New Friends

After Carnivale I spent another two days I spent running erands, such as returning the costume and dealing with Vodafone, but I walked for miles during these days.

On Wednesday I woke up and my feet hurt, I mean just hurt even after a nights rest, so I decided to stay in (the weather was nasty too), Thursday morning they still hurt, so I entertained myself with a good book.

Friday I invited Silvauna out for lunch. We had a really nice one at an upscale restaurant with a bottle of wine. Then we walked to her neighborhood for desert and oh, another glass of wine, ok, two more glasses of wine. She was supposed to meet Marshall and Miguel for drinks. Miguel was bringing another girl and I really didn't want to impose on this "double date". But Silvauna insisted I walk her to the bar and then Marshall wouldn't let me leave either, so I stayed.

But I think this dating thing is a bit casual here, as Miguel brought his friend from France too, so yay, I had somebody to talk to. And I'm so glad I stayed, the French guy, Greg, was way too much fun. When the party broke up Greg invited me to the disco, but it was already 2:30am so I flipped a quarter and it was heads, my cue to go home.

As I was walking home (on a large street, with people around) a sanitation worker bumped into me. I thought, that's weird, there was nobody near us, why would he have to bump me? Then he did it again. I said, no agusta! Vamoose! And he just kept following me. I'd scream Vamoose louder and he'd keep coming I finally went into a bar and the bartender told him to scram and said I'd be fine. But I know that guy, he wasn't being deterred that easily. So I took the bartender out to the street and found the sanitation worker hiding in a door way. So the bartender told me to go back inside and somebody poured me a drink while the bartender had it out with the sanitation worker. I actually had fun with all the old guys that were trying so hard to speak English, and I taught them how to flip a quarter. About 3:30 I finally made it home. (When I met Luci for coffee a few days later she explained that Vamoose, does not mean go away, it actually means "let's go") I almost spit my cafe con leche out of my nose.

Saturday had drinks by my house, more old Spanish guys trying really hard to speak English, but it was fun.

Sunday I met up with Marc and Nuria to go to the photo exhibit at the Cultural Center then walked around some more and stopped for Turkish tea. Greg, the Frenchman, finally met up with us about 5 (he had facebooked me at 5:30am saying he had just gotten home from a party, so I knew I wouldn't be seeing him much before then). He was still a little green around the gills, but a cup of espresso and a couple Heinekens and he was fine.

So we walked over to Gracia, with me showing him the Gaudi buildings along the way. He was happy with the walk so he could tell people he actually saw some sites. Silvauna met up with us then we went back to our neighborhood to meet the Chileans that Greg was sharing a hostile with. Ugh, it was the Spanish equivalant of O'Malleys, filled with college kids. Silvauna was saying she was too old for it and tried really hard to stay away. Silvauna is 27, so you can imagine how I felt. We drank sangria, which I did not enjoy, it was like drinking jungle juice. Thankfully Greg noticed the look on my face and ordered me a Heinekin. That so went against the game we were playing - "Which country can be the rudest?"- the French, the Portugese or the Americans. Silvauna really wanted to play and assured us that the Portugese were very rude people - but she really was just no match and Greg and I were quickly in a tie.

The Chileans and Silvauna all started speaking Spanish, I at least had Greg to talk to. I don't know how the Australian guy one of the Chileans picked up on was doing it. But from the looks of him conversation was not his strong suit, so he was probably just releaved. (I had mentioned to Greg the theory of Senior abuse, you know when the unattractive Sr. can get a cute freshman just because he's a Sr. and the girl knows no bettter? I think the Australian was pulling "blonde" abuse. Greg assured me that was the case, but we should not mention it because the Chileans left the next day and she's would be happy and no wiser)

We put Silvauna in a cab and Greg walked me home. But I was still hyper so I walked him back to the street his hostal is on. He stopped and said, what is the point of this? I walked you home so you would be safe. I said, Oh, no I'm much tougher than you, it's much better you not walk by yourself.

And America takes the lead.