Life in Spain so Far: Lo que pica, y lo que non

Lo que pica:

• Salads.  As Zoë has amply demonstrated on her blog, the Spanish concept of a salad is completely alien to us.  I am even less enthusiastic about canned tuna than she is.
• Noise.  On our street on Friday and Saturday nights.  When people are stuck in traffic on the Calle del Prado, instead of honking their horns, they should use the opportunity to reflect upon their own foolishness in choosing to drive to our neighborhood on a weekend night.
• Smoking.  There are laws that require a certain percentage of the Spanish population to be smoking at all times.  
• Pharmacies.  You have to go to the counter at the pharmacy, and ask the pharmacist for whatever it is you need.  He/she sizes up your symptoms, needs, and perceived ability to pay, and then recommends something.  This is not usually what you want.  A power struggle ensues.  A sale is made before it can escalate into violence.
• Air conditioning.  Less of an issue now that delicious fall weather has set in, but Spaniards in general do not appreciate the joys of human refrigeration, as we do in the US.  Not even in the Biblioteca Nacional.  Perhaps especially not there.
• The educational system.  Spanish schools have been caught completely unprepared to face the huge influx of immigrants the country has experienced during the past 20 years.  Pedagogy is less than cutting edge.  More to come about this.  
• Madrileño Spanish.  Spoken rapid-fire and with a rather closed mouth.  I have been to 13 Spanish-speaking countries and I find madrileños harder to understand than anyone.  Even harder than Dominicans.  

Lo que non:

• The Food.  Deliciousness abounds.  Garlic.  Oil.  Meat.  Salt.  Combined in different ways.  To my delight, potatoes count as a vegetable, not a starch.  More to come about this as well.  
• The art/cultural scene.  We are dazzled by our options when it comes to museums, exhibits, concerts, and the like.  Yesterday we went to a lecture/concert about the Spanish influence on Latin American folk music at the Museo de América.  And it was free.  My favorite price for anything.
• City life.  Everything is in walking distance, or a short metro ride away.  We have no car, and do not miss it.  
• Prices.  Life in Madrid is not cheap, but neither is the city as expensive as other big cities we know, like Boston or DC.  An apartment equivalent to ours in either of those cities would cost twice as much.  Groceries are more affordable than we thought they would be.  Which is a good thing, because we like to eat.  
• The lifestyle.  How can you dislike a place that has snacking and downtime built into the daily schedule?  During the middle of the afternoon, when I usually have no energy to be productive, everything around me tells me to take a break.  Or even a nap!
• Madrileños.  They can be brusque and foul-mouthed, but so can we.  On the whole, friendly and helpful.