Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Spanish 101: Time to Test What You've Learned






Are you ready kids? Time to test your language skills...On Spanish TV. More on that later.

Yesterday was a big day. I went to Salinas and tried to paint but it was too windy so I headed over to Aviles for festival. Originally, I was trying to find this giant head festival/parade and from what the sign said it started at 7:00pm. Went to the park to paint for a bit when along comes the Spanish Conch Train right past me. 

This Spanish conch train is different than the one in Key West. It whips around the town and the people on it are whoopin' it up. Whistling, slapping the side of it, and yelling "Oye! Oye!" The conductor isn't narrating anything, he's just smiling joy-riding them through town. The one in Key West has a guy telling you over a speaker what you're seeing and the people on it have a dead blank stare like animals going to slaughter. 

After a bit of painting in the park, I sat at a cafe and had a cerveza. I've been reading Hemmingway's "The Sun Also Rises" and he really gives a great description of Spain and its fiestas. Within one hour, I watched the plaza fill up with people and then a band of horns came in with a Charlie Chaplin looking guy in the center. Everyone started dancing along with the Chaplin dude. I kept looking for the heads but no show. I found out today that nothing in Spain starts on time and I probably missed it cause I left early.

Being tired from yesterday, I decided to take it easy today. Walked through the market and after lunch headed to the beach. Read for a bit on the rock lounge until I got sleepy and wanted some soft sand to rest in.  So I headed over to the main beach for some R & R.

Today was sunny and warm so when I arrived at the spot, I stripped down to my bikini. Very happy that I was getting used to the weather and able to get some sun. I was laying on my side with head on the backpack drifting into blissful sleep when I hear a booming "HOLA!" in my ear.

I look over my shoulder to see who is saying hello behind me when I see a giant microphone and TV camera pointed right at me. I literally do a double take. 

This guy in a hot pink shirt lays down next to me and asks me what I'm doing. I say half dazed "This." pointing at the spot I'm in. He says "What?" and realizes I'm not from here. 

Then he asks me where I'm from and I tell him the United States. "When did you get here and when do you leave?" he asks. I tell him and he says "Three months is a long vacation!" I say "Yes, I work a lot". Then he asks me what I do in the U.S. and I tell him I have three jobs. "Three Jobs!!" he says something excitedly that I don't understand but I gather that I am letting people in Asturias that we Americans are workaholics. It's Key West everyone has three jobs.

He asks me "What are they?" I say "I work in a restaurant; on a boat helping people swim and see fish; and I'm a kayak guide". He shakes my hand and says something like "Wow, three jobs da da da da da have a good vacation in Asturias" I say "Thanks, I like it a lot"

There was no "Can we film you?". It just started and I had to go with it. I was wide awake now and decided to paint for a bit. The camera crew was roaming around and at one point I looked up to see where they were and I saw the camera woman shooting my way. I think she got a shot of me painting cause when I looked up she stopped. 

I have no idea what my accent sounds like but I imagine it's very much like Apu on the Simpsons. "Yes! I like it berry, berry much!" 

Who knows what it's for I just hope he got a good shot of my ass.


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