The Spanish Plague

Adapted from Sam's post which can be found here: 'The Plague'.

After reading this, I couldn't help but notice some similarities between Turkey and Spain. "The Plague" that we talk about is made up of different customs and beliefs, differenting between coutries. They seem to be...contagious. The intensity of the Spanish Plague ranges from family to family. A dozen ways to stay 'healthy' in Spain are as follows.

1). Walkinglento Disease- Walking slowly. The Spanish from what I've noticed walk very slow. It doesn't matter where you are. Wherever you are going (if you actually have a destination) doesn't seem to be important enough, so they take their time. Also, they never wear the appropriate shoes (heels, shoes without support...) for walking long distances, so this usually ends up with a lot of hurt feet at the end of the day. A five minute walk for me takes on average I've noticed about 15 minutes. This has been something I've struggled to adapting... as I haven't been able to learn quite yet how to walk that slow.

Tourists are the oblivious roadblocks.

2). Shoes. Shoes must be worn in the house at all times. You may be brave and opt to slippers, but you must always have shoes on. If you don't have shoes on...it's bad for you. Very bad. Infact, it is a rule to wear shoes. If you opt to wear socks...that is just wrong. You can wear shoes without socks...but you must have one or the other.

3). Shoes. Again? Yes. If you choose to break the rule, you must ABSOLUTELY NOT open the refrigerator. This can be deadly as you can receive an electric shock. Only socks are not good enough. You are not allowed to open the door without shoes on.

Refrigerator without shoes? Mind=Blown. I found it kind of funny. Then again, they use 220V (or something significantly higher) so I suppose this could be the difference. Along with refrigerators you are also not allowed to operate any type of "big" electricity object. This includes hairdryers, stereo systems, freezers, microwaves, or really anything else in general that is "big" electricity. The shoes are for if you get a shock, it leaves through your shoes. I have never in my life heard of this, but supposeably "many people die" from opening the refrigerator without wearing shoes. I have never heard of this before, and would be interested to know the statistics.

4). Water. "A lot" of water must not be drank after excercising. This can kill you. (I have yet to figure this one out.) Also, it is "not good" to drink (water) a lot during a meal. I drink the most water, as others only drink half a glass (the glasses are TINY...3.5inches tall? less?) of water during meals to advoid getting sick.

5). Shower. If you are not used to taking a shower after eating (which would be "everyone minus me") it can be deadly. By showering your digestion can be cut and you can really sick and even die. Hair must always be dryed with a hairdryer (when you have shoes on) because even in the summer it can make you sick.

6). Food. Fruit must be eaten after your main course. Milk must be drunk after fruit. It is very bad for you to eat anything after you drink milk. It can seriously mess up your digestion.

7). The skin of all fruit MUST be taken off. Everything is peeled with a regular knife. Apples, plums, pears, you name it- the skin MUST come off. The skin of fruit is VERY VERY VERY bad for you and can not only make you very sick and give you digestion problems, it gives you gas as well.

8). Air. The air from the car's air conditioning makes people sick, therefore it is never on and the windows are rolled down.

9). Even in 60degree weather, it is cold and the fireplace should be kept on. 75 degree weather calls for longsleeves.

10). Rugs. The rugs in the house are taken out in the summer. Rugs heat up the house and make you feet become overheated.

11). It is only good to wash your hair about 2 times a week.

12). Smoking is not a 'sickness' that makes your sick.



There's usually no explanation minus, "It'll make you sick."





So there's the list of new 'sicknesses' I've found. Fortunately, my host family understands that I am from a different culture and do things a bit differently. I do wear shoes in the house, and the rugs are going out for the summer, but as far as things like washing my hair or showering right after I eat are allowed. The biggest surprise I have found was about the refrigerator and shoes.

Though all of this can sound rather strange to someone, these are little cultural differences. That doesn't mean that everyone in Spain or even half of the people here think in the same way, but the 'exchange' experience isn't just learning the culture- but how other individual families do things.



Stay healthy,

-mb