After fruitlessly searching for a shared flat, by chance I was told that a teacher from the school had a room going spare. Marisol invited me to have a look around and I soon discovered that she was young and friendly and had a spacious 3 bedroom flat; an offer I couldn’t turn down. I have now been living with Marisol and Tamara, her friend, for almost a month and I have not regretted my decision once. Living with local people has given me a real insight into the Spanish way of life and I have already noticed big differences to my native Dutch/English environment. It sounds superficial but basic changes to things like eating patterns can completely alter your daily routine. Here are a few Spanish habits I have picked up on so far.
Eating. In Ibiza, like in the rest of Spain, people eat their main meal of the day at lunchtime. Schools finish at 2pm and everyone goes home for a big plate of food; rice, lentils, meat etc. I am used to having something small for lunch, but when I started to assemble a sandwich the girls thought I was crazy, exclaiming: ‘Is that all you’re going to have?!’ (Also putting butter on bread is unheard of –olive oil is the staple. If you’ve tried Spanish olive oil you’ll understand why; the taste is a thousand times better than anything you’ll find in Northern Europe.) The idea is that you stock up on lots of lunch, have a siesta and then start the day again at around 5/6pm. During the afternoon things are put on hold; the shops shut and everyone retreats inside to rest. With regards to having dinner, people are so full from lunch that they only start thinking about food at around 9 o’clock. Not much is eaten either; a sandwich or a slice of tortilla is all you have room for. Also, as most things happen in the evening, I have often found myself cooking alone as the girls spend a lot more time out of the house after sunset. Also, such late meals mean I have often resorted to munching on cereal at around 7 just to keep going! Even if I eat at 9, they come in at 11 when I’m off to bed and starts cooking…crazy!
Cleanliness. Generally, I like to think of myself as a clean and organized person. However, I’ve noticed that the Spanish have a different level of cleanliness. My flat is very modern and minimalist and is kept spotless. All surfaces are empty, as anything ‘homely’ like books or magazines are considered clutter. The girls take great pride in keeping the house up to their clean standards, which I found rather intimidating at the beginning. For example, mopping is considered a daily habit. When it comes to official cleaning days, I had to be guided through various steps to get an idea of what they expect. The place gets smothered in bleach and then the scrubbing begins until you can see yourself if every surface. I have yet to perform to their standards but I can’t help feeling the pressure, I’m hoping my cleaning abilities will suffice in this flawless environment. The flat makes an average Dutch/English home look like a slum… I’d hate to think of the girl’s reaction if they saw the student houses in Exeter! Cleanliness is definitely of great importance to the Spanish, let’s hope it will become more of an instinct for me by the end of the year.
Family. Another thing I’ve noticed is the huge role family plays here compared to back home. Even when you move out, you are never far away from your parents. For example, Marisol’s mum and dad live only a few streets away from the flat. She has lunch there twice a week and collects most of her food from them too. Her mum is still concerned about what she eats and gives her bags of homemade meals that only need a few minutes in the microwave. If a Brit in their late twenties had their fridge stocked by their mum, they wouldn’t hear the end of it. Levels of independence are certainly different here as it seems you are never really left to your own devices. You can tell that family relationships are a lot stronger and are valued much more than in England/Holland. Extended family also has a greater importance, aunts and uncles that I would see twice a year live down the road from their relatives in Spain. Living in the same area, the family unit here is a tight-knit community compared to the ‘distant relatives’ that I am used to back home.
Although it’s not easy living outside of your comfort zone, I’ll feel very lucky to have found a place with such friendly, and truly Spanish, girls. You learn a lot more than you think just observing the day-to-day life of local people and it’s making me adjust my habits to suit the rhythm here. I’ve only talked about the most prominent aspects that I’ve noticed but every day I’m learning more about how the Spanish live… there will certainly be more to write about soon.
La Buena Vida 