Holy Toledo! The Culture is Shocking Me!

Last Weekend we visited Toledo on a day trip.  Obviously, it is a huge and beautiful city, and its meandering streets and old buildings are overflowing with history and character.  Toledo, in its glory days, was once the capital of Spain and home to many important people, including Miguel Cervantes, author of Don Quixote.  We toured the city by foot, and although it has a quaint, small-town feel, it most definitely is NOT! The walking was exhausting, especially since the hills are steep and numerous.  As the spiritual center of Spain, Toledo is the ultimate melting pot of Spain’s history with religion.  It is unquestionably Catholic, dominated by the Cathedral and the Basilica of San Juan de los Reyes Catolicos.  But just as prominent is the Jewish synagogue that was later turned into a mosque.   

La Catedral de Toledo

Toledo is most famous for its marzipan; there are little shops dotting each street with grand displays of the various shapes and styles of marzipan.  I bought basically one of everything since I love marzipan so much, but after tasting it as we drove away on the bus, I wished I had bought so much more! It was even better than I’d hoped!  I might have to take a second trip just to buy marzipan…

Each day, I encounter a few things that seem a little strange, like the apparent trend of parachute pants, excuse me, parachute denim pants (seriously?!).  Of course, I was expecting to notice some differences between my culture and that of Spain because I had heard about it several times from the study abroad counselor at DU, various information packets, the program leaders here, and they all warned: “Be prepared for culture shock!”  I always thought “shock” was a little too strong of a word for realizing there’s people half way around the world that live differently than myself, wearing different clothes, eating different foods, speaking different languages, etc. (Duh!) However, in the past 2 weeks I have to admit that there have been a few very SHOCKING moments. 

Exhibit A: My roommate and I come home after a night out.  Walking through the kitchen, we notice a platter of raw fish fillets soaking in milk, uncovered, on the counter. Remember, it’s late, so my host mom is already sleeping, meaning these fish won’t be attended to for at least another 6-7 hours the next morning… At home, I would question drinking a glass of milk even after it’s been sitting out for an hour, much less all night.  The next day at lunch, I had a little trouble getting past that image to eat the (surprisingly tasty) fish at lunch.  They definitely have a different theory on food storage and refrigeration, but as long as I don’t get sick, I guess I can’t complain.  

Exhibit B: Peeing in public. Not once. Not twice. Not three times, but four in the past two weeks I have seen people peeing in the park, on the side of the road, or wherever they please.  In the middle of the day, too, so you can’t blame it on being drunk.  My personal favorite was a mother holding her naked, 3-year-old daughter up at the edge of a playground while she peed in the gravel.  Saving money on diapers? I have no idea. 

Exhibit C: The Spaniards love their tuna.  I was so excited one day because my host mom had made cannellonis for us, until I bit into it and tasted tuna.  Now don’t get me wrong, tuna is great in a tuna salad sandwich, but they stretch their tuna imagination a little too far for my tastes.  You can find tuna in just about anything: pasta, pastries, salads, vegetable medleys.  I wouldn’t be surprised if it was an ice cream flavor, too. 

There’s a few other honorable mentions that didn’t quite have the same shock factor, but still deserve some acknowledgment: sketch guys selling beer out of plastic bags on the streets, other sketch guys trying to buy your gold, shoes stores with all the shoes behind glass, and oh yeah, the HERD of stray cats on the rooftop outside my window... 

Cats! Cats! Cats!

It’s all pretty amusing, and despite some of the more shocking culture clashes, I’m really starting to feel at home here. I’ve gotten used to the weird eating schedule, found some particularly delicious Spanish dishes, and started seeking out opportunities to speak Spanish and really immerse myself in the culture.  Yes, it can be a little quirky at times, but I am enjoying it all: the good, the bad, and the tuna!

Living in Madrid

I am adjusting well, thanks to my excellent roommate and comfortable homestay.  As you can see, the room is decently sized but simple, and the closet is huge!

It is much nicer than I expected, which goes for the entire house.  From what I can tell, it is a relatively big and luxurious house for the city, with 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, and finely decorated expansive living and dining rooms. 

This is the view from my window: lots of houses! When I first arrived, I asked my host mom if they were all apartments, but she quickly corrected me and said they are all casas (houses).  They are stacked like apartments, but she seems too proud of such prime real estate to call it an apartment.   Which is most definitely true; the complex is sandwiched between the famous Royal Palace and a beautiful park. 

Park with Cervantes Monument in the Background

El Palacio Real

It’s amazing how quickly I have become familiar with the winding streets and extensive Metro, and since we walk pretty much everywhere, I’ve developed a very good sense of direction. The Metro is super easy to use and is much cleaner than most I’ve seen. Plus, all the walls are brightly painted, so it makes for an enjoyable experience. Mostly, though, I walk to wherever I want to go because it is easy, cheap, and allows me to run into little interesting shops, parks, and restaurants, which populate just about every street. Luckily, my homestay is fairly close to La Puerta del Sol a.ka. the “Soul” of Madrid because all streets and Metro lines spread from the giant plaza that always seems to be full of life. I have yet to see Sol without hundreds of people passing along the streets, and I’m pretty sure the number peaks in the thousands around 2 a.m. since everyone and their mom (and kids, and uncles, and dogs) are out drinking, eating, dancing, and enjoying each other’s company into the wee hours of the night. It amazes me seeing elderly couples and little children running around at 1:00 in the morning; that’s past MY bedtime in the U.S.!

The Spanish schedule has definitely taken some getting used to: they wake up and have a very light breakfast, usually coffee and toast, before they head to work at 9:00. Then, the work straight through until siesta time around 2:30 when the city essentially shuts down for lunch, which is the biggest and most satisfying meal of the day. I’m usually starving by 12, so it’s a long haul until we actually eat lunch, but when we do, it’s quite a production! The meal is huge: at least 2 full plates of meat, vegetables, and of course, mucho pan (a whole lot of bread). French bread is served with every meal, and between the 3 of us at lunch, we go through almost an entire loaf! My host mom always tries to feed us more, putting extra bread on our plate and telling us to take 2 of everything. And it doesn’t stop there; the meal isn’t complete without fruit and dessert. Although most stores close during the afternoon siesta, the time is spent eating and relaxing with friends rather than napping. But, to keep up with them, I’ve definitely been taking advantage of the free time to sleep. Yesterday, after a long day trip walking the hill-filled city of Toledo, I napped for 4 hours (!) and woke up just in time for dinner. After siesta, most businesses resume until 8:30 or 9:00, when it’s time for dinner. Dinner is a much smaller meal, usually small plates and drinks, called tapas y copas, which are followed by more drinks, followed by more drinks, and the night goes on… drinking, dancing, and filling the streets until 4 or 5 in the morning. (I’ve heard it can be even later, but I’ve yet to stay out that late myself). I don’t understand how everyone functions on such little sleep, but somehow they are always full of energy!

Madrid is a remarkably unique and fantastic city. My guidebook says it perfectly: “Madrid is a rebellious ex-convent schoolgirl who grew up, got sophisticated but never forgot how to have a good time.” The deep tradition and conservative history drastically contrasts the wild nightlife and posh modern style. It’s a little bit of everything at once, and the final product, although unexpected and contradictory, is a beautiful thing. Madrileños know how to do things right!

¡Bienvenido a España!

I have made it through my first two days in Madrid, but somehow it feels like it´s been two weeks! Perhaps because they have been packed with important information to remember, new places to navigate, and so many new people to meet, or maybe the jet lag has just made me completely delirious... Nonetheless, I am starting to feel settled in what will be my home for the next 4 months. 

After a fairly smooth flight through D.C., I soon met with my host mother, who smothered me in besos (kisses).  The Spaniards are a very friendly people, and they greet each other with besos on both cheeks.  My ¨mother,¨ Elisa, is a very nice older woman that is full of life and a little bit of spunk, too.  She is super nice and has a great sense of humor, and from what I´ve eaten so far, is a great cook!  Her house is beautifully decorated and is much larger and more elaborate than I expected.  I have my own room and share a bathroom with Kaitlyn, another student.  She is fabulous! Her Spanish is much better than mine, so it is extremely easy to get around and communicate when she´s around.

On the first day here, we took a bus tour through the center of the city, and it was just so overwhelming! There was so much more to see than I could look at: the beautiful parks, the gaudy old buildings, the people, the restaurants, the cars, the signs, ahh!!! I can´t wait to discover all of the amazing and interesting things that await for me amidst the bustling streets. 

At 8:00 in the morning (long before most Spaniards even THINK about waking up), we met to take our language placement test, which was definitely news to me. We´re taking a 3 week intensive language course before the real classes begin, which we have basically just been thrown into immediately.  No time to adjust, catch up on sleep, or become familiar with the city.  We spent the rest of the day in orientation, learning about how intense this is really going to be: Spanish classes ALL day, EVERY day (minus the weekends), with homework, tests, and other cultural activities on top of that! The whole time I was thinking (while trying to still pay attention to the fast speaking Spanish director): What did I get myself into?!

One thing is for sure, it is definitely going to be an adventure!! There are so many adventures ahead of me, that I can´t wait to share with all of you. While I am here, I want to soak up as much as I can, so that when I leave here in December, I will not only be fluent in Spanish, but also feel like a madrileño, and not just a tourist.  I know that I will learn so much and gain such a valuable understanding of myself along the way, and I am excited beyond words!