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- Reading responses must be AT LEAST 350 words.
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- Reading responses are due by 10pm on the day PRIOR to our discussion of the required reading.
And You Thought Pedo Meant Fart by Thomas de la Cruz. Being Hispanic I’ve heard multiple words have multiple meanings like the author shows us in his piece. The story was funny but a little pointless. He tells us exactly where he is and the events of the night. By the author giving us a play by play made the read easier to understand and follow along. The part I really enjoyed about the piece was when he referenced himself to both Batman and superman. Also giving us the examples of why. The made up conversation he had in his head before talking to a woman didn’t make sense to me. Like why have to lie about your occupation? The overall story was a good length and the word “pedo” has different meanings. He used it so many different ways and it made the story funny and flows well from beginning to end.
ReplyDeleteTacos O Lonches by Thomas de la Cruz. I liked this story more than And You Thought Pedo Meant Fart. I’ve been to Las Flores and the way the author describes it is the way I remember it also. People asking for money, people wanting to do things for you. Also, the food is amazing! I was salivating when reading the story. I didn’t know if he met his wife or girlfriend in Las Flores that day he went to buy them both a beer in that bar. I got the imagery when he mentions the bar scene and the two creepy pool men just staring him down like he didn’t belong. I laughed when he mentions why people from the valley actually call it “The Valley.” Reading this piece gave me a sense of piece. Knowing that other people go through the same situations and feel the same about things. When he says he feels bad waving off the people from the stands he doesn’t want to eat at. The memories I have from Las Flores are amazing food with such poverty. I would have a heavy heart leaving Las Flores, I couldn’t believe how some people lived and people would beg for a living.
- Monica Barbosa
RR#10
ReplyDeleteThe first paragraph of “and you though pedo…“ had me laughing because it is true no guy is going to want to talk to a girl who has a boyfriend. The description of that feeling, I find funny because I know of guys that really do speak like that. Again, his use of simile when he punches and the heart explodes. The Spanish speaking made it similar to valley talk here. I feel like the author may not have luck in the girl department because he says “hi, im a writer.” And the girl says bye (this is I think his imagination) and then “oh im a doctor”, and then the girl, “oh really.” Like maybe the author doesn’t feel as confident or maybe he does it just may be the inner voice that scares him. Seems like he needs alcohol to be able to be stronger and confident to talk to women.
As far as the “Tacos O Lonches” short story, the author chooses very descriptive words to describe the “South Texas”, or only us as the “the valley-ites”. I never would have put it that way but it’s interesting. I enjoyed his reference to the godfather movie because it made us as the readers be able to understand how the author felt as he was passing all the taco stands. The author like I said uses these excruciating words to describe the food and the how hot the salsa is. In my opinion, I don’t like spicy or food loaded with salsa but the way the author speaks of the taste buds seems perfect. I don’t think I was a fan of the grammar structure, there were too many commas and periods that I don’t think were needed. I feel as instead of the two periods after one another – the sentence would have seemed better if the author went ahead and combined the sentence to make it clearer. I’m just a bit confused about the ending because the author mentions it’s good to be wanted. That feeling, but then he mentions before that his girl that he went on a date with had left him. Maybe it got me thinking like the girl stations didn’t work out but as long as the food and those lonches keep coming along he will be fine.
-arianna tabares
The first story, “ And you thought pedo meant fart” was a little annoying to read. It wasn’t really interesting and the fact that there was a lot of tex-mex in it sometimes made it hard to read. It would stop you and your train of thought because you had to stop, read it, pronounce it and continue. Probably was there was so many Tex-Mex words that I had to stop quite often. The phrase, “you know” came out a lot, which was really repetitive. And it sounded as if he was talking to us, the readers, and I think he needed to put questions marks to clarify that. This story wasn’t really enjoyable to be honest. I felt like I was in a club stalking women, who didn’t want anything to do with me. I couldn’t really understand the title, I never once thought in this story that pedo meant fart., and since the title is the first thing you read, you sort of expect it to come out in the story at some point. But I couldn’t find any relation between the title and the story. Some of the references to the super heroes didn’t make sense either. Honestly, I think this was a mess of a story.
ReplyDeleteThe second story, “ tacos o lonches “ actually told a story about a trip to Mexico. I liked it way better than the first one. There was so much imagery that it was easy to imagine it all. The bright and vivid descriptions of a lonche and eating and how it tasted, made my mouth water, which is a good thing because it showed connected I was to the imagery. It also means it’s something I’ve had before. This was such an easy read and it was chronological, besides the part where he talks about The Valley and San Antonio. And the fact that he mentioned “being wanted or feeling important” took me back to when Iw as at my friends house for New Years and they ended up making menudo, tacos, frijoles, rice and free alcohol. THIS made me feel wanted and important, because I felt they were just throwing themselves at me with all these gifts.
-Christopher Capello
Tacos O lonches is an adorable story. Thomas made the piece seem as if you were causally sitting on a bench and a strangers comes in to talk about their experiences, and in this case El No Que No tacos and lonches. I personally enjoy stories like this because it is very authentic and I as the reader feel very engaged to what I am reading thus making it more interesting. As I was reading the describition of the way the lonche tasted like my mouth got watery and now I really want to go to El no Que No and try the infamous lonche!! Also the way he introduces experiences within his story like having to go to the bar and having to drink modelo as suppose to corona, I really enjoyed the way he described that section and added a personal element like his thoughts about the situation as well as the real event. Again it’s a very authentic piece and I use to go to Mexico all the time and it reminded me of having to wait in line at the bridge and seeing all these people selling Mexican candies, rosaries and the movies.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, the title interested me a lot and I didn’t expect so many “pedos” through out this story but I really liked that he did that and I’m not going to lie I changed my voice every time he made those pedo phrases. It was really funny and like the last story, it was as he was telling me a story of past experiences at the bar and he was talking to me (the reader) directly which made me want to continue reading more and more all the way to the end. Speaking of the ending… NICCCCEEEEEE! Haha I really enjoyed that! It was extremely funny!
-Priscilla Pena
Thomas De La Cruz’s “And You Thought Pedo Meant Fart” was pretty good. It was simple, easy to read, to the point, and it definitely told story through and through. I instantly noticed the repetition of the word “pedo”. Secondly I noticed that almost every time he used it, it seemed to take on a different meaning than the time before. That was cool. I don’t know why but as I was reading the story I couldn’t help but hear it being told in my head in a George Lopez voice, especially with all the transitions from English to Spanish. I didn’t really catch on to much literary elements aside from humor, if that is even an element of literature.
ReplyDelete“Tacos o Lonches” like “And You Thought Pedo Meant Fart” was easy to read. I definitely got more imagery out of it with how he describes the food and scenery leading to El No Que No. It felt informative like a story but also detailed instructions on how to get to this certain food stand and what exactly to order. I liked the part where he talks about going to get Corona’s but coming back with Modelo. He made it sound as if his girlfriend at the time left him years later because of his confession about lying, being “machismo” telling her a lie instead of the truth because the truth kind of made him look not as manly.
Overall I enjoyed reading this author’s pieces. Both were fun and easy to read. I could be bias because I am a “valley-ite” therefore I understood all the references and was able to imagine the exact scenes he was describing. Nonetheless, outside of the insider references and sayings (sayings mostly if not entirely in “And You Thought Pedo Meant Fart”) I truly enjoyed these readings I would absolutely read more by this author.
-Alfredo Montemayor
Thomas de la Cruz’s “And you thought pedo meant fart” is really weird to read. I didn’t really enjoy it and I didn’t really make any connection. I really like the random uses of Spanish sayings. You can tell that Thomas de la Cruz was really influenced by his Spanish culture in this piece. It kind of sounds too casual for a story, as if he’s personally telling people this story about the one time he hooked up in a bar. I couldn’t find any way to relate to this story. I also couldn’t find any meaning in the title as well. With every story I’ve read the author makes a point throughout the story to kind of describe and give a reason as to why a story is titled that way.
ReplyDeleteTacos o Lonches by Thomas de la Cruz, is slightly more enjoyable than the other story. Cruz uses a lot of good imagery describing the lonches and I started getting really hungry for a lonche even though I’ve never even had one before. I really like it because it’s really relatable due to the fact that we live in the place where the story takes place. He also talks about his feelings and also makes references to popular movies. With this story its way more sensitive because of how everyone in los Flores makes him feel special because they are so tentative with him. He uses very precise settings for this story saying he only eats at the last truck and even describes his waiter and the day and what month the day is, which I feel is very important for establishing a sort of connection with the audience of this story. The author makes a connection with the title. Also I think that the audience’s location has a big effect on whether or not they get the story, because I’ve been here most of my life I know exactly what he’s talking about and a more or less sense of where he is talking about.
P.S. it’s kind of awkward saying all this bad stuff when we’re all going to be face to face with the author.
-Lowen Sauceda
I will not lie, these two stories have been one of the funniest and strangest, yet very relatable and amusing stories I have read. Thomas de la Cruz has a way with words, making the reader be part of it, especially the Valley-ites.
ReplyDelete“Tacos O Lonches” was very targeting and detailed to express the idea of where we are and how we are. Also I think that the exquisite taste of the tacos was used as a way to call the attention to ourselves. As real as Nuevo Progresso is, as real as a different place is, this story called my attention by making me see that no matter where we are, many people have a very minor idea of tacos and mostly the lonches. It is in a different mindset, like de la Cruz wrote, “it’s an inside thing”. Nonetheless the Spanish might have thrown a few people off, but it makes us awake of the different diction from different places. De la Cruz, used sentences that had commas in between them and those sentences caught my attention due to how the following sentences were short. An example for this is when he introduces the entrances of the man that approached them asking for what type of lonche he and his father wanted. What I liked were his transitions on from a family in a place where people worked in the streets to when he could have been a bit older accompanied by a woman and in a different street and a bar.
For the second story, “AND YOU THOUGHT PEDO MEANT FART”, jesus this was good stuff. The ability he had to use one single word for many different meanings and not be weird about it, AMAZED me. Not like I don’t do that you know… but I have never read or even written about this that-thing-i-honestly- don’t-have-a-word-for. Anyway it was the bomb, again not a lot of quotations, yet it is very selective in the things that de la Cruz quotes on. I thought it was very interesting how he states his thoughts and makes us feel like we are in his conscious. This story was easy to read and it is very funny, and even if it is in another language, it is inspiring. I think that two languages that make a whole and in this case make sense is beautiful.
-Maria J. Salinas
“And You Thought Pedo Meant Fart” by Thomas de la Cruz was a story that I’m pretty sure every student here can relate to. Cruz uses his cultural experience and lifestyle to write about the different meanings of a specific word. Cruz keeps the reader entertained by showing the different ways, and situations, to use the word. The story has a very comical tone, especially in the ending. Though the story doesn’t give much background on the characters, we can assume that the main character, Ray, was at the bar post college graduation. Since he jokes about attempting to pass off as a doctor, and that he calls himself a writer, we safely assume that Ray is educated. The language and dialogue used in this story is very similar to the culture here in the valley. After a quick search, I realized that the writer, Thomas de la Cruz, is actually a professor here on campus, which would be a major factor for the language used in the story.
ReplyDelete“Tacos O Lonches” was another story written by Thomas de la Cruz. Cruz was quite smooth in this writing and it was very easy to comprehend, very much so thanks to his incredible use of imagery. Cruz goes into extreme details when describing the foods that it is sure to leave the reader’s mouth watery (maybe he should try out as a food critic?). In some cases, Cruz even acknowledges the reader, giving this story the sense of a direct story from Cruz. He describes his experience attending these places here in the Valley, and in one instance claims that San Antonio isn’t part of “south” Texas, which I can relate to, it could possibly be a “valley-mites” thing as well. Once again, Cruz’s cultural background is shown in this writing through his use of Spanish words and mixing them with English in the same sentences. The reason behind the title, Tacos O Lonches, was clearly told in the story, from Le Guera that would quickly approach them with the question, Cruz used a similar form of reasoning behind his first story, as well.
-Jesus Pena
“And You Thought Pedo Meant Fart,” was definitely a different type of story. Though I laughed at certain parts, I felt as though it didn’t really have a meaning other than it being a humorous story for someone to read. The language used automatically made me think of a story a drunk guy would tell about “that one time he was in a bar.” As I kept on reading and coming across the word “pedo” it had several different meanings. The details of the bar and the people that surrounded him gave a certain feel to the story. In a way it reminded me of How I Met Your Mother because Ted is always trying to find girls at the local bar, but is always too shy to go talk to them. All in all, it was a funny story to read but I didn’t really see a theme or moral.
ReplyDeleteI definitely related to the second reading, “Tacos O Lonches.” I could almost see the stands and the people as he was describing them. I like how he mentioned that people take your order before you even sit down because in all honesty, its true. And its funny that he mentions it, but we all have that one place we choose over others – and we don’t really know why, we just do. There was a lot more imagery in this piece compared to the other one. I laughed when he mentioned that thing about feeling like The Godfather because I thought it was really corny, but the part that really made you see the object was when he started talking about food. I could almost see the lonches in front of me. I also thought it was funny how he mentions that even though we’re so close to Mexico, we still get looked at differently. In the end we see the moral of the story, which I’m assuming is to feel wanted (even if it is by a lady trying to sell you food.) I really enjoyed reading the second story more than the first and want to know why he wrote these pieces. Hopefully he will explain.
-Alyssa Ramos
So these stories were interesting. This author Thomas De La Cruz seems like your typical valley guy talking about girls and the valley. In "And You Thought The Word Meant Pedo", I thought it was funny how he kept using the word pedo made think he was a pedophile cause I don't speak Spanish. I did feel like I as watching him thinking I was there at the club with him. He tried looking all cool and who wouldn't try to be cool. But the girl coming up to him I didn't believe but I'm sure this story is fictional right. He wants to feel like a man like Superman and batman getting the chicks in the end wanting to fool around. And the funniest part he almost gets in a fight and goes to jail over a female. More of a bar story right? Funny story.
ReplyDeleteIn the story "Tacos O Lonches", I liked that it is an original story about South Texas. Calling us "Valley-ites" sounded cool because it gives the valley it's own people's name. I enjoyed the description of Mexico because it reminded me of my childhood when I went to Mexico with my family. I felt like I was there and pretended I knew the place because I don't remember what town we went to. But the story sounded cool about feeling like a boss when the Mexican cooks were friendly and making him feel wanted like the Godfather. The message about being nice and treating kids to a coke because they are poor is touching and a cool message to give back.
-Adelisa Fuentes
Of the two I had to say Tacos O Lonches was my favorite. The other story was interesting because of the many ways pedo is used in the vocabulary of a lot of the Hispanic, Latino tongue and growing up in the Valley well it just becomes something you get used to hearing from fluent Spanish speakers. Tacos O Lonches was a really moving story for me because I can almost see and taste the descriptions in the story and see Mexico for what it looked like in my last memories. Visiting our neighboring country. He talks about feeling wanted when you visit, but what I felt was how to be humble in everything I do and to be greatful. I learned to be compassionate and giving at a young age. When he wrote about buying “those nopales” that is exactly what my dad and me would do even though we hated them. It was where I did feel important as he writes because I felt connected to the other half of me and did my best to learn Spanish and try to be part of what a lot of the Mexican people I call friends and family think I lack today. I haven’t been to Mexico in over eight years, but reading this brought those good old days back and makes me want to revisit to feel that again, to be able to take a visit through the stores that smelled like leather, and the smell of tacos in the air and to pass by that bar where everyone wanted to bull-ride. I think Taco O Lonches was a great piece.
ReplyDeleteLisa Marie Serna
"And You Thought Pedo Meant Fart" by Thomas de la Cruz was so far, the funniest story I have read in this class. He writes very casually in this piece almost like he is telling this story to entertain his close friends. He takes us through the night and his drinks, in a humorous tone as he is out looking for a woman. He goes back and forth between English and Spanish which is really common down here in this area, where I learned he happens to live! He goes on to use the Spanish word pedo different ways throughout the reading which ties together with his comical title.
ReplyDelete"Tacos O Lonches" by Thomas de la Cruz has a great beginning explaining the Rio Grande Valley again, in a light hearted funny way. He continues to discuss the two great things I personally love about South Texas/Mexico: Mexican food and drinks. He then begins to talk about Mexico and more specifically, Sonora Street. Cruz uses a lot of imagery to describe the area and stands. Comparing himself to a scene in the Godfather, he is able to successfully explain how important and wanted he feels as he walks passed each food stand that is desperate for his business. Throughout reading this I notice this is a very convincing piece that even makes me want to take a quick trip down there. He describes the food so well, the atmosphere and does not forget to mention the countless citizens that are out selling lists of things to support their family. I fully appreciated both of his stories, his language, his tone, it was all enjoyable.
-Brittany Garcia
“And you thought pedo meant fart” by Thomas De La Cruz was very amusing and different compared to the other reads we’ve read throughout the semester. I noticed the author was more of a laid back type of author. The authors topic and grammatical structure is able to identify that; he also didn’t used quotations when referring to his dialogue but I as the reader was still able to distinguish that it was a conversation. I was entertained by reading this, the author laid out a title that made perfect sense with the story. He also made this shorty story bilingual which was also a cool thing to read. Would I recommend this story to a colleague or coworker? Probably not, but would I recommend it to a close friend or family member? Probably. Overall I enjoyed the humor.
ReplyDelete“Tacos O Lonches” was great! It was so great because it’s a relatable story. I couldn’t have described it better myself. I feel as if the writer wrote and described this story perfectly for people who can relate to doing this, if someone from a different state that has never done this read this story they’d probably be a bit less interested because they’ve never actually experienced it. This I’d have to say goes for any story. If the reader can relate to it, it makes it more interesting to read, this is why I enjoyed reading it. He was on point with many of his descriptions and I really liked it.
-Natasha Villarreal
I really enjoyed “And You Thought Pedo Meant Fart” by Thomas De La Cruz. I liked enjoyed the language he used and the structure of the short story. The great usage of Spanish and the slang made it even more comical. From the very first line of the story you knew something crazy was going to happen and it was a great way to hook the reader. I was already looking forward to the next line in the story and was anxious. This is somewhat relatable, because this is what goes through every guy’s minds when he rehearses to himself talking to a girl. There was great detail that led to awesome imagery and you can picture him getting tossed across the bar.
ReplyDeleteIn “Tacos O Lonches” by Thomas De La Cruz, he uses personal experiences in his story, which in my opinion only enhances the story and makes it better. Adding personal experiences really shows the writers emotions and feelings in the story. Just like in the previous reading, Thomas De La Cruz does a wonderful job of using a key literary element that is imagery. I have never been to Las Flores, Mexico but due to do the imagery I feel I have. I can picture the main street of Benito Juarez just as he describes it. I thought it was funny how he says we are called “The Valley” even though it is geographically incorrect. This is truly something only us who live here would know about. I think this is a story about having someone in life because he mentions how when walking down the main street, people are always showing attention and that it is good to feel wanted even if it is just workers at a taco stand. Also, he mentions a woman in the story who unfortunately leaves him. Overall, I really really enjoyed both these stories and how they incorporated our Mexican culture in them that allows us to connect to them even more.
-Brandon Garcia
I enjoyed reading the second story more than the first, not to say I didn’t like the first one because I did. My reason was that I could relate to the second story more than I can relate to the first one. I’ve been in Las Flores and eaten the lonches, given my leftovers to the barefooted kids, and boughten the chicles, I’ve felt the importance De La Cruz has felt while walking down the shops and taco trucks. I’ve been in his shoes. Reading his story gave me a “homesick” kind of feeling in a weird way. In the second story, I liked that it had humor in it and that I understood what was going on, but it wasn’t as appealing as the second one. The first story felt a bit sloppy but it kind of went with it. In the story he was drunk and when you read the story, well at least when I read it, it sounded like he came home drunk and told me about his night. i think he said the word pedo, a little too much but again, something you’d see as a negative aspect in another story I felt actually worked with this one. I went with the theme of being drunk. In these two stories I could connect with the author and I really liked the fact that I could do this. The detail he adds in the second story was pretty spot on, I’ve seen and felt everything he described in the second story muiple times, I’d really like to know when exactly the second story was written, I haven’t gone to las flores in atleast 8 years because of all the violence that happened with the drug cartel, I had heard some pretty scary stories so I haven’t gone in a good while but I still remember it all. These two stories were well written and since they’re from home in a way, I could really relate which made them enjoyable to read.
ReplyDelete-Bibi Ann Gonzalez
I couldn’t stop laughing at And You Thought Pedo Meant Fart. It was very entertaining to see the author use one word an attach so many different meanings to it. None of it comes of as forced and in no instance did I feel like the joke was being overused. His appeal to the Latino culture is very effective and being of that ethnicity I found it to be very much like I was hearing one of my friends talk. The story isn’t so Latino oriented that someone of a different culture will be lost, in fact it provides a very honest look into Latino culture, beyond just the proper phrases and rhetoric one is exposed to in Spanish classes. I have always enjoyed Hispanic authors and admire their work, this was another piece of work that I will strive to achieve. In my writing I hope to be able to share my culture in a way that is as smooth and entertaining as Cruz’s short story.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in the Rio Grande Valley and both my parents work in Las Flores so this story was one that caught and held my attention. Regardless of my familiarity with the town, the way in which the author describes every detail, from the way the people treat you to the rows of taco stands, it all established the setting very well. Upon reading this, one can go to Las Flores and wouldn’t be surprised by what would happen next. The great detail extends beyond just the town and into the food. I had never seen a better explanation for the euphoria one feels when eating a lonche. Anybody who has had one will know exactly what the author is talking about and those who have yet to eat one will experience it perfectly through his words. From this work we can take away a lot of great examples of imagery. The words the author uses are ripped straight from personal experience and as one who is familiar with this world can attest to his experience as being exactly what a visit to Las Flores would entail.
-Alvaro Pulido
These readings made me feel as if I was reading a basic valley story, or maybe as if I was living it myself. Each sentence had me remembering the times I have done the same thing, been in the same situation, or simply just seen people go through that situation.
ReplyDeleteThe language used for both these stories was very fluent and easy to understand, the words flowed and make perfect understanding sentence after sentence. For myself since Spanish was being used the words rolled perfectly off my tong, which I loved. The way these stories were described in detail made you feel as if you were they’re living that moment with this author.
The first story “And You Thought Pedo Meant Fart” was a very interesting story to read in my perspective. But I guess I see it that way because I am fluent in Spanish and I know how valley people are when it comes to their downtown parties. I question myself if the author mention the word so many times (a total of 27 to be exact) because of the title of because he wanted to person that was reading this to know how far off drunk he was or how “pedo” he was. The description made me be able to perfectly imagine the situation as if I was in that same place which I really enjoyed.
“Tortas o Lonches” is a story that caught my attention since it started and I think that what the author was trying to do. He was trying to get the attention of those readers who are not from the valley and who question some things us valley people say. Unlike the past story this story was more directly for those type of people and not for the ones that have been here for years and generations. As well as the past story the language and details were perfect making this story very fluent.
I was able to get a perfect understanding of these stories and get a new point of view on how to be able to write personal experiences that can either be as a wake up call to someone who has never experienced it or as a remember this to those who have.
-Alicia Lucio