Taking culture for granted

It took a trip to Spain to realize all the cultural things I never knew I take for granted.\nI was lied to. I was only mildly warned of the men of this country. A fellow Indiana Daily Student employee who studied in Salamanca over the summer (she shall remain nameless) had forewarned me. She then assured me that men in Spain are like men anywhere else. "You know how when you walk down the street and pass construction men and they whistle at you? It's the same thing."\nYeah right. You see, here, when men whistle and call out "rubia" or "guapa" (which means blonde, beautiful), you can't turn around and put them in their place. If you do, it antagonizes them to continue, so you have to ignore it.\nAnd it's not just the construction workers, either. It's everyone on the streets! It's really difficult to ignore such insults, but I guess you get used to it. Not a day goes by that I don't hear a comment from at least one man, and it's the same with my friends here. Don't get me wrong, it's hard for me to bite my tongue, but it's quite necessary. A cultural observation, if you would.\nThe ability to stand up for myself is one of the many things I miss about the States. That, and showers. I never realized that my showers would have to be cut significantly short. I'm talking seven minutes, max. Does anyone have any idea how short of a time span this is? \nAnd you know when you wake up and it's cold outside and you avoid stepping on tile at all costs? Well, my family's house is all tile. Not that I could walk around barefoot anyway because it's customary to wear shoes while inside the house. I think there's this old myth that you'll get sick from walking around barefoot, so they hold true to this and ensure you have slippers, sandals or anything on your feet. Socks don't cut it.\nI wouldn't want to discourage anyone from visiting this enchanting place just because I've found a couple things to complain about. This place is great, and I can't complain about traveling to a different city every weekend. As far as the men go, it's a blatant reality that's easy enough to get accustomed to.\nI must send a thanks out to the reader who told me about "the best candy bar here." She was right. The Bueno Bar is absolutely anything you could ever ask for in a chocolate bar.\nAs for next time, anticipate an article that relates to the elderly population -- they need love, too.