These People Are Crazy...

Madrid may be the New York City of Spain, but to the common American, the following things are still beyond comprehension...

• My BFF, the phone dude. Americans beware, if you try to buy anything in Spain, you will be waiting a long time in line. It's part of the vita dulce that so many people love about Southern Europe- people taking time to talk to each other, not rushing, enjoying the day. Objectively, it's a much better way to live life than rush-rush-rush, but the withdrawal was sharp and unexpected. Hopefully by the time I return to the US I will be a much more patient person! :)
  

• Pedestrian bumper cars. Maybe I'm just an addict of predictability, but don't you think it's a nice social convention that drivers generally keep to one side of the road? I find even in walking this usually carries over- at the mall or on Main Street people realize that if they file along in an orderly manner, everyone gets where they need to go more quickly, and they don't have to worry about tripping over someone else and spilling their grande-mocha-chippa-latte all over their suit. Well... not so in Spain! One of the things I just can't wrap my mind around is the fact that the pedestrians here refuse to pick one side of the road and stick to it! People literally zig-zag from one side of the street to the other, and I still have not figured out the pecking order for who is supposed to defer to whom to prevent collision. This may be because many Madrilenos don't drive, or it may be because they are never in an American hurry. But still, come on... do you have any idea how many times I've nearly been taken out by a baby carriage that came out of nowhere? It's a dangerous city out there!
  

• Pushy little old ladies. Again, maybe I'm just an addict to American efficiency, but last week at Mass an old lady literally shoved me on the way to get communion! At Mass, at communion time the entire church all pushes into the center aisle and then pushes their way forward, leaving me very confused. Am I supposed to let the elderly go first? Am I supposed to be pushy, too? Why are we pushing to receive the Body of Christ?!?! These people are crazy!!!!!
  

Well, tomorrow begins another school week. However, this school week is infinitely cooler than any previous school week because I'm receiving my first visitor on Thursday! That's right Europe, look out! A Bernhardt woman is slated to arrive muy pronto!

Chao, amigos... hasta luego!