Hola is the most obvious greeting. It can be accompanied by buenas or buenos. Saying the whole phrase taught in high school Spanish (buenos días, buenas tardes, etc) is passé. Not even my padre says the second word! In America we usually inquire how the other person is, or what's up. I like to think the Spaniards are more sincere, because they only ask qué tal? if they are truly interested in the response. Yesterday I said hola to a neighbor, and he began to say qué tal, but then realized he didn't know me and didn't care haha. In Basque Country, it is acceptable (and smiled upon) to say kaixo (keye-sho) for hello. And also when you leave a store, say agur (goodbye in Basque). If you leave a store and have interacted with the worker there, you will seem rude if you say nothing when leaving. Apparently you should also say agur when you leave an elevator, but I haven't experienced this. And of course they won't be offended if you speak in Spanish. Speaking Basque is just extra nice, and even natives who don't speak tend to say goodbye with agur.
In addition to this little culture lesson, everything is going just peachy here. Today was great weather, a nice change from the rain of Donostia. Still need to buy rain/leather boots. Gave a presentation on the stereotypes of Spanish regions, but that's for another day. Also leaving a song that I have been digging lately. By my favorite Spanish band, Extremoduro! (It's rock music, claro)
