We had a teacher from Spain during one of our fitful attempts to learn Spanish. We remember two things from that class: the woeful ineptitude of the high school students taking the class in order to graduate (good luck), and the teacher's constant pooh-poohing of Spanglish and Mexicanismos.

I'm sure it's different in the Old World, but on the West Coast I have yet to hear someone actually use almuerzo to indicate a meal taken. But lunche? All the time!

Which I find makes total sense. If you're not eating dinner (the big meal of the day, taken mid-day, just like comida), you're eating lunche.

Can you imagine our excitement on learning of a Oaxacan restaurant in San Francisco, just down the street from my brother-in-law's house?

How about now, if I say that we have no plans to go back to that restaurant anytime soon?

Yeah, I know. Breaks my heart!