Fri, 10 February 2012
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Trying to buy something as simple as bread and milk during siesta time used to frustrate and bother blogger Jeremy Holland but not anymore.Coming from the US, one of the most difficult adjustments was going from the land of 24-hour convenience to a country where stores pretty much open when they feel like it, or as they say in Spanish, cuando les da la gana.
The whole concept of Spanish service is a bit of an oxymoron, because unlike in America where everything is catered to the consumer and you can buy anything at anytime, here it's basically - if you need it that bad, you'll find the time to get it.
And, if you have a problem with that: tough. It is what it is.
I remember getting really frustrated by this attitude my first year here. I couldn't believe everything closed at the one time I was free during the week (lunch), or that come two o'clock on a Saturday, most businesses were shut for the weekend. Not to mention not being unable to go to the supermarket on a Sunday for some milk and bread, when the only establishments open were the bars and churches. How on earth did they expect a person to buy anything and keep their economy going? I thought as only an American could.
You make Spain sound so oldie-worldie, but in reality that has changed a lot in the past years. Sure there is not 24/7 shopping, but there is the large supermarkets that do open early and stay open all day until late at night. Most larger towns now have at least one of these hyper-markets if not 2 or 4.If you have a car you can do all your weekly shopping in the hyper-markets just as you would in America (except not at 3am)
It is nice to think Spain is this country that has not progressed for the past 100 years, but reality is that it has.
I agree with Jay...they don´t have Wal-Mart here...yet. but they do have Carrefour ,Alcampo..etc...which has all those spanish stores that were mentioned in the blog
Hey, I just found a way to get American products. It is called mail forwarding, so I just got a new iPad, Wii game system and a bunch of video games. The site is myusaparcel.com. I also bought my Mom a Kitchen aid mixer and Victoria's Secret perfume. I am trying to get free shipping on my next order and need five people to use me a s a referral, so could you please use myusaparcel.com and tell them I referred you? Thank you.
You make Spain sound so oldie-worldie, but in reality that has changed a lot in the past years. Sure there is not 24/7 shopping, but there is the large supermarkets that do open early and stay open all day until late at night. Most larger towns now have at least one of these hyper-markets if not 2 or 4.If you have a car you can do all your weekly shopping in the hyper-markets just as you would in America (except not at 3am)
It is nice to think Spain is this country that has not progressed for the past 100 years, but reality is that it has.
I agree with Jay...they don´t have Wal-Mart here...yet. but they do have Carrefour ,Alcampo..etc...which has all those spanish stores that were mentioned in the blog
Hey, I just found a way to get American products. It is called mail forwarding, so I just got a new iPad, Wii game system and a bunch of video games. The site is myusaparcel.com. I also bought my Mom a Kitchen aid mixer and Victoria's Secret perfume. I am trying to get free shipping on my next order and need five people to use me a s a referral, so could you please use myusaparcel.com and tell them I referred you? Thank you.
Expatica's Getting Started section will provide practical information on how you can open a bank account, exchange your driving licence, improve your Spanish, and more.
Here's a guide to an extensive list of groups and clubs in Madrid for expats, from sports groups to social and family gatherings.
A brief introduction to our Tax section for Spain, from help with inheritance tax to accounting advice.
Here's a short introduction to our Banking section for those living in Spain, from what to ask the experts to opening a Spanish bank account.
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