La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
The plumber was finally here Thursday. He checked out all that needs to be done and said he’d be back Tuesday to do it. Oh, well. A little progress. For the first two weeks, all four of us were sharing a bathroom. The cats have been moved out, so now it’s just the two of us. Still, San Geraldo can be messier than the cats. My bathroom sink leaks every time it’s used. I didn’t realize until I noticed a pool of water on the floor. I then found a sponge shoved behind the pipe behind the sink which I thought was stuffed there to absorb the leak (yes, I thought it was ridiculous). But the plumber showed me the leak and it was nowhere near the sponge. “Why the sponge?” I asked. He laughed and with a bit of embarrassment, said “It’s a Spanish thing. You tuck a sponge where no one can see it and then you use it to wipe up around the sink whenever you need.” Have you ever heard of that? Although it was new to me, it makes sense. That is if you squeeze out the sponge after each use. That clearly wasn’t done. The soggy sponge reeked. Cooties! The sponge went in the trash.
We went to a nearby Chinese restaurant the other night. When I phoned for a reservation, I thought the woman had a problem with my Spanish. She seemed to have no idea what I was talking about. We arrived at 9. Not much curb appeal, but inside was a large, clean, contemporary, unadorned restaurant with about 15 tables, all of them empty. There were delivery drivers outside on their motos and we were eventually greeted (well, acknowledged) and told to sit wherever we liked. We did. Another person eventually took our drink order. The service was almost non-existent and there were no smiles. The two people hustled back and forth from the kitchen with bags of food. The three delivery guys would each take a load of bags and head off. After some time we asked to place our order. It took a while, but a bowl of fried rice was delivered. Very good, by the way, but nothing else for at least 10 minutes. A delivery guy actually walked over and asked if we wanted sauce to go with it. Once the rest of the food arrived, over another 15 minutes, we were surprised by how fresh and delicious everything was, as well as by the generous servings. We watched delivery guys come and go throughout our meal. The phone never stopped ringing. I don’t know why they even have tables. Next time, we’ll have it delivered.
The photo below is from the menu. “Entrantes” are Starters. Their auto-correct translated that to “Incoming” (which would be Entrante with no “s”). Incoming!
El fontanero llegó finalmente el jueves. Revisó todo lo que había que hacer y dijo que volvería el martes para hacerlo. Bueno, un pequeño avance. Durante las dos primeras semanas, los cuatro compartíamos el baño. Los gatos se han ido, así que ahora estamos solos los dos. Aun así, San Geraldo puede ser más desordenado que los gatos. El lavabo de mi baño gotea cada vez que lo uso. No me di cuenta hasta que vi un charco de agua en el suelo. Entonces encontré una esponja metida detrás de la tubería detrás del lavabo que pensé que estaba metida allí para absorber la fuga (sí, pensé que era ridículo). Pero el fontanero me mostró la fuga y no estaba cerca de la esponja. “¿Por qué la esponja?”, pregunté. Se rió y, con un poco de vergüenza, dijo: “Es una cosa española. Metes una esponja donde nadie la pueda ver y luego la usas para limpiar alrededor del lavabo cuando lo necesitas”. ¿Has oído hablar de eso alguna vez? Era nuevo para mí. Y, por supuesto, la esponja empapada olía horrible. ¡Piojos! La esponja fue a la basura.
Fuimos a un restaurante chino cercano la otra noche. Cuando llamé para hacer una reserva, pensé que la mujer tenía un problema con mi español. Parecía no tener idea de lo que estaba hablando. Llegamos a las 9. No había mucho atractivo exterior, pero dentro había un restaurante grande, limpio, contemporáneo y sin adornos con unas 15 mesas, todas vacías. Había repartidores afuera en sus motos y finalmente nos saludaron (bueno, nos reconocieron) y nos dijeron que nos sentáramos donde quisiéramos. Lo hicimos. Otra persona finalmente tomó nuestro pedido de bebidas. El servicio fue casi inexistente y no hubo sonrisas. Las dos personas iban y venían apresuradamente de la cocina con bolsas de comida. Los tres repartidores cogían un montón de bolsas cada uno y se iban. Después de un rato, pedimos hacer nuestro pedido. Tardaron un poco, pero nos trajeron un tazón de arroz frito. Muy bueno, por cierto, pero nada más durante al menos 10 minutos. Un repartidor se acercó y nos preguntó si queríamos salsa para acompañar. Una vez que llegó el resto de la comida, después de otros 15 minutos, nos sorprendió lo fresco y delicioso que estaba todo, así como las porciones generosas. Vimos a los repartidores ir y venir durante nuestra comida. El teléfono nunca dejó de sonar. No sé por qué tienen mesas. La próxima vez, pediremos que nos lo traigan.
La foto de abajo es de la carta. Ellos tradujeron “entrante” y no “entrantes”. ¡Entrante!
• Cortesía de Google Maps.
I have never heard of placing a sponge like that either. Even though the service was mostly nonexistent, you have now found a great place for Chinese takeout!
Michael:
And the sponge was revolting! Yes, great Chinese takeout. Never again, I think, for dining in.
I’ve been to Asian restaurants like that too where 99.99% of their business is take-out. Always kind of spooky to be a sit-down diner in them.
Debra:
This was a first for us. Very strange. But at least the place was immaculately clean.
From the outside it seems a little sketchy, and then from the service, it seems even more sketchy. But then the food is good … ? Yeah, I think I’d go delivery next time.
Bob:
Definitely delivery.
Boud here. That’s odd, why bother with a storefront if it’s not really a restaurant? Yes, takeout will work. Probably much faster too.
Interesting discoveries you’re making in the new apartment. These technical issues like plumbing, must take pretty fluent language skills. Likewise doctor visits.
Boud:
And it wasn’t just a store front. The space was large, furnished and empty. As for my language skills, sometimes I feel like they’re non-existent. Other times, I surprise myself with the conversations I can carry on without a thought. Recently, I’ve commented to SG several times after a detailed exchange that I was proud of my skills.
I’m glad the food was good! The sponge thing is funny… I mean, sure, I keep a sponge in the bathroom… but, I don’t jam it under the pipes. Ha!
Judy C:
I remember my mother kept a sponge in the bathroom. Under the sink. In the cabinet. In a dish!
There are several places near us that are almost entirely delivery or take out, but have a few tables – the Balkan Grill, Tippys Tacos, and New china are all in the same plaza across from the Metro Station. Balkan Grill has a small grocery store with central European specialities, I am past due for a shop there.
David:
I’ve seen places with just a few tables. This was cavernous. I wonder if they expected their business to be different.
The Chinese restaurant of luck?
Lucky if you get service.
No, seriously, sounds terrific for take out or delivery. When the guy rings the doorbell, does he shout, “Incoming!”
I have actually seen sponges in the crook of a pipe under a sink. Maybe someone I knew did that? Can’t remember but I know I’ve seen it. But rather disgusting to think about using someone else’s sponge.
MM Sigh
Ms. Moonsigh:
Yes. Should be ¡Mucha Suerte! Lotsa Luck! The sponge. Yes. And she left us her toilet bowl brushes, too!
How very thoughtful of her.
Sounds like they were so surprised to have ‘sit-down’ eat-in customers. They didn’t know what to do! Now you know.
Jim:
Absolutely. Her response on the phone was one of shock I realized.
You have the patience of biblical Job. With non-existent service, no other customers inside, the long waits, I’d have been afraid to eat there and gone. Let us know how it goes when you try the delivery side.
Shirley:
We could tell when we walked in that the food must be good because the delivery service was overloaded and the phone was continually ringing. Otherwise, we might have said, Never mind.
Chinese restaurants are very much a hit-and-miss affair wherever one goes, in my experience. My general rule of thumb is to go past a few times, and if I see Chinese people eating there, it’s worth a try! I’m pleased that you managed to find a good one, despite there being nobody else eating in there of any ethnicity.
Takeaways may well be the future – “Incoming!” Jx
Jon:
I think any kind of restaurant can be hit or miss. It’s just more obvious when there are fewer options. There are 100s of Spanish restaurants here. I’m sure many of them are misses. I walked by an elegant sushi restaurant in the neighbourhood. There were two Asians seated near the door. The only ones I could see. I told SG they were plants.
I’m reminded of Radar O’Reilly… “Choppers!” He always heard them before anyone else did.
Walt the Fourth:
That’s exactly what I thought of!
“Incoming”! Ha!
That place doesn’t sound very lucky. (Isn’t that what “suerte” translates to?) Anyway, yeah, delivery next time!
Steve:
Well, they were doing a booming delivery business. So I suppose it’s lucky for them.