Normally I have my portuguese class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 8:00 am for about 1 hour. After being in Germany for one week, I needed some lessons since my week in Germany was 99% in English. Well, my portuguese class ended up being an impromptu vocabulary lesson in auto parts and things like that.
When I got into my car (used Honda Fit), it wouldn't start. It wouldn't even turn on some lights on the dashboard. I figured the battery was dead. I went over to my neighbors house for help (the same guy who cuts my grass), hoping he had jumper cables. My communication of the situation went something like this:
Me: Good morning! All is well? How are you?
Neighbor/Grass Man: Hi. I am fine, how about you?
Me: I have problem with my car. The batter is missing.
Neighbor/Grass Man: Missing? Your battery is missing in the car? (Also making a weird face at me).
Me: Well, no, yes, well the battery has no life. My car will not turn on.
Neighbor/Grass Man: Oh! Your battery is weak?
Well, the conversation was slightly more funny in my poor portuguese. Anyway, he came over, but didn't have jumper cables. But, he knew someone to go and get who could come help me. This is typical in Horizontina.
About 10 minutes later, he returned with some guy (I will nickname him battery man), a battery charger and some cables. The guy spoke REALLY fast and things I didn't understand. I did understand, " oh, your an American...I have a son living in Novo Jersey (New Jersey).....Josh...battery (Josh is a fellow ex-pat living here)....battery....something....something...."
Well, my car would only turn on for a few minutes and my neighbor/grass man and "battery man", decided they needed to take my car into the shop. I guess I was supposed to take battery man back to his shop and leave my car there.
On the way to his shop, he told me that he's Polish/Italian and has 3 sons living in the US. Of course the other 50% of the conversation, I couldn't understand, but that's ok. We got to his shop and he started to charge the battery with some doo-hickie, which he said was from the US. Of course, that would make everything better.
About 20 minutes into this whole process, I realized I wasn't going to make my regular portuguese class so I called my professor (who is so wonderful!!!!!) and told him I had to cancel. He was way cool about it...as is everyone in Brazil when things happen unexpected...or expectedly.
While waiting for my battery to charge, I had to use the bathroom. I asked some guy where the bathroom is. He said, "Uh, we only have one for men, but go into that house there and use the bathroom." I said, "the house??". He said, "yes, my mother is inside." Ah ha! Of course, his shop is next to his home. Isn't everyone's place of business next door to where they live?!
So, I went into this house and then met the battery man's wife. She was very kind and showed me all sorts of photos of her kids living in the US....gave me hugs and kisses and invited me back to their house sometime.
At the end of all this, I got the battery re-charged, made some new friends, learned some new vocabulary and it only cost me R$10 or about $4 US dollars.....
