You know your Spanish is functional when...

you can call your landlady out of the blue and have this conversation (written in English that approximates my Spanish, unknown errors omitted, of course):

Landlady (LL): Hello?

KT: Hi, Rosi. This is Karen.

LL: Oh hi. Is everything okay?

KT: Um, yes. Maybe.

LL: What happened?

KT: Well, there were noises last night. Cats were fighting, but I was sleeping...

LL: Yes...

KT: Well (Pues), there's a dead cat in the garden. (un gatito muerto)

LL: Oh, my God. Poor thing. (ay, pobrecito)

KT: Sí, probrecito.

LL: Pobrecito.

KT: Pues, I put the cat in a bag... well, in three bags...

LL: That's good.

KT: Yes... But it's a problem. The garbage [pick up] won't come until Monday, of course [because it was Good Friday and everything except the church is shut down]...

LL: Oh, I see...

KT: Yes... and I'm on my way to the airport, and I don't want to leave this dead cat in front of the house for all of Easter weekend... It's not good.

LL: Yes, I understand...

KT: Pues, I also have friends who will arrive tomorrow to stay at my house. I won't be there. So I left a note for them about the dead cat. To put it out on the sidewalk for Monday [trash removal].

LL: That's good.

KT: Yes. But... I really don't want them to find this dead cat in a bag, you understand.

LL: Yes, I understand.

KT: What a horror (que horror) to find a dead cat in a bag... when they arrive.

LL: Sí. Que horror.

KT: So, if it's possible, can you take the cat? Can you... take it and include it with your trash on Monday? I don't want to shock my friends with the dead cat.

LL: Yes, absolutely, absolutely.

KT: Okay... so if you take the cat, please also take the note that I left on the table. I wrote a note to my friends... about the cat... and if you take the cat...

LL: Yes yes, I understand. If I take the cat, also take the note.

KT: Yes, that's right. Take the note.

LL: Okay, no problem. Take care.

KT: Thank you. A million thanks. Take care. Um... Happy Easter.

LL: And to you, Happy Easter. Pobrecito.

KT: Sí, pobrecito.


Ah, life is never dull in Mexico.

I arrived in Oaxaca last night, and just talked to my house guests in Mérida. To my relief and theirs, my landlady removed the cat and all is well there.

Here, it's the Saturday before Easter, and I'm about to head out for my first daytime glimpse of Oaxaca. I'll be here for the next ten days, studying Spanish and visiting friends.

You'll forgive me for not including photos with this posting.

Pobrecito.

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NB: Sorry I've been away from my blog for a while. I'm back now, and look forward to posting regularly. I've got plenty of material to work with, that's for sure. Thanks for checking in and not giving up!