Shinji was playing jazz today. I had to fight the urge to
try to talk to him in Spanish.
Between my two Spanish classes per week at the International
House (plus homework), my two tutoring sessions per week with Andrés (once in
English, for him, and once in Spanish for me), and my correspondence with
friends in Mexico about my upcoming trip, my brain seems to be trying to
default to Spanish—even though my Spanish vocabulary and grammar are nowhere
near up to the task.
I have those two languages fighting already, and then Shinji was speaking to his apprentice in Japanese, so my head was a strange
swirl of Spajaplish (Jaspanglish?), with
classic American jazz as the soundtrack.
We worked on my ass and the back of my leg today. I must
admit I was a little scared of today’s session. I’ve been tattooed before—a
lot—but getting that little amount done on my ass before hurt.
Yes; it sucked. A lot. But it wasn’t anything I haven’t been
through before. It all sucks.
I was lying on my stomach while Shinji worked, with Spanish
and English swimming and churning in my head like two different types of fish
cresting to the surface before diving again: Fuck this hurts. Me duele mucho. Que me duele? What is “ass” in Spanish?
Celo…? Culo? Cielo? No…. that’s “sky”—that’s Skylar’s name in the new Colombian
“Breaking Bad.”* “Skylar” to “Cielo”….
Culo. I think that’s it: Mi culo me duele. My ass is paining me.... Fuck,
this hurts…
We finished up the dragon’s body today.
“Next time, we do flames, Shinji said, pointing to the tail.
“And then peonies.”
After I left my appointment I texted my employee, Eduardo.
Me: Mi culo me duele. Is that how you say it? Hice mas
tatuaje.
Ed: Jajaja. Culo=ass. Nalgas=butt cheeks.
Me: Which is better in this case?
Ed: Nalgas. Saying my culo could get you hazed and bring up
jokes of taking it in the butt.
Me: ¿Como una prisión? Entonces, “Mis nalga me duele” es
correcto, ¿no? ¿Mis nalgas?
Ed: Mis nalgas me duelen. Plural.
Me ¡Gracias!
Ed: De nada.
*Yes, they really are planning to make a Colombian version
of Breaking Bad.
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