Hotlanta

We just got back from a few days in Atlanta. Too cool to be in a Southeastern city with Hispanics of every shade – from tall blonde ones to short brown ones. And, they actually were tourists, not just hotel housekeepers and restaurant busboys. Living where I live, I complain about this lack of diversity a lot. I apologize in advance for future rants.

Our time was spent at the Georgia Aquarium and the Imagine It! children’s museum, both well worth the visit. While I did not remember the Spanish word for jellyfish and wondered if there was a translation for Beluga (as in the captivating Beluga whale), the toddler let out an oh-so-natural Cubanism during a hotel room tickle-fest that my heart swelled: “Ya, Daddy! Yaaaaaaaaa!!!!’’

When my family gets together, there’s a whole lot of “Ya!” shouted about. (If you’re not Latin and you think Ya is Yay. No. It’s more like “Enough already!”) Maria’s going to be just fine.

Coming tomorrow: Making the case for not buying that TMX Tickle Me Elmo for Christmas, even if you can find one. (Some person has one on ebay for $4,000. Que locura.)