Extraño
On Language:
It took me quite a while to figure out what te extraño meant. I was all, huh? 'Cause que extraño means "that's really weird." I know I'm weird, there's no reason to point that out! It turns out te extraño means, "I miss you." What? How in the world am I ever going to learn this thrice blasted language??? Also, tienes sueños does not mean "do you have dreams" it means, "are you sleepy?" Furthermore! There are like three different words for every one verb and absolutely no one ever selects the common one that I know. Why use hablar when you can use platicar and confuse the living bajeezus out of me? /Weeps in frustration!
Ok, I think I'm done with today's language rant. Just had to get that off my chest.
On Mangos:
Is there anything finer and more delicious than a mango going straight from the tree into my mouth (via the sink for a quick rinse...)? Well, yes, but not too many! The mangos here are the yellow kind, rather than the green and pink ones more common to India, Australia, and the grocery store. They are eaten green with salt and vinagar (which I don't care for), and ripe and juicy (which I could frankly live off of). Sooooooooo yum. And they have the added benefit of encouraging me to floss.
On Danger:
So I may have been lulled into a false sense of security thanks to everyone and their dog being super over-protective of me. I never go out alone, anywhere, for any reason. Grrrrr, how irritating! I go out all the time in pairs, usually with just another girl. I even went all around Managua with another American girl. Sure, there are catcalls aplenty (particular when I'm with another chela), but I never felt threatened. I was begining to think everyone was making a big fuss for no reason.
Well, yesterday I walked down to the corner, by myself, to meet a friend. It's maybe twenty yards from the door to the corner, but there is a wall so I can't see the house. There were rather a lot of men on that corner and all of them had their eyes glued on me. Suddenly it occurred to me that I was vastly outnumbered and extremely vulnerable. And it's not like I can run super fast in flip flops. For the first time, I actually felt afraid. Obviously I am fine as my friend showed up 30 seconds later, but I feel I have learnt a bit of caution.
On Laundry:
I distinctly remember being good at things at one point in my life. I also remember being capable of doing my own laundry. In fact, I seem to recall learning how to do this thing at age 8 or so when Mom decided it was time to start making her children useful. Yet somehow, here I am, age 26, surveying my wash and asking in a super pathetic voice, what am I doing wrong?! I killed two of my shirts with bleach despite the fact that I didn't use any bleach on anything. Maybe you don't find that much of a big deal. But I tell you what, not only is the loss of two good shirts a grievous blow to my limited wardrobe, but it also deeply wounded my self esteem. What kind of a woman am I? said my brain, I can't cook, I can't grocery shop, I can't even do laundry!!
Sigh, my armor is a sense of humor. The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune seem less sharp when you're laughing.
It took me quite a while to figure out what te extraño meant. I was all, huh? 'Cause que extraño means "that's really weird." I know I'm weird, there's no reason to point that out! It turns out te extraño means, "I miss you." What? How in the world am I ever going to learn this thrice blasted language??? Also, tienes sueños does not mean "do you have dreams" it means, "are you sleepy?" Furthermore! There are like three different words for every one verb and absolutely no one ever selects the common one that I know. Why use hablar when you can use platicar and confuse the living bajeezus out of me? /Weeps in frustration!
Ok, I think I'm done with today's language rant. Just had to get that off my chest.
On Mangos:
Is there anything finer and more delicious than a mango going straight from the tree into my mouth (via the sink for a quick rinse...)? Well, yes, but not too many! The mangos here are the yellow kind, rather than the green and pink ones more common to India, Australia, and the grocery store. They are eaten green with salt and vinagar (which I don't care for), and ripe and juicy (which I could frankly live off of). Sooooooooo yum. And they have the added benefit of encouraging me to floss.
On Danger:
So I may have been lulled into a false sense of security thanks to everyone and their dog being super over-protective of me. I never go out alone, anywhere, for any reason. Grrrrr, how irritating! I go out all the time in pairs, usually with just another girl. I even went all around Managua with another American girl. Sure, there are catcalls aplenty (particular when I'm with another chela), but I never felt threatened. I was begining to think everyone was making a big fuss for no reason.
Well, yesterday I walked down to the corner, by myself, to meet a friend. It's maybe twenty yards from the door to the corner, but there is a wall so I can't see the house. There were rather a lot of men on that corner and all of them had their eyes glued on me. Suddenly it occurred to me that I was vastly outnumbered and extremely vulnerable. And it's not like I can run super fast in flip flops. For the first time, I actually felt afraid. Obviously I am fine as my friend showed up 30 seconds later, but I feel I have learnt a bit of caution.
On Laundry:
I distinctly remember being good at things at one point in my life. I also remember being capable of doing my own laundry. In fact, I seem to recall learning how to do this thing at age 8 or so when Mom decided it was time to start making her children useful. Yet somehow, here I am, age 26, surveying my wash and asking in a super pathetic voice, what am I doing wrong?! I killed two of my shirts with bleach despite the fact that I didn't use any bleach on anything. Maybe you don't find that much of a big deal. But I tell you what, not only is the loss of two good shirts a grievous blow to my limited wardrobe, but it also deeply wounded my self esteem. What kind of a woman am I? said my brain, I can't cook, I can't grocery shop, I can't even do laundry!!
Sigh, my armor is a sense of humor. The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune seem less sharp when you're laughing.
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3 comments:
I can explain the extranar issue - it means to make strange - like a stranger - so extrano is weird, and te extrano is you are strange to me - as in, I miss you. Does that help? I should have had you study my book of idioms. Idioms are what make language hard. There's a Ricky Martin song where he sings that without you "the blank book of my life" is over. Wha?
The mangoes sound delicious. Please to mail back some pronto.
Glad you're being careful, and you'll get the hang of the laundry. And the dancing. :)
weird danger laundry. i'm glad I found your blog!
mangos in australia are neither pink nor green but in fact ... yellow. sweet and juicy, there are few things i like more !
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