Awkward Moments

These are just a few awkward moments that I have experienced here that I forgot to put in my past blogs

When I first moved here to this city I was assigned to live in a community called Arco Iris (Rainbow). It was faaaar from what the translation says. The only word I can describe this place is the Hood. I lived about 4 houses down from an abandoned building that everyone called the casa de piedra (house of stone). The translation for that word fits perfectly because it also was a crack house. Every so often some shady characters would creep out of the building now and then. There was one in particular that targeted my as his new friend. The first time I met him he said you should be really careful around here, Ill protect you. Then he asked me for 75 cents. This guy weighs a little over 100 pounds and stands about 5’ 5 inches tall. I didn’t think I’ll need his protection. But I ended up giving him the spare change in my pocket just so he would leave me alone even though I have been told to never give him money. Since that day, every time he sees me he rushes over to me to ask for more change. After a while I picked up the habit of just ignoring him. But this one day in particular he decided not to take no for an answer. He did his regular routine of asking me for 75 cents and I did my regular routine of continuing walking. But this time he didn’t just go away. This man followed me for 2 blocks yelling I TOLD YOU TO BE CAREFUL, I WAS GOING TO PROTECT YOU PAPI PAPI PAPI PPAAAPPPII POR FAVOR POR FAVORRRR. That had to be the longest 2 blocks I’ve ever walked.

Back when I lived in my first apartment here. There were a couple weeks where I received constant visits from my neighbors. One day I was in the kitchen washing the dishes when I heard someone yelling my name. It was my new neighbor in the apartment in front of mine. I walked to the door to see what she wanted and she asked could she use my computer to check her email. I thought it was kind of weird but she was cute so I let her in. She sits down and checks her email for about 10 minutes quietly then she asked me what is today’s date? I said it’s the 15^th. Then she began to read her email out loud. “Esteemed client you account is currently past due, if payment of 60 dollars isn’t received by the 16^th your service will be suspended”, then she takes a deep breath and is quite again. I decided this was the perfect time to use the greatest advantage to being a foreigner. I continued washing my dishes without turning around and acted like I didn’t understand a thing she was saying. After a few minutes of awkward silence I asked, SOO do you still live with your mother?

Every Sunday here in David about 80 percent of the city is shut down. The only choices you have are to go to the movies, sit in the house or go to the coffee shop. So it has become a tradition for me to go to the coffee shop every Sunday and read a book. Recently I have been seeing a bald guy dressed in all black just standing in front of the coffee shop. I thought it was pretty weird, so I asked the girl behind the counter why is he there. She told me that he is taking care of the building. I didn’t get it. So are you telling me someone is paying him just to stand there? She smiled and said yes. Seriously? Seriously? She just laughed and said SSSSIIIIIIII. After I got my coffee I sat down and began reading my book. When I finished my first chapter I felt someone hovering over me. I slowly slip my eyes over my book to see who it was. It was the guy from the crack house. Maaann this can’t be happening, I just want to read my book in peace. He again asked me for 75 cents and I tried to ignore him but he wouldn’t move. That’s when I noticed the bald guy in all black jump into action. He power walked from his post, slung open the door and said. HEY YOU, YOURE NOT SUPPOSE TO BE IN HERE, YOU HAVE TO LEAVE NOW. After the guy left the girl behind the counter just looked at me. Well I guess I feel stupid now.

One night I was at the English school that I volunteer at. I noticed that one of the students had a new pair of shoes I said it looks like somebody’s baalllliinn. After that I had to explain what that meant and it became a 15 minutes conversation of other slang words and phrases. There was also another volunteer there from Canada (of anglo-saxon decent) listening to what I was saying. He then said “By time they leave class they are all going to be speaking like this.. YO YO SON, WHO IT IS, WHAT UP MY NIGGG….  BRO. It was an awkward few seconds after that comment, so I just ignored it and continued the conversation as if I never heard it.

Obviously he was about to say nigger and he tried to stop himself. The word actually doesn’t bother me too much but it does make me wonder. What is people’s fascination with saying it?