San Sombrèro
Encyclopedia
San Sombrèro is a parody
travel guide book
examining the eponymous fictional country
, described as the birthplace of tinted sunglasses
and sequin
s. This country is set in Central America
, and was created by Australian comedic writers Tom Gleisner
, Santo Cilauro
and Rob Sitch
(of The D-Generation
and The Panel fame).
) meaning hat.
According to the book the "full and technically correct" name of San Sombrèro is the "Democratic Free People’s United Republic of San Sombrèro", and citizens may be arrested, without a warrant, if the title is not used.
s and cliché
s about Central America
and South America. It would be difficult to position the fictional San Sombèro onto a map of Central America. Although it is presented a thin country between the Pacific Ocean
and the Caribbean Sea
(similar to Panama
), it runs diagonally from northeast to southwest, in comparison to the other states on the Central American strip of land which run more from the northwest to southeast, or west to east. If San Sombrèro were to be geographically placed it would probably fit best between Panama and Costa Rica
.
The book says the nation has "362 separate public holidays (not including the 'carnivale' long weekend)". San Sombrèro appears to be a stereotypically corrupt banana republic
with seemingly endless revolutions and counter-revolutions. The country is said to have had 17 different presidents over 10 years.
San Sombrèro is described as having a very high literacy rate because of an anti-illiteracy campaign in which, 'over 53,000 citizens who were unable to read [were] jailed or deported to Haiti
'.
Before the arrival of the Spanish, San Sombrèro was said to inhabited by "Amer-Indian" ethnic groups, called the "Ciboney" (Siboney) (Nomadic hunter-gatherers), "Taino
" (who lived on seafood), "Puorcina" (who practiced simple agriculture) and the most dominant "Guanajaxo" (they just stole from everyone else). But there was a tribe that existed before called the "Bollivquar" who were fierce warriors and regarded themselves as a very complex and advanced society, which is said to be odd because they 'never quite' mastered fire, irrigation or star jumps. But they learnt how to farm tobacco, which to this day still remains a part of the Bollivquar diet, which explains their stunted growth. Note that their inability to light a fire made it harder to take up smoking.
speaking country, but a dialect has developed, known as San Sombrèran, which combines Castilian grammar, Portuguese
pronunciation, and indigenous shouting. San Sombrèran Spanish is spoken a lot faster than normal Spanish, because is considered impolite to take a breath during a sentence. (Particularly since their breath is so foul.) San Sombrèran Spanish has many English loanwords, some of which are "beisbol" - baseball, "hamburgesa" - hamburger (these two are actual Spanish words), "beeras" - beers, and "dryvebyshooting" - drive by shooting
.
beat, and loyal citizens of San Sombrèro will stand respectfully, place a hand on each hip and start to gyrate while the anthem is played.
, with a narrow vertical white stripe on the left side. When the nation first became independent from Spain a dirty red and white chequered tablecloth
made an impromptu flag.
The book ends with The Jetlag Story.
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
travel guide book
Guide book
A guide book is a book for tourists or travelers that provides details about a geographic location, tourist destination, or itinerary. It is the written equivalent of a tour guide...
examining the eponymous fictional country
Fictional country
A fictional country is a country that is made up for fictional stories, and does not exist in real life, or one that people believe in without proof....
, described as the birthplace of tinted sunglasses
Sunglasses
Sunglasses or sun glasses are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can sometimes also function as a visual aid, as variously termed spectacles or glasses exist, featuring lenses that...
and sequin
Sequin
Sequins are disk-shaped beads used for decorative purposes. They are available in a wide variety of colors and geometrical shapes. Sequins are commonly used on clothing, jewelry, bags, shoes and lots of other accessories. Large sequins, fastened only at the top, have been used on billboards and...
s. This country is set in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, and was created by Australian comedic writers Tom Gleisner
Tom Gleisner
Tom Gleisner is an Australian director, producer, writer, comedian, occasional actor and author. He was educated at Xavier College in Melbourne, Australia.-Television, radio and film:...
, Santo Cilauro
Santo Cilauro
Santo Cilauro is an Australian television and feature film producer, screenwriter, actor, author, comedian and cameraman, a co-founder of The D-Generation...
and Rob Sitch
Rob Sitch
Robert Ian Sitch , is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter, actor and comedian.-Early life:Sitch attended St Kevin's College and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Melbourne, where he resided at Trinity College. He worked at the Royal Womans Hospital...
(of The D-Generation
The D-Generation
The D-Generation was a popular and influential Australian TV sketch comedy show, produced and broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for two series, between 1986 and 1987...
and The Panel fame).
San Sombrèro
In Spanish, San Sombrèro would be translated into English as "Saint Hat", "San" being the shortened word for the Spanish word "santo" meaning saint, and "sombrero" (no accent mark in real-world SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
) meaning hat.
According to the book the "full and technically correct" name of San Sombrèro is the "Democratic Free People’s United Republic of San Sombrèro", and citizens may be arrested, without a warrant, if the title is not used.
About San Sombrèro
The "Democratic Free People’s United Republic of San Sombrèro" is a composite of many stereotypeStereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
s and cliché
Cliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
s about Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America. It would be difficult to position the fictional San Sombèro onto a map of Central America. Although it is presented a thin country between the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
(similar to Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
), it runs diagonally from northeast to southwest, in comparison to the other states on the Central American strip of land which run more from the northwest to southeast, or west to east. If San Sombrèro were to be geographically placed it would probably fit best between Panama and Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
.
The book says the nation has "362 separate public holidays (not including the 'carnivale' long weekend)". San Sombrèro appears to be a stereotypically corrupt banana republic
Banana republic
In political science, the pejorative term Banana Republic denotes a politically unstable country dependent upon limited primary productions , which is ruled by a plutocracy, a small, self-elected, wealthy group who exploit the country by means of a politico-economic oligarchy...
with seemingly endless revolutions and counter-revolutions. The country is said to have had 17 different presidents over 10 years.
San Sombrèro is described as having a very high literacy rate because of an anti-illiteracy campaign in which, 'over 53,000 citizens who were unable to read [were] jailed or deported to Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
'.
Before the arrival of the Spanish, San Sombrèro was said to inhabited by "Amer-Indian" ethnic groups, called the "Ciboney" (Siboney) (Nomadic hunter-gatherers), "Taino
Taíno people
The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is thought that the seafaring Taínos are relatives of the Arawak people of South America...
" (who lived on seafood), "Puorcina" (who practiced simple agriculture) and the most dominant "Guanajaxo" (they just stole from everyone else). But there was a tribe that existed before called the "Bollivquar" who were fierce warriors and regarded themselves as a very complex and advanced society, which is said to be odd because they 'never quite' mastered fire, irrigation or star jumps. But they learnt how to farm tobacco, which to this day still remains a part of the Bollivquar diet, which explains their stunted growth. Note that their inability to light a fire made it harder to take up smoking.
Language
San Sombrèro is a SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
speaking country, but a dialect has developed, known as San Sombrèran, which combines Castilian grammar, Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
pronunciation, and indigenous shouting. San Sombrèran Spanish is spoken a lot faster than normal Spanish, because is considered impolite to take a breath during a sentence. (Particularly since their breath is so foul.) San Sombrèran Spanish has many English loanwords, some of which are "beisbol" - baseball, "hamburgesa" - hamburger (these two are actual Spanish words), "beeras" - beers, and "dryvebyshooting" - drive by shooting
Drive by Shooting
Drive by Shooting is a hardcore punk solo E.P. by Henry Rollins, credited to "Henrietta Collins & The Wife-Beating Child-Haters", which served as a pre-cursor to the Rollins Band. This recording features a Wire cover, a re-vision of a Queen song and a parody of a Beach Boys style song...
.
National anthem
The San Sombrèran national anthem is O Patria Glorisa (O Glorious Motherland), which was written in 1853 by an independence leader Juan Robirro, who is famous for uttering "he who loves his country, lives forever" shortly before falling off a ladder and dying. The national anthem is set to a bossa novaBossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
beat, and loyal citizens of San Sombrèro will stand respectfully, place a hand on each hip and start to gyrate while the anthem is played.
- A verse
-
- My baby melts my heart
- My baby drives me nuts
- The way she swings her hips
- The way her hair hangs down
- Give me a kiss,
- Oh gorgeous woman
- Cover my lips
- In passionate bliss
- Long Live San Sombrèro
- Oh glorious fatherland
Flag
The flag of San Sombrèro is the "Camouflagio", which looks like military camouflageMilitary camouflage
Military camouflage is one of many means of deceiving an enemy. In practice, it is the application of colour and materials to battledress and military equipment to conceal them from visual observation. The French slang word camouflage came into common English usage during World War I when the...
, with a narrow vertical white stripe on the left side. When the nation first became independent from Spain a dirty red and white chequered tablecloth
Tablecloth
A tablecloth is a cloth used to cover a table. Some are mainly ornamental coverings, which may also help protect the table from scratches and stains. Other tablecloths are designed to be spread on a dining table before laying out tableware and food....
made an impromptu flag.
Regions
The capital city of San Sombrèro is Cucaracha City in Polluçión. There are five provinces in San Sombrèro including Polluçión, the other provinces are,- Maracca (Capital: San Pistachio)
- Guacomala (Capital: Fumarole)
- Lambarda (Capital: Aguazura)
- San Abandonio (Capital: Nicotiño)
Fictional travel guides
The book advertises (fictional) guides on the following places: Unaudited Arab Emirates (the Middle East), Costa Lottsa (Southwest Europe), the semi-aquatic Barbituros Islands (the Caribbean), Alpenstein (the Alps), Tyranistan (Former Soviet Union), Nuku'la Atoll (South Pacific), frozen Norgborg (Scandinavia), and the miserable Isle of Fogg (Scotland). It also advertises its website's geeky forum, including world tours for botanists and golfers, and an opportunity to spend a year in an untouched part of Europe.The book ends with The Jetlag Story.