at least it was funny

I was invited to a Chilean birthday party on Friday night, for Marilyn, an English teacher at my school. It was supposed to start at 9, but due to a, erm, urgent household discussion that didn't involve me, we didn't leave until after 10. It was supposedly "very far," but I forgot that means different things to Chileans and Americans: it was maybe 35 minutes away.

We all needed to stop and get presents, which I figured were just normal house presents for when you go visiting, modified for the hostess's inability to drink or eat chocolate (the usual choices). Ximena and I both got inexpensive perfume.

After midnight it was time to open the presents, and I was a little embarrassed because they were obviously supposed to be birthday presents, not house presents.

Then Marilyn opened the gift from one of the teachers at our school, and it was...inexpensive perfume. Ximena was sort of looking around, and Oscar, who is wonderfully expressive, sunk down a bit behind the collar of his coat. Obviously, we were all hoping she at least wouldn't open all of our presents in sequence.

But no, then Marilyn opened Ximena's perfume, and that was kind of funny.

Then she opened mine as I looked on sheepishly, and luckily, she got lost in spasms of laughter for a few minutes. Doh.