What's the big deal?

I was just sitting on the bus the other day and I suddenly thought 'why is being here so different?' and it made me think. Really what difference does it make that I am in another country? It shouldn't really should it? I can still pick up the phone and talk to my parents. I can still probably get home within about 5 hours. I can still go to the shop and buy food. I can still pretty much do all the things I did when I was living in Southampton.

There is clearly a difference from living at home with my parents, but why is it different from living at university? Loads of reasons. That's why. And its more than just a new flat.

Sometimes when you are just in your own little world its hard to know why living away from your home country is so much harder then living in a new city within it. You wouldn't have your old friends there, you wouldn't automatically know what bus to take to work, you wouldn't know what time the local shop was open until, you wouldn't be able to remember the names of all your new flatmates friends... the list of similarities goes on.
But the point is in your home country; the place you grew up; the place where you have lived all your life, you know how to find these things out.
You take so much for granted in your own country. You know where you can go for a cheap dinner. What shop on the high street you will be able to by plasters in. You vaguely know what time the bank will shut. You know the the nearest supermarket will be a Tesco/Sainsburys/Asda. You know that you will be able to look up all the train times on national rail. That you just need to search for a post office to send a letter. Little things you don't even know you know.

Obviously I live in a Country with a language barrier. But I don't this would stop all the problems. Yes, its genuinely tiring to keep up whilst listening to a foreign language all the time until you actually switch off completely. You stop even trying to understand what the people around you are talking about let alone what they are saying. But that's not the real issue. The issue is everything is new. Sometimes I wander around a shop looking for something as simple as a notepad before I realise there is no way the local supermarket is going to sell one. They would in the UK. I could go to Tesco express and buy one within 5 minutes of my house.

The cultural differences are always there as well, and I am only just starting to really notice them. People eat at different times, people have a different work life balance, TV shows are on at different times, appropriate clothes are different. For example in the summer here it all revolves around family but once the summer starts to leave it all becomes much more work orientated. Not that that's a bad thing, but its something which is different. And I couldn't go much further without mentioning greetings. I WILL FOREVER BE AWKWARD WITH THE CHEEK KISSING. FULL STOP. This might just be an ingrained part of my personality or it might be that its just so different from the UK I never learnt as a child what you should do. But I have a strange feeling I will have to stop myself trying to kiss everyone when I come back to England; here you kiss the person you have just meet when you are saying bye. But you don't kiss work colleagues in the mornings which I have come to understand you would do in France. Oh and I think the German's go for one kiss, and Romanian people have more of a hug involved. The list goes on. Good job I am used to awkward moments.

So why is it harder. It's harder because you have to think about everything all the time. You wonder if the person next to you on the bus is offended you don't speak the language. Its a constant battle of trying to 'fit in' without making it feel alien. None of these things are an issue in your home country. But it's not bad, it's a challenge. It has also made me realise I am willing to go for a job anywhere in the UK because at least I will be able to have a propa cuppa when I sit down at the end of the day in my strange new scary flat.

Next time I promise I will update you on what I have been doing! But for now here is a nice picture of Catalonia's independence day 'celebrations'

I cannot even begin to explain how crazy this was... I felt like the only person not wearing red or yellow on the streets. (I wasn't, and it would have been even more weird wearing the colours if I am not even sure if I support it or not) Quite a site really. 

Waterfalls, Flamenco and Fun

This week I have had lots of fun even though it was my first proper week back at work for ages! (That was a bit of a killer, its strange how quickly you forget how tiring working in a lab is...) 

Anyway enough about work. This is a post about all the other fun things I have seen and done this week and I am going to try and make it short and sweet seeming as I have actually managed the one post a week thing. 

So on Tuesday I went to a place where all the tapas is 1€. Sounds amazing but I have to admit I won't be running back in a hurry. What it really is is different toppings, some of which were yummy, some not so much, on slices of bread. And then they bring around different hot tapas from time to time. It was fun though and great to meet up with some people on an otherwise quite dull Tuesday evening. But this kind of sums up how I feel about Spanish food at the moment, nothing is really wowing me about it - it seems most of the time to be a bit too carby which is not good for the waste line at all and the cake here is seriously lacking. (plus I still haven't got round to sorting the gym out again.. oppssss) Maybe it is just a case of having to try loads of new restaurants to find the hidden gems! I have also been thinking about what I miss from the UK and  the only food I crave is a proper tea and cake and also HP sauce. Random I know....

This is the totally crazy flamenco lady
 who I was quite convinced was
 going to slap the old guy in
 front of us who kept calling her guapa
and clapping! Something I
 have learnt you do not do in flamenco shows!! 

Thursday evening I went along to a free flamenco show in a bar. It was different to say the least, a crowded Spanish bar (obviously very noisy as everywhere in Spain is) being told of by this crazy lady making everyone be quiet for the show with varying levels of success! It was good fun though and I quite enjoyed it. I know its not really a big thing in this part of Spain so I would like to see a traditional show if I am ever in the south of Spain. 

Then yesterday we jumped on the metro with some food we had brought from the market and went to nearly the end of the line, at least further than I have been before and found this amazing park. It was the Parc del Laberint d'Horta and it was so quiet and peaceful, you wouldn't even know that you were still in the city. To set the scene I saw at lease 2 different wedding parties having their photos taken in the park so  I have however been eaten alive by some evil insects but other than that totally worth it! I have also been shown this super cute cafe which has its seats in the window, and this is somewhere I would have to take anyone who comes and visits! Too addicted to coffee.... 

Shot of a waterfall we found in the park. It was so worth the 2€ entry

Girls enjoying some drinks alfresco

Also trying to plan some weekend trips away in the next couple of months so if anyone has any suggestions of cities you have to visit in Spain (or anywhere else in Europe really) let me know! I also so put out the offer again to anyone to come and visit. I am quiet the tour guide now :)