¨codo¨ means elbow. elbow apparently means cheap. the next time you think someone is being cheap, you merely have to point at them (james, i am thinking of you here because this requires absolutely no verbal effort) and then touch your elbow with you one hand, almost like cupping it. this seems amazingly simple as i describe it, but i realize that it might not be so obvious. anywho.

so now this has become a forum for me to describe the extent of cheapness, or as i like to say my thriftiness. i tried to explain thrifty to the guys today. they finally decided that it was my way of feeling good about how cheap i am. which it is. i tried the example (all of this is in spanish mind you) of i could buy a big refrigerator, which had them all excited because then they could all store beer and other such goods in it, which i do not really need, or i could get the smaller version because it suits my needs. thrifty. i do not need to spend lots of money, so i only buy what i need. i did not buy three shirts this weekend at regular price; i waited until the very last shop which had reduced priced shirts, 50% off because they had small blemishes which really could be removed with a little soap, water and scrubbing, and then i bought one. the boys were laughing because jorge chico had already bought four and then got another one with me.

so today everyone laughed at me because there are two main options for getting back to the university from lunch. one, cram into the 1970´s style school bus with every other student and person (this means standing and sweating for about 7 minutes) or taking a 5 person taxi. these taxi are nissan sentra size cars: four door, made for a max of five child-like occupants, not six (we put two in the front bucket seat which is not recommended by the nissan corporation, department of highway safety or either person stuck in the front). the bus is 2.50 pesos. the taxi is 4 pesos (20 pesos total, but five people is only 4 each. i know, math people, obvious to most, but there are english teachers reading this after all). i always opt for the bus. practical, slow, reliable even if it is hot, smelly and far too overcrowded (think volkswagen beetle at the circus).

they won and i took the cab. a small victory for them because secretly they really just love to harass me. the legend of the cheap gringo will undoubtedly continue. until next time....