Why is smoking healthy in Europe?

Sure, the cigarette packs still say stuff like "SMOKING KILLS" (in the native language of course) but that doesn't stop men, women, boys and girls, grandmas and grandpas from smoking everywhere and anywhere! It kind of reminded me of Japan in the 1980s where people smoked everywhere, in restaurants, departments stores, train stations, etc. (Now, you can hardly smoke anywhere in Japan except in little designated boxes). In the guidebook I had on Spain, it said that they had finally passed a law that made it illegal to smoke in restaurants -- but I did not see this law enforced anywhere I ate.

There is something amazing about the different mentality of how to enjoy life in Spain, though. The nation-wide (mandatory) siesta from 2pm - 5pm. Wine with lunch, party til 2am. Play is as important as work -- whereas in NY it feels as though play IS work. I feel like the smoking thing is part of it. Smoking in NY, it's like you are an evil anti-social person who is going to die imminently of horrible cancer, versus smoking in Spain, you are a lover of life and enjoy yourself like anybody else. Irwin thinks it's the difference between the guilt-ridden puritanical thinking of Protestants and the Catholics (whose guilt is absolved on a regular basis?).

Asian in Europe

I saw Vicky Christina Barcelona with Irwin last week, after we returned from Spain. Asides from what I thought about the film on an artistic level, what struck me was (and as in most Woody Allen films) was that all of these characters were like super white and super wealthy.
Ok but that's not my point. The movie presented certain ideas/ideals/ideologies that we as Americans tend to associate with Europe --- that they are way more progressive in their thinking, and stuff. Which might be true -- in a lot of ways does seem true, on the surface at least. But one thing I kept thinking about in Spain was "WOW am I like the only Asian person here, or what?" OK there was a small Filipino community there. But besides them, the only other Asians I ever saw were these Chinese people who would appear on street corners after midnight to sell soda, beer, bottled water, and sometimes even sandwiches from cardboard or plastic boxes. It was so weird. Where were these people during the day time? And how did this thing start, where they would stand on street corners selling sandwiches to clubbers and other late-night partyers?

Another phenomenon -- though I only saw a handful of serious Asian food restaurants, there were, in both Madrid and Barcelona, these fast-food-type franchises that had the word "wok" in their name. Like Take a Wok, Wok and Walk, Wok and Roll. I guess they were marketed as quick and healthy stir-fry joints.
I just thought this was kind of weird too.

don't get me wrong...

Despite my most recent cryptic blog post titles, I had an amazing time in Spain, truly. It was intense, challenging, life-changing, heart and mind-opening. My patience and resourcefulness were tested. I got to spend time and fall in love with a remarkable group of young artists. I got to spend every waking (and possibly sleeping) moment for 2 full weeks, entirely absorbed in making a work of theater (no even my own shows got that kind of attention). And the food, when I was able to eat, was delicious. There's a lot of stuff to process, for sure, and I'd like to keep track of these thoughts here.

I miss the sense of time and days in Spain, and the way the each meal framed a segment of time. The cafe con leche and pastry in the morning, the lunch at 2pm followed by siesta til 5pm, dinner never beginning before 9pm. Most days, from our hostal downtown, we could hear people carousing in the streets til easily 4am. A culture that takes what Americans consider "leisure" (time to eat, time to nap, time to drink wine and party) just as seriously as it takes WORK. Context, context, context.

Today's bonus pic:
Irwin and I stumbled upon this beautifully lit building in Barcelona on our first night there. I think it's like city hall or something?

p.s. my camera died the day before we came back to NY, so there are two whole days in Barcelona that went undocumented by me...