Today I had a missed call on my phone from a number I didn't recognize. I was feeling lucky so I decided to call it back. After three rings, I hung up. The number called back. It was a young guy. Latino (go figure).
I asked who it was and he told me a name I had never heard before and then said 'You called?' so I told him I only called because HE had called and he says very kindly 'Disculpa amor numero equivocado pero prospero año nuevo' so I laughed and wished him the same.
I thought that was nice.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Transportation
Feet: Take you to the bus, to a taxi, to the venta, to church, to buy fresh juice, to the drug house on the corner, to your family two blocks away, to the market; better for shorter distances
Bike: Good for one, two, or three people going shorter distances; babies accepted
Caponera: Good for one to seven or eight people, shorter distances
Motorcycle: Suits a single person or a family of four; infants are OK, you can keep them in the middle or put baby in front, dad in the middle and have mom hold the baby from the back; helmets are optional and when taking them, you can choose to put it on fully, or just go halvsies, resting it on your forehead; for a more adventurous ride, just hold the helmet as you ride; avoid riding at night
Taxi: Good for one to eight or nine people; do not take taxis after 8pm unless it's a taxista you know; don't be alarmed when the taxi stops to pick up other passengers after you've begun your ride, this is normal and acceptable (during daylight hours)
Microbus: Lower the price BEFORE getting on the bus if you plan to get off before the final destination; good for longer distances (1-3 hours)
Bus: Expect a school bus (Thanks to Webster and Boone County schools, among others); find an ounce of comfort and confianza in the buses that have Bible verses painted all over the inside roof; bus racing can happen, just hold on; good for up to 80 people or so- anticipate your bus stop and be prepared the squeeze through the people in the aisle to get off the bus; remember that when the bus is packed, the driver can't see you getting off from the back door, so shout SUAVE when he shuts the door on you by accident; good for short or long distances (5 minutes to 4 hours); never take the 118
Bike: Good for one, two, or three people going shorter distances; babies accepted
Caponera: Good for one to seven or eight people, shorter distances
Motorcycle: Suits a single person or a family of four; infants are OK, you can keep them in the middle or put baby in front, dad in the middle and have mom hold the baby from the back; helmets are optional and when taking them, you can choose to put it on fully, or just go halvsies, resting it on your forehead; for a more adventurous ride, just hold the helmet as you ride; avoid riding at night
Taxi: Good for one to eight or nine people; do not take taxis after 8pm unless it's a taxista you know; don't be alarmed when the taxi stops to pick up other passengers after you've begun your ride, this is normal and acceptable (during daylight hours)
Microbus: Lower the price BEFORE getting on the bus if you plan to get off before the final destination; good for longer distances (1-3 hours)
Bus: Expect a school bus (Thanks to Webster and Boone County schools, among others); find an ounce of comfort and confianza in the buses that have Bible verses painted all over the inside roof; bus racing can happen, just hold on; good for up to 80 people or so- anticipate your bus stop and be prepared the squeeze through the people in the aisle to get off the bus; remember that when the bus is packed, the driver can't see you getting off from the back door, so shout SUAVE when he shuts the door on you by accident; good for short or long distances (5 minutes to 4 hours); never take the 118
Monday, December 13, 2010
Telenovelas
The above picture is of my favorite three characters!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Cultural Experiences
Friday:
Go from a semi-productive day of work to the mall with Sandy. Meet up with Violeta. Drink cappuccino and eat mini-pecan pies. Drop Sandy off at bus stop. Call Violeta's friend, who is to arrive in 20 minutes with a French friend. Wait 50 minutes. Friends arrive, leave to go home to a relaxing evening to watch my novela. Change my mind, buy some gum, go back into mall to same coffee shop. French guy and I listen to Violeta and friend converse. Say a few novedades. Time to leave. Wait for taxi, talk to French guy, who turns out to be Italian. Arrive home to watch last ten minutes of my novela. Watch 'Furry Vengeance' with Violeta, brother, brother's girlfriend. Go to bed.
Saturday:
Sleep in. Decide not to go to market with brother and sister. Regret decision. Squeeze some fresh juice for lunch. Shower. Leave house at ten thirty to go to cultural center for end of year closing ceremony which starts at ten. Walk ten blocks to bus stop, where no buses are passing. Construction. Walk ten more blocks to bus stop. Watch my bus pass three times before I manage to get on. Get on the right bus, which goes the wrong way. Ask to get off, bus driver all of a sudden doesn't speak Spanish. Retrace steps, get lost. Ask for directions. Get to cultural center as friend is beginning performance. Sigh of relief. Meet up with said friend, take picture in her cultural getup. Buy fresco de cacao which costs too much and tastes bad. Drink it all, eat ice. Wait ten minutes to get change after paying for bad drink. Catch up with friend. Watch second performance. Buy handmade earrings. Leave cultural center. Arrive home, change to go to graduation of an uncle which starts at three. Grab camera, leave at three fifteen. Arrive at four pm, graduation still has not started. Become bored, start taking random pictures of shoes and strangers and shoes of strangers. Watch graduation and take more pictures. Get ready to leave. Unwillingly take picture with random guy who asked for a picture with me as a recuerdo. Regret decision. Go with sisters to random restaurant to visit random friend of Nancy who was celebrating his birthday. Get invited to a drink. Partake. Listen to mariachi band which arrives to play five or six songs for cumpleañero. Leave restaurant. Return home. [Hole in schedule.] Go to bed at three thirty in the morning, tired.
Sunday:
Sleep in, go to church. Listen to six year old boy sing worship song in front of congregation, with no shame. Heart is touched. 'Teach' Sunday school. Go home. Enjoy fish soup Nancy made. Sleep for two hours. Call Katie, talk for forty five minutes. Go home, eat tajadas con queso with a sabroso potato patty. Talk to mom for two hours, while watching Ravens/steelers game. Call T, no answer. Call Monica, no answer. Call Katy, no answer. Feel defeated. Call T again, laugh it up. Call Katy, share a silly story, call cuts off. Go to bed.
Go from a semi-productive day of work to the mall with Sandy. Meet up with Violeta. Drink cappuccino and eat mini-pecan pies. Drop Sandy off at bus stop. Call Violeta's friend, who is to arrive in 20 minutes with a French friend. Wait 50 minutes. Friends arrive, leave to go home to a relaxing evening to watch my novela. Change my mind, buy some gum, go back into mall to same coffee shop. French guy and I listen to Violeta and friend converse. Say a few novedades. Time to leave. Wait for taxi, talk to French guy, who turns out to be Italian. Arrive home to watch last ten minutes of my novela. Watch 'Furry Vengeance' with Violeta, brother, brother's girlfriend. Go to bed.
Saturday:
Sleep in. Decide not to go to market with brother and sister. Regret decision. Squeeze some fresh juice for lunch. Shower. Leave house at ten thirty to go to cultural center for end of year closing ceremony which starts at ten. Walk ten blocks to bus stop, where no buses are passing. Construction. Walk ten more blocks to bus stop. Watch my bus pass three times before I manage to get on. Get on the right bus, which goes the wrong way. Ask to get off, bus driver all of a sudden doesn't speak Spanish. Retrace steps, get lost. Ask for directions. Get to cultural center as friend is beginning performance. Sigh of relief. Meet up with said friend, take picture in her cultural getup. Buy fresco de cacao which costs too much and tastes bad. Drink it all, eat ice. Wait ten minutes to get change after paying for bad drink. Catch up with friend. Watch second performance. Buy handmade earrings. Leave cultural center. Arrive home, change to go to graduation of an uncle which starts at three. Grab camera, leave at three fifteen. Arrive at four pm, graduation still has not started. Become bored, start taking random pictures of shoes and strangers and shoes of strangers. Watch graduation and take more pictures. Get ready to leave. Unwillingly take picture with random guy who asked for a picture with me as a recuerdo. Regret decision. Go with sisters to random restaurant to visit random friend of Nancy who was celebrating his birthday. Get invited to a drink. Partake. Listen to mariachi band which arrives to play five or six songs for cumpleañero. Leave restaurant. Return home. [Hole in schedule.] Go to bed at three thirty in the morning, tired.
Sunday:
Sleep in, go to church. Listen to six year old boy sing worship song in front of congregation, with no shame. Heart is touched. 'Teach' Sunday school. Go home. Enjoy fish soup Nancy made. Sleep for two hours. Call Katie, talk for forty five minutes. Go home, eat tajadas con queso with a sabroso potato patty. Talk to mom for two hours, while watching Ravens/steelers game. Call T, no answer. Call Monica, no answer. Call Katy, no answer. Feel defeated. Call T again, laugh it up. Call Katy, share a silly story, call cuts off. Go to bed.
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