Más o menos

Quick grammar lesson for all you non-speakers:
Más = more.
Menos = less.

Ya with me? Goooood. Now what good is a lesson without some practical applications?

En España, hay menos________ que en los Estados Unidos:

1. Water fountains.
Very scarce. If you're going to a public building - library, shopping center, the university - you'd better not be thirsty. Or, you'd better be really comfortable with sticking your head under the faucet in the bathroom (guilty).

2. Snacking.
The meals are huge, but nobody really eats between them. I'm pretty sure my host mom looks down on it (I've caught her reprimanding my host sister a couple of times) so I may or may not have some popcorn hidden in my closet. Don't tell Conchi.

3. Dog leashes.
Non-existent. People just walk around everywhere with their dogs at their side...but it doesn't seem to be a problem. Sometimes they'll roam kind of far away from their owner, which gives my little American body a bit of a heart attack - but nobody seems to worry about it. They eventually come back.

4. Prisa (hurry).
The Spanish take their time. To demonstrate this, I have two stories for you:

One day, Conchi was walking to the supermarket, and asked if I wanted to join. As we were walking, she began to talk about something very important to her (she was VERY concerned that another student in the program wasn't getting enough food from her host mom. HA.) Anyway, we were literally in the middle of the sidewalk, 100 meters away from the supermarket. Aaaand she stopped, looked right at me, and finished her story. We continued to stand right there and talk for another ten minutes. Destinations simply aren't pressing. You get there when you get there...and if you get somewhere early, be prepared to wait for everyone else. (I LIKE this place!)

Story number two. The other day, I stumbled across a sweet thrift store (to which I will return several times). There, I encountered a book entitled "Guía del típico norte americano." Guide to the Typical North American. Let me tell you, reading about every typical American stereotype in a book that is seriously trying to engage in scholarly social science is HILARIOUS. And I quote (and will translate): Igual que el conejo blanco de Alicia, los norteamericanos van por ahí como en trance, preocupados por qué hora es. Translation: Like the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, Americans walk around as though in a trance, always worried about what time it is. Hahah...they also go on to say that rich and important people are an exception to the rule, and do not care if they arrive late. Stay tuned - I'm sure there will be more to come in later posts from this excellent source of knowledge.

5. Diet Mountain Dew. And by "menos," I mean zero.
Don't wanna talk about it.

En España, hay más _____ que en los EEUU:

1. Jamón (ham).
Lots and lots of ham - it´s extremely integrated into the Spanish diet. One a pizza restaurant´s menu, I once noticed that ham is listed as a ´vegetarian´ item. Hmmm.

2. PDA!
Wow, can people here make out. On park benches, the metro, waiting for the crosswalk light to change, while tying their shoes...you name it. I used to be embarrassed just seeing people make out, but after a while, you get used to it. Now, I find myself making casual comments to my walking companions such as ´Wow, there was definitely some biting going on over there.´ No big deal.

3. Energy conservation.
There is never an unoccupied room with a light on, there is no such thing as a long hot shower, and EVERYONE walks or uses public transportation. It's always freezing in my house because the heat is very regulated - I always have to keep my bedroom door closed to trap in the heat from my little electric heater. Even escalators are designed to conserve energy, as they automatically slow down until someone steps on. Well done, Europe.

4. Political tension.
People here do NOT talk about politics. And not in the sense of don't-talk-about-it-on-your-first-date. I mean, nobody knows what party ANYONE else votes for. My professor Ana told me that she knows the party affiliation of three living people: her sister, her husband, and her mother. AND, she didn't have a political conversation with her husband (then boyfriend) until they'd dated for over three years! It's so interesting, because our customs (my mind flashes to election time: sign-ridden front yards, bumper stickers, Facebook groups, and on and on...) are just as foreign and crazy to Ana as the taboo nature of party affiliation in Spain is to us.

5. Culture clash.
Every European city I've seen is in a constant battle/balance between ancient and new, and I absolutely love it. There's a certain beauty about modern installations existing in harmony with ancient cathedrals; something so intriguing about seeing a Subway housed in a building that's older than my own country. Love it.