No Pasa Nada

mi escuela

"No pasa nada." Literally, this phrase means "nothing happens," but for Spaniards, it captures a greater spectrum of sentiment: "no big deal"; "don't worry about it"; "doesn't matter to me"; "no problem."

Today I met with my school director and English coordinator to discuss the schedule for the upcoming year. When I visited the school last week, they informed me that the school has another auxiliar, whom I met today - a sweet undergrad from Australia named Georgia. Though she was introduced as my counterpart, my initial instinct was to look at her as an adversary, particularly around the table for discussing schedules. With one auxiliar, there's one schedule, so therefore no question, choice or recourse. But with two, pleadings, options and preferred opportunities are nearly certain. Someone is bound to get the "unpreferred" schedule.

Based on my research in the program, auxiliares generally have Fridays off, but some have Mondays off. Still others suffer the lamest fate of all - Wednesdays off. Sure, a day off is a day off, but a Wednesday off just chops up the week into funky little nuggets, and it certainly doesn't support extended weekend jaunts. Well waddaya know...the options before Georgia and me were Fridays off or...wait for it (I'm sure you know what's coming anyway)...wait for it...WEDNESDAYS off. Blerg.

blerg.

While my director discussed punctuality, sick days and school procedures in perfectly slowed-down Spanish, I distractedly stared at the paper showing the two schedules. On one side, carefree, laughter-filled Fridays in Greece, Morocco, Italy; breezy three-day weekends jet-setting across the continent. On the other side, rainy, hungover Wednesdays; humpday with no saucy benefit; a cruel weekend tease; a worthless day wasted in the middle of the week. Wednesday, ugh. Miércoles. It's even a weird word in Spanish.

We discussed flipping a coin for cara o cruz (Spains's heads or tails) and my Aussie counterpart immediately volunteered to flip the coin. I protested as much as I could in broken Spanish and hand gestures - that removes 50% of probability if someone gets to volunteer in one of the two steps. No, ma'am. So they decided to have us draw numbers from a hat, which was really an outstretched palm with crumpled paper towel bits: 1 for the Friday schedule; 2 for the Wednesday schedule. As soon as they hit the table, Georgia's little hand reached out for the crumple furthest from me. I have beef with this. Internal beef. Anyone who's eaten Chinese food with me knoooooows that I always take the fortune cookie furthest away! Always.  Nonetheless, I held onto my resolve for good karma, opened my paper and read: "2." WEDNESDAY.

¿Cómo se dice "blerg" en español?

Knowing that the time for pleading for a better schedule had come to a complete close, I took a breath and decided to be ok with this arrangement. There's a reason why I got this schedule; maybe I'll like it better; maybe I'll have a better experience at the school with my coworkers. But we all know that LaLa's poker face is nonexistent. My director patted me on the arm and reminded me (for the second time) that when Friday holidays come around, I have the potential for 5-day weekends if I ask the school to rearrange my classes a bit. So there's that. I smiled and insisted that I understand and it's fine - "está bien."

I think there's something to be said for accepting disappointment with a gracious attitude. Despite my brute facial honesty, I really do feel at peace with the schedule. Sure, a guaranteed Friday still sounds better, but what can I do? Then, as we walked out, Georgia let me know that with her schedule at her side gig, she's not sure which school schedule she prefers - she's conflicted, and asked whether I was really OK with the schedule. Ummm...what? I was surprised that she took the "better" schedule despite feeling lukewarm about it, but I supposed I'd be trying to set myself up in the best possible way if I were in her shoes, too. I smiled, told her I'll be fine, gave her my number and let her know she can contact me if she had second or third thoughts. No pasa nada.