lists

As you might note from some of my blog posts, I really enjoy lists. Sometimes it is just easier to collect your thoughts in a bullet-pointed kind of way...and in other ways, it's just something I do rather compulsively.

I have made lists of all sorts of things since I've been here, like my 'Funny T-shirts in English' list, my 'Cosas Catrachas' (Honduran-isms) list, a list of books I've read, quotes from the books I've read, and a personal favorite, my list of 'Fun times with Allison,' as we have had many random, ridiculous happenings since the beginning of our friendship in September.

So I thought maybe it would be fun to share some favorites from my lists...

Honduranisms
1. Dinamicas- this might have been mentioned in a previous post regarding birthdays, but Hondurans LOVE dinamicas. they are like, little party games or ice breaker type activities that are a requirement for any office gathering here at MCM...and often occur at church gatherings and even family events. They can be quite stressful for the foreigner and often are embarrassing.
2. Que barbaridad- this is a frequently used and very popular saying among Hondurans. It literally translates to mean 'what a barbarity' but communicates a rather large variety of sentiments. In fact, my fellow SALTer, Alison, wrote a whole post on this phrase! It is used when something dramatic happens in life--like your brother won't get off the couch to get you a glass of Coke (que barbaridad)...something costs way more than it should (like a taxi ride for a gringa...que barbaridad)...someone you know got robbed (¡que barbaridad!)...all the way up to very serious offenses in life, like someone betraying your trust or hurting your family (¡¡que barbaridad!!) I learned this phrase very quickly, and use it very often, as it is a good comeback for sarcastic quips, or can communicate genuine sympathy for something crappy in life.

3. Primero Dios- this is the Spanish equivalent of saying "God willing"...literally, it means "First, God." I like this saying, and also enjoy that many people, when asked "como esta" or "how are you?" respond "pues, bien, gracias a Dios" or "well, good, thanks be to God." I like this regular reminder that all is well, thanks to God.
4. Jalon! This word is great because it means "free ride!" So, if you know someone who owns a car, or you see someone you know on a moto, and they happen to be going down the hill...and you happen to be going to a similiar location--you can sometimes get a free ride! Thus avoiding public transport and the extra time it takes to go "abajo" or down the hill.
5. English words in Spanish...I cannot even begin to compile a comprehensive list of all the words I spend hours trying to figure out how to say, only to find out later they are exactly the same as the English word, just with a bit of a Spanish accent...this might not be easy to write, but let's try. Like, the word shorts (you know, short pants?)...you just say "ch-orts" with a firm CH sound. Or maybe you want to buy a Snickers at the corner store (called a pulperia)...you might labor for days trying to figure out how to say candy bar in Spanish ...but really, you just ask for "Esnickers" (kinda sounds like esneakers). Another personal favorite is the front porch. Literally, I spent weeks trying to call it some other fancy word, and they just say "porch." ha. who knew? Oh, one other good one is "cheesecake." We've tried "torta de queso" (literally translated, cake of cheese) or other combinations...but it's just "cheese-caaake" with a bit of a Spanish twang.

Funny T-shirts... (I really love these, and am always on the look out for good ones)
These are English-text T-shirts that I've seen people wearing, and can pretty much confirm they aren't aware of what their shirt says...
1. Melissa Miller for Prom Queen
2. Your Retarded (a little ironic, no? ...and if you don't get the irony, might I recommend a grammar lesson?)
3. Got a Band-Aid? Cuz I scraped my knee when I fell for you
4. (worn by an elementary school teacher) If I were you, I would fall in love with me
5. And my all time favorite, worn by my family's grandmother... "call the vet cuz these puppies are sick!" (with a picture of someone flexing their muscles)
ahhhh....so entertaining.

Books: some good books I've read since I've been here:
1. Interpreter of Maladies & the Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. I really love her writing.
2. About 4 different books by Barbara Kingsolver. She is one of my favorites.
3. Enrique's Journey...really interesting book about illegal immigration from Central America to the US, focusing on one boy from Tegucigalpa in particular. Very interesting and hard to read at points.
4. The Hunger Games series, 2 & 3, thanks to good friends and my sis for sending these my way.
Really, there are many more books I could mention. I'm grateful to have several other North Americans close by with good libraries and a willingness to share :)

I guess there are about 100 other things I could share from my lists, but this is getting kind of long. There are just so many things I don't want to forget about living here...the funny stuff and the general cultural things that are slowly becoming more natural.
I'll keep tracking things, and update you along the way :)