the first sunday of the month

So this blog, which has yet to be titled, is supposedly about my experience here in Spain. But really it´s just an online journal about my life, which I apparently find interesting enough to share with others, and which others apparently find interesting enough to read about (or at least I hope so...). My life happens to be in Spain right now, but I have every intention of keeping this up when I return to the states (whenever that might be...) because I really actually enjoy it. Also, I want to clarify that I am not only going to write about Spain things while I´m here...because I realized today that there are many other things I want to share (like the peculiar history of the word "mondegreen", or how I have recently been feeling an urge to roll my own cigarettes, then not smoke them, because I don´t really like cigarettes).

But my own curiosities will be put on hold for now, because today I have also decided that I will dedicate a post every once in a while to one the many Spanish curiosities (and these specific posts WILL have everything to do with Spain)--because it seems that I find a new one every day.

Like today. Here is what happened:

Last night before going out I attempted to make a really fancy birthday cake for Vero (celebration round two: Sunday family stylin´in Getafe). You can find the godforsaken recipe here: http://www.passionateaboutbaking.com/2008/01/chocolate-strawberry-cakequite-ultimate.html. But of course, this took SO long and I was running extremely late--unsurprisingly so, the cake was a complete and utter disaster. I was so frustrated, because I spent 15 euros or something on the ingredients, plus 3 hours of my time..and on top of that I was an hour late to meet up with a friend in the city. My chill Saturday turned into complete mayhem in the kitchen, with no fantastic results to show for it. In fact, it was such a disaster that I had to throw the whole thing away.

I was sort of freaking out because I had promised to make the cake, but there was no cake and I was missing some ingredients in order to start over. The grocery stores had already closed, plus my friend was waiting on me so there really was no choice but to just leave it for the night. So I went flying out the door, and on the train, I worried. Everything here is closed on Sundays. Would there be no birthday cake??

There is a happy ending to this story, and I swear, I am getting to the Spanish curiosity.

Everything is closed on Sundays...except the first Sunday of every month--when the grocery stores are all open. Why? I have no idea. But lucky me! Today happened to be the first Sunday of the month.

So I woke up early (at 11 am, which is early considering I went to bed at 6) and dragged myself to the store to get the necessary ingredients for cake-making attempt number 2. I actually have never been to the store on one of these particular Sundays, as this is only my 5th 1st Sunday here. But today, I finally experienced the curiosity that is, as I shall ever-so-creatively call it, The First Sunday of the Month.

I suppose, just because the grocery stores are open on these particular days, everyone finds it completely and totally imperative to do the week´s grocery shopping at this time. The place was a zoo, and I nearly had a nervous breakdown in aisle 7 while searching for 35% whipping cream (there were at least 6 other people possibly looking for the same exact item), and then again while waiting in the supposed express lane (which took approx. 14 minutes to go through).

This is particularly curious to me, because the general hours for grocery shopping in Spain are between 5 and 8 pm, and I have found that the people are quite religious about this routine. I was so confused as I thought to myself, "What the hell are all these people doing here?"

Even more, there are signs posted EVERYWHERE when the First Sunday of the Month is coming up, announcing the altered schedules, as if nobody knew this was going to happen. The text is in all caps, urging the shopper to return on Sunday because if not, they might miss out. The other 3 Sundays? Don´t even think about it. But, this Sunday, the First Sunday of the Month--you´d better take advantage.