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docsmom
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Posts: 418
Registered: 6-21-2007
Location: Tucson, AZ
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Ok, back to the fun thread. Many years ago we (me, docs dad, our son the doc and a nephew who we'll call gringo) were having coctails at the Popotla
trailer park bar. The doc family all ordered hornitos and a corona. Gringo (who's not much of a drinker) asked for "Sex on the Beach". At first the
mostly spanish speaking waiter didn't understand what he was asking for so they went back and forth with the order. when the waiter finally
understood that the order was for "sex on the beach" he jumped backward, threw his hands in the air, and said "No!, No!, No!, No!, No!".
I don't remember the end of the story, just the laughter..........
My guess is that gringo wound up with a shot and a beer. Just where he should have been from the beginning! Vive la Mexico!
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Mango
Senior Nomad
Posts: 685
Registered: 4-11-2006
Location: Alta California &/or Mexicali
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Mood: Bajatastic
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| Quote: | Originally posted by toneart
| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaeng
...I read the the paper backwards |
However, I would like to know how to "read the paper backwards."
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When I was very young I used to sit on the couch and read the newspaper, often upside down. My mother has a photo of me doing so. I didn't know how
to read yet.. I guess I just wanted to "look just like dad"
bajaeng... I figured you just misread the thread. I agree with you though. It is sad that many gringos don't make enough effort to learn Spanish.
I met a lady in San Miguel de Allende lived in town for years, yet still couldn't even order coffee in Spanish. 
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Oso
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2637
Registered: 8-29-2003
Location: on da border
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Mood: wait and see
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| Quote: | Originally posted by docsmom
Ok, back to the fun thread. Many years ago we (me, docs dad, our son the doc and a nephew who we'll call gringo) were having coctails at the Popotla
trailer park bar. The doc family all ordered hornitos and a corona. Gringo (who's not much of a drinker) asked for "Sex on the Beach". At first the
mostly spanish speaking waiter didn't understand what he was asking for so they went back and forth with the order. when the waiter finally
understood that the order was for "sex on the beach" he jumped backward, threw his hands in the air, and said "No!, No!, No!, No!, No!".
I don't remember the end of the story, just the laughter..........
My guess is that gringo wound up with a shot and a beer. Just where he should have been from the beginning! Vive la Mexico! |
There is, or was, a popular drink in Tijuana bars known as a "Blowjob" (I'm not making this up) I've forgotten what's in it but it was similar to a
rum and coke but with added club soda.
All my childhood I wanted to be older. Now I\'m older and this chitn sucks.
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fdt
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4059
Registered: 9-7-2003
Location: Tijuana, Baja California
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Mood: Yeah, what if it all goes right
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaeng
I went back and re-read from beginning and I'm humble enough to admit I jumped the gun on this. My apologies please ... sorry, I'm not a morning
person and I read the the paper backwards |
I'm glad you now agree, it has been funnnnnnyyyyyyyy.
subjects of gossip of seafood 
Young Donkys
Wing iron
field beach golden
A well informed Baja California traveler is a smart Baja California traveler!
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Oso
There is, or was, a popular drink in Tijuana bars known as a "Blowjob" (I'm not making this up) I've forgotten what's in it but it was similar to a
rum and coke but with added club soda. |
There's a drink today, here, with those specs called a Campechano. Add a piece of lime.
These things are really regional so, that's all I know.
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danaeb
Senior Nomad
Posts: 991
Registered: 11-13-2006
Location: San Diego; El Centenario
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Mood: groovy
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Hose A - Can we have a new forum? "Miss Translations"? I think it could cover a multitude of errors both ways. How many times have we (me)
attempted Spanish, to be met with a waiter's guffaw or a clerk's wry smile?
Seems everyone has had fun with this. Thanks Diane. You always find the thing that we love about Mexico.
Experience enables you to recognize a mistake every time you repeat it.
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DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaeng
I went back and re-read from beginning and I'm humble enough to admit I jumped the gun on this. My apologies please ... sorry, I'm not a morning
person and I read the the paper backwards |
Good! Thanks.  Now if you are ever in Bahia Asuncion stop by and hear me embarass myself on a daily basis as I stumble through the language.
Diane
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toneart
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4901
Registered: 7-23-2006
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Mood: Skeptical
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Mango
| Quote: | Originally posted by toneart
| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaeng
...I read the the paper backwards |
However, I would like to know how to "read the paper backwards."
|
When I was very young I used to sit on the couch and read the newspaper, often upside down. My mother has a photo of me doing so. I didn't know how
to read yet.. I guess I just wanted to "look just like dad"
bajaeng... I figured you just misread the thread. I agree with you though. It is sad that many gringos don't make enough effort to learn Spanish.
I met a lady in San Miguel de Allende lived in town for years, yet still couldn't even order coffee in Spanish. |
Mango,......must be a savant thing.   I lived in San Miguel 1981-1983. What years were you there? Also, I may know the woman, although most I knew
at the time were pretty good at attempting Spanish.
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docsmom
Nomad
Posts: 418
Registered: 6-21-2007
Location: Tucson, AZ
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And here's my final funny language story, although it's not quite language related.........
We were at Plaza Las Glorias in Cabo and the hotel was mostly built but not really open for business yet. We stopped in after dinner to have a peek
around and get an after dinner drink. We sat at a beautiful outside restaurant, white tablecloths, flowers on the table, everything was top shelf.
But about mid-way through our drinks we noticed there was some weird motion going on on the floor and after we watched for a few momements we saw
there were dozens of mice running around on the floor! And I mean dozens! Now I think I'm a pretty well-mannered gal, but I really couldn't handle
the mice running over my feet, so the only thing I could think to do was move my feet away from the mouse olympics and plant them firmly on the
beautiful white tablecloth! Hey, don't give me S**T, it was all I could think to do in my relaxed c-cktailed state! And thankfully my mom doesn't
know about this site 'cuz she wouldn't think this is funny!
But funnier than that is when we went to leave, Docsdad said he needed to use the restroom. I sat outside while he did his thing and when he came out
of the restroom he said "That's the nicest mensroom I've ever seen! Marble, mirrors, beautiful fixtures.....!". I listened to his critique and
thought how nice to be at a nice hotel and thought no more of it. But having sat quietly for a few minutes I decided that I needed to use the ladies
room. I went in to this very ordinary bathroom, went into the stall, and while I was sitting there I realized I'd walked by the urinals to get to
where I was going! You can imagine that I did my thing quickly and bolted for the door. There's no way I wanted to encounter a man at the urinal!
As I'm sure you've already figured out, they'd mis-labeled the mens and ladies rooms. Docsdad and I had a great laugh over that!
Vive la Mexico! Never do we come home from a night out in the US with such great giggles!
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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| Quote: | Originally posted by docsmom
we watched for a few momements we saw there were dozens of mice running around on the floor! |
At least you didn't stand on the chair and scream,"EEK."
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Gnome-ad
Nomad
Posts: 156
Registered: 6-4-2007
Location: Todos Santos, BCS
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This is a mainland tale, second-hand, since ordering "huevos" in Baja does not bring laughter. But a friend was in a small village in the mainland and
ordered "huevos" at which point the waitress went into fits of laughter. Seems he had ordered "cajones" - in that region eggs are called "blanquitos"
- it's good when we can give the locals a laugh at our expense ...
I do second the thoughts about learning Spanish. I am trying my best, but being not particularly linguistic, and having made the mistake of taking
French in high school, lo so many, many years ago, I struggle with a new language at a senior time of life. I have senior moments in English, let
alone a new second language. And spelling ... it's going to take a long time for me to get that right, if ever. But I find as long as I make an effort
it is appreciated.
Now this story is not about food, but it shows that making an effort is sometimes funny. Before I left Eugene, Oregon I was filling our trash up with
the detritus of a long life in one place. It was important to me that it be emptied each week. I had put the trash out for its allotted pick up. I
heard the truck pass by and went out to roll the can back up the driveway. Our drive connects to the one next door and it turned out a truck
installing insulation to the house next door had parked so that our trash could not be picked up. The workers were just getting in the truck. I’m
usually too shy to complain to people who do things like that, but I had been desperate for this trash to be picked up so I could start filling the
can again. I said something to the effect that their truck had prevented the trash being picked up. The driver looked at me with a totally blank
expression. I looked at him and said “Sorry??” as in you could say you’re sorry to me. He brightened up immediately and said “No problema!” and then
drove off. The laugh was on me.
The only normal people are the ones you don't know very well. - Ancis
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bajajudy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6886
Registered: 10-4-2004
Location: San Jose del Cabo,BCS
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Gnome
My understanding is that here in Baja you order huevo, singular.
por ejemplo...huevo rancheros. Lencho? fdt?
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Martyman
Super Nomad
Posts: 1904
Registered: 9-10-2004
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At a juke box in Guererro Negro I played that great hit by Miguel Jackson...
Bill y Jean
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BajaGeoff
Super Nomad
Posts: 1727
Registered: 1-11-2006
Location: San Diego and Campo Lopez
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Mood: Heading To Baja!!!
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Two fun Spanish-to-English translation errors come to mind:
A sign at Baja Seasons stating "No Squads On Beach" and the Bahia Hotel stating that each room comes with a "Bath Tube"
A good English-to-Spanish translation error happened in Spanish class when I in college. One of my classmates stood in front of the class and stated
that he had 24 anos instead of 24 años and our teacher just about fell out of her chair! Boy was he embarrassed!
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Oso
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2637
Registered: 8-29-2003
Location: on da border
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You always need to pay attention to regionalisms. In Cuba, "cojer el juajua" means to catch the bus. (juajua= arf arf=greyhound)
In Mexico, it's a phrase guaranteed to make your dog nervous...
All my childhood I wanted to be older. Now I\'m older and this chitn sucks.
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oldhippie
Banned
Posts: 742
Registered: 6-25-2006
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Mood: muted
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In the Republica Dominicana "una bolsa por favor" translates to "a scrotum please". They use the word "funda" for bag.
I learned that the hard way, from a very pretty girl working the checkout in a small store. 
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Paula
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Posts: 2219
Registered: 1-5-2006
Location: Loreto
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Oso
I think it is guagua, but i never learned why. Very interesting!!
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