I Try Saying 'Chilaquiles'

Latin America Special Issue

Page

Words by

Masha Pospolitak, age 11

Pictures by

Julianna Wang, age 12

Translation by

Rafael Molina Pulgar

Narration by

Alex Clark

You can read this story in

Spanish

by clicking the button below.

Read translated version

Read

I’m walking around the Mexican market
The smell of oregano, the heat of salsa
I try saying ‘chilaquiles’ but it comes out completely wrong
Buckets of loquats, tomatillos and avocados wait to be bought
I try not to seem like a tourist, but it doesn’t really work out
I take the smallest steps, admiring the beauty
Sugar skulls are stacked into the tallest of peaks
Bunting with hats and skulls flutters from stall to stall
I can’t hear my own voice because of all the noise
Sacks of grain and spices sit in almost every stall
Family-size bags of Cheetos hang high
My arms can’t reach
Dancers wear frilly dresses like massive fans
I want to stay here longer

Meet The Author

Learn

What are ‘chilaquiles’? Look up all the fruit and vegetables named in Masha’s poem and learn their meanings and correct pronunciations. Practise saying them with a classmate.

Create

Write a skit about an exchange between a stallholder and a tourist who do not speak the same language. Consider how they would communicate using words, gestures and mime.

Illustrate

Find some props and make some simple costumes from materials found in your classroom. Perform your skit!

RESPOND

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REVIEW

Review your favourite story or poem and send it to the editor.

PUBLISH

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