What Is a Brincolin?

By Margaret Fleming

What is a brincolin? We found out last week when we met Oscar Garcia and his wife Miriam. They own a local company called Mi Fiesta, which provides everything necessary for children's parties. Parents or grandparents can order from Hector and Miriam chairs, tables, balloons, recorded music, food, and brincolines--what we call jumping castles in the U.S. These fun-filled gadgets probably have other names, but when our grandchildren have them--and they do for every birthday--that's what they call them. A jumping castle is a sort of giant balloon, actually a room with inflatable sides and a floor that kids can jump up and down and bounce around on. The balloons don't always take the shape of castles. Sometimes they are dragons or other strange beasts, but the principle is the same.

Oscar and Miriam have three of these fun-making brincolines, which they rent out for parties. Oscar delivers the castle, sets it up and inflates it. After 4 hours he comes back, deflates it, and takes it away. The cost depends on the number of persons, but is reasonable and offers a fantastic experience for the kids. Mi Fiesta's office is a blue castle with a painted rainbow over the door.

Oscar and Miriam also provide the tables and chairs and the food. If it's hot dogs or hamburgers or Mexican food, Miriam cooks it. If it's chicken, they get it from Lucas chicken, whose owner is a friend of theirs. The music is recorded on cassette, although Oscar is a musician himself. He plays percussion with a group called Frontera Chicana, which plays for weddings, quinceañeras, and other special occasions.

Oscar, who was born in Guadalajara, lived in Bakersfield, California, for 7 years where he was a truck scale technician, doing maintenance on all kinds of scales. He also worked as a drummer in his spare time.

Oscar and Miriam have three children, Gerson, 10, Jocelina, 5, and Jaquelina, 3.

For Spanish