No me gusta Mosquitos. Bodark Apples, or "horse apples", are a natural insect repellant in Oklahoma. There has got to be a comparable botanical solution to the insects here in Barranquilla. I'll make it a point to ask a local, but I have a feeling that they're going to look at me like I'm loco. They don't seem to mind the insects. They DO seem slightly nervous of the fact that they are being approached by a Gringo.
Which brings me to my next topic.
I visited the school today. I decided to take a taxi for my first trip there, just so I would know what it looked like and such. The taxi costs $5,000COP, or about $2.50USD. The buses cost about $1000COP (= $0.50USD) so now I'll be taking the bus every day. I am too overwhelmed by the way people drive here to consider a bicycle just yet.
Upon arriving at Uninorte, and after having to whip out el poquito amarillo dicionario to reference the spanish word for "register" ('registro' is like a till, I guess; we were looking for 'lista' or 'matricularse') for the security officer, I got in. First stop: bibliotecha.
"necesito una mapa de campus, por favor?"
Blank stare.
"Estoy nueva estudente de español... tienes una mapa?"
español y manos signales
"ah... No entiendo..."
At this point he went and got someone who spoke English. Perhaps it's just due to my untrained ear, but i think there was very little difference between how I had asked, and how the guy translating said it: 'quires una mapa de universidad.'
Ah... no tengo.
Total conversation length: 1min
Total time before hitting my linguistic brick wall: 30sec
Luckily, a bilingual student came over and said she was going there, and would show me the way. Her English was pretty impressive--the most comprehensive I have heard since arriving in BAQ-- and she was not bashful about telling me I was helpless. As we approached the doors to the building I was looking for, I (being the gentleman that I am), stepped forward to get the door for her. It didn't budge. She pointed to the large lettering on the door:
"...'empuje'. 'Push.' you have a lot to learn!"
After getting most of my paperwork done, I had restored my confidence in myself by knowing and using some 4- and 5-syllable words like 'intercambio' and 'Bancolombia' ;-). I was gracful in my 'thank you's and 'goodbyes'. And, remembering what my guide (I forgot her name!) had said, I pushed on the door. It went about half way before grinding on the sidewalk. I looked down at the big printed letters on the glass door: "Hale", 'Pull'.
That makes sense.
Oils of Citronella, Peppermint, Cedar, Lemongrass, and Germanium. repellent. if you can get ahold of any of that. it worx.
ReplyDeleteyou know if you were writing a fiction, this would be the introduction of a character who would later resurface as a love interest....i'm just sayin
Believe it or not, it should be 'un mapa' and that can confuse them!
ReplyDeleteOh for the milk. Check the shelves near the cereal, rather than just the refrigerated section. It comes in a big bag of bags. And it actually hasn't been evaporated, just flash heated at a high enough temp to kill ALL microorganisms rather than just the pathogens.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was gonna say the thing about "un mapa." It's irregular, like "el drama, "la radio," "la mano," and "el idioma." But you'll get there bud. i'm excited for you.
ReplyDelete