Yesterday morning when I was walking to class in Paris, the city was all police cars and sirens. Oblivious being that I am, I blocked out the noise, figuring perhaps Paris is often loud with sirens. Near Notre Dame, I realized there was a bomb siren going off. This I chalked up to “Oh, must […]
Category: Cultural Differences
The Case of the Cloistered Nun Cookies
More than a year ago I was with a group of friends talking about our upcoming move to Madrid when one friend exclaimed “You must find these amazing cookies made by nuns” and proceeded to tell me a story about her quest to find these special cookies during a trip to Madrid. It ended well […]
Kissing in Spain
There is a lot of kissing in Spain. From young people passionately making out in the streets, to kissing new and old friends hello, to signing off emails with “besos” (that’s kisses in Spanish), kisses here are everywhere. There is no sense in resisting. Every walk in the park reveals intertwined couples rolling around in […]
Why Do Americans Refrigerate Eggs?
I remember the first time I went to the grocery store in Yemen. I was surprised by a number of things: That there was no cheese section, that there was a separate place to pay for bread and produce, and that I was followed around by a gaggle of curious boys. But I was most […]
Best Bites: A Meaty Restaurant with Something for Vegetarians
You probably wouldn’t think that a longtime vegetarian would swoon over a restaurant with a name that translates to “Chop Room.” Yet, here it is. Mr. Dame in Spain and I were tipped off to the existence of this new foodie haven by the excellent 36 Hours in Madrid article in the New York Times. […]
There Ain’t No Party Like a Spanish Party…
…because a Spanish party don’t stop. Or at least it goes really, really late. Mr. Dame in Spain and I had an important milestone this past weekend: We hosted our first party. This is important because we love throwing parties, and because it means we actually know enough people that will come to our party. […]
The Cultural Adjustment Cycle
Wednesday was a red letter day for me in Spain. I successfully asked for all of my desired vegetables in the market, got my hair cut and highlighted (and even cracked a joke with my stylist!), and, most importantly, after spending four hours over the past several days on the truly terrible RENFE website (Spain’s […]
El Gimnasio Español
Mr.Dame in Spain and I are very frequent gym-goers, some might say gym rats. I wouldn’t call us that because it implies that I work out in nothing but a sports bra and he in a tank with armpit holes so big you could see his belly button and that we both slurp powdery protein […]
The Six Stages of Being Lost in a Foreign City
Today, I went out to run a quick errand. I spent the next two-and-a-half hours being lost. First, I was joyfully lost. Then I was hopelessly lost. I think I experienced at least a dozen human emotions today before 2pm. The arc pretty much followed this, the Six Stages of Being Lost in a Foreign […]
Know Thy Neighbors
Growing up, I loved having tons of neighbors to be friends with. Our subdivision was full of kids my age. There was the girl whose backyard was filled with McDonald’s playground equipment. And in addition to burger-themed slides, she had a trampoline, making her backyard pretty much the most fun thing in existence. Then there […]
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