Spain's relationship with food is quite distinct from the British one. In the UK, quantity is usually a definite factor in the value of food - here, not so much. Here, it doesn't take much to spark gastronomic excitement. Sitting in the staff room for example, a daily flow of empanada, quesada and soblao is provided by various teachers for reasons that range from birthday celebrations to my sister-in-law-who-you've-never-met's wedding a fortnight ago. The reaction to the food is generally met with a succession of "Mmmm! Que rico!", "Vaya, bueníssmo!" and the like. In print, that doesn't look like anything out of the ordinary but when I try to picture the same kind of zest over a Victoria sponge amongst a flock of English teachers - "OOH! So tasty!", "Wow, absolutely delicious!" - it doesn't quite fit. A couple of days ago a packet of shop-bought breadsticks were being handed around the table, resulting in an full-blown conversation about said breaksticks' deliciousness. To me it seems like an overall healthier attitude to eating; people take the time to enjoy food, not just through consumption but by praising it! Food Appreciation Society, that's Spain right there.
This one's just part of a larger cultural difference that I'm still getting accustomed to; there's no need to thank the person who is taking your food order nor the person driving the coach/bus. I've even been told by a Spaniard that to thank a driver for just doing their job would be bizarre to most. It is perhaps the cultural difference that I have struggled most with for the entire year and I'm afraid I am still inclined to thank people to what Spanish people would deem an excessive degree!
Saying hello and goodbye to complete strangers with whom you have no intention of striking up a conversation is a social norm. Only this morning I was sat in a Doctor's waiting room and observed with interest the frequency and variety with which people did/did not greet one another. Most of the elderly ladies for example would greet the entire room with a 'Buenas', then proceed with a running commentary of their circumstances to which I am unsure to whom it is directed. In the gym changing rooms I am regularly greeting and saying "see you later" to people I've never met; any eye contact with a stranger in the street often leads to greeting of some sort. Overall I see it as a great thing; people are just generally more talkative and sociable and from a very basic perspective, it's nice to be acknowledged.
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