10.20.2009

the maintenance man

The maintenance man at my school, Gheorgitza, speaks english to me. I speak english to one of my colleagues, the other english teacher at the school. And other teachers might throw out a "hello" during the course of the day, and a couple of the younger ones who know a little more will start a conversation with me in English which quickly becomes a Romanian conversation.
But Gheorgitza always asks me, "hello, how are you?" and continues the conversation in english. He told me he learned it from watching TV.
he is cool. last year, he would pass me on the way to school saying "hello", riding his dark green german bicycle with a handlebar basket.
This year, he is riding a compact red scooter.
"Gheorgitza," I called to him as he putted by on the scooter, "you have a scooter!? No more bicycle?"
Mirthful Gheorgitza replied, "I have developed. Progress," and flashed me a smile as he continued down the road.

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