¡Viviendo en España!
(above photo was taken by the talented J Cornelius)
This is my second week living in Avilés, Spain and I already have so much to say. Granted, this is my first European extravaganza, but I find this place to be quite magical. Its beautiful. Probably couldn’t stress that enough. The architecture is beautiful, the roads are beautiful (mostly cobblestone and brick and the like), the people are beautiful, blah, blah, blah. I sound like an American tourist. Oh, I am! But, seriously:
Life runs at a slower pace, here. I find myself integrating very well, in that respect. I enjoy walking a a little slower than usual and eating 3 or 4 hour meals. If I ever relocate to another place, I hope to come back when I grow old. The old ladies like to walk around in pairs, holding on to each other and walking quite slowly. They murmur amongst themselves about things that seem to be pleasant. Everyone walks in the middle of the road (in the downtown center) and cars don’t seem to mind. Dogs walk around without leashes and seem as happy as the people.
I can say, however, that this is the most vegan-unfriendly place there may be. Had I not been (supposedly) allergic to wheat, I would’ve accepted what appeared to be a dinner roll. When my co-workers bit into them, they discovered a surprise: Ham! Though, this shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. Ham is in everything. Apparently, this town used to be ruled by Muslims, and no one was allowed to eat pig. When they declared their liberty from said Muslims, they went pig-crazy. Now, pig legs and sausage links hang from the window of every storefront and inside every bar (this is no exaggeration). Its hard to get used to, but I do my best to ignore it. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a vegan meal here. The only vegetarian dish I’ve seen thus far consists only of eggs and mushrooms. Lots of eggs. Eggs and Ham, folks. Eggs and ham…
Prior to living here, I had been working from home for a little over a year and a half. I’ll admit, I was a bit nervous about working in an office again. So far, its been quite the delight! Everyone shows up to the office whenever… 8am, 10am, whenever. They stroll in, say friendly hellos and get to work. Its quiet, with the exception of us boisterous Americans. That’s something else I’ve noticed! People are so quiet here! I feel like an imbecile, when I realize that I’m nearly shouting, and no one else is. Anyway, everyone at the office is very good at fooseball, and they take frequent breaks to prove it. After 8 hours of work, we stroll home and prepare for the night’s 3-hour dinner. Its entirely delightful.
There’s much more I could say, but I feel like I should leave that for another blog post. For now, just know that this is an amazing place and I’m having the time of my life. Oh yes, and if you’re interested in seeing some random photos I’ve snapped thus far, just visit my flickr photostream. (But, forgive… so far, it consists of only iPhone photos).
Adios for now!
February 2nd, 2009