Walking: Murcia has 450,000 people, but the city isn't actually all that big. For the most part, you can walk to your destinations within 10 to 15 minutes. But, the local Murcianos, according to my Spanish teacher, don't enjoy walking more than 10 minutes worth, so for those walks that are further, they will take the bus (which leads to such crowded buses) or they will take their cars (there's a TON of traffic here in Murcia for how small the size of the city is). For us foreigners without cars, we walk everywhere, which is great! But... by the end of the day, man can your feet hurt if you're wearing "cute shoes" like the rest of the Spaniards.
The Market: Because a lot of people live within 5 to 10 minutes of a market, they will walk there and therefore can only take as many groceries home as they can carry. You probably have to go to the market twice a week (I've been 3 times since I've been here already). A lot of people have small carts (they look like small strollers) that they bring from home and they lock it up like a bike at the front of the store (then they fill it with groceries to bring home). In the store, the baskets have wheels and a large handle. During busy hours, you're lucky if you can get through the aisles. Also, milk and eggs aren't refigerated here. You buy the milk off the shelf in a plastic container and then when you open it you have to refigerate it. Full skinned rabbits are sold for meat here. It's hard to find things you are looking for if you don't know the Spanish vocab word of that thing; all the packaging is so different. This crazy dried out meat is sold by the leg in every market, at every cafe, and in every restaurant. They just hang it on the wall until you purchase a whole one or they take it down to slice it into pieces.
Light switches: So far, you flip it down to turn it on... backwards of the U.S.
Kitchen: Dishwashers are rare in university apartments. Hand washing everything makes every meal take just a little bit longer.
Coffee: It's not as common to drink coffee here as it is in the U.S., and especially not to drink it on the go. Yes there are cafes, but a coffee is simply sold in a tiny ceramic mug to be drank there at the cafe. Starbucks venti sizes would be unheard of. Usually a cappuccino or "cafe con leche" (coffee with milk) are the most extravagant kinds you can order, unless going to the fancy Drexco coffee shop, where coffee with brandy is a specialty.
Washing clothes: Washing machines are tiny and slow: small loads only. It generally takes FOREVER to do one load. Dryers are extremely rare here in Murcia where the endless sun can sun-dry the clothes. Although, in the winter, it can still take 3 days for clothes to become completely dry.
Spanish beauty: These are my perceptions of Spanish beauty so far. A lot of men have gelled hair, wear scarves, fine leather shoes, leather jackets, and tighter jeans. Very rarely have I seen a man wearing sweatpants, sweatshirts, or tennis shoes. Women are similar in that they always seem dressed up. No sweatpants, yoga pants, no tennis shoes, no sweatshirts. Although, women tend to leave their hair au natural: rarely straightened or curled, usually just air-dried and frizzy. Makeup is usually minimal as well. As far as clothing, women wear heels and nice leather boots all over the city (to the supermarket, to work, and even to their gyms to workout where they will THEN change into tennis shoes). Leather is huge for women as well. Tons of people wear leggings as pants (probably because jeans take a century to air dry). Regardless, everyone is dressed up all the time. I've also been told that the Spanish dress up for the season and not the weather. So even though Murcia will be 65 to 80 degrees within the next two months, it will still be considered winter season, so Murcianos will continue to wear their leather boots, leather jackets, scarves, etc. Sandals aren't worn until summer season actually starts. Flip flops are not worn, ever. You will be called a "guidee" for doing so (meaning "foreigner").
Prices: For the most part, anything American is expensive, and anything local is not. Also, most alcohol is dirt cheap (unless it's something from the U.S. like Smirnoff or Bacardi, these cost about the same). Wine of good quality is anywhere from 1 Euro to 4 (equivalent to 3 to 7 dollars about). The nice wine can be found for 18 Euros or about $30 (but I rarely see anyone reach for wine of that quality; it appears that the low priced wine is sufficient in quality). Here's some super cheap wine!Nightlife: In Spain, "going out" doesn't begin until 12 or 1 am usually. The Spanish will go to their first bar at this time and the young students will generally stay out until 5 or even later dancing at different clubs or hanging with their friends at various bars. 7 am was the time I experienced when my roommates took me and the other new roommate out to visit the city. We came home at 6 am to eat "breakfast" then finally went to bed. The streets are filled with people during the whole night (making all hours pretty safe).
Siesta: Nearly all businesses close from 2 until 5 pm for "la siesta" (nap). The Spanish will go home, have their lunch around 2, perhaps prepare for the dinner meal, and usually take a short nap (so necessary... read "Nightlife section"). Businesses will reopen after 5 and close around 9 pm, although it's not expected that they ever open when their hours are actually listed. Banks usually don't open again after they close at 2 pm unless it's Friday. The siesta definately makes things difficult to accomplish, although I'm becoming accustomed to just relaxing for a few hours and slowing down, just like the Spanish!
Accent: The residents of Murcia have a thick accent that makes it hard to understand the Spanish language here. As if it wasn't difficult enough to try to understand when I'm not a native speaker. They often drop all "s" and "z" sounds, and a lot of words are just cut in half or shortened. The town Murcia is pronounced like "Moor-thee-uh" (and very quickly). "Gracias" is "Gra-thee-uh" (very quickly), and "hasta luego" is simply "sta- luego" (also very quickly). Pretty much everything said is very quick!
Smoking: People smoke all over the place, in most cafes, restaurants, and bars. If you go out, you WILL smell like smoke also. The first night out, it was dizzying how much smoke was in the bar. At the end of each night we have to out hang jackets etc. on the hanging clothesline outside overnight for them to air out and have the smell disappear. There are cigarette vending machines everywhere as well. Quite a different mentality from the United States.
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