Overheard in Cochabamba

To jump on the long-running bandwagon of 'Overheard/Overseen in….' groups and lists, I now present to you: Overheard in Cochabamba.

(Working Title: Overheard in Cochabamba -  An Ongoing List of Tasty Tidbits Collected from My Travels in Cocha, but Not Just Cocha, Really All Over Bolivia and Other Parts of South/Latin America)

This list will be updated as new events occur and will help to complement my normal blogs during periods of non-posting. 

Enjoy!

~ Overheard in a salon that shall remain nameless: An old lady with her cane waiting for a manicure. One of the women comes over to help her and she says "No quiero contigo" (I don't want you / Not with you). A tad rude, if you ask me!  (October 18, 2013)

~ Overheard in a classroom on Pasaje Zoológico: "Hey - get your mouth off the back of the chair. That's disgusting." The child in question is 12. He should know better. (October 18, 2013)

~ Overseen on Av. Charcas: An old man (in his 80's) attempting to kick the sh*t out of a small sandwich bag that happened across his path. Fortunately for the bag, the old man was feeble and gave up when the bag reached the middle of the road - after a good 4 or 5 blows to its poor, plastic body. (September 18, 2013)

~  Overheard in a classroom on Pasaje Zoológico: "You don't know the days of the week in English? WHO TAUGHT YOU BEFORE I DID??" (September 3, 2013)

~ Overheard from a 4th floor apartment in Cala Cala at 4.23 a.m.: One of the most epic couple fights of all time, including a slap to face (woman-to-man) followed by the woman screaming "YOU KNOW I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!" (August 24, 2013)

~ Overheard in a classroom on Pasaje Zoológico: "I can't believe I have to tell you this, BUT: you are not allowed to put glue on each other during class time." (August 20, 2013)

~ Overheard in a classroom on Pasaje Zoológico: One poor English teacher attempting to explain the difference between 'flattery' and 'flatulence' to her students. (August 19, 2013) 

~ Overseen in 'Zhou': Two unsupervised children throwing rocks, dirt clods and anything else they could get their hands on into the garden pool at a local Chinese restaurant. Apparently poor parenting is a worldwide phenomenon. (August 18, 2013)

~ Overheard on Av. Humboldt: A funeral parlor employee catcalling a passing gringita. Super classy, dude. (August 17, 2013)

~ Overseen on Av. Humboldt: An unsupervised three-year-old boy peeing on the street…at 11 a.m. This is becoming far too common for my liking. (August 1, 2013)

~ Overseen on Av. Humboldt: A cab driver casually peeing on the side of the street...at 3.30 in the afternoon. Nevermind that there is a school just down the block on Pasaje Zoológico. (July 19, 2013)

~ Overseen at Hipermaxi on Av. Juan de la Rosa: A suave gringita hustling her cab fare down from bs.   8 to bs. 5 (June 17, 2013)

~ Overseen on Av. de Rosa: A "Gringo Burgers" stand complete with the actual gringo who hails from Oklahoma (June 4, 2013)

~ Overseen on Av. Humboldt: A man in a suit peeing on a tree outside of a funeral parlor...at 4 p.m. (May 28, 2013)

~ Overseen on Av. Humboldt: A homeless dog (approx. 15 lbs) wearing a sweater and a pair of doggy-sized jean shorts. (May 28, 2013)

~ Overheard near Cala Cala: "What the F*** is a Snooki and why would I want to go to its birthday?"        
- Bolivian Software Executive on a business trip to Vegas (recounted May 15, 2013)

~ Student: Miiiisss?
   Me: Yes?
   Student: Miss, is 'crap' a bad word?
   Me: Not...not really.
   Student: I KNEW IT. My brother was SO wrong. I have to go tell him. (May 6, 2013)

~ "Yuca is the new cool" - Anonymous Boliviano (April 30, 2013)

~ Overheard in 'Los Castores': "So, it's like a Bolivian pasty?" / "...no." - Half-British/Boliviano Interaction (April 28, 2013)

~ "Como se dice 'Come at me, bro!' en Español?" - Anonymous American (April 2, 2013)

~ "Estaba entre espada y la pared"/"Between the sword and the wall" which is the Spanish version of "Between a rock and a hard place" (April 2, 2013)

~ Overheard in 'Solo Pastas': An older Englishman explaining the crumbling American and British financial systems to an older South American. Also uttered the words "Miami is to the South Americans as London is to the Africans." (March 26, 2013)

~ Overseen in 'Solo Pastas': Creepy gringa masquerading as an English teacher grading exams, but really eavesdropping on an older Englishman explaining the crumbling American and British financial systems to an older South American…while sipping a glass of red wine. Said gentlemen did not appreciate the dropping of eaves inflicted upon their conversation. (March 26, 2013)

~ Overseen on the Street: A motorcyclist who hits a pedestrian…but then when they see each other, it turns out they know each other. The two end up bro-fiving and then parting ways.

~ Overheard in 'Novecento': "La Paz is like the New York of Bolivia" - Anonymous Bolivian