Chilango
What is a Chilango?
According to Wikipedia:
The Royal Spanish Academy and the Mexican Academy of Language agree on the definition of the word as referring to something "belonging to Mexico City", in particular referring to people native to the capital.
Chilango is a Mexican slang demonym for a person from or living in Mexico City or its surrounding areas. It may have a negative connotation when used by someone in one of the 31 States of Mexico.
People from Mexico City have come to embrace the term and use it with pride. This "chilango pride" has also led the affectionate term "Chilangolandia" in reference to Mexico City.
They also consider that any non-Chilango who uses the term does it in a derogatory fashion, and although widely used, may be considered pejorative since its not uncommon of people not from Mexico City to view Mexico City dwellers as "different" from them: more competitive, selfish, less honest and more manipulative.
The accepted etymology of the word "chilango" is most likely a derivation of the Nahuatl word Ixachitlān, that actually refers to the whole of the American continent.
I stumbled across this word while speaking to one of the security guards for our building. I asked if he was from El D.F. He told me he wasn't a Chilango which I thought meant he wasn't from Chile. I think he must have thought I had issues because I said "no, I didn't mean to ask if you were from Chile, are you from here? Here in Mexico City?" He just laughed and said "No, soy de Jalisco".
Of course I looked it up when I got back upstairs and had one of those "duh, I feel like an idiot" moments. I know the security guards already laugh at me in my cut-off sweats, crocs with socks, t-shirts and kids hanging off of me while I wait for the school bus. Add "bumbling Gringa" to their reason to laugh.
I enjoy talking to them while waiting even though they constantly try to convince me I need a "muchacha"**. Last week one came up to give us our mail and when I opened the door he peeked in and said "see, you need a muchacha to help clean" (quit laughing Dad). Dying from embarrassment, these guys are lucky I like them so much. They have some of the best recommendations and are better than a concierge for anything you could think to ask, are really attentive when it comes to building security and teach you a new vocabulary word when you least expect it...plus they fight over my cookies (wins me over every time).
**It took me quite some time to accept that "muchacha" was not a derogatory term for maid. I still can't bring myself to use it though, it just sounds wrong to me.
I know this is a lame "Only in Mexico Monday" post but it has been a while since I have been out of the apartment except for groceries and a lone play-date.
My excuse for self imposed quarantine can best be expressed in a letter:
Dear Santa Claus,
All I want for Christmas is a few weeks of children without fevers, diarrhea, vomit, coughs, boogers (that a 2 year old can't blow out), ear infections, strep and whatever the heck this is:
I wake up this morning only to be greeted by this miserable little man. Viral rash, super contagious days before the rash even appears, who the heck have we infected? Already contacted the family who spent Sunday with us to watch General Conference and told them to be on the lookout....SORRY!
We are locked in for a few more days. Until then, I've got so many ideas for "Only in Mexico Monday's" I can't stand it.
10 comments:
As I read your blog (and see those pictures of your baby boy all in a rash:-( ....I can't help think of the Velveteen Rabbit story. Referring, of course, as to how you become *real*:
"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."
You have surely become a *real* mom, Garity....and a good one:-) Welcome to the *club* ...ha,ha.
Love you, Mom
Oh my goodness! That rash is the saddest thing I have seen! Poor little guy! You do have so many experiences that I can hardly believe how you are doing it all. You are amazing. I enjoyed your story of learning the new word as well. (not meaning being from Chile - lol) I love those sorts of experiences in Mexico... not the rash type ones.
Love you Mom! How I deserve such a wonderful mother-in-law is beyond me! Funny, I do feel real a lot of the time; most of my hair has been loved off, and my eyes have dropped out and I'm loose in the joints and very shabby.
Wish I could lend you a suction machine for those un blow outable boogies, very handy they are. Viral rashes are no fun and I hope you get what you want for Christmas, including a very cool next assignment!
Holly! You don't know how many times I have thought about your suction machine at times like these!!!!!!! I've had visions of somehow rigging something up with our dustbuster and aquarium tubing...
I think that Janet must be a Wise Woman and she seems to have found a kindred spirit in you. Your security guards make me remember the preschool helpers who always wanted me to rearrange the four or five carseats so they could get the preschoolers out easier. I never did, cause I had them arranged so it was easiest for me to get all of them in. I'm sure they couldn't imagine why I had all those kids and how it could possibly be worth it. But I can tell you I am feeling more "real" by the day.
opps the last comment was me.
And you want us to visit? Um yeah can I come and enjoy sweet rashes and diarrhea with you guys? Since Kris doesn't really seem to be the one that has gotten sick he can be the one going from bathroom to bathroom asking us..."hot towel hot tow" in a full asian accent of course.
Maybe I will come just for that! The question is are all the cereal bits out of the toilet?
Poor Jam Jam and Bronwyn. I heard she was really sick too.
Chandra, where the heck have you been? Update your blog woman!
Kyra, thanks for the Depends moment (I've been having a lot of those lately) "hot towel, hot towel" oh my gosh that is hysterical! If you only knew. Trust me, it pays to have bathrooms attached to every bedroom, now we know why.
Yikes! Heebeegeebees...
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