I wonder how much of the strangeness was Gabriel Garcia Marquez and how much was just Colombia. I've known a few Colombians, and I'd just like to say that whenever in my presence they were leading lives of exemplary order and chastity. Of course, they were seminarians and I was teaching them ESL, but all that proves is that a lot of Colombians are seminarians who want to improve their English. Marquez, on the other hand, portrays Colombians as people who want to get in unfortunate sexual situations with others (generally human) who are probably related to them.
One interesting internal* discussion was comparing the banana company of Macondo to the aluminum factory in my hometown. It was a draw as to which was more evil, and I don't know what my hometown was like prior to the infestation. It does seem that bad as industry is, a large city without it is doomed to become a sinkhole of destitution and misery.
My budget dictates that further researches will have to be carried out at the library, so I'm mentally preparing myself to pay off the late fee. Maybe I should go for some "talk therapy" to work through this issue.
"You see, it makes me feel like someone is standing on me, like some man—a solitary man—maybe, standing on my neck."
"And how does that make you feel?"
"Um, like I'd been born with the tail of a pig. [Sob]"
"Let's work through this. Why a pig? And why a tail?"
"Oh my gosh, it all comes back to my dream where my mother's silk poke was made from a sow's ear, doesn't it?"
*Because interesting to no one else in my immediate vicinity and philosophizing is best done in person.
