Perplexations...

Ok I think I made that word up.

Things that have made me titter in Spain so far.

- All the Spanish staff in work don't eat their fruit like me, ie. stuffing it into your mouth. It's a very delicate process. They get a plate and a knife, then they peel whatever fruit it is, apple, pear whatever. Then they slice it into delicate little slices and feed themselves slices off the knife. Mouths are dabbed with napkins. It's so civilised! I feel like a slobbish glutton crunching into my whole, unpeeled apple.

One of the girls in work said that the last school she worked in, everyone did that too, and a colleague of hers was too shy to eat an apple in front of anyone for the first year of her job because she couldn't peel it in one slick move like all the Spanish staff. Poor girl probably has scurvy by now.

-People put olive oil on bread and toast. There's not a sliver of margarine to be seen. I thought it was weird at first at break time, pouring olive oil onto my bread slice, but I quite like it now, it's probably healthier too..?

-My middle name is prounouced 'Hané'. My middle name is no longer the most unimaginative middle name in the UK (Jane, apologies to all my middlenamedJane friends), but Hané, it sounds better.

-People are ridiculously lovely and friendly most of the time (I'm saying most of the time because the social security office man was a byatch, but I suppose that's most public sector workers for you)...in the shop last night the guy gave us free lollipops for D and J. At the post office today, the lady gave me a free mint, 'For my cough' she said :) I've died and gone to heaven.

-Old ladies laugh. This was not a regular occurence in Portugal, but I swear I have seen old dears laughing, and dare I say it, enjoying themselves!

-It's normal for kids to be up at 10pm. My boss said she keeps her 2 year olds up until 1am during the summer holidays. How do you cope I shrieked at her! Mine are usually in bed by 7pm so I can chill out and get a break. Last night we were at a swing park at 9pm, it was floodlit. Little kids playing out at 9pm. It's crazy to me. D and J really enjoyed it (and their free lollipops) and arrived home in a giggly, sticky-mouthed, tired, happy heap. This is better than going to bed early. I could get used to it. I suppose it's better for us all because it means we can actually do more stuff when I get back from work. No one bats an eyelid if you take kids into a café or restaurant late.

-I can't find sausages in the supermarket. Only chorizo, and me and mum have got sausage cravings (hee hee). Must find them.

-I might turn into a tortilla de patata. It's the free tapas of choice. I love that you get free food. There's a place in town where you only need to buy one drink and you get plates and plates of free tapas. You don't need to pay for dinner! (Ok this is not really perplexing me, just a statement that I might turn into a tortilla if I don't stop this madness).

..I can't think of anymore but I'm sure there are more. If I think of any more I'll be sure to add it. Or if you've got any please add! :)

xxx