That explains it

American? That explains it!! You want to destroy everything, just like Señor Bush.

Quote from the waterheater repairman who, on arriving to figure out why I had been living without hot water for a month, discovered that I was opening the tap ALL the way. Hard.

Open this tap halfway and you can have all the hot water you want, as it turns out. Something about pressure.

I waited a month of cold showers for that advice.

But I did like the Bush quote.

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And his closing comment, delivered with a huge, friendly grin:

Anything else in the apartment you need me to explain??

I got the feeling he desperately wanted to give me a class in how not to mistreat Spanish appliances.

************

Catchy Spanish saying of the day:

Se me ha ido el santo al cielo.

Literally, something like: The saint has gone to heaven on me.

And it means? You've forgotten something. That great idea or brilliant thought you had on the tip of your tongue just a second ago is now nowhere to be found.

I've grown quite fond of it, although in the annoying way I have of mixing up my languages, I keep catching myself thinking "dang it, my saint took off" in English.

Doesn't quite carry the same punch.