SHY JOSÉ. |
Animals sweat, gentleman perspire, and ladies glow. So, to be polite (because The Dowager Duchess is watching), I'll just say that San Geraldo perspires.
San Geraldo perspires a lot.
To be precise, San Geraldo perspires like a hooker in church.
Sorry, Mom! Sorry, San Geraldo! But at least I didn't say "he sweats." Which he does, by the way. Big time.
In fact, like Satchmo (aka, Louis Armstrong), San Geraldo carries a cloth with him at all times to mop his steamy brow. Unlike Satchmo, San Geraldo does not always have a white "perspiration" handkerchief handy (he has only one of heavier fabric for that use, personally monogrammed). When that elegant linen cloth is not available he carries one of a set of blue and white IKEA dish towels purchased just for him.
While we were enjoying breakfast Saturday morning, a new friend of ours came in and we invited him to join us. His name is José. While he was trying to converse with us in English and we were trying to converse in English and Spanish, José noticed the dish towel beside Jerry. He thought Jerry had taken it from behind the bar and wondered why. When I told him what it was, he laughed.
SATCHMO |
Jerry and I explained that it was pronounced with a short "e" and José laughed some more. He clarified that sometimes he does like sweet.
To be clear, I have made José laugh many times with my Spanish. Like the day not long after we met when I invited him to sit himself down ("siéntate") and instead told him to "siéntete" ("feel himself"). He laughed for a long time. Then he sat down anyway.
José asked what the English word "oonk" meant. I asked, "Do you mean "hunk"? He spelled it and we said, "That's pronounced "hunk." "Ah," he replied, "and what does it means?"
José is around 32 years old, lean and muscular, and very handsome. He's got thick, brown curly hair, a stubble-beard, blue-gray eyes, and a beautiful smile. Adding to his charm is the fact that he has no idea how handsome he is. As San Geraldo and I tossed out adjectives to describe a hunk, we finally landed on the same perfect explanation.
"You are a hunk!" we announced.
Have you ever seen a hunk blush?
SAN GERALDO IS STILL MY ONE AND ONLY HUNK SWEET HUNK... DISH TOWELS AND ALL. |
This is precious...poor hunk Sebastian with you 2 staring him down....loved sientete comment...too funny...so take care of your new friend and be kind.
ReplyDeleteRon:
DeleteJerry and I aren't the "staring down" types, so that was probably the first time Sebastian even realized we had noticed. But we are always kind.
LOL! Mitch, you have outdone yourself! I see a 'stand-up' gig in your future......just don't forget to bring the towels for Jerry!! He will be so nervous for you!
ReplyDeleteJim:
DeleteI would love to do stand-up. As long as i didn't have to stand up. And as long as there was no audience. Other than that, it would be fun.
Say... did you ask Sebastian in what context he'd heard that term? That could have meant a totally different explanation. I wonder if my Rosetta Stone covers this stuff?
ReplyDeleteThe Odd Essay:
DeleteI'll have to ask Sebastian next time I see him. But, being a young gay man, we figured that would be the only reason he would have asked. I haven't hit "hunk" in Rosetta Stone Levels 1 thru 3!
Sebastien sounds adorable! Or as my friend taught me: Que guapo! :)
ReplyDeleteWriter:
DeleteOh, yeah. A very important phrase here!
I like to say I glisten, but it's more like a river flowing.....sebastien sounds amazing, good to have pretty friends :)
ReplyDeleteMonkey Man:
DeleteNice to look at some times. But I'll take substance any day!
It seems that one who perspires profusely would have to drink a lot more to stay hydrated. In some circumstances, that might not be all bad.
ReplyDeleteMs. Sparrow:
DeleteSan Geraldo is not much of a drinker (thimbleful of gin & tonic), which is a good thing. He rehydrates mostly with water.
Nothing humkier than a hunk who doesn't know he's a hunk!
ReplyDeleteBob:
DeleteAbsolutely true. For me, there's nothing LESS sexy than someone who knows (or thinks) he's all that.
Photo, please.
ReplyDeleteFrank:
DeleteI don't know if I'll ever be successful. The one at the top is as much as he'd allow... and then I "Photoshop'd" it. Maybe someday.
There's nothing sexier than an attractive person who doesn't know it.
ReplyDeleteStephen:
DeleteI agree.
love it! Nothing better than not knowing your sexy!
ReplyDeletekisatrtle:
DeleteWCS beat me to the punch. I was going to say I've lived my entire life without knowing I'm sexy.
I, too, have no idea how handsome I am. Neither does anyone else, for that matter. LOL
ReplyDeleteWalt the Fourth:
DeleteDitto!
You have the ultimate language lesson going there. I couldn't imagine how I might slaughter that beautiful language. At least you have each other to laugh with. And then you share it with us too. Lucky us.
ReplyDeleteStew:
DeleteI mentioned to Jerry yesterday that I am now so comfortable with Spanish that I speak often without carefully thinking about it. I sometimes realize after I've said something that I didn't use real words at all but just made them up because they seemed right at the time. Who knows what I'm actually saying sometimes!
I {heart} you both. My Spanish transplanted 'oonks'.
ReplyDeleteNubian:
DeleteI like it. From now on, I'm a "oonk"!
To be precise, San Geraldo perspires like a hooker in church.
ReplyDeleteA CRACKING LINE.... WHICH I AIM TO STEAL!
John Gray:
DeleteOne of those Americanisms. We're good for something.