So, I make it to San Francisco after one scary landing where we couldn't see the airport due to the fog (Phillippe tells me that you approach the airport from the bay so you never really get to see the strip until you touch down) I finally manage to get off the plane after the 589 passengers in front of me.
I was happy as a kid in a candy store, I bought some postcards in the airport to play it safe (some already made it to their destination) and after getting lost in the airport I finally got to the place where you can board the shuttles to the hotels, the Comfort Suites in this case had the honor of hosting the NABO delegates.
I am looking forward to meet my friend Susan so I do not put too much attention to the people around me till the girl behind me says something in spanish, but I keep quiet, heck, I am in California, I have to spect some spanish spoken in my vecinity. But then as we are about to pick up more people the two girls behind me burst in rejoiced surprise and start telling the fella with them that Gloria is there, and I turn aroun to see Gloria and from the moment I see her I know who she is, she is one of the main reasons why I ran like a daredevil through gate B at O'Hare, but I wait till she seats down and talks for a little while with the one fella before I ask one of the girls behind me it the lady in fact is Gloria Totoricaguena, and she says that yes, that is who she is.
I get up and sit closer to her and introduce myself, Gloria Totoricagüena is the "know everything about the Basques in the Diaspora" and I tell her that I am honored to shake her hand, she then procedes to ask me who the hell I am before she calls 911 and the moment I tell her who I am she tells me that I am one of Cathleen's friends (you better get use to those good all Basque surnames) and that she know all about us and that she is glad to be able to finally meet us, then she introduces me to the fella, Martin Goikoetxea and the girls who go by the names of Inazia and Amaia (next time a castillian says that the basque girls are ugly he can kiss my bootie).
I talked to Gloria and Martin all the way from the airport to the hotel and we made arrengements to meet later. I then meet my friend Susan and after leaving my stuff in the room we go over to the Basque Cultural Center that happened to be packed since it was Balendin Eguna (Valentine's Day for you all). There we met a bunch of people while drinking red wine and eating crusty bread and assorted cheeses. Soon the party began and after Francois Bedaurreta introduced himself to me and then introduced me to the rest of the other Basque "elders" at the bar the red wine started flowing quite freely, so I am not sure who called a cab for me but I went to the hotel to get some rest.
Tomorrow, "The NABO meeting".
Don't you dare miss it.
Bakea eta Osasuna!
.... ... .
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