Those Rebellious Irish. Is This the Real Zorro?

You may be surprised to learn that the Irish have had an important role in the history of Mexico and Latin America.

When I lived in Chile, I learned that their "George Washington," the founding father of their country, was Bernardo O'Higgins.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernardo_O%27Higgins Somehow, you don't think of "O'Higgins" as being someone you'd find in South America.

Similarly, in Mexico, there was the Irish rebel leader William Lamport, after getting in trouble with the English overlords in his native Ireland, escaped to Spain and changed his name to Guillén Lombardo de Guzmán. He was a pirate for while in the early 1600's (a fun diversion). And then, in the 1630's, became a loyal and favored partisan of the Spanish court. He then sailed to New Spain (Mexico) in the 1640's, where he spied for the Spanish Court. Later, he changed sides and became a leader of the early independence movement, supporting the indigenous peoples, slaves,and creoles. His dream was to declare himself King of Mexico.

As you can imagine, that didn't set well with the Spanish authorities. He got himself arrested and hauled before the Inquisition. You can read his story here: http://www.irlandeses.org/dilab_lamportw.htm As one of the earliest advocates for a Mexico independent of Spain (180 years before that came to pass), today, his marble statue has a place of honor at the Independence Column in Mexico City. And many think he is the role model for the fictional ZORRO stories, given his larger-than-life exploits. http://familylambert.net/History/bios/william.html

The Difference Between Mexicans and Americans

I found this in reading a special edition of Processo Magazine entitled, "Bi-Centenario, Que Celebramos?" (The Bicentennial, What are We Celebrating?) issue No. 1 from April 2009. In the publication, writer Fabrizio Mejia Madrid writes:

....(The image of Pancho)Villa is all that separates us from the gringos: the sentimental and the complex, the evasiveness, (our)taste for the ambiguous, the constant certainty of that which we hope for, the lie, defeat and death which are the same. Different from The American Dream....The Mexican Dream is a dream that ends when the movie credits say "THE END." When the Lottery numbers have been announced and you've crumbled up your ticket with a sigh.

I'm Not Old, I'm Ancient

I've learned that using the term "viejo" (old) to describe someone is rude. Back in the States, it isn't so. Old is old.

But more polite here is the term, "anciano," which sounds all the hell like "ancient." However, its correct translation is "elderly."

If one wanted to say "ancient," it would be "antiguo," which also translates: "antique." Personally, I think I'd rather be considered an antique. At least people pay good money to collect those.

What I Discovered on the Way to Buy Earplugs

As I've written before, Mexico is a noisy country. Much noisier than most Americans are used to. Especially OLD Americans. I've noticed that as I get older, the more sensitive I am to sound.

So the other day I went in search of earplugs. I recommend to any of you traveling to Mexico, definitely bring earplugs. Even if you'll be staying in the best of hotels, you're going to need earplugs.

Thinking of Walgreen's back home, I went to the local drugstore. Nope, no earplugs. And to another pharmacy. Not their, either. After visits to about 4 drugstores, one kind clerk took pity on me and told me that earplugs are not sold in drugstores. You have to go to the medical equipment store. Ummm, that makes sense....sort of. I suppose Mexicans are accustomed to their noisy environment and, thus, don't buy these things.

So off I went to the medical equipment store. While waiting in line (you wait in lines for everything here), I noticed two items for sale. One, an eye chart like you'd find in your optometrist's office. Except this one didn't have the usual tiny letters E,F,P,T,O,Z, etc. Instead, this one had only symbols. Why? A lot of Mexicans don't read, or don't know the alphabet. Plus, speakers of indigenous languages, they use a different alphabet entirely.

Another weird thing, one which I've seen in the Yucatan, as well: nose straighteners. These are little plastic springy devices the indigenous people can place inside their nostrils in order to straighten them and given them a more "beautiful" European profile. Isn't hatred of one's own self-image sad?

Electric Bill

For all of you up north paying HEFTY winter heating bills......sorry!

I just got our hand-delivered electric bill. The bill for TWO MONTHS (for two people during the last three weeks)is....drum roll, please....69 pesos. At today's exchange rate, that's $5.30 U.S. Read it again. $5.30 for two months. I can get used to this.

Victoria's Secreto

Thinking of other linguistic oddities, I came across a new favorite word while reading a Mexican magazine: "zozobra." It translates as "uneasiness, anxiety."

But having the twisted mind that I do, I imagined it to be some new type of Mexican lace-up bustier/lingerie thing. Just think of the marketing possibilities: "Naughty Tropical Señoritas, Wearing This Year's Sexiest, the Zo-zo BRA."

What's in a Name

I'm continually amused by Mexican names. For example, the street behind my apartment is named "Santos Degollado" which translates literally as: "Saints with Their Throats Cut." The street is actually named for a Mexican general (as are many... we ARE fond of blood-and-guts military leaders in Mexico), Gen. Jose Santos Degollado. Here's a link to his biography on Wikipedia: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Santos_Degollado

But can't you imagine the conversation?: "Hey, Tony, where are you living these days?" "Oh, I've got a new place over on Saints With Their Throats Cut Street. I like the neighborhood."

This is diametrically opposed to the naming conventions for streets back in Phoenix, where the city fathers tended to the cutesy. As I recall, we had "Cheery Lynn," "Linger Lane," "Shangri La Road," "Here to There Drive."

And my other favorite Oaxaca street name is, of course--Jacobo Dalevuelta Street. Which translates as: "Jake, Turn Around" or "Jake, Turn the Corner" street.

There is a kindergarten named Elizabeth Vargas Sibaja School. "Sibaja" translates literally: Indeed Short. Well, I suppose if you're talking about kids, "indeed short" makes sense.