
Grocery List – San Miguel de Allende
milk – leche (lay chay)
chicken – pollo (poi-yo)
onions – cebollas (seboyas)
carrots – zanahorias (?)
cheese – queso (Oaxaxa?) wahaca
Butcher shop on Calle Calvaro cleaner than most
Go to hardware (ferretaria) on Hurillo Nunez for 3 to 2 prong ext cord
Pharmacy (farmacia) on Jardin (hardeen) for P. Bismol
When home, look up translations for –
500 and 50, put ext cord back on new list, ‘can I have a bag, please?’
And – ‘why are there police in that street?’ and ‘Were those noises gunshots?’
‘Does this street go to the Three Arches?’ tres arcos
‘Does this street go north?’
‘Does your dog bite?’
‘I am afraid of dogs.’
‘Where does this street go?’
‘Is there a store nearby?’
‘Do you sell Coca Cola?’
‘Can I buy a drink? Any drink.’
‘Why the hell are you sitting behind that counter if you aren’t selling anything?’ – (no, don’t translate this. Hopefully, I won’t need it again.)
‘Where can I get a taxi?’
‘Sorry, I didn’t know this bench was private.’
‘Is there someplace I can sit?’
‘I am very tired.’
‘I am very thirsty.’
‘I am very hot.’
‘I am lost.’
‘Help me.’
The Story 365 project is a year-long marathon of short story writing, with a new story posted every day on this website from May 1, 2011 – April 30, 2012. Â Stories must be a minimum of 200 words. Â Please help me by adding first line suggestions in the Comment section.
Thank you to my aunt, Peggy Shannon, who inspired this with her own cryptic list written in a foreign country.
I see you translated those cryptic remarks into something quite wonderful. Wow, what else do I have tucked away.
batton I think is batten but who cares in the lighting story. You get better all the time.
Batting, as it happens. But never mind. This is just a great series of pieces. I am in awe…! I like this list form…little mysteries indeed. Great stuff…
p.s. have I mentioned how lovely and attractive the website is? I hope when I finally get mine together it is half as good… and that I have the nerve to start a project of this sort…
Hey, Candas – why not try a story a day for a month? We can challenge each other with first lines. Today I was really at a loss, so I used a plan I’ve had in my pocket – to be inspired by first lines from all the stories in Asimov’s Sept. 2010 issue. Honestly did not have a clue when I started the story where it would go (story 42)