Sorry, this is not Portugal.

5.16.13

*not* the continuation of my Portugal trip (hopefully that will happen mañana... sorry I procrastinate, guys :[ )

This post is here because there are two observations I'd like to share...

The first is about the galego phrase "e logo."
The second is about elevator culture.

E logo.  This phrase, literally meaning "and later" (y luego), is apparently extreeeemely versatile in galego.  I learned of 2 (opposing) uses for it yesterday, and my students led me to believe that there are in fact even more, but it would have been too hard to explain them to me.  It's all in the intonation (and facial expression), but "e logo" can be a way to avoid answering someone's questions and/or get them to piss off, and it can also be a way of reassuring/emphatically affirming.  (huh???) 
Evidently, Gallegos are known for being very guarded and not liking to give straight answers (stereotypically, at least... however, most of the Gallegos I ask pretty much agree with this perception).  So, if you're Gallego and someone asks you something,  (not even something personal, it could be totally innocuous, like: did you go shopping this weekend?), and you don't want to answer them, you say "e logo?" with rising intonation.  This essentially translates to you saying "why are you asking?"  I think this sounds like a recipe for some super awkward conversations ('cause it's kind of rude and face threatening, isn't it? Isn't it, fellow English-speakers and Americans?), but I guess it's pretty normal... Couldn't really figure out what you're supposed to do if a person says "e logo" to you in this manner... Drop the subject and try to carry on, I guess.
You can also say "e logo" in response to a question with falling intonation, and this supposedly means something like "claro," or "of course."  "Did you remember to get some fish for dinner?" "E logo." (DUH.)

Elevator ("lift") culture.
Ok, so, in the US, it's safe to say that we never speak to people in elevators.  We DEFINITELY never speak to strangers in elevators.  It feels practically taboo, or at the very least extremely uncomfortable.  You can ask what floor a person is going to, and that's about it.  Typically, anyway.  This is of course different if you're in the elevator at work/with people you know... but in public elevators, in hotels... anywhere where you're in there with strangers, it's like there's an unspoken (lol) agreement to just not speak till you get off at your floor.  Maybe(probably) because it's such a tiny little space, and it basically forces you into the personal bubbles/spaces of strangers (we are not OK with this, as a rule).  This has not been my experience in Spain.  Anytime someone gets on, it's always "Hola, que tal?" and then maybe a comment on the weather, and an "hasta luego" everytime a person leaves.  It's actually kinda nice.  Perhaps this is because most of the elevators I've been in have been in apartment buildings, and my fellow passengers probably assume I live in the same building as them... but now I'm wondering.  Are Spanish people not opposed to elevator interaction?  Is it possible that it's weird that we are in the US?  What about in the UK?  The amount of space around your body that is "your personal space" is definite not as great here as it is back home... It's a theory.  I dunno.  I feel like I want to go around asking all my friends from different countries what it's like to ride in elevators where they're from now... because I'm a dork. heh.

Mañana is día de las letras gallegas (Galician Literature Day); maybe if I can get my Porto post finished and up I'll try to find some excerpt of Galician literature to translate and share with you all.