Ok. First, I want to divert your attention to this disclaimer. Although this blog entry concerns the negative aspects of my time here in Spain, I do not want you to think that I view this experience as negative. Like every other experience in life, you must take the good with the bad. The goal though is to try to find a silver lining in everything
Things I do not like about Spain:
1. The educational system. Students have their own designated classrooms, while the teachers move from room to room. This makes the teacher the guest in the classroom, not a figure of authority. Also, there is no punishment. The “no pasa nada” syndrome is widespread here.
2. Tardiness. Punctuality is not a concern for many students as well as some teachers. In fact, the bell for class to start is the bell by which the students begin to move on to class.
3. The siesta. While awesome at first, the time period of rest from roughly 2:30 to 5:00 pm seems like a blessing…until you need to go to the bank or shopping. Most smaller stores and all banks seem to be closed during this time. Not a very good business strategy nowadays…especially for people who also work
4. The toilets. This goes for German toilets too. Although I have never had one clog, they frequently do not flush all of the toilet paper down. Usually, two flushes is needed. They are very deep but not filled with much water, so backsplash is a constant problem. Also, this design lends to constant scrubbing of the toilet…something I rarely had to do in the US.
5. SHOVING. People cut in line and push and shove CONSTANTLY. When the bus door opens, the shoving and line cutting beings. For a culture who is not very concerned about punctuality, they sure do seem to be in a hurry.
6. Walking the Width of the Sidewalk. It is very common for a group of Spaniards (Usually about 3 or 4) to walk side by side down the street talking to each other. Will they move? Probably not. Will they form a single line…don’t hold your breath haha. Sharking is a constant survival technique on the narrow walkways of Spain.
7. NO DRYERS. I have yet to encounter a piso or a house with a dryer. If it is rainy or below freezing, you have to hang your clothes to dry…indoors. My room is already the size of a closet, and now I have to get my ironing board out to hang my clothes on it to dry.
8. NO AIR CONDITIONING. AC is unheard of here. I have heard that you can find it in the south of the country, but only certain businesses seem to think it is important. I have lived fine here in Burgos without one because of its mild to downright cold climate.
9 The stares. Everywhere I go, I am stared at, especially when I am talking on the phone in English. I swear, sometimes I think I have two heads.
10. People Taking Advantage of You. As a private tutor and a friend of private tutors, I can testify that everyone wants their child to have English lessons…for free. The parents do not understand the amount of time and preparation it takes to give their child a one on one lesson. It is barely worth 15 Euro an hour, because you spend at least an hour in preparation. Americans stick out like a sore thumb, and many will try to throw you for a ringer.
11. Smells. Whether it is a pescaderÃa (fish shop), the smell of alcohol, or the smell of body odor, chances are, you will catch some rough wiffs throughout the day. Working with adolescent teenage boys can be rough sometimes in a culture that is not to deodorant conscious.
12. NO FREE REFILLS…not even with water. And forget about tap water…it’s all pricy bottled stuff. In the US, it is customary for establishments to provide a pitcher of water when alcohol is being served…but not here. I don’t really like alcoholic drinks, so I will usually get a Coke…the glass bottle kind. At 2.30 Euro for one glass bottle of Coke, you can see why people drink the beer.
13. No spice. The food here is not spicy. Although a lot of it is very good, it just isn’t spicy. This is a minor complaint. Also, peanut butter is scarce. If you come by a Capitán Mani, you are in luck. It is very close to Jif.
14. People are much colder here than they are in the southern United States. Everyone there is friendly, even if it is at a superficial level. Here, you have to know the person before they will give you the time of day in the street, but once you know them, they can be very nice.
I think that 14 is a good number to stop with. I made this list because people always talk about the great things about a foreign country. They never choose to include the odd, the frustrating, or downright crummy parts haha.
I will try to write 14 great things about Spain soon. But this one was just more fun haha.
I have enjoyed my time here in Spain and I will always cherish this experience. Please don’t think that I am just complaining and I have not enjoyed or learned from the experience.
