Parte Dos!! Is an intro necessary? Great. I didn't think so either. Let's just get straight to it. (And if you didn't read Parte Uno already, shame on you for trying to skip ahead. Go back and read Parte Uno! Just kidding)
... But seriously, read Part One.
1) Spaniards just LOVE to call everything guapo/a. I had learned in high school that "guapo" means attractive, handsome, or pretty. It turns out that the Spanish are incredibly generous with the use of this word and use it for everyone and everything. When I wear a dress to school, my señora is quick to tell me, "¡Ohhh! ¡Que guapa, chica! Cuidado, todos los chicos van a querer hablar contigo." Thanks señora... but you call me guapa every day so I'm not sure if "you look so pretty" means exactly what it does in the States.
Still, it's definitely a confidence boost when everyone calls everyone guapo/a. Heck, I tried on lipstick today at the department store and the saleswoman walked over to me to inform me, "Sí, sí chica. ¡Que guapa! ¡Que linda! Te queda muy muy bien. Un color perfecto para ti." ("Oh, yes, yes! How pretty, what a beauty! It [the lipstick color] fits you so well. A perfect color for you.") Alrighty, ma'am. I appreciate the compliment, but I know you just want me to buy your lipstick. However, I have to say, the compliment made my day and I got to wear fancy lipstick around Granada all day... lookin' like a million bucks.
So, my point is that maybe we should all compliment people each other more often. Tell them they look pretty/nice/handsome/beautiful. It makes them feel good and makes their day. It doesn't cost us anything and barely takes a second to do. Why not just tell people they're lookin' good? You just might be the person that makes their whole day.
Corte Inglés, the department store where I tried on my lovely lipstick... and got called guapa.
Yes. It's embarrassing. I memorized the color... Miss Coquelicot by Lancôme.
2) There isn't a sales tax here. What you see on the label is what you pay. Tip is also included in the bill. So if you come to Europe DON'T calculate an additional __% and add it to the bill. You're wasting your money.
3) Credit cards so frustrating abroad. I have spent at least 2 hours in the past 3.5 weeks arguing with my credit/debit card company. Nearly all of it isn't even my card company's fault either. Some companies here (example: East Midlands Trains in the UK) do not accept credit cards that are not based out of the UK. That makes sense, right? A train company that deals with tourists that doesn't accept any foreign credit cards.
So, I know Parte Dos wasn't very long and not the most exciting, but I want to do a completely separate blog about my observations that I made while traveling last weekend. They're very interesting (in my opinion) and have definitely helped me keep the whole "traveling through Europe" idea in perspective.
Until next time, I leave you with some vocab! Study up, people. There's a quiz on this at the end of the weekend. You think I'm kidding? I'm totally not.
(Or am I? I guess you won't know unless you keep reading mah blog...)
Vocabulario (Special Edition: Frases [Sayings])!!
- mascota - household pet
- el paro - unemployment (usually refers to the rate of unemployment)
- comedor social - soup kitchen
- "Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente." - Literally: "What the eyes do not see, the heart does not feel." Sort of translates to: "What someone does not know can't hurt them."
- dizzy- mareado; estar mareado (to be dizzy)
- feria- fair/festival
- escupir- to spit
- atento- attentive
- guión- hyphen
- ser/estar creído/a ≈ to be arrogant
- descarado- brazen, impudent
- lazo- the word for "knot," often used in a phrase to indicate "to tie the knot"
- soso/a- dull, bland, boring
- verbena- festival, fair
- chupito- shot (of alcohol)
- ligar- to flirt
- ligón- sort of like someone who's infamous for flirting (and is usually pretty good/successful at it)
- cotillear ; ser un/a cotilla - to snoop; to be a snoop/busybody
- golfo- rascal
- "Mala follá granaina" - expression to describe the "coldness" of Andalucians. (Note: I have not felt that the Andalucians are "cold" in any way. Maybe they're not as kissy-kissy-huggy-huggy as their Mediterranean neighbors, the Italians, but I definitely would never describe them as "cold.")
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