Mystery solved!

One of the joys of living in another country is finding things out the hard way. For example - shoelaces. First of all to know where to find shoelaces, you should first look up the word in a dictionary. But of course you didn't think of that before you left home and now you have to make an idiot of yourself by pointing to shoelaces in a shoe store and asking "What is this?" Then when you have acquired the word (agujetas - pronounced a - goo KHET us), you need to ask them if they sell agujetas. Of course they don't because if they did you would wake up to the alarm clock or you would be back at home and thus not having a riveting, multicultural adventure. In fact after a few weeks, you begin to think that no one in this city of one million people seems to sell agujetas. When you point out that seeing as everyone wears shoes, it seems logical that shoelaces would be sold somewhere the employees in the shoe stores smile sympathetically and wonder how many hours until they get to go home. Eventually you find out that shoelaces are sold in "Centro" (downtown). Now in case you think that means in a shoe store down, you would be sorely mistaken. In fact if you ask for shoelaces in a shoe store downtown, they will look at you as if you have asked for muffin cups or enriched uranium. They will politely point you in the general direction of agujetas and when you continue to not find them, you will begin to suspect that the entire city is in on the conspiracy to prevent the Canadian from purchasing agujetas. The idea that an article appeared in the paper about the extrajero (foreigner) who has spent three weeks looking for agujetas and still hasn't found them starts to seem reasonable after circling a few blocks in centro looking for them. In one store that sold string and related items (except of course, agujetas), I had the impression I was close as the lady told me they were just outside the door of the shop. Although suspecting the grand agujetas conspiracy once again, I tried to look convinced and walked out to see a veritable WALL OF SHOELACES! A street vendor happened to be selling belts and agujetas and I think that the look of joy on my face at so many kinds of the much sought after item probably called to mind pilgrims finally reaching Mecca after a harrowing journey. No doubt he wrote off my eccentric behaviour as that of a typical foreigner. Perhaps one who comes from a country lacking shoelaces, I will never know. Well, the mystery is solved and I must be off as I am now looking for enriched uranium. (enriched with 22 vitamins and minerals)