Que lo pase bien is a phrase that, loosely translated, means, “Have a nice day.” I was having one of those nice days when I came out of Super Ley with a load of groceries and discovered a young man squatting in front of my car.
CAP’N GREG: Hola, amigo. ¿Como se llama usted?
CARLOS: My name is Carlos.
CAP’N GREG: OK, Carlos. What are you doing?
CARLOS: Make headlights almost new.
CAP’N GREG: So, you are doing that with steel wool?
CARLOS: Yes, that is first step.
CAP’N GREG: It looks like you have scratched the plastic covers so badly that now more light can escape from a black hole than from my headlights. Is this true?
CARLOS: Say again, please?
CAP’N GREG: Fix them. Fast.
CARLOS: Oh, yes, for $20 each, I fix them good.
CAP’N GREG: I will get my ball bat out of the car and fix your nose good. It will cost nothing.
CARLOS: Maybe for $15 then, $15 each, I will make your lights like new.
CAP’N GREG: What we have here is failure to communicate.
CARLOS: I do not know those words.
CAP’N GREG: I have other words I’m sure you’d understand.
CARLOS: You see me. I do good job. I clean plastic, spray on special liquid. This is very expensive high tech in United States. How much you pay?
CAP’N GREG: Carlos, the way your mind works, you could be an investment banker on Wall Street. But since it looks like I will not win this particular street fight, I will give you $20 for both.
CARLOS: Oh, that is not possible.
CAP’N GREG: Carlos, for $20 it is possible you will not have to visit the hospital.
(10 MINUTES LATER)
CAP’N GREG: Not bad, Carlos. There’s only about a quart of overspray that will probably melt the paint off my fenders, but I can see my headlight bulbs again.
CARLOS: Muchas gracias, señor. You tell your friends about me?
CAP’N GREG: Every detail, Carlos. ¡Que lo pase bien!
