We have made it a whole year! I have a lot of stuff filed under “If only I knew then what I know now” and I’ll help Kelli out now and again with a guest blog post sharing my observations of living here in Valencia.
Do I need one of those?
I think living in the US conditioned me to the never-ending stream of advertising telling me that I need this or that. There are ads on TV telling me that I should consult with my doctor to see if whatever medicine the pharmaceutical company happens to be selling at that moment is right for me. There is a constant stream of messages telling the listener to be dissatisfied with what they have. Ooh look at the new version of X! You need a bigger Y. How have you lived without Z in your life? The advertising is relentless.
When we lived in the US I noticed it, but I never thought too much about how it influenced me. Here in Valencia the only advertisements that I’m exposed to are either the 5 or 6 billboards in the Metro or the daily text message from Vodafone trying to get me to buy something new. As a result of the absence of marketing I am not feeling like I’m missing out for not having the latest and greatest of everything.
I had forgotten how much advertising there was in the US until yesterday. I decided to tune into my old favorite radio station in Seattle by streaming their broadcast over the internet. Why hadn’t I thought of this months ago? It was great hearing the familiar voices and even the traffic reports of places I had been countless times. One thing that really annoyed me though was the sheer quantity of ads. After listening for about an hour I began to record how much time was spent on advertising. It works out to about 20 minutes per hour! It was quite an eyeopener. Back in the states I would have just assumed that was normal, because it is. Here in Valencia I mostly listen to music on Amazon or we watch Netflix. Very little advertising and I think I’m happier for missing out on it.
Take my money,please!
When I shop, I like to do ample research so that I know exactly what I need. There have been several examples over the past year where I was sure I knew exactly what I wanted only to find out that the “latest” model available in Spain is 2 years older than what is available in the US. This is perhaps my biggest frustration shopping here. Even Amazon fails to fill the void as not all products are available everywhere.
My second biggest frustration is the pace at which the shopping experience advances. Once I’ve figured out what I want, then I need to figure out how to get it. Where to shop, online or a local store? Even when I’m able to determine that a local store has the item I want, there is a good chance it will not be open when I get there. We are still getting the hang of the holiday schedule here. Some days are still just a mystery as to why everything is closed. Sometimes even when you arrive at the store on a non-holiday between the posted opening and closing hours the shop will be closed. We have no idea why. This wouldn’t happen in the US.
There have been a few times where I think I’m being perceived as more trouble than I’m worth to a salesman, rather than to try to understand what I’m asking for. There is a bike shop around the corner that comes to mind. Both times I’ve been there I have been turned away without being able to purchase what I need. Maybe it is because I don’t speak Spanish, but I always come prepared with either a picture of the item I need, or a Google translated paragraph of what I am looking for. Both times I’ve walked out feeling like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman thinking “Big mistake, I hope you work on commission” as I end up placing an order online.
Overall though, I would say that most people that I try to communicate with are willing to give it a try. My broken Spanish and their broken English – usually better than my Spanish – and we work it out.
Today we were out visiting car dealerships. The steps to the car buying process is like buying in the US. Visit the showroom, pick out a car, test drive the car, pay for it and go home. I’ve purchased many cars or motorcycles in the US. I go in armed with all my data and negotiate a fair price as quickly as I can. I mean who wants to spend an entire day at a car dealer? I think my record was when I purchased a Range Rover on Christmas Eve a few years ago. I stopped into the dealer as they were opening on my way to work, and the whole buying process only took a little over an hour and that was because I had to wait for them to wash it.
The steps are roughly the same here but instead of using a stopwatch to keep track of the time, you had better bring a calendar…seriously. You need to make an appointment to test drive your selected vehicle. If you want to drive a few different cars then that will require a separate appointment for each vehicle, hopefully all on the same day but not guaranteed if the cars will be available. Then once you have picked out the one you want it is time to pay for it. Like many things here this next part doesn’t make much sense to us.
The dealership we visited today told us that we had to finance the car. It wasn’t a large sum of money but in order to buy the car we couldn’t just pay cash even though I could. The salesperson told us that the upside is that they will give us a discount on the price for financing. (as if I have a choice) And the punchline was that it would take about two weeks for the finance company to get us approved. Once we are approved then it will take about another 4-5 days to get our insurance set up. We already have a quote but the turnaround time is so slow in them responding that getting the car attached to the policy is a chore.
So, I’ve learned that it takes roughly just under a month to buy a new car in Valencia. I’ve heard that buying a used vehicle is quicker but that comes with its own set of potential issues. For instance, the previous owner may have some unpaid tickets and somehow, they get transferred to the new owner as if the car was responsible for them and not the owner. I’m sure there are ways to protect yourself from this and I know I still have a bit of learning to do.
Overall my experience here has been a positive one. From day 1 there has been something new to learn every day. What seemed almost impossible and intimidating just a year ago is now easily accomplished. I’m an introvert but I’m slowly being forced out of my shell due to necessity. Well, that and Pokemon Go. (They are fanatical about the game here, but I’ll save that for another blog post)
Sure, there is still a huge language barrier for me, but context is everything. I may not always know what the cashier at the grocery store is telling me but somehow, I just know what she is asking and can respond accordingly. “No, I don’t have a loyalty card.” “No, I don’t need validation for parking.” “Yes, I’d like a bag.” It probably sounds a little weird to a bystander. The cashier talking to me in Spanish while I respond in English, but it seems to be working so far. And with each day that passes the language barrier is not quite so tall. Want to order a beverage? All you need to say is “una cerveza” or maybe “una pinta cerveza” if you are thirsty. But I’ve learned that ordering a “una grande pinta cerveza” while gesturing with my hands may be a little overkill, as I found out the other day.
Would I give up all my worldly possessions and move to another country again? Maybe. But one thing I’ve learned is that I don’t need nearly as many things as I thought I did two years ago. I’ve traded them for experiences.
Viva Espana 