and the first 45 minutes he spent...

the cosa tomada translation project has seen many challenge in its adaptation. though i have recently become the only person under the age of 25 in the village that knows the equivalents for the conjunctions "but" and "or", there is the problem that there seem to be no names for european articles of clothing such as shawl, vest, tricot; nor can we translate the verb "matear," which concerns the apparent argentine custom of constantly drinking maté. then the question of using the passive voice or talking about people that are dead now and what their preferences might be...

i'm trying to figure out how logical statements are constructed in the languages here, as many of us foreigners come away talking to locals with the feeling that although we understood each individual word that was said, the entire utterance does not seem to have any meaning.

typical conversation:
-jesse, i'm so glad to see you. in visiting a house you must pass the arch. do you understand?
-we're outside
-what i'm trying to say is that brunus is a good man, because, eh?"
-yes
-no, what i'm trying to say is that i understand the traditions. you must understand african tradition.
-is brunus not a good man?
-no, you don't understand.

until i figure this out i've decided that it won't make any difference if what i say makes logical sense to me, something that has worked spectacularly for me on some occasions.

-hey, you.
-yeah?
-do you not remember me?
-of course i do, i know you
-then you remember the time you left your phone here. i was very kind to you. thieves could have taken it. but you did not even congratulate me with a beer.
-so?
-yes
-are you not a man who drinks beer?
-i am
-and do you not trust your family above others?
-so
-yet here is your brother, this man at your side
-this my brother is a good man
-though he will tell you that the very beer i paid to congratulate you, he drank. he said it was he the man who saved my phone
-so, eh?
-...
-...
-[5 minutes later] yes, we have discussed, and this man has admitted [pointing to a third man]
-he has admitted.
-an honest man this