Hey, amigos. Question for you.
You know, I thought the Ask A Mexican advice column concept was REAL DICEY when I first saw it, but I have to say I'm impressed with how he pulls it off.
I do, sorta, have a question for him but not really. I worked with an Argentine woman one summer who told me a story I have never been able to sort. (See, I know that people from Mexico and people from Argentina are not the same. So my question is really for Argentineans, and it would be rude to ask him just because he is also Latino. So I won't. But I am left still wondering, unless one of you internets people can tell me.)
We were eating lunch and a dog approached, begging for food. I don't feed animals at the table, so I refused. "You have to give him some." she said. "Or he'll die." What? According to my friend, animals and human babies have an organ in their stomach that holds ...something toxic. If they want something and they don't get it, this organ will explode, killing them. This is well-known fact; major newspapers often report on tragic cases of babies who were denied a sip of their mother's coffee and their resulting death of organ rupture. Everyone in Argentina knows this, which is why babies (and dogs, I guess) can have tastes of whatever they reach for on the table. Babies grow out of this; the organ shrinks and is aborbed into the body? as they grow up.
I quizzed her and quizzed her about this organ. I asked her to point to it. I asked her the name. It is the splena, which is NOT the spleen. NOT the appendix. We talked about this organ for days. I've since asked other people from South America and Mexico about this and never gotten a good explanation. Do any of you know about this? Is this a widely spread theory of childraising? How far? What the hell organ does she mean?
I do, sorta, have a question for him but not really. I worked with an Argentine woman one summer who told me a story I have never been able to sort. (See, I know that people from Mexico and people from Argentina are not the same. So my question is really for Argentineans, and it would be rude to ask him just because he is also Latino. So I won't. But I am left still wondering, unless one of you internets people can tell me.)
We were eating lunch and a dog approached, begging for food. I don't feed animals at the table, so I refused. "You have to give him some." she said. "Or he'll die." What? According to my friend, animals and human babies have an organ in their stomach that holds ...something toxic. If they want something and they don't get it, this organ will explode, killing them. This is well-known fact; major newspapers often report on tragic cases of babies who were denied a sip of their mother's coffee and their resulting death of organ rupture. Everyone in Argentina knows this, which is why babies (and dogs, I guess) can have tastes of whatever they reach for on the table. Babies grow out of this; the organ shrinks and is aborbed into the body? as they grow up.
I quizzed her and quizzed her about this organ. I asked her to point to it. I asked her the name. It is the splena, which is NOT the spleen. NOT the appendix. We talked about this organ for days. I've since asked other people from South America and Mexico about this and never gotten a good explanation. Do any of you know about this? Is this a widely spread theory of childraising? How far? What the hell organ does she mean?
posted by Megan at 5:10 PM
10 Comments:
Not quite the same thing, but I've heard stories of children who've eaten bread dough only to have it burst their stomachs when it rose.
Peter
Iron Rails & Iron Weights
I have known a few people from Argentina, and this has never come up.
One I had a friend with a Southern mother refer to the age 15 as "keyleven" (unsure of spelling). We were about 15 ourselves. She was adamant this was a common term in whatever Southern state her mother came from, one of the smaller ones such as Kentucky or Oklahoma.
I have never heard it since, been able to find reference on the Internet, or found any Southern person who didn't look at me crazy.
What is there to say?
It's the SPLENA. My wife has known about it for years....if I were not to get sex from her when I really wanted it, mine would have burst AGES ago. Thank goodness she knows her duty!
Now let's not discuss this anymore, it is NOT meant to be talked about....PLEASE don't spoil a good thing.......
splena - Esperanto for Lienal:
Relating or belonging to the spleen.
Noun 1. lienal arterylienal artery - an artery that originates from the celiac trunk and supplies blood to the spleen
Another sweet tale to satiate the guilt of indulging the guiltless or maybe a way to ensure the caretaking of those who can't take care of themselves. Either way, I don't believe it but then jens says....
'But man, proud man
Dressed in a little brief authority
Most ignorant of what he's most assured-
His glassy essence-like an angry ape,
Plays such fantastic tricks before high Heaven
As made the angels weep-who, without spleens
Would all laugh themselves mortal'
It is like the heart-if it doesn't get the right food it too shrinks back into the body.
Am I thus to assume that Argentinean children are all spoiled due to the organ that explodes if they don't get whatever they want? Might explain the history of poor economic management there.
I grew up in NC, went to college in TN, and have relatives in OK, AR, TN, and NC, and I have never heard of this keyleven term.
Maria, I didn't know you were still here! I'm so glad. Hey! I'm going to be out your way again soon. I'll email you so we can chat again.
Excellent! I haven't popped by in awhile and glad I did.
I'm looking forward to a visit! I would especially enjoy hearing more about the environmental agreements things you've been working on. Love the salmon up in Klamath. We moved from Oregon when that was peaking. The migration of the salmon and the issues are fascinating.
That's crazy-talk. Sadly, I've believed my fare-share if Mexican wive's tales. I don't even realize they're made up until Brian tells me. There are several regarding death by eating fruit with milk - specifically cherries and watermelon. Brian says this is crazy-talk, but I still won't eat watermelon with milk.
Why take chances?
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