Volunteering and traveling in Argentina to proclaim God's great love, and hopefully not getting sick along the way.

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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Como se dan los chistes

So I went to the local ferreteria.. that is, the hardware store.. I needed some sticks for hanging curtains as they are literally called, as well as some tape. I forgot the tape, but thankfully the walk is short. Additionally, I needed what is called a factura so that I could justify spending OM's money for some ministry needs, and they didn't have one at the time. A second trip was necessary is what I'm trying to say.

They asked me where I lived, and didn't think I was a foreigner at first (woohoo! an extra point for me somewhere, right?), because their intention was to drop the factura off personally. I said it was fine for me to come back, as I have a lot of walking around the area to do any way. So I came by, and they forgot to print the official receipt. Pero lo que me llamo atencion fue como ya sabian mi nombre! But what most grabbed my attention was that by my second visit they already knew my name. Well, my middle name, but that's besides the point.

So I would have to come for a third visit, but this time mate was promised, so it wasn't so bad for me. hehe

When I arrived, the dueno of the hardware store was ready with mate in hand and a little joke to share on the side. Unfortunately, I didn't understand the joke so well, but when they explained it after, it was pretty good*.

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A little later I had a flat tire, so off to the Bicicleteria it was! The man remembered me from when I had first come to fix another bike, and so he gave a nice hello. "I just need some air," I told him.

He asked if I needed regular air or the more expensive kind.

Unsure if I was hearing him correctly, I looked to Javi waiting outside with the, "I-may-need-your-help-after-all" look, but in time the man said, "Oh! I am only kidding!"

This time I was ready to respond: "Look, you can't just go throwing jokes at innocent little foreigners you know!"

We laughed together and I was on my way.

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Noemi and I met for tea at our usual locale, where the waiter often doesn't even ask anymore what we would like to have. One tea with no sugar, one coffee with a small water on the side. This time however, Noemi had ordered some mini croissants because she had skipped breakfast.

After one bite, she stopped, as they were stale. A new English word for her. We called the waiter over and explained that maybe they did not come from a fresh batch, as they were a little dry.

"Okay," he said. "I'll go add a little water to them." Again, all in good fun.

I guess it's the season for joking, as all of these have happened in the last couple of days. Or maybe I'm just understanding a lot better. Or maybe it's a cultural thing. I would definitely say Argentina is on the sarcastic side. Chau chau!


*Since then, I've shared the joke with a couple of Argentines. They too, need help understanding the joke.

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