Word for the Day

With the help of the Anatomic Pathology residents, I came up with a new system for trying to learn Spanish, namely, I will learn a new word every day by writing it on my hand and using it frequently in conversation. The problem of me washing my hands might be overcome by writing the word on a small slip of paper which, of course, I might lose. No matter, the word for Monday, May 19 is "quizas" which means "maybe." I taught the residents that you can sound more intelligent in an unknown slide conference just by answering, "quizas." I spent much of the day trying to sound intelligent with this word but mainly ended up trying to explain to Peruvians about Sarah Palin (you know, when she was doing the Tea Party interview in February and the cameras caught that she had written crib notes like "Energy" on her hand). Peruvians then tried to explain to me that after thirty years of Garcia-Fujimori-Toledo-Garcia they don't find politics or politicians to be very funny.

Many of you and many Peruvians keep asking me how exactly it is that someone who NO HABLO ESPANOL ended up doing what I'm doing here in Lima, Peru. I tell everyone that the short answer is, "Its complicated." For people who really know me they will read the following and understand that this was a Really Terrific Day!
6 AM woke up having slept well (no fever, no car alarm, no one egging the building I'm in)
8 AM- 2 PM Gave a fun glass slide unknown conference where the residents were Smart, Nice and really seemed to enjoy learning. Diagnosed an SLL/CLL, a blastic NK/T lymphoma nasal type of the soft palate, an AILT and a t-MDS with Drs. Quinones and Morales and got to show Dr. Navarro why a little more money spent on AZF fixative could make a big difference.
2 PM - 3 PM Had lunch with Dr. Quinones, her husband Dr. Palomino and their beautiful daughter, Gabriella at the Peruvian McDonald's equivalent (actually, no, SO MUCH BETTER THAN MCDONALD'S. I MEAN, THE CHICKEN HERE TASTES LIKE CHICKEN. NO, BETTER THAN CHICKEN).
3PM - 7:30 PM Lavandaria (walked to laundry), shopping for a B-day present for nephew Frank, e-mail chat with son Caleb, Gold's Gym, shower, dolled up for dinner.
7:30 PM - 10 PM Dinner out with Tanna Moore's friend Alberto Varillas and his daughter Maria Luisa at the incredible at Huaca Pucllana Restaurant (see blog from first weekend in Peru; this is the fabulous Peruvian restaurant within the ruins, not the Italian Trattoria across the street where I had lunch). OH MY GOODNESS! Smart, Nice, Fun, Funny People (clearest explanation yet for the health insurance system and situation in Peru which I will blog on later) and the food was Muy Rica.
10 PM Voicemail from my esposo who says that he misses me (back atcha), blogging and going to sleep.....