My first Christmas card

Are we getting mad or what?? I got my first Christmas card yesterday 7.12.2010!!!. Ok, I can survive looking at how since October supermarkets are trying to make a profit with Christmas decoration, how you need to book a table for Christmas dinner in Summer, how people try to get good discounts to buy Christmas presents along the year, even I can see how happy a family is putting up the Christmas tree in November... but starting now giving Christmas card is too much for someone who his Christmas dates are from 24th December to 3rd January only.

Of course, I asked to this lovely old woman why she was giving me the card so early and she told me because she feel sorry for me because I am abroad and I am going to spend these happy days alone... whaaaaat??? I had to wait until she had gone to start laughing... Ohh dear, she has a good heart but a bad head!!!

Now I want to explain that when you are abroad is almost always because you have chosen to be abroad so you are not going to miss your family, you always can travel to spend these days with them as well as they can visit you, you don't always have to spend Christmas dates around the family, friends, partner, whoever.. will be there for you.. however if I couldn't have any of these choices and I had to spend these days in my own I would say: Thank you for remembering me so early how sad my life is and what poor boy I am... lol.

WHO TO KISS, WHO NOT TO KISS??

It doesn't matter how long I have been here or how long I have known someone, I will always have the same problem, I don't know how to say hello.

Spanish people usually shake hands between men, two cheek kisses between women, two cheek kisses between man and woman (except when you are at work, in this case both will try to keep the distance) and when you really know someone a hug is fine.

However in England is completely different people usually just say Hello, shake their hands each other, just one kiss and the variation of cheek kissing and then go in for the one arm hug or a two arm hug.

when you are a foreign in Spain the rules are easier but when you are the foreign in England you never know what to do, if you try to shake your hands and other person want to kiss you will seem rude, if you try to kiss someone may they think you are going too far and the last one, when someone knows you are foreign and they try to copy the way you are and you don't know how many kisses one or two.

Oh my god, even say hello can be extremely uncomfortable.

English Pub vs Spanish Bar

One of the most interesting things that I found when I arrived in England were the Pubs. A Pub is a place where you can meet people to socialise, eat, drink. Even you can find people who prefer to be there because is warmer than their home and could be cheaper have a few drinks than switching on the central heating. Some English Pubs organise a "quiz nights" where the winner gets a gallon of beer.
English Pub almost always have the same kind of food such as steak, burger, pie, fish & chips, gammon & egg, curry and all of them served with chips, besides you always can choose the soup of the day.

Spanish bars always are busy, people having breakfast, lunch, drinking after work until midnight, Spanish cuisine consists of a variety of dishes, which stem from differences in geography, culture and climate. Foods include: seafood, mediterranean salad, paella, cocido, fabada, tortilla, pan con tomate y jamon, gazpacho etc...

In both of them you can socialise but I think in England is easier (at least in the North) you don't need to know anybody to talk to someone, however in Spain the concept of party or happiness is much better.
About decoration or furniture in Spain bars is simpler than English where you can find a fireplace, candles or carpet to get cosier. Spanish bars you can smoke inside but in this case I can't say if this is an advantage because depends on if you are or not smoker.

However with no doubts the main difference between them are TAPAS, where in almost all bars you are going to get a piece of food for every drink, They may be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or warm (such as chopitos, which are battered, fried baby squid) even sometimes sophisticated cuisine. 

In conclusion, both of them are really great places, if I wanted to enjoy the environment with a beer I would choose England but if wanted to enjoy a beer with a great food I would choose Spain

Closed by the snow. It's freeeeeezing