Spanish eccentricities

I just realized that I haven't complained too much about life here, talked about what is cool or strange, what is different or similar. So I'm going to make a short list here of things that stand out to me for those of you at home.

1. No carpet! All homes here are tile floored, which means a lot of sweeping. Beyond that, there is no home heating, so slippers or house shoes are a necessity. I guess it's an excuse to buy some sweet Spiderman slippers or something.

2. Meal times. The big meal is lunch, which takes place at 3 or so. That is why all shops close down here between 2:15 and 5:15. It's a bit inconvenient at times, but nice to know that a culture can value a time of day for families and friends to get together and enjoy a meal.

3. Really bad drivers. I expected bad driving in South America due to the lower level of economic development and law enforcement, but good grief! I have been hit on my bicycle and almost hit several times at pedestrian crossings and many other instances on my bike; I'll keep these to myself so my mom doesn't send me a ticket home right now. It is obligatory to stop at the crosswalks, however it seems that drivers like to try and drive as fast as possible to intimidate you into not stepping out so that they may continue. Rude!

4. Punctuality, or lack of. People aren't pressed to be on time to the minute as most of us are in the United States. This is quite nice once you get used to it. At first, I was always on time waiting for people and got a bit frustrated. Now, I realize that people take care of things and then move on to the next task, rather than leaving something half-finished and moving on to the next obligation; there is something to be learned from this for us I feel. I benefit from this as well, because when I'm running late the professors simply reply "No pasa nada", which means more or less "don't worry about it" or "no big deal".

5. The importance of outward appearance. People are on average more concerned with what they wear, how their hair looks and how they smell here than I am comfortable with. There are adds everywhere for age-defying creams and plastic surgery. This is something that really bothers me, especially because I feel like I draw looks sometimes with my clothes that are a bit informal and OBVIOUSLY from the U.S. We're all subject to consumerism and putting value in appearance and other things that don't matter. It's just that the level of importance that is placed in these things here is a bit bothersome.

6. The way youth talk to adults. I thought that my generation was bad, but good god! The way that current middle schoolers, high schoolers and young adults speak to their elders here is god-awful at times. Many people say it is a generational thing, much like the U.S. experienced in the late 60s and early 70s, which could make sense being as Franco's dictatorship only fell a generation and half ago; new freedom is always a bit more extreme I guess.

7. Farmers' Markets are common and not just part of some hippie movement. 6 days a week I can walk down to a HUGE market and buy fresh fruit, jams, vegetables, bread, spices, etc. It's awesome and I take advantage of the amazing quantity of fresh produce that Spain has to offer.

That's about all for now, although I am sure there are others that are escaping me at the moment. Please keep in mind that many of these things are generalizations that do not apply to all Spanish people or all areas of Spain. This is just what I have seen in my city that has stood out to me so far.