Observations

Having lived in Spain for 3 weeks now, I have a few random observations to share with you about life and culture here.

1) Everyone here thinks that I'm Spanish. Everyone. People come up to me on the streets and ask me for directions. Store and restaurant owners don't look twice at me. If I'm with a group of ISU students, people will approach me and ask if I'm their teacher or something.

2) The traffic lights to indicate "walk" or "don't walk" are lighted green stick figures that flash a skirt every second (like the signs for restrooms). So I guess men and women are both allowed to cross the street here.

3) Enrique Iglesias is not famous here. People only know him at all as the famous singer Julio Iglesias' less talented son.

4) I fail at any electronic appliance here. Hair dryer, straightner, space heater, cell phone. My host moms actually think it's really funny.

5) People on the streets don't believe in keeping to the right of the sidewalk, walking in single file, or moving at all when passing another person walking. You actually have to morph into the wall of the nearest building or throw yourself into moving traffic to get past them on the narrow coblestone sidewalks.

6) No one is subtle here. They will come up to the other ISU students here and be like, "You're tall." or "I think you're pretty." or "Are you from Dublin?" (except no one says stuff like that to me, because of #1 on this list)

7) Every single person on the street has a dog. And they apparently have no Picking Up Poop Policy, so you have to be very careful when walking on the sidewalks, and whatever you do, DON'T cut through the grass.

8) Churros and hot chocolate is the best thing in the world. Hands down.

9) Public restrooms are usually 1 for 5 with toliet paper, toliet seat, soap, working hand dryer, or a functional lock.

10) I have small feet in the U.S., but here, it's impossible. The girl working at the shoe store actually laughed at me when I asked for my size. She thought I was joking. She said, "Ummm no, cariña (sweetie)." Awesome. So not only am I apparenty Spanish, I'm like a little Spanish child.