is it just me?

actually, I won't be in Lima until tomorrow. I was searching around today for some things I might do in case I have free time while in Peru. I was thinking of something along the lines of music, museums, etc. I found a website on tourism and clicked on something called entertainment. at the bottom of the lists was the following:

Striptease Night Clubs Night centers in which pretty girls dance and make striptease shows.

ha ha. did they really need to define striptease night clubs? And, if you didn't know what it meant before that description isn't really going to help. But I found it hilarious.

seven and a half

As a follow up to last week's post on language and tourists, I witnesed something today I wanted to share. I was at the sub shop waiting for my order. This particular shop is very close to the computer science and statistics building, so they get a lot of asian grad students. This guy in line behind me starts trying to order. The counter guy, who prides himself on being the world's most efficient fast food worker says "Hang on, buddy, I am trying to do three things here." Blank look from buddy. Finally he's ready to take the order.

Buddy: Seven and half.
Worker guy: Okay?
Buddy: Seven and half ham cheese.
Worker guy: What kind of bread do you want? (well, I know that's what he said but in his quest for efficiency he talks pretty fast, so it sounded like "whakindobredyouwan")
Buddy: Seven and a half. (Right. We covered that. But those statisticians love their numbers.)
Worker guy: What kind of BREAD? (Going on the universal assumption that saying something louder actually makes it more comprehensible.)
Buddy:......
Worker guy: White, wheat, parmesan oregano? (Okay, that last one is just cruel. Perhaps realizing this he translates.) White, brown or cheese?
Buddy:.......
[Girl behind the counter mercifully holds up a piece of white bread. Buddy nods. They don't bother asking what else he wants on it.]

I felt bad for the guy. I really did. I remembered being in Moscow and wanting to buy a bottle of water. So I said the only word I had to do that, which was vada (water in russian). The guy responded with"jfoaisdjfsjdf?" Blank look from me. Again: "sidjidsjg?aosdijfgoijfsdg?" Now, I knew he was probably asking a totally legitimate question like "big or small?" or "carbonated or not?" but I had no idea what he was asking, and even less how to respond. So I just kept saying vada vada vada. finally he slammed a big bottle down on the counter, and raised his eyebrows as if to say "close enough?" and I gave him a look to say "sure" and handed him a bunch of money. Unfortunately it was carbonated and I spent the next day trying to make it go flat. I have never been so happy as when I finally found a self service grocery store to avoid future misery.

anyway, off to peru. have a great week.