What exactly are tapas???

This is what I had to explain to most of my family when they came to visit.  A silly question, I thought to myself.  How can they not understand what tapas are? But then I thought about it: did I know what tapas were before I arrived in Spain?

The answer is no, not really.

So this is a post dedicated to defining what TAPAS really are.

According to wikipedia, tapas are defined as "a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine.  They may be cold, or warm."   But it's more than that. Why are they so popular, where do they come from?  Well, the word "tapa" comes from the Spanish verb "tapar," meaning "to cover."  Therefore, a tapa was basically a piece of bread or meat meant to cover a glass of wine when it was served.  According to some, tapas began when a Spanish king, ate small snacks and wine to regain his health, liked the practice so much that he required taverns and restaurants to serve a small serving of food whenever they served alcohol.  The practice stuck, and today, Spain is known for their infamous tapas!

In Granada, it's actually required by law that when somebody orders wine or beer they are also given a tapa, for free!  I loved that!

Me?  Well, I usually get tapas around 6-7pm with my friends after class, as a small snack before dinner, and a chance to hang out for a couple hours.  Because in Spain, you can sit down at a bar or restaurant and stay as long as you want; they will never bring you the bill until you ask for it!  Es muy tranquillo.

I should take a step back and explain: in the Spanish culture it isn't common for people to have friends over to their homes.  It's weird.  It would be like asking your friend to come over and use the bathroom with you at the same time.  It's just not something people do here...I mean, I have lived with a family for 6+ months, and I can count on one hand the number of times somebody has come over to their house to visit (and it was always a family member). Instead, people get together in the streets, in restaurants, and in bars.  Especially tapas bars, and especially in the evening.  That's when the city comes alive!  After afternoon siesta, and before a late 9pm dinner.

And how do you tell which restaurant has the best tapas?  By the litter on the floor. If there are piles of dirty, crumpled napkins littering the floor, it is a sign that people like the food there.

Tapas on display

Tapas as a snack, above
Or a tapa meal, below:

So there you have it.  

Right on

So unless you live under a rock, you have probably seen at least on of the "stuff _____ say" videos on youtube or facebook.  I saw this one a few days about about study abroad students, and just wanted to repost it here, on my blog, because it's hilarious! Have definitely said 99% of these lines...enjoy!

That list I probably shouldn't start...

But I'll start it anyway.  This is "The List Of All The Things I am Excited For When I Get Back to America!"

1. Family and friends (duh)
2. Hotdogs with hotdog buns, and ketchup
3. My own room, even though my roommate is awesome!
4. Couches, the comfy kind where you can put your feet up and watch a movie and pass out after a long, stressful day, and eat popcorn and drink soda and feel totally at home
5. My bed, full of fluffy pillows
6. Desks, or a place to do homework (not that I really ever get homework here...)
7. Bathrooms with counter space
8. Driving. Especially with the windows down, music turned up, on warm summer nights
9. Going into a restaurant and asking for a piece of pizza and not having to explain five times what you really want*
10. Cooking...without supervision
11. Affordable, crunchy peanut butter (preferably the Jiff kind)
12. Mac and cheese
13. BAGELS (preferably from the Bagel Market), with cream cheese
14. Whole grain bread
15. Non-European electrical plugs
16. Recycling
17. Eating lunch between the hours of 11:30 am - 1 pm
18. Being messy

If I'm lucky, I can make this jar of heaven last 'til May...

In conclusion, half of the list consists of food related items, the other half, household related things.  Let's just say I am VERY VERY EXCITED to be living on my own next fall!

*It's ironic, I suppose: about a month ago I was having a conversation with an American friend about readjusting to life in the USA after our time here.  I confessed how nervous I was to go back home in anticipation of reverse culture shock.  "Nah," he answered, "(when I was home for Christmas) it was so nice to go into a restaurant and order fries with my meal without having to think twice about it. You will love it, and when the time comes, you will be ready to go back."

This conversation happened 3 weeks ago. At that point, I couldn't imagine going back home. And don't get me wrong: I still enjoy the challenge of speaking Spanish on a daily basis.  However....after seeing my family last week and hearing about life back home, I think I will be ready to pack up and head home when the time comes :)

Oh, I almost forgot: my black lab, Sammy!

KONY 2012

A friend shared with me today this video about a man from the states who found something he was passionate about, and did something about it.  If you have time, check out this video and maybe you'll understand a bit of my frustration, inspiration, and hope I found today.

Some days, I ask myself the question: WHY AM I HERE?  No, not here, alive, on planet earth. I mean here, in Spain.  So far removed from my family, friends, and everything I have back home, it is easy to feel detached from the local community.  It is easy to get frustrated with all the annoying things about daily life: for example, my neighbors are YELLING at each other right now, a dog is barking outside, and across the courtyard a woman is doing dishes, loudly. I have no peace and quite here! And this is not nearly as bad as being woken up at 2 am by the screaming baby I happen to share a wall with....UGH!

Don't get me wrong: I have been so lucky to be here for so long, and to have this opportunity...and I still have more time to make the most of it.  But when I get home, what am I going to do about it?!  On the back of my mind there is work to be done and more dreams to accomplish: grad school, volunteer work (abroad?), teaching English (abroad?), more traveling, and then finding a "real" job. A.k.a., r-e-s-p-o-n-s-i-b-i-l-i-t-y.

And hopefully someday, because of all I have worked towards, I can say I accomplished something meaningful with my life.