Unexpectedness in Pola de Allande

For dinner yesterday I made Bean and Lentil chili. No corn because the grocery was out of it. A lady who was not staying here wanted to have dinner with us so she could eat with her friend, who was staying here. She sat next to me and said, “This is why I love the Camino. I did not expect to be having dinner with an American.” And I said, “Eating chili.” She laughed.

So last night I tried to say something in Spanish and used the wrong verb form. So Kana, who remember is Japanese, corrected me and conjugated the verb for me. So I said, “Among things I did not expect was to be learning Spanish from a Japanese person.” And she laughed.

Yesterday Michelle arrived. She is Asian-American, Chinese I think. I left the kitchen to come write because she and Kana were getting into a discussion about the best way to make rice (as much as one person with little English and one person with little Spanish can) and I am staying OUT OF THAT.

So here I am in Spain eating rice with two Asian co-workers in a house owned by a Dutchman. The world is getting very small.