Commerce...A New Way (edited)

(Learned today that when I originally posted this article part of it had disappeared.  So here is the whole story.)

A while back I wrote a post about the things that remind me we are not in NC any longer.  Often those things seem negative or catch me off guard in a bad kind of way.  This past week I was once again reminded we were not in NC anymore, but in a very positive, I can't believe this is happening, kind of way.

Circus Sweet at El Bulevar
Centro Commercial
in Getafe.  I will
definitely go back!

On Thursday Hannah and I went to the indoor market for groceries.  We were asking for our fruits and veggies when the thought hit me "I sure hope I have enough cash to pay for this."  (no credit cards at the market)  When I said that out loud, Pilar, my favorite fruit/veggie sales lady, says "get what you need.  If you don't have enough, you can pay me later."  She has said that repeatedly, but I have never actually done it.  But I needed to do finish shopping so I took her up on it.  I was €10 short.  I promised to come back the next day and she says "don't worry about it, just whenever you are here next time."  Hannah went back on Saturday to buy more veggies and paid her.  Never in my wildest dreams would the grocery store or even the Farmer's Market let me get away with only paying for part of my produce with the promise of "next time I'll pay."

But don't think this just happens with little produce stands.  On Saturday I was doing errands and was hungry.  I love Spain's frozen yogurt, although my family isn't particularly fond of it.  It comes only in one flavor - kind of citrusy - and always with toppings.  Before ordering I checked the price (€2.50), ordered a medium bowl with white chocolate and caramel pieces.  Took a bite, opened my wallet, and wanted to fall through the floor with embarrassment.  I always have coins in my purse (and remember in Euros coins go up to €2) so I never thought to check before ordering.  As soon as I opened my wallet I remembered giving Alex the last of my money the night before.  Uh oh.

But don't worry.  The man said "just give me what you have."  50 cents?  I immediately asked if there was an ATM machine nearby and he says "yes, but don't worry about it."  "no, no.  I'll go get money and pay you."  He asks me if I like it and when I tell him yes, he tells me don't worry - you'll be back and you can pay that time.

I promised to return after doing my shopping to pay.  Another cultural difference is that in Spain you cannot get cash back from stores.  Only place to get cash is in the bank or in a machine.  So I bought my groceries, pushed my grocery cart through the mall (yes, this is normal here), found an ATM machine, and returned to pay.  His response was "thanks, but it would have been ok if you waited until next time."

Oh, there are things that drive me crazy about the culture here in Spain - but then, I get smacked up against the head with a reminder that there are some phenomenal aspects of the culture that outweigh all the frustrating ones (just ask me about the gas bill we keep getting for someone else)!