An Anecdote

So, I don't get around to telling many intresting of funny stories on this blog, but one last just had to be shared with the world.

So last night I was walking out of the grocery store and about to head to catch my bus back to Licto (I got paid yesterday, which means I HAD to come in to town after living a week off of 60 cents and whatever I had in the fridge). As I'm walking out, there's a forty-something woman (age will come into the story later) walking next to me and as we get to a spot where we both can't fit I say to her 'Siga no más' which means 'Go ahead.' To said statement (which generally tends to mean 'go ahead so that you don't get in my way so that this awkward interaction doesn't have to continue), she responds 'Oh, you speak Spanish!' My mind cycles though all the mean things I can respond to such a stupid comment (including 'Are you serious? I never noticed,' 'No I don't, English just sounds remarkably like Spanish sometimes,' or the ever-present 'Oh, sorry, I always forget, what language do they speak here in Ecuador, I must have used the wrong one?'). Instead of being rude, I decide to go with a simple, obvious 'Sí.' This whole episode ends up degenerating into a boring conversation in which she lies to me about 15 times in the period of 5 minutes. First lie, she doesn't normally talk to strangers. Second lie, she's working at the university. Third lie, she's doing 'research' into the foreigner who live in Riobamba. Fourth (implicit) lie, the photocopied 5 dollar bills in your hand must also be for the 'research,' I assume. Fifth lie (but this one was mine), 'I'm not really in Riobamba all that much to be able to go out with you.' Final lie (again mine), 'Oh yeah, sure, I'll call you sometime when I'm in time. That would be GREAT.'
So, to fill in the blank spots between the lies, she writes down her name, phone number, addressm and a 'cute' PS in crappy English begging me to call or write her some time.
Anyways, it's not the BEST story that's happened to me since I've been here but it's moderately funny, in retrospect (while it was happening, I think horrifying would be a more appropriate adjective to describe my emotional state.)
Well, that's all for that story.

Right now I'm reading 'The Innocents Abroad' by Mark Twain. It is one of his first works and it's basically just a comical narrative of a trip he took to Europe and the Holy Land. Unless you appreciate a cranky, biting wit (my grandma would LOVE this book, it's like what you would get if Andy Rooney took the same trip and wrote a book about it), you might not like it, but I, for one, am enjoying the 500 pager in its entirety.
I also read two other books this week (it's been a lazy week): 'Blindness' by José Saramago and 'More Than A Carpenter' by Josh McDowell.
Blindness is a great, great book and I'm really anxious to read its sequel and really hope someone will make it into a movie someday.
More Than A Carpenter is really good for what it is - a brief version (126 pages) of the defense of Christianity against the typical statements like 'The Bible isn't reliable,' 'Science doesn't support Christianity' and the ilk.

Anyhow, I'm now somewhere around 25 books into my Peace Corps service, which puts me well on the way to 100 books in 2 years. One problem that is surging lately is the fact that now that more and more people know me in the town (especially since I've been teaching computer classes at the school) and inevitably someone wants to talk to me on the bus (which means less reading accomplished on the way to Riobamba).

To finish (or get closer to finishing), I'll give a pre-game narrative of what I'm doing on my birthday weekend. Tonight I'm celebrating here in Riobamba with the cluster folk, and tomorrow morning Killu and I are heading down to Machala to hit the beach and spend time with some other friends down there. In Peace Corps, it's a wonderfully blessing to have your birthday at the beginning of the month because you're still temporarily rich off of the monthly stipend. I pity those with depressing end-of-the-month birthdays. If my birthday had been before Thursday, the only birthday present I could have afforded was a half-a-dozen eggs.

Speaking of eggs, I have made egg nog like 3 times since Thanksgiving, it's a wonderful thing. Since I know you all want to know how to make it, here's my recipe:
2 eggs
3 tblspn sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 1/3 cups milk
Mix. Consume. Share with your neighbors. Enjoy.
I hope I didn't leave anything out, that was by memory. Alcohol is obviously optional. I prefer it with amaretto, but rum seems to be the typical alcohol of choice. Drink in moderation, folks. Happy Holidays.

So I guess this turned into much longer of a tirade than I expected, but I hope you've all enjoyed it as much as I have. My pinky hurts from typing. That darn 'return' is just so far away! I'm out...