Day 11 Giving and Getting July 26

Day 11 Giving and Getting July 26

Another crazy busy day and this tattoo thing is getting out of control. I would guess at least a hundred people have ask to take a picture of it. Then this evening I was at the RENFE train office to see if the tragic accident had affected my plans. I don't know why I feel bad or weird about checking on my plans when so many are grieving, but I do. I think I care less and less about whether my feeling are god or bad, right or wrong, appropriate or not, I just try to let them be whatever they are at the moment, knowing that they are very fickle and it I just wait a short time they will change. But I digress. There are no changes to that train schedule for my train to Pamplona. The train accident apparently occurred about two and a half miles from the station, so I shouldn't see any wreckage there, But, my train goes to Ourense, where I change trains, to go to Pamplona and I think Ourense was the last stop that train made before coming to Santiago. In fact I think I remember it being the last stop before I arrived in Santiago on the fifteenth. So I may have to see it, unless I shut my eyes.

While I was at the RENFE office a woman and a man that I had seen and helped in the Pilgrim's Office started to chat with me. Then they ask if they could take a picture of my tattoo, then they starting filming me and ask what I was doing in Santiago, where I was from what was my name etc. Then he asked if I would mind if he used the footage in a documentary. I said I wouldn't mind.

So I leave the RENFE office, go to get a yogurt and I run into someone else I met in the Pilgrim's office who had commented on how he loved my tattoo. Well he tells me that a short time later he open up Facebook and a picture of my tattoo popped up. Whoooa! This fellow is not from the states so I don't think we have any friends in common. It is getting might strange. He said the Facebook thing said it was a lady with purple hair.

By the way the yogurt was delicious. It's a brand called SMÖOY and it tastes like frozen Greek yogurt. I had some in Boulder once and wanted to buy a franchise so I could have it in Southern California. The last two times I have had their special flavor of the week which was some sort of yummy tart flavor. Tonight I had the chocolate with strawberries. Both favors are delicious. 

For dinner I had an ensalada mixta. I went to the market and got some lettuce, a heirloom tomato and a can of corn. There was tuna, cheese, olive oil and balsamic vinegar at home so I was set. I also bought some fresh bread to go with it. I just love shopping as I walk home from work.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to walk up to the University Hospital ( by the way here USC stands for University of Santiago Compostela and they don't have those ugly school colors lol) to give blood. Apparently they were deluged with people wanting to give blood once they put out the call, so they had to start turning people away. Johnnie told me they turned a friend of his away. I told him they may still want mine, I'm A-  They almost always want mine because it is rare and hard to get. This is good if I am giving blood, but not so good if I need blood. Oh we'll, so I give in hopes there will be some if I need it, giving and getting. Johnnie called the hospital and sure enough they said for me to come in the morning. He said something about a transfusion, I certainly hope he just meant taking blood in a bottle. We'll see. They always have a bunch of requirements to give blood, so you never know if you will actually be able to do it. Some years ago when we went to give blood Sheila wasn't allowed to give blood because she didn't weigh enough. lol I don't think I will have that problem.

In the office today one woman was crying and she just looked like she needed a hug, so I gave her one and she hugged tight. It was a splendid moment. At another time a little boy was so excited, I'd say he was about seven years old he was jumping up and down. And at another time a young girl, about five years old, was so happy she was twirling in circles. Yesterday there was a man with a very exhausted two year hold sleeping on his should while he was getting his Compostela. I asked him if the little boy had been with him on the Camino and he said that he had. Amazing. Why do babies always look so adorable when they are sleeping and just waking up?

While I was working today I would tell people to go the the man at the end, because he was at the end of the long row of desks. I was saying "el hombre al fondo" which can mean at the end or the bottom. A couple of the girls that work there were laughing good naturedly, so I asked them if I was pronouncing it wrong. They said no, but the way. I said it sounded like they were going to seen a scary man way far down. So, I didn't say anything but I started saying "el hombre amable al fondo" which means the friendly man at the end" they caught it and smiled at me. I think tomorrow I will change it to "el hombre amable al final" which clearly means the the friendly man at the end. 

The other day one of the women said to send the good looking men to her counter but  i said "no hay ninguna aquí ahora" meaning there aren't any here now. So at one point today I said "Hay muchas hombres guapos aquí hoy," which means there are many handsome men here today. They laughed and said to send them to their counter.

It's nice to speak enough broken Spanish to have a little fun.

Well I am going down to the corner cafe to have some tea and use their wifi to transmit this. Then I'm going to bed. Wifi wasn't working last night so this didn't go out. Woke up in the middle of the night and remembered something about not being able to give blood and getting tattoos. So I woke up and investigated on the net. In California and most states in the US you can't give blood for one year after getting a tattoo. It's much the same in Spain. So, I can't give blood. And my phone has run out of data. So while I will still be posting blogs once a day, I won't be posting responses to comments or emails as frequently. It will be much the same when I am actually on the Camino and usually only pull my phone out once a day to write. And GO DODGERS!!! 

Two children receiving Compostelas

Woman in strange outfit with coke can hat and junk food wrapper dress. Amusing and poignant. You wear what you eat, I suppose.