Laura = hot stuff

Yesterday our Spanish teacher introduced the kids to some words that are opposites. (hot-cold, big-small, tall-short, happy-sad, etc.)

As part of the lesson she went around the table asking each of the kids to say a sentence in Spanish using some of their new vocabulary words.

"A giraffe is tall."
"The Arctic Ocean is cold."
"Marissa is small."
"I am sad."

The teacher approved of each sentence by saying, "Muy bien...muy bien!" (very good.) Laura's turn came next and she chose to use the word "hot" to use in her sentence. The very simple sentence that she made up was, "I am hot." The poor teacher was rendered speechless and her eyes bugged out for a moment. She finally turned to Ana and murmered, "What does she mean?" Ana, a little confused at the teacher's expression, said, "You know...like...she's hot...she's warm...like, it's hot in the house..." Only then did a glimmer of understanding pass the teacher's face as she chuckled and then explained what she thought Laura had meant. She further explained that in Chile, where she is from, if one says "I am hot" it means something quite different than here in America...something that probably shouldn't be spoken about around young children. We all got a good chuckle out of it...and throughout the rest of the day several of us good-naturedly called Laura, "hey, hot-stuff!"

I guess it's a good thing to know these things...one never knows when they might find themselves in a Spanish speaking, foreign country, standing or playing out in the hot sun...fanning themselves and wearing who-knows-what and murmering, "I am hot...I am sooo hot!"......one just might find themselves with a lot of unwanted attention...