sarcasm

sarcasm has been pretty difficult for me lately which is a big change from being at home in vermont where sarcasm is the mother tongue. people that don't know me very well will obviously read me differently than my childhood friends. so on that note, it can be hard in a foreign country even when speaking in english. attempting in spanish is another level entirely. i don't know why i think i'm at a level in spanish that i can convey my sarcasm efficiently. i've had many an experience of failing.
my first crack was at a jazz bar with some asshole whose name i dont remember because i never want to see him again. anyway, the oh-so-original conversation about how americans speak spanish began and this guy said that americans usually elongate their vowels like ooooos and aaaaas and iiiiis. sure, make that generalization. i dont know if im granting myself higher honors but i'd like to think that practicing spanish for 4 years i should be past the basics of vowel pronunciation. professors have been stressing that since day 1. so this guy's all how we make words longer than they are blah blah blah, and i say, what? like hooooolaaaa?--making it like a five second hello with a smile. he says yeah, like that!! and points. and i say, what? why was that wrong?
-its hola.
-hooooolaa?? coooomoooo???
-jajaja...no no.. shorter!
it became a lesson. im not sure what i expected.
i guess its just bothersome because, as we discussed in our travel writing class, as an anti tourist i make a hard effort to not be american. its kind of unnecessary and unreal but i dont want to be labeled; its rather counteractive i suppose.
and my next encounter was at a gallery opening. (i need to write about meeting the artist at a later date.) there was a cast of characters there, including a local older gentlemen a few drinks in with terribly intoxicating breath and a lot to say. we discussed america's politics, his point of view based on two trips to san francisco a couple decades ago, which of course evolved into gun control; hombre said that everyone in america has pistolas and people are dying all over the place because of it compared to nobody carrying metal in barcelona. a little bored by his repetitveness but feeling fortunate to be practicing, we spoke in sport. maggie said that its hard to say that its like that all over the country when america is like 5 times larger than spain and has polar opposite states/regions. he was hearing but not listening, but cordial all the same, so we spiced it up with some sarcasm, something about how all of our friends have guns. he looked at us surprised but almost like "see!?" and we nodded to confirm then laughed. "es sarcastico" and he said that our faces are too straight, too serious when we are sarcastic, how he thinks we are being truthful! (im too tired to continue, edit later)