...this got published in the local paper, Atencíon..

TWO TRAVELLERS IN A BAR…

TRAVELLER 1 - - Buenas tardes.
TRAVELLER 2 - - Buenas tardes.
T1 - - ¿Cómo esta?
T2 - - Muy bien. ¿Y usted?
T1 - - Yo tambien.
[Awkard silence]
T2 - - Ummm.
T1 - - Err.
T2 - - ¿De dónde eres?
T1 - - ¿Qué?
T2 - - Where are you from?
T1 - - Oh, Australia. ¿Y usted?
T2 - - California.
T1 - - Are you living here in San Miguel?
T2 - - No, I’m returning home from Oaxaca, where I spent seven weeks in a remote Indian village studying the Zapotec language and learning how to carve stone tools.
T1 - - Fascinating.
T2 - - Yes, it was. In return I tried to teach them to read. Those people are so oppressed, and reading will give them the freedom to rise up against the system.
T1 - - Is that so?
T2 - - I believe so.
T1 - - Seven weeks doesn’t seem to be a lot of time to learn to read. Or to learn a language, for that matter.
T2 - - I don’t think you’re hearing me. When I’m trying to explain something that’s important to me and I get discrediting responses like that I feel so, so…
T1 - - ?
T2 - - …so unheard.
T1 - - Well, it’s just that…
T2 - - You see, it’s one thing to sit here and talk about saving the world…
T1 - - ?
T2 - - …but some of us are actually out there doing it.
T1 - - Yes, I appreciate that, it’s only…
T2 - - See! There you go again, interrupting me and not letting me get to my point.
T1 - - And that is?
T2 - - In America we use 80% of the world’s resources. Do you think that’s fair?
T1 - - Well, no. Only…
T2 - - Of course it’s not. And that’s what I’m talking about.
T1 - - Look, I’m really glad that you’re doing what you believe in. I just came here to have a relaxing beer, so do you think we could talk about something lighter?
T2 - - Like what?
T1 - - I don’t know. Got any jokes?
T2 - - I don’t really like jokes. I prefer spontaneity.
T1 - - Of course.
T2 - - But you like jokes, so tell me one.
T1 - - Okay. This white horse walks into the White Horse Tavern and the bartender says, “This place was named after you.” And the horse says, “What, Trevor?”
T2 - - That’s not funny.
T1 - - Yes it is. It’s so stupid it’s funny.
T2 - - No, I don’t find that funny.
T1 - - What do you find funny?
T2 - - While this world is so messed up, I don’t find much to be very funny.
T1 - - [Mumbles] Maybe that’s why the world is so messed up.
T2 - - What was that?
T1 - - Nothing. I just find it helps to laugh at and with the world. It makes it easier to take.
T2 - - And that’s the problem: everybody’s laughing and nobody’s doing anything about it.
T1 - - If everybody’s laughing, what’s the problem?
T2 - - The problem is that what they’re laughing at isn’t funny.
T1 - - In your opinion.
T2 - - In my opinion.
T1 - - There is a school of thought that suggests that if everyone was focused on their own happiness, there would be no more fighting in the world.
T2 - - That’s all very well if you drive a SUV and shop at Macy’s. But it’s impossible to be happy if you’re starving.
T1 - - Is that true?
T2 - - Of course it is.
T1 - - Have you ever been starving?
T2 - - Of course not.
T1 - - So how do you know that it’s impossible to be happy if you’re starving?
T2 - - It’s obvious.
T1 - - Is it?
T2 - - Of course it is.
T1 - - Fair enough. Maybe if we were all happy with our full stomachs and SUVs, we would want to share our happiness with those who don’t have it.
T2 - - How?
T1 - - I don’t know, by buying them food and SUVs?
T2 - - They don’t need SUVs, they only need food.
T1 - - How can you know that?
T2 - - Because the world doesn’t need SUVs – they’re killing the planet.
T1 - - Maybe they need one to pick up the food.
T2 - - You’re impossible.