Deep Thought for the Night

I just arrived in Santiago, Chile a couple hours ago to find that the hotel did not have my reservation. Rather than tell them how incompetent they were (which would have forced me to speak in English for maximum impact), I took a deep breath, spoke Spanish and got myself a room in what had minutes before been a "completamente lleno" (full) hotel. Earlier last week in Brazil I witnessed an angry American guest complaining (in English) that she could not understand how the entire hotel did not have a iron and she'd have to pay $4US (8.something Reais) to have her pants pressed. Before checking out today, I watched the same receptionist give an iron to a Brazilian guest. Let me be Reverend Run for a hot second (though it's not easy without laying in a candle-surrounded bubble-filled bathtub). Sure speaking the local language makes a difference. But your body movements, tone (not Loc), volume, and general demeanor can make a bigger statement. There's an international language... and it's called respect. Do you remember how Doogie Howser used to end his shows with a lesson learned/recap? More importantly, how about NPH's comeback? And what's Max Casella been up to lately? (Yes I had to look up his last name, but I knew it was something like that.) I'll try and catch up on a couple Rio days and nights tomorrow.