Oh the sunburn...

Today was less rain compared to earlier in the week. We actually got to see a spot of sun, which according to local legend is somewhat common in the desert. I am not sure that I believe it. The forecast for Juarez is the following:

August 2 -- Scattered Thunderstorms
August 3 -- Scattered Thunderstorms
August 4 -- Isolated Thunderstorms
August 5 -- Isolated Thunderstorms
August 6 -- Isolated Thunderstorms
August 7 -- Isolated Thunderstorms
August 8 -- Isolated Thunderstorms
August 9 -- Isolated Thunderstorms
August 10 -- Mostly Sunny
August 11 -- Mostly Sunny, and we leave

I attempted to do some training today, but the application we are working on died. It gave an error when I logged in that I have found to be the most truthful of any application ever. It read "Horrible Error" with a undescriptive description of the issue. I have to admit that I agree. I am training folks having traveled across the border and I am embarrased that it doesn't work -- so it is a "Horrible Error". I appreciate the honesty.

I found out later that the company that hosts the tool was having trouble with their internet service provider until about 15 minutes after we finished. I don't know if anyone has ever taken a class where the instructor was basically forced to teach from the user's manual -- but it is somewhat less than captivating. I did get to show off the main features however, so not all is lost.

For lunch we ate at the cafeteria -- and they had chili dogs and fries. It is the simple things in life that make me happy. To top it off -- for our training room snack they served Hostess Twinkies and Ding Dongs. While I did refrain, I was tempted by the twinkie -- since they were out of the fried twinkies at the last Red's game I attended.

For dinner, one of the students/new hires took us to a local mall. We ate in the food court at a local favorite fast food chain. Kathy and I split between two orders of chicken and pork tacos which were served with a baked potato (with real butter, very nice) and a soda. I was all proud of my grasp of Spanish fast food so I approached the counter and had the following exchange:

Me: Buenos Dias
Server: Buenos Dias (she understood me, so far so good)
Me: Taco Tote Pack, Pollo
Server: Ok. Taco Tote Pack Pollo (got my chicken taco combo meal order, so far so good)
Me: Si, Gracias
Server: Long sentence in Spanish (uh oh)
Me: Um, uh, um
Server: (Pointing to Soda Fountain)
Me: Oh (cursing in English) um, "Coke Light" (Diet Coke)
Server: Long Sentence in Spanish (hmmm, this isn't going well)
Me: Here is a $20
Server: Long Sentence in Spanish (apparently she can only give me change in Pesos, which I want -- but our "guide" wouldn't let me pay)
Me: (I step out of the way, humbly)

I will say that I was better prepared when I went back to the counter and got (wonderful) Flan for dessert (go with what works -- point at what you want, hold up the appropriate number of fingers, hand over a sum of money). I got my change (she gave me dollars and pesos) and I repaid our guide. We wandered around the mall for a bit and then left so that Kathy could make her 9:30 call with China.

Hector and I sat at the hotel bar for a couple of hours and talked sports, movies and the other "no no's" for international conversations -- religion and politics. It was a good time and good to bond with a colleague that I probably will not see face to face for a very long time. It rained all night apparently, so we are late getting started on Thursday as some people are flooded in and are being "rescued" by folks in the larger SUVs. Gotta love this desert weather.