Estoy constipada. I will bet you $5 that that doesn't mean what you think it means.
What it means is that I have a miserable cold. My head is under pressure, I get occasional sharp pains in my ears, my nose is sore from having to wipe it so much, my throat is dry and scratchy. I feel gross. I've felt this way since Sunday morning. (I suppose staying out until 4am on Saturday night couldn't have done much to help either, but I digress...)
I'm not sure how long it will take to wear off, but every time a Spaniard asks me if I am constipada, I have to get over my initial, aghast reaction before I realize what they are saying. This has to be the worst of all of the false cognates between Spanish and English.
And, of course, of all of the medicines that I brought with me, cold medicine is not on the list. It only figures that I would need it within 2 weeks of my arrival. Tonight may just be the night that I waltz into the farmacía and admit, plain as day, that I am constipada. That I have a cold. And hopefully I'll get my hands on some magic pills. Lord knows I need them!
2 comments:
oh rach you are hilarious. and i am so very sorry that you are sick but i am glad that you shared this experience... feel better soon!
If it makes you feel any better, when we lived juntas in Sevilla, I waltzed into the farmacia and said "estoy estrenida"
Now that's embarassing. but not embarasante. That's what esposos are for. ;)
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