*Spanish Slang and the Providential Mop Incident*

            I have learned some unique Spanish slang since moving here. Among these words is one that I kept receiving in emails and texts: jajaja. At first I was sure it was a typo. After I saw it repeatedly, I admitted to myself that it must indeed be a word, albeit some sort of abbreviation or something. Finally it dawned on me- in Spanish the “j” is pronounced as an “h,” therefore “jajaja” is really “hahaha.” ;-)

            I have to say, it gives me a tiny jolt of fiendish delight when I see this message pop up more often in my emails, “Your application for Independent School District [fill in the blank] has been deactivated.” I used to fill out new applications every month, looking in vain for an elementary teaching position in the US. Now I can happily disregard these applications and all other job searching activities. Maintaining applications and searching for jobs had constituted nearly a part-time job in itself. I am so grateful to have a job here, knowing that I am getting 3 times the benefits and pay that I would have received if I had gotten a job in the US. Needless to say, I highly recommend international teaching (as long as you pick a good school) for my fellow teachers!

            After walking around in my apartment bare foot the first day I arrived, I looked at the black bottoms of my feet in disgust. Clearly a severe mopping was needed. Ever after that I kept looking for a mop at different stores. I saw plenty of the traditional sort- long ropey tendrils and a wooden handle, but what I really wanted was one of those flat-headed sponge based ones. After searching for one of these unsuccessfully for about 3 weeks, I resigned myself to the fact that I would just have to settle for the old fashioned kind.

            However, one weekend I went out to try “cachapas”- a delicious local food which is something like a cornmeal omelet with juicy cheese inside. While enjoying this succulent food for the first time, along came a street vendor with a bundle of mops over his shoulder! I watched with interest while he demonstrated how to use one with a passerby. AS soon as I ascertained that this in fact was the same kind of mop I’d been looking for, I quickly got out of my seat in the small restaurant and hailed him down to buy one of my own! It may interest you to note that street vendors here sell any and everything- from fruit, to lottery tickets, to flowers to socks!