Reasons Why I Would Like to Go Home Now, Please

Last Friday, I had my last kid-teaching class. After teaching them all about Christmas words (and having to translate "nativity scene" about 55,825 times) I was walking home - feeling pretty good about myself, too. They clapped for me when I told them goodbye. It made me swell up a little.

I was on the street that our school's on and crossed at a green light. On the other sidewalk was a group of kids, about my age, maybe a little less. They were congregated in the crosswalk, so I had to push through them. So I did, excusing myself as I went. "Uy, perdon, siento, perdon."

A boy behind me called after me as I passed. "¿De donde eres, con ese español de mierda?" (o algo del estilo, lo siento que no me acuerdo exactamente de la letra que utilizaron para REIRSE DE MI.) *translation, sorry guys: Where are you from, with that shitty Spanish? or something like that, sorry I don't remember exactly the words they used to MOCK ME.*

The girl next to him started to laugh. "Siento, siento, sieeeeeeeennnnntoooooooooo." *obnoxious tone of voice. copying me. so cute.*

I kept walking.

***

The beauty of the Spanish academic system is that one does not buy books. Instead of buying books, you are expected to go to the understocked, understaffed library to make photocopies of the pages you need. Just thought I'd set the scene there.

So Sue, one of the girls from the program, was down in the library making her copies. She was with someone else, probably Emily (Jeannie and Deirdre, you remember Trinity Emily?). There were two Spanish girls behind them in line, waiting for them to finish.

They left to copy room to go get another book, and when they came back the Spanish girls were almost finished with what they had to do. As they turned to leave, one of said girls turned and gave Sue a folded sheet of paper before hurrying out of the room.

Sue unfolded the paper. At the top, in block letters:

VETE A TU PAIS, PUTA.

Translation?:

GO BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY, WHORE.

***

(edit) I love when the Times and I are on the same wavelength.