Comments on: Housekeeping?

By: Ivan

Ivan — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 04:58:59 +0000

hello, i found your blog because you put the word Xalapa, i try to add it to www.blogsveracruz.com a blogs agregator only for blogs in Veracruz, but i found the rss is a general one and not a specific channel for your blog, a terrible y technical problem…
Any way is nice to found some one writing about living in México (and study people)

By: John Bokma

John Bokma — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:16:01 +0000

Hi,

I also live in Xalapa. I think you take “ita” too much as belittling which I doubt is really the case. I am 40 and I am often called joven. OK, I don’t look 40, more like 24, but still it’s joven I am called.

My partner is often called mija (my daughter). I call my partner chica and she calls me chico. I have the feeling - which might be very wrong - that the diminutive form is used to express closeness.

I am also curious of what racism you have encountered. In my experience (3+ years living in Xalapa) the Mexican people are extremely friendly. I joked to my partner some time ago that Mexicans seem to be more tolerant of homosexuals compared to Dutch people. And that’s quite a compliment.

People do call me güero but that’s to me certainly not racism. More the opposite.

By: Kristina

Kristina — Tue, 01 May 2007 02:51:42 +0000

Hi there John- I'm glad to hear from someone else living in Xalapa! I totally agree that -ita and other diminuatives are 9 times out of 10 used as way of expressing affection or simply common phrases. Maybe you are going to have a whopping slice of cake, but you'll say un postrecito. I, of course, am not offended when family or friends call me güerita. I also think, though, that language can be very subtle. Too many times I've heard people use a neutral term like moreno along with charged words like naco (a word I hate) and chusma. I've heard older women talk about their housekeepers and the women that sell tortillas as las morenitas as though they were cute and folkloric. I don't know how to compare Mexico to other countries. I will say though, that racism is everywhere to one degree or another. One of the challenges that go along with writing about another country is the multitude of people, cultures and experiences that you are dealing with. So all I can really do is share what happens around me, a very small piece of the whole picture. It sounds like you are part of a very open-minded family. That's wonderful. The people that I surround myself with are also that way. However, I have also found myself in a number of situations where the racism runs deep. I send you my best and hope to hear more from you in future blogs.

By: Kathe

Kathe — Sun, 13 May 2007 11:35:47 +0000

So what did you decide on for a fair wage for a housekeeper? I live in Quintana Roo and am curious as I see a wide disparity among people as to what they pay their employees.

By: Kristina

Kristina — Wed, 16 May 2007 00:01:56 +0000

Hi Kathe-
Yeah, we see a wide disparity here also. So much depends on where you live and what you need done also. For example, my mother-in-law has a very large house and is a bit demanding when it comes to the chores. She pays 120 pesos/day. A friend of ours has a small cabin and pays 150/day. The women who clean where my husband works are also paid 150/day for cleaning all of the offices. So we decided on 150 as well, as we have a small home and really only need basic cleaning done. We also provide the mid day meal and bus fare. It may not be as much as we would like to give but it seems to be quite competitive for our area and needs. The whole thing is still a little hard for me to get used to.