Bolillos, Güeros y Gringos, ¡Ay Mio!

I asked to get off early from work yesterday to go pick up Mark and Katrina at the airport in Dallas. After deciding on a plan of action, my boss started asking questions about if I usually stop anywhere and how long I stay in the Metroplex when I go. After a few more questions, she asked me if I ever went to the Mexican bakery. Of course, I said no and she just couldn't believe it. Not going to the Mexican bakery when in the Metroplex did not fit into her world view. When she got over the shock of me never having graced a Mexican bakery with my presence, she started talking about how her family always goes when they're in town, because apparently the bread at the Mexican bakery here in Abilene isn't near as good or long lasting. At that point, I knew what was coming. Sure enough, she asked if I wanted to stop by a store and pick her and some others a certain kind of bread. She wanted some "pan bolillo". Her and a couple waitresses started giggling. They started talking rapidly in Spanish and laughing so that I couldn't understand what they were saying. Finally, they came out and said that pan bolillo loosely translates to "white bread" and "bolillo" is also slang for a white person. For instance, once might say, "Trabajo con dos bolillos", meaning, "I work with 2 white people". She quickly defended herself saying that she doesn't use the term. I guess it's not a nice thing to say. Nevertheless, she and the other servers were giggling away. Sending a bolillo to pick up some pan bolillo. Very funny. So I agreed, and she told me where in Ft. Worth the bakery is.

I googled it and found it using Street View, then headed out. As I exited 820 and made my way south down Main Street, it was as if I drove into another country. I was not aware that part of Ft. Worth was so steeped in the Mexican culture. Most of the signs were in Spanish and there weren't many gringos in sight. I easily found the store and wondered around inside until I found the baked goods. There they were, just as my boss had described, labeled "Bolillo". I tonged 20 bolillos into plastic sacks and headed to the register as confused customers looked on. Sadly, the cashier spoke English and I didn't bust out my Spanish. Mission accomplished.

When I brought the bread into work today, they all started smiling and giggling again seeing the bolillo carrying bolillo. When I told them I bought some for myself, they were all pretty interested in telling me how to make tortas, which are sandwiches, and what I should put on them/how I should prepare them. It's so funny to see them get excited about me taking the smallest step into their world. I even got invited to go down to Mexico with them the next time they go. I told them that of course I would want to go. Not sure if they were really being serious or not, because they were laughing when they asked. Don't be surprised to hear I'm taking a trip down there in the coming months.

P.S. Güero also means white person, literally "fair-haired". I get called güero all the time by the cooks and occasionally by customers. I guess it's nicer than saying bolillo or gringo. You just don't learn this kind of stuff in school.