Cultural differences: The good, the bad, and the confusing

I have now been in Spain for over three weeks. Most of the culture shock has worn off, and now I am experience what I would like to call "cultural annoyance." I am no longer surprised that it will take a  waiter 20 minutes to give our change back, but I am annoyed by it. On the other hand, I am no longer surprised that the streets come to life at night, but am still charmed by it. 

Things I miss about the US:

• Bagels: I would kill for a bagel and cream cheese. They do sell bagel-like items at the Dunkins here, but they serve them spanish style with tomatoes and olive oil (and since its Dunkins, it does not look very fresh). They have cream cheese in Spain, which they refer to as Philadlephia (Fee-lah-dehl-fee-ah), but they spread it on regular bread or put it in ice cream (which is delicious). The combination of bagel and cream cheese is impossible to find. 
• Customer service: The idea that the customer is always right does not exist in Spain. No one gets tipped, so they don't really care if you were happy with the service or not. Waiters greet you with "Dime," literally "tell me." There is no please or thank you. Suzy and I had the worst service of our lives last night. Highlights included when the waiter brought us bread that was so stale we couldn't open it and then charged us for it on the bill and when he literally walked away from us as we were ordering to go talk to someone else. I have gotten many a dirty look at ice cream places when I ask to try a flavor (it's allowed, they will just give you sass). This past weekend, our hotel rooms weren't ready for a while, and they were so rude every time we asked when they would be ready. They never even apologized for giving them to us an hour and a half late. Customer service might be the thing I miss most about America.
• Cell phone usage: Here I have a Vodafone flip phone for calls and texts within Spain and can only use my iphone on wifi. I really miss being able to talk to whoever I want, whenever I want.
• Efficiency: In America, time is money. In Spain, there seems to be an endless supply of time. Everything takes forever. Your restaurant bill was 15 euros and you paid with a 20? You better have an extra 20 minutes to wait for change. People slowly meander through the streets. If you email someone, who knows when they will get back to you. Nothing ever seems to be a pressing matter here. I am not a patient person by any means, so this has been very hard for me. 
• Shopping in the afternoon: Between 2-5:30, most smaller stores are closed for siesta. This is very frustrating if you are out during that time. 
• Reese's cups: Peanut butter isn't really a thing here. I have found Reese's Cups in the "Taste of America" section at El Corte Ingles, but they were much more expensive than in the US. If anyone sends me a package, please include these. 
• English: Sweet, sweet English. Language of Shakespeare and Harry Potter. I never realized how hard it would be to not speak your native language all the time. English can usually be found, but I am here to practice Spanish, so I only speak English with people from home and sometimes with my friends from the program. My Spanish is definitely getting better, but it is a daily struggle.
• Wawa: Who wouldn't miss Wawa? They don't really have an equivalent here. They have VIPS, which is sort of a fancy convenience store mixed with a Barnes and Noble mixed with the non-clothing section of Urban Outfitters, but it is not the same. You cannot get a soft pretzel and slurpee for under $3 at 3 am. However, you can get pretty much anything else at 3am here, so its a trade-off. 
• Messiness: Appearances are very important in Spain. People's houses are crazy clean and inviting people over is a huge deal. Most people (my host mom included) have a big room in their house that is spotless and fully decorated and never used. It is only for company. This is also common in the US, but people tend to have bigger houses, so it seems like less of a waste. Personal appearance is everything. I constantly feel underdressed here. My host mom is very concerned that I go to class with wet hair. The women here always have perfect hair, makeup, and clothing. Going out in yoga pants is NOT a thing. I miss the US, where it is okay to have a slightly messy room and to go to the grocery store in a groutfit. 
• Personal space: I'm all for the openness and warmth here, but giving the dos besos to a creepy guy you just met? No thanks. People talk super close to your face and walk really close together. It doesn't bother me as much as it does other people, but it takes some getting used to.
• AM and PM: They use military time here instead of AM and PM. Seems like a small difference, but when quickly looking at a schedule, it can be very annoying.

Things I will miss about Spain when I go home

• Things open at night: Back home, the streets are dead by 8, but here, most stores are open until 9 and restaurants and bars are open until 2 or 3. Clubs don't even get going until 2. I never feel unsafe walking home alone at night because there are so many other people out.
• Cien Montaditos: This is probably the best chain of all time (sorry Chipotle). The name means 100 sandwiches, and yes, they actually have 100 different sandwich combinations. The sandwiches are tiny, and you order them by their specific number (e.g. "I would like a 3 and a 52"). They are usually between 1 and 3 euros each, but on Sundays and Wednesdays, everything is 1 euro. They also have free wifi. There is one in New York, and I highly recommend everyone go.
• Sangria and Tinto de Verano: These might be touristy drinks, but they are pretty much all I drink here. Everyone should know what sangria is, and tinto de verano is red wine mixed with lemon soda. They are very tasty and usually not too expensive. I will try to make them back home, but I don't think it will be the same.
• Siesta: During the hot months (September is included), most things are closed down from 2-5 and people go home to eat and sleep. The main purpose is to get out of the midday sun. If you are walking around at 3 in August, you are a tourist. A socially acceptable naptime is an amazing thing. However, I rarely actually use my siesta for sleeping, as I find it messes up my sleep schedule. Instead, I usually use it to talk to people back home or get work done. Now that classes have started, siesta time will disappear, which is a tragedy. 
• Sunshine: The sun is incredibly strong here, which can be a good and a bad thing. Good, because it makes it warm for most of the year, and bad when you are trying to walk around when it is 90 degrees out. However, I really appreciate how much sun there is here and I am very excited to not have to deal with real winter until I go home. Also, Spanish people love their sun, and during the cooler months everyone sits at outdoor cafes to "tomar el sol" (take the sun). 
• Free time: Another big cultural difference is that in the US, time is something that needs to be filled, and here, time is something to be enjoyed. Back home, I rarely have free time, and when I do, I feel guilty if I use it to nap or read or watch Netflix instead of doing something productive. Here, everyone seems to have more free time and it is totally fine to take a 2 hour nap or read at a cafe for 3 hours. One of my Spanish teachers in high school told me there is no Spanish word for "hobby" because they don't need an activity to fill their free time. The U.S. could really learn a thing or two from this way of life.
• Spanish food: The food here is great. Jamón, gazpacho, paella, tortilla española, manchego cheese, tons of olive oil, and all the bread you can want. I don't think I will find an acceptable substitute when I go home. 
• Long meals: Both in restaurants and at home, the meals here take much longer than in the US. Meals are a time to enjoy food and the company of friends and family, not a time to wolf down food before your next activity. At restaurants, they will not give you the check until you ask for it, and it is completely acceptable to talk for an hour after you finished your food before asking for the check. 
• El Corte Ingles: This is a Spanish department store. It is sort of a combination of Macy's and Target, but better. There are various ones throughout Seville, including a homegoods one that has a grocery store on the bottom and the main one that has a food court on the top with incredible views of Seville.
• Flamenco: Flamenco is not just a style of dance, it is also a style of music. The "bienal" festival is happening now, a bi-annual festival in Seville of the best flamenco in the world. My friends and I bought tickets to a bienal show last week, thinking that it would be dancing. There was no dancing. Instead, it was a pianist and a bassist playing progressive flamenco music. It was incredible and they were some of the most talented musicians I have ever heard.
• Hot chocolate: "But Eden," you're thinking, "They have hot chocolate in the US!" That is a bold-faced lie. In the US, they have hot chocolate milk. Here, it is almost literally hot liquid chocolate. It resembles pudding more than it does our hot chocolate. Paired with churros, it is heaven. 

One of my goals for the semester is to assimilate into the culture and be more accepting of cultural differences. I am trying, but it is hard. From now on, I will try not to complain about things that are different, so this is my one time to vent. However, overall Spain is lovely and I think everyone should go here at least once in their lives.