In Spanish... one word says it all

There is a word in the Spanish vocabulary that has gone a prodigious transformation over the last few decades in Mexico and the south-west part of the US. I  first became aware of the evolution of this word while attending a show of the most recognizable Chicano humorist in the entertainment field. After witnessing the overwhelming hysterical audience response, in the thousands, every time he used the word chingar. I proceeded to investigate the origin and evolution of this iconic word.
I consulted an number of the most popular Spanish-English dictionaries with out much success. I also consulted Spanish dictionaries, including the most prominent El pequeno Larousse. The only definition they had in common was:  drunkard, nosy, disturbing the peace. Is that all there is? why would crowds be so hilarious if that's all there was...
I needed to consult some authorities in the Spanish language. I contacted a number family, friends and acquaintances in Mexico city including  Sr. Angel who has lived in, according to Fuentes; la ciudad mas clara del mundo, all his life. He is well versed in the language of  "la capital, el DF". He is accountant by profession and a small businessman, but most of all he knows the language of the street. My other source Jorge (aka) "El Perico", an educator/administrator and doctoral candidate in Latin/American studies. And most important, he was raised during his teen-age years in the barrios of Tijuana. An excellent background for understanding the voguish evolution of the Spanish language.With their valuable assistance and insight into the language, I felt confident that we could do justice to this word.
The word chingar is used as a verb, an adjective or a noun. It can be used to admire, respect, compliment, praise someone or something. Juxtapose it can disparage, belittle, derogate, scorn, abhor. It fits into the catergory of the lenguaje florido; flowery language.

It means everything and nothing for example, my research took me to visit a swap meet. An enterprising Mexican phenomenon where you can buy everything; real estate, furniture, Mexican food, groceries, medicine, art, antiques and... and according to a sign all kinds of crap, "Se vende chigadera y media". A friend of mine Tony (aka) el general walked over to the stall, picking up a piece of scrap metal asked, "esta chingadera para que sirve?..." answer "Para lo que chingados quieras!" -What is this crap used for? What ever crap you want to use it for! Our other companion Bob (aka) Yucaipa Satyr feeling it was rip-off suggested to Tony, mandalo a la chingada, tell him to go to hell. Tony answered, "nomas lo estaba chingando". I was just braking his balls, I wasn't going to buy that chingadera.

It can also mean failure to achieve something, lapse, set back, deterioration, bankruptcy:
-Estudie mucho pero me chingue con mi examen de ingles - I really studied but I failed my English test.
-Ya se me chingo el negocio - my business failed.
-Poco a poco se esta chingando mi salud - slowly my health is deteriorating.

Used as an adjective it can have both a positive and negative attribute according to the situation. It can be attributed to both male and female by changing the gender of the word:
-Ese es el mas chingon - He is the boss, top dog, alpha male, someone to respect or fear.
-Ese es muy chingon - He is awesome, fabulous, high class, desirable, fancy, high grade, ladies man.
-Hay si, te cres muy chingon - You think you're so hot, bully, show-off, flaunt.
 -Estas todo chingado - you're all beat up, broke, ill kept, washed-up, failing either physically, financially or emotionally.

You can use it is a verb to describe who is doing what to whom and in what circumstances:
-No me estes chingando - stop bothering, aggravating or pestering me.
-Me lo voy a chingar - I'm going to give him an ass-kicking, I'm going to get the best of him
-Ese me quiere chingar - that one wants to kick my ass, make a fool of me.
-Me quiere chingar con mi vieja - Wants to take my woman, steal my girl friend.
-Le voy a poner una buena chinga - I'm going to give him a good ass kicking.

When you find yourself in a real angry situation which may lead to altercation such as  someone cuts you off on the freeway, try easing your mind, anger or both by consciously doing and saying the following:
-Raise your hand, extend you longest digital and say - vete a chingar a tu madre. Go screw your mother.
-Or you may choose to say -  Hijo de la chingada, you son of a whore.
- If you don't want to invoke family, just say - vete mucho a la chingada. Go fuck yourself.
- But right about now I'm sure you are probably saying this guy is full of chingaderas. I would agree with you!

A good time was had by all

It started earlier this year. I first became aware of it when my neighborhood home repair center skipped the usual Thanksgiving decorations and jumped right into displays of faux-Christmas trees, fully assembled, decorated with lights and  pine-scented ornaments. I almost broke down and bought one, but my daughter and wife would have none of it, "We will get the real thing," they asserted. And as if I needed more clues of the season, stealthy department store bags and boxes began appearing neatly stored in the closets. The race was on.
I knew that the season was in full swing when my lovely wife left me a to-do-list: "Bring the ornaments down from the garage, Don't forget the lights". This was followed by, "buy wrapping paper, tape and pretty bags and ribbons. Think of a menu for Christmas day." Great! I pulled out a few food magazines that my chef son, Alex, keeps neatly stored in the garage. With pictures in hand I said, "We should have something traditional like a nice honey rubbed ham and deep fried turkey with all the trimmings".
But when I heard the song,"Navidad, navidad linda navidad..." I immediately knew that we would have a Mexican style Christmas dinner. Was I out-voted on the menu? I asked,  "Si y que,!" the women of my life exclaimed.

Niko's smiling face seems to reflect the warmth of the kitchen in contrast to a cold winter's day.
 A job well done, helping with the tasty mole ...

Bunuelos:a sweet Mexican desert a must for any happy occasion;
a tortilla like wafer deep fried sprinkled with sugar. Excellent with cafecito de olla or chocolate.

Tamales, a delicacy handed down from from our ancestors in old Mexico, 
the ones wrapped in banana tree leaves are from the area of Yucatan. Those wrapped in corn husks
are from the southern part of Mexico prepared for us by Sara and Niko

Mercedes prepared her favorite dish: Menudo blanco a tasteful delicacy in any language,
very popular with the Mexicanos during the colonial period in Mexico. The Mexicanos who cooked in the homes of  the Spaniards noticed that they only used prime cuts of meats for their meals; So... they would take the tripe and other less desirable parts of the animal for their families, mix them with local vegetables, herbs and condiments - the results - some very tasty stew. Now days menudo is well known as a cure for the dreaded hangover or any other affliction including hunger.

Tamales, menudo, mole, bunuelos are not just part of the Mexican cuisine. Each plate is a culinary representation of diverse regions of Mexico. Each region adds to the colorful and tasteful flavors of their Mexican culinary traditions.
For many us living in America, we tend to forget our ethnic traditions; folklore; foods, flavors, music. Fortunately for us, living in California, we always have them nearby.
Once dinner was ready, Mercedes with her magisterial voice issued a direct order, "Let assemble around the Christmas tree and find out who's  been bad or good" Niko whispered in my ear,  "I know I've been good abuelo, I'm getting so much good stuff ".

 Santa arranged the stockings neatly in ascending order, nice guy.

"Look what I got" Diego tells his dad.

Paul and son Chris were so busy consuming a second bowl of menudo.
Chris found it specially delectable so, he went for thirds. Mercedes was
very happy that they liked it so much.

Judging from all the bags around them, our son Manny, his wife Viv, their son Diego
were very good this year.

Our daughter and her son Niko were not only good but also were
responsible for purchasing and setting-up the tree.

Dear old Dad with grandsons, Niko and Diego

Mercedes, and son Alex visiting from Chicago

Sara who is just like her mother at giving imperatives and decrees directed me
to take a picture of the assembled.

Our sons David, Alex and Manny enjoying a brotherly moment after a
after dinner and conversation with family and friends

After a full day of merriment, cheers and food our family members slowly began giving and receiving warm hugs; words of love and thanks. Slowly making their way to their respective homes. After they left, I sat in my favorite couch reflecting on my good fortune. Thanks to my wife, the day was filled with warmth, love and happiness. I made myself a promise to love and hold them all dear always.

The Wall - what is it good for?

My dog takes me out for a daily walk around my  neighborhood, she enjoys stopping at posts, fire hydrants and walls. We've noticed that there are more and more walls being erected around many new homes. I wondered if this is a new architectural style, owners philosophy, fear, or a new quality of life in an urban setting;  people behind their walls.

Wall have been around for centuries, we all know about the powerful and mighty "Great wall of China". Constructed to keep conquering armies at bay.

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Great Wall; Google

The infamous Berlin wall, below, imprisoned its citizens under penalty of death, in East Berlin for
decades.

Building  the Berlin wall imprisoning it's citizens. images.jpb

This is what's left of the infamous Berlin wall, a memorial. A testimonial of the cruelty of men towards his own brother. Tourist can peek through the wall towards East Berlin

The opprobrious wall at the US-Mexico border, below, divides but it can-not conquer. Vendor lean against it, stray dogs use it, young people etch their feeling on it. Hungry Mexicans wait for darkness to conquer it. Americans implement contingency plans, diagrams and night maneuvers to stop them.

Walls are made to keep people out, keep other people in. Keep pets safe, keep stray animals out. They also keep your things secured, away from prying eyes. Walls keep secrets from neighbors, also hide  nefarious actions. Walls are a sanctuary for their owners, keep traffic noise down and noisy mischievous  persons away. Antisocial personalities hide behind walls, wall are a canvas, gatherers of information.Walls also substantiate our fears.

A couple of block from my home this wall is being constructed, definitely, to keep people out. It clearly says
you... are not welcome.

This living, Eco-friendly, wall  is on the way to my sons school. It definitely says do not disturb, leave us alone, we don't want to know you. It's made to keep people in. We have never seen the residents.

This wall was constructed to keep adult toys safe. There is a fishing boat covered by a blue tarp, sports cars, motorcycles and bicycles. All covered against inclement weather and prying eyes.

I was thinking of putting up my own wall but... But I have nothing to hide, and no one to keep out.

Second Annual "Encuetro del Son Jarocho" in Santa Barbara, CA

                                                                              click on pictures for a larger view

My compadre Javier invited me to "el Encuetro del Son Jarocho", music festival in Santa Barbara last Saturday.  I chose a comfortable ethnic shirt so I could fit into the cultural celebration. What I didn't know, until I jumped into the suburban, that there were five students joining us on this trip.
Now, Javier is not only a friend of over thirty years, he also happens to be one of the best schools principals I  know. We were not only going to the festival but he had also made arrangements to take some of his present and previous students, now graduating from high school, to tour the University of Santa Barbara. This is a common occurrence, every Saturday he takes students to different colleges or Universities across California.

I was curious. I asked him, "why aren't college counselors in the high schools providing this type of experiences for their seniors". He replied, "porque estan tapados", they are clue-less. In my conversations with the students, I discovered that the college counselors don't even know who these students are, they had never being approached by them. No wonder the public is bashing schools, teachers and educators.

Mariana and Stacy Will be attending the UC system next school year. Alys and Louis in the near future

Javier has insured that  all of his elementary school student who started as members of Mariachi Cielo Nuevo, could continue studying music after they moved on to middle and high school. This takes place after school and on Saturdays. They also tutor younger students and serve as positive role models. This Principal always gives of his own time for his present and former students; visiting colleges, SAT preparation, at times paying for college applications, arranging for tutoring and counseling etc. Of course this doesn't make the newspapers nor is it recognized by school district administration. Javier needs no recognition,  he does this because he cares for his students, his love of music, his culture and profession.

Louis a former student at Middleton graduated from UCSB three weeks ago; guides the students through the campus

After the visit to UCSB and a brisk walk through this fine institution, with the pacific ocean at its' doorsteps displaying sumptuous vistas. I felt healthier, more knowledgeable and ready to enjoy the rhythmic, heart stumping sounds of the jaranas.

We drove through the glorious city of Santa Barbara admiring iconic samples of Spanish architecture. We arrived at the 'casa de armas' a unique example of early California folklore and traditions. Here in the open courtyard is where the "encuentro" would take place.

Courtesy of Libby Harding

Guests and performer stated arriving. The musical groups were getting ready putting the last touches on their instrument, insuring the perfect tune. The instrumentation for a typical group will include; 1st. Jarana a high sharp voice, 2nd. Jarana the melodic tenor voice, 3rd. Jarana or Leona deep sonorous voice, the mosquito a very small jaranita with a high shrill voice. Accompanying the jaranas were percussion instrument la caja, a wooden box, la quijada a donkey's jaw, the marimbol, harpa and of course la tarima, a wooden platform where member of the group or member from the audience are invited to participate in the dance.

Education is a major part of the encuentro, it is the perfect vehicle to learn about the music, heritage and culture of southern Mexico as evidence by the age of some Jarocho groups as the one pictured here.

Son Pantera one of the most diverse and talented groups was a great host.

An Encuentro is an experience of unique musical richness, melodic contours and rhythms accompanied by the poetic language of las decimas. The Santa Barbara's second annual Encuentro del Son Jarocho was a large colorful compendium of musical groups; student and professionals took center stage with fervor and passion for their music.
Inspired by the richness of the sounds dancers ascend the tarima and join the expanding, effusive acoustical sounds; emanating from the creative energy of feet keeping beat with the musicians.

This excellent group, Son Del Centro from Santa Ana was one of the favorites in Santa Barbara

As the festival approached it's passionate conclusion  the audience began easing towards the stage, the culmination was the fandango. All the musical groups play together in a jam session. While dancers  and audience begin dancing the fandango, sharing the tarima granting the footwork louder resonance. Judging from the participation between musicians and audience, this encuentro was a huge success. I will definitely be attending  next year with more students along with my compadre Javier.

photos: j. Miranda 

Fishing trip to Hemet Lake CA

The primordial customs and rituals of fishing reinforce our social behaviors and values. They often take us back to our childhood memories. When our group goes fishing everyone has a fish tale to share, this tall tales are familiar to everyone. Jorge, for instance, shared happy memories of his youth. "I  recall  going fishing for bass with my uncles in the damn Las Virgenes next our rancho Las Delicias in Chihuahua, Mexico. "My uncle Raul taught me to fish for bass... I brought up some huge fish in those days". Childhood memories such as Jorge's are familiar to all of us, they link us to relatives, friends, places and good eating. A good example was last weeks trip. I was busy, cleaning my garage. Jorge calls me inviting me and Bob to go fishing at Hemet lake in the scorching heat of Riverside County CA. Bob who is always ready to fish any time any place, as long as he has a good feeling, signed up to go. Of course, I prefer fishing over work any time.

After a quick trip to the tackle shop where we replenished our gear. Jorge took the lead and made all the arrangements. We drove to his vacation home in the open spaces of San Jacinto, also home of the Sosoba gaming casino. He planned for everything from sleeping arrangements, dinner menu, breakfast to driving schedules. His plan called for each one of us buying our own dinner stakes and staples. Bob said: " Well... if that how you want to handle it,  I guess it's OK".

The following day, with Jorge at the wheel, we departed in the afternoon and we arrived in San Jacinto a few hrs. later. Our first stop was at his favorite market. To our surprise he said, "guys everything is on me" We of course would hear none of this. "Please" he added "I got it" after his many appeals, we agreed. We arrived at his beautiful home evocative of a Tuscan villa retreat. He assigned bedrooms, each more glamorous and hospitable than any Italian boutique hotel in Italy. The only thing missing were the grape vines.

Jorge, being aware that yours truly is a gourmet chef, asked me to prepare dinner. I happily acquiesced.  Before I began preparing the marinade, Bob pressed Jorge, "you need to let us pay our share of the expenses, we insist!". " Guys, I have something to confess, my wife gave me an ear-full". We listened attentively, "She scolded me, and taught me the essentials of good etiquette" Bob wanted to know what he was talking about. "Well... she chided me; and asked how could I invite friends to our home and then charge them for the food". After his confession Bob said, "Good for her, she is obviously  a  polished lady  who know how guests should be treated when invited to one's home" Of course, I we agreed and forgave Jorge for his social blunder. It also gave us a insight as to who was the real interior decorator of their beautiful home. Jorge said he was, but knowing his taste, we are sure it was his lovely wife Gloria.

After, an alfresco, dinner accompanied with a few bottles of excellent red wine which Jorge brought forth from his wine reserve, we continued our conversations on topics, our host enjoyed, ranging from fishing, food, politics, history etc., etc., etc., after hours of listening to our friend. I decided to turn in for the night. Bob stayed behind listening, listening, listening, liset... to Jorge.

We were up early after our host prepared some breakfast burritos and good coffee, we were on our way to the lake. Again, Jorge's loquaciousness continued. Suddenly, like a lighting bolt Bob and I looked at each other when jorge mentioned a noun in Spanish El Perico, a talking parakeet. "Yes!... that's it!" we shouted simultaneously with exhilaration.That's exactly what we were looking for! Right there Jorge was baptized El Perico.

Center View of Hemet lake

right side view of lake

Finally we arrived at Hemet lake, a man made water reservoir which also serves as a recreation area for local citizens and visitors alike. The common species found in this lake are rainbow trout, bass and catfish. The lake was virtually deserted I only saw two or three anglers aside from us. We tried casting iron, cast-masters and feather jigs with out  getting any bites. We changed to power baits of different colors. with out luck. After a couple of hours el Perico said, "let get out of here" We drove to Jenks lake where we had better luck and went home with our limit of trout and a happy Perico.

Bob with the only catch at Hemet lake-this guy never throws anything back

El Perico-all smiles with his early catch at Jenks lake

 On the way back home Perico was reflecting on his fishing trek and because he didn't want to clean the fish, he suggested that I should take them all home. I told him that I was very tired and my injured knee was swollen. I was not able to stand for a long period of time. He, of course, didn't believe me until I demonstrated my aggrieved knee, only then did he demonstrated some humanity and agreed to clean the fish,therefore, he kept them all.

pobrecito!

Stay tuned

Fishing The Eastern Sierras

(click on picture for larger view) 

Successful fishing trips require good planning, insuring every member has a good time, has the necessary equipment and tools, schedule of daily activities and adequate lodging. Further, as the reader may recall, insure the attendance of a master angler is Paramount. All of these ingredients were taken into account before our departing date. Suddenly our master angler, Bobby had, in his words, a terrible feeling about this trip. He had studies the cycles of the moon, the weather projections, some weird alchemy and guidance from his spiritual shaman.  All of these forces, had convinced him to reconsider making the trip. In the end he decided not to accompany us. I must confess, the group was devastated. One of our most garrulous members, Jorge, knowing that Bobby was on a fixed income, volunteered to pay all his expenses. Javier also wanted to help, but Bobby did not budge. He said it was not a question of money, "I have plenty of money!",  he retorted with a feeling of frustration. It was question of forces beyond his control. Jorge, chuckled, he was not convinced... Javier was incredulous, and rolled his eyes. Still we left without him.

In-take II lake

Being charged with the planning and coordination, I was ready for any unforeseen event, I had to use my ace in the hole. Javi, a fine young man from Sacramento who, as a little boy, I had taught to fish. He would be meeting us in the Sierras. Now a graduate from the University of Davis, he is not only a master angler but also a published environmental scientist, working with the California  Department of Water Resources - fishery improvement. We learned that he is not only highly skilled at catching fish but because he has been studying them for so long, he also thinks like a fish. After hearing the news of who our new member was, the team was euphoric.

We arrived in Bishop, our home base, on a Monday afternoon and headed straight to in-take II. A small body of water, where  Javi surprised Javier with a handsome new fishing pole and a state-of-the art reel. We started by testing different color and scents of  power bait, scented worms, jigs and feathers. We quickly eliminated the dark colors; salmon-peach and rainbow power baits were most successful. In a short time we noted that Nicko our youngest angler caught the first trout and Javi had attained his limit in less than an hour while Jorge, Javier and myself had to struggle to get a few prizes in our stringers. After a few hours we decided to head down to Bishop for dinner and a good night rest in preparation for the full day fishing on Tuesday.

Javi at In-take II with his flotation device

Very early in the morning after some light nourishment, we headed towards one of the most beautiful lakes  in the sierras, Sabrina. A large body of water with excellent streams, perfect for the stream enthusiast. Four of us quickly sought out a spot along the shoreline and proceeded to cast out lines. Javi, just as energetically, headed towards the streams. After a half hour, Jorge who is not known to possess the virtue of patience expressed "l don't think there are any fish here." Nicko told him to change his bait and get a longer leader. Unexpectedly, our stream angler returned, with his limit of 6 huge trout.

The Sacramento stinger-Always with his limit.

All of us made our way lickety-split towards the streams, and secured some excellent spots around tide pools, deep holes and shaded water. We also tried salmon eggs, worms, feathers and power bait. After about an hour, we noticed that Javi was busy catching and releasing trout. The rest us us were blanking-out on strikes. Jorge, frustrated,  said "Let's get out of here, this is too hard" Feeling responsible as I was the coordinator of the trip, I asked them to pack-up and returned to Intake II. We arrived just as planting was taking place and fished there until noon. Javi, the "Sacramento Stinger"  had already caught his limit at the streams so he caught and released perhaps 50 to 60 trout of various sizes. The rest of us, except one, caught our limit. But fear not, Nicko helped him reach his limit.

Then, we drove to town for a much needed lunch on the way down our master gave us a few pointers on how to improve our chances of increasing the number and  size of trout. We were all eagerly listening to his lecture. Jorge, the continuous learner, of course asked many, many questions. After lunch Jorge asked to be dropped off at the gambling casino to try his luck with the one arm bandits. We returned to pick him up perhaps around 8:00 pm. He sure was in better spirits, he was in his own Nirvana, smiling even his prominent jowls we jovial.  We all asked him, How much did you win? Nothing... "I lost $80.00 dollars". And... "that makes you happy" Javier asked "yes", he replied, "it was fun".

Triple play-with this team-Nicko, Jorge, Javi-fish don't stand a chance!

Nicko & Jorge working as a team with good result

Upon our return to the lake in the following day, I noticed that Jorge was more productive after Nicko  tutored him on how to "set the hook" and to read the movement on the tip of his fishing pole. We asked Nicko where he learned trout fishing, he said "Master Bobby taught me at Jenks Lake". Although Bobby wasn't here, his force made a powerful presence... in his young apprentice.

Thursday was our last day of fishing and by the time we got to the lake, we were welcomed by much cooler morning and clouds. It seemed like a perfect day but it was tough going: we had to fight for every fish. Still, all of us caught our limit. During this trip, Javier received a few lessons on how to cast jigs. Afterwards he couldn't put his pole down.He caught so many fish "jigging"... he also started catching and releasing. " I love casting with my new outfit. Thanks son!..." In all of my life, I had never seen Javier so happy and catch so many fish as on this trip. His happiness was  so overwhelming that he volunteered to clean the day's bounty.

Javier & son bonding

look mom!

We quit earlier in order for us go to a barbecue restaurant which had been in Jorge's mind all week long.
After dinner, the conversation returned to the highly successful week thanks to the guidance and assistance from our new master angler. Jorge who has been blessed or cursed with the need to talk incessantly, wondered out loud who would come out ahead in a fishing contest between our northern master, Javi and our southern master, Bobby. Javier thought it would be interesting. Nicko reflected that Javi is younger but Bobby taught him more. Jorge felt that each one had his strengths. Javi is at least forty years younger, faster, smarter. Bobby, on the other hand, is patient, older, slower, wiser. Javi interjected, "Hey guys remember as a little boy, Bobby taught me how to fish the streams". I volunteered my services to promote the event, "If you guy want, I can coordinate the contest between;
          The Sacramento Stinger  vs. The Yucaipa Satyr .
Javier, who happens to be Javi's dad, stipulated that I would have to find a neutral lake."Remember Bobby is a crafty, old buzzard. He only wants to fish Jenks Lake",  "In a neutral place" he said, "I go for my boy!". I exclaimed with delight that the Rubicon would be crossed. I committed to be fair and impartial in scheduling the contest and of course, ... "I'll take on the winner".

 We left Bishop with good memories of friends having fun, breaking bread together and excellent fishing.



Stay tuned

Observation At The Medical Center

This morning I had an appointment at the medical lab, I entered and followed the directions on the ticket vending machine. I obediently grabbed my number and took a seat. After a few minutes my number was called by a receptionist, one of many calling numbers, she registered me and the printer spitted out a half of dozen labels. The receptionist handed them to me and proceeded to return to my seat. At that precise moment I noticed a small elderly woman also sitting in the waiting room. She seemed familiar but I couldn't place her. She was hunched over, very frail and almost completely bald. I sat there achingly wanting to remember, where have I seen her? I asked myself.

She suddenly got up from her seat, her number was called, the short measured steps and a constant smile caused me to remember  who she is. When she returned to her seat I drew near her and began a conversation. She was anxious and happy to talk to someone. Her speech was clear, she had enamored memories of the times she was called as a substitute teacher, many years ago, at one of my old schools. I remember her because no matter what grade level we called her for, she was always ready. I kept my curiosity on check regarding her age, because when I  first met her she was already retired. She shared with me how much she enjoyed teaching and how difficult it was for her to give it up. I could see the twinkle of a tear on a tired face full of pleasant memories. My number was called. I stood up we wished each other good heath, good luck and I went behind the door to keep my appointment.