bocadillo (sub) with tomato and cheese. I believe that normal Spanish families have their biggest meal at lunch. However, our host mom has to accommodate the fact that we have class during the day and can not have a big meal at lunch. So she makes our biggest meal ( which is really not big in American standards) at night. Literally at night around nine o'clock.
Last night she made a salad with lettuce, tomato, mozzarella cheese squares, raw onion chopped, and raw carrots. Then she fried a whole fish for my roommate ( I advised her that I do not like seafood so she doesn't cook any for me.) She also sprinkles a clear dressing that tastes like a vinaigrette, but I am not sure what exactly it is. Next we have the main dish which is the size of an American side dish. That was an egg and potato pie, but no crust ( if that makes sense.) She basically pours egg over some chopped potatoes in a circular pan and the eggs solidify covering the potatoes. Dessert is a yogurt cup or fruit. The lavish brownie sundaes and/or ice cream cones are for dining out to eat only. People do not eat those kinds of desserts at home in this country, from what I have witnessed anyway.
By the way, eggs are a big part of the diet here. My first night here mi madre de espanola (mom from Spain) scrambled eggs with green beans and small pieces of jamon (ham.) The next night she scrambled huevos (eggs) with french fries.
Here is something interesting. American restaurants over here are considered a luxury food and therefore costs three times as much here as it does in the states. It is the same way Carabas Italian dining is considered a little expensive in the states because it is considered foreign and different. For example, the FRIDAYS restaurant here in Espana charges around 25 euro for an appetizer. The same appetizer can be purchased in the US for 7 bucks !!

So, now let s talk fashion. Yay, mi materia favorita. The fashion here is more conservative in the fact that they don't consider less fabric better. Their clothing, I would say, is more DIVA chic and covers more of the body. It is more "fabulous," if that makes sense. For women the clothing is definitely more floral. Meaning there are more frills and flowers attached to the clothing. The skirts have more flare and curves. I LOVE it !! I always had trouble shopping for clothes in the states because the outfits did not have enough "attitude" for me. Here I don't have a problem finding clothes I like; well clothes that I like and fit me. The shoes are extremely "DIVA." Soon it will be getting a little chilly here. So the women will most likely wear their boots, which may have a small heel but normally are flat.
The women here don't really wear sneakers unless they are running or doing some sort of exercise. The guys do not wear tennis shoes unless for the same reason mentioned above. They wear "dress shoes" or fashionable sneakers similar to sketchers.

Let's see, what else is different. There is a siesta in the middle of the day for about three hours, maybe four. Only restaurants are still open to serve everyone else that is on their lunch break. Every other business shuts down. Then around fiveeveryone opens up again. After siesta, it is normal for people to walk the streets until one in the morning after the siesta.
So I have a semi funny story. So, our coordinator told us that a good time to come home after hanging out is around 3 AM because coming home at four in the morning is considered rude! And this is the curfew for children ages 15 and above. Geez, my mother was leniant by letting me come home at midnight at that age,lol.


Oh, also, no one really drives that much. Only to extremely far places, so drinking and driving is not a problem. I personally find it interesting that there are not more alcoholics here since there are a million bars on any given street. There is literally a bar outside the front door of my apt. complex! However, it is absolutely socially UNACCEPTABLE to drink for the purpose of getting drunk in public. If you drink and act crazy here, the natives will glare at you and tell you that you do not deserve the right to drink because you can not handle your liquor! Also, speaking and laughing loudly is considered obnoxious. I believe that this is something my fellow American students have trouble with because in our culture speaking loudly outside is normal. So sometimes when the group gets too loud we get ugly stares. But we are working on that. =)

Well, that's all that I have for now. Hasta luego!

Lesson learned

So I have been in Espana for about a week now. I have to say that the homesickness has not sent in yet at all. I am really loving this country. The people, the food, the fashion, the scenery is all exquisite. I arrived in Madrid and met up with my fellow ISA study abroad participants. We then toured Madrid and visited an art museum. I was so ecstatic to be able to witness the original Guernica paintingby Picasso.

Then our group moved on to Toledo. The first night there I decided to stay in and catch up with family and friends via facebook. However, the second night I explored the town. I first noticed that all of the Cab drivers drive their Mercedes Benz as their cab. NICE!! I loved being chauffeured around in a Mercedes!

So at the nightclub there was plenty of music playing and a few couples sitting at tables talking with each other. My girls and sat down and started our own conversation. After about an hour, twenty more guys and girls entered the night club.They were clearly a tipsy from prior drinks. Some of them took to the dance floor while other chatted amongst themselves.
Apparantly the spanish don't agree with getting drunk to the point where you dance or act crazy. To them that is being an irresponsible drinker. Thus, the frowns and glares toward the american group began and my girls and I decided to leave.

First lesson, be a responsible classy drinker. Not a hott mess!