When living in a new country, you notice unusual habits. Here are 9 that have really stood out to me.
1. Jorts in the gym
This is a new one for me. Never in the US have I ever encountered someone strolling up to the gym in jeans. Unless they were going to change before working out. Here, I have seen quite a few men with jean shorts and belts using the weight and even sometimes cardio machines. Uncomfortable. To say the least.
2. Going out
At Villanova, on a "fun" night, the latest I come home tends to be around 2 AM. In Spain, the average young person starts getting ready for the "discoteca," or club, around midnight and meanders home around 5 or 6 AM. If you leave before 3, something is wrong.
3. The drinking culture
Obviously, the legal drinking age is younger in most of Europe. With the law being much less restrictive, people simply take drinking less seriously. It is common to have a drink with lunch and dinner. Especially when a bottle of wine costs 1 euro!
4. Restaurants
No, you don't have to tip the waiter. Yes, they don't care if you're waiting a while for your food. Yes, you have to pay for water unless you specifically ask for tap (which they often don't allow). No, you, in most cases, cannot split the check.
5. Public transit
This bullet may be inaccurate, but the bright yellow Metro buses make me think that they are much cleaner than the subways in New York. Who knows?
6. Fast food
Fast food is just not the same in Europe. The McDonald's in Madrid serves beer and McCroquettas. And is not exactly fast.
7. Iced Coffee. Or just ice and coffee.
Don't be disappointed when you ask for an iced coffee and they literally bring you ice and a coffee. Surprisingly, it's pretty good and the coffee tends to be much tastier anyway.
8. Laundry
In the US, I use a dryer for most of my clothes and occasionally have to relentlessly pull out the drying rack and annoy my roommate by placing it in the middle of our tiny room. On the other hand, in Spain my host family hangs their clothes outside the window of their second floor apartment. This causes many problems for me when I try to rush while hanging out my clothes. My first week living here I dropped my pants and had to bother all the neighbors to retrieve them. Just last week my host mom came to me asking if the underwear that her neighbors were asking about were mine. Oops.
9. Classes
In the US we grade out of 100%. In Spain, they use a scale of 1-10. And I only have to get a 6 to pass. And all my classes are pass/fail. Guess who is really happy right now.
Going to the cinema alone is good for your mental health, says science
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