My Top Ten List

Here are my top six reasons why it really feels like I´ve adjusted to life here (I wish I could think of ten. Top Ten sounds way cooler, but I can´t think of ten):

1) I find myself hissing and making clicking sounds at any animal that comes within five feet of me. It doesn´t matter that they aren´t dangerous at all - it´s just a way to pass time.

2) I eat all food with a tortilla in my left hand and rip a small piece off for every bite - making a taco is only for weekends.

3) Jackets and blankets. I never understood why people here wore jackets in reasonably normal-to-cool temperatures and used thick blankets at night. I now use both regularly.

4) I feel the constant urge to show up everywhere about 20-30 minutes late.

5) It´s perfectly natural for me to say "¡Buenos días!" and "¡Buenas tardes!" to all people over the age of 30 that walk by me. But it`s never full phrase either - something more like "buenaas" or "bueo dias."

6) As you noticed earlier in this post of me repeating the fact I can´t think of ten things, I am perfectly comfortable with saying one thing in as many ways possible using as many different clauses, tenses, subject/preposition shifts, etc. as necessary. This is the way people talk to you here. Here that´s the way people talk. You see, talking here is done in that way.

P.S. Sheila, if you read this, what´s your e-mail address? I´ve been wanting to respond to your comments but I don´t have your address on my webmail here! Thanks!