Culture Shock

I thought I would write a few things that are very different from the US here.

1. They are very smart about their electricity here. When they leave a room, they turn off the light - always. It hotel rooms, you have to plug your room key into a little slot in the wall in order to turn on the lights. Thus, when you leave the room, you automatically turn all the lights off. Great idea, huh? Also, in many apartment buildings, you have to flip a switch, which is on a timer, to turn on the lights in the hallways. This way, the lights aren't on 24 hours a day when nobody needs them to be. Logical and cost efficient.

2. They are also very conservative with water, and hot water at that. Showers are only around 15 minutes (maximum), and my senora turns on the hot water only when we are going to take a shower. And showers are not as hot in mi casa, a little warmer than luke warm, but not much. I'm a little worried for winter. P.S. I haven't seen a bathtub since I've been here.

3. Dryers are also not the norm here. The washing machine is usually very small and in the kitchen, and clothes hang dry out on the line. While this is more energy efficient, it also takes forever to dry clothes.

4. People walk everywhere here. If it is at all humanly possible to walk to your destination, thats what you do. Almost everything you need is within walking distance. I walk a half hour to school everyday, and I walk between 1-3 hours a day. It's much healthier and environmentally friendly!

5. The town shuts down on Sunday. Some restaurants and bars are open, but thats about it. Markets are closed, shops are closed. Everything is closed, which is kind of a pain.

6. Ice cream and desserts are much better here. Pastry and ice cream shops are everywhere here. There is an ice cream shop called Los Italianos which is like heaven on earth; it is closing for the season here soon. Que lastima! But almost any dessert here is absolutely fabulous.

7. Doner Kebab/Kebab Kings are everywhere, cheap, and open 24 hours. They are the fast food of Granada. The shawarma is to die for after a late night at the discotecas. Shawarma is kind of like a hot pita filled with chicken, lettuce, tomato, onion, etc. Delicious.

8. There is a lot more graffiti here. Some of it is beautiful, some of it is not.

9. Walking in the house without shoes is frowned upon here. Senoras say that you will get sick if you walk without shoes on because the floors are tile and cold. I am very glad I have my slippers.

10. People are blatantly honest here. They pretty much speak their mind, without worrying about offending others or being politically correct. I think its better that way. A lot less beating around the bush.