04/06/10

Every time I am running late or forgot something in my room, so I have to run back and I run by some of the younger girls in the orphanage they yell “Mana Anata knows how to run!” And I hope that that is just a figure of speech, not that they are actually surprised by this.
In town I picked up a shirt and asked the vendor how much it cost. At the same time that he responded “100 Meticais” the woman next to me said “50 Meticais, but make sure you pay 40.” So nice to have someone on my side every once in a while.
I made a note to myself earlier today and just reread it and realized that I had spelled “difference” with only one “f” (in Portuguese there is only one “f”) and I cringed a little. This is not going to bode well when I am trying to apply for jobs from here.
Coming back from town today I flagged down a pick-up truck for a ride back to the mission, but when he pulled over to pick me up the truck sputtered and died. He couldn’t get it started again, so two men walking past helped push it down someone’s driveway (with enough of a slope to get it rolling) so he could start it again and I got in, but we only made it to right outside the gas station where it died again. One of the gas station attendants called out to the others “come over here, we have ‘peees work’ (in English)!” So I ended up walked back anyway, about 20 minutes later than if I had just walked in the first place. That’s what I get for being lazy.