All names have been changed to protect the innocent...

Today (dimartes), has been a day of beautiful false starts.

Class was canceled today. A very formal man, checkered shirt, who with the gravity afforded by only the best Catalán speakers, informed the mix of hodgepodge students that Profesor R* had injured his back yesterday lifting books. Lifting books! Imagine! Now, I am saying this with the utmost respect, as I too am an aficionado of the literary persuasion, and book upon book does follow the laws of gravity... ...but books? Why blame the innocent party for another, perhaps less erudite, excuse. As us hodgepodge group wound down the staircase to the ground floor, it was decided. I (me--why I am not quite sure) am supposed to bring whiskey to class tomorrow to make sure that Professor R* is in a good mood. Will keep informed.

I was psychoanalyzed today. Go figure. I was told by a Brazilian duo, that my personality is heavy enough for large amounts of children. I sure hope they were referring to my magnamousity, magnamity, magnanimity... err, my charismatic presence, my disarming smile, and my, well... my sense of style. I was also told I was seductive. I´m not sure where that comment was going, but I accepted it with the disarming smile I am told that I have. The heavy personality I am assuming refers to my capacity for negotiating with a lot of children--(classroom setting), and I have decided to accept this rather odd looking compliment. As I mentioned in my last post, piropos are a natural part of the development of the psyche. I have decided to accept them (as long as they fall into the MPAA rating system PG-13). So, I was psychoanalyzed today.

I met a Romanian woman today. This one I actually did look for. Walking with my friend Ira (from the Portuguese, Ira) in the direction of a local supermarket we casually brushed past a very large sign: Romanian Products. As I am trying to learn Rromaní, I bit the figurative bullet and went into the store. Lilí (from the Romanian Liliana) was soon attending us with gifts of small eliptical wedges of very soft sausage. A lively conversation shortly ensued. Lili must be in her late 40s, striking blue eyes, olive skin, and dark hair. And yes, she is Romanian, and she owns a Meat Shop, but as she said to me with her very heavy 'h's --"Jyo, no ssoy ningjuna putá". We discussed the state of the State, the state of the youth, the state of the economy, neighbors, the Spanish culture before finally getting to ask my very important question. "Do you know anyone who could teach me Rumano?" With a look between a half grimace and a wink, she took my card and said that her daughter (Natasha) could perhaps, teach me a little Romanian. In exchange for English. Well, such is life. We did leave with a new Romanian Product store, a cut of sausage the size of a tennis shoe, and some good stories. Gentlemen, anyone reading this blog, Lili told me to look for a good man (American) who wants to marry a very pretty Romanian woman. I am told she can cook very well.

To conclude today's self-reflective monologue I would like to remit to a short selection of Facebook chat you will find quoted below. A friend of mine was explaining the intricacies of Chinese cooking when all of a sudden...

"Sorry, I´m back."

"no, worries."

"I had to take a drunk old Portuguese man off my Facebook friends list."

"damn it why!"

"He wasn´t making any sense."

"haha"

"I asked him if I knew him, and he said you know me how!!!!

'You... Woman... US...'
"YEAH!!!!!!

You know I do how!!!!

(I think he was referring to the USA?)

He might have said

"You... LA... Woman..."

Yes, I think he did.
Then I think he was typing heavy breathing--or something. I took him off my friends list."

It was a very brief moment, that I guess, could have been the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

I´m not sure what else is customary to say at such times.

La revedere--good bye in Romanian.
And to the rest too!