Before I went to Los Angeles in 1968, I lived in New Jersey. To my knowledge, I had never met other Spanish speaking people other than Puertoriqueños and Cubanos. We Puertoriqueños and others from the Caribbean have of course different and unique types of foods. The first time I went to a Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles, it was for breakfast. I ordered a tortilla con jamon. As I waited for my food, the waitress put on the table some ham and what I the time I thought to be very unusual napkins. I waited and waited for my tortilla and it never arrived. Finally I called the waitress over to inquire about the tortilla. She dutyfully pointed to them on the table and on the plate. To my embarrasment, I told her that I thought that they were napkins. She immediatelly corrected me and told me what those things were. So then I asked if she spoke English, and she answered yes. So I told her then that I want a ham omelet! Problema solved.

The next encounter with another type of food was when a co-worker asked if I would like un burrito. I was shocked, to say the least, as I never had eaten nor did I think that eating that kind of meat would be palatable. Of course I was relieved to know that donkey meat was not in the ingredients! Phew!

Next was my introduction to another unique Mexican food (at the time of course). I was asked if I would like to eat a Taco. I said "why in the world would I want to eat a shoe heel?" Needless to say, I became a burrito and taco aficionado, which of course includes tortllas.

Oh well, one must live and learn.