calls waiting.

One train, four taxis, one ferry, one plane and three flights of stairs (yes, with 100 pounds of luggage) and I am finally in Madrid! Before the plethora of transportation, I had to say many goodbyes in order to leave. One of these farewells was to my iPhone, which those of you who know me can imagine is pretty much like losing my right hand.

Ironically, one of our first exploratory trips included a mission to buy our Spanish cell phones. My dear iPhone has officially been replaced with a 19 € nokia.


So why I am I talking about phones when I am supposed to be reporting my immersion into Spanish culture? Because believe it or not Spanish cell phones actually tell you a lot about Spanish culture. Cell phone rates are ridiculously expensive. Every time you make a call you pay a connection fee, in addition to 38 cents per minute. Just for local calls! However, incoming calls are free. That's why they do what one of our program directors called the "missed call" - when you call someone, let it ring once, and hang up so they think they missed your call and call you back, thus being the ones to pay.

Understandably, the Spanish don't like to be calling and chatting all the time. When we walk around there is hardly anyone on their phones at all. And this is a precise reflection of the Spanish way of life. They don't want to hear about your day on the phone. They'll meet you for wine at an outdoor restaurant and talk about your day for two hours. They don't need to be texting to find out what's going on next because they're content sitting there and talking to you for two hours more.

Here I'm learning to take life off hold and let the calls do the waiting.