¿Dónde Está SuperTarget?

Grocery shopping in Spain is...different. Different than shopping in the US - shocker, I know. I've been grocery shopping for a few days now and am just now starting to feel like my kitchen is set up. I'll give some credit for the extended shopping period to the fact that the kitchen started with nothing but bowls and plates, so building from the ground-up was an extra bonus challenge. Where's a Target when a sista needs one?!

I realized by about day 3 of grocery shopping that my first mistake was making a list. In the US, this was standard protocol for me, but in Spain it only causes disappointment and eventual exhaustion. See, back in Chicago, I could start my shopping at Aldi and check off as much as possible there, then pick up everything else at Trader Joe's...and maybe a couple basics at Dominick's...and one last thing at Whole Foods if I was feeling froggy. So yes, grocery voyages have always been my thing. It was always the best way to ensure I got what I wanted and for a fair price.

Well shoot, I have no idea which of these Spanish stores is akin to any of my Chi-town faves! I started at Carrefour Express and checked off a few items from my list, then moved to SimplyCity and checked off a couple more...trekked over to Lidl to check off one or two more...proceeded to Corte Inglés for a bit more....and then hit a couple fruterías before I fell out. But guess what? My list was still hella long because the bottom line is that some of these items just aren't readily available. This is about how I feel my conversation would go with the stores I visited as I moved through my grocery list:

• Sweet potatoes?
• Nah...You can try these corrugated batatas instead.
• Plain skim Greek yogurt?
• You fancy, huh? Better go shop in a rich neighborhood.
• Canned black beans?
• Gonna have to go to the Latin foods store for that.
• Jalapeños?
• Jajaja...we don't like spicy food like that. Don't play yourself.
• Kale?
• ¿Qué?

Needless to say, my list hasn't been fulfilled yet, and I know I'll find some of these things, but for now I'm adjusting and making some work-arounds, like cozying up to gazpacho in cartons to get my veggies in, pledging allegiance to acelga (chard) until I find col rizada (kale), and buying a slow cooker to make my own black beans. I probably won't shop with a list until I'm very familiar with what's available and where. My shopping will have to be based on what I want/can eat from what's available most likely, and a fair amount of trial and error. For example, I found almond milk, but it was so sweet that it was more like nutty Kool-Aid than a sub for milk. I bought mixed nuts for trail mix, but they're crazy salty. 

eggs...right there in the corner

In the meantime, check out some fun grocery facts...

Eggs are not refrigerated. Ever. Anywhere. Just chillin' in the corner (well, not literally, but you know what I mean). I may not be purchasing eggs the entire time I'm here. I know I've eaten unrefrigerated eggs, but I'm inordinately weirded out by this.

Milk isn't really refrigerated either. I'm down with this because it tastes good and there is a broad variety of milks available - including lactose-free milk that doesn't cost a grip.

Damn near anything nutty/trail-mixy/snacky qualifies as frutos secos (dried fruits). And oftentimes the nuts labeled as dried fruits are actually fried! Buyer beware!

neither frutos nor secos...discuss.

The seafood section is just...outchea.

seafood is....fresh!

In addition, I'm struggling to feel comfortable buying meat products because of dudes like this. *Diddy voice* For real? You just gon' lean on the meat counter and text? Is that what's hot in the streets?

are you on WhatsApp?

Wine is so cheap. So cheap. Only slight more expensive than bottled water, which is also far cheaper than in the States.

vino... < $1

Here are some items that probably wouldn't make it in the States. I didn't even realize I have a couple of these in my home!

in case you didn't already feel guilty about chugging that beer.

self explanatory

die, milk, die!

moldi bread?

This would be an exotic foods shop.

100% American

Welp, siesta is over, and I'm heading out to buy some exotic foods! Don't judge me if I come back with graham crackers and bad canned frosting. Hasta :)

mmm, artificial flavors!

No Pasa Nada

mi escuela

"No pasa nada." Literally, this phrase means "nothing happens," but for Spaniards, it captures a greater spectrum of sentiment: "no big deal"; "don't worry about it"; "doesn't matter to me"; "no problem."

Today I met with my school director and English coordinator to discuss the schedule for the upcoming year. When I visited the school last week, they informed me that the school has another auxiliar, whom I met today - a sweet undergrad from Australia named Georgia. Though she was introduced as my counterpart, my initial instinct was to look at her as an adversary, particularly around the table for discussing schedules. With one auxiliar, there's one schedule, so therefore no question, choice or recourse. But with two, pleadings, options and preferred opportunities are nearly certain. Someone is bound to get the "unpreferred" schedule.

Based on my research in the program, auxiliares generally have Fridays off, but some have Mondays off. Still others suffer the lamest fate of all - Wednesdays off. Sure, a day off is a day off, but a Wednesday off just chops up the week into funky little nuggets, and it certainly doesn't support extended weekend jaunts. Well waddaya know...the options before Georgia and me were Fridays off or...wait for it (I'm sure you know what's coming anyway)...wait for it...WEDNESDAYS off. Blerg.

blerg.

While my director discussed punctuality, sick days and school procedures in perfectly slowed-down Spanish, I distractedly stared at the paper showing the two schedules. On one side, carefree, laughter-filled Fridays in Greece, Morocco, Italy; breezy three-day weekends jet-setting across the continent. On the other side, rainy, hungover Wednesdays; humpday with no saucy benefit; a cruel weekend tease; a worthless day wasted in the middle of the week. Wednesday, ugh. Miércoles. It's even a weird word in Spanish.

We discussed flipping a coin for cara o cruz (Spains's heads or tails) and my Aussie counterpart immediately volunteered to flip the coin. I protested as much as I could in broken Spanish and hand gestures - that removes 50% of probability if someone gets to volunteer in one of the two steps. No, ma'am. So they decided to have us draw numbers from a hat, which was really an outstretched palm with crumpled paper towel bits: 1 for the Friday schedule; 2 for the Wednesday schedule. As soon as they hit the table, Georgia's little hand reached out for the crumple furthest from me. I have beef with this. Internal beef. Anyone who's eaten Chinese food with me knoooooows that I always take the fortune cookie furthest away! Always.  Nonetheless, I held onto my resolve for good karma, opened my paper and read: "2." WEDNESDAY.

¿Cómo se dice "blerg" en español?

Knowing that the time for pleading for a better schedule had come to a complete close, I took a breath and decided to be ok with this arrangement. There's a reason why I got this schedule; maybe I'll like it better; maybe I'll have a better experience at the school with my coworkers. But we all know that LaLa's poker face is nonexistent. My director patted me on the arm and reminded me (for the second time) that when Friday holidays come around, I have the potential for 5-day weekends if I ask the school to rearrange my classes a bit. So there's that. I smiled and insisted that I understand and it's fine - "está bien."

I think there's something to be said for accepting disappointment with a gracious attitude. Despite my brute facial honesty, I really do feel at peace with the schedule. Sure, a guaranteed Friday still sounds better, but what can I do? Then, as we walked out, Georgia let me know that with her schedule at her side gig, she's not sure which school schedule she prefers - she's conflicted, and asked whether I was really OK with the schedule. Ummm...what? I was surprised that she took the "better" schedule despite feeling lukewarm about it, but I supposed I'd be trying to set myself up in the best possible way if I were in her shoes, too. I smiled, told her I'll be fine, gave her my number and let her know she can contact me if she had second or third thoughts. No pasa nada.