Post from Cuba
Hola amigos!
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Spanish Phrases for Cigar Smokers – Frases en español para los fumadores de puros
I’m headed to Cuba in a few days, and I’m trying to brush up on my Spanish. Usually I get an international data plan, and I’m able to use google translate, xe currency, google maps, etc., on my phone (which I really can’t recommend highly enough if you want to get off hotel property and really see a country). Americans can’t really get an international plan or local sim card in Cuba, so I’ll be traveling sans interwebs. I googled, “Spanish phrases for cigar smokers” but couldn’t find a good resource. So despite the fact that I don’t speak Spanish and am therefore unqualified, I’ll do my best to provide a comprehensive phrase sheet for tourists seeking cigars. Lets start with the most useful phrase:
Do you speak english?
¿Hablas Inglés?
If that doesn’t work, keep reading. Lets go in chronological order, so we’ll start with finding a cigar retailer. Let me point out that I use puros and cigarros. In my experience, one term may work when the other does not, depending on the country, person, etc. If you try both, you’ll likely succeed.
Where can I buy cigars?
¿Dónde puedo comprar puros?
Excuse me, where is a cigar shop?
Perdone, ¿dónde está una tienda de cigarros?
Where is a cigar bar?
¿Dónde hay un bar de cigarros?
Do you know its name? (you can type it into google maps, or better ask the next person)
¿Sabes su nombre?
This way? (one would point while saying this)
Esta manera?
How many blocks?
Cuántas cuadras?
Can you show me on this map?
¿Me puede mostrar en este mapa?
Can you show me on my phone?
¿Puedes mostrarme en mi teléfono?
Now that we’ve found the shop, lets pick out some sticks. You’ll notice that I did not include any phrases about authenticity. If you have to ask, they’re fake. If you ask, they’ll say they’re real. Most cigars sold in touristy areas probably are fake. I’d get on google and do a little research before your trip if you don’t already know how to spot fakes, and how to find authorized retailers. This advice mostly pertains to Cuban cigars, but I’ve heard that fakes of NCs are becoming more prevalent. State run stores, high end hotels, Duty Free, and retailers affiliated with Habanos SA are your best bet.
Hello, I’m looking for some cigars.
Hola, estoy buscando para algunos puros.
May I enter the humidor?
¿Puedo entrar en el humidor?
I’m just looking, thank you.
Sólo estoy mirando, gracias.
I prefer mild cigars
Yo prefiero puros suaves
I prefer medium strength cigars
Yo prefiero puros de fuerza media
I prefer strong cigars
Prefiero puros fuertes
What do you recommend?
¿Qué recomienda usted?
Is there a larger size?
¿Existe un tamaño más grande? (más grande?)
Is there a smaller size?
¿Existe un tamaño más pequeño? (más pequeño?)
Can I see more sizes?
¿Puedo ver más de las tallas? (más tamaños?)
Do you have the brand, Montecristo?
¿Tiene la marca, Montecristo?
Can I buy a box?
¿Puedo comprar una caja?
Can I buy a single cigar?
¿Puedo comprar un cigarro?
Do you have packs of three? Five?
¿Tiene paquetes de tres? ¿Cinco?
Do you have vintage cigars with more age?
¿Tiene puros de la vendimia con más edad?
What year is this from?
¿De qué año es esto?
May I see the box code?
¿Puedo ver el código de la caja?
Do you have limited edition cigars?
¿Se ha limitado puros edición?
After selecting our cigars, we’ll need to check out.
How much for this?
¿Cuánto cuesta esto?
Do you take credit card?
¿Toma la tarjeta de crédito?
Do you sell cigar cutters or punches?
¿Venden cortapuros o punzones?
Do you have matches?
¿Tienes cerillas?
Do you sell lighters?
¿Venden encendedores?
Can I have the receipt?
¿Puedo tener la cuenta?
Thank you very much
Muchas gracias
Smoke em if you’ve got em.
May I smoke?
¿Se puede fumar?
May I smoke here?
¿Se puede fumar aquí?
Is cigar smoking permitted?
¿Se permite fumar cigarros?
Do you have a light?
¿Tienes fuego?
Do you serve drinks?
¿Sirven las bebidas?
May I have an ashtray?
¿Puedo tener un cenicero?
Perhaps we’d like to return.
What are your hours?
¿Cuáles son sus horas?
Are you open tomorrow?
¿Está abierto mañana?
Are you open Sunday?
¿Está abierto el domingo?
What is your phone number?
¿Cuál es su número de teléfono?
I hope this helps you out. Again, I’m not a Spanish speaker, just a traveler who likes cigars. Most stores that deal with tourists will have someone who can speak some English, and even if not, you usually only need broken Spanglish to get your point across. I’m sure my translations contain some mistakes, but just use it as a guide, and good luck. I hope it helps y’all out.
Thank you for bearing with me
Gracias por su paciencia conmigo
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Appalachian Accent
As you can see from my previous golf trip posts, I just got back from being around about 40 guys with West Virginian accents. Theses are guys my parents grew up with and around, so their accents are only so different from my parents’. My dad, and to a lesser extent, my mom, still have accents, but years of living near DC has toned them down considerably. I always enjoy seeing how much the accents come back when we go up to see relatives. My wife and I were born in the same hospital, and raised about 20 miles apart. However, she was raised by former New Yorkers, while I was raised by West Virginians. It was pretty wild to come back from the trip and notice how different her accent really is from mine, and how neither of us really have a neutral DC accent. While the DC area has a lot of out of towners that come and go, the native accent, at least to me, is pretty neutral. If you find someone who grew up in Northern Virginia or Southern Maryland, you won’t hear much of an accent at all. We also had a native Oklahoman and his son (also raised in Northern Virginia). The Oklahoma accent doesn’t sound wildly different given a cursory listen, but the argot is quite different (darlin’).
I have a suspicion that my mother-in-law did the Brooklyn part of this video:
It took me forever, but I finally found a few videos of the accent particular to the part of WV my parents are from. Its funny that its from a fire department as my parents once told me I couldn’t go see my grandparents until I learned to say, “fire truck” the correct way (F’AR truck).
I can’t be sure if either of those guys are native to Wayne County WV, but they sound about right. This one sounds about right as well:
I remember reading in, The Right Stuff, that the West Virginia drawl became popular with pilots because of Chuck Yeager. Yeager grew up about an hour from where my parents were raised.
I also found part of a documentary called Mountain Talk. It features North Carolinians, but reminded me of how my relatives always say, “mashed”, where I might say, “smashed”, or, “crushed.” For example, by accident one might mash his finger with a hammer, or get a finger mashed by the door. They also say, “pop”, where I say, “soda.”
I was inspired to write this post not only by my recent trip, but also the video below, that I found via the linked blog:
http://oldvirginiablog.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-brief-explanation-of-southern-accenty.html
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The Masters (online schedule), Azalea Cocktails, Pimento Cheese
Tuesday, live coverage at the range begins on NBC Sports LiveExtra at 9am! Part 3 contest Wednesday at 3 on Masters.com. After that, there is pretty much full time coverage online. NBC Sports LiveExtra has even more live coverage. The first round starts Thursday, fourth round is Sunday. Since I won’t be around a computer or TV for the main event, I’ll post a few pics from last year’s party, and simply remind y’all to get your Azalea Cocktails ingredients ready, and pimento cheese made.
Pictured: Big CW enjoying an Azalea cocktail, complete with Azalea garnish from the back yard. The wife getting started on the Pimento cheese sandwiches (yes, we also had ritz crackers).
For more Masters blog coverage, check out RedClaySoul. He’s already two Masters posts in, and there will definitely be more to come. I look forward to the RCS Masters coverage each year.
Enjoy the Masters everyone. ¡Viva El Pato, y Jiménez !
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World Cup 2014 Brazil, why you should care, why you should watch
The 2014 World Cup kicks off on Thursday, June 12th. You can watch the hosts, Brazil, play Croatia. For about a month there will be match after match of world class soccer. I have friends that grew up playing soccer, and those that did not. Regardless of your soccer background, not being able to appreciate soccer is unforgivable. Its not a difficult game to understand. Its not hard to see how talented the athletes are. The most common complaint I hear is about the low scoring (in comparison to American sports) nature of the game. I compare it to hockey. The scores are lower, but the goals only count for one, and there is constant action. I love football. But consider that football has 11 minutes of actual playing time. Soccer gives you a full 90 minutes of action. The second most common complaint I hear is that there is not always a clear winner. Let me first say that I do not agree with this statement. Premiership soccer uses a point system, not completely unlike nascar. Wins and ties earn points, losses do not. So when an underdog team holds a better team to a tie, they get a point. This can be viewed as a win in many circumstances. If you don’t know or care about the situation of the two teams, it may appear that an even score equates to an even outcome, even though one team more than likely has made out better than the other. Soccer is the beautiful game. Its unrivaled in its grace and spectacle. If you’re not open minded enough to enjoy it, you’re only cheating yourself.
Let me also sell soccer another way. It is unpatriotic to not support USA in the world cup.
So lets assume I’ve sold you on soccer. How to get started? DVR some matches. Check out the US National Team Soccer schedule and catch some of our games in the lead up to the World Cup. Take a look at fox sports 1, and beinsport for additional games. Go to a MLS game near you. The man who can sit near DC United’s La Barra Brava and not get into it is dead inside.
The US plays our rival Mexico, tonight at 11pm EST on ESPN.
Here is a link to my original plea for y’all to get into soccer.
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Song Que at Eden Center (beginners’ guide to the Eden Center), Dolcezza Gelato, Gibraltar, OHOP
We started the weekend by getting some breakfast at Mike’s Deli. Delicious and filling.
If you live nearby and have not been to the Eden Center, you are really missing out. It is slightly intimidating to the uninitiated, but with a few simple tips, you can find out what all the fuss is about. I wanted to go to Nhu Lan, which was featured in Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, but it was closed. So we went to perhaps the most popular banh mi spot in Eden Center. Song Que is easy to find, as it is outside (the Eden Center has a few mall-like inside areas), and in the main corner under the clock tower. The cashiers generally speak english well, and the sandwiches are numbered. I like the #2 (pork and pork skin). If you get a banh mi, and a bubble tea (all the flavors are good, but I got thai iced tea), you’ve had a great first Eden Center experience.
We went to see a movie at the Angelika, but first stopped at Dolcezza Gelato. We shared some gelato (always particularly good), and I got a gibraltar. If you’re not up on your espresso drinks, a gibraltar is kind of a like a cortado. Essentially, its espresso, hot milk, and no foam. The absence of foam is what differentiates it from a cappuccino. The type of glass in which is is served, its namesake, is what differentiates it form a cortado. Some call it the fools cappuccino, but to me, its just a decent cupa with a hipstery name and following. Not unlike a flat white. At 4.5 oz, its a good size before a movie. We saw the grand budapest hotel, and found it quite enjoyable.
Sunday, the weather was crappy again, canceling my golf plans, and turning this entry into a food-exclusive post. I did nothing this weekend but eat. At least we had some good food. OHOP is about as good as it gets if you want a huge classic breakfast. It doesn’t matter what you order, as long as you get the bacon.
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Falls Church City Restaurant Week
http://fcnp.com/falls-church-restaurant-week-2014/
They finally announced the deals for FCC Restaurant week (March 24-30). Just like last year, it looks like the best deal to be had is at Pilin Thai. I went last year, and the amount of food and wine we got for the price was crazy. I’ll definitely be going back to PT this year. Sfizi has 1/2 wine all week. If you haven’t been to the Eden Center yet, several restaurants are participating, so this is a great excuse. Curry Mantra II is offering 20% off. I love this place, so I’ll definitely take advantage of that. I’ll see y’all out in FCC.
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Skeeters
The first summer after moving into our new place in Falls Church City, I knew I had a serious problem. I was next to a house that had a swimming pool, many tires and other water catching refuse in the backyard, owned by an elderly gentleman that was not able to maintain it and unwilling to let me help. I tried mosquito dunks and all the poison I could buy at Home Depot, but the mosquitos, particularly the tiger mosquitos, were relentless. A big factor in picking our current residence was the large yard. I was just about unable to use it. All of my guests complained, and even covered in deet, they’d still get bit. After suffering for a summer or two, I found out about Mosquito Squad. I was asked to have a friend’s wedding rehearsal dinner in my back yard, and decided to do a one time spray to see how it went. It worked. The next summer, I went in for the whole summer package. I can’t imagine another summer without it. I couldn’t recommend Mosquito Squad more. I get the normal, standard, package. I do not know if the natural, more eco friendly spray works or not. If you have a mosquito problem, check them out.
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Lost Dog Cafe, Westover beer garden
I grew up near Westover, so I’ve been going to the original Lost Dog Cafe for a good while. Later, they opened up McLean location, and now one in Merrifield as well. The original is still the closest, so during the most recent of a winter full of snow days, we ordered from Lost Dog. I had the billy’s philly with jalapenos, and we shared the spinach and artichoke dip.
I heard a rumor some of my contemporaries who worked at Lost Dog in High School, College, and after, were the ones that franchised it. Pretty cool if true.
If you head over to the original Lost Dog, be sure to cross the street and check out the Westover Market. I used to go to the grocery store there as a child, and remember reading the bulletin board (pre interwebs). Its still a grocery store, but it now has an amazing beer selection (1000+ bottles), a butcher, and an outdoor beer garden. While you’re in the neighborhood, stop by Ayers.
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Beannachtam na Feile Padraig, Carrickfergus
Sláinte
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrickfergus_(song)
Grab a Guinness and enjoy a sad Irish song:
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