Snow, Cat, Fried Dough, and Imperalist Good?

Hello friends once evolved from really cute monkeys,

I have some buenas noticias (good news-es) for you: (oh yes and they all involve language so for those really into interesting things (or actual updates) precede no further)

1. I promise to stop (or at least enact a use reduction of) the snow idioms. I received the best email today in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS about what a joy it is to own the keys to a car in snow emergent in MN. As the Cocha sun simueltaneously heated itself to full force, I realized that for you people Stateside, snow is no euphemism. My friends, be well in your snow climates, and remain in hibernation when necessary. As for my environment of snow-like political unrest, I promise to commit to the same. Except for snow days…when I encourage all of us to enter the streets for popsicles and futbol games. Ya.

2. Last night I operated on a cat. That´s right. My sister turned to me seriously with the phrase “Raquelita, ahora vas a aprender. Eso es como nos operaremos un gato.” One of my favorite things about living in a new country and speaking a new language (or rather returning to a country half known), is learning the words of paths well plotted (ie. Everything involved in daily expression that one would have to experience first hand to begin to understand). This is rather ironic, for as my mother Lucy well knows, I´m always been terrible with N.American expressions. I guess it´s because I understand them too well and my mind changes things like ´blush on a rose´ and ´till the cows come home´ to non-traditioanl phrasing that better fits my unique creative craziness Anyways back to cat surgery. My sis is in her fourth year of architecture school. This means that she is constantly constructing cool models and plotting these models by paper. Last night was a marathon moment for a project due this morn. Although I´m not sure how much help I was, I was able to scrub in and help complete some minor blue-print details.Friends, the cat surgery was a success.

3. This morning I learned the world, made up of people we like and some we don´t, is akin to a donut shaped piece of fried bread. My mama and I were discussing someone we really didn´t like (que no nos caye muy bien). She preceeded to share with me how Cochabambinos explain such people. The expression goes: “El mundo es un panuelo.” I guess no matter where u are, the donut shaped pieces of bread will be readily available. This is a good one, because I don´t understand it all. But thinking of people I don´t like sort of like pastries… may lead to very brillaint writings.

4. My BEST note of the day. I didn´t think i´d ever say it, but THANK gawwdd that the black water of imperialism (COCA COLA) is here to save me. I´m not sure if this one is a bolivian expression or pure brilliance of my cocha mother but she said it best “El agua negro de imperialimso me ha salvado.” Last time I was here silly amoeba (which now I can say were prob donut shaped) nutjobs inside made me a semi-sick kid. Last time I was told by doctor friend of the family to a) stop drinking water in the shower and b) drink Coca Cola. This is all to say that again my belly in the past few days has been unleashing a new onset of minor attacks. Fear not, I have decided counter attack time it is. My steady diet of nothing but weird cornstarch and cinnamon concoction and water crackers was not working and tiring to me at best. Today I decided to say a strong BASTA (enough!) to the tummy. Want to know my magic? A saltena famous to Cocha gastronomy (really yummy dough stuffed with chicken, vegetables and juice spices of both) washed down by the one an only, Bolvian Coca Cola. Silly imperialist tactics…how can you say no, when it´s the only thing that keeps stomach harrasement (of a WHOLE country) at bay?

5. Andd…no real updates to share. I´m good. I´m exited for Santa Cruz. I´m happy about joining the blog world and super word happy as a result.