I Tried to Be a Good Mexican Son, poem by José Olivarez translated from English by Arelis Uribe

I Tried to Be a Good Mexican Son

i even went to college. but i studied African American studies which is not
The Law or The Medicine or The Business. my mom still loved me.
so i invented her sadness & asked her to hold it like a bouquet of fake flowers.
she laughed through it all. i didn’t understand. wasn’t immigration a burden?
what about the life you left, i ask my mom. she planted flowers
only house on the block with flowers. foreclosure came like a cold wind.
it took her flowers. but that was a season. new house, bigger garden.
mijo, go get some tomates from the yard, is something my mom really says.
i tried to be a good Mexican son. went to a good college & learned depression
isn’t just for white people. i tried to be a good Mexican son, but not that hard.
sometimes, my mom’s texts get dusty before i answer. even worse, i never share
the Jesus Christ memes she sends me on Facebook. if there is hell,
i’m going express. i hope they have wifi. i hope i remember to share
my mom’s Jesus Christ memes. maybe god believes in second chances.
but i doubt it. i tried to be a good Mexican son. i came home for the holidays
still a disapointment. no million-dolar job or grandkids.
Spanish deteriorating. English getting more vulgar.
i tried to be a good Mexican son, but i kept fucking
it up. my mom still loved me. even when i couldn’t understand her blessings.
she makes me kiss her on the cheek before i leave the house. she tells me
to quiet down when she’s watching her novelas. she asks me if i’m okay.
she tells me i'm getting so skinny & i need to eat more frijoles. she has
the pot ready. i try to be a good Mexican son, but all i know how to do
is sit down for a good second & leave before a bad one.


Intenté ser un buen hijo mexicano

incluso fui a la universidad. pero estudié African American Studies que no es
La Ley o La Medicina o Los Negocios. mi mamá me amó igual.
entonces le inventé tristeza & le pedí sostenerla como un racimo de flores plásticas.
se rió todo el tiempo. yo no entendí. ¿no era la migración una carga?
qué con la vida que dejaste, le pregunto a mi mamá. ella plantó flores
la única casa de la cuadra con flores. el embargo vino como un viento helado.
se llevó sus flores. pero fue una temporada. casa nueva, jardín más grande.
mijo, go get some tomates from the yard es algo que mi mamá de verdad dice.
intenté ser un buen hijo mexicano. fui a una buena universidad & aprendí que depresión no es algo que sufran solo los blancos. intenté ser un buen hijo mexicano, pero no demasiado. a veces, los mensajes de mi mamá
se llenan de polvo antes de que responda. peor, nunca comparto
los memes de Jesús que me envía por Facebook. si hay infierno,
voy express. ojalá tengan wifi. ojalá me acuerde de compartir
los memes de Jesús de mi mamá. quizá dios cree en las segundas oportunidades.
pero lo dudo. intenté ser un buen hijo mexicano. fui de visita para las fiestas
todavía una decepción. ni trabajo del millón de dólares ni nietitos.
español deteriorándose. inglés cada vez más vulgar.
intenté ser un buen hijo mexicano, pero sigo cagándola.
mi mamá me quiso igual. incluso cuando no pude entender sus bendiciones.
me hace besar su mejilla antes de irme de casa. me dice
que baje la voz mientras ve su telenovela. me pregunta si estoy bien.
me dice que estoy muy flaquito & que necesito comer más frijoles. tiene
la olla lista. intento ser un buen hijo mexicano, pero lo único que sé hacer
es sentarme por un buen momento & partir antes de un mal rato.

"Warriache," by Daniela Catrileo, translated from Spanish by Jacob Edelstein

Santiago, San Bernardo, and back to Santiago, that's the trip. I open my eyes and listen: the music, at least, keeps me from running away. I'm crossing the city from one end to the other to celebrate my friend Yajaira's thirtieth birthday. She's my best friend, or at least the one I've known the longest. Neither one of us now lives where we were born, but every so often we go back to pick up pieces of what we abandoned, and visit family while we're there. We reappear to let each another know how the years have been treating us, now that we aren't isolated little girls at the poor Catholic school where we met.

I show up late, as always. I'm a little embarrassed. Her party is a kind of intimate dinner, at least that's what she tells me on the phone. How very her, I think. The house is just like the ones next to it, save for the shape of its fence bars. The colors don't vary much: blandness that feels distinctly middle class. I feel like this condo could be in any part of Chile, housing people who believe themselves to be of that class. I'm not sure when they began to spring up in this graveyard. When I left, we were still girls raised in projects, semidetached but disparate houses, handmade extensions and multicourts without nets. When I left, there were still hills and vineyards where we could camouflage ourselves, get drunk in peace, and lay out on our backs under the sun.

Through the window, I see the guests and don't recognize anyone except for Yajaira's parents, who look older. I feel strange. Just seeing them makes me realize how much time has passed since we lived in this place we put so much effort into hating. I'd like to skip the introductions. Maybe if I'd gotten here earlier, I wouldn't have to make an entrance in front of everyone. It doesn't matter; I head into the house. There's a knot in my stomach and I'm trying to play it cool. It's not that I feel obligated to be here, I'd just rather it was like the parties when we were teenagers, where everything was so dark you didn't have to introduce yourself. [End Page 344]

The first to greet me is Yajaira's mother, María. She hasn't changed. She says a ton of superficial, insufferable things. I've never liked her very much, probably because I know Yajaira so well. She's one of those people you respect only because someone you love respects them. Though that doesn't mean you should. I admit it's hard for me. I was there for the neglect, the separations, the screaming. Those days are etched into my memory. I'm not someone who forgets easily. Still, I can admire her strength from a distance; it's what allows her to stay here. We all drag along more ghosts than even she imagines: knots that not only entangle our hearts, but bind our tongues forever. That's why, in front of her, I prefer to stay silent.

I try to seem normal. María informs me that she no longer lives in the projects, but rather, she lives in a condo now. She speaks in a derogatory tone that I know and abhor. On the outside, I nod with a smile. Inside, I repeat, like a mantra, that she is my best friend's mother, that she has never not been this, that she will never change. Behave, I tell myself. If I keep smiling silently, she won't ask so many questions or realize I came alone. As she continues with her monologue of success, she offers me heaps of canapés. I awkwardly avoid making eye contact. Little by little, her figure begins to blur. It must be a defense mechanism. I can't clearly see her mouth moving anymore. I rub my eyes, but they've already gone...

Kindly English grammar reminders (and other notes)

If I were rich...<-- I am not rich, but I imagining what I would do if I were.
"I were" is called the subjunctive mood, and is used when you're are talking about something that isn't true or when you wish something was true.
If she was feeling sick...<-- It is possible or probable that she was feeling sick.
"I was" is for things that could have happened in the past or now.

"That said" is an appropriate truncation of "that having been said", which is correct in that the clause refers back to what was just stated in the prior sentence. "That being said" is incorrect since the prior sentence is in the past, and "being said" implies simultaneity.

back and forth. Also, backward(s) and forward(s). To and fro, moving in one direction and then the opposite and so making no progress in either. For example, The clock pendulum swung back and forth. The term is also used figuratively, as in The lawyers argued the point backwards and forwards for an entire week.

In the context of abortion care, conscientious objection is when a health care worker or institution refuses to administer abortion services or information on the grounds of conscience or religious belief. When conscientious objection is not regulated, it can significantly undermine access to abortion services.

We also use help with an object and an infinitive with or without to:
Jack is helping me to tidy my CDs. or Jack is helping me tidy my CDs.
I am writing to thank you for helping us find the right hotel for our holiday. or I am writing to thank you for helping us to find the right hotel for our holiday.
Warning:
We don’t use help with an -ing form:
I am trying to help him look for a new bike.
Not: I am trying to help him looking …

A demonym (/ˈdɛmənɪm/; from Ancient Greek δῆμος (dêmos) 'people, tribe', and ὄνυμα (ónuma) 'name') or gentilic (from Latin gentilis 'of a clan, or gens')[1] is a word that identifies a group of people (inhabitants, residents, natives) in relation to a particular place.

A pub crawl (sometimes called a bar tour, bar crawl or bar-hopping) is the act of visiting multiple pubs or bars in a single session.

never been to a wedding, did some emails, im writing to you, What difference does that make?, candid shot, what's the weather like today, can you see so well, five seconds of moment of silence, proud in you, marshalling, capital E for extrovert
one another, ubuntu: I am because you are, I walk to work, I go to work on foot, Where do they do the potty?, How many relationships have you been in?; Yeah, I mean on my remaining days; I don't think it showed, whose panties are those? do it for you, don't do it for anybody else, Don't microdose on love, don't put dirty diapers in here, i got a haircut; when the snow blankets the city, what do we call mom in Spanish? what does she call dad in Spanish?

Is ain't a word? Absolutely. Ain't is a perfectly valid word, but today, ain't is considered nonstandard. At worst, it gets stigmatized for being “ignorant” or “low-class.” At best, it's considered a no-no in formal writing.

the negative aspect of something otherwise regarded as good or desirable.
"he says being a rock star is a fun line of work when you're young, but admits fame can have its downsides.

A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark that's used to join words or parts of words. It's not interchangeable with other types of dashes. A dash is longer than a hyphen and is commonly used to indicate a range or a pause. The most common types of dashes are the en dash (–) and the em dash (—).

When used as a verb, 'approach' takes no preposition. He approached me.

Knit and knitted are both conjugation of the same verb: knit is the present and future tense form, and knitted is the past tense form.

to start off: phrasal verb of start, begin to travel or move. "we started off on our journey" begin to operate or do something or to happen. "treatment should start off with attention to diet".

When it comes to dates, you can use in or on depending on the context. If referring to years, months, centuries or long periods, use in. However, when referring to dates or days, use on.

Senior Member. You can use them both at once: "I'm thankful to you for your help." "For" is used in reference to what you have been given or what has been done for you. "To" is used in reference to the person who gave or did that thing for you.

If you are referring to the content of the book then it is, "IN THE BOOK”. If you are referring to particular page then it is “ON THE BOOK".

Whom should be used to refer to the object of a verb or preposition. When in doubt, try this simple trick: If you can replace the word with “he”’ or “’she,” use who. If you can replace it with “him” or “her,” use whom.

she married my mad, she was married to my dad, I'm getting married to, she divorced my dad

To dwell in a home is to live in it. To dwell on something — usually something bad, like a failed romance or terrible service in a restaurant — is to think or speak about it at great length.

HEYO is a slang term which means "Hey You." It is used as a greeting, similar to "Hi" or "Hello." "Hey You" is also abbreviated as AYO, EYO, and HEYY. HEYO stands for Hello.

I wanna try this poem out. The south is the farthest I know. Evens you out. Does anyone know...? Messages to myself. Up and ready. She keeps bailing. Peacekeeper. She goes hard. May I ask you a question? Would you be so kind and leave me alone?

María: Despite the age, late at night, heat the food up, they're movers.

Lovely words and expressions: bedmate, I love being gay, I insist on paying, I straighten my hair, this is communal, every angle sees well, urband legend, no question mark, we are the voices of the women who don't have one anymore, there are four of us in my family ("the ten"),

Open to all vs open for all. A complete search of the internet has found these results: open to all is the most popular phrase on the web. "I'm open for" essentially means I'm available for. "I'm open to" means that I'm receptive to.

Shade can refer to any dark area in which sunlight or other bright light is blocked. Shadow refers to the dark shape that appears on a surface when an object blocks sunlight or other light.

Touch base is an idiom often seen in business contexts meaning to make contact or reconnect with someone briefly, as in "let's touch base next week." The phrase is thought to have some relation to baseball where both runner and fielders have to "touch base" in order to be safe or record an out.

Living in the present moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future.

Notes on "Mija," the movie:
Huge thanks, elements, welcome up!, this is very surreal, full circle moment, I time traveled this moment, I wanna thank to, I wanna thank you, incredible amount of courage, go tell your friends, my music became my sanctuary, the way we always wanted to, meltdown, I got burned, What are you thankful for, hyper aware, if you get emo, What else am I not informed of?, hiccup, reasons below, we wanted different things, change hurts, growing pains, What's next for you?, I'm so embarrassed, I just wanna disappear, I need to figure out what my next move is, drop by, to honor their sacrifices, he mentioned to me, this is good news, I don't want to interrupt but, your shirt is cute, palm trees, you started off with nothing, am I allowed?, I have so much work to do right now, I'm forever grateful, anything is possible.

I'm collecting down all the info I get when googling solutions to my grammar issues.

BOOK LAUNCH: Quiltras (reading and discussion of Arelis Uribe's Latin American fiction debut)

"Quiltro" is the Chilean slang word to name stray, mixed-breed dogs. Arelis Uribe uses the expression as a metaphor to shape tender female characters that wander in lower-class landscapes, and have nothing to lose but their rebelliousness.

Uribe's debut in fiction has been highly praised in every country is has landed in, including Mexico, Spain, and France. It was listed "one of the best Latin American books of the year" by The New York Times, and has been translated into English by Allison Braden.

Thus, the cultural and community incubator The People's Forum is pleased to host a bilingual reading and discussion of "Quiltras". Uribe will be seconded by New York City writer and educator JP Infante, and Mexican writer and translator Mayte López.

Copio esta info acá para no olvidarla, y porque es la primera vez que escribo tres párrafos en inglés sin que me hagan ninguna correción gramatical *proud*

Muda Triste y Pensativa (poem by Violeta Parra)

El título de esta canción podría ser de Shakira.

Muda, triste y pensativa
Ayer me dejó mi hermano
Cuando me habló de fulano
Muy famoso en poesía.
Fue grande sorpresa mía
Cuando me dijo: Violeta,
Ya que conocís la treta
De la vers'á popular,
Princípiame a relatar
Tus penurias "a lo pueta".
Válgame Dios, Nicanor,
Si tengo tanto trabajo,
Que ando de arriba p'abajo
Desentierrando folklor.
No sabís cuánto dolor,
Miseria y padecimiento
Me dan los versos qu'encuentro;
Muy pobre está mi bolsillo
Y tengo cuatro chiquillos
A quienes darl'el sustento.
En ratitos que me quedan
Entre campo y grabación,
Agarro mi guitarrón,
O bien, mi cogot'e yegua;
Con ellos me siento en tregua
Pa'reposarme los nervios,
Ya que este mundo soberbio
Me ha destinado este oficio;
Y malhaya el beneficio,
Como lo dice el proverbio.
Igual que jardín de flores
Se ven los campos sembra'os,
De versos tan delica'os
Que son perfeutos primores;
Ellos cantan los dolores,
Llenos de fe y esperanzas;
Algutros piden mudanzas
De nuestros amargos males;
Fatal entre los fatales
Voy siguiendo estas andanzas.
Por fin, hermano sencillo,
Que no compendís mi caso;
No sabís que un solo lazo
Lacea un solo novillo.
Pica'o tengo el colmillo
De andar como el avestruz,
Sin conseguir una luz,
Ni una sed siquiera.
Mientras tanto, la bandera
No dice ni chuz ni muz.

Amor, desamor, repeat (poem by Arelis Uribe)

mi orientación sexual es el deseo
hablas tan bonito que quiero anotar todo lo que dices
ven, no importa lo que dure
si te escribo es por que te quiero
te quiero porque contigo no tengo miedo de ser yo
me gustaría que te gustaran las cosas que me gustan
en el futuro siempre estás tú
te voy a hacer daño, pero por mientras pasémoslo la raja
que me quiera una persona que encuentro buena
    | me hace pensar que no soy tan mala
el equilibrio entre quererse una y querer al otro
distancia nivel monosílabos
queríamos ser felices y sólo logramos ser
esta pena tiene tu nombre
te estoy olvidando, pero pienso en ti mientras te olvido

The priest came to Angie, still a baby (by Andres of Scribe Tribe)