Cuenca Part 1: Misnomer
So the yesterday during a game of squash I asked one of my Ecuadorian buddies if there is a word in Spanish fo ¨steaky.¨For those of you who aren´t aware ¨steaky¨is an English word describing anything that is particularly testosterone charged. For example a party where everyone weighs over 200 pounds, where every room is filled with kegs of crummy beer, and where every participant is shirtless might be described as steaky. Last night a gent named Caesar was Monica Seles style screaming every time he hit the ball. I wanted to call him steaky.
I also am proud to say that I finally feel comfortable here in Ibarra. Yes Kane is now a member of the local gym here in Ibarra. And let me just say that it is probably the steakiest place on the planet. There are a couple of benches, some weights with no markings on them, and posters of body builders COVER the walls. Everywhere you look you see bulging biceps and ridiculous facial expressions of over-exerting oneself. I now know who Sean Ray and Flex Wheeler are, as they are the only people who hang out with me while I lift. For any of you reading who have visited the ¨The Lifting Hut¨you can be rest assured that I feel right at home in this basement converted gymnasium, with dust everywhere, one mirror, and lots of biceps curls. There even is a small CD player that allows me to blast away with some lifting hut favorites. Can you take me higher?
The point is that ¨steaky¨doesn´t exist in Spanish, at least according to my Ecuadorian friends. And do you know what else doesn´t exist in Spanish?
Panama Hats.
Huh? First of all let´s get our hats straight. Picture a white straw hat, circular brim, and a black band. I am fairly confident that every single moive Latin American drug dealer from the eighties (think Scarface or Beverly Hills Cop) wore what we call in English, a ¨Panama Hat.¨In fact most gangsters depicted in movies probably wear these white mafioso hats at one point or another. I have never heard them referenced in modern day rap music, though they should, because in the states these hand made straw hats go for as much as 2500 dollars. For all you free stylers out there: throw in a couple lines about how your girl looks so phat in your Panama Hat that it makes a brother want to eat that and WOW the crowd.
So what´s the big deal? Panama Hats have never, nor will they ever be made in Panama. Panama Hats are actually one of Ecuador´s biggest exports. That´s right, Ecuador has had bad enough luck to have there finest product misnamed in honor of another country. And the center of the Panama Hat industry is actually right smack in the middle of Cuenca and I had the priviledge to check out the factory while I was in Cuenca. On Calle Larga, a few blocks north west of Padre Aguire, lies Barranco, and if you keep going you will hit Casa de Sombreros, and Casa de los Hermanos, three of the finest Panama Hat companies in the entire world.
Barranco has the nicest factory. The other two were basically small rooms filled with tons of famous style (white with black band) of Panama hats. The most famous hat maker in Cuenca works at Casa de los Hermanos and he has been in business for over 70 years. However, at Barranco you can walk through the entire factory and see hat in their stages of construction, plus you can see all different styles. It is super fun to just go in and take pictures of everyone wearing different hats and we certainly took advantage. In fact, in the back of the store there is a balcony that gives you an awesome view of Cuenca.
From what I could gather from the store owners, the famous straw hats were originally exported and sold out of Panama since Ecuadorian hat makers did not have the means or the power to export the hats themselves. Thus the hats received the Panama moniker as no one was able to buy hats in Ecuador for many years. However, the true authentic Panama hats have ALWAYS been made in Ecuador according to the store owners.
The process is amazing. A special type of straw specific to the climate of Cuenca has to be cut in strands and then hand woven in different styles depending on the type of hat. After the hats are woven they then are dyed the white color and finally the band is wrapped around the hat and applied using a special adhesive. The bottom rung hats, called ¨Standardes¨go for 10-15 dollars in Cuenca, but probably 50 or 60 in the States. These hats are woven tightly, but still contain holes and possess some of the rigidnouss we associate with straw. After ¨Standardes¨the hats steadily increase in price as the weaves get tighter and the straw gets softer. The highest quality hats are called ¨Superfinos.¨Holding one was absolutely awe inspiring. The texture of the hat looks and feels like cotton, and not just brand new cotton but ¨I have had this t-shirt for twenty years¨soft cotton. Plus you can pull the hat through a wedding type ring with absolutely no problem. That´s how flexible and pliable they are. The best Superfinos (you can tell by holding them up to the light to see if they have holes) can actually hold water, and go for over 100 dollars in Cuenca. In the States? Probably 1500. They take about a week of painstaking labor and you can see the pride in the hat makers eyes as they offer you the Superfino to hold and touch. Absolutely a phenomenal experience.
Thus next time you hear someone comment about a ¨Panama Hat¨make sure you correct them about their misnomer. And if you hear of a way to say steaky let me know. Can´t wait to say hello to Flex and Sean this afternoon.
Quick note. ¨Lifting weights¨ is the source for my worst English to Spanish speaking error. While I was talking to my host family they asked me what activities I enjoyed. I mentioned Lifting Weights and they started laughing. ¨Me gusta levantar pedos,¨I said, and they laughed harder.
Oh, great. Laugh at the Gringo.
pesas: weights
pedos: farts
-Kanedog
I also am proud to say that I finally feel comfortable here in Ibarra. Yes Kane is now a member of the local gym here in Ibarra. And let me just say that it is probably the steakiest place on the planet. There are a couple of benches, some weights with no markings on them, and posters of body builders COVER the walls. Everywhere you look you see bulging biceps and ridiculous facial expressions of over-exerting oneself. I now know who Sean Ray and Flex Wheeler are, as they are the only people who hang out with me while I lift. For any of you reading who have visited the ¨The Lifting Hut¨you can be rest assured that I feel right at home in this basement converted gymnasium, with dust everywhere, one mirror, and lots of biceps curls. There even is a small CD player that allows me to blast away with some lifting hut favorites. Can you take me higher?
The point is that ¨steaky¨doesn´t exist in Spanish, at least according to my Ecuadorian friends. And do you know what else doesn´t exist in Spanish?
Panama Hats.
Huh? First of all let´s get our hats straight. Picture a white straw hat, circular brim, and a black band. I am fairly confident that every single moive Latin American drug dealer from the eighties (think Scarface or Beverly Hills Cop) wore what we call in English, a ¨Panama Hat.¨In fact most gangsters depicted in movies probably wear these white mafioso hats at one point or another. I have never heard them referenced in modern day rap music, though they should, because in the states these hand made straw hats go for as much as 2500 dollars. For all you free stylers out there: throw in a couple lines about how your girl looks so phat in your Panama Hat that it makes a brother want to eat that and WOW the crowd.
So what´s the big deal? Panama Hats have never, nor will they ever be made in Panama. Panama Hats are actually one of Ecuador´s biggest exports. That´s right, Ecuador has had bad enough luck to have there finest product misnamed in honor of another country. And the center of the Panama Hat industry is actually right smack in the middle of Cuenca and I had the priviledge to check out the factory while I was in Cuenca. On Calle Larga, a few blocks north west of Padre Aguire, lies Barranco, and if you keep going you will hit Casa de Sombreros, and Casa de los Hermanos, three of the finest Panama Hat companies in the entire world.
Barranco has the nicest factory. The other two were basically small rooms filled with tons of famous style (white with black band) of Panama hats. The most famous hat maker in Cuenca works at Casa de los Hermanos and he has been in business for over 70 years. However, at Barranco you can walk through the entire factory and see hat in their stages of construction, plus you can see all different styles. It is super fun to just go in and take pictures of everyone wearing different hats and we certainly took advantage. In fact, in the back of the store there is a balcony that gives you an awesome view of Cuenca.
From what I could gather from the store owners, the famous straw hats were originally exported and sold out of Panama since Ecuadorian hat makers did not have the means or the power to export the hats themselves. Thus the hats received the Panama moniker as no one was able to buy hats in Ecuador for many years. However, the true authentic Panama hats have ALWAYS been made in Ecuador according to the store owners.
The process is amazing. A special type of straw specific to the climate of Cuenca has to be cut in strands and then hand woven in different styles depending on the type of hat. After the hats are woven they then are dyed the white color and finally the band is wrapped around the hat and applied using a special adhesive. The bottom rung hats, called ¨Standardes¨go for 10-15 dollars in Cuenca, but probably 50 or 60 in the States. These hats are woven tightly, but still contain holes and possess some of the rigidnouss we associate with straw. After ¨Standardes¨the hats steadily increase in price as the weaves get tighter and the straw gets softer. The highest quality hats are called ¨Superfinos.¨Holding one was absolutely awe inspiring. The texture of the hat looks and feels like cotton, and not just brand new cotton but ¨I have had this t-shirt for twenty years¨soft cotton. Plus you can pull the hat through a wedding type ring with absolutely no problem. That´s how flexible and pliable they are. The best Superfinos (you can tell by holding them up to the light to see if they have holes) can actually hold water, and go for over 100 dollars in Cuenca. In the States? Probably 1500. They take about a week of painstaking labor and you can see the pride in the hat makers eyes as they offer you the Superfino to hold and touch. Absolutely a phenomenal experience.
Thus next time you hear someone comment about a ¨Panama Hat¨make sure you correct them about their misnomer. And if you hear of a way to say steaky let me know. Can´t wait to say hello to Flex and Sean this afternoon.
Quick note. ¨Lifting weights¨ is the source for my worst English to Spanish speaking error. While I was talking to my host family they asked me what activities I enjoyed. I mentioned Lifting Weights and they started laughing. ¨Me gusta levantar pedos,¨I said, and they laughed harder.
Oh, great. Laugh at the Gringo.
pesas: weights
pedos: farts
-Kanedog
posted by ecuadortraveler at 8:53 AM
1 Comments:
Who is this Askintoo?? Please never write on my blog again.
B! Great usage of Spanish. One thing to be on the lookout for concerning filete is that there are like ten million words for beef. Well actually only these:-lomo, res, carne, vaca, and maybe one other. Do you know what Pecan Blizzard in Spanish is??
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