Just a couple things that are different

So I figured I would fill you in on some of the things that are very different here compared to the US:

-They use graph paper instead of lined paper in notebooks and agendas--it was very hard to find one with regular lines!
-There are coffee vending machines in the school that make you a cup for about 60 cents as well as sandwich machines--the coffee is good but the sandwiches aren't great
-I'm pretty sure there isn't any heating in many buildings because the building that we have the majority of our classes in is freezing and dark. I'm hoping they have A/C once it starts to get hotter though!
-Leather jackets are a must-have here. EVERYONE seems to own one and I used to think they were kind of a rebellious fashion item but they've definitely grown on me and they make you look cool here ;)
-Also, really tall boots are popular with the girls here. Flashy knee-high leather. Another must have.
-I haven't seen a single girl wear a t-shirt in public here. If they do, they're probably Americans. I think we are very easy to spot here. Especially at the beach lately. Lots of boys wear capris and tighter clothing that you wouldn't see boys at home wearing. (Also, they have better jeans here!!)
-Having a dryer is a LUXURY. No one I know has one and it's something I'm definitely missing. It took my clothes 3 days to dry and then once they're dry, they're all crusty and hard. Ew.
-Smoking is very popular here. I've already had lots of people come up to me and ask for a cigarillo.
-They serve beer on campus--I've already mentioned this in another post but it still blows my mind that you can go drink a little in between classes. Maybe someday we'll have that in the States.
-My CrossCultural Business Behavior teacher told us that a popular breakfast is bread and olive oil. Kind of odd to eat early in the morning, but thats also the only kind of dressing they have here. No ranch or honey mustard!!
-You can buy beer at the McDonald's, Subway, or BK.
-The partying here is intense. We went out with some Spaniard boys last night and we didn't end up leaving for the bar until 2 am. And then you stay out until about 6 or so. It's exhausting and probably the reason I'm constantly sick. My sleeping habits are way off.
-Backpacks are also not very popular here. Most people have "murses" (man purses) or side shoulder bags that they carry their books in. Another way to tell we're all Americans
-The bus here is extremely packed everyday. All kinds of people use it and the group of people on it are very diverse. There's always some Americans every time I've ridden it. It's funny because I have an English speaking radar now. It's hard to eavesdrop when you don't know what anyone is saying so when I DO hear something I understand, it's exciting.
-You can't buy alcohol in the 24 hour stores after 10. I forgot if I already mentioned this but Kira and I went to go buy some 40s/Sangria at the store down the street around 11 and the guy looked at us funny but he still sold it to us. Then he explained why he was being so weird about it and sent us out some creepy side door and double bagged our drinks so the cops couldn't bust him. Only been here 2 weeks and we're already breaking laws. He said it's something like a 1000 euro fine if he gets caught.
-The grocery stores have a very limited amount of food. We had a lot of trouble finding tortilla chips and salsa. They also don't have peanut butter or bagels. I was very confused though because they do have cream cheese. For what? I dont know.
-They don't bag your groceries for you here. It's annoying when I buy a large amount of food because not only do I have to carry it all the way back to my flat, but I get all flustered when there's a long line behind me and I'm struggling to bag things! If you come to Spain, get some experience bagging groceries at your local Harris Teeter!
-People don't really smile here. I've walked by several old ladies with cute dogs and I say "Aww" and smile and they just put their noses up in the air. Not really sure what that's all about but now I know to just look down when I walk by them haha.
-J-Walking is very popular here. It's very brave to cross the street when the pedestrian crossing light isn't on because people on motorcycles come out of nowhere and they drive extremely fast!
-The fuses blow here a lot. I had my heater on in my room one day to keep it warm for when I got out of the shower and because I had the hair dryer running and one other light on, everything went out.
-My apartment is very dark everyday. Since my room is so small and my curtains are dark, I can never really tell what time it is. Not quite as sunny as Kira's flat.
-They use celsius--Always hard to tell how warm it really is but I'm getting used to it.
-They use a 24 hour clock. I haven't figured out if they actually say 15:00 or if they say 3 but I'm going to ask my roommate at some point because I don't think they do.
-I am not allowed to have guests stay for free at my apartment. I heard my roommate talking about how when her friends come, they have to pay 60 euros a night. It's weird because you think that since you're paying for your room, you should be able to do whatever, but ya can't!
-PDA is not a big deal here. I went to the beach today and people are practically laying on top of each other on their towels canoodling. I'm glad we don't do that back home but it's something I will have to get used to because it is everywhere.
-Techno/Dance music is what everyone seems to like here. They play it all the time at the bars so I'm starting to listen to more and more of it.
-Diet coke is called Coca Cola Light here.
-Little dogs with jackets are really popular. Makes me miss Marley!!
-I think I already mentioned this but there are random cats everywhere. They are all strays but I think I've had a black cat cross my path at least 20 times since I've been here--bad luck!!
-Scarves are really popular. They're everyone's accessory.
-Chupitos (shots) are given out like candy here. Esp if you're a girl.
-Futbol is everywhere. Always on the tv's in bars and restaurants.
-The keyboards in the library are impossible. The letters are in the same order but they are so confusing. When logging on, you have to use your student email and password and it took me about 5 minutes to find the  @ button and discover that you have to use ALT to make it work. There are also keys with accents so if you get a message from me with weird letters, it's because I'm in the library (which is huge by the way).