This week is ICR (intercultural relations) and unlike the week I spent in Naples, jet lagged and overwhelmed, this time around I feel like I've got this. Places Rosa tells us to visit are places we stopped at along the way. The idea of mañana meaning sometime in the future sure sounds like dopo domani to me. Late nights and late starts. Niños are king. No rush. No personal space? Not to brag but these aren't new concepts. Watching newly arrived classmates makes me laugh knowing that despite their reactions they too will adjust.
The one thing that does have me terrified? The pesky 50 question driver's license test not so much because it's different than Italia but more because of my past track record on written tests.
*Spoiler alert- I totally passed my test missing just one question. Woohoo. Now I have to wait for the temporary ID to come in before the real one. Yep. No NATO translation here, it even has a (terrible) picture on it!
Driving around town with locals (for housing appointments or on the tour) it cracks me up what their notion of "crazy drivers" is. One of the new DODs teachers just arrived from Turkey so it's nice to have someone I can look at and share the "if she only knew" look with as we wait 30 seconds for a scooter to move from its illegal parking spot blocking the bus' passage on the narrow cobblestone road.
A few things already stand out as very different when I catch myself comparing my new town from my old town:
Here in Rota, the locals truly see us as their neighbors. Despite our large cars, early dinning times, & at sometimes obnoxious behavior, we are not seen as outsiders. The families visiting from Sevilla during the summer? They're the foreigners. With NAVSTA Rota (that's Naval Station Rota for you non fluent militarese folks) being here for 50+ years much of the town has grown up with us Americans. Passing them along the street you still get an Hola, buenos dia. If you look lost they come up and try to help by pointing you to the street that leads to the base. Everyone has a home for rent that they'd love to show you. And refreshingly, charades is a last result as most of the real locals have a few key words of English down pat.
TRAFFIC LAWS MATTER. Pedestrians don't even look both ways prior to crossing as if some invisible shield projects up from the painted lines on the street, always protecting them from on coming traffic. They also are incredible thankful and polite when you wave someone in. Don't get me wrong, you can still hear the honks at the gate in the morning as a result of a cop directing traffic as a result of back to back round-a-bouts with a whole lot of cars pulling off some fancy maneuvering.
In the same way that traffic laws matter, there is just a whole lot more regulation. Take for example the process for my car registration. After producing license, registration and insurance I recieved my gate pass. I then I had to get a car inspection and for those of you familiar with the Naples inspection? Nothing like that. In fact Ravi failed at the first pass. He needed new tires. Got him new shoes; got the inspection paperwork. Back to security to submit the paperwork mentioned above with inspection certification. Wait for a week. Go back to "order" plates. Come back a day later. Get plates on car. Get registration sticker for windshield. As for said license? I still have a temp one. The real deal take 3 months.
I guess that pretty much summarizes why Spain feels so different than Italy ever did. Here, we are really living like the Spanish do. We go through the same steps they do, follow the same rules. So many more steps, rules, regulation that despite feeling that I remained a semi decent rule follower in Naples, that means nothing when there were so few rules to adhere to. It will all come together and it is a great 2 year transition before heading back to the states where rules really do matter.
A few things already stand out as very different when I catch myself comparing my new town from my old town:
Here in Rota, the locals truly see us as their neighbors. Despite our large cars, early dinning times, & at sometimes obnoxious behavior, we are not seen as outsiders. The families visiting from Sevilla during the summer? They're the foreigners. With NAVSTA Rota (that's Naval Station Rota for you non fluent militarese folks) being here for 50+ years much of the town has grown up with us Americans. Passing them along the street you still get an Hola, buenos dia. If you look lost they come up and try to help by pointing you to the street that leads to the base. Everyone has a home for rent that they'd love to show you. And refreshingly, charades is a last result as most of the real locals have a few key words of English down pat.
TRAFFIC LAWS MATTER. Pedestrians don't even look both ways prior to crossing as if some invisible shield projects up from the painted lines on the street, always protecting them from on coming traffic. They also are incredible thankful and polite when you wave someone in. Don't get me wrong, you can still hear the honks at the gate in the morning as a result of a cop directing traffic as a result of back to back round-a-bouts with a whole lot of cars pulling off some fancy maneuvering.
In the same way that traffic laws matter, there is just a whole lot more regulation. Take for example the process for my car registration. After producing license, registration and insurance I recieved my gate pass. I then I had to get a car inspection and for those of you familiar with the Naples inspection? Nothing like that. In fact Ravi failed at the first pass. He needed new tires. Got him new shoes; got the inspection paperwork. Back to security to submit the paperwork mentioned above with inspection certification. Wait for a week. Go back to "order" plates. Come back a day later. Get plates on car. Get registration sticker for windshield. As for said license? I still have a temp one. The real deal take 3 months.
I guess that pretty much summarizes why Spain feels so different than Italy ever did. Here, we are really living like the Spanish do. We go through the same steps they do, follow the same rules. So many more steps, rules, regulation that despite feeling that I remained a semi decent rule follower in Naples, that means nothing when there were so few rules to adhere to. It will all come together and it is a great 2 year transition before heading back to the states where rules really do matter.
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