[Dixielandjazz] Spanish times

[Jim Kashishian]

The little back-and-forth between myself & Bob Ringwald may have some people
curious as to when Spanish people do what in Spain.  Not a particularly
musical subject, but some may find it interesting:

Office work is normally from 9am to 1pm, and 4pm to 8pm, but that can vary.
Traffic jams in the morning are up to 10am, so many I suspect arrive late! I
often see guys in suits dropping their kids off at schools at 9:30, so you
figure it out! Again, traffic is heavy from 8pm to 10pm.  Schools follow the
same schedule, but end at 5 or 6pm.  Grandpas & grandmas tend to pick the
kids up from school, if the parents are working, which these days is usually
the case.  Families tend to live close here.  In fact, most socializing is
within the family itself.  If you see two couples out together, you can
figure the two wives are probably sisters, or the two husbands are brothers,
etc. 

The shops, except for the big department chains, follow the office hours of
opening & closing.  The chains stay open all day, some from 10am to 10pm, as
do the large supermarkets.  They all close on Sundays.

Lunch is the big meal of the day and lasts between an hour and two hours.
Dinner, never before 10pm, is lighter.  Both are accompanied with wine or
beer...yes, even in the workplace.    There is also a "snack period" between
5pm & 7pm, which is the hour for "el paseo" (the stroll) for those not
working & on holidays.  The snack is normally taken at a "bar".

Social contacts usually take place in "bars", not at people's homes,
however, that should not be thought of as a typical U.S. bar, or even a
British pub.  These are well-lit places with a bar (counter) full of food
(snacks), including cured ham, olives, shrimp, octupus, etc.  No one ever
drinks without a snack (except in discos).  Some places still give you a
free "tapa" (snack) with your drink.  You order a drink & snack, then maybe
another drink, more snacks, and then pay before you go...not as you order.
Some places still write your tab in chalk on the wooden bar in front of your
place, but this is disappearing now. Kids are in abundance in the bars
(quite often running around the tables!), as is smoking.  Most people tend
to crowd around the bar.  The Spanish are very gregarious.  The bigger the
crowd, the more noise(all refered to in one word "jaleo"), the better.  A
coffee (expresso) is taken at the bar, and is downed quickly...many times a
day.  It is exceptionally good! (I have two before going on stage!)   :>

The main streets of Madrid are full of people until 2 or 3am any nite of the
week, and on the weekends & the nites before holidays (which there are
many!), up until 7am! I'm talking not being able to get out the door of one
club we play at which is on a pedestrian mall, due to the crowds walking by
the door, at 2am!  We normally do a week or 10 days at a time at this club,
and it is packed (you couldn't squeeze another person in with a
shoehorn)every nite of the week.  Young & old blend happily.  Probably about
75% smoke.  Lucky for us the air extractors work well.  I recently had an
exam, and my lungs are excellent, which is a miracle considering where I
work!

We often get stuck in traffic jams coming home from gigs at 3am! Discos
don't even open before midnight, and no one in their right mind bothers to
show up before 2am.  Our trumpet substitute (a 26 yr old Russian) left our
club last nite when we finished at 2:45am.  He was rushing to a gig at a
discoteque which started at 3am ('til 6am).  The gig?  Him on trumpet, and
one of those "scritchity-scratchty dj's.  :>

Our gigs at clubs start at 11pm or 12pm.  We do two, sometimes three 45
minutes sets, with a half hour break, usually.  Concerts (city hall
sponsored affairs usually) are normally at 8pm or 11pm (before or after
dinner).  Therefore, a wedding will take place maybe at 7pm, and guests will
arrive from the church for the reception around 8pm.  We play, then from 8
to 10pm, when, like clockwork, they will sit down to dine. A normal wedding
where we play will have 150 to 250 guests.  Music during dinner is normally
not accepted.  The Spanish like to talk!  They don't do the speech thing
here at all.  After dinner, a disco is the norm, except at an expensive
wedding, where they might have a big name star & band.  The dance will go on
until 5 or 6am.  The bride and groom do not "disappear" as they do in the
States.  They don't want to miss the party! 

The Spanish think the "anglos" have it all wrong...too much work, not enough
play.  We think they have it all wrong...too much play, not enough work.  I
mix the best of both worlds & come out a winner!   :>

Jim