An epic discovery...

I love how I'm constantly learning new things, about anything and everything, all the time here in Granada. Of course I'm always acquiring new words, attempting to improve my grasp on Spanish grammar and learning the ins-and-outs of the city, but right now I'm talking about the little things that end up making a world of a difference.

This week's lesson: Does Spain have Vicks VapoRub? Why, yes, in fact it does!

I did not know this little tidbit until last weekend. You might be thinking, why does it matter whether or not Spain has Vicks VapoRub? It's such an insignificant thing. Well, let me just tell you.

The hero of today's post: Vicks VapoRub.

In the winter and spring of 2009, when I first came to Granada and was doing my semester abroad, I was sick with various colds and other ailments for most of the months of January and February. What Granada lacked in snow and slush it made up for in rain, wind and cold temperatures; needless to say, it was a very miserable Spanish winter that year. Almost every Spaniard that I encountered agreed on the fact that it was the coldest, wettest winter that they had experienced in years. Normally, I wouldn't have minded, however a combination of 1) my complete change in lifestyle, 2) the lack of carpeting in Granada's apartments, 3) a stream of constantly-breaking umbrellas and 4) my pure hatred of socks led to one very sick, stuffed-up and groggy Katie. My symptoms seemed to quadruple at night (as they always seem to do) and sleeping was horrible... I just couldn't breath! I was miserable without some Vicks VapoRub. Intent on finding a similar product, I went to the pharmacy multiple times and to the doctor's office once but I never could find any product similar to Vicks. I even asked the pharmacists, in the best Spanish that I could muster at the time, if they carried any product like Vicks, describing it as best I could. No luck. I gave up my search and resigned to the fact that Spain just didn't have it. Luckily for me, winter started turning into spring towards the end of February and I wasn't sick for the rest of the semester after that. Thus, when I found out this past May that I would be returning to Granada, I thought carefully about what I would bring with me. As most of you already know, you're only allowed two suitcases and a carry-on for international flights. (Imagine my horror at the thought of packing for ten months in only two suitcases... what a nightmare!) One thing that definitely made it into my suitcases was Vicks VapoRub- not just one jar, but two. With fall and winter starting shortly after my arrival, I wasn't taking any chances and wanted to be prepared just in case I were to fall sick again.

Flash forward to this past Sunday. John, Anais and I were sitting at the kitchen table, eating the paella that Ana had just made for lunch. As we were chatting and talking about the upcoming week, I looked up at the kitchen's small television and caught a glimpse of the end of a commercial for none other than (you all guessed it!) Vicks VapoRub. I was so shocked to see it that all I did was point and gesture towards the TV, prompting Anais, John and Ana to look up at the commercial that was causing such a stir. I looked at Ana and I said, shocked, "You have that product here in Spain?!?!" She answered, "Claro..." To which I replied, "Since when?!" She looked at me like I was crazy and said "I don't know, since forever!" I started laughing and explained my history with Vicks VapoRub in Spain from the year before. When I finished she looked at me and said "But, Katie, all you had to do was ask! You should have just asked for Beee Bah-poh-Ruu'! I think that I even have some in the house right now!" When she pronounced Vicks the "Spanish way," both John and I began to crack up... of course it was as simple as that, the same exact word just pronounced completely differently! I now know that I should have just asked for what I wanted right from the start instead of trying to describe it... but with a Spanish accent, of course. Beee Bah-poh-Ruu'! Now I know the Spanish word for my Vicks VapoRub... and I'll never forget it!