One person.

Funny how days go.

When I started typing this...

There was only one person in the cafe. One. He's deaf. Sooo... I built a little play list on the iTunes... Productive I know.

I also cleaned every table, every menu, every dish, and was about to sweep when some people walked in. Wow. Now, there are six of us (I'm including myself this time).

Yay, I have something to do!!

... And I broke a cappuccino glass today, part of it is now embedded in my middle finger, do you want me to show you the finger?? Wow, I crack myself up.

Poco y poco...

So, little by little the Español is a comin'. The worst is trying to type English or HTML code on a keyboard... The symbols I need are all in strange places.

New pics over at my flickr.

I don't know how many things I have broken since I have arrived in Santiago... lets count.

1 - Glass from picture frame.
1 - Black umbrella (I helped it along, it was already hurting).
1 - Large coffee cup.
1 - Old footstool.
2 - Porcelain tea strainers.
1 - Super delux Coca-Cola glass.

7 - My total brokeness. In less then two weeks, amazing!

Ok... I need to run to bed. Tomorrow I have to go shopping for the cafe (I'll try and take some pictures), and work on the public use computers... They are are gummed up with garbage programs. Programs like... MSN Messenger and eMule. Who installs this junk?

No comprendo.

So, I sit here at the cafe, on a bit of a break. Really between mini rushes. Nothing like the mornings I used to suffer at 'bucks (and may suffer yet again soon). The people are pretty chill for the most part. They drink coffee because they enjoy it, not because they will run someone off the road on the way into the office if they don´t have their quadruple venti extra foam vanilla latte in less than three minutes in the drive through surrounded by addicts like themselves.

No, the people here come to socialize, to use our FREE wifi (a newer concept here), soak in our song choice.

Occasionally -- They come in to ask questions. That is where I struggle, you see... I don't speak Spanish. I never have, I never took a class in high school or college, never had a friend who forced me to try and learn a few words. Just a minute ago, a couple of girls came in and ordered a couple of cokes. Then, they started asking a questions about the cans of coffee that we sell. I don't know the words to help them, I want to, its my nature to help people, but I hit a veritable brick wall when trying to converse with these people.

No comprendo.

Those are the words I say the most. Well, maybe behind 'cafe con leche' and 'coca cola.'

It seems dead for a Friday night. I mean, c'mon, I am blogging for crying out loud. But, people here don't really go out until 11, 12... They stay out later too. A cafe (like us), can only stay open until 2am, but a pub can stay open until 6am. So, now, would be the calm before the storm if we were a pub.

More later... I have to serve some drinks.

Battle Cry: Casulties of War [culture]

This vid points out some glaring statistics among American teens. Catch the stat about truth being relative.

... brought to you by Ron Luce, and the good people at Acquire the Fire. [/sarcasm]

Viva España!

I am in Santiago de Compostela now. I arrived here last Tuesday and have been settling in a bit. I am trying to learn as much Spanish as I can, as fast as I can. I am blessed to be able to stay with the Swains. Their daughters (4 and 2) both speak varying degrees of Spanish because they both attend a Spanish pre-school in a local Catholic Church. Its amazing to see one of them switch into Spanish when around other Spaniards. Its amusing to see them reach for a word to describe something - and come up with the Spanish word in its place. When asked what the English word is... a sheepish "I don't know..." follows. Abi asked me yesterday - "Chris, why don't you speak Spanish?"

Why don't I... I wish I did.