(Or at least what way too many Mexican guys might think would be a good gift for their girlfriends on their birthdays...)
The official perfume of the Pumas, the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico's soccer team
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One of the most iconic images of Mexico City - stunning at night
My name means not only mountain range, but also saw/chainsaw and is the name of this lovely fish. Wow.
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Over the past year, I've been collecting sounds of the city with my audio recorder. Last week, I went live with my new blog - Escucha. Happy listening ahead!
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El Ángel
One of the most iconic images of Mexico City - stunning at night
My Fish!
My name means not only mountain range, but also saw/chainsaw and is the name of this lovely fish. Wow.
- Ask a Mexican - Real gabacho questions. Funny? Sad? Offensive? Yeah. That´s the point.
- Stuff White People Like - These are my people. I can´t deny it. Spot on. HILARIOUS.
- My Flickr Photos - Out and about in Mexico
- Inside Mexico - monthly with great articles on Mexico
- Wordreference - the BEST online Spanish-English dictionary
- Smart English Magazine - ¡checalo! ¡Aprende inglés! ¡Diviertete!
Vocabulario esencial (And don't blame me if you get in trouble - * means use with care)
- antro - bar/nightclub
- bar de mala muerte - a dive
- bien muerta - very cold
- cajuama - giant cup of beer
- cañon - major, ridiculous like the traffic today esta cañon
- chafa - shoddy, crappy
- chavo, chava - guy, girl, chick, dude
- chela - drink (alcoholic), like "Let's go for drinks"
- chilango - person from Mexico City
- como un burro en la primavera - a horndog
- cuate - buddy
- de mala espina - sketchy
- de mala pinta - sleazy
- De tin marin de do pingüe, cucara, macara, titere fue. Yo no fui, fue te te, pegale pegale que ella fue. - Eeny meeny miney moe, catch a tiger by the toe, if he hollers, let him go, eeny meeny miny moe
- echarle el ojo - to check someone out
- echarle los perros - subtly hitting on a person you like, over time
- guey - (WAY) dude
- huateque - party
- huevon - lazy ass
- la neta - the best, the ultimate
- mota- pot, weed
- pacheco - stoner
- rompecorazones - heartbreaker
- Tenemos que comer un pollito - we need to have a talk
- tirarle la onda - hit on someone
- tocayo - someone who has your name
- vamos a chupar* - let's go drinking (chupar means to suck)
- Vete a la verga* - go to hell
- Votate - f-off
- ¿Que transa? - what's happening?
- ¿Te late? - You like that? Sound good?
Palabras que me gustan (más que nada por como suenan o solo porque existen)
- aguacate - avocado
- bufanda - scarf
- castaño - chestnut
- chatear - to chat online
- cherimoya - custard fruit
- chinos - curls
- Chupezon – hickey
- Claxon – car horn
- el internet - pronununciation Eeen-tehr-net
- Favorsote – huge favor
- fisioterapeutica - physical therapist (If not for my mother, I would never attempt to say this word)
- Galan – literally handsome man, also gentleman friend or boyfriend/lover boy?
- Glorieta – traffic roundabout
- googlear - to google
- Guajalote – turkey
- Hijole - ? gosh?
- Hipsterista – hipster
- La musica ponchis ponchis – bumping music
- Manifestacion – protest (This one requires an explanation. The second time I came to Mexico City, I was driving with my sister’s driver several times and there was a ton of traffic and he said, “Hay una manifestacion,” which I translated in my mind as “There’s a manifestation.” I thought this was just maybe some resigned Catholic go-with-the-flow thing like, “Well there’s traffic, we don’t know why. It’s just a manifestation.” That, or someone had actually seen a flickering image of the Virgen down on Reforma…Even having learned the actual meaning of the word – which is used pretty much daily here in Mexico City – I still like it.)
- maracuya - passion fruit
- Marcapasos – pacemaker
- naco - hill billy, hick, redneck
- Orale - ? okay, great, gee whiz?
- pantuflas - slippers
- Parachoques – car bumper
- pinche - damn, effing
- rimbombante - exaggerated, overblown
- tatarabuelo - great, great grandfather
Cartas de Amor
Here are some selections from a book I picked up here called Cartas de Amor, which has example letters for every situation from apologizing after cheating on your girlfriend to courting a recently-widowed woman.
This information is undoubtedly so useful I thought I'd put it here for easy reference.
MARRIAGE PETITION
Dear Sir, Clearly convinced that it is undignified of an honorable man to proceed in secret with a matter so grave, and desiring to avoid later punishment, I must take the liberty of confessing, with complete frankness, the love I feel for your beloved daughter, Miss Dolores. I trust that my family’s honor and our esteemed social position will completely satisfy your exacting demands and I may realize the sweetest of my hopes. I have reason to believe that your kind daughter is not entirely indifferent to my affections, but I have not judged it wise to declare my love to her without first having obtained your consent. I await your response, deeply hoping that it will be favorable –
Your name here
DECLARACIÓN DE UN JOVEN QUE AMA POR PRIMERA VEZ
DECLARATION OF A YOUNG MAN IN LOVE FOR THE FIRST TIME
Yes, kind woman;
I love you, and I can’t remain silent any longer. I’ve fought with all my willpower to erase from my heart this passion that already dominates it, or, at the least, to hide it, but I’ve had to convince myself that all my effort will undoubtedly be in vain. This passion was born from a soul that already exists only for you. That is precisely why I wish for you to be queen of this heart and this soul.
CARTA DE RECRIMINACIONES
LETTER OF REPROACH
It seems you want to take a step back, deny your oaths and that you’ve secretly condemned your true feelings. This is too much cruelty. Now you don’t miss any opportunity to avoid me, putting me ill at ease and offending me when you can. For a while, you have made fun of all my actions, if I pass below your window, you look at me with an ironic and scornful air. …If I were less in love, I wouldn’t be so susceptible…I have endlessly suffered your imperiousness, it’s true, but it seems to me too generous to add even more weight to the chains that I have voluntarily chosen. As I don’t want you to put me on the list of disgruntled lovers, I will end this letter; a bit bitter, I confess, with new certainty. But afterwards, Might I see new sparks of feeling shining through the false mask of scorn? Lower yourself to send a smile my way and I will fall at your feet to surrender to you my apologies.
I’m yours.
This information is undoubtedly so useful I thought I'd put it here for easy reference.
MARRIAGE PETITION
Dear Sir, Clearly convinced that it is undignified of an honorable man to proceed in secret with a matter so grave, and desiring to avoid later punishment, I must take the liberty of confessing, with complete frankness, the love I feel for your beloved daughter, Miss Dolores. I trust that my family’s honor and our esteemed social position will completely satisfy your exacting demands and I may realize the sweetest of my hopes. I have reason to believe that your kind daughter is not entirely indifferent to my affections, but I have not judged it wise to declare my love to her without first having obtained your consent. I await your response, deeply hoping that it will be favorable –
Your name here
DECLARACIÓN DE UN JOVEN QUE AMA POR PRIMERA VEZ
DECLARATION OF A YOUNG MAN IN LOVE FOR THE FIRST TIME
Yes, kind woman;
I love you, and I can’t remain silent any longer. I’ve fought with all my willpower to erase from my heart this passion that already dominates it, or, at the least, to hide it, but I’ve had to convince myself that all my effort will undoubtedly be in vain. This passion was born from a soul that already exists only for you. That is precisely why I wish for you to be queen of this heart and this soul.
CARTA DE RECRIMINACIONES
LETTER OF REPROACH
It seems you want to take a step back, deny your oaths and that you’ve secretly condemned your true feelings. This is too much cruelty. Now you don’t miss any opportunity to avoid me, putting me ill at ease and offending me when you can. For a while, you have made fun of all my actions, if I pass below your window, you look at me with an ironic and scornful air. …If I were less in love, I wouldn’t be so susceptible…I have endlessly suffered your imperiousness, it’s true, but it seems to me too generous to add even more weight to the chains that I have voluntarily chosen. As I don’t want you to put me on the list of disgruntled lovers, I will end this letter; a bit bitter, I confess, with new certainty. But afterwards, Might I see new sparks of feeling shining through the false mask of scorn? Lower yourself to send a smile my way and I will fall at your feet to surrender to you my apologies.
I’m yours.
The Mega-Mexican Hit List - Todo que me falta hacer
Okay, I'm starting to do stuff off the list!
Oaxaca
Museo de Dolores Olmeda
Museo/Casa de Luis Barragán
Desierto de los Leones
Menudo
Tortas ahogadas
Carnes en su jugo
More mezcal
Oaxaca
Museo de Dolores Olmeda
Museo/Casa de Luis Barragán
Desierto de los Leones
Menudo
Tortas ahogadas
Carnes en su jugo
More mezcal
Guanajuato
Jumex Collection (what a bizarre place!)
To go
Iztapan de la Sal
Museum in Tepotzotlan
Weird garden place by Xilitla
Camping in Chico
Museo del Zapato
Wine country of Baja
UNAM
Museo Soumaya
Basílica de la Virgen de Guadalupe (hace 5 años que no voy, ojalá que la Virgen me perdone)
To do
Plaza del danzón (sábado)
Subir Nevado de Toluca y Iztaccihuatl
Limpia en el Zócalo
Pastorela en Tepotzotlán
Xochimilco at night
Go to las luchas
Go to el toreo
Temascal
Go to cemetery for Día de los Muertos
To read
El Laberinto de la Soledad
Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España
To watch
Amar te duele
La Ley de Héroes
Los Olvidados
Un mundo maravilloso
El Violín
Cero y van cuatro
Un mundo raro
La perfume de violetas
Películas de Cantinflas y Pedro Infante
Chocolate
To go
Iztapan de la Sal
Museum in Tepotzotlan
Weird garden place by Xilitla
Camping in Chico
Museo del Zapato
Wine country of Baja
UNAM
Museo Soumaya
Basílica de la Virgen de Guadalupe (hace 5 años que no voy, ojalá que la Virgen me perdone)
To do
Plaza del danzón (sábado)
Subir Nevado de Toluca y Iztaccihuatl
Limpia en el Zócalo
Pastorela en Tepotzotlán
Xochimilco at night
Go to las luchas
Go to el toreo
Temascal
Go to cemetery for Día de los Muertos
To read
El Laberinto de la Soledad
Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España
To watch
Amar te duele
La Ley de Héroes
Los Olvidados
Un mundo maravilloso
El Violín
Cero y van cuatro
Un mundo raro
La perfume de violetas
Películas de Cantinflas y Pedro Infante
Chocolate
Parpados Azules
El Laberinto del Fauno
To learn
What all those herbs in the market are and what they´re for
To cook pozole, enchiladas, sopa de fideo, huachinango a la veracruzana, mole (Oaxaca y verde), ensalada de nopal
Nahuatl (some)
To sing 10 songs in Spanish (pop, rock, trio – just to have my bases covered)
To get albures. Well, at least 1 out of 10 maybe.
To eat and drink
Tripa and requesón (supposedly what I tried before wasn´t the best of what Mexico has to offer so I have to buck up and try them AGAIN)
Escamoles
Colorin
Flor de maguey
Already eaten and highly enjoyed – I will be eating as much as possible in fact.
Pozole
Enchiladas
Huitlacoche
Flor de calabaza
Agua de todos sabores (hasta pepino)
Tacos
Flan
Pastel de Tres Leches
Buñuelos
Atole
Chapurrado
Birria
Mole
Gorditas
Tortas
Quesadillas
Tlalcoyos
Chicharrón
Sangrita (con tequila, claro!)
Sopa de lima
Sopa de Tortilla
Sopa de Flor de Calabaza
Guacamole
Pulque (maybe I wouldn´t say highly enjoyed this one)
Churros
Machaca
Chilaquiles
To learn
What all those herbs in the market are and what they´re for
To cook pozole, enchiladas, sopa de fideo, huachinango a la veracruzana, mole (Oaxaca y verde), ensalada de nopal
Nahuatl (some)
To sing 10 songs in Spanish (pop, rock, trio – just to have my bases covered)
To get albures. Well, at least 1 out of 10 maybe.
To eat and drink
Tripa and requesón (supposedly what I tried before wasn´t the best of what Mexico has to offer so I have to buck up and try them AGAIN)
Escamoles
Colorin
Flor de maguey
Already eaten and highly enjoyed – I will be eating as much as possible in fact.
Pozole
Enchiladas
Huitlacoche
Flor de calabaza
Agua de todos sabores (hasta pepino)
Tacos
Flan
Pastel de Tres Leches
Buñuelos
Atole
Chapurrado
Birria
Mole
Gorditas
Tortas
Quesadillas
Tlalcoyos
Chicharrón
Sangrita (con tequila, claro!)
Sopa de lima
Sopa de Tortilla
Sopa de Flor de Calabaza
Guacamole
Pulque (maybe I wouldn´t say highly enjoyed this one)
Churros
Machaca
Chilaquiles
Enrique - too sexy for the library or the perfect weapon in the campaign for literacy?
And the answer is...
...that piercing whistle is the Banana Man. He has a small cart with a wood-burning stove with metal drawers above it. The heat cooks the bananas and sweet potatoes he puts in the drawer, then he serves them up with condensed milk. Mmmmm....
Baked banana with condensed milk
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| From La vida chilanga |
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