First Day

First day at work today. Again, as at Neles, I instantly feel like I fit in here. People assume from the beginning that I know what I'm talking about, and I have already begun to be productive.

I'm working in the main PDVS building in Cabimas. The parking lot seems to be where all the new cars are parked during the day. It seems that being employed by PDVSA means job security and a little wealth. Everyone dresses well, and I have no idea what there standard of living is.

The language is coming along well, I have a few basic sayings, and I can pronounce them well enough that people understand. My only drawback so far is my lack of vocabulary. It will come though. I think I'll have to start writing new words down, and making myself use them and hence memorise them.

When I arrived 2 weeks ago, I joined 2 other Neles guys. Yesterday was the day the last of those guys went home, and I am the sole Neles rep. This should be interesting.

The only shopping center in Cabimas is a huge building called NASA. I'm not sure if people here realise that there is another NASA - I think they do though, since they use the same style of writing to write the word. Anyway, to get there is a 10-minute walk.

So in the interest of information, I journeyed to NASA today. I have no idea what the temperature was, but I had walked maybe 10 steps out of the arctic zone of my hotel lobby, and had a healthy sweat going on. Sticking strictly about on the sidewalks, I survived the endless stars from the locals, who were driving by or sitting on their front step.

A note about the driving. They don't paint lines on the road; people would just ignore them. Our driver will think nothing of swerving into oncoming traffic to avoid a pothole. The only thing "wrong" with passing someone by driving on the shoulder is if you don't politely beep the horn as your roar past. Red lights are optional, but window tinting isn't. It is said that Venezuela is the hottest and coldest place to live. Hot outside in the sun and humidity (I can see the largest lake in the Southern Hemisphere from my room) and freezing inside from the air conditioner. I had to use some paper and scotch tape to seal of the air conditioning vent in my room so I didn't have to go to bed fully dressed.

Anyway, but in NASA, everything is sold here. It's like groceries store and Kmart and Target and Winners and Cheap as Chips and a liquor store all in one. So I bought some potato crisps, a six-pack of the local brew (Polar, about 70 Canadian cents a can) some deodorant (a staple for me here) and some bread (for my peanut butter and jam (jelly) sandwiches).

Thankfully, I have pretty much mastered Spanish numbers, so paying for it is not too painful. Outside, and into the mobile phone shop, to charge my cell-phone with 20,000 bolivares and I'm on my way back to hotel.

It feels funny being able to "Asta la vista", "no problemo", "uno minuta", "adios amigos" seriously, and not sound like your quoting a movie. As James quipped "Its like they have a different word to everything, like some sort of code..."

Its gratifying when I can string together a primitive sentence, and the listener not look at me funny. Unfortunately, they usually respond with "sdkbfsdkfbsdhjfbsjh hsvhjksdbkjvsbk vsdfkjvbsk jhvbksjbk" and I haven't I hope. Usually I counter with "No hablo espanol" and then "mas despacio por favor", meaning "I don't speak Spanish, more slowly please. Usually, they just repeat what they just said just as fast. I just smile.

Americans to me where just another people. Nothing special. Well - let me say this. That's still true. They aren't rude, they aren't obnoxious and they don't think America is the center of the Universe. However, they are able to come across as these things. Very well. I think it boils down to simple American Ignorance. The guys I'm working with will happily drink the water the waiter pours at 6the restaurant table, but wont brush there teeth in the sink water. They must believe that since it is in a fancy restaurant, it is not from the tap. They won't use the ice in some places either, but back at the fancy restaurant they do. Now, for the record, I have just finished (I hope) a case of the runs - but that's over, and I didn't die. "But its uncomfortable Jake", they say, "Yes, but you do get over it."

Actually working with these guys can be frustrating - because they seem compelled to interrupt me every sentence. I doesn't matter I'm saying, they will verily demand I answer their question before continue with my explanation. So just because being a bastard sometimes is fun, I deliberately answer their question in a way they cant understand, since they haven't let me finish what I as saying. They'll learn, and in fact, I think I have started to notice fewer interruptions.