Sunday, June 26, 2011

Your way hurts me the hand

The other day we were leaving our last Comunidad Biblica Universitaria meeting at two twenty, running to lunch, as usual, because we have class at three. Although, still being in Peru, I use "running" in the loosest possible sense of the word....as in Sunday stroll in the park.

One of the girls says: Wait, what time do they all have class?

Silvia answers: At three. And she makes a gesture with her hand.

Me: Hey! What gesture did you just make?

Is that how you make the gesture for three? With those three fingers?

Silvia: Like this, yeah. Why? How do you make it.

Me: Like this!
We try each other's signals.

Silvia: This makes my hand hurt right here.

Me: Now my hand hurts right here.

I patriotically defend the logic of the American signal, (Look, see how when you're going from two to three you only have to move one more finger. And with the other way you have to move 2!) but like so many things, when you really get down the the why of it all, it's really mostly I dunno, that's just the way we do it.

So how do you make the three hand signal, my international, multi-cultural readers?

If you understand the title, then you speak at least some Spanish. Yay for you!

4 comments:

  1. I don't do it like either of you. I do it with my thumb, index finger and middle finger. Like this *holds fingers up to computer screen*

    I wonder if it is a different country thing...tomorrow I'm going to ask my friends to show me their 3 hand symbols to see what they do.

    P.S. I gave you an award on my blog. Yay!

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  2. LOL. I do it the "A-OK" way/the sign-language-F way :D

    It... is perfect for my hand. Doesn't hurt at all. The other way does tho ):

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  3. Be: It is definitely a different country thing, at least in general. All the American girls were doing it my way, and all the Peruvians another.

    mimi: We can still be friends ;)

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  4. Hi Dani. Well, in effect, I guess is country - I dunno if cultural (I mean, sth that can be interpreted anthropological or sociologically) - thing.

    It's highly probable that here in Peru we do it like that, because not only is that the way to represent the number 3, but also a sign often done when you accuse someone as gay in a despective way.

    But the reason of why we do that sign in allusion to the gay thing and the reason of why those three fingers... I really (and I guess all we) really dunno. :(

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