Ya know...I've never been the smartest guy, the most clever, and definitely never had an exceptional memory. But, before coming here I thought of myself as a fairly capable guy. Able to get things done, concentrate when need be, a fairly quick learner even. Well...I sure am glad I came here and started making sails so that I could clear all that up and realize I'm an idiot.
Its amazing...just amazing, how many stupid things I can do in one day, much less to one sail. Crooked batten diamonds, battens put in the wrong place, tapes cut to the wrong length...not being able to remember which way is up half the time. Its just amazing...and I have to ask the same questions every day, every day since I've been here. It truly is incredible that James hasn't just killed me in order to get things done properly.
Same thing on the Spanish front...sometimes I convince myself I'm getting better, but then people have to ask me simple question 5 times and then I struggle to answer it to the point where I don't think anyone wants me to help them do anything at this point.
Well...like it or not I guess all that is gonna have to change. Tomorrow my crutch gets pulled out from under me, no more training wheels, no more Yoda, no more translator. Tomorrow is James' last day before he finds some place to go snowboarding and Bastien is leaving to go home to France for good so I'm on my own.
Ok...not entirely, there is the new French guy who does speak English and enough Spanish to get around, and there are plenty of people downstairs who do speak English, but regardless, work is going to be a whole different ball game. I know I'm gonna realize I haven't learned near as much as I should have, but at the same time I'm a little excited because I know within a few weeks I will be much more self sufficient at work, and who knows....maybe in a few months I will be able to understand enough Spanish to have a conversation about something other than how bad my Spanish is and the ever popular "Que frio no?" Si...it is cold, yes.
Anyway, wish me luck on another Barcelona weekend before my short week on my own and then a weekend in Norway...should be interesting
4 comments:
will you please shut up? you are smart, barrett. learning a totally new job in a new country in a language not your own is not easy. don't be so hard on yourself!
just because you're not learning as fast as johnny 5 can read, doesn't mean you aren't learning.
and have fun in the arctic chills of norway! i would suggest a sweater.
I have to disagree with Sarah, I've been watching you make mistakes for years and this just sounds like more of the same...
"New job"... try family business, and didn't you already take Spanish in college... Be as hard on yourself as you like.. Because you havent learned batten placement or remidial spanish in 6 months puts you somewhere between an Aggie and Corky, that retarded kid on TV.
I suspect Sarah is trying to end this dicussion as soon as possible before we begin to research all of your past blunders and get to the "ex-girlfriends" category...
Ah.. that felt good. In honesty I am totally kidding (which you already know), I just miss having you around and am trying to shame you into comming home.
Blake
at least i can spell "remedial", blake.
I'm afraid I'm with Blake on this one. I've seen you make numerous mistakes all in a matter of hours.
This one really gave me a chuckle. Way back before my first name was Dr or LtCol, I can remember a Euro dude named Fred who was cutting jibs at the loft. I was his humble understudy. I remember well the day he carried not 1, not 2, but 3 forked up panels that I had cut on one sail in to Kolius for further admonishment. Yea, it was a good day.
My errors, like yours on this day, could not have had anything to do with living on 1-2 hours of sleep. You at least have all -night Euroclubs. I had Bayport and Morgan's Point.
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