When I met my Spanish host dad for the first time, I reached out to shake his hand. By the look on his face, I knew instantly that I’d done something wrong.

“What’s wrong?” my host mum demanded to know in Spanish. “Why had I gone to shake hands instead of kissing his cheeks twice? Did I not like him? Was I rude?”

I’d wrongly assumed that the laidback, friendly Aussie culture would mean that I’d slot right into life in Spain. But instead, that handshake would be the first of many awkward social interactions I’d stumble through during my time in Spain, getting by with imperfect Spanish.

From a glossary of Spain’s strangest foods to looking like a dumb foreigner, here’s a few things I’ve learned during my time living with a Spanish host family.

You Probably Won’t Ever Pass As A Local

“What country are you from?” was the first thing my doorman asked after I tried speaking with him in Spanish. After two years of Spanish classes, I was pretty deflated.

Despite being the whitest person in the neighbourhood, I thought I could somewhat pass as a local. But in my experience, this question is less of a savage burn and more, “I can tell your Spanish isn’t the best, but I appreciate the effort”. It’s almost a way of OK-ing your shitty Spanish because you’re not from around here and trying your best.

So just chuck in a “que guay” (how cool) and “vale” (OK) and you’ll be right.

Host Family Means Family

Spanish people REALLY value family time. My host family has practically adopted me, calling me their ‘hija’ (daughter). They’ve also taken to wearing Aussie souvenir shirts around the house and have promised to use the word “prawn” instead of “shrimp” out of respect for ‘Straya.

But having a second family also means you’re likely to be subjected to things like being spoken about in Spanish while you’re in the room. In the words of my Spanish host dad, “we’re speaking about you. That’s why we speak so fast, so you won’t understand”. I mean, you’ve got to admire the level of honesty!

This honesty also means that if you look particularly shitty, it’s likely that they’ll tell you, asking, “why do you look SO tired?” But there’s an upside. They’ll take care of you like you’re their own.

After falling sick during my first week, my Spanish mum coated our meals with garlic, forced me to drink water (“beba mucha agua, E-den”) and cut up an onion to put in my room at night. Needless to say, my room and I smelled like something died for the next week, but it was the thought that counted.

You Can Survive On Little To No Sleep 

After being here for almost a month, I’m still struggling to understand how Spanish people, in general, get by with such little sleep.

Mornings start early at about 6 or 7am, lunch is at 3pm and dinner is often as late as 11pm. Even during weeknights, the small neighbourhood bar in my calle (street) is buzzing until 1.30am. Lock out laws are definitely not a thing in Madrid.

Siestas won’t save you either because they’re normally just a weekend thing. So get used to minimal shut-eye!

Spanish Food Can Be Delightfully Weird

When my Spanish mum was showing me around the shops, something caught my eye – and it wasn’t the SUPER cheap wine going at 2 euro a bottle. I’d seen a hairless rabbit spread out on the ice, its glassy eyes giving the illusion of roadkill. And next to the rabbit were big cuts of ham with the hooves still intact. Yep, Spanish people love their meat, even conejo (rabbit)!

When I asked my host family why people would eat such a cute animal, they said “people eat kangaroo in Australia, no?” Touché Spain, touché.

Living with a host family means you’ll have a support system to fall back on.

Gazpacho is another gross local food that people will insist that you try. My advice: don’t. It’s basically a cold tomato and onion soup that people drink by the litre. If you know what’s good for you you’ll stick with churros con chocolate, tinto de verano, paella and tapas.

Living with a host family means you’ll have a support system to fall back on and someone correct you when you say “necesito pegar el banco” (I need to punch the bank) instead of “necesito pagar el banco” (I need to pay the bank). Helpful stuff!

And while it might be nice to never have to see gazpacho again, the perks of having a Spanish fam make it all totally worthwhile.

Eden Gillespie is an International Studies/Media student at UNSW with a love for breakfast bagels and Louis Theroux.