Look How Spanish I've Become!

Living in a foreign country for almost 16 months can really change how you act. I have slowly noticed these changes in myself, whether from my own self-reflection or someone pointing them out to me. A few things stick out:

- I talk very Andalusian. One might compare this silliness with a Spaniard who comes to live in Texas and leaves with a full-on southern drawl. I drop all the "s" s from my words. I try to talk as fast and close-mouthed as possible. I ask for American things in a Spanish accent (ex. E-sprite instead of "Sprite"). I make big hand motions to go along with my words. I tack "vamos" onto the end of almost every statement. Basically all this time of having the Andalusian accent around me day and night has really infiltrated my sub-conscious, because more and more my co-workers say "Mira la Aubree. Que Andaluz habla!" (Look at Aubree. What Andalusian [Spanish] she speaks!")

- I have a very, very serious addition to Spanish coffee and serrano ham. I have at least 2 cups of cafe con leche a day. This isn't your average watered down coffee- this is some strong, strong stuff. And the ham, oh the ham! Don't even get me started on it. I eat it on toast every morning (with tomatoes and olive oil. YUM) and have been known to purchase ham pizza or ham flavored Ruffles chips (yes, they have those here, and they are fantastic). Will I be able to survive on American coffee and york ham when I move back to the States? To be continued.....

- I now eat seafood with the best of them. Before coming to Seville, my idea of seafood consisted of peeled baby shrimp and maybe the odd breaded fish stick. No more. I now have no qualms about eating mussels from the shell, squid in its own ink or even ripping a giant shrimp head off and eating the body. This didn't happen naturally, mind you. I got some great tips from my Spanish friends. The best advice came from my friend Lola who said, "don't look at the little beady eyes when you decapitate it". Ha!

- I also eat lots of cold soup (gazpacho and salmorejo) and olives- two things I despised before Spain. Now I love them!

- If I go into a bar to have a beer or tapa, I don't take a seat. I stand at the bar, like the locals do. I throw used napkins on the ground (like everyone does). I don't ask for a beer, I tell them to give me one. (Again, only tourists would ask nicely).

- For some reason I have noticed that Spaniards love to talk to themselves. In public. And no one seems to mind. While I don't usually talk to myself in public, I do talk to myself from time to time, and its nice to know I can do so out in the open if needed and I still won't be considered crazy.

- I blame everything on the economic crisis. Spain has been hit very hard by these difficult financial times, and they like to blame everything on the crisis to relieve their stress. Your beer is warm? It's the crisis! Stain on your shirt? Oh, the bloody crisis!

- I stare in amazement at tourists that insist on wearing tank tops and shorts when its 20 degrees celsius (do the math). As someone who comes from the midwest, that temperature in February should seem downright toasty to me. Not even close. I am huddled up in my leather jacket and scarves with the best of them. I also don't wear open toed shoes or sandals in public until after Feria (mid-April). That's what most Sevillians do.

- I stare in general. When I first came to Spain I was taken back by how people just stared at me. For no reason. But I learned not to take it personally because Spaniards, as a general rule, just simply like to stare and scope out their surroundings. I now find myself doing that ALOT. To the point that it would be rude in the US. Gotta work on that one before I come back :)

And a few Spanish things I STILL refuse to do:

- Get a mullet haircut
- Wear the new fad of pants- jeans that are tight in the legs and loose everywhere else. I call them "diaper pants".
- Get a piercing on my lip, around my lip, anywhere in the lip area.
- Be late- I still think its important to be on time and it shows that you take things seriously. I always arrive to my private lessons ON THE DOT. If I arrive early, I wait around their neighborhood and then ring their doorbell at the exact hour.
- Say thank you- my mom taught me well, and I don't care how "non-spanish" it is, I will always say "thank you" if someone gives me something, gets me something, or does something for me. It's just common sense.