I wanted to post this picture of some orchids my uncle and cousin brought me from the mountains. It took a year for them to bloom (probably because I didn't water them as faithfully as I should have), but now they are beautiful!
I also wanted to share a cultural observation. In Spanish (at least here), everywhere you go people shower you with complements and "palabras de cariño" (expressions of affection). "Hola, bella!" (Hello, beautiful!) "Hola, mi amor!" (Hello, my love!) "Que más, mi amor?" (What else can I get you, my love?) "Sí, mi corazon!" (Yes, my heart!) Algo más, mi reina?" (Anything else, my queen?) It is something that men and women will say to you at the grocery store, on the phone with the pharmacy or corner store, at church . . . nearly everywhere, with no trace of mockery or impropriety.
Well, recently a guard at the school started to practice his English on me. And he would say things like, "Hello, you are very beautiful!" And I realized once again that you just can't get away with translating everything directly from one language into another.
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