Only In Mexico Monday--Chilangos

I learned a new word today...

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.

I'm Sure I'll Miss These Days...Many Years From Now

Kris and I both knew it was just a matter of time before one of the boys broke this wall. We did everything to keep them away from it. I'm sure our neighbors can hear us yelling: "Don't touch the glass!", "Don't lean on the glass!", "Don't play near the glass!", "Get your toys away from the glass!", "Don't breathe on the glass!", "Don't look at the glass!". It wraps around our kitchen eating area dividing it from the entryway, kind of in the middle of everything and difficult to avoid, especially if your name is Jamison.

Jamison found a tennis ball in one of the boxes I was unpacking and bounced it right into it. He was pretty shocked when it broke, I was pretty glad it didn't all come crashing down.

What ticks me off is this huge glass wall isn't even tempered glass. It's relatively thin with sharp edges, poorly installed and did I mention it isn't even tempered? What that means is when it breaks it SHATTERS into SLIVERS of sharpness; a 13 ft by 6.5 ft guillotine.

While I was trying to tape the break to hold it somewhat before Kris could help me with it, any piece of tape I put on it was sliced right through. My hands got cut up and I didn't even feel it until blood smears were on the glass, that's pretty sharp people!!! I'm grateful for US building codes.



And then there is this...I don't even know what to say except I'm glad he couldn't climb up higher to reach my LIFE cereal. This cereal was on the 4th shelf, 5 ft up from the floor, the kid climbs them like a ladder. The pantry will be locked at all times from now on. And for all the smart alecks out there asking where the heck I was? I was upstairs changing and dressing Bronwyn.



After cleaning up the floor I thought I had better bring the Monster in to pose next to his handy work. If he wanted a bigger bowl he could have just asked. And this happened after we played Candy Land most of the morning. The kid acts like he's neglected, maybe he gets too much attention? Or maybe he's just 2.



Just to point something out, Jamison is either shirtless or pantless as you can see from the pictures. If he had it his way he'd just run around in a diaper or better yet, naked.

Why Birds Keep Flying Into My Windows

I found some of these pictures and I can't believe I forgot to post them!

A few weeks back, our apartment building announced a window washer crew would be working. They used our terrace to anchor from on our side of the building. Jamison had a great time watching them and I had to grab my camera because this is what they tied their ropes onto:



I didn't want to sound like a crazy woman so I only told them once that I wasn't sure the pipes were that secure (and they are awfully loose let me tell you!)...they assured me they were fine and they did this all the time but I think they had doubts themselves because they took the end of the rope and tied it to our hose spigot. YIKES!

Kris and I thought about setting up rappelling off our terrace, you know, just for fun. This is the last apartment building we plan to live in and we'd never be able to live in another penthouse so why not take advantage of it? No anchor points around except for these pipes so that idea got squashed...bummer. You think I'm kidding don't you?

Back to the washer, this is what he sat on:



This is how high we are (not too bad but high enough):



This guy's name is Jorge (pronounce it the Spanish way, not like the monkey) and he was so much fun to talk to. He is a budding photographer when he's not washing windows and he gave me some fantastic ideas for local out of the way picture spots for family pictures.

Once he got started with the windows he really gave Jamison a show. He would swing back and forth like a pendulum, kicking the wall to really get himself swinging in a wide arc which made Jamison laugh pretty hard (and me cringe thinking of the pipes the ropes were tied to). Jamison ran to each window (we have 6 large picture windows) and watched as Jorge swung from one side to the other soaping things up and squeegeeing it off with each swing. It was pretty acrobatic.

He did an amazing job but now I'm ticked because the inside of my windows look like crud. I liked it better when I could tell myself the crud was on the outside of the window. Time to get the boys some Windex and paper towels and put them to work.