como se dice PISSED.

I got into my first fight en espanol this morning, and I feel pretty good about it! This is a landmark.

So, we got paid today and the students also got their grant checks. Therefore there were like 10000 people waiting in line. There are 3 windows where you can pick up your check, and this morning, the lines were divided depending on some "number" the students have. Line 1:0-328 Line 2: 329-633 ...etc etc whatever. It was jibberish to me. SO, instead of waiting 45 minutes in one of those lines just to be told I had to go to a different line to get MY normal check, i decide to go visit the old man in the ONE "Pago" window (which obviously no one is at) and ask him what the deal is before I commit to any wasting of time in a line.

Before I tell you the story, I should first fill you in on my methods: before I ask anyone for something, I go through in head every possible detail they may want to know. If all goes well, they just give me what I want, or tell me what I need to know. What I DON"T want to happen is to have them ask me something back. Then things start to fall apart. So, I do a little role play in my head to come up with everything they could possible respond back to me, so I'm somewhat prepared. So, in theory, I was expecting this old man to say "line 1" "line 2" "line 3" or "any line", or if I was lucky "hey, let me get it for you since I'm not doing anything else anyway".
That is SO not what happened:


So, I ask him (in spanish): "A little question...which line do I go in to pick up my check if I am faculty?"

He roars back at me: "THIS LINE IS FOR PAYING ONLY"

Me: "Um...yes, I understand that. But I can go to any line to get my check? For faculty? Because there are those numbers above the windows."

Him, waving arms furiously: "HERE IS FOR PAYING, OVER THERE IS FOR CHECKS"

Me: I UNDERSTAND THAT. I AM NOT TRYING TO GET MY CHECK FROM YOU. I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT LINE "OVER THERE" I GO TO. I WAS JUST ASKING A QUESTION BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU LOOKED LIKE A FUNNY AND NICE MAN.

And then I scowled at him and ran away to the other line. I didn't mean to call him funny, but I was frazzeled and divertivo slipped out when I was trying to come up with simpatico. But, I think I won, since i got the last word in and all :) That counts for something.