Some funny things about being in Spain

Ok! This blog is back in business. I am going to re-open it with some anecdotes, observations, and tips about life in Spain. The follow in no particular thematic, chronological, geographical, or grammatical order.

The other day I was standing at the Metro station waiting to meet someone to go see a room I was interested in renting (the room I am currently in, actually). As I stood there, a man came up to me carrying a suitcase and asked me if I could watch his luggage for him while he went back to his car, parked a block away, to get the rest. I told him I was sorry, I was expecting someone to pick me up any minute. He thanked me and trundled off to ask someone else. I thought this very odd, and definitely not something that would ever occur in the US of A. "Pardon me complete stranger, could you please hold my valuables and guard them until I return?" Ha. Again, I say "Ha." Not in a majillion years. Strangers are just the sorts of people who may disappear with your things, leaving you thing-less without any means of tracking said stranger down. In Spain apparently (and I have verified this to be true with some old-hands), thieving is an anonymous affair. Some of the best pickpockets in Europe may be found in Spain, but the minute you make personal contact, no anonymous thievery is possible. The potential victim has seen the face of the potential thief, and the fact that the thief could very easily pinch the victim's things and disappear into the urban woodwork, the principle of anonymous thievery would be violated. Therefore, the stranger becomes a much safer bet than simply leaving your luggage unattended.

An interesting mentality.

Another perhaps little known fact about Spain is that it is the world's largest olive producer. Maybe I am just ignorant, but for some reason in my mind the stereotype of a land flowing with wine and olives has always been monopolized by Italy, with occasional attempts at usurpation by Greece. I have since seen the light--and tasted the olives. Mmm...

Along with the Spanish olive production vs. Italian stereotype, there is a rather scandalous tale of how Italy stole the "birth right" of Spain to hold primary olive-exporting rights. I won't go into detail until I can get a re-accounting of it from someone, but let's just say it has to do with satellite photos and lots of fake olive trees. dun dun duuuuuun...

Spaniards smoke a lot. Europe smokes a lot, actually, but Spain smokes more than Germany, which I thought was impossible. In the past couple of years, with new legislation, the number of smokers has gone down (either they stopped or died, I'm not sure which), which is good news. However the current level of smokers is still so high that it doesn't bear thinking about the amount of tobacco smog that must have choked the atmosphere here in days gone by. I very well may come return from Spain addicted to cigarettes simply through intense exposure to second hand smoke.

Just kidding.

I hope.

Well that's all for now, except for two words:

Figs. Magic.