The Randomness of My Life

It has been one of those weeks when I am really left wondering about why things happen like they do. Earlier this week Janalee and I were walking to our friend Michael’s casa when I started taking a closer look at the church that is on our route. That is when it hit me that the church we have been walking past for a week is a Mormon church. Perhaps not that significant to everyone who reads this post, but to someone who grew up in Utah it is pretty surprising to move half way across the world to live down the street from a Mormon church.

If that wasn’t enough the next morning (morning being a relative time period that happens before afternoon) I was having a muffin at Deli City (the only place in town that sells muffins), and I was talking to the manager, a great guy named Guillermo. I asked him about his Klein t-shirt (Klein makes bicycles and I want to buy one). With my Spanish being what it is, he thought I asked him if he ever lived in the U.S. (t-shirt/U.S. – my Spanish is obviously coming right along). Anyway, Guillermo ended up telling me that he had lived in Provo, Utah for six years – not more than 10 miles from where I grew up. Seems kind of strange to have so many ties to my youth when I am so far away from Utah (in so many ways).

In a similar vein, this week I ended up at the only Mendoza bookstore (called a librería) that sells books in English. The place was full of people from the States – the funniest part was watching all of us trying to ignore each other. None of us wanted to have our Mendoza experience tainted by others from the States. With the peak of tourist season upon us, we all are going to have to get used to running into each other quite a bit. A note to potential visitors – if you want to avoid folks from the states you are going to have to come during the winter (our winter, not yours) – otherwise this place is crazy with gringos.

To cap it off, we have hired a Spanish teacher (professor de Espanol) whose English is impeccable. In fact, if you heard him speak you would guess he was from Missouri -- which is to say that his English is better than mine (needless to say his Spanish is better than mine as well). No randomness here -- but I did want to say that Janalee is the teacher's pet. So much so that we had to split up our lessons (we were learning together) because I couldn't stand being the slow student in a class of two. I have included Dario's (the Spanish teacher) photograph to the left (izquerda). He is a great guy -- it's Jan that is bugging me -- she gave him an apple today. How far will she go?

Like so many of my posts this one has no point – or perhaps the point is that it is a small world – very small.