Adaptation

There are a lot of things different in Espana than America.

1. Traffic. They incorporate circles with liberty and the rules are quite different. You have to constantly be on your guard. And it doesn't help with all the motos zipping around.

2. Schedule. Namely, everything is done 2-3 hours later than in los Estados Unidos. We've been eating "early" dinners at 7:30. We normally sup at 5:15.

3. Scenery. Sure Austin is green, but you can't look out your balcony and see the Mediterranean Sea in front of you and a mountain range to your left.

4. Currency. Wow the dollar is taking a beating! It's about 1.5 dollars per Euro. I have a better understanding about what the folks are going through over here. Even if you get a steal of a deal on anything, it still kicks your bank account's butt.

5. Trash. It's all over the place. You know how Texas has those signs that say "It's unlAWFUL to litter" and "Don't Mess With Texas!"? It's just like that, except the exact opposite. Graffiti is all over the place. It's not just limited to gang-infested areas. We walked to the supermarket and in the tunnel there was a graffiti with a combo Mickey Mouse/skeleton head that said "Mickey Mouse must die!" Those anarchists are so nice. I'll try to get a foto of it and post it later.

6. Five-Second Rule. Not Applicable. The people over here train their kids with "Caca! No en la boca!" whenever something hits the ground. Tio warned us of it and we heard a lady use it on her grandson.

7. Manners. If you don't cut in line you must be either stupid or slow. No feet on the coffee table or chairs/sofa because you've most likely been walking around in sandals all day. Now I better understand the washing of feet.

8. Laundry. Whereas in the states people are wont to air their dirty laundry, here it is not uncommon to see all types of clothing hanging out to dry on the balcony.