Not exactly as planned

My first private lesson was last night (see the cha-ching post) and I left really early to be sure I arrived on time. I´d looked at a map and determined that it might take 45 minutes to walk to my student´s house, but I left with a good hour and 15 before I needed to be there. However, when I arrived at the community "Parque Cousiño Macul", I was told that this wasn´t the right Parque Cousiño Macul and that the one I wanted was 15 minutes further away. No problem, I thought, I have plenty of time.

Over an hour later, and a second Parque Cousiño Macul, I was still walking.

And it wasn´t a pleasant walk either. It was along a road with no sidewalks, only dirt trails. I didn´t pass many people, but I did notice that I was the only woman walking alone ... and one of the few women I saw at all. Sketchhhhy. I also walked past several huge construction zones, which meant that there were no houses or any chance really that anyone would see if I were nabbed. I was getting ever more nervous and also worried about being late for the first lesson.

Yet I kept walking.

And walking.

And walking.

I asked directions a few times, always being told that the place I sought was "just a little bit farther". (I should have remembered that Chileans use dimunitives gratuitously.) Finally, when I thought I was almost there but, to be honest, wasn´t at all sure, my host mom called to ask where I was. It turned out that my student had called the house wondering about me. My mom started to worry because she knows I´m very responsible -- and that I had left really early. While we were talking, my student arrived at MY house to pick me up.

You´ve got to be kidding me.

Between his so-so English and my so-so Spanish, he had thought he was picking me up at MY house and I had thought I was meeting him at HIS house. Oy vey. He asked me where I was and told me to wait for him there. He sure wasn´t going to get any arguments from me!! I sat down and started to cry from relief and exhaustion. I sent a text message to my boyfriend-type guy that said the night wasn´t going as planned and that I was crying by the side of the road. Well, he read that and thought that something had gone wrong between me and the student and that the student had subsequently abandoned me by the side of the road somewhere. Double oy vey.

But 10 minutes later, the car pulled up and I happily climbed in. I was whisked away to his VERY NICE house, where I met his wife, two young daughers, and housekeeper (whom we drove to the metro stop). Then, after chatting with my student for a while, we all met up in the dining room where we proceeded to feast on chicken in mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes, salad with avacado, tomatoes, cheese, bread ... and then dessert made from dried apricots. Wow! Lovin´ the housekeeper!!

Then my student drove me home and gave me $60 when, after all that had happened, I felt like I should be paying him. What a night.