7-19, Lessons I Learned, Part Two

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I have taken Spanish classes for seven days and my mind is fried! I know it’s a necessary evil, but I want to not think about it for now and remember why I came here. Here are some other things I learned while being here.

HAIRCUTS: Once we found the Barbershop, David proceeded to get his haircut. The Barbershop is a little hole in the wall place that barely had room for two barbers and their chairs. Once David got what he wanted across to the Barber, he went to town and cut his hair in about 10 minutes. The cost? $3.00!

CHURCH BELLS: These church bells go off all day long. It doesn’t have to be on the hour and it doesn’t matter if it’s noon to hear 12 chimes; in fact, I’ve counted 15 chimes at 8:20 AM!

SOL O SOMBRE: This is one of the most important lessons I learned and it wasn’t even in class! The locals know one thing and it’s to walk in the shade! Everybody walks in the shade and it’s amazing how many abuelas can fit side-by-side on the skinny sidewalk! Even at the Beisbol Stadium they sell two kinds of tickets – the cheaper tickets in the sun or the more expensive ones in the shade.

PIZZA, BREAD, & ICE CREAM: At this writing, we have only found one good pizza place. Most pizzas are a bit off; either the bread, sauce or cheese is not right or the toppings aren’t quite right (chorizo? On a pizza?) The bread is also not right. I may be spoiled, but I like breads that are soft and moist and full of flavor. I have yet to find it here. This could be commercial (shame on you, Orowheat!), or going to the local Panaderia. I think the breads don’t have as much butter or shortening, that’s why they’re dry and plain. The same with cookies. Ice cream, on the other hand, is phenomenal! The flavor is so unique (avocado? Cheese?), and it’s so creamy, sweet and fresh, it’s almost enough to go out of your way to get some!

I hope my observations haven’t offended anyone. They are just that – observations.

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Photos

Dave at Cristo Rey
We drove to Cristo Rey on Sunday. We can see it from our apartment and it only took about three hours to get there and back!

Nanci at a mining town
We discovered this gem of a town on the way to Cristo Rey.

Nanci & a well-deserved cerveza!
After a non-pave mining road on the way up and cobblestones on the way down, I deserved this beer!

Ice Cream!
These are the many flavors of ice cream - yum!