Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The wet rat


One of the things that was not included in my two fifty pound bags of luggage was an umbrella. Or rainboots of any variety. This isn't quite as stupid as it sounds because, apparently, it never rains in Sevilla, or at least this is what all the Sevillanos have been telling me.

I passed the whole first day of my Seminario Cultural classes looking like a pale wet rat with freezing feet. Even my classes about Franco and actually useful and comprehensive grammar weren't quite enough to take my mind of my sopping wet condition. I cursed my poor planning while I took notes on the Spanish history of the last century and learned about Franco's 7 essential laws. I inconspicuously rubbed my feet together to warm them while listening as my conversation teacher expanded on the difference between "club" and "discoteca" (hint, one involves prostitutes, the other all-night dancing and chicos guapos). In my last class of the day on grammar, I wondered whether wrapping my toes in toilet paper would keep me warmer or just create a soppy mess in my shoe. I decided that it would probably be more hassle than it was worth.

However, by the time the rain let up a little for my walk back to the hotel after classes, there were wounded and dying umbrellas laying in puddles on the sidewalk everywhere I looked. It seems that any umbrella I would have packed would not have stood up to the torrential winds. As Gayle has taken to saying, "cualquier" (an incorrect usage of the literal translation of 'whatever'), at least it's not snow!

1 comment:

  1. A picture is worth a 1000 words! The glare says it all!

    I'm glad you're getting some of these stories written down, they make great reading now and great memories later.

    I should do the same with my helicopter adventures over the Honduran jungle or "Clear and Present Danger" ride through Caracas in an armored caravan.

    Unfortunately, I'm more of a "just the facts" blogger, so would need Mother to be my ghost writer so it would have more feeling vs. facts. I'll let you know how that works out.

    Better run for now, Abby is getting ready for DECA tomorrow, Mother is prepping for the Japanese room at the Mission's Conference, I'm taking a breather before leaving for Mpls on Sunday night.

    More later--much love,
    Dad

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