07/18/07

07/18/07

Hoy me levanté temprano. Cuando fui a desayunar, mi señora me dijo que las Chicas de China se habian ido. Mi señora se quejó que ellas eran muy antipaticas. Ella dijo que yo soy una persona de "si" y ellas eran unas personas de "No".( Ella dijo que esperaba que el nuevo estudiante después que yo es de la mismo grupo de que el mio). Ella dijo que soy un buen chico, pero ellas eran malas. Mi senorá explicó que cuando tengo un problema, yo hablo, pero las chicas nunca hablaron ni una palabra.
I think that the disagreement that ensued between my host mother and my room mates was inevitable. Although the language barrier played a role, I think it also might have been a cultural clash as well. One of the examples my host mother cited as the difference in behavior was my clothes situation. She recalled how she originally thought that I needed to pay her to wash my laundry. However, I spoke up and the problem was taken care of. She complained that, my room mates don't say a word. But I think the problem began before I got here.

My room mates arrived in Salamanca one week before I did. They told me they were paying for their trip on their own. When I explained my laundry situation, they told me they were hand washing their own clothes. One day I saw them paying my senora eleven Euros to do their laundry. I think that they must have not had the time that week and asked her to it. Regardless of the reason, I think this may have planted the perception that they would continue to do this. Since my host-mother knows there is a language barrier. I think that is why my room mates said she was asking for money often. I think that she was just making sure that they didn't need their laundry done, but the girls on other hand, perceived it as harassment. However, even if my host-mom was just out to make more money, I can't blame her. Because, to me, having strangers stay in your house is a huge inconvenience and if I make a little extra doing it, I wouldn't miss out because of a language barrier.