Well, whaddya know -- I had a good day at school today: lesson planning was a breeze, my adults class this afternoon went well, AND I picked up the new People magazine at the bookstore on the way over. Oh, also stopped in at the roving Friday market for some Los Sombrerudos tacos (rancherita today; I think it was beef). While I was wading through the lunchtime crowd to find a spot on the curb to eat, a little indigena woman spotted me -- how could she not? -- and asked if I wanted to buy some herbs or some ... well, when Manuel saw them at school he said he couldn't remember the name for them. They looked like de-barked polled willows. Oh, it's clear now, huh? They're inch-thick sticks, about 12 to 14 inches long. One end has three, four, five or so 4- or 5-inch branches sprouting out. The nubs make excellent hooks for pots, kitchen utensils, towels, clothes, lots of stuff. The last two places we've stayed in Oaxaca have had one of them hanging in the kitchen with twine going through a hole opposite the nubs. I'll upload a picture soon. So, anyway, I says in my pidgin Spanish, how much? And she says, 20 pesos. Oh, ten pesos. Oh, no, twenty. Hmm. I really want them. How about two for 25? No, one for 20. So I start to walk away (the clincher) and she says, okay, two for 25. When Manuel saw them, he asked me where I got them, and I could see in his eyes that he'd like some, too, so I said, if I see some more should I get you some? Oh, yes, he said, only the indigenas sell them.

As promised, some tidbits from my Spanish class with Gilberto:

chocolas -- high-five
a terricola is an earthling; he told me what Martian is, but I didn't write it down
combi -- a VW bus
chilango -- somebody from Mexico (Mexico City, that is, but everyone down here just says "Mexico")
lepero(a) -- somebody who cusses a lot
super mercado, and mini-super -- big store, regular grocery store
paraguas -- rain umbrella (para aguas, for water). Now, you'd think that a sun umbrella would be a parasol, but it isn't
uno por Oaxaca
suero -- beer with lemon and salt
michelada -- beer with salsa, tomato juice, ketchup, and lemon!
limon -- any sour citrus fruit; lima apparently is something non-citrusy
it's cuanto cuesta, not cuesto; I need to remember that
trasero -- ass
botana -- snack
mochilla -- daypack
platano -- bananas AND plantains
trojar -- to barf
vete a la chingada -- fuck off
¡mocos! -- I never did get a translation for this, but it is bad
Ella le puso con el -- she fucked him (but not, she fucked him over)
Ella le puso los cuernos con otro -- something about fucking someone not your S.O., cuckholding ... try it and see!

This has nothing to do with Oaxaca, but everything to do with family. It's an e-mail from my step-son Jason (he's talking about bowling):

I was smashing lat night at albany!! The league is a lot smaller than
i thought! THere's only about 14 teams, as aposed to before i quit there
was upwards of 20-25 teams. But it makes it more interesting because you
get to play everybody 4 times in the season instead of two. So in warm-ups
i was telling donny, about how long i have been waiting for this and how
long i have been thinking about all the people who were talking shit behind
my back ( most of the old junior bowlers, who are all now adults) so
basicly i was freakin JUICED!! i shot 278-247-243!! Donny was suprized.
But i wasn't. I could feel i was gonna have a big day before i even got
there!! I had no ride, so i walked from my house. I didn't mind, it gave
me time to put on my game face. ha ha! other than that nothings new..
Tonight is my co-workers brothers party so i'm gonna go get my dance on, so
that should be fun. oh, brandon Van Curen said hi ( remember him???) well
i must get back to work, but i love ya and miss ya both!! now that i got
your mailing adress so i will send you guys some picturs and a letter!
-jason-

Way to kick some ass, dude! Makes a step-mother proud.