The learning continues...

You know, it's true what they say... There's something new to be learned every day, that is, if you're willing and open to learning. I'm a firm believer in that philosophy. At the tender age of 43 (Yes, today is my birthday!), I'm still learning, particularly now that I'm living in this new place where I do not speak the language, nor am I familiar with their customs. Wanna know what I've learned over the last 2+ weeks? Read on...

Because we live on a Spanish military base, we are not permitted to fly the American flag except on one designated day of the year – the 4th of July. I suppose I understand this rule, but I really wish this weren’t the case. I never dreamed I would miss flying our nation’s flag so much. It’s something I know I took for granted when living in the States. If you live in the U.S., fly the flag proudly and enjoy your freedom to do so because it’s certainly a privilege.

The whole European currency thing is totally new to me. When we’re on base, we can pay using American currency (i.e. dollars and cents), however, when we’re off base, we’re either required to pay in euros or by credit card, typically Visa. It really shouldn’t be so difficult to figure out the exchange rate, but I’m admittedly challenged in this area. Small steps… small steps.

We don’t get our mail at home. We have to pick it up at a mailbox center at my husband’s workplace. I find this very strange and I don’t know why. I don’t know where I thought our mail would be delivered because this totally makes sense now that we’re here. I guess I was so accustomed to receiving mail in a mailbox outside my house that I was surprised when I found out that would not be the case here. I’ll have to say it’s a minor pain to have to drive 2-3 miles to pick up our mail. I guess it's really no different than having a post office box in the States, but I miss going out to a mailbox and opening my mail on the spot.

Driving here is INTERESTING. I still can’t believe I have a Spanish driver’s license! The fact that I passed the test is a miracle in and of itself. They have so many road signs here! There are roundabouts everywhere and of course we drive in KPH (kilometers per hour) rather than MPH (miles per hour). Tailgaters are in abundance too. Someone always seems to be riding my bumper. Makes me just want to ssllllloooowwwww down to a snail’s pace too. My saving grace is the fact that they drive on the right side of the road, as we do in the States. That helps.

Spanish meal times are considerably different. Breakfast is more of a mid-morning event, lunch is eaten around 2pm or so and dinner is served at sometime around 8pm. I had been under the impression that siestas were for taking naps, but I’ve since come to know that they’re more about eating and socializing with the family.

Drinking and driving is very taboo in Spain. If we’ve heard “Don’t drink and drive” once, we’ve heard it a hundred times. But for people who really frown upon drinking to excess and then getting behind the wheel, they sure do make it easy to get a drink. There’s a Cruzcampo (their popular beer) sign seemingly on every corner. Nope, one certainly doesn’t have a problem in finding a bar to quench one’s thirst. There are bars in the malls here and you can even order a beer at McDonald’s. Who would have ever thought you could order a happy meal and a brewskie at the same place? The Spanish have wine or beer with nearly every meal and it’s some stout stuff too. You definitely get more bang for your buck where alcohol content is concerned. But… their rules for drinking and driving are very stiff. If you blow a .05 on a breathalizer, you’re up the creek in a big way.

I’m starting to understand the pronunciation of words a little better, but it’s a process. For instance, I had always thought “gracias” was pronounced “grah see ahs” but have discovered that here in southern Spain, it’s pronounced “grah thee ahs.” The “c” has a soft “th” sound. The same thing applies for the letter “z.” The other thing I remembered from my high school Spanish is that the letter “v” makes the “b” sound. Will I ever get the hang of this language? Only God knows.

So… I’m learning, having fun and I'm quite sure I'm entertaining the masses along the way as I goof up and make my fair share of mistakes. My introduction to Spain could probably be made into a new T.V. reality show. Hmmm… now there’s a thought. Hasta luego!