Sí

I was befriended by one of the locals in Ambuqui who fancied himself as a bit of a rough neck. Although he came up to me I just think he wanted a chat with the girls and was using me as a buffer.
Even a couple of "no hablo español" from my side the guy kept insisting on carrying out a conversation with me. It didn´t matter to him if I replied or not. It is amazing how much a "Sí" could take you in a conversation. I used it in different ways of course, from the simple "Sí" to "Sí?"..."Sí!"...."Sí!!!". I think he was a bit inebreiated, after insisting that I have a couple of "puntas" (the español gasoline) with him I was a bit tipsy too.
I think it was one of the best conversations I have ever had, although I didn´t say much and will incorporate active listening (Thanks Prof.Dobson) in my conversations in my language of preference as well....sí??

Kartik