The Bad

I love Spain. I really do. I love that shopkeepers don´t harass me when I merely want to windowshop. I love that people assume that I´m a native Spaniard and when I flub up their language, they don´t deride me. I love the nocturnal culture (to which I´m still becoming accustomed) and the smell of paella but I draw the line at--

1) MULLETS. They´re like a nightmare that I live day and night. I wonder if they never left Europe, or if (worse) they are making a fashion comeback. If the latter, than I should prepare myself for at least another year of them, when I get back to the States and all of the guys there finally catch up. Some days, I have violent urges to chop off every mane that I see with a sharp pair of scissors. Another violent urge: kicking a pigeon. They´re so damn arrogant.

2) Pint-size toilets and elevators. I had been warned in advance, but they´re claustrophobic nonetheless.

3) Seeing Burger Kings, McDonalds, KFC, and Starbucks everywhere in Madrid. Que triste! Along the same lines, there are several (bad) tv shows in the states that have been dubbed into Spanish. Kelly and I are subjected to them during every meal. Our family watches TV all day, every day.

Surprisingly, my vegetarianism has gone over quite well here. I get a variety of vegetables, fruit bread, cheese and milk here, and quite balanced meals. In fact, the produce is much more varied and fresh here, which I like.