Maria Rodriguez Bross is an author and playwright delving into the fictional world of all things bodegas, botanicas and creative tales of the supernatural, the unexpected and the phenomenal. Stay tuned Brujas!
Are you a Bonchinchera?
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Volume 1; Issue 10: August 2025 Hola! Do you ever vent? I do. This past month, I vented about everyone and I mean literally everyone in my life. (I apologize to those reading this who perhaps may wonder if I'm talking about them). Anyway, I have to admit that after I vent, I feel terrible; it literally sucks the energy out of me. This got me thinking. Am I inadvertently spreading "bonchinche (gossip)" about, well, myself? Let me explain. When I vent, I'm literally talking out loud about my life, but in a negative way. And if you know anything about the consequences of gossip, you know that it inevitably causes problems. I came to understand this after reading Benjamin Radford's "Tracking the Chupacabra" (see my book review below). I mean, talk about spreading gossip and starting mass hysteria; who knew that the legend of the chupacabra was started by a bonchinchera? So if you want to vent (and no judgment from me if that's what you need to do), be forewarned that you may end up needing a nap and that's probably the act that truly may deserve the credit for making you feel better. In other news, be sure to check out my personal bonchinche on Bodega News (see below). Book Review: "Tracking the Chupacabra" by Benjamin Radford (Non-Fiction) Thank you Mr. Radford for your investigative research and documenting your findings in a book. The mass hysteria of the chupacabra has always intrigued me and I'd often wondered about the origin of this piece of folklore. Without giving too much away, it was started by one woman in the 1990s who decided to spread a rumor of something she believed she had seen. At its core, it's human nature to shape these rumors into new stories that endure, not necessarily because they are true, but because people wish they were. What struck me after reading this book was that Mr. Radford's findings proves that old-fashioned rumors and gossip don't require social media to go viral. Bodega News:
Spanish Word Translation: bonchinchera (bo·chin·che·ra); bonchinchero, masculine form: The literal English translation is a woman that gossips. When I was growing up, if someone was spreading gossip, I'd hear the statement, "she's nothing but a bonchinchera". I understood it to be that she doesn't have a life of her own so she needs to talk about others. These days, I feel sorry for the bonchinchera. After all, we all want a life worth talking about.Until next month...Stay tuned Brujas! Other Magical Tales You Might Like:
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Bodega Botanica Tales
Maria Rodriguez Bross is an author and playwright delving into the fictional world of all things bodegas, botanicas and creative tales of the supernatural, the unexpected and the phenomenal. Stay tuned Brujas!
Volume 2; Issue 1, October 2025 Hola! Do you believe in second chances? I do. Recently, I've had opportunities that felt less than I hoped for, but turned out to be something entirely different and even better. This got me asking questions. Have you ever made a mistake that turned out to be a good thing? Ever buy a used item that was ultimately useful? Ever been forgiven for a situation that made you cringe? Ever recover from an illness to only feel healthier than ever? If so, you've been...
Volume 1; Issue 9: July 2025 Hola, Do you ever cry? I do. This past month, I've been wanting to cry. Yes, you read that correctly; I wanted to, but I'm having a hard time of it, especially as I get older. You see, I used to cry all the time, not only when I was sad, but when I was scared, stressed, and even happy. This got me thinking. Whenever I had a good cry, I was able to sort out my thoughts about the emotion I was experiencing and that gave me clarity and peace. In other words, the...
Volume 1; Issue 7: May 2025 "Mal de Ojo" Drawing Ever blame superstition on something that's a mere coincidence? I have. This month, I've had so many coincidences that I can't help but be a bit superstitious about it. Even though I know my luck won't change by relying on superstitious phrases like "knock on wood" or "never put a purse on the floor", coincidences are sometimes hard to accept as just random events. This got me thinking about why I'm sometimes superstitious in the first place....