The man said write so I walked around all over this place for about 3 days and it took me that long to find a pen. Now I feel a sudden burst of creative energy that usually coincides with that inevitable shifting of gears that comes after the second or third drink. Did I really eat all that yesterday. And oh my friday night I must have slipped into the bermuda triangle of food and beverage… I know the days are passing, not sure how many days pass here in the triangle but the armbands say I have made it to day 3… pale blue armband… how appropriate, soothing and peaceful like rippling river brook of fortin and whatever.. I swear I think there was a horny toads head in the last glass of caña last night.
And the man said write…P A L A D A R translate….palate…well duh. But thats a easy way to say a complex thing…the people are paying for hemingway so give them the sun also rises. Palate… that thing in my mouth…that fickle freeloader always looking for a pick me up. I made a deal with my palate this weekend.. TOMALO TODO!! You tomalo when I tomalo and the whole damn court tomalos!! Palate, I would like to introduce you to Paladar… I said. That hyperbolic chamber of constant evolution. My palate tells me I must be getting old because it remembers paladar from a year ago about this time, duh. My stomach chimes in and the next thing I know… Pancrease, Liver and kidney start their own manifestation just under the sixrib and now I have got to flog the crew.
And the man said write…Paladar Paraguay with all the words we put between. Paladar is an event, a groove and maybe even a way of life… mezcla de todo, en vivo…. for life… just add salt and stir…if you dont believe it is only because you havent come here…paid your dues and sampled the fair.
And the man said write…The best way to flog the crew is to enlist, with a slight lisp, the services of a friendly bartender, the shorter the better, the objective is to hit the vein the first time the TherapyIV is offered, the looks you get pushing the pole around the convention center is priceless and I think you can actually get bigger portions… pity portions I call them, from the cucineros…For best results, seek out meat and cheese in any combination or alone…focus on booths where portions are measured at the descretion of the server.
And the man said write…We are all just palates grazing over this giant palate showcasing spirits of flavor and soulful textures filled with heartfelt color. I thought I had seen everything last year…drank it all in and going around for more… I know about the medium poached egg, for real, I eat two every morning and I have gotten good at hitting that perfect point even though I use a timer so what. But really, how did he get that egg into that meatball. I need to understand what is going on inside that meatball. I did not have the heart to ask. He has that look that says, some secrets I take to my grave.
And the man said write…If you listen, you can actually here the food calling over the music… for me its always the meat I hear and I sometimes get confused because the sound of cheese calling is very similar. The meat calls from one place and the cheese from the pizza guy trys to drown it out. A cacauphonic symphony of flavor profiles melding on the palate. Have you ever tried to carry on two conversations at one time? Try 12… between the meat and cheese are layers of sweet greasy salty and spice… each combination leads me to the next.
And the man said write so I write rightly….Paladar… Paladar!
