Los Angeles and La familita

I spent this past week hanging out with my Abuela! (upper left)

She's a hoot!  Plus, she's a great Spanish tutor!

Lorena and I went on a road trip together with little Simoncito to grandma's house so little Simon could be introduced to the family!

Did I mention Rodolfo has a big family?

This past week was a crash course in LA FAMILIA!   Who are all totally awesome!

Aunties, uncles, really cool cousins, nieces and nephews...I had a blast!

Let's make this clear though familia:

1.  We are not having a baby until I have adequate housing and health insurance

2.  We are not moving to Chile for at least another two years and then....repeat 1.

Here are some Chilean basics I picked up in my intensive family boot camp in Los Angeles!

 Take any name of a person or food or really any noun in general and add -ito/a to it, which generally makes a word "small" or "cute" in Spanish and you are in Chile!

example:                                            pronounced:

aguita  = Chilean agua/water                  awita

guatita = Chilean guata/tummy               watita          

guaguita = Chilean guagua/baby             wawita   

It was driving me crazy trying to decipher which one was being said!  "Aguita para la guatita de wawita?!?"

Hungry?  Have some pan-cita!

Thirsty?  Beb-ita! or perhaps a cafe-cita!

What is my name?  Saritah!

Sometimes, I think by saying -ita, I am agreeing to eat or drink less??   Nope.  Normal sized!  Just cute!

Pan.

Pan is a staple here.  If you don't like bread, you won't like Chile.  Chileans, love, BREAD...well, and Beef.

Even better?  The two together!  Perhaps with a tomato salad on the side..you know....for healthiness!

On a personal note, I spent the week tummy sick after accidentally swallowing the cleanser in Rodolfo's dads tea kettle making a tea.  Whoops.  After cleaning out my system, it's been a slow and steady recovery to normal watita-hood.  Abuelita chicken and rice soup along with continual cups of fresh herbal tea (I think she said, te-ceta!) from her garden just prove there is no place better to be sick then at grandmas house!  Gracias abuelita!