Being Spanish

After living in Spain for over eight months, I have become fully conscious of typical, local mannerisms, and have even picked up some myself. This almost entirely due to my living situation, as flat sharing with two Spanish girls has inevitably made me adapt to the Spanish environment. Funnily, I have only been able to reflect on these changes by distancing myself from life here. For example, it was only recently when my boyfriend and best friend came to visit, that I realised how much I’ve adjusted.

Here are some of my most prominent ‘changes’ or ‘adaptations’ ‘since living in Ibiza:

Eating habits

I’d say that I’ve now got the Spanish eating pattern pretty much down to an art. There’s nothing better than starting the day with a fresh orange juice, cereals, tostada (toast) or, if I’m feeling greedy, a deliciously sweet pastry. (The bakeries here are out of this world) Lunch is now my biggest meal of the day, as I cook up something substantial which keeps me going the whole afternoon. Sometimes I have a merienda (snack) but thanks to my hearty midday meal this doesn’t often happen until 7pm. Dinner, normally between 9-10pm, is now my English lunch; a sandwich, made with olive oil and squished tomato; a truly exquisite combination. After basing my diet on Spanish olive oil made from pure gold, I honestly do not know how I’ll go back to eating butter.

Sleeping pattern

With Spanish eating inevitably comes the Spanish sleeping routine. A great deal of activity in the evening means a late bedtime, followed by an early start.  This lack of sleep plus a big meal at lunchtime means an afternoon siesta is pretty much obligatory. You simply can’t fight it. I religiously go to bed after lunch every day now and my recent visitors noticed a significant dip in my energy levels at around 3-4pm. Sometimes I get my best sleep in the afternoon rather than at night.  Waking up alert and refreshed means you can keep going until very late. Siestas are the way forward!

Cleanliness

Being clean is probably the most striking aspect of Spanish culture. I wrote about how much it surprised me early on and I am still astonished by the levels of tidiness here. Standards are through the roof. Anything left on surfaces is seen as clutter (including photos, books and toothbrushes in the bathroom.) Drinks cannot be put down anywhere. If a room is not left exactly how it was found you are considered a horrifically messy person. Small things like leaving my bag on the floor is seen as a bad habit. On average, I spend about three hours cleaning every week. And most of the time, I am cleaning areas that are already spotless. I have to admit, I still struggle to keep up with expectations here. I don’t know if cleaning will ever become second nature to me like it is to Spaniards. One thing’s for sure, my tolerance for dirt has plummeted and I’m pretty nervous about going back to living in a student house next year!

Emotion

I recently read an article by someone comparing Spaniards to Germans. They said that the Spanish are

‘less efficient but more emotional.’

I am in full agreement with this statement. Spanish people are more passionate about everything. If you ask a Spaniard how their day was, it was never ‘alright’ like an average British one. There is always some scandalous story or emotional event to be told. When you don’t express emotion, there is immediately something wrong.  They have a zest for life that is unknown to a Brit.  The phrases ‘¡me encanta!, (I love it) or ‘¡no me gusta nada! (I hate it) are used in every other sentence. An average conversation here has so much tone and emphasis that it sounds like an argument. This can sometimes be very tiring, especially when you come home wanting a quiet one and your flatmates are making so much noise it looks like they’ve taken something. Nevertheless, I love it. Life is full of emotion, like it should be. My recent visitors said I’ve become more fiery, as I apparently talk with more feeling and passion while gesturing with my hands. The Spanish emotional ways are definitely something I’ve caught on to while being here.

So there’s a brief summary of how I have ‘adjusted’ since living here. I promise I’m still the same person as I was before but I feel comfortable and satisfied with my new Spanish way of life. It will be interesting to see which mannerisms I’ll take home with me and which will stay in Spain for good…