Job Discussion Forums

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Yes, we might be a humorous bunch...t'is what this region does to you.

As Latin America has this image of romance, Latin love, dancing, and revelry, I think some of the answers and experiences on this thread have been revealing...a sort of census amongs us, no? Let's all have a group hug...

Perpetual Traveller · Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 651 Location: In the Kak, Japan

Only if you promise to all wear deodorant, I hear it get's kind of hot down your way... Just kidding, I'm up for it, c'mere you

PT

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

I saw that once! but it was a mugging in the Guadalajara subway... Confused

jessicah632 · Joined: 12 Jun 2005 Posts: 36 Location: Texas, USA

I'd be curious how many people hook up with other TEFL teachers. Me personally, I'm not going to South America for romantic interests. When I was there last year, the men didn't really appeal to me on a physical level. But like many American women I do have a thing for accents, British especially, so if I do end up in a relationship, I'm worried I'll go nuts for some other TEFL teacher. Shocked

Like PT I find it hard to meet a guy who's as into travelling as I am, and it really does suck to meet someone great and then know you're both moving on in a few months. In fact right now I am in a relationship with someone who knows I'm leaving for Ecuador in a few months and is really bummed about it, even though he knew those were my plans when we first met. It's really really awkward and I can't help but feel like the bad guy.

Luna Chica · Joined: 04 Sep 2005 Posts: 177 Location: Trujillo, Peru

I'm totally going there for love. I do really really like Peru, but esentially my reason for going is to be with my boy. Aww. But also too, if that doesn't work out, there is a hell of al ot more eye candy there than in Australia. Not into Aussies boys at all.

Cdaniels · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 3:40 am Post subject: Scythe

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Perpetual Traveller · Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 651 Location: In the Kak, Japan

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

Cdaniels · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 3:17 pm Post subject: Spelling

turistas, not touristas! I've found a way to spell-check my posts with a Google toolbar, but it doesn't do Spanish (yet)

In vacation locales in New England, romance with tourists is looked down on upon not because they tend to be short-term, but when it is long-term romance, it almost inevitably means the "well-to-do" tourist will lure the native away from their hometown.
No comment on my personal experiences with this! Rolling Eyes

thelmadatter · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 3:33 pm Post subject: terminology

Here's a related topic. Im seeing a guy. No commitment but we like each other and enjoy each other's company. We were talking in general about relationships and based on what he said (and from some others as well) some of the terminology in English and Spanish doesn't quite match up. For example, I asked him to tell me about his first girlfriend (novia) when he was a teen (assuming he had one). He told me (in Spanish, he doesnt speak English) that he has never had a "novia" but he's had a number of "amigas" (con and sin derechos) That seemed strange to me but I associate "novio/a" with boy/girlfriend although I know that it can mean "bride/groom" as well. But he told me that "novio/a" is always reserved for a very very seriously commited relationship (like fiance).

Ive run into the following terms:

novio/a - fiance?
pareja - (maybe this one is closer to the English boy/girlfriend?)
amigo/a con derechos (friend with benefits if I get this one right)
union libre - living together?
amante - dictionary says "lover" but that term is vague as well.
aventura - primarily sexual relationship

Im not sure how accurate my understandings are.

so what do they mean where you are?

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

I'm sure many of these vary from region to region. Here in this part of the country, novio/novia is the equivalent of a steady boyfriend/girlfriend. Prometido/Prometida is used when officially engaged. Union libre is a couple living together as man and wife but not officially married (common-law marriage.) Amante suggests a lover in the physical sense, not necessarily being a romantic relationship, but it could be. I've not heard aventura or amigo(a) sin/con derechos used here. When speaking of relationships, people use pareja when referring to a steady gay boyfriend or lesbian girlfriend.

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:03 pm Post subject:

Pareja here is used to refer to a steady relationship, and I often use "partner" as a translation. (Could be gay, lesbian, or straight, but tends to refer to a heterosexual partner. Same sex couples aren't really encouraged to talk about their relationships here.)

In addition to the vocabulary listed, people here tend to use "enamorado/a" to refer to a steady boyfriend or girlfriend. (Literally "in love," but you get the idea.)

Amongst teens and young people, a new (to me) slang word is "amigovia/o," clearly a hybrid between "friend" and "girlfriend/boyfriend," used to mean something in between the two.

I have occasionally had trouble explaining "engaged" to students here, as in most of Ecuador, the distinction between being a couple and planning to marry is confusing to people. When you are a couple, if nothing goes horribly wrong, you'll get married. The concept of deciding to get married is sort of wrapped up in being a couple.

Union libre exists here, and is looked on badly in some areas. But it's pretty common on the coast. Here it basically means "marriage with no priest." It is still looked on as a permanent arrangement, with lots of kids...

Regards,
Justin

MELEE · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:10 pm Post subject:

In my part of Mexico, novia/novio implies an engagement and also implies a traditional young couple. We have a teacher in her 50s whose boyfriend from England came over for a visit. My husband thought it was terribly funny of me to refer to him as her boyfriend. I guess like an English speaker would if I had said they were "going steady". People often use the word pareja in heterosexual relationships. They also say companero when refering to mature people who aren't married. Becuase getting legally and church married often means a big outlay of money, people in the surrounding areas also tend to "juntar" or just join up.

Do they still use the delightful pololo/a term in Chile?????

Perpetual Traveller · Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 651 Location: In the Kak, Japan

It used to be that in France you had to be quite careful about using the word Fiance, because it could mean either someone you were engaged to or just someone who was your lover. Nowadays it tends to just have the former connotation and amant is used for lover. I've always been amused by how the French say boy/girlfriend, petit(e) ami(e) which literally means small friend! Once people are a bit older it is shortened to just ami(e) the equivalent of partner I guess. But even this is confusing as the same word is used for someone who is just a friend.

PT