Ramon Llull (or "How I'm way too cynical for europe" )

So i realized I havent told anyone much about the WONDERFUL experience im having here in the dorm.

First of all, 90% of the kids here are first years, which means 17 and 18 and have never been away from home. Because of the amount of first years, the slightly older (19yearolds) kids decide its proper to HAZE them. THis includes public humiliation, shaving cream on door handles, running around at 4:45 am and banging on doors, and the latest development, completely trashing peoples rooms. Like turning over and breaking their beds, throwing their clothes around, soap on the floor. We're talking parent trap at summer camp type of stuff here. Luckily, my room did not suffer trashing, but we did have some shaving cream on our door handle. And I do have trouble falling asleep almost every night because the echo in the hallway makes the 17 year old girls gossiping sound like hawks flying by. so much for "quite hours after 11pm," which is what they told us the first few days. I think my RA thinks im a total B**** because he interviewed me last night (along with all the other IES kids in the dorm) to see how we are doing. I was all like "What about quiet hours" and "My spanish teacher is bad" and "Is there anyway to get remote for the sala de tv?" Well not that last one, but whatever.

And then there are the dining hall rules:

You cant get up until your whole table is done eating. (tables fit about 20 people) and if you get up they tap on their glasses to draw attention to you.
You cant talk on your cell phone.
You cant have seconds on anything.
(Up to this point the rules are more or less common courtesy, however...)
If you get yogurt you HAVE to have it face down on your tray until you eat it. If not someone else at your table can stab their knife (possibly with food on it) into your yogurt top.
You cant walk down the middle aisle, ever. Why is it even there, then?


Just the tiny cultural differences that make up the experience, I guess.