Who?.................Quien?

...........While  going through job interviews last year  I stared thinking about aaaaall the  interviews I have had over the years........About how your "on" the moment you get out of your car.....Do you have any idea of what I am talking about?.........Okay hear me out......


I t is very important for you to remember that once you enter  the building or wherever your interview is to take place (no judgments here maybe your interview is not at place where they have actual walls? Perhaps your going for a role in "Hair" the musical); you are always to be "on"................NO not turned on.........Well I guess that depends on what job you are applying for........but I digress............


........In any event once you set your feet out of your car (bus, taxi, Vespa) you may be  at any given moment, presented with the  opportunity of running  into someone,  who may directly or indirectly have  the power to get you hired......... or the "other"........ You know what I mean??..........Confessions:


I went to an interview once and asked the lady at the front office for help (I had forgotten the lady's name who was to interview me).....So I say to the lady at the front office, who was looking directly at my face as though the very secrets of the universe were hidden there:


Me: "Excuse me, I have an interview at 2;00 p.m. and I am to meet with, uhm, err, Mrs. Statepaloon"?...........I said searching for an answer in her face.


Her: Excuse me what was the name?


Me: clearing my throat and flicking my hair: "Statepaloon", I said firmly.


Now let's take a look at this closely shall we?.......First of all, if a name sounds made up to you, then it probably is...........Yup..........I am sure I read that somewhere.........Now then if one is not sure of a name the obvious thing to do here would be to ask or say: "Say, I am not sure I have this name right, can you help me"?..........Aaaaah if only.........


Well let's get back to my little story........


By this time the woman at the counter is looking slightly annoyed and as she raises one of her brows she says: "That's........ Stappelton  and your interview is with me"...........What are the odds?.........Yup you guessed it......... I did not get the job. Their loss (things a looser  says  when they have inserted an entire leg into their mouth)............




The other thing besides being "on" is the fact that once you leave your house your in a state of continual panic.....Will I get there on time? Oh please Lord let me appear to be somewhat coherent.....Is this the right deodorant? Can't wait to get home and watch television........you get the idea. 


Then once I am actually at  my interview, the stupid job interview questions start like: "Where do you see yourself in 5 years"?........."Well let's see.... if I don't get this job I see myself job less"....Is that a good answer?....Or......"I see myself 5 years older?" or perhaps better still:  "I see myself back on the bus"......... "What made you apply for a job with our company?"......."Uhm"? You have a job opening"?......And my personal favorite: "Why should we hire you?"......."Uhm? cuz I need a job you pin head"......Too much?.........




I guess we have all had these kinds of experiences (please say yes), and can think of many stories to delight us all.........However,  I think I have come up with the best one so far from my endless list........Ready?.....Wake up!.....

Side bar: As a rule "WRITE DOWN THE NAMES AND CORRESPONDING JOB DESCRIPTIONS OF EACH INTERVIEW AND JOB YOU GO FOR"............


CALLER: Hi! This is Anne how are you?
ME: Anne hello! I am well. How are you?
ANNE: Just great! Say I was calling to see if you had any further questions for us after our interview with you?
ME: uhm?..........No....not really?.......
ANNE: Great! When can you start?.........
ME: ah?....Well?.............I dunno?........
ANNE: How about next week. We will have H.R. give you a call about paper work. Sound okay?.....
ME: Sure! Great! That sounds great! Okay,bye.
HUSBAND: Who was that?
ME:Anne
HUSBAND: Who is Anne?
ME: I don't have the latest idea (my Latina mama says "latest" for "faintest" so I use it too)
HUSBAND: Okay!?.......  questioned answered!
ME: But I got the job! (: .........now if I could  remember the place?.............



Yes folks, this is the kind of stuff that has happened to me as a "Wise Latina"......I must  confess...........

Bilingualism is this still a question?/El ser bilingüe continua siendo una pregunta?

I woke up this morning and was pleasantly surprised to see a "positive" article about what a wonderful thing it is to be bilingual . I am used to the "not so great" tales about how bilingualism will ruin this country. I am also used to the "English as a national language",  some feel the need to use as their daily mantra. Never mind that at least in  half of the countries on this planet, folks speak more than one language.....

 More than one language? What is this world coming to? Oh my stars in heaven........We may one day feel.....Oh dare I say it?......more connected to other human beings, culturally rich and thus more knowledgeable?..........Hush........That's just crazy talk............

Back to the article. The journalist discusses how bilingual students need better options. The reporter  goes on to speak  about a particular student (which may very well represent thousands),  who speaks  English and  Spanish fluently but cannot read/write in the latter. As a result the student  struggles in class and  many believe that he/she will not have a very bright future?....And here is where I come in................

Confession: Only in North America would a person who speaks two languages be considered as someone who has no future! This young person has the potential of being anything he/she wants to be. Moreover we need classes that offer, already fluent Spanish speakers the "formal/academic" side of the language. 

Hmmm?.......Now where is it that students receive a lot of the "academic" side of Spanish and very little  in the way of acquiring language?.........Hmmmmmmm?..........If I could only put my finger on it?..........Oh yes! Spanish classes!...................

When our monolingual students enter "foreign language classes" which is usually around the 6th grade; they receive plenty of the formal part of language and not too much else. By this I mean that by the end of the years they have spent in foreign language classes they will be able to tell you: the many tenses, accents and  lots and lots of grammar.

In a foreign language classroom the curriculum (here we will use the Spanish language as an example) goes something like this: how to conjugate  an "IR", "ER, "AR" verb, what is the difference between past/present progressive? What isolated words mean, what is "Cinco de Mayo?" Then perhaps where Mexico is, maybe a list of other Latin American countries (very little if any of the contributions Latin Americans have made to our society), days of the week, names of the months, colors, numbers, contractions, the Spanish alphabet and of course the ever popular "International Food Day"..... 

When our monolingual students finish these "foreign language" courses they may even be able to teach a grammar class; after all they have spent a monumental amount of time in this area alone.........P.S.They will only be able to teach Spanish language grammar to those who speak English..........Let's not get crazy and think and they will be able to teach native speakers of Spanish language.........I mean did you think they were taking "language acquisition classes?" or Spanish as a foreign language 101? I love those words "foreign language".......It's like I am from Mars for being able to speak a "different" tongue........But I digress.........

Now I realize that some of you were not raised bilingual or bi-cultural and for this I am truly sorry. So let me help you see this narrative via the lenses of a  "monolingual" individual. 

Your English speaking son/daughter comes home and tells you she/he had English today; that is to say grammar and so on. He/she proceeds to tell you what she/he has "learned" about language/grammar:  "Well I learned the names of colors, verbs, tenses, some holidays and  numbers" ...........you get the idea..... 

Then you ask him/her to elaborate (in this newly acquired language) about  things he/she has learned. What you end up finding out is that your son/daughter can't string two coherent sentences together...........

Side bar: Now before we go any further we must stretch out imaginations and open our minds just a bit. This is really not a fair comparison at all. As  the students we are talking about in this example are well acquainted with the "target" language (English). Never the less we send our students to learn how to better "acquire"  language and thus prepare them for their future careers/lives.

Now,  it may take you a bit to absorb  what your child is trying to tell you and by this time you are pretty  upset. "How is it?", you wonder, "That my child is supposed to be acquiring language and the best that she/he can do is to recite the days of the week?".....So then you:  A) Hire a tutor B) Talk to the teacher C) Talk to the Principal or D) Do nothing?...I am willing to bet that if you are anything like me you would raise the biggest stink imaginable and hold everyone in the school accountable.

Friends this is indeed what is happening in "language" classes all across this country  today. It happens to monolingual students when they enter a "foreign language class". It happens to "bilingual" students when they enter our schools.  

The biggest difference however, in the case of bilingual students, is that their parents are not of this country and tend to feel that  they do not  have any rights to speak up about this or many other issues. The difference is that  most of the folks we are talking about have neither the tools nor education to advocate for their children. The similarity is that this feeling of helplessness is felt by those families from this country  as well.Regardless of your educational background/cultural status many of us don't know how to access the tools  needed to become  the best  advocates for our children. Trust me I have done the math.......... 

So it would seem that in the area of education we ALL have something to loose and much to gain..............

So how can we change this so that ALL students are receiving what they need in terms of language?...Hmmm?.....I am sure I read this  somewhere, that being able to speak the language that is being taught to me  SHOULD be  the "ideal" result?.....Hmmmmmmm?..........What to do, what to do?..........I  know!........

How about having Spanish speaking students who already know how to SPEAK the language assist those who don't?  Oh wait....I am on a roll...How about partnering our fluent Spanish speakers with fluent English speakers who are well versed in Spanish/English  grammar? These students  would  not only teach/help one another but..........Oh dear I say it.......Become.............. Friends?.....begin to narrow that awful racism gap that ONLY exist to keep people down?.......

What if the relationship that these students build in the classroom actually spilled over into the real world?..........Like having lunch together and spending time together?.......Oh no!...........Could it be possible?............... Okay, okay,  you get the idea.


Having said this, I do know that there are many wonderful teachers, staff, specialist and members of our own communities (regular folks like you and me), who work tirelessly  and countless hours for the benefit of all students. These people, these unsung heroes,  work to ensure that all students (monolingual as well as bilingual) receive what is "equitable" for them. Let me say this again: They insure that ALL students receive what is EQUITABLE for them. However we need to do more and can't keep moving forward until we are ALL in this  together.Until we make sure that we are all in it to WIN! 

Children are born a blank slate and it is up to us to enrich their lives......... Yes I am sure I read that somewhere....In both languages..........

Thughts/Pensamientos

In the back of our minds we must realize that at some point we embraced diversity; wether we wish to acknowledge it or not. We did it when we chose a life partner. Our partner was that different and unique person; that inexplicably drew us in. Yet we knew, once we took time to look into their soul; that on the inside this being shared  all our  same hopes, dreams and fears. 

Why is it then that when we add a "hue" to the mix,  it all becomes about superficiality; about doubt and what sets  us apart? We fail to notice souls, likeness and uniqueness.  We fail to see every human being as an individual.

Color is not a race. Let me say this again: Color is not a race. If this your only argument for racism; then I am afraid it is not a very good one. 

We humans have not yet evolved enough to ever create a different "race". We are all of the same race. We are all of the "human race".
I am sorry if you thought yourself to be superior; the simple truth is that you are not. We are all equal in every way................and that is how I see it.

Cantinflas meets "30 Rock" for a Lesson Gem

Is it true that we can learn a foreign  language via television?........Well believe it or not there have been many studies done in this area. I could  bore you with research and  statistics but I won't.......I will simply say this: "One always needs an instructor, in human form, in order to learn anything". This is never more crucial than when it comes to "communications",  i.e. learning a  foreign language.

I could spend weeks talking about this subject alone; but I won't.......That's right the boredom thing again....

So can we learn a foreign language from television?........... We can,  if I am the one doing the watching and the telling.......So here goes this Lesson-Gem/Confession.........

One of my very favorite shows to watch is "30 Rock" and  on this topic alone I can go on for days...........In any event as I was watching an episode of "30 Rock" the other night, (and thinking about all of you),  it happened: "A teachable moment"!!!............President Obama uses this phrase a lot when talking to us.......hmmm?......I wonder why?.......But I digress............

Do you remember when we talked about the "literal" meanings of words?........ Remember the "embarrassed" and "embarazada" thing?.....Helloooo anyone there?.....

Remember when I said that just because words sound the same they do not mean the same or that one  could not simply  translate literally i.e. "willy nilly?"........... By the way: "Who is Willy Nilly?"........... Well I am glad you asked, I actually researched it (yeah I am a total geek) and this is what I found: This phrase dates back like thousands of years!  And as it turns out our dear friend William Shakespeare (or Willy as I call him), looooooved using this phrase. It's true. One can see just how fond he was of this expression when one reads a section of: "The Taming of the Shrew" (so I am told).....but I digress.......

Where was I?............ Oh yeah............ So there was a scene on "30 Rock" where this woman  is hiding (inside a closet) from Tracy Jordan.  The actress is "supposed" to be depicting a "Latina" and she was a regular on  "Saturday Night Live".  Of course I can't think of her name right now but she is very funny and generally has a small role  in most episodes of "30 Rock".........And if you don't know who Tracy Jordan is.......... then I am sorry I can't help you. You may stop reading now.............

In any event, the actress speaking Spanish has a pretty good accent, I have to say. Now I can only assume that someone NOT Latino "helped" this actress  with her Spanish lines?........By the way this is almost always a bad idea, to learn a language  from someone who is not a native speaker. One tends to need to learn a language  from someone who has at  least lived in the country (for some length of time),  where they speak the language one is  now trying to acquire.....Do you see where I am going with this?......Okay.........

Where was I? Oh. Yes! So the  character is afraid of what another  may do to her, so she says: "No el me va a doler". Okay. What she is literally saying here, if one were to translate this directly into English is: "No, he will hurt me"........Aha!......... There in lies the detail....."Allí esta el detalle!"........By the way (you know I always have to give you a Lesson-Gem/Confessional side note).........Here it is.........

There was a character named "Cantinflas"  (the actor's real  name was Mario Moreno) he was from Mexico and he was (to say the least) a brilliant comedian, stage and film actor. Mr. Moreno was also a pioneer of the Mexican theater. Charlie Chaplin called him: "The greatest comedian in the world". If you mention his name to ANYONE who is Latino  they will know exactly who you are talking about! No kidding.

Weather  young or old, "Cantinflas" was able to transcend his characters to all,  including befriending  Hollywood's elite like: Elizabeth Taylor and Mike Todd among many others. To folks in the US "Cantinflas"  is best remembered as costarring with David Niven in the movie: "Around the World in 80 Days" (1956).   I used to watch "Cantinflas"  movies  as a little girl; I loved him and all his characters. Cantinflas had this famous line where he would say: "Allí esta el detalle"......... "There in lies the detail".  See?........ I had to tell you that.

By the way if you are wondering about the meaning of Cantinflas's  name here is the scoop courtesy of "Wikipedia":

As a young man, Cantinflas performed a variety of acts in traveling tents, and it was here that he earned the nickname "Cantinflas", although the origin of the name is obscured by legend. According to one obituary, "Cantinflas" is a meaningless name invented to prevent his parents from knowing he was in the entertainment business, which they considered a shameful occupation. In another version, the Mexican media critic and theorist Carlos Monsiváis cites a legendary account of the origin of Cantinflas's characteristic speech:

“

According to a legend that he agrees with, a young Mario Moreno, overwhelmed by stage fright, once, in the Ofelia carpa, forgets his original monologue. He begins to say what comes to mind in a complete emancipation of phrases and words, and what comes to mind is an incoherent brilliance. His assistants recite his attack on syntax, and Mario becomes aware of it: destiny has placed in his hands the distinctive characteristic, the style that is manipulation of chaos. Weeks later, the name that will mark the invention is invented. Someone, taken in by the nonsense, screams: "Cuanto inflas!" [C' ntinflas] (You're annoying!) or "En la cantina inflas!" (You like to drink a lot at the cantina (inflar means to swell)). The contraction catches on and becomes proof of the baptism that the character needs.[11]

So go get one of his movies what are you waiting for?........... You will die laughing!.................. And isn't that a great way to go?!.................

So where was I?.......Oh yes....Wake up!................One can't translate language "literally" as though you are simply replacing English words for Spanish ones........Or any other languages for that  matter......What the actress said does not make sense in  Spanish. Of course  someone may be able to decipher what she is "trying" to say but who knows really?....Remember the "riding a bike with blindfolds on" thing I told you in another lesson-gem?.........

Then what should this actress  have said instead?............ Glad you asked. She should have said: "El me va a hacer daño". Which does mean: "He will hurt me" and is grammatically correct!....."Daño" is meant to be used as "harm", "to cause it".....you get the idea.... When she (the comedian) used the word "doler" (though it meant hurt) it was used more as in pain that you have/feel in a physical or emotional sense.............

And here endeth the lesson for today amigos.........Be sure to leave me your leave me you comments and insights on line..........

Hasta pronto!

Call your congress man or woman /Llame a sus congresantes hombre o mujer

 Hola Amigos:
 I am spreading the word per an email I received today from Adam Green of BoldProgresive.org
In his email Adam asks me and all of you out there to contact your congressman or women a tell them to support this new coalition to help BP workers. Please read below:

"A new coalition...has launched a site called BPMakesMeSick.com, petitioning President Obama to make BP give [Gulf clean-up] workers respirators."
Just today, Rep. Tom Perriello became the 13th member of Congress to endorse our coalition -- joining Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Gulf fisherman, dozens of congressional candidates, and over 67,000 Americans like you.


If you live in the state of Wisconsin your Congresswoman is Tammy Baldwin and she can be reached in Washington D.C. at this #(202) 225-2906

Le's make a difference amigos!
Asta pronto!

una sugerencia/a suggestion

As I listened to the radio last night I was so shocked and sadden by the news that is was then the 80th day of the that horrific oil spoil in the Gulf of Mexico! I could not believe my ears. "What can I do", I thought helplessly as I listened. "I can learn more about it and  I can write about it".......So here I am......

Courtesy of Wikipedia this is something of  what I learned......


Wildlife and environmental groups have accused BP of holding back information about the extent and impact of the growing slick, and urged the White House to order a more direct federal government role in the spill response.

In prepared testimony for a congressional committee, National Wildlife Federation President Larry Schweiger said BP had failed to disclose results from its tests of chemical dispersant  used on the spill, and that BP had tried to withhold video showing the true magnitude of the leak.^[107]

On 19 May BP established a live feed of the oil spill after hearings in Congress accused the company of withholding data from the ocean floor and blocking efforts by independent scientists to come up with estimates for the amount of crude flowing into the Gulf each day.^[108][109

Journalists attempting to document the impact of the oil spill have been repeatedly refused access to public areas. Photojournalists have been prevented from flying over areas of the gulf to document the scope of the disaster. These accusations have been leveled at BP, its contractors, local law enforcement, USCG and other government officials.^[112][113]

Scientists have also complained about prevention of access to information controlled by BP and government sources.^[112] BP states that its policy is to allow the media and other parties as much access as possible.^[112]

On 31 June, the Coast Guard put new restrictions in place across the Gulf Coast that prevent the public, including news photographers and reporters, from coming within 65 feet of any response teams on the beaches or vessels or booms on the water. In a press briefing, Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said the new regulation was related to safety issues.^[114] On televsion  host Anderson Cooper rejected the motivation for the restrictions outright.

And so it goes.........Then  I heard something even more shocking on the radio: BP is NOT allowing it's workers to ware protective mask; which means that these men and women are risking their VERY LIVES to save the planet and to put food on the table for  their families. Why are they not allowed to ware masks? Well I guess the answer is as old as the world it self: MONEY.........How will it "look" if we saw these workers wearing masks? Why we might think there is a real disaster going on?..........Isn't there?............

Please log on to: bpmakesmesick.com and join me and many others by signing  a petition that will all workers to have protective masks/gear..........

Asta pronto!

30 ROCK AND A LESSON IN LANGUAGE?.................

As you all may or may not know (or care) one of my VERY favorite shows in the whole "mundo" (world) is "30 Rock"! I love love love it! Me encanta mucho! ( I really like it).........

So as I was watching "30 Rock"  tonight (one of their episodes from season 1)......it hit me........This episode (a small part of it) is the perfect example for my "Lecciones Joyas" (Lesson-Gems) regarding; using words too "literally" when speaking a foreign tongue...........Mas después..........More later.......

Que esten bien!
Be well!