Just wanted to introduce you to "Lovin' it...Missin' it", our running list of things we are enjoying here in Barcelona and those that we miss from home. It goes without saying that our family and friends are always on the "Missin' it" side.
Besides this list providing us with much to blog about, we hope it gives you a peek into everyday life in Barcelona.
So thus far on the "lovin' it" side we have:
- World news
- Coke with sugar
- Toilettes
World news...One thing that we've both found since we've been here is that Europe seems to pay a lot more attention to world news than the US. Maybe things are more boring here...I don't know. It's been nice to hear about the events in Africa, and Asia... I feel like you really have to search for these stories in the states.
It is also fascinating to hear their perspective on the US and It's involvement/or lack thereof in world events. I know you've heard about it, but people here are especially interested in President-elect Obama. The cable man came here the other day. He asked us if we were from the U.S. and then quickly followed up with a fist in the air and an "Obama"...it was cute. He was excited about it too. This was the first time I've been in a different country and I didn't feel the need to apologize after I say I'm from the states....it was a really good feeling.
Coke with sugar...Yes, sugar, not high fructose corn syrup...and it tastes sooooo much better.
Toilettes...All the toilettes here have buttons to push after you're done...press the big one for a big flush...press the little one for a little flush. It is so simple, but it must save soooooo much water to just press the small flush button after a pee. I get a kick out of it, and I'm sure as conservation becomes more of an issue in the US, you'll probably be seeing a lot more of these toilettes popping up.
And now onto the "Missin' it" list:
- Pretzels
- Spicy food
- Target
Pretzels...They have plenty of chips here, but we have yet to find pretzels. It's not like pretzels were our favorite snack before, but there is something about knowing that you can't get them that makes me crave them even more.
Spicy food...I was really surprised, but they just don't have a liking for spicy food here :(. I'm sure we'll be picking up some red hot and some dried pepper flakes to bring back with us the next time we are in the states. I will miss the hot peppers though ( so mom and dad, if you are reading this, I hope you still have some in the freezer).
Target...In Barcelona the "one stop shop" does not exist. You go one place for your food, another for over the counter drugs, another for a cooking pot, another for a door lock, another for CDs...etc. And unfortunately, in most circumstances these places aren't close to each other, making buying a random list of items quite the ordeal. It's still really hard to know where to get certain things, but I guess that comes with time.
