A Rose Called By Any Other Name Would Still Smell Like Pee

So I'm realizing that things in the Spain are bi-polar with things in the US. Some things are really similar then all of a sudden you are smacked with something new right when you least expect it. It's the sense of security that gets you, you think you are safe when you really are just as insecure as you were before. Being in a new place makes you feel like you can reinvent yourself, more often then not you get lost in the new person you want to be while you are away from home, until you are again hit with that one similar situation that snaps you back to reality (oops there goes gravity). Sorry I'm being random I'll get to the point.

Clothing

Men:Metro-sexual doesn't exist here, every guy is metro so therefore it is not a sub-culture. Guys dress in nicer jeans, colorful tee-shirt and a scarf, casual but could probably step into a magazine ad if asked on the spot.
Women: Everyone here is a fashion model. The women dress like the morning walk to work is a runway. They have succeeded in making me look dumpy every day. Skinny jeans, ankle or calf length boots, leather jackets and a scarf make a complete look. If you leave the house without makeup or your hair done you WILL be looked at like you are crazy.

The Streets

I have yet to see a solo house in the city or or the outskirts. Everything close to where I live are pisos or large apartments interspersed between tiendas (stores) or bancos (banks), cafeterias, bakeries and everything else. The sidewalks are made of tile which are super dangerous when it rains (which it does a lot) and there is dog poop EVERYWHERE. People let their dogs just run around whereever they want when they are taken out for walks. Of course there are people with leashes but they are few and far between. The buildings are completely stone store fronts. The architechture is breath taking at times especially in the Albaycin or the old quarter of Granada. Being able to look up in any direction and see the mountains in the distance makes all the rain, slipping, and stepping in dog shit worth it.

The People

Women: To the women of Spain American girls are a plague. We are too noisy, to boisterous, too brash, too honest, and all round too much. It doesn't help that the Spanish men assume we are all easy so we take their men too (oops). Sorry we party.... They stare at us in bars if we laugh too loudly or ask for more then one beer. Really they stare at us for anything. If you keep your mouth shut and mimic their outfits you can usually fit in enough for someone to assume your are Spanish but it doesn't last long if one of your drunken noisy friends approaches you with a tequila shot. The older women tend to be a bit crankier but most women aren't against helping you with directions or being patient while you figure out your Spanish. Can't blame the other for not liking us though, sometimes I don't even like us.

Men: Like I said, the men here are like "eagles" if you give them any eye contact, attention or recognition at all they will bug you forever. Bars are like a hunting ground for these guys it's ridiculous. When it comes down to going on dates with them they are just as confusing, and complicated as the rest of their American brothers. I went half way around the world to discover it is exactly the same... sorry girls. There will be no butterflies, happy thoughts, bunnies and rainbows of love over here either. You might called me jaded, I call me realistic. If you happen to walk past a large group of older men, you will definitely know if they think you are pretty, they all stand up and applaud you down the street... no joke. They are generally more tolerant of Americans, and tend to be a little bit more helpful when you are completely lost. I'll let you know when I have more information on these little jewels of society.

Don't get me wrong, still love it here, just the more time you spend here the more you realize that you didn't escape your problems at all, they are just hibernating till you get back and everything that happens here reminds you of them.