At the the time, I was more than ready to get out of Spain. I found the people to be largely inconsiderate, extremely nationalistic to the point of racism, and with an overwhelming since of entitlement. More than that, I didn't like the person I was becoming while living in Spain. I was almost always late, I stopped caring about my schoolwork, and was generally lazy.
However, now that I'm back in the craze that is my normal life, there is one major thing I miss: coffee. I miss the ease of ordering coffee - as there were virtually only 2 choices: cafe con leche or cortado (an espresso shot w/a dallop of steamed milk). I miss the automated coffee machines that were ubiquitous - I had coffee from a machine at the Alhambra! But more than anything else I miss taking time out of the day to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee. To-go doesn't really exist in Spain. Cortados are small, so you can gulp one down in a minute or two, but that's still a little bit of the day that you took just for yourself. To stop, smell the coffee, chat with friends, re-caffeinate, and then move on.
I don't know that I'd say Spain got many things right, but coffee is definitely one of them. Oh, and also colonizing a continent.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Woman vs. Shower
I've started praying to the shower gods. Well not so much praying as pleading. Things like "please let the water come out of the showerhead warm" or "ok now please don't change temperature!".
You see, showering is one of those daily activities that's not supposed to take thinking. I usually hop in at some ungodly hour of the day, lather, rinse, hop out. The most complex thinking is "floral or citrus shower wash?" or "do I need to shave today?". Unfortunately, my current shower situation doesn't allow such luxury. I've had to construct a complex formula of jiggle cold knob, wait 5 seconds, test water, repeat until water is neither polar nor scalding. Then of course I ask the shower gods not to change the temp. But sometimes the toilet upstairs flushes... or maybe someone's using the laundry machine. Wait, test, repeat.
Oh well, at least I turn out clean and fresh (and only slightly pink from the occasional burst of boiling hot water).
You see, showering is one of those daily activities that's not supposed to take thinking. I usually hop in at some ungodly hour of the day, lather, rinse, hop out. The most complex thinking is "floral or citrus shower wash?" or "do I need to shave today?". Unfortunately, my current shower situation doesn't allow such luxury. I've had to construct a complex formula of jiggle cold knob, wait 5 seconds, test water, repeat until water is neither polar nor scalding. Then of course I ask the shower gods not to change the temp. But sometimes the toilet upstairs flushes... or maybe someone's using the laundry machine. Wait, test, repeat.
Oh well, at least I turn out clean and fresh (and only slightly pink from the occasional burst of boiling hot water).
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