You wanna go where everybody knows your name

I am living an idyllic life. My host mama owns a cafeteria right around the corner from the apartment where we live. I eat breakfast and lunch there every day during the week. Her son Juanchi works behind the counter, as does his girlfriend Marijo sometimes. For breakfast I sit at the bar while I consume my tea, freshly squeezed orange juice, and pastry or croissant before heading to the university, one block over. At lunch I sit at a small table by the kitchen and Mila brings out food to me, so much food. Traditionally, people have a bottle of beer with their lunch at the cafés, but I opt for a bottle of Coca-Cola. The Coke here is sooo good. Made with real cane sugar and not as carbonated as in the States. There is always so much of it though, in the café, in the refrigerator at home. My teeth just might rot out of my head by December. Maybe that part isn’t so picturesque…

To add to the ideality, I use my time at the café during lunch to complete my Shakespeare reading. This week’s selection is the Merchant of Venice. It is the required reading for my class on Shakespeare literature at the university, taught in English. I already love this class and think I am going to come to appreciate it as a much-needed intellectual break from the Spanish language.

Cafeterias are a big deal in Spain. Spaniards don’t really bring people to their houses, so the café is where people hang out. In Oviedo alone there are hundreds. They are everywhere! In the half-mile radius from my home, there are at least 25. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise to me that my host family happens to own one of the cafeterias (and also a restaurant downtown). It’s just wonderful, though.

By night, I watch reruns of the 80’s show Cheers with Mila. I just can’t help but be charmed at the concept of a Spanish café-owner watching a show about the happenings of American bar. Spanish shows are quite humorous because most of them are old American shows, dubbed with Spanish. In addition to not being convincing in the least, they also use about the same 10 Spanish voice-actors, so the characters sound the same no matter what show you are watching. Cheers is especially wonderful though, because the plot so easy to follow that I can pick up some Spanish from it, all while being entertained.

Shakespeare. Spanish Café. Cheers.

Have to say, it is rather poetic.