Purchases

One of the “fun” things about living in a country where I don’t (yet) know the language is I often purchase things that do not make sense. For example, the other day I was at a lovely café, which I frequent on occasion when by some miracle I am early for Spanish class.  Instead of only ordering my usual café con leche, I went out on a ledge and  ordered tostada con tomate as well.  But it wasn’t that simple because the waitress then gave me a choice using vocabulary that is not on my top ten list.  Given the choice of two words, I chose “rebanada”— and stuck with it even though the waitress looked at me dubiously and asked again.  Si, rebanada, I said.  Of course I know what I’m talking about.

So, instead of toasted ciabatta, which is awesome…I got one slice of bread.

Today, I went to the drug store (which is not a pharmacy but more of a perfumeria where they sell  brand name cosmetics) to buy fabric softener.  Yup, I can buy Estee Lauder night crème and a bathroom plunger in the same place.

I thought I could go without fabric softener considering the laundry takes two full hours for a cycle of cotton – plus, Spain hasn’t allowed me to live as green as I am accustomed so I figured ditching the fabric softener was one small step.  (Fabric softener and sheets are not that good for la madre tierra.)

Needless to say, after wearing cardboard for three weeks, I have caved until further notice.  But, just try buying fabric softener in a store where you don’t recognize any of the brands and even the detergent looks alien. No fear though, because while my language skills have not improved as much as I would like, my charade skills are in tip top shape and I got help from the store clerk.

Which brings me to my second domestic shopping trip of the day to the grocery store – a place that needs its own post at another time.  It had been a really cold day and I had been outside of the city visiting a monastery and Franco’s tomb (you know, the usual) and I really wanted  to make hot chocolate at home.  The supermarket shelves only had Nescafe and I thought I’d have to go home empty handed.  But, then I saw the Nesquick bunny with a steaming cup of chocolate.  Trust me, I investigated the package at length to make sure there was no cold chocolate milk shown – only hot.  All good.  Hot chocolate mix.  yAy.  This is what I bought:

But, with all that investigation, how did I not notice the heavy eye lids on the Nesquick bunny?  How did I not see that he is wearing PAJAMAS and IN BED?  Not to mention the word “Noche” splashed across the front with a half moon in the middle.

Sometimes Spain is weird.  I mean, sleep inducing hot chocolate?  Of course I would buy that.