miércoles, 30 de julio de 2008

Summer in San Luis Potosí

Rain has come to the state where I was born...
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In the south of Mexico we're used to seeing rains the whole year. Yet in the centre of the country it doesn't rain very often. San Luis Potosí's weather is generally dry in three seasons. But in summer it's always bucketing down.
So actually, the Potosino people is not prepared to receive storms and this time of the year all the state gets wet. Just look at the photo down here: it seems a nice river with an ancient bridge, doesn't it? Well, it isn't!! It's an avenue... yes, for cars and all that.


In the following pic, you can see a little turbulence. It's there because of a "tope" (or as you call it in England: "speed-bump").

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This is another view from this avenue:
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When the storm's over, the sky clears. This is a little building that lies near the flood:
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Despite the rain, Potosino summer is warm. People go out a lot and have afternoon-walks in the parks... but when the rain arrives, these wills get frustrated! If you want to go to these green zones you need comfortable clothes: jeans and t-shirt, or a light-shirt like my father's in this pic:

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And girls wear white-coloured light-clothes (what the hell was that? Haha) to avoid the heat. But my sister here has decided to cover this little baby with a jacket, 'cos the wet wind is bad for her.

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Bloody hell! This pleasure was short! The rain's here again: the clouds hide the sun and the park gets dark.

La Sobremesa

Estar en sobremesa or Tener una sobremesa means "chatting after having meals (wether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner)". You can also say "Echar la sobremesa" (this is a bit more informal though). If you've read some past entries (like "Echarse un fucho"), you'll see that we Mexicans use the verb "echar" for many things.
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When we stay in Calpulalpan, we have 'sobremesas' very often, because we generally go to that town during the weekend, "puentes" ("bridges" - long weekends; I'll explain this in the future) or holidays.
So because of those free times, Mexicans have more 'wasting-time' (ocio - pastime): we forget schools or job, and the week-stress too. A day like this is eternal and there are more chances of having sobremesas.

Sobremesa después de la cena (Sobremesa after dinner). Calpulalpan, Tlax. Foto: Daniel Orizaga

Sobremesa styles are different according to each family's habits: you may read a chapter of a book and talk about it, you discuss about politics or philosophy, you talk about funny anecdotes happened during the week, you tell your experiences in your last holiday-trip, or you just talk about whatever you want.

It's important if you have non-relative-people there (I mean, friends or sth.). Generally, when this happens, sobremesas are much longer and the conversation is about the guest. And of course, the family-members' manners change (they're kind and speak 'smartly').

No doubt, in every sobremesa the essential drink is COFFEE... or tea, but it's less common.

My recommendation: when you visit a Mexican family, don't ever speak about religion or politics, because that could bring a strong discussion that usually becomes a word-fight. Just be cool, sobremesas are for fun!

martes, 29 de julio de 2008

The Changing Family

In the decades of 1950 and '60, Mexican families were really huge. They were composed by both parents and an average of eight children.
A few years ago, this situation started changing. Mexico's had a lot of changes in life and customs. Some are good, some are bad, but it's definitely a different country.
Today, in the XXI century, a Mexican family is much smaller: the average is two parents and two children only. Those families that have got five members (two parents and THREE children) are considered "big families".
And we're talking about a traditional family. But what about the others?
Divorce is easier and much more common, so 'family breaks' are present everyday. Now you can see a mother and her daughter living together, or two children with their mother, etc. And there are also some cases where there was no divorce, but neither were children.
Furthermore, people gets more and more education everyday, so marriage plans are left to the end: they only want to improve themselves, i.e. individually.
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Mexicans used to be a very collective society. Family was the most important in all senses. Nevertheless, European influences have changed our perception and we're now an individualistic society.
For example, I'm part of it. The last thing I'm thinking right now is marriage. And I can say that this perspective of mine is totally different to my parents'.
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Anyway, we have a big population increase. This is because in the poorest and less-educated zones (not only in the country, but inside the cities too), couples still have more than four children!! And actually, these people are the ones who have already started populating the "northern neighbour nation" (the USA) by migration.

A la Bicicleteada!!

Bicicleteada is the idiomatic for "Having a short trip on a bike". Bikes are very common in rural regions, but unfortunately, motorcars are still more popular.
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My cousins and I have gone to the mount on bike several times. It's really hard, but exercise's worth it.
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Before leaving the house, we must be sure that the bikes are in a perfect condition: gearshifts (so that you go faster in even land or don't get tired in up-chutes), brakes (the most important!!), wheels, well-joined pieces (you don't want your vehicle to be destroyed in the middle of the trip), etc.

Maxixcatzin (my cousin, the guy on his knees) and me (the one wearing a blue cap). Checking up the last details.

Once everything's done, we're ready to go out for "bicicletear".

The team, a bit before going to the mount. Actually, we're five, but my brother's taking the picture.

Field-roads are made only by earth and stones... it'll be like that all the way!!


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We thought that we'd penetrated a lot in the Calpulalpan country, but we found a factory in the middle of our way. It's known as La Maltera, where they process barley (cebada); in this region of Tlaxcala, that cereal is the most cultivated... what for?? So that people enjoy their cold brews (chelas frías) while watching football.

Haha, in fact, it's also useful for many other products and stuff, like yeast (levadura).

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Ok, every civilization trace is gone... well, that sounds cool, but it's not real. Just look at all the structures behind us, essential for taking electricity to our homes, but they ruin the landscape. -
As we go on our trip, we can see fields and lots of magueyes (dessertic plants) at the road-sides.

Far from Calpulalpan, lies the highway to Mexico City. And we can see a foggy landscape, typical of a Mexican summer.
One recommendation: if you're not used to biking, don't get excited; just ride a short distance. If you feel tired, you should interrupt your trip. Remember you must keep some energy for going back!!

martes, 22 de julio de 2008

A Traditional Mexican House in Tlaxcala

Mexico city's very noisy and infuriating. That's why it is good to get out from there sometime.
I'm used to visiting Calpulalpan, a small town in the state of Tlaxcala.
Some weekends, when schoolwork slows down, we go to this place for breathing the "mount's clean air" (you know, Calpulalpan is some metres higher than Mexico city!!).
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Arriving to Calpulalpan takes aproximately 2 hours from the capital of our country. The landscapes are cool... I'll show some photos of the Calpulalpan fields later.
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Everytime we go there, grandmother's house is the common destiny... it's a traditional XIX c. Mexican house!! In ancient times, rich people's houses were so bloody big and were built on a whole block (we call it cuadra) or at least on a half of it. When the Revolution arrived, these dimentions became smaller and poor people could get them... doesn't mean that all the new houses are small!! In fact, this kind of houses are still big.
In civil-war-time (1910), there was a huge 'patio' and the rooms were built around it: kitchens, bedrooms, dinner-rooms, living-rooms, etc. (a format taken from the Spanish catholic convents). At the very centre of that 'patio', you could see a fountain. Even though some houses have changed a bit their original structure, they keep it in many ways.
Balcón que da a la calle (Street balcony)

In the balcony's pic, you can see how ancient may seem a street with houses like these: wood bars, the shape... even the colours have got a XIX c. style!
If you've seen Mexican films from the Golden-cinema-age (1940-1955), these images must be familiar to you. Now, let's look inside.

Calpulalpan child on a slide. (photo taken from the roof)

We can see here a half of this house's patio. It's not painted yet, so it looks a bit... strange. Behind the doors and the entries, you see the rooms (where there were beds before, but now we use them as warehouses... that's weird). The interiors are much better:

Living room with a chimney

Actually, chimneys are not common in this country. But Calpulalpan is a cold place and sometimes it's useful in winter... anyway, it's an ancient custom and it pollutes a lot. It's better if you get electrical heaters or something. For Godness sake!! In Europe itself chimneys are obsolete!!
Only as a curiousity: in San Luis Potosí, before 2000 (when I was a child) you could see houses and chimneys everywhere; but since that year, the romantic chimneys disappeared from the roofs (techos).
Photo: Daniel Orizaga

This is another perspective of the patio. As you can see, now there are two patios in the house, because the big one was divided by the middle. Now the house is painted. Much better like this.

lunes, 21 de julio de 2008

Let's play Basket!!

Here in Mexico, football is almost the "official sport". Yet, in schools they like teaching basketball and volleyball, so many people fancy practicing one of these sports at the end.
"El basket" (as we call it) is, after fut, the most known informal sport played by Mexicans (in "cascaritas").

And yeah, in a cascarita de fucho some rules dissapear, so now just imagine in basket! Obviously, most of us has played this 'gringo' sport, but generally we don't play it well, as we should.

In a cascarita de basket there are lots and lots of violations (violas) but we don't stop the game 'cos of that. You see lots of fouls and even people who kicks the ball. But these playing manners are really funny.

In parks, schools, houses, hotels, etc. you rather see basketball-grounds than football-grounds (that's got a sense, because of the space).

In College, for example, when some guys have a meeting, they play football or basket. I know that 'cos I've had some skivings (me he saltado algunas clases) just to play with the mates (cuates).

As you can see, basketball's become very popular in our country... perhaps not as popular as it is in the USA, but we play it a lot. So when you come to Mexico, get a basket-challenge! (hagan la reta!!) I'm sure you'll have a strange fun.

Echarse un Fucho (Picking up Football)

It is the action of playing an informal football match (also known in other countries as fútbol, balonpié, soccer, etc.). The word 'FUCHO' can be replaced by 'CASCARITA', although this word is more the equivalent for "match", so you can use it in other sports too: basketball, american football (we call it tochito when it's informal) and volley.
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"Echarse un fucho" is the easiest and cheapest sport-practice. You only need a ball, because goal-lines may be improvised with visible objects (stones, backpacks, clothes, etc.)... children don't even need a ball: for them, a soda bottle is good enough!!
Football is the most common sport in Mexico because of the TV influence -- we have to accept it. That's why almost all men like playing an informal match in some moments of their life.
When I say "informal" I mean "completely improvised". We don't take the small rules like the Offside (fuera de lugar/juego), the number of players or the player-standings, and sometimes we even forget the fouls... in a 'cascarita' there are no referees!!

This is a pic of some guys echándose un fucho.

In family parties, with the mates, in school, in the park... and of course, in the street! Any place is good for playing fut (a short way to say "fucho" or "football").
There isn't a time-table. It's, as we Mexicans say, "hasta qu'el cuerpo aguante" [til you get tired]. But when a player gets tired, he's usually replaced by another, so an informal match may last the whole day, with final scores of 40 goals or more. If you know about football, you'll see that this is really tiring.

This match was a disaster for our team. We lost with a score of 32-7!! At the end, we were all tired, sweaty and dirty...

The Mexican Character

As a society, Mexicans are noisy and fiesteros (who like parties). Doesn't mean that we're all like that (individually)... but if you try to compare to Germans, Swedish, English and people from other Northern European countries, you'll find out that we're not very quiet.
In the other hand, if you compare to other countries in America, you could say that our society is really conservative. Men will never kiss each other, because that'd bring bad ideas about them... so the greeting will always be by holding hands strongly and bowing a bit.
Mexicans and hugs are very funny. We sometimes do that, but it's always with a distance. It'd be very strange if someone who doesn't know you well hugs you strongly.
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The conversation is a show too. There's always a guy who gets so bloody excited with the topic and suddenly starts shouting and goes on like that. Jokes and laughs are basic, no matter the context... have you ever heard of the funeral jokes? (not only in our culture).
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Mexican people are generally 'valemadristas'. That's a slang word for "unconcerned", "cool" and "messy". Despite the hard life in economy, family, spirit or any other stuff, the Mexican knows how to let them be without having a big stress. Sometimes this is not quite good, because if you don't solve some situations then you get in trouble... and you become conformist: "If I'm comfortable, let the world go anywhere!".

sábado, 19 de julio de 2008

Names and Surnames

¿Juanito? ¿María?
Actually, the most common names in our country have changed. In our grandparents' time, everyone was named José, Juan or María (the same than Spain). But nowadays there are few people who have got one of those names yet, and if they get them, it's usually with a combination: José Luis, Juan Carlos or María Fernanda; so the second is the main name and nobody uses the first.
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There are also many people that have chosen non-spanish names for their children, for example my own name, Iván... it's Juan in Russian! Very curious, 'cos it's a very common name here in Mexico. If you come, you'll find at least one Ivan the time you stay.
Many people with a low-education choose English or German names: Oliver, Kevin, Sharon, Shannon, Tyson, Owen, Amy, etc. But most of times they write/pronounce it wrong: Óliver (with an accent), Kebin, Taison, Eimi, etc.
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Anyway, the most popular names are still Spanish, even though they're not the traditional ones (forget Benancio and Manolo, we never use them). So these are the most common names according to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística:
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Man
1. Alejandro
2. Carlos
3. Miguel
4. Eduardo
5. Fernando
6. Rodrigo
7. Ricardo
8. Luis
9. David
10. Javier
Woman
1. Gabriela
2. Carmen
3. Adriana
4. Alejandra
5. Guadalupe (perhapas it's the only traditional name with a high percentage)
6. Mariana
7. Claudia
8. Mónica
9. Teresa
10. Elena
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The most popular surnames haven't changed, so we've got the same than Spain... with a different order. This data was obtained by the Padrón Electoral Mexicano:
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1. Hernández
2. García
3. Martínez
4. López
5. González
6. Gómez
7. Rodríguez
8. Pérez
9. Sánchez
10. Ramírez
11. Flores

Saludo y Juramento a la Bandera

We do not only sing the National Anthem. In a ceremony, it is also important to pay homage to the Flag, which goes around the people as they do the "SALUDO" (salute).
In the other hand, the "JURAMENTO" (oath) is not taken very often, but if it's a very important ceremony (with a patriot vision, of course), this act must not be missing.
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The SALUDO for the Flag is different in citizens and military. The citizens must do the SALUDO with the right hand touching the left side of the chest (the hand completely even, the arm like a very straight line, and the thumb in the heart side). The military, instead, are used to touching the forhead with the right hand [look at the mate wearing a white suit in this pic]:

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It is common that people don't do it well. You'll always find those who are like 'bored stiff' and do the SALUDO with a not-firm-hand or a vary funny standing. [see the photo]:


Another wrong 'style' for a SALUDO is putting the thumb under the other fingers. It's one of the most common SALUDOS, even by teachers in schools, who give bad examples to their students. This way:

That's why you must remember that the five fingers are the same position, the hand completely extended. Try to get a firm standing. This is the correct SALUDO:

The JURAMENTO is totally different. The flag is no longer in movement, so it is exactly in the centre of the place where the ceremony is being accomplished.

The right arm must be raised to the front, a bit up, and the hand must be pointing the flag (not a fist, not a victory-hippie signal, not anything like that); on this act, it is even more necessary to keep a firm position like I've said.

But before having the Oath

Pero antes de hacer este otro tipo de "saludo", se debe recitar precisamente el juramento, y a la mitad de éste es cuando el brazo se levanta. He aquí lo que se dice:

Bandera de México

Legado de nuestros héroes

Símbolo de la unidad de nuestros padres y nuestros hermanos

Te prometemos ser siempre fieles [justo al pronunciar "te prometemos", alzamos el brazo]

A los principios de Libertad y de Justicia

Que hacen de nuestra patria

La nación independiente

Humana y generosa

A la que entregamos nuestra existencia.

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Los mexicanos se han preocupado por inculcar el nacionalismo a sus hijos, por lo que no sólo se enseña en las escuelas sino también en muchas familias del país; casi todo mexicano conoce este juramento.

Aquí les dejo un videíto de cómo un niño de tres años empieza a recitarlo. Apenas puede pronunciar cada palabra, por lo que aparentemente la mamá se ve obligada a "traducir" lo que dice:


jueves, 17 de julio de 2008

Himno Nacional Mexicano (con traducción)

"Himno Nacional Mexicano" = Mexican National Anthem (translated to Easy Spanish).

Es la canción nacional que nos distingue como mexicanos, y a pesar de haber sido escrito y compuesto en los años de 1853 y 1854 respectivamente, fue hasta 1943 cuando se convirtió en el canto oficial. Junto con la bandera y el escudo, el himno forma parte de los tres símbolos patrios.
It's our national song. It was written (lyrics) in 1853 and composed (music) in 1854, but it was officialy accepted until 1943. The 'Anthem', the 'Flag' and the 'Shield' are part of the three national symbols.
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Nuestro himno fue escrito por el poeta potosino Francisco González Bocanegra; no obstante, el carácter 100% nacionalista de estas estrofas se vinieron abajo cuando un extranjero (español, para ser más precisos) compuso la música para colocarlas a la letra previamente escrita por el mexicano.
En mi opinión, hubiera sido preferible que un mexicano compusiera también la música, pero eso no sucedió así y todos tenemos que resignarnos a entonar la música establecida (la cual, por cierto, por ley no puede ser modificada de ninguna forma).
Our anthem was written by Francisco González Bocanegra, a poet from San Luis Potosí. Nevertheless, the full-nationalism of the lyrics went down when a foreigner (from Spain, exactly) composed the music for them.
In my opinion, it would've been better if also a Mexican would've composed that music, but it didn't happen and we all have to sing as it is (by the way: the melody cannot be changed because that would cause legal problems).

Francisco González Bocanegra

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El Himno Nacional suele cantarse en casi todos los eventos oficiales e importantes. También cuando va a darse inicio a celebraciones deportivas (como en los partidos de football)... y por supuesto, los niños de todas las escuelas (desde Maternal y Preescolar, hasta Secundaria) lo cantan cada lunes para dar inicio a las labores de la semana.
The National Anthem is sung in all the official and important events, like Sports (eg. football matches)... and of course, school-children (from Maternelle and Kindergarten, til Secondary/Middle-school) sing the anthem every Monday to start the work for the whole week.
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Por lo general, el formato rápido se da de la siguiente manera: coro-1a. estrofa-coro. En eventos escolares, se aumenta una estrofa, por lo que el formato se alarga: coro -1a. estrofa- coro -2a. estrofa- coro.
Y en celebraciones más formales, se aumentan todavía dos estrofas más (que casi nadie se las sabe).
ES IMPORTANTE RECORDAR QUE, SIN IMPORTAR LA CANTIDAD DE ESTROFAS INTEGRADAS, SIEMPRE SE TERMINA CON EL CORO, INTERCALÁNDOLO A ÉSTE ENTRE CADA ESTROFA.
Usually, the quick format goes like this: chorus-1st. verse-chorus. In schools, you get another verse, so the format is a bit larger: chorus-1st. verse-chorus-2nd. verse-chorus.
In formal celebrations, two more verses (which almost nobody knows) are added.
YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT, NO MATTER THE NUMBER OF VERSES, YOU ALWAYS END UP WITH THE CHORUS, BY INTERCALATING THE LATTER BETWEEN EACH VERSE.
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Ahora les pondré la versión usada en las escuelas, pues es la más conocida y común. Al lado, colocaré una especie de traducción, pues por sí solo está difícil entenderle:
This is the "school version", the most known-common. You'll have a kind of translation, because it's difficult to understand (even for a Mexican):
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Coro
Mexicanos, al grito de "Guerra!" [Mexicanos, al escuchar el grito de "Guerra!"]
El acero aprestad, y el bridón; [Preparen el acero y los caballos]
Y retiemble en sus centros, la tierra,
Al sonoro rugir del cañón. [Y que los cañones hagan retumbar los centros de la tierra]
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Estrofa I
Ciña, ¡oh, Patria!, tus sienes de oliva,
De la paz el arcángel divino, [Oh, Patria! Que el arcángel divino De la Paz, coloque la oliva en tus sienes]
Que en el cielo, tu eterno destino
Por el dedo de Dios se escribió. [Pues tu eterno destino fue escrito en el cielo por el dedo de Dios]
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Mas si osare un extraño enemigo [Y si un extraño enemigo se atreviera]
Profanar con su planta tu suelo [A profanar tu suelo con su pie]
Piensa, ¡oh, Patria querida!, que el cielo [Recuerda, querida Patria]
Un soldado en cada hijo te dio (Un soldado en cada hijo te dio) [Que el cielo te dio un soldado en cada hijo]
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{Coro}
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Estrofa II
¡Patria!, ¡Patria! Tus hijos te juran [Si el clarín, con su acento bélico,]
Exhalar en tus aras su aliento, [Convoca a tus hijos a luchar con valor]
Si el clarín con su bélico acento [Patria, ellos te juran]
Los convoca a lidiar con valor. [Respirar por última vez en tus altares - O bien: morir sin cuestionar]
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¡Para ti las guirnaldas de oliva! [Esto se le dice a la Patria: A ti te daremos las guirnaldas de oliva!]
¡Un recuerdo para ellos de gloria! [Recordaremos con gloria a todos los mexicanos que lucharon!]
¡Un laurel para ti de victoria! [Otra vez a la Patria: Te otorgaremos un laurel de victoria]
¡Un sepulcro para ellos de honor! (¡Un sepulcro para ellos de honor!) [Y a los mexicanos muertos en batalla, les daremos un sepulcro de honor]
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{Coro}

How to be a Mexican...

The next entries will contain a guide of ALL WHAT YOU MUST KNOW TO BE PART OF THE EVERYDAY LIFE IN OUR SOCIETY. It'll be very useful if you're planning to stay here in Mexico for a long time... and of course, if you want to get the nationality!!
It'll be also cool for you, Centroamerican who wants to be here while you're trying to go to the USA. If you get caught there, you may say that you're Mexican so that you don't be sent back so far, 'cos it's been hard to pass two or more borders and it'll be a bloody awful party if you have to do the same trip again. But if they send you back to our nation, you'll be only worried about crossing ONE frontier (the most fucked of all) and will be easier to try.
Good luck for you all!!

Mexican Accents

Mexican Spanish is one in itself. It's, you can say, the "standard accent" used in the whole country. However, when you travel from a place to other in the Republic, you'll hear that the way to speak is different depending on the region.
In spite of the hundreds of accents, we can divide them in five big groups: coast, centre, "del bajío" (south-west of Mexico), north and the peninsula of Yucatan.
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We've got here the description of each one:
a) Coast.- It's the accent of those people who live near the sea, but it's much stronger in the southern and south-eastern states (Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Veracruz and Tabasco). The main characteristic of this accent is that the 's' is pronounced with a breathing... ok, like Southamericans or Sevillans, in Spain. Sometimes, just like an exaggeration, we could say that it sounds like a Cuban accent (but actually they have nothing to do with each other).
b) Del Bajío.- It's very similar to the central accent, although everyone can notice about a particular way to speak when these guys shout or talk with feeling. More than pronunciation, the difference is in 'entonation' to give an emphasis for some phrases... it's like a song while speaking, sort of, hahaha. You can hear this accent in states like Zacatecas and Jalisco, and also in Michoacán, Colima, Nayarit and Aguascalientes; perhaps in Guanajuato, but it's not very common there.
c) North.- A very 'beating' way to speak, like being upset or shouting at someone, but it's more like a sung beat. Have you ever seen Edgar's video (video de Edgar)? I recommend it to you, it's in 'youtube', about a boy who falls. Well, he's a good example for a northern accent.
d) Yucatán.- Their accent was directly inherited from the Mayan language. To speak with this accent (which is really difficult for every Mexican who was not born in the Peninsula of Yucatan) you must do short pauses in each word so that you give it an entonation... um... like a Scottish... well, it's really difficult to describe this way of speaking. You should visit the states of Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana-Roo, and you'll hear this funny accent for sure.
e) Centre.- We could say that the central Mexico has got the "standard" accent... the one that you learn when you study this language. There are also some differences though, no matter if it's the same accent. So people may discover that you're not a local guy if you speak passionately. I'll put all of those little details here:
* San Luis Potosí (my birth state).- If you find a "Potosino" in Mexico City, you'll hardly notice that he's not from there if you just hear the accent in a current phrase. So how can you get it? Make him to ask you something... Voilà! Exactly, for a strange reason, the Potosino will always make a question with a descending entonation, i.e. he'll start in a high tone and then will finish lower... The opposite to what a question should be!!
* Querétaro, Guanajuato, Puebla, Hidalgo, Colima, Estado de México and Morelos.- It's probably the less sung accent and the most standard in the country. The variations are so few and actually it's impossible to know, by a simple ear, if you're talking to a "Queretano", "Guanajuatense", "Mexiquense", etc... although I have no doubt that they've got their own attributes.
* Tlaxcala, Puebla, Hidalgo, Estado de México.- A "Tlaxcalteca" will speak exactly the same way than the others, but they'll use more often some native words (from Nahuatl), and if you go to some "municipios" you'll hear a small difference. I recommend two specific places in Tlaxcala so that you hear that accent: Calpulalpan and Españita. When you go to this state, don't forget these two towns... and talk to the people!!
* Distrito Federal and Estado de México.- The accent from the capital is called "Chilango". It's a very slangy way to speak, used by people from poor neighbourhoods (like Tepito); it was adopted later by the whole population of the city. Every person who lives in Mexico City (born there or not) will get that Chilango accent in some words or phrases. That happens a lot in times of desperation and protest; it's very common in upset children too. You can hear this accent in the film Nosotros los Pobres (with Pedro Infante)... there's a bit of exaggeration though: we don't speak exactly like that.

miércoles, 16 de julio de 2008

The Official Language

In spite of the number of languages that are spoken in the whole nation, the official language is Spanish -- of course, with our own accent, which is better known as "mexican spanish" (this got to sound a bit strange for you, but it's said like that, nothing to do).
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Mexican Spanish is identified because the letters 'c' and 'z' are pronounced like an 's' (in "start", "so", "sorry", etc.), and not with a 'th' sound.
Furthermore, we don't make a distintion between 'v' and 'b', i.e. the sound 'v' doesn't exist for us. The 'v', we pronounce it like 'b'.
The letter 'j' is also different to the one in Spain: we don't overpronounce it. And the 'y' is not the same than the one in Argentina, because it's a more similar sound to the letter 'i', although a bit stronger... mmmmm, it's not easy to explain.
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The speed we talk in a formal speech is generally slow. You can see that it's much easier to understand a Mexican than a Spanish when speaking. We actually worry about saying every little word in a clear and a strong way.
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The advantage of this language (no matter the country) is writing. All hispanics like to pronounce exactly what they read. We hate saying sounds that are not written down, or writing things that we don't say. We don't supress or add letters (there are some exceptions, of course, as every language; but the most important is that they're few and easy to understand)... this is good news for those who are learning Spanish.
Which are these exceptions??
* The 'h' is mute, just like the French one. However, when we put it together with an 'u', the latter gets a harder sound and it's pronounced like a 'w' (in English). For instance: "huevo" sounds more like "webo" or "güebo".
* The 'g' is pronounced like a 'j' (in Spanish), when it's followed by the letters 'e' and 'i'.
* The 'u' is not pronounced in the words with the following syllables: "gue, gui, que, qui" [ge, gi, ke, ki].
We shouldn't go on if we don't want to get confused. Those are the only important exceptions.
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Oh, by the way, I was forgetting something: For Mexicans, the letter 'x' is a problem most of times. It's the only one whose sound we don't recognize immediately. Very often, it gets a sound of 'ks', but it also sounds like an 's' (Xochimilco), 'sh' (like Xola) and 'J' (México)!!... believe me: that's a bloody nightmare.

martes, 15 de julio de 2008

Our country has also other names...

Mexico is not only known by this name, although it's the most common in the world.
The official name of this country, i.e. the one we use for official documents and all that stuff, is a ridiculous copy from the 'name' of our northern neighbour (the USA)... A stupid mate thought that this nation should have a similar name, so since 1912 or something we've got the "Mexican United States".
We're not only "americans" then, or "northamericans" and that, but we're "unitedstaters" too!!. Funny, isn't it??
Another common name is "Mexican Republic". It's better, less ridiculous and smart, but there are lots and lots of countries that have got already a name like this (Republic of Peru, Czeck Republic, etc.).
And people have created new ways to call Mexico (rather for jokes than seriously, but it counts):
* "El país de los tacos" (The taco country), you imagine why.
* "La tierra del maguey" (The land of 'maguey').
* "Mexicalpan de las tunas", this is because many rural towns have names that sound like that.
* "Cuerno de la abundancia" (Abundance horn), because of the shape of this land... no comment.
And there are surely some other names that appear everyday but haven't come to my ears.
But as you can see, my favourite name is just "Mexico": original, phonetically sweet, logical, and soooo on.

METZSHIKO!! (What does "Mexico" mean?)

Let's start then with the most important and basic question: the one you ask for sure when you hear the word MEXICO for the first time - What does that mean??
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Well, actually the name of our country is an agglutinate phrase in 'nahuatl' (aglutinada en nahuatl) composed by two 'roots' [very first etymon of a word] and a suffix (you probably don't understand very well if you don't know what this is... anyway, I'll try to explain in a simple way and then I'll give examples):
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'Nahuatl' - spoken by the ancestors of Mexican people - is an "agglutinant language", i.e. you can create new words from a root, by removing the "ending" of that word. In nahatl there are four basic endings (for nouns): tl, tli, li and... well, I don't remember the other one, but it's not very common anyway.
For instance, the root of the word NAHUATL is NAHUA (we remove the ending 'tl'). The root for NANTLI ("mother") is NAN. The root for CITLALLI (star) is CITLAL. With this, we can also create new words or 'place names' by agglutinating these roots with others; for example: the word CITLALTEPETL ("Star Mountain") is made by CITLALLI and TEPETL... but when you put them together it'd be hard to say Citlalitepetl, right? Haha... ok, I think it doesn't matter for you.
So then, the first word is the one that joins the second, that's why you only eliminate the first word's 'ending' (li). If it doesn't go this way, say, the translation for "Mountain Star" (the opposite), we just change the order: TEPECITLALLI (in this case, we remove the ending 'tl' from the word "tepetl").
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Now, after this short nahuatl lesson, we'll understand better where the name of this country comes from.
Let's go back to the beginning... the words that form MEXICO are the following: METZTLI = moon; SHITL (some people write it XITL) = navel; and the nahuatl suffix KO (or CO) which means "in/on". If we agglutinate by supressing the endings, we get the word "METZSHIKO", and that means "On the moon's navel".
You see, the real pronunciation should be 'Metzshiko', not 'Mehiko'. Curiously, the pronunciation that is closer to nahuatl is 'Meksiko', like the one used in other languages (English, Russian, Japanese, etc.).
But here in Mexico, by heritage of Spanish language, we pronounce Mehiko... the spelling is different though, because we write it with an 'x' (MEXICO).
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So everytime you visit us, you'll be walking "in the moon's navel". Welcome!!