As I look in a mirror and realise that I am officially too
old to wear glittery eyeshadow and I realise it’s less than three months until
I am 21 years old (19th of May, mark your calendars!), it dawns on me that I have grown up. Those of you who read
my Strasbourg blog may be familiar with a similar post in which I transcended
into adulthood after a telephone call with the electricity company, but after
it soon became clear that Spain and France are massively different, I thought
it was time to reflect on a month’s worth of learning la vida Española. So
without further ado, 15.5 things Spain has taught me in a month.
1. The postal system is shambolic.
2. If you’re the pasty, almost translucent blonde wandering around, you will be gawked at.
3. Nobody can pronounce your name. It’s best to just be “Esperanza” for the next four months.
4. Madrid is tied with London for best city ever.
5. Coffee from McDonald’s is not a bad idea.
6. Your proxy for unblocking Netflix won’t work.
7. You are the only person laughing at the funny Spanglish t-shirts
8. You’re also the only one laughing that the washing detergent is called “colon”
9. Trying to find hummus in Spain is like trying to reach the end of a rainbow.
10. Heineken, despite being horribly vile and disgusting, is the cheapest drink ever and should be celebrated.
11. You will not be ID'd to get entry into small clubs with sticky floors and coats everywhere.
12. If you're poor, skip dinner and go to The Irish Bar, they have complimentary snacks.
13. The above lesson is incredibly irresponsible and you shouldn't do it. Shouldn't.
14. Karaoke is popular and you will hear Born to be Wild more times than you will talk to your mother.
15. Supermarket shopping is incredibly cheap
15.5. You will have an actual, functioning kitchen. Be grateful.
1. The postal system is shambolic.
2. If you’re the pasty, almost translucent blonde wandering around, you will be gawked at.
3. Nobody can pronounce your name. It’s best to just be “Esperanza” for the next four months.
4. Madrid is tied with London for best city ever.
5. Coffee from McDonald’s is not a bad idea.
6. Your proxy for unblocking Netflix won’t work.
7. You are the only person laughing at the funny Spanglish t-shirts
8. You’re also the only one laughing that the washing detergent is called “colon”
9. Trying to find hummus in Spain is like trying to reach the end of a rainbow.
10. Heineken, despite being horribly vile and disgusting, is the cheapest drink ever and should be celebrated.
11. You will not be ID'd to get entry into small clubs with sticky floors and coats everywhere.
12. If you're poor, skip dinner and go to The Irish Bar, they have complimentary snacks.
13. The above lesson is incredibly irresponsible and you shouldn't do it. Shouldn't.
14. Karaoke is popular and you will hear Born to be Wild more times than you will talk to your mother.
15. Supermarket shopping is incredibly cheap
15.5. You will have an actual, functioning kitchen. Be grateful.
I'm sure in the following months, I'll learn even more things about this crazy place. But if there's at least one lesson that you should learn from Pt 1 of Hope's Lessons in Live, La Vida Loca and L...iving(?) it's that you should seize the day, forget the rules, order a bucket of beer between pals, some tapas and try and avoid the people dressed as Disney characters in the centre of Madrid.
