It’s one thing to be . . . well, fluent in your native tongue. Nothing to write home about or raise the flags for when one Norberto Padilla, alias, "Beto," bursts into Spanish when conversing with a Mennonite mestizo at a campo outside of Cuauhtemoc. And, given his formidable penchant for acquiring new languages, no big deal that he’s equally fluent in English. After all, this redundant language has been the so-called common denominator for linguistic interchange around the world for centuries.

So what’s with all these accolades in Norberto’s guest book – many written in Spanish, many others in English, many in French, German, Czech, Swiss, Chinese, Afrikaans, Japanese . . . ? (see Letters From Our Guests)

"Mais oui," Norberto answers, when I ask if he communicates in French with these many, many French guests. And Czech? Norberto grins, "Maybe. Why not?"

This is a man of consummate curiosity, abundant interest in that which is unknown, and ambition to learn all that he can from his legion of foreign guests. Is it any wonder his name is catching up with "Coca Cola" in four continents now !? As one Native American observed, "My people would name him "Beto Many-Tongue."

Chew on that one for a while, little brother.