Like water off a Juárez statue

In order to tie these two phrases: Like water off a duck's back & Hacerle lo que el viento a Juárez, I had to get a bit clever and creative here... poetic license I call it. Both phrases refer to a person who does not let things affect him/her.

Be (like) water off a duck's back: if criticism is water off a duck's back to someone, it has no effect on them at all. He's always being told he's lazy and incompetent, but it's just water off a duck's back to him. (source).

According to the "Big Site of Amazing Facts" this happens because oil and water don't mix. When a duck is swimming or out in the rain, the bird secretes an oil from glands near its tail. With its bill, the duck rubs the oil over its body. The oil keeps the water from soaking through the duck's feathers, making the bird "waterproof."

Which can be translated as "le hizo lo que el viento a Juárez: What the wind did to Juárez".

President Benito Juárez had to overcome many obstacles but at the end was able to defeat the hurdles. Many towns in Mexico erected statues of Juárez in his honor. Juárez proved he was not affected by the "elements" and these sculptures are not affected by the elements, no smog, no rain, and no wind! Thus the wind does nothing to Juárez. (I know the essence is lost in translation, so I leave my original explanation in Spanish below).

Es el equivalente a la expresión mexicana: le hizo lo que el viento a Juárez. El presidente Benito Juárez superó muchas vicisitudes, criticismos y dificultades. Al final él, sus principios y reformas superaron los obstáculos. En honor a Juárez se erigieron muchas estatuas en México. A las esculturas no les afecta los elementos (lluvia, viento, etc.), de ahí del dicho "hacerle lo que el viento a Juárez".

Ente los individuos, como entre las naciones, el respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz. Benito Juárez
Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace.

Wet Noodle

So here is another idiomatic expression: to have the personality of a wet noodle.

A wet noodle is a person who is pessimistic or depressing; a naysayer, someone with a negative attitude. (source). The way I've seen it used and heard it used is referring to a person with a bland personality.



In a different context, a "wet noodle" is a handy dandy device or tool used to pull cables, fish wires through a wall, etc. (technical description).

Mexican Standoff!!

Last night Michael was wondering where the phrase "Mexican Standoff" came from. Of course he was looking at me as I had an answer readily available. I did not.

Inquiring minds want to know....

I quickly googled it and, obviously, Wiki had the answer: 
"The phrase came into usage during the late 19th century. Originally a derogatory reference to perceived Mexican political indecision, it has come to refer to any impasse, regardless of the participants. The phrase is used to describe both armed and unarmed conflicts". 

Here is another definition:
a situation in which no one can emerge as a clear winner. Synonyms include: deadlock and impasse.

So this one of the most recent idiomatic expressions I've learned. The funny thing is that today I had a chance to use it in one of the forums where I participate. They had a thread on photographs of couples and someone posted the one here.
I logged in and made a comment to say that it was the perfect illustration for "Mexican standoff". So there you go, I've put it to practice.

Till next time.

La Mexicana

Otra dedicatoria para Tampi

Chayo me mandó un video de uno de sus perritos. Hoy que estaba platicando con ella, me comentó que había leído que Tampi tenía a su perrita Gina enferma.
Chayo me dijo que podía poner el video aquí para que conocieran a su perrito Rocky y de paso decirle a Tampi que espera que Gina se recupere pronto.

Antes de subirlo, le metí mano usando unas fotos que tenía de los otros perritos de Chayo y de paso aprendí a usar el editor de video que viene en mi compu. Dos por uno. Así que les dejo el resultado de mis pininos como cineasta.

Video #2 dedicado a Tampi. Saludos comadrita.






P. D. Después les cuento que comenta Michael, el experto en video, acerca del primer video que edito .

Para Tampi...

Mi comadre Tampiqueña tiene una perrita llamada Gina que está enferma. Ha ido al veterinario y está en tratamiento. Gina tiene 9 años y es una poodle.
Mientras esperamos que surta efecto el tratamiento, los invito a que vean el video de Ginger, mi perrita. Le dedico este video a mi comadrita Tampiqueña.



A Ginger le encanta subirse a la moto y que la saquemos a pasear.

La bobela

Pues estaba "platicando" con Brenda en Instant Messager hace rato. Una cosa lleva a la otra y le estaba contando que este verano he estado viendo la telenovela mexicana "Fuego en la Sangre". La cual fue una recomendación de Chayo...

Como ella no la ve, rauda y veloz le di un resumen de la trama. A sugerencia de Brenda publico mi sinopsis aquí para que se enteren de la novela.

Brenda: ¿De qué trata esa telenovela?
A ver...
Ellos son tres hermanos pobres, trabajadores y tienen una panadería.
Ellas son tres hermans ricas, mantenidas y viven en una hacienda.
Ellos van a trabajar a la hacienda para construir una cabaña
--ahí empiezan las barbaridades de la bobela. Panaderos y albañiles...
Talentosos.
Ellas y ellos se enamoran.
La mayor de ellas, Sofía, está casada --más bien la mamá la obligó a casarse con Fernando. Ellos no se quieren. Sofía se enamora de Juan, el panadero.
Fernando sólo quiere el dinero y la hacienda.
Fernando mató al papá de las muchachas.
La madre de ellas, Gabriela, es una maldita. Es mandona y tiene a las hijas obligadas a hacer lo que ella quiera.
Ellas tienen carro. Ellos montan caballo.
Los contrastes.... los hacen más dramáticos.

Brenda dijo que debería yo escribir los resúmenes de telenovelas para los periódicos y de broma escribí las primeras líneas de una novela inventada. Me sugirió que yo escribiera una novela, en serio. Así que de la plática con Brenda nació la idea. Aún no tengo desarrollados a los personajes, la trama o los detalles. Se aceptan sugerencias. Lo que sí decidí es que lo voy a hacer en entregas periódicas.

Eso sí, les advierto, no esperen novelas de Corín Tellado. Son novelas de su humilde servilleta, La Mexicana.

Chuckle

I ran across this and could not help posting it here.

Independence Day -Part 2

Happy 4th of July!





Original work courtesy of Jay Michael from In the Viewfinder. Thank you!

Independence Day

Enjoy this Independence Day's good summer weather, a picnic and lots of fireworks.
Also lets remember the heroes of the U. S. war of Independence: John Adams, John Hancock, John Jay, Paul Revere, George Washington and many others.

For a review, I'd recommend to take a look at this chronological timeline of the events that lead the United States to gain their independence from England.

On January 10, 1776, Thomas Paine published a political pamphlet entitled Common Sense In the ensuing months, before the United States as a political unit declared its independence, several states individually declared their independence...

...On July 2, 1776, Congress declared the independence of the United States; two days later, on July 4, it adopted the Declaration of Independence, which date is now celebrated as the US independence day. Although the bulk of delegates signed the Declaration on that date, signing continued over the next several months because many members weren't immediately available. (source)

And let's thank the soldiers that are fighting abroad so that we can enjoy of this 4th of July. Happy Independence Day!!

Welcome Chayo

Sólo le quiero dar la bienvenida a Chayo. Saludos hasta Queréraro.
Gracias por tu visita.

:)


P. D. Foto tomada en Mayo 2008 por su servilleta.