Ordinary days in Menorca
LIFE IN MENORCA
Every nation has its unique specificities and quirks 😀 Did you know that in Spain it's common to use the word danone instead of yogurt – meaning the name of a specific brand? Or that if you want to ask for a tissue, you use the word kleenex – which is also a brand of tissues – instead of the classic word pañuelo: Me puedes dar un kleenex, por favor? Quite a joke, right? You might have heard about this one – tourists are called guiris – but only those from Europe who don't speak Spanish, and easily turn into red tomatoes after basking in the sun 😀 Am I a guiri too? What do you think?
So after a normal day at the beach, you go for a beer, right? Don't be surprised if the waiter in the local bar calls you "king" – Que quieres rey? or if you're a woman, "queen" – Que quieres reina? A golden piece of advice: Don't take it as flirting. It's just their way of being. Just as it's completely natural for them to touch you during a conversation and slightly invade your personal space. The endless temperament present in their veins thus comes to the surface, and they express every emotion more intensely than we are used to. If you don't like besitos〈kisses〉on the cheeks – maybe it's better to head to the north or as we say, head north.
Are you curious how they react when I say I'm from Slovakia? Here's a very recent example of a conversation with an older gentleman originally from Argentina, but living in Menorca.
And where are you from?
From Slovakia.
Aaaah, Prague, right?
Or from a different barrel. Back in January, when I was rushing to the airport to catch my flight to Portugal, the lady sitting at the counter asked me:
Is that Slovakia or Slovenia?
(pause) The conversation started between the lady and another lady sitting next to her, where she said: And Slovakia, is that in the European Union? The ladies, of course, spoke Spanish, because they thought I didn't understand them. But I understood and couldn't help but smile.
I think everyone who has lived in another country for some time has certainly encountered similar situations. These little quirks are also something you'll carry in your backpack back home. Because every day teaches you something new and brings those unique memories that will make you smile from ear to ear years later, remembering your ESC. So – shall we go for it?
The project is financially supported by the European Solidarity Corps program.
