Not a call you hear in this area, but the subject of time causes so many comments. Some of the more typical remarks that are aired in my office are about business opening hours. “The shops shut by the time I get to them”.  Avoiding the reply, “Try an earlier breakfast or a later lunch and shop after 5”.  I explain the two part working day and how different trades work different hours. Here are some of the comments.

• Shop later, oh I can’t do that, I would miss the “soaps”
• Can’t do the evenings, we eat at 6.
• No I don’t go into that shop they ask you what you want!  They follow you around; I feel they think I’m a shoplifter.
• I don’t go there, if I don’t know the word for it, I can’t see it to point to.
• Restaurants don’t open until bed time.
• Why are the shops shut on Sundays?

So where do these people shop, the large hyper or supermarkets which do not shut for lunch, not in the villages or towns? Maybe they miss out on so much fun.

My first counting lesson in Spanish was held in a village shop with no grumbles from the queue, just encouragement, as I very red faced counted back my change.

Then there are the misunderstandings, resulting in pointing to different parts of your body to get the cut of meat you want, plus the odd farmyard sounds made in the early days before the crib cards in the pocket.  Yes I have ended up with more than I wanted as I forgot the words for half a kilo or that’s enough! Food like the weather is an important topic of conversation. How was I going to cook the thick pieces of pork? So a recipe book showing a picture of pork cooked with apples and cider was taken into the butchers and passed around to the women seated.  Yes that’s why there are seats, especially in the butchers and fishmongers, customers give each other time to chat, no huffs or drumming of the fingers! And a free language class too.

Sadly, there is a move to change Spanish trading hours in line with North Europeans. The long lunchtime break will go and so will the long lunches! The larger cities of Spain are already changing working hours. With this will go the more relaxed way of life that many of us have become accustomed to. I remember too well the rushed fast-food lunches and clockwatching in the UK.  Yes it is surprising if a local person arrives on time, or you don’t have to wait for an age in the bank or doctors, but when it’s your turn, do you feel rushed?

Considering this subject of time and the quality of life here, it makes me think of the practice of offering to gift wrap a purchase in shops, very time consuming, done with care, often beautifully finished, and a service gladly given freely. Enjoy the pace of life here and the time local people have for you it is a gift to treasure.

It is only frustrating if you fight it!