Wordly Wise Wednesday

What is it about the service in Panama that makes it horrible? This thought haunts me almost every day of the week. It doesn't matter if your order is as simple as a coke, or if it is an interminable list, the waiter will still get the order amiss. I entreat for it to be fixed, and after 50 minutes of arguing, and shouting – that causes the other costumers to be interested in the issue because they heard our voice to reverberate across the room – which includes having the tremulous guy call the manager, his sage, which will then go on a profound tirade, while he stutters on every sentence. The manager shows signs of being a recluse due to his lack of social skills. After the manager has left, they bring me a cold, soggy meal that looks like someone has already chewed it.

Also, living with irascible parents doesn't help the cause, as they abhor the waiter even before they walk through the door. This is understandable as this sort of service is prevalent in Panama. Therefore, it is surprising to be greeted and attended in an affable manner, and you hope it recurs. But I become despondent when I enter another store because it is right back to the horrible service.

The only thing that impels me to return to the restaurant is the fact that there is no place with descent, and consistent service.

Confession Tuesday

1. The thing that I hate the most is the foul smell of a lit cigarette. It is strong and horrible it makes me want to puke. And why do people even smoke nowadays? I mean back in the day it was acceptable, but now? Why not ask your doctor about it and bring a wad of paper and eight pens so he can write down all the diseases it gives you.
2. The smell that I love the most is the one of just made baked goods. Weather it's chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, or empanadas, it will always drive me out of my way, or sometimes even out of bed (believe me, it takes a lot of effort to do so), and get me to gobble down those delicious cookies.
3. Another smell I don't like, is the smell of a recently cooked chorizo. Being of a Colombian family, my parents are always eating arepas, chorizos, and empanadas. I don't mind eating a chorizo, I just hate the smell of it. It is incredible that it would go all the way from the kitchen, up the stairs, and into my room. And it always give me the urge to puke, but it hasn't succeeded just yet.

Memoir Monday: Planning

It was a weekend, and me and a couple of friends went out to the movies. There was a mishap when someone read the schedule for each movie – as the schedule changes every Friday (which is just stupid) – so we weren't able to watch to movie we intended to. Instead we had to choose form either Prince of Persia (a Disney "action film") or Marmaduke (a story about some talking dogs). I still wish that either 1) I had endeavored to watch Prince of Persia, or 2) Had brought a knife to slit my wrists. The directors actually believed people would enjoy a dog falling in love and beating out the lead dog in a park, in a battle which the underdog wins (pun intended). So I advice you, my friends, plan, plan well before going to the movies, or you might get stuck with Marmaduke 2.

Wordly Wise Wednesday: Letter

Miguel Restrepo
983 Main Street
Boston, MA

September 8, 2010

Dear Brayden,

I hope that you are well, and I know it has been a long time since we talked to each other. It is imperative that we keep in touch even though we are far away from one another. I will conjecture that you have made new friends, and barely remember me anymore, but I still remember you. It is tough for our generation because it is prevalent for our friends to be on the move. I know that this letter may look to you as spontaneous, and it is. I will endeavor to modify our way of communicating.

Your friend,
Miguel

Confession Tuesday

As you all know, it is prevalent for teenagers at quince años and other parties to drink alcohol in Panama. And the day I went to a boxing match with my sister and three of her friends, I saw what the stories my sister would tell me where all about. I was not alone though; I had one of my friends with me.
There was a bottle of rum on the table, and my sister’s friends where drinking some of it when my sister all of a sudden asked me to take a sip of a cup with coke and rum. So I did, I thought this would happen sooner or later. It OK at first. It just tasted like coke. Then the rum kicked in. It was a strong taste. It heated up my lungs, giving me a feeling I've never felt before. I don't know if it was because it was late, or if it was the effects of the small portion of rum I had taken, but I somehow brought myself into taking a shot of it. The taste was ten times stronger, and it heated up faster, and warmer. I regret it though, I wish I could have undone it. I don't like hiding a secret from someone.

Memoir Monday 3

Having moved twice in my life (Colombia to Peru, and Peru to Panama) I have learned to let go of friends and bonds, but never did I realize that these friends could pivot back into my life. The first person I found out that I had met before was Isabella.

She came to school one year later than I did, and she came from Colombia. At lunch she spontaneously asked me what my name was and what school I assisted back in Colombia. I had only been in Los Nogales (my school in Colombia) for a couple of months, and I didn’t have clear memories from back then. The next day she brought a yearbook from Pre-K with my picture in it and hers too. Somehow she and her friend (my best friend back then) had remembered my name. We visited the same school at the same time.

The second person I met in Panama that I knew them from a couple of years ago is Camila. When she first came to school, I had a small memory of her. I thought I had seen her before. But it wasn’t until the next year that we found out we went to the same school. By then I had forgotten about the foggy memory.

I have realized that the Earth is very small, and you never know when is the first, or last time you see someone.

Slice of Life #1 : P.E. Captains

I was waiting next to the wall, thinking about who and when was I gonna get picked. I thought in my head, who would pick who. Daniel and Victoria where captains, and Daniel picked first. Daniel picked Katy (who somehow ended up on the other team), and Victoria picked Diego. It had to be boy, girl, boy, girl (I still can't believe they treat us that way). It was Daniel's turn to pick. I dreaded the fact of being picked. I wanted to be in the same team as my friends, and if I was picked here it would be impossible because of the fact that Diego and Victoria was already on the other team, and I figured Victoria's next pick would be Camila since they are best friends, or as Camila would say, best friends forever and always even in another life (BFFAEAL). Daniel picked Brandon and I was relieved.

Victoria did as I had predicted and picked Camila, and Daniel followed up by picking Luciana. It was Victoria's turn to pick, and both Camila and Diego whispered in their ear, advising her on who to pick. After the longest two seconds all day, she just gave a small nod, gesturing my way. I was sure she had picked me. I was happy, but I tried my best not to show it. I gave Diego a high five and lined up behind them. I was ready to play some football (soccer, yes Nicholas, you force me to do this kind of things).