Listening cont.

I had to, because this has been on my mind.

SaaabER (like bear) and VerDA: Thats Saber (verb for "to know") in english and verdad (truth or maybe truly). I love these two expressions andthe way people say them here. Saber means literally "to know" and Verdad means "truth or truly". Here in Guatemala people will just say "saber" instead of "Quien Sabe" (who knows) ans who knows would generally be the best way to translate it. But it is not like they never say "Quien Saber" either.. SSSSOOO, to take things a little to far.... the way people say saber (saaaaBER (again, like bear))sometiems soudsn to me like tehy are saying much muchmore than simply "who knows." Or they could have choosen NO sé, "I don´t know."The fact is that they are not saying quien sabe (whoknows) but ahve chosen saber (to know) instead. Sorry for the repetitive ness Penny Moon, but I just want to make sure everybody gets it. Anyways, it soudns to me liek Guatemalans are making a very modern (postmodern really) commentary on what it measn to know anything anyway. Like I said, they could have made other linguistic choices, I think that not only does "saber" have more elegance, it also carries more meaning. It´s as if guatemalasn are questioning anyones ability ot know for sure anything about this "reality" (those quotes the Guatemalans put there). "where did the dog go" "to know..." maybe they are saying , "to know, to really know something, si something outsdide of our capacity as humans, you don´t know where the dog is, I don´t know where the dog is, maybe the dog does not really exist if neither of us can see it." or "I don´t know, and what does it really maen to know something anyways.... 20 years ago I knew me and my brother were going to ahve a good harvest, and then my brother was killed by the army and they burned our land and I lived the next 7 years in exile, so I try not to KNOW anything anymore." On the other hand, when Guatemalans I know really do feel they know something, they really do know it. verdad is like "truth". My host mom asys "VerDA" I might say ¨boy, it´s cold¨and she´ll say ¨VerDA", Truly... now that´s something on which we can all agree. This feels to me (or at least thisis how I Like to think abou it) like a frustrated or, actually, maybe elated response to the constant Guatemalan postmodernist-esque whining Guatemalans do throughtheir "saber" and it´s implied belief that it is impossible toarrive at any truth anyways. "puchica, mas ké" "VerDAD" "boy it´s cold¨"now that´s the truth"... I don´t care what you asy about ti being impossible to find truths, it´s flipping cold!

I might go deeper into thehistorical reasions why these sort of far out ramblings on Guatemalan spanish might actually hold some water, but for now let´s sum up the possible reasons with: exploiration of humans, war, ineffective and extremely corrupt governance for a long time (ie unfinished roads, promises not kept), war, lot´s of mountains which slow communication and still, even today, seperate people thus creating distinct languages and isolated communites that are ignorant of the world around them, but know enough to know that there is a ton out there that theyjust will never know, and competition between mayan spirituality and Christian belief.

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CRAP: the soudn I make when I realize I´ve changed into my boxers before brushing my teeth. I then have to go outside to the pila (cenment thing with water) to do it.

Big SPLAT: the soudn of soup spilling all overmy pants at a recent wedding my host sister invited me too.

little SPLAT: the soudn or peaple spitting under the table at the weddign reception.

Jordan

ps. more on spit. In grade schook I was indignant abuot the fact that we weren´t even allowed to spit at recess. I still did all thetime (at recess) and was never caught.... untill my very last day of grade school when I was reprimanded by some lady with a whistle. I was SO mad, I had gone all that time without getting caught. I remember telling my dad when I got home. I wonder what he thought.