Things I have noticed about Sevilla

I have tried to make a list of some of the things that I have noticed about life in Sevilla... these are just the things I can think of right now... i'm sure there will be more to come!

1. Most people have dogs here… and they don’t really own leashes. That means a couple things… dogs poop everywhere and anywhere, and it usually stays there... also, for some reason, dogs always run into me... magnetic force?
2. Sevillanos take Flamenco dancing and singing very seriously… if you talk during a show… you will get death stares.
3. People cannot walk in straight lines or at a pace that would be fast enough to be considered walking. Yeah the sidewalks can be small, but even one person somehow manages to take up the whole thing, making it impossible to pass them.
4. I discovered the best ice cream ever called “queso-miel.” Directly translated, cheese-honey does not sound very appetizing, but it is kind of like cheese cake flavored but 100X better.
5. Everything is politically incorrect. From “chino” stores to dark rum called “negrita” (little black one) to chocolate cookies called Obama galletas… don’t ever be surprised by the name of something.
6. Make sure you don’t plan on doing any kind of shopping or errands during the siesta hours, (hours of rest), which range anywhere from 2-5:30 in the afternoon. It definitely cuts into your day but I’m getting used to it.
7. There are orange trees everywhere, and in the spring the whole city smells like the orange blossoms… Sevilla is actually famous for its smell.
8. Scarves… even if it’s hot out, everyone, old or young, wears one.
9. There are all kinds of transportation on the streets here… cars, buses, trucks, bikes, motorcycles, carriages, dirt bikes, and ATVs? Yeah I think I got all of them. Also, I don’t know how they do it, but I’ve seen so many bikes with 3 people on them… amazing balance and strength I guess
10. Cobblestone streets and riding bikes... not a good combination
11. Speaking of transportation… people also park wherever they want to here. If it means parking in the middle of an intersection, on the corner of a busy street, or blocking in 3 other cars… it doesn’t matter to them. People actually leave their cars in neutral so that people can push other cars out of the way if they happen to be trapped in.
12. Women here… their hair doesn’t move. The other day it was really windy and I constantly had to keep my hair out of my face. Well everyone else’s hair looked like the wind was going 0 mph. Powerful hairspray? Thicker hair? I don’t know but it is still a mystery to me.
13. The homeless people in Spain all own strollers and sticks...yes, the fact that there are homeless people is always sad, but when you see them walking with a stroller and a long stick in their hand you just have to laugh.

Just wanted to give everyone a little taste of some of the quirks of the culture here in Sevilla :)