August 17, 2008

Sometimes mistranslations are a good thing!

My neighbors have chickens, which is something I've been wanting to do since we moved out here. Since it looks like we'll be here a few more years, at least, I'm really itching to get to raising them next year. My only issue is that I don't want to kill and clean them! And, my neighbors are Mexican immigrants and don't speak any English. Their 8 year old daughter does, however, and today I asked her who killed their chickens (her mother) and if she would be interested in killing and cleaning some for me if I raised my own (and how much per bird she would want!)

Well a little while later my husband comes in and says that he thinks the neighbor girl misunderstood, because her mom was killing one of their own chickens for us! Oh my. Well I talked to her again and explained. I think she got what I meant, that time! (Thankfully, all I could think to say in Spanish was "Quiero levantar pollo" which I think would be more like "I want to pick up chickens" ...her mom might have though I was some kind of perv).

Still, my 7 year old trotted in later with a freshly killed and cleaned, still warm chicken! I offered my neighbor a few dollars for the trouble, but she wouldn't take any money, so I gave her some of the zucchini relish I canned last weekend, instead. My husband quipped that it was like our own little co-op, and I'm hoping she'll take me up on my offer so I can have my own chickens next year!

So for dinner we're having fried chicken and mashed potatoes :)


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