Map of the Americas

Map of the Americas
We are using this map to find our way home. We will be marking where we are in big fat red marker like Indiana Jones. (map idea courtesy of Blake Golden)

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Iquitos, Perú Sunday February 24th, Noon

Am I a bad person for going on dates to practice my Spanish? No, I´m kidding, but it is funny to me because there is a hint of truth in that comment. Any couple who speak different languages will tell you the quickest way to learn a language is to date somebody in that language. I can see how that´s true.

Several days ago I met this girl in a lab next to Eva´s lab. She is a friends with Eva´s coworkers, and they told me I should ask her out as she wanted to go out with me. Well me, being the person never to turn down a date, asked her out for Friday nite. Now we had a great time! We went out to eat, hung out in the Plaza (central square), and just had a great time. She´s smart, sexy, fun everything I would want in a girlfriend, but I know it will go nowhere because I leave in six days. She knows that too, which is obviously important. But nonetheless we went out again last nite, had a great time, and she wants to go out dancing tonite!

Well of course I´m not going to pass up a good nite dancing, especially in South America! So we are going out again tonite. And all the while I get to practice my Spanish for 4-5 hours a day when we hang out. Which begs the original question, Am I a bad person for going on dates to practice my Spanish? I don´t think so.

I do have one funny/interesting thing to say about our date last nite. I don´t mean to generalize, but I´m about to. As I´ve said before, I feel women in Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru are much more romantic than women in the United States. Now, by no means am I knocking on women in the U.S., but rather showing a cultural difference. Here´s what happened yesterday. We are hanging out in a hammock having as what she described ¨momentos lindos¨, when she looks me in the eyes and starts singing to me. She has a beautiful voice, and the song was a Shakira song that I recognized. A romantic but not cheesy song. Now at the time it was really nice and as she said a ¨beautiful moment¨. All was well and it made for a great date.

But contrast that with America. If on a second date a girl stopped what she was doing, looked me in the eye, and started singing to me? ¨Woah babe, you´re trying a little bit too hard.¨ I don´t know, maybe I´m being unfair to American women, but I´ve been on a lot of second dates, never have I been sung to, and I would say I´m thankful for that. I think the word ¨cheeseball¨ might pop into my head, or maybe just the word ¨trouble¨. I just thought that was funny and wanted to write about it. With that said, I would kill to date a girl who has a good folk voice. So go figure :)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice.

You also need to figure out a way to post your progress home on a map for your blog. Something like the red line on the the Indiana Jones movies. I think it'll go over big, and be a hit with the 18-27 demographic.

Think about it.

Blake

ml said...

Stewdog,
I will be thinking about you on your trip home! I will also be on the lookout for a girl here who will sing to you. We miss you, so make it home safe and sound!

Unknown said...

I'm glad you have found a consistent blog routine...now just motivate Gonzo Wilson and I'll have lots of reading material.