La Vida Cotidiana Parte II

For those of you who have been reading regularly, I am sorry for not having updated lately. I have been pretty busy over the past couple of weeks, and have been putting off writing for my blog. Sorry!

Anyway, I want to add a couple of daily-life observations. One is the nana. Her name is Carmen, and she is the maid, cook, door-answerer, etc. It is common for middle-to-upper-class families to have a servant or servants, but it still gets to me a little bit. I feel bad for her having to clean everyone´s rooms, make lunch for at least 10-12 people every day, do the laundry, etc. I don´t see how she does it. I have been trying to make my bed every morning when I get up so that she doesn´t have to. I know she probably thinks nothing of it; it´s part of her job. It makes me feel like I am being lazy and ungrateful, though. I feel embarrassed when I am in a hurry and leave the bed messed up and she makes it. She always finds something to organize in my room though (she doesn´t have to look too hard). I don´t mean to say that Chileans with servants are spoiled or morally inferior; I just mean that it is hard for me to grow accustomed to having someone clean up after me. Only my mama has done that! Now that I am older, I feel bad when my mom makes my bed, too. Just because I leave it messed up doesn´t mean that I expect someone else to make it…..
Another interesting part of daily life is catching on to the chilenismos, or phrases and words that only Chileans use. I am getting used to their dropping the endings off of words and their rapid speech, which even my Honduran housemate finds difficult to comprehend at times. The chilenismos are something else, though. Here is a list I have been composing in my head for a while:

Chilenismo = Spanish = English
Po´ (said after a word, to give emphasis. Ex.: sí, po’)= pues= well, vocal filler
¿Cachai? = ¿Entiendes? = Get it? Or You know?
¿Cómo estai? = ¿Cómo estás? = How are you? (informal)
Polera = camiseta = t-shirt
Micro = autobús = city bus
Huevón = hombre, guey = man, dude (but it can also be vulgar. I am not exactly sure when!)
Hueonear = the verb of huevón
Che = argentine/a = Argentine
Copete = cóctel = cocktail, or could also mean any kind of drink
Arrender = alquilar = to rent
La pieza = la habitación, el dormitorio = bedroom
Choclo = maíz = corn, but a Little more sour than our kind of corn
Cartera = bolso = purse
Carrete = fiesta = party
Mechón = college freshman

That is all I can think of right now, but I am sure I will add more to the list.