From Riches to Rags

My Hollywood stardom at Instituto O'higgins de Maipú has gone sour.

Did you know that the difference between 'I fell' and 'I pooped my pants' in Spanish is almost nonexistent?

Well, I didn't.

And I commited a very grave error in explaining the story behind the remnants of my battle wounds from our hiking adventure on Sunday.

This is what I thought I said, "Me caí."

And this is what those little devils heard, "Me cagué." (The 'g' is silent in Spanish)

That was on Monday and today ... five days later!... one of the English teachers told me she heard about my accident and that the students "me reiron demasiado"... meaning they laughed about it ... A LOT. And are still laughing.

Well, what can ya do?

I suppose at some point, a language blunder was bound to happen. And while now I may not be known as the movie star, at least they will remember me for something... *laughs nervously*, right?

Hahaha, no, in reality ... I actually think it's quite amusing and a bit hilarious. Thank goodness I am able to laugh at myself. The kids know I'm still working on my Spanish and they know (God, I hope they do...) that I didn't actually poop my pants and as a result, receive a spiderweb of cuts up and down my arm.

Dolly Parton, being the wise lady that she was, once said, "As I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."

... as reported from an American celebrity downgraded to the girl that pooped her pants.


In other news, I am now working at that institute I wrote about a while ago. I teach adult conversation classes for two hours every Tuesday night. The three students; Guillermo, Pía and Mauricio, all speak near perfectly and are taking the class solely so they don't lose their fluidez. They are all around my age, love the outdoors and have many tales of their extreme sporting accidents.

Mauricio, for example, was in a coma for two weeks after he found out what happens when a snowboarder hangs onto a snowmobile over large jump. He said that being in a coma was like being in a half-awake dream-like state. He remembers who stood by his side while he was in the hospital and what they said. The turning point for him waking up was his friend studying out loud and reciting his law school notes over and over to Mauricio. Apparently Mauricio had enough of the law school mumbo jumbo and wanted his friend to shut it ... enough so to rouse him from the coma!

Amazing.