Parking spaces are very limited here. This is one reason that Smart cars that are probably three meters long, are a popular buy. But besides buying smaller cars, the Spanish do not feel constrained by white lines or parking spaces, freely parking on sidewalks. One must be a very alert pedestrian.
Americans always clap along to songs on the down beats, and usually beats 1 and 3 of a song. It is easy to hear, and even easier to follow. But Spain takes clapping to an entirely new level, which is mainly due to flamenco. Flamenco takes its rhythmic cue from the guitar, then the hand clapping and the tapping of the high-heeled shoes. And it is never a straight rhythm. Two people never clap together, but create a percussion that is energetic and unpredictable, making one want to move. Even in church no claps a straight rhythm!
Tanning studios are not as popular here as they are in the United States, thanks to a bit more pigment in most of the country’s skin. But, tanning beds are advertised by signs that say “Rayos UVA”. In America, we come up with nice names like Tropical Island, Summer Breeze, or Sunsational. None of that here: You are paying for UVA rays, people, and UVA rays are what you will get. America loves denial.
When parking in the street, people always turn their side mirrors in. Although, it is not uncommon to see a car without a mirror or two, thanks to the narrow roads.
At the grocery store, the clerk will ask you if you want a bag. “Of course I want a bag to bring my new tube of toothpaste home in”, one might think. Think again because you pay for plastic bags here, which may explain why everyone rolls around what my chic-urban friend likes to call “the urban dweller cart”.
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