El Chapo Is Learning English, and I Have a Few Tips for Him

As you probably know by now, Mexico’s most notorious Bad Hombre, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, is finally serving time on this side of the border, more specifically in a New York City prison that has been described as Brooklyn’s Abu Ghraib.

But if you were the least worried about him, you should know that he’s not only doing well, but, according to Univision, he has even taken up English lessons.

I’m not even sure why anybody living in New York City needs to learn English (last time I checked, everyone around me was Mexican and everything was in damn Spanish!) Besides, I bet his captors/teachers are not precisely Shakespeare scholars, so if my paisano is really serious about this thing, there are a few methods that might help, including the lotería one or this other one by Unforgettable Languages.

However, if everything fails, this blogger would be happy to jump on the subway and personally bring him some additional reading material, starting — perhaps – with my favorite one. 👇🏽

You never know when you’re going to need the extra help, right?

Brooklyn ‘Mexican’ Cantina Serves Mix of Stereotypes & Typos

Mad Dog & Beans, Brooklyn, NY
Mad Dog & Beans, Brooklyn, NY

Mad Dog & Beans, a new eatery in Brooklyn, has found inspiration in the Mexican Revolution to peddle upscale Mexican food to a local crowd. The eatery, first spotted by a non-Mexican colleague of mine, features on its door the image of a bandito holding a guitar, because even Mexican outlaws are a musical, cheerful bunch.

According to the restaurant’s website:

Mad Dog & Beans Mexican Cantina is a casual-upscale Mexican restaurant featuring a traditional Mexican menu. The theme is based on the Mexican Revolution. The decor features vintage black-and-white photos of banditos and scenes of Mexico printed on canvas and displayed throughout the restaurant. 

The menu, while not especially original, does feature some interesting spelling, including “molcajeta” and “pica de gallo.”

Now, that’s revolutionary!

menu

Photo and sombrero tip: J. Falcone