Patron Saints of Nothing

1. tsinelas (noun):

a slipper or sandal (mostly used in Spanish-speaking countries)

“I stepped out of tsinelas and back into my suburban life as if I had never left.” (Prologue, Page xvii)

2. defensive (adjective):

protective, as if threatened

“It sounds super defensive, but it’s true. I am not sure what I want to do.” (Chapter 1, Page 5)

3. avatar (noun):

a computer-generated icon intended to represent its operator

“On the screen, the mechanical creature mauls my avatar.” (Chapter 2, Page 9)

4. burrows (present tense verb):

to aggressively tunnel into

“And each time my thoughts go to Jun, the bolt turns and burrows deeper.” (Chapter 3, Page 17)

5. eradicated (past tense verb):

to end completely

“A rat transmitting the plague that needed to be eradicated.” (Chapter 4, Page 27)

6. audible (adjective):

easy to be heard, unusually loud

“I’m not sure if there’s an audible gasp from my peers, or I just imagine it.” (Chapter 5, Page 33)

7. exasperated (adjective):

frustrated, feeling out of alternatives

“He lets out an exasperated sigh.” (Chapter 5, Page 37)

8. romanticize (verb):

make something, someplace, someone better than reality, deal in a fantasy

“It’s easy to romanticize a place when it’s far away.” (Chapter 8, Page 53)

9. carabao (noun):

water buffalo

“A carabao grazes on tall grass in an empty lot next to a basketball court shielded from the sun by a hangar-like canopy” (Chapter 12, Page 79)

10. tatay (noun):

Filipino term of respect for a father

“How is your tatay doing? (Chapter 13, Page 92)

11. broach (present tense verb):

to bring up with some hesitation in conversation

“Doesn’t seem the most sensitive way to broach the topic of her brother, though.” (Chapter 15, Page 111)

12. obelisk (noun):

a square pillar with a pyramid-like top

“At one end (of the park) there’s a pond and a stone obelisk.” (Chapter 15, Page 113)

13. colonialism (noun):

the political, economic, and military occupation of a country by another country

“I ask why most of the celebrities and models […] are so fair-skinned, and she answers only with ‘Colonialism.’” (Chapter 16, Page 118)

14. undulate (present tense verb):

move in a tight up and down motion

“Some [jellyfish] have long, threadlike tentacles several times longer than their bell-shaped bodies, while others have just little nubbins that constantly undulate.” (Chapter 16, Page 119)

15. microcosm (noun):

a place or a situation that embodies the characteristics of a bigger place or situation

“[I am] unsurprised by everything this mall contains, as if it’s a microcosm for all the contradictions in this country.” (Chapter 16, Page 123)

16. barangay (noun):

in the Philippines, a local government district

“Every barangay captain is asked to keep a list of suspects for authorities.” (Chapter 16, Page 129)

17. oscillating (adjective):

move back and forth in a regular pattern and at a regular speed

“A boys’ choir sings a hymn from the rear balcony, their voices powerful and angelic as they echo against the granite walls and soar over the sounds of the oscillating fans.” (Chapter 19, Page 141)

18. cartel (noun):

an association of manufacturers and/or suppliers focused on a single product

“Nothing about those officials taking money from foreign drug cartels to look the other way as they peddle their poison to our sisters and brothers, our daughters and sons.” (Chapter 20, Page 156)

19. rhetoric (noun):

language intended to persuade or convince

“It is the rhetoric that has been used since the beginning.” (Chapter 22, Page 173)

20. sari-sari (noun):

in Tagalog, a variety of consumer goods, as in a department store

“An old woman’s face appears from behind the barred window next to the door, which appears to double as a sari-sari storefront where people can buy everything from shampoo tp pain medication in single use packets.” (Chapter 25, Page 200)