Well there is that big yellow thing in the sky, having lived in Yorkshire for 10 years before moving to Spain I didn't see it that much, but I had to admit I got to scratching my chin about this. Were there any contraptions, devices, things in general over here that we didn't get in the UK?
And indeed there is:
Fibreglass cars
These are an absolute menace, not only do they drive down major trunk roads doing speeds of no more than 30 kph, but they are usually manned by an inebriated octogenarian. But, this one is often spotted around my village and always makes me smile because of its number plate.
Plate Rack Cupboards
No need for drying up the dishes over here - just simply put the plate straight from the washing-up bowl into the cupboard and voila. Not sure why we don't have these in England, we should have! That said, having a plate rack cupboard does not make up for a lack of draining board Mr. Who-Ever-Designed-My-Inadequate-Kitchen.
Chicken's Feet
Yes, I know that chicken have feet in the UK, I infact I do believe that chicken with feet is a commonality of chickens the world over. However, chicken's feet are not usually packaged 20 to a polystyrene tray, wrapped in clingfilm and displayed next to all the normal parts of chicken you may actually want to eat in the meat aisle of the supermarket. Ditto pig's trotters, pig's face, pig's ear and my personal gagging-reflex favourite - tripe!
I don't know what culinary delights the local ladies cook with these chicken feet, but I'll happily go to my grave without this knowledge.
Human Towers
I am not sure at which point in a Mother's career she turns to her offspring to say "hey love, why don't you climb up all those people and balance precariously on top of them all", but it would seem that many Mamas in Tarragona must do just that. How else could you explain this phenomenon? Most of the people involved were teenagers, with pre-teens higher up the tower. Fascinating to watch, until you realise you haven't drawn breath for 10 minutes and you're more likely to need the nearby Red Cross ambulance than they are. UK Health and Safety eat your heart out.
Head on over to Tales from Windmill Fields to find out what other strange things expats have encountered.
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