miércoles, 23 de octubre de 2013

Donde estuvieres..........¿haz lo que vieres? / When in Rome..........do as Romans do?

Buenos días! ¿Quién no conoce el viejo refrán "Donde estuvieres haz lo que vieres"? Está claro que cada cual tiene sus costumbres y su forma de hacer las cosas pero ¿qué ocurre cuando salimos de viaje por ejemplo?. Mientras el viaje sea dentro de nuestras fronteras los horarios y comidas no suelen cambiar mucho pero ¿y cuando viajamos al extranjero? Ahí sí que cambian las cosas. Este verano he observado por el centro de Valencia a muchos extranjeros (ignoro nacionalidades, no creí correcto preguntar jajaja) no haciendo bueno el refrán que da pie a este post. Me explico: mes de Julio, aproximadamente las 4 de la tarde, unos 35ºC al sol, un calor húmedo sofocante, extranjeros haciendo turismo con pamelas, gorras, botellas de agua y asfixiados de calor. Entiendo que estas personas proceden de países más fríos en los que pasear a las cuatro de la tarde del mes de Julio puede ser lo más normal pero hacerlo en Valencia a esa hora es muy imprudente porque ellos no están acostumbrados a nuestro calor. Esa es una de las razones por la que los países cálidos "inventamos" la siesta, porque entre las 14 y las 18 ó 19 horas el sol es muy fuerte para salir a la calle. Aunque debo decir que la siesta es sólo para quien no trabaja o no tiene necesidad de salir a la calle a esas horas porque los que trabajamos por la mañana y por la tarde sí tenemos que salir a la calle durante esas horas y, si solemos hacer siesta (que no es mi caso porque nunca me ha gustado hacer siesta, soy una española atípica jajaja) se deja para los fines de semana cuando se puede tener tiempo libre.

Good morning! Who doesn't know the saying "When in Rome do as Romans do"?. It's clear that everybody has their own customs and their own way of doing things but what happens when we go on a trip for example? While the trip is within our country the timetable and meals doesn't usually change much but what happens when we travel abroad? Things change. This summer I have noticed many foreigners in the centre of Valencia (no idea of nationalities, I didn't think it was correct to ask jajaja) not fulfilling the saying heading this post. I'll explain myself: month of July, approx. 4 o'clock in the afternoon, about 35ºC, a suffocating and humid heat, foreigners sightseeing wearing pamela hats, caps, water bottles and suffocated due to the heat. I understand these people come from colder countries where it can be usual to go walking or sightseeing at 4 o'clock in the afternoon but in Valencia during the month of July doing that is, at least, absolutely reckless because they are not used to our heat. This is one of the reasons why hot weather countries "invented" the siesta, because between 14-18 or 19 hours the sun is too hot to go outside. Although I have to say that siesta is only for people who doesn't work or doesn't need to go outside during those hours because the people who work in the mornings and afternoons (like me) we do have to go out during those hours and if we use to do siesta (which is not my case as I have never liked doing siesta, I am an atypical Spanish woman jajaja) we leave it for the weekends when we have spare time.
 
En España nuestros horarios de comida son diferentes a los del resto de países europeos (incluso Italia, aún siendo un país tan mediterráneo como España tiene horarios de comida totalmente europeos). Aquí, dependiendo de la actividad de cada uno solemos desayunar entre las 7 y las 10, la comida suele ser entre las 14 y las 15.30 horas y la cena entre las 21 y las 22 horas (siempre horas aproximadas). Por eso no deja de ser chocante para nosotros ver a extranjeros cenando a las 19 horas con el sol fuera.
 
In Spain our meal times are different from the rest of the European countries (even Italy, which is a country as Mediterranean as Spain has absolutely European meal times). Here, depending on the activities of each person, we usually have breakfast between 7-10, lunch time usually is between 14-15.30 and dinner time is usually between 21-22 (always approximately times). That's why it is very surprising for us to see foreigners having dinner at 19 hours with the sun still shining.
 
Los españoles, cuando salimos al extranjero, lo tenemos francamente mal en cuestión de horarios de comidas. En uno de mis tres viajes a Inglaterra recuerdo cenar a las ¡¡¡cinco y media de la tarde!!!, a esa hora en España los niños están merendando. O intenta cenar en Inglaterra, por ejemplo, más allá de las siete de la tarde ¡imposible!. Para mí la conclusión es clara: cuando los españoles viajamos sí hacemos bueno el "Donde estuvieres haz lo que vieres" pero me temo que somos los únicos. ¿Qué suele ocurrir en vuestros países? ¿Cuál es vuestra experiencia?. Un abrazo a todos!
 
Spanish people, when we go abroad, have a difficult time related with the meal times. In one of my three trips to England I remember having dinner at half past five!!!, at that time Spanish children are having their "merienda" (a snack children usually have between lunch time and dinner time). Or try to have dinner in England, for example, later than seven o'clock in the evening, impossible!. For me the conclusion is clear: when Spanish people travel we do accomplish the "When in Rome do as Romans do" but I'm afraid we are the only ones. What does it usually happen in your countries? Which is your experience?. A hug for all!

2 comentarios:

  1. I have always heard that Spaniards and others in southern Europe eat their meals so late - I would hate that as when you are eating your evening meal I am about ready to go to bed! Here we have breakfast - very informal anywhere from 6 to 8 in the morning (some people skip breakfast entirely) then lunch is between 11 to 1 and our evening meal is normally between 5 and 6:30 - this varies from individual people some eat a little later some a little earlier. Most people are going to bed between 10 and 11 at night so they can get up to go to work the next day which can start as early as 6 for some people. Most of us do not have a mid morning snack or a very large afternoon snack so we are ready to eat the evening meal early.
    Also depending on where you are located in the states most even in the heat run around doing errands or sight seeing in the afternoon. Now when we go to the western states where it is very hot in the late afternoon we do not do a lot of afternoon activities but seek the shade and cool inside places.

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    1. Hi Karen! In Spain there are also people starting work at 6 in the morning but don't go to bed so early as 22-23 h. For example a very big nationwide department store opens at 10 and closes 22 h, most of the supermarkets close at almost 21.30h so it's just a matter of having different timetables for meals and ways of life but working times are not that different. Many thanks for your comment, love!

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