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Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Telenovela Alborada, #32

This is a recap of the Univision telenovela Alborada. In order to read the whole post, you click "read the rest" at the bottom of this summary!

If you are new, please visit the recaps in ORDER - they are listed to the right under a picture of Doña Juana and Modesta. See the bottom of this post for more information.


Monday: Remember Luis's sulking face when he saw Hipólita outside the church? Rafael ran to him (perhaps there is a trainer just outside the frame holding up a cookie for him, as they do with the circus seals) and after a hug, Luis strode past.

Ada, ever helpful, and also being the one who caused this problem, now says unnecessarily: "Did you see that? He doesn't want to have anything to do with you!..."

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST!

Ada continues: "Why were they going to church?" "I have to talk to him, did you see his face, it was as if he hated me." "I could explain..." "No, I have to do it." They worry about the two hired guns ("those monkeys") lounging around outside, speculating that Antonio hired them to make sure Luis doesn't get in.

Isabel is back at the palace. She marvels that Diego, that engendro, is her nephew...

Engendro: freak, malformed creature, monster.


... she bustles to the back where Juana and Modesta are working on the wedding. [It just occurred to me that in Alborada-world, there is no risk to an outdoor wedding, because it never rains. Has it ever rained once during this series? Guess they didn't want to wreck the nice clothes. Or maybe it really never, ever rains.]

First Isabel exclaims: "How painted up you are, Juana!" Juana mumbles "I just did it for a whim" though we know she is covering for the ravages of her fatal illness. Isabel continues: "It's to hide your shame! You said my nephew was in my brother's coffin, but it's not true. And you [gestures to Diego] I can't believe you're my nephew..." she goes on in this vein until once again Juana faints conveniently. Diego carries her inside, desperately saying in trembling voice, "Answer me, mamita!"

Felipe knows Luis is being a baby, refusing to talk to Hipólita.

Hipólita takes Ada (did Ada always use that Castillian soft c or has she recently developed this affectation?) to see Felipe, who is not home. This gives Hipólita the opportunity to tell Carmela how sorry she is about Martin. She apologizes, Carmela absolves her, they hug, it's sweet.

The doctor attending Juana holds out the blood she has coughed up on a handkerchief and says it's a bad sign and there isn't much time left. He will give her laudanum - even though it frightens her, it's better than pain. She forbids the doctor to tell anybody. He tells everybody she must avoid frights and quarrels. Good luck with that one!

Diego refuses to postpone his wedding and Isabel is jumping out of her skin with fury. "I'm tired of biting my tongue! It turns my stomach that you're my nephew!" The none-too-bright servants, overhearing this, puzzle briefly.

Isabel tells Luis that only he is her nephew, she rejects that worm Diego.

Luis's response to everything: SULK SULK SULK. He can't get his mind off the possibility that his girlfriend slept with her husband.

At Antonio's house, Hipólita is telling Catalina she's afraid Luis will take Rafael away. They agree Cristóbal should work on Luis and get him to see Hipólita and hear her out. "Where?" "At my house (Lara), where else?" They hope to meet at Marina and Andrés's wedding.

Antonio gets home and receives a report on Hipólita's comings and goings from his housekeeper, who is now evidently also his spy.

Finding Hipólita whispering with Catalina, Antonio scolds her saying something like: "When I catch the two of you with your heads together like two escolapias pilladas (naughty charity school pupils?) that's an indecent conversation... (???) ... and it's improper for your sister to come here carrying gossip about Luis."

They start in on their usual argument and she says: "Don't dare threaten to hit me again or I'll leave and I don't care about the gossip it will cause." "You're never going to leave this house!" "Are you going to wall me up with stones and mud? Or are you going to send me to an insane asylum as your mother threatened?" "Don't say bad stuff about mother!" "Why not, you're growing more like her all the time!" "Don't say I'm like her, I'm not my mother!" He repeats this many times hitting things and having a splendid tantrum. TILT TILT TILT.

OK, yet one more discussion with Luis, Felipe and Cristóbal about the baby switching thing. Cristóbal insists on proof, a witness. Luis says Sara was a witness. He spins out the speech he could give at Diego's wedding the next day, explaining the whole story including the non-existent baby bones and naming himself Count of Guevara. Cristóbal says, "Please don't do this. You wouldn't, would you?" "Give me three cups of wine and you betcha I'll do it." Luis goes on about his fascination with fire and the images of fire, screaming, etc. in his head... Felipe says his leg-burn is surely from the fire on the chalano.

Carmela wheedles the tomb/babybones story out of Marcos as he eats her fine enchiladas. She traded: she'll tell about Hipólita's visit only after he spills about Camargo. They are a mutual admiration society.

Cristóbal tells the team: Juana has cancer and Diego has syphilis. They remember: advanced syphilis can affect the mind...

Modesta and Diego are in Juana's chamber trying to figure out a believable story. He yells at her, and Juana yells at him, "Don't talk to Modesta that way! Remember she saved you from the Gasca disaster." "Well, ok, but you two are going to have to come up with something more credible than this." Juana: "I'm too tired to think." Modesta: "Hasn't anything occurred to YOU, Diego?" "To me? No way, it's the two of you who plan everything and you'd better come up with something, because I'm not postponing my wedding and I'm not renouncing my title." He stalks out. Juana suggests that they tell the truth and beg for forgivenness. Modesta says Diego will not accept that as a solution.

Felipe gets home and Carmela flies into his arms. He's momentarily annoyed that Marcos spilled the beans, but he gets over it quickly, she runs him a bath, he gives her a real kissy kissy, and they go off to the bath together.

Catalina asks Cristóbal to intercede with Luis, which he's happy to do. He says, you are my remanso ...

Remanso: Pool Remanso de paz = haven of peace.


Victoria has sent Mirtha to accompany Marina in the streets. They visit Isabel, who's dressing in black for her brother's service (his remains will be re-buried at the cathedral). She says if they dress in mourning they can come, too. Isabel leaves. Mirtha says sadly that Isabel hates her, even though she had just been "following orders." She suddenly gets down on her knees and begs to be Marina's personal servant, promising to obey Marina as faithfully as she had obeyed Esperanza. Mirtha sobs, Marina is flustered.

Finally, Modesta lies smoothly to Isabel: the nephew's little tiny body must have been stolen from the tomb by somebody for some reason, she speculates. Isabel doesn't buy it and leaves muttering about lies, Caray Caray! Modesta goes into Juana's darkened bedroom, blesses her tenderly, and kneels by her bed in tears.

Tuesday: I figured, what with all the horses and carriages and extras, there would be a little less talking today and I would get a rest.
  • First crowd scene: our team is once again dressed in mourning as the remains of Leopold (Isabel's brother, Juana's husband) are put in a niche at the cathedral.

    Juana felt too ill to attend. She's got laudanum, though.

  • Diego comes to see Juana, saying "I'm very worried." One might think he was worried about his mother's health, but no: "I'm afraid Luis will say something at the wedding." It's decided they need to invent something to keep Luis quiet for a few days, after that, well, who knows. Diego: "We're on the edge of a precipice, mother. If Luis does something, what will become of me? You should never have switched us. They may kill me and it will be your fault." Way to go, keeping worries away from your dying mother.

  • Cristóbal reminds Luis that when Hipólita was furious after finding out he, Luis, was the mystery boinker of Santa Rita, she nevertheless let Luis have his say. He now owes her nothing less. He agrees and they tentatively set up a meet for Felipe's house the following day after the weddings.

    Luis asks, "Even if we had proof (of the baby-switching), what would I do? Go to the Inquisition and rat out Juana, now that she's about to die? I don't have the heart..." Felipe is indignant: "What about Diego! Do you want him strutting around when you're the real count? Not to mention he's tried to kill you three times!" He can't denounce Diego, though, without pulling down Juana, and she's in deeper, because Diego could pretend he was an innocent victim.

  • Francisco nags at Catalina: "Why did Isabel move her brother's bones after so many years?" "I don't know." "Yes, you do, Cristóbal tells you everything." "He hasn't give me permission to tell you." Just then (handily) Cristóbal walks in and reluctantly tells Francisco about the baby-switching. Asuncion makes her mouth into a perfect, perfect O of astonishment. (I know Asuncion's dentist, who moved here from Mexico City and sings in the choir I direct. I'm just saying.)

  • At Antonio's home, Hipólita reluctantly thanks him for the new dress and jewels - some of his money from Santa Rita finally arrives. He tells her that at Diego's wedding, if they see Luis she can only greet him as befits a distant acquaintance.

  • Then Antonio hies himself to Perla's and gives her a necklace of honking big pearls: "It's a play on your name," he says. It's a present for giving him a healthy son. They say they love each other and kiss.

  • Juana summons Luis and tells him another bogus version of the baby switching story which he doesn't come close to believing. (It included Juana's own son getting some contagious sickness and being carried off by Modesta to her home village where she incinerated his remains as "is our custom there.")

  • Felipe stews to Marcos about Diego getting away with stuff. Marcos finally remembers Epifanio, the old dude they met when they, fugitives after the nunnery-escape fiasco, went to get food. He had obdurately addressed Luis as Carlos and proudly told them it had been he, Epifanio, to whom Carlos and Aurora had handed their son before they burned. And he said the baby had a burned leg. And Luis has a burned leg and Diego doesn't. Can we stop with this yet?

  • Asunción can't believe Juana would do such a dastardly cradle-switching, but Francisco says: "That woman has no soul and no law. And Diego is a lout. Those two are capable of anything! I'd like to see them humiliated and condemned to the gallows! I'd like to see them lose everything!"

    To distract him, Asunción asks about the hacienda, which he likes. He says they will be leaving for their new life there directly after the wedding. She says she'd like to stay a few more days with Catalina,"I have no friends in Cuencas and I get lonely." "No way! If you stay here, who will serve me? Your place is at my side."

  • Finally, Diego and his bride emerge from the cathedral and he throws money so people say "Long Live Count Diego." I think they won't get their wish.

    Perla to her friend: "Hey, that bride is ugly. Why did he marry her?" Perla sulks upon seeing Antonio with Hipólita (who is also sulking). Perla and her friend hatch some plot I did not understand. Maybe you can fill me in.

  • Finally, Andrés and his bride emerge from a smaller church, kiss a lot, Sara is not wearing her veil and in fact drops it to the ground and steps on it, a nice touch.

  • Hipólita and Antonio dance without pleasure. Diego feels up his bride. Felipe arrives to tell Luis: the scar on your leg is the proof we need." Luis dresses slowly so we can see how ripped he is.

  • Modern music with synthesizer, sung by a wooden man, does not enliven Diego's marriage.

  • A very flexible woman in red spandex and veils doesn't do much for Andrés and Marina's, either.

  • Luis shows up in his best duds at Diego's reception. Shifty eyes and a hissing intake of breath from Juana and Diego. Juana whispers, "I beg you not to be imprudent." "It's your son who's imprudent." Luis doesn't make waves. Hipólita hyperventilates to see him. The Regidor's wife, ever avid for gossip, asks how things were in the capitol, and asks if he plans to move there. He laughs and spreads his arms: "No way, this is my house." Get it?


New updates Wednesday and Saturday. The list of Alborada recaps is to the right - below the picture of Modesta and Doña Juana, just above the elephant. Click on the numbers in order!

You can buy (cheap) souvenir cards I painted in honor of our Alborada adventure
Amor Real
Entre el Amor y el Odio
"Telenovela villains meet lurid, dreadful deaths"


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28 Comments:

At 12:25 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think I already wore out the piece of video tape where Luis changes his shirt. There stands proof of consummate innequity in the world that one man can be that beautiful.

Hey I was pretty proud of myself to have correctly interpreted "Si me tomo tres copas, por supuesto que lo hago" although I thought surely I was blundering as usual. Speaking of blunders, while Filipe and Cristóbal were arguing about needing proof, did Philipe say something about the legs of a cat? Anybody?

Lilian

 
At 1:33 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I so enjoy this page. I hope that they do another time piece like this one. Anyway above you mentioned that you didn't get what Perla and her ramera friend were talking about. The friend was telling Perla that she could tell her other ramera friends to spread the word that Hipolita is an adultress, so that someone could denounce her and get her out of her way, and Antonio could be rid of Hipolita.

 
At 8:51 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The acrobat may not have done much for the A&M wedding, but I'd've taken that one anyway. So much happier. ^_^

I'm starting to wonder if there's something wired wrong in *Antonio's* head. He's gotten a little unstable lately, too (well, I guess it could be PTSD due to the childhood trauma, or something). As for Luis, I can only say, "Cheer up, emo count!" XD

 
At 9:24 AM, Blogger Jean said...

Melinama wrote in her summary:
"(did Ada always use that Castillian soft c or has she recently developed this affectation?)"

She has always done it. I noticed it from the beginning. I was going to post a comment and ask whether it was the Castilian 'lisp' but I never got around to it.

 
At 11:58 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Has the decision been made for the name of the new blog? How will I be able to find it? I do not speak Spanish but have enjoyed your bi-weekly reviews so much I want to follow you if you go to a new address.
Thank you for all your wonderful comments. I adore Fernando and would like to know more about him. Phyllis

 
At 3:51 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes, Felipe said: "no le busques las tres patas al gato". This means do not look for trouble. Stop, don't keep on going and going, let it go. mtw

 
At 4:22 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Beatriz Moreno, the actress who plays Adalgisa, was born in Toledo, Spain. Some actors who come from countries with a strong regional accent (like César Évora from Cuba) manage to adopt a "neutral" accent that cannot be linked to any country in particular. Either Ms. Moreno has not been able to overcome her strong Spanish accent, or she felt that it was not out of place for her character to speak in this way. Just as our own country is made up of people whose descendants came from many parts of Europe, the Spaniards who colonized Latin America came from many different parts of Spain. At the beginning of the 19th century it is not hard to believe that many people still spoke Castillian Spanish.

 
At 4:56 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Adding to Felipe comment "no le busque tres patas al gato". It's a Spanish saying that basically means, don’t look for something that is not there or don’t make it less than what it really is

 
At 6:16 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Regarding the "cat feet" saying, my two friends at work, Maria and Luisa, disagreed (as usual) about what it means. Maria said it means something like "If it's not broken don't fix it." Luisa said it is more like "Don't throw more logs on a fire that's already too hot." Sound's like Maria's interpretation is closer to what some of you have already said.

 
At 6:23 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have two big strikes against me. I do not speak Spanish, and I didn't discover Alborada until last month.
But because I was lucky enough to find your blog, you have FULFILLED a longing that I had which was to KNOW who these characters were and what the storyline was! THANK YOU so much for translating the story, and in such a witty manner that I think I've enjoyed the retelling as much or more than the actual show!!
That is, with the exception of the the Don Luis visuals!! :)
To be honest with you, I was at first drawn to Diego (now I want to be perfectly clear that it's for the actor who plays him, not his character!). Evidently, it was during a couple of episodes where Luis was traveling or something, because I saw very little of him! But, it didn't take me long to discover HE was the one to watch! Those flashing brown eyes, and then, last night, caray, caray! that bare chest, those abs, those pecs, those bi-ceps! oh my! (I hope caray caray can be used in a good situation, too.)
Wish I had seen Alborada from the beginning, but by reading your episodic recaps, I feel like I'm really 'up to speed' on the story. Hate to see it coming to an end!

 
At 8:04 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Heh, I had a crush on Diego at first, too! I'm really fonder of the 'pretty' type, whereas Luis is the 'buff and manly' type. But then Diego started falling over and wandering around with his pants around his ankles, and that kind of killed it. *Le sigh* So I figure since I know he's going to come to a terrible telenovela end, I may as well enjoy watching him go. XD

 
At 8:09 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi, I love Alborada, specially now that we get to see a little more of Luis...I am a huge Passions fan, and one of the leading characters' name is a beautiful latino, named Luis. And in Passions, the male actors do not miss a chance to take off their shirts. While in Alborada, we have not had that many opportunities to see anybody else "en cueros". I am going to miss this blog and Alborada when it is finished. We should start a motion for an encore presentation of our favorite show. Good luck to all. Its was fun getting to read your thougts thru this site. Keep on practicing Spanish, it is fun and your mind benefits from the knowledge. Love, live, laugh!

 
At 10:15 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I always wondered about Ada's Castillian accent (which has been there since day 1). How common would it be for someone in her position to have come over from Spain? I Maybe she's the outcome of a ranking soldier or governor from spain many years back who had a relationship with some native?--an ilegitima?

 
At 7:19 AM, Blogger Jean said...

Doesn't it look like the scenes during the opening credits of Luis and Diego fighting with swords through the tall grass, etc. is not going to happen in the actual novela? I can't imagine that Diego, who can barely walk across a room without falling down, is capable of a lengthy swordfight with Luis. We will see, I guess.

 
At 3:15 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I always figured Ada's accent was kind of like having a maid with an English accent in the U.S. at that time - a little extra class.

And I hope Diego manages to have one last bit of coordination so he can have that duel with Luis - we really need to have the two of them fight it out!
Susan T.

 
At 3:35 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

wow , thanks alot for this beautiful blog. If you guys make another or have that yahoo group please invite me (smiley_32_12@yahoo.com). I enjoy reading everyone's comments and I guessed I missed a good episode last night, I could not see it. by the time I got home from school it was late.

what is the real reason why Diego married a big woman, I am a big woman but seems to me he could have gotten a slimmer model. But each to his own. is the Duel going to be the last episode, does anyone know. I plan on being here on time to watch tonight.

talk to you all later.
zelda

 
At 4:10 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think Diego wanted someone who would have bunches of babies so he could cut Luis and Raphael out of a chance at the title. The chubby widow had at least one son, so she's proven her ability to have children.
Susan T.

 
At 4:15 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is great!! I love to read what you guys write, although I do see the novela EVERY NIGHT. My children say I don't hear them when "Alborada" is on! HE HE HE
Ese Luis just steams my glasses...

Please put me on the next blog, mejuce810@yahoo.com I am a faithful fan.

Gracias...
Mari

 
At 4:44 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

This morning when i got to my office we all started talking about last nites episodes and we all at the same time exclaimed about Luis and the six pac abs.. what a hunk...Poor Juana....i feel sorry for her..Diego is a nut case..Antonio's wierd...and getting more loonie... I hope he and Perla get together...Luis will win the duel with Antonio....he has to....What kind of ending would that be if he did'nt......Perla should be punished somehow...she has caused Hipolita so much stress...and if she gossips about her now to get her in trouble again....I have had fun with Pratie Place and all of you bloggers...hope to find you again in the next novela recap... Beverly

 
At 5:05 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello... I just want to know if anyone else saw the little girl picking her nose at Andres and Marina's wedding? and a few episodes back when the candles fell in The Poderosa's house...Funny stuff... these bloopers... thanks for the recaps

 
At 5:56 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry, this has probably been covered before, but I think I misunderstand the meaning of "caray, caray!". I asked another student in my spanish class (ALL the other students in my intermediate class are native speakers who tested into that level so they could learn to write, it's truly terrifying for me)and she said it was something like "shutup", that it was kind of rude. But "shutup" doesn't seem to work every time Isabel says it. I should probably qualify that the spanish spoken here in New Mexico is sometimes a little different.

Lilian

 
At 8:40 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

thanks for the update on the new wife. I think Antonio is a big baby, he oviously likes or love Perla but because he hates Louise he is such a pain. I hope things work out.

zg

 
At 6:34 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi everyone, just for fun, visit Univision.com, to telenovelas, to Alborada. Hope this works: just copy and paste. Good luck!

http://www.univision.com/content/channel.jhtml?chid=6&schid=1784&secid=11692

 
At 2:17 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Does anyone know if there are dvd's out soon. or did anyone rip the show.

 
At 9:47 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

More thanks from Canada. Alborada is my first telenovela. Surely they are not all this good! Really though, I am not sure which is better, the real thing or your recaps. Anyway, we Canadians are a long way behind you so thank you for keeping the episodes posted for us. I am tempted to look and see what is coming next but I think I will just enjoy the final episodes instead.

 
At 8:40 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Caray caray, isn't shut up. It's not swearing. It is used to express exasperation. Like when we might say 'Crap' or 'Christ' Geez! of Jesus!, depending on your religous beliefs.

 
At 8:46 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I can't believe how few people have commented on the Luis strip tease! Caray caray, what a body!!!
Colunga must work like mad to keep up that physique.

We have seen hints of how good he must look without the puffy shirt, but I never imagined ... you know. Wow!

I remember a scene in Amor Real, near the end, when he was being bathed by his wife. He wasn't as tanned or toned then as he is now.

Way to go Fernado! Who know 40 could look this good?

 
At 8:40 PM, Blogger sona said...

What is he name of the piano song that plays in marina and andres wedding? I love it!

 

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