Sunday is for Sisters

Today and last Sunday, Dodyn and I went to Mass at the Cathedral here. It's an enormous church and quite lovely. It's enormity, however, means that things echo. It's impressive with the choir and/or the organ but makes listening to the homily difficult. Today is the feast of San Cecilio the first bishop of Granada, apparently he was a martyr. I'll have to look him up, since I confess that I was distracted by the little girls in front of us during part of the homily. They were pretty cute, the younger one was being pretty funny. She got to sit on her Mom's lap and had no scruples in rubbing it in to her sister by smiling smugly and waving from her prestigious position while snuggling in better on her mom's lap. The older sister took it pretty well though. The choir. There is one, which is really nice and it would be amazing...if it were a men's choir only. Not to be mean or anything, but man! There is one lady who has the shrillest voice I've ever heard! And she believes in singing loudly, thereby drowning out all the other women who for all I know might be good. The guys are great though, really great. Umm, excuse me, seems that it’s lunch time.

After lunch… So, my Señora has a sister who is pretty hilarious. She came over for lunch last Sunday and again today. I think her name is Gloria, but it could be “mujer” or “hermana” for all I know. We played Parcheesi again today (we played last week too) and I lost again. Last Sunday we played three games and I lost all three. Today we played two games and I got slaughtered both times. Tengo la mala suerte. I don’t think I’ll ever win. However, losing is fine with me because it’s more fun to watch the rivalry between the two sisters than it is to be involved in the rivalry myself. I’m content sitting back to watch them…I certainly wouldn’t want to be caught in the middle! Suffice it to say, they are serious about their Parcheesi playing. This is how it goes (translated into English, of course):

The die is rolled, my Señora moves forward four spaces

“Woman! What are you doing? You rolled a three!”

“No, no sister you fool, I rolled a four!”

“Well, let’s see, eh? Let’s just see…You were here (pointing) and moved here…ah, you’re right, never mind”

The sister goes, and rolls a six which means she can roll again. However, my Señora is premature and rolls before her sister goes again

“Aye! What are you doing? Wait, wait stupid! I rolled a six! You’re always going when it’s my turn.”

“Aye, aye, aye, it’s all the same to me, doesn’t matter when”

“Wait, wait, wait and I’ll roll the five that makes me the winner and you the loser”

Sure enough, rolls a five sending my Señora’s piece home”

“Shit, you have all the luck, woman! Put that cigarette down, you’re going to kill yourself”

“Well, if this is the way I go then so be it, it makes no difference to me how I go but I want my cigarette”

And so on. When something good happens for one (which usually means something bad for the other) they do a little victory dance or fall back on the couch laughing pumping their fists in the air. I thought that we were serious about our Parcheesi, but this beats all. Although, I suppose Sean can give them a run for their money in trash talk. That has been my Sunday. How’s yours?