Changes In Routine

Today in Madrid there was a lot of coverage on the September 11 memorials in the news. Today was also the funeral for the 140+ victims of the plane crash at the Madrid airport that occurred just a week before our arrival. As we walked past the Palace Royal today, we noticed heavy police activity and found out later that this was the location of the funeral.

One thing that has been a little different for us here is our detachment from the media and from U.S. news. I worried about this a little before going abroad. Although we were not big TV watchers by any means (except for a few cooking programs we enjoyed watching on the Food Network), we were very devoted readers of the newspaper every morning. The first few days here I struggled with knowing what to do with myself while eating breakfast. No Los Angeles Times delivered to the door, and no home-brewed pot of coffee. Two of my favorite things…. with no way to access them here. Of course, I could buy a coffee pot (But then what would I do with it once we continue our travels?) and there are international newspapers to purchase… but a change in routine is good for us. Only by shifting our routines are we experiencing the true culture the way the Spaniards do.

So now our mornings look a little different. We prepare our breakfast and eat together on the tiny desk we’ve been using as our dining table. The Spanish TV news accompanies our meal in the background, and we do our best to pick up words and phrases to get a gist of the headlines of the day. The news seems to cover several big issues here in Spain: the number of fatalities from car accidents in the prior day (you wouldn’t believe how high it is after the weekends), the football (soccer) report, the immigration status, and many updates on all things political here in Spain. We’ve become quite acquainted with the face of the Prime Minister as he’s shown daily. They’ve also done a good job of covering the U.S. election, although it’s a little frustrating that once we see the footage and begin to hear a word or two spoken in English, their speaker right away dubs over it with the Spanish translation… leaving us back to our own interpretations.

As far as the ½ pot of coffee I used to prepare and imbibe to jump start my day… now I wait until our school break at 11am, when Travis and I run down the street to our new favorite café. As far as drinking coffee goes here in Spain, it’s not a Starbucks/Coffee Bean to-go culture. Instead, you head straight to the counter, sit on a barstool, and drink your coffee there. Drinking at the bar is cheaper than sitting at a table. If there are no seats available at the counter, it’s appropriate to stand near it while you quickly enjoy your drink. Oddly enough, it’s also completely acceptable to drop your trash on the ground. Very bizarre. Here we sit in this lovely little café, yet on the ground near our feet are empty sugar packets and wadded up napkins! Of course, all coffee must be accompanied by a pastry. The counter has a display of multiple types of pan (breads), croissants and tostatas; (fantastic toasted bread, almost like that of a french toast consistency, served with either jam, marmalade, nuttella or a tomato spread and a modest drizzle of honey… we have yet to try the last topping, but it appears to be the most popular amongst the locals), Travis has really enjoyed choosing a different one to taste each day. Once we begin working next week, we will not be in the same neighborhood to frequent this favorite café of ours. Thus, another change in routine! If we’re given a “coffee break” in the mornings, perhaps we can meet up in a new place being that we’re only several blocks apart. I’m sure we will have no difficulty finding a new spot. Did you know that Madrid contains more bars and cafes per square mile that any other city in Europe?

Well to close for tonight, this is just a sampling of one of our ‘typical’ routines we have changed living here abroad. For anyone who knows me well, they’d be pretty quick to say that I’m a very routine person. As an example, I tend to eat the exact same breakfast and lunch everyday. That might tell you something! Changing a routine has never been preferable to me. Yet here, I’ve found it delightfully refreshing to ‘shake things up a little,’ jump into the vivid surroundings and throw out some of the old schedules and habits. Maybe I just really needed an opportunity to jump right in and get my feet all wet. Traveling, for me, has been that perfect opportunity.