Authenticity, RandomnessAugust 16, 2008 10:38 pm
do you know what this is?

students: “what’d you do last night?”
M’Moon: “went to Cracker Barrel to eat fried okra — my favorite!”
blank stares.
M’Moon: “come se dice okra en espanol?”
blank stares. “no se.”
M’Moon: “um…it’s a green vegetable. it kind of looks like a chile but it’s not spicy.”
look of confusion.
one brave student: “green vegetable is broccoli?”
M’Moon: “that is green, but no…”
teacher looks up “okra” via online Spanish-English dictionary.
M’Moon: “1. quingombó (m) okra (f)???”
“no se.”
teacher finds pictures on google; students come look.
shaking of heads.
confusion.
apparently, it’s a vegetable that’s not sold or grown in Mexico…

