What's Different Here Than There?

Hello 2021....Good Riddance 2020!!

Hey y'all....

Guess what?  No videos this time!!!  Just a lot of reading.  LOL  But, that's probably okay since we're all spending a lot more time inside our homes these days.

I'm a very analytical person.  It was my profession for over 30 years.  As such, I analyze everything to death.  I love to observe and take note of differences.  It doesn't take this trait to notice the variances between 'here' (Mallorca, Spain) and 'there'  (the USA where I was born/raised) or even Ecuador where I recently lived for 7 years.

I've noticed over the years only a small percentage of people in the US travel outside their country.  Maybe they stepped into Canada for a few days, or a sun and beach trip to Mexico but that's about it.  Unfortunately, it's easy to slip into the mentality that the United States is the be-all, end-all...almost as if no one else exists.  And, if they do, surely they do things the same way as in the US, right?

I wish it was a requirement everyone must travel overseas to another country before they're out of their 20's.  It would be eye-opening.  They'd be exposed to different cultures and languages (GASP, not EVERYONE speaks English??), different attitudes and beliefs, different governments and laws, different currencies and prices (gas in Ecuador was $1.48 a gallon when I was there, but approximately $6 a gallon in Spain!).

Maybe when they return home, they would bring with them a different perspective and attitude.  Europeans are well known for being avid travellers...even when they have young children or while their babies are still in strollers!

I thought it might be interesting to share some of the things I've observed after 7 years in Ecuador and 3 years here in Spain.   These are not about who or what is better...they're just differences.  That said, there's a myriad of reasons why I moved to Ecuador and, ultimately Spain!!!

In totally un-organized, random, brain-dump order:

• In grocery stores, there's no such thing as 'cash back'
• In the US, grocery carts are scattered all over the parking lots.  In Spain, most stores have carts connected together via a chain and key.  You have to insert a coin to release the chain.  Then, when you bring the cart back and reconnect the chain, your coin is pushed out.  This pretty much eliminates the 'cart scatter' as well as carts ending up at home for personal use.  In EC, they have box-boy/girls who take your goods to your car and take the cart back and earn a small tip.
• Boutique (Mom/Pop) stores have almost been obliterated from the US landscape, replaced by 'big box' stores that try to be everything to everyone, with sprawling parking lots you can see from space.  Here in Spain, boutique shopping is more the norm.  People walk from store to store in charming districts mixed with cafes and plazas.  They get there by using mass transit.  Yes, we have big-box stores but they're generally outside of the city core, in more modern areas where space was available to build them.
• Full disclosure:  We DO have a small-ish version of a Walmart (but NOT Walmart) and a semi-equivalant of Home Depot, but no Costcos.

Ok, let's take a short break and look at a few random photos I've got lying around that haven't made it into a blog yet!!

Aren't our fire hydrants cute?  I feel like putting a lonnnnng pair of eyelashes on this one!

Torrent Riera

This flood channel controls the river Riera when we have our torrential rains.

Continuing on....

• Both Spain and Ecuador have government-run universal health care.  Here in Mallorca, I pay about $74 a month for private, full coverage.  I can't fathom what that would cost in the US.
• In Ecuador, you can walk into a pharmacy and ask for (almost) whatever you want without a prescription.  It's almost the same here except things like antibiotics require a prescription.
• It's common in Europe for workers to START with 4 weeks paid vacation per year.  In the US, it's typically 2 weeks and you're not likely to reach 4 weeks until you've put in 10 years.
• In smaller stores, it's common for them to open at 9am, then close for 2-3 hours in the afternoon for lunch, then re-open around 4pm until 8pm.  Not only does it provide a nice break, but it means employers only need to cover 1 shift.
• You won't find massive Ford Crown Victoria's here nor 4 x 4 trucks that require a pole vault to get into the drivers seat....like those you find in flat Florida where there's nary a hill nor snow or off-roading where you'd engage the other two of the four.  Nope, pretty much all compacts like those of Fiat, Mini Coopers, and VW's....likely due to the narrow streets of the old European cities.
• Here, you must bring your own shopping bag (for groceries or otherwise) or you'll be charged for each bag the store provides.  It's okay to wear a knapsack (but not in EC where you have to put it in a locker) and you can even bring your rolling cart to fill as you shop, empty at the register, then fill again after paying, and roll home like you're pushing a baby carriage.
• Wine is CHEAP here!  OMG!  I don't know how some producers make any profit!!  I pay, on average, $2 - $5 a bottle and it's not Boone's Farm!!
• We don't have snowstorms, or earthquakes, or tornados, or hurricanes.  It might get a bit gusty now and then and torrential rains that last 30 minutes, but that's about it.
• You gotta watch what you say in the US.  I've never felt (nor observed) the need to be PC (politically correct) here.
• Unfortunately, we do have graffitti which really ticks me off.
• Attitude of self-entitlement?  Rampant in the USA.  Rare here.  In both EC and Spain, people are held responsible for their own actions and decisions.  We don't sue because we walked across someone's lawn and twisted an ankle in a hidden hole....because we CHOSE to walk in a place that's not ours.  In the good 'ol red-white-n-blue, you immediately sue the homeowner, the grass maker, the person who mows the lawn, God (for providing the earth), plus pain and suffering and the inability to fulfill marital 'duties'.  We don't have busses plastered with massive signs for you to contact a law agency if you were in an accident...even if it was your fault.
• There are tons of places that would never be allowed to be open to the public in the USA due to fear of liability but are open at your own risk here.  Walk on top of a 500 year old Roman city wall without handrails?  Sure!  Why not?  Just be careful.
• Banks.  Here's a shocker.  In the US, tellers are behind bullet-proof glass, right?  Here, the 'tellers' sit at a regular office desk (sometimes at a counter) with no barriers.  Usually, you'll take a number from a kiosk and wait for your turn to be displayed on the overhead monitor.  Sometimes, they even have an array of sofas and chairs for you to be comfy while you wait.  Security guard?  I haven't seen one yet but they MUST be hiding somewhere, right?

Time for more random pics....

Ancient Arab Baths in Old Town Palma

More observations....

• Starbucks are rare sightings here...at least compared to the States where it seems they're on every block.  They exist, but only a few.  When it comes to coffee, it's not about tall, grande, or vente, and custom orders such as 5 ice cubes made with water from the Himalayas, 3 1/2 pumps of organic eco-friendly chocolate, and lambs milk from roam-free lambs no older than 16 months.   Here, coffee is usually no more than an espresso shot in size or at most a regular sized coffee cup for an Americano or Cappucino.  A packet of sugar is ALWAYS served.  If you don't want sugar, they look at you as if you're crazy.  And, yes, you can hang out at your table, with only a coffee, for as long as you want.
• Which brings me to tips.  Once again, the US wins the award for letting something get totally out of control.  Tip the ice cream scooper, the latte-maker, the drycleaner, the taxi driver, the plumber, the door-opener, and even the store clerk for giving you correct change for your purchase.  SNAP OUT OF IT!!!  Tipping is not the norm here.  If you want to tip, it's usually small change....not 20% after taxes!!!  This might explain why it's okay to hang out at a cafe table because the server isn't stressing to turn the table and make more tips.  Even though I've been away from the whole tipping thing, I'm still not used to it.  I've had dozens of deliveries to my home.  Each and every time I'm taken aback at how quickly the delivery person turns to exit once they've handed me the package.  There's no pausing for a tip...they just race down the stairs to get the next delivery done.  There's no expectations.  Want to pay for your meal with a credit or debit card?  There's no place to even write in or enter a tip amount!!
• People eat LATE here!  Good grief, I'm in bed by the time they're headed out for dinner!
• I rarely spot police.  They just don't seem to have a heavy presence here.  They're either on a motorcycle or in a compact car just like everyone else has (same in Ecuador).  I don't think I've seen a police-chase in YEARS!  They don't 'lay-n-wait' behind bushes or bridge abutments waiting to snare you for speeding.  Oh, and they can't tell if your car is past its registration because we don't have those month/year license plate tab stickers to diddle with.
• In Europe, almost every bathroom has a bidet in it.
• Fast food is the main staple of the American diet.  Here, it seems people still prefer to purchase fresh food and cook.  Grocery stores don't have entire sections of pre-packaged ready-to-go portions or 3-course meals like Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, etc.  We do have McDonalds, Burger King, and KFC sprinkled about here and there and I spotted a Taco Bell once, but no Wendy's, Jack in the Box, Dairy Queen, Chick-Fil-A, Popeye's, Arby's, Skippers, Carl's Jr, Fatburger, etc.  But, I must say there's a lot of pizza restaurants around here!
• Like in Ecuador, most homes utilize tankless hot water heaters where the water is heated on demand versus constantly being heated, even when not in use, in big tanks like most homes in the US.  However, there are instances here where gas is not available in older buildings so electric water tanks are used, but they are, at most, 10 gallons in size.
• THANKFULLY, unlike Ecuador, you rarely hear a car alarm wailing or even the chirp-chirp when someone locks/unlocks their door.  As opposed to every 15 seconds in EC, I might hear a car horn a half dozen times in the course of an entire day in Palma.  And, a car alarm?  Maybe once a month....if that.

A little diversion...

The Annual Boat Show

If you have to ask the price, you can't afford it.

Here vs There galore....

• Of course, everything is Metric here.  It's kilometers for distance and speed, liters of gas, centimeters and meters for length, and mililiters instead of ounces.  You might scare your Mom if you tell her you were driving 120...but 120 kph is about 72 mph.  You might think gas is cheap at the posted amount of 1.25, but that's per liter (about a quart).....so, 4-times that is about what a gallon would equate to.
• Like in Ecuador, gun ownership is rare due to the laws.  As a result, it's not likely someone is going to get shot for inadvertently taking a parking spot, or simply driving down the autopista (freeway), or because someone got laid off from work, or while attending school, or enjoying an outdoor concert, or sitting at home watching TV.

Some interesting factoids:

• 38,000+ deaths by gun in the US (2016)
• 173 deaths by gun in Spain
• The US is 7 times larger in population than Spain.  Therefore, adjusting for population 173 x 7 = 1,211 or 3 per day versus 104 per day in the US.
• an average of 12 deaths by gun per 100,000 in the US
• an average of 1/2 of 1 deaths by gun per 100,000 in Spain
• there are approximately 120 guns owned per 100 people in the US
• there are approximately 10 guns owned per 100 people in Spain
• Rarely do you find 'double wide' refrigerators in homes here, primarily due to space but also because people tend to shop more frequently to get fresh foods.  Almost every city and town has an outdoor market(s) where fresh goods can be purchased from local farmers.
• Speaking of food, grocery stores here store their eggs, brick carton milk and juices out on regular open shelves and they don't mist their vegetable section which is also out in the open on non-refrigerated stands.  In the US, all these are refrigerated.
• When you purchase something here, you know exactly how much you're going to pay because the tax is already included in the price displayed.  Nothing is tacked on at the register.  Price on the loaf of bread is 2.50 €?   It's 2.50 at the register, not 2.77.
• I've never seen a rest stop along any highway here.
• Roundabouts are everywhere here (and EC).  I love 'em!  They keep the traffic moving.
• In Ecuador, there's virtually no door to door mail delivery.  Bills are not mailed out.  You know what you're supposed to pay and when.  Junk mail doesn't exist.  In Spain, there is door to door delivery but, again, there's very little to deliver because of the virtual non-existence of junk mail.  Most people have gone paperless.  However, there are people who are paid to distribute flyers (ie; store promotions) but they are forbidden to leave flyers at any property displaying a city-issued sticker (owner/tenant pays for) banning flyers at that address.
• It seems like 90% of Spanish males have beards.  Why?
• In Spain (and Ecuador) you won't find carpet in many homes aside from the occasional area rug.  Most floors are comprised of ceramic tile or wood.
• A large percentage of homes have washing machines, but no dryer.  It's still very common to hang laundry out to dry.  NO THANKS!!!  My Mom stopped doing that over 50 years ago in the States!!
• Speaking of homes, I've noticed a distinct difference in the design, size, and layout of homes over those in the US.  Things like:
• A large majority of people live in apartments within the city.  They may rent or own but they're still apartments (vs Condos).
• The average middle class home is intimate in size and simple in decor.  Homes are functional, not showcases.
• Kitchens and bathrooms serve a purpose and functionally designed to get a job done...not to wow others in social gatherings.
• Washing machines are typically placed in the kitchen because, the plumbing and drains are already there.
• Kids share bedrooms versus each having their own.
• Furniture is functional and simple and not necessarily replaced simply because it's out of style.
• Twin beds, or bunkbeds, are very common for kids rooms.  Adults typically have a double bed, with Queens being less common and Kings even more rare unless you live in a modern building with larger rooms.
• You might have to walk up 3 flights of stairs to reach your apartment because many older buildings of 5 or less floors don't have elevators.  If they do, they might fit 3 people at a time (if they all inhale).
• While perusing real estate rental and for-sale ads here, I've noticed, oddly enough, countless apartments, old and new, have NO handrails along the interior stairs.  So, if you stumble and fall, you're likely to face-plant onto the living room floor!!
• In Europe if you have a balcony, you're lucky.  If you're on the first floor, you might have a small patio/terrace or a postage-stamp-size plot of land with greenery.
• Very little wood is used in construction here.  It's primarily rock, concrete, and/or brick.
• Most apartment rentals come furnished which is the opposite of the US.  Personally, I don't like the idea of living with someone elses stuff, much less their taste.  I can't help but think the reason for this is because of the hassle of moving furniture in and out of a building via a lot of stairs because there's no elevator or, if there is an elevator, it's too small and can only handle boxes.  Because of this, a common means of moving furniture is by hydraulic extension lifts (think fire truck) and moving goods in and out of the windows.  So, odds are, that armoir you purchased is likely to stay in that apartment for a lonnnnnng time.
• With all this (about homes) in mind and the manner in which people live, most people are not heavily in-debt like their American counterparts.  Mortgage and credit card debt is far lower here, maybe due to a lesser focus on materialism, 'keeping up with the Jones', and labels.  And, with living simpler, I think it affords the ability for people to be free to travel more often.
• Speaking of travel, everyone knows Europe has an amazing train system that gets you anywhere you want to go, fast, and cheaply.  Likewise, I find air travel much more affordable than in the US.  For example, I just paid $133 for a round-trip ticket from Palma to Amsterdam!  I also searched for a RT fare between here and Bristol, England.  102 € direct non-stop!!  Coupled with excellent subway networks and surface trams, it's easy to understand why many people don't own cars.
• Speaking of cars.  Aside from the airport, you almost never see above-ground multi-level parking garages.  Here in Palma, they're all underground...under the arterial streets.  On surface electronic reader boards display how many spaces are available in the lots nearby.
• Oh, and speaking of vehicles.  You know those massive RV motorhomes you see all over the US of A?  Nope, not here.  However, there are rental companies you can rent a small to medium-size motorhome.  We don't have much in the way of campgrounds either, which may explain why it's rare to see a vehicle towing a trailer (known as a caravan here).  

Brain hurting yet?  Here's a little respite...

I went to a 'circus' which LOOKED like it would be along the lines of Cirque du Soleil but turned out to be more children oriented.  Anyway, got to see a guy get shot out of a canon!!

Ok, we're almost nearing the end....

• Do you like nude beaches?  We have tons of them here.  It's no biggie.  Even if it's not officially a nude beach, it's not uncommon to see women sunbathing topless anywhere in Europe. 

• In most large cities, at least in Spain anyway, entire blocks are lined with buildings with nary a gap between them.  In other words, there's no alleys.  If you could fly above, you would see what looks like square donuts with the hole in the middle being patios, terraces, gardens, etc.
• It's OKAY (!!!) to talk to strangers here.
• Most stores are closed on Sundays and many are open only 1/2 day on Saturday.
• Bureaucracy and illogical processes are common in Ecuador.  But, guess what, it's not a whole lot different in Spain.  Efficiency doesn't seem to have caught on here yet.
• When it comes to Christmas, you won't see much in the way of Santa and the only Christmas trees you can buy are the fake ones in stores.  Christmas festivities are celebrated over the course of weeks, not just one day, and stretches into January.
• When you go into a plant nursery in the US, almost every plant has those little plastic stakes that provide you information such as sun or shade, how much to water, how tall it'll get, etc.  Well, in Ecuador and Spain they're MIA (Missing in Action)!!!!  You're on your own to figure it out.  Hrrrmmmphhh!!!
• Due to many countries being the size of a US State it's very common for Europeans to speak more than one language.  In fact, many learn several!  You could pass through several countries in one day and experience French, Dutch, German, etc!
• It probably goes without saying, the archictecture is dramatically different here compared to the USA.  I'm not referring to composition, I'm talking about style.  Historical preservation isn't as prevalant on American minds.  There aren't many structures a hundred or more years old.  The mindset is to tear down and build something new, more modern, more dense use of the space, and make more money.  Tear down two classic Craftsman homes, then squish eight identical townhouses in the same spot.  Tear down four charming Spanish stucco, red-tile roof houses and build a multi-story, big box containing 277 condominiums, which has no aesthetic appeal, that everyone is forced to look at for the next 50 years.

In San Diego, California where I lived for 14 years, it was common to fill in gullies to make more land to build on.  Then, a sea of a hundred or so homes would be built...all look-alikes.  Maybe there was 3 or 4 floorplans.  The exterior colors varied between white, beige, off-white, and tan.  Typically, the developments were mapped out on a grid, with 90 degree corners and straight streets.  If you lived there and visited a neighbor down the street, you knew exactly where the bathroom was!! 

 

Developments like that are rare here but where they are, they usually consist of no more than a couple dozen units.  I love all the zig-zaggy streets in the older communities where homes have their own unique look and identity and sit on lots in random positions.  And, because they weren't all built at the same time, they all don't age at the same time.

City Hall and Library

(1935)

Closeup of the detailed roofline (dark area above the flags)

• Euopeans LOVE to dine outdoors.  Even when it gets chilly, the locals bundle up and cafes bring out the heat lamps.  During the Covid pandemic, many cities allowed restaurants the use of the parking strip to create temporary dining terraces due to restrictions on indoor dining. 
• Voting.  I thought I'd TRY to convey how voting works here in Spain because this subject has been on every American's mind of late!!  It's always interesting to see how others do things, right?  I'm not going to attempt to convince you I'm well-informed on this subject, so I'm going to copy/paste a few paragraphs from the internet and interwebs just to give you a Readers Digest condensed version of what it entails.

Each of Spain's political parties will choose candidates for Members of Parliament (MP's); when voting in Spain the party is chosen, not the individual.  Campaigning is prohibited during the two-day reflection period just prior to an election, as well as on election day, which is usually on a Sunday (same is true in Ecuador).  Following the close of polls, the ballots are then counted in each individual polling station in the presence of representatives of the political parties and candidates. The ballots are then immediately destroyed, with the exception of those considered invalid or challenged by the candidates' representatives, which are retained for further scrutiny. The result is that full recounts are impossible.  

Then there's something about Proportional Representation whereby representation is allocated based on the total percentage of votes a party gets.  If Party A got 42% of the votes, they'll get more seats than Party B that got 37% of the votes.

 

And that, my friends, is the furthest I'm gonna go on that subject matter because, after researching and reading about it for the past hour, my head hurts.

Dano out

Okay, I'll toss in a few more photos on the way out.

A park near the Palma waterfront

Blue seas & Blue skies

Dinner theater at 'Son Amar' just outside Palma

Oh BEFORE YOU LEAVE!!  While I have your attention!!  

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Here's a couple of sample photos:

Until next time...

Dano