VOCABULARIO

PAPA—When making mud cakes with a few of the children yesterday, I asked one if he could make a bowl. “Papa,” he answered, to my confusion—as he was either referring to potatoes or the pope, neither of which seemed right in context. Turns out “papa” or “papayuca” is a way of saying “easy.” I should have guessed that a country that claims more than 4000 different types of papas would consider them easy…

HIJO/A POLITICA—Literally one’s son or daughter, politically speaking. Used to describe family ties where blood ones are absent…