I think I use this phrase about 5-6x a day haha. I guess it’s good that I’m asking questions, but most of the time I am saying this to my host mom which makes me feel bad since most of the terms she tells me are things that I should know and have learned in my previous Spanish classes.
My learning curve:
I have my ups and downs. However, each down slowly increases as the time goes on. This is the end of my 3rd week and I feel like I have improved a decent amount. Hopefully, by the end of this program, my learning curve will look something like this:
Some common Chilean words I wish I knew before I came:
Po—doesn’t mean anything but is added to the end of short responses; for example: Sí po and Ya po.
Pololo/a – boyfriend/ girlfriend
Palta – avocado
Plata – money
Qué bacán – how cool!
Even though it’s my 3rd week here, I am still getting used to these words. I just can’t seem to fit them into my vocab!
We did another group project in the outreach portion of my health seminar. This week, we worked in groups on defining the typical stereotypes: roles and traits of a male and a female. Qualities inside the box are what is “accepted and expected” for a particular gender in society. Qualities outside the box are what are deemed as “less acceptable and undesired” in society. Attached is our interpretation of what is accepted and unaccepted in society.
**Sorry it’s in Spanish!
I’ll translate some of the characteristics of each gender.
In general, for men, some traits that are considered desirable and accepted are being athletic, masculine, outgoing, intelligent, handsome, strong, and tall. Undesired traits for men would be being short, overweight, lazy, weak, and dependent on others.
In general, for women, traits that are accepted in society include being stylish, feminine, weak, pretty, calm, and domestic. Undesired traits for women would be being independent, too tall, loud, and overweight.
In the US, some of the “undesired” traits/roles listed for women have progressed to being a desired and accepted trait/role. However, in Chile, stereotypical roles and traits are still more prevalent. The traits that are more common for women such as being ambitious in the US would probably be deemed as “undesired or not accepted” in Chile. This is particularly prevalent in rural, low-income areas. The organization I currently work with for my outreach portion is tackling some of these issues and equipping women with health knowledge to become leaders in their communities. I am so glad that I am working with this organization! I hope to continue to support and aid this organization’s efforts to improve the lives of women in the area.
On another note, I recovered from being sick for a week (YAY!) and will be going to the Atacama Desert this weekend. I will check back in next week with pictures! :]
Adios,
Rose