Cultural Commentary

I was looking at my pathetic financial state and realizing that I have to cut my expenses. I already lead a pretty simple life, but if I am going to spend $400 a week on veterinarian bills, something has got to go.

My one fairly expensive indulgence is coffee - I buy the $14 a pound beans and drink lots of it. I figure my doctor is always telling me to drink 8 glasses of water a day. Coffee is mostly water, right? So 64 oz of coffee should be perfectly healthy.

I wracked my brain for a cheaper caffeine delivery solution and remembered that I survived in Mexico on Nescafe Clasico and it wasn't awful like so much instant coffee in the U.S. is. In some places Nescafe Clasico might be hard to find, but not in California (Unofficial State Motto: Mexico primero y siempre! (It was Mexico first, and it always will be.) I went over to La Central Market and picked up a jar.

The English instructions say: place one rounded teaspoon of Nescafe Clasico in a cup. Add hot water or milk and enjoy.

But in Spanish they say: Ponga Nescafe Clasico a su gusta en una taza, agregue agua hervida o leche caliente y disfrutelo. (Put Nescafe Clasico as you like it in a cup, add boiling water or hot milk and enjoy.

A subtle difference, but enough to make me wonder why they didn't translate it exactly. Is it that Anglos like clearer instructions, or that Latinos don't like to be told how to do things? I need to know. I guess that makes me an Anglo, que no?

It still tastes pretty good.