american culture vs la vida española

There are obviously myriad similarities and differences between America and Spain, or any two cultures for that matter. And while I believe it's the similarities between people that are most important in terms of humanity, it is the differences that are more interesting.

Now that I am starting to settle in to Madrid, I've noticed more facets of life here that seem bizarre to me as an American, or likewise, things that I do that seem to baffle Spaniards. Of course, there are the major cultural differences, such as eating lunch at 2pm, taking a siesta, and then dinner at 9 or 10 in the evening. But there are also more subtle variations one wouldn't notice unless they were here for more than just a vacation. Grocery shopping for the first time was really interesting. Most of the bread comes with the crust already cut off for you, and items that are extremely perishable in the States, like milk and eggs, don't even need to be refrigerated here. Also, if you are handling produce, you better be wearing gloves. That was my first faux pas here.

The bidet in my apartment. 

There are also items around the house that aren't similar to the US. For one, the washing machine is in the kitchen. It's pretty convenient that I can cook my dinner while doing a load of whites at the same time. Also, dryers are virtually nonexistent in Spain. Everything is hung out to dry on a clothes line, which I've never had to use before. I have no idea how it works when it starts to snow in the winter. Even though dryers are an oddity, they make up for the missing appliance with bidets, which are relatively common in most home bathrooms. They definitely value personal hygiene.

The general attitude of the typical madrileño is also different. I'm living in a huge metropolitan city, yet everyone seems more relaxed than they do in the big American cities (I guess a three hour nap each day would do us some good). Also whenever saying hello to someone, whether you are just meeting them or it's an old friend, you give one kiss on each cheek, dos besitos. It felt a little awkward at first, and a lot of Spaniards even complain about it because it can really draw out salutations. Now, however, I really enjoy it. It makes me feel like I'm already a close friend to complete strangers and it gives a sense of intimacy that I don't feel when meeting someone new back in America. This is definitely one of my favorite traditions.