Coffee break

About three days ago I heard on the radio that 6 women had been arrested in Granada for shoplifting in the local stores. Supposedly the were stealing winter wear and coats. I immediately called the police station and asked to go in and look at pictures of the women who were arrested. I was really hoping this time I would be able to identify at least one of them as the ones who stole from me. So we agreed that I would go in at 10am on Friday morning. At 9.55am I walked into an empty office with everything switched off and the door was unlocked, allowing me or anyone else to have free reign of the office and any ¨Top Secret¨ documents that were left on the desk or in the unlocked drawers. I waited for about 5 minutes and then another officer came out of a different department and asked if I was waiting and if I had an appointment. I said ¨yes, at 10am¨. He said ¨bueno es la hora del cafecito¨,¨it´s coffee break time¨ and that they should not be long. He also said maybe I could come back at a different time. I was still trying to digest the coffee break thing. He could have said well they must have had some emergency and that is why they are not here to make your appointment. Then he said again, ¨espera un poco, seguro estan tomando un cafe por alli y no tardaran mucho¨, ¨wait a little bit, they are probably just getting a coffee and won´t be long¨. I told him I had to work and could not wait all morning or come back later. I waited for 30 mins and no one came. Sometimes the laid backness of the Spaniards really erk me. This is something that is very common here. If you go to the bank at 10am you will normally only find one teller working because the other is on his coffee break. But they only work 8.30 to 2.30 and just started 1.30hr earlier??? I don´t understand this. In many stores around 10.30 or 11am you can find little signs hanging on the doors saying ¨be back in 10¨. But you just opened??? I have to admit that in my own store I am guilty of this sometimes but usually it is to get a coffee to go and I take not even 10 mins not the normal 30mins that everyone else takes.
Just like living anywhere things will get on your nerves from time to time and the relaxed attitude, for me is a love hate relationship. Some days you just handle things better than others. Some days I just laugh things off and think to myself ¨only here¨and other days I feel like exploding. Luckily the later does not happen to often.