The Nurturing Mother and Childish Relationships

Growing up with a Colombian family, I guess I never realized how nurturing the Latin American mother truly is compared to other cultures. My mom has always been super woman in my eyes and I've always looked up to her. I still haven't quite figured out how she can balance her full time job and keeping up with my sister, dad, and I. Yes, I know anyone reading this right now is probably thinking the same thing about their own mother, no matter what background. However, this class, our discussions, and the telenovela I'm watching just opened my eyes to my own culture so much more than I could ever imagine. Staying with my personal story for a little, I noticed the huge difference in culture when I was preparing to move to college. In Colombia, in in Latin America as a whole, moving away for college just doesn't happen. Everyone just stays at home and commutes to school, and honestly most people don't even move out until they get married. Of course, that is how my parents grew up and what they have been used to their whole lives. Of course, once I decided I was going to UGA and told them I would be living in a dorm, it was completely devastating... Not just for my parents but for literally my whole family. Relatives would call from Colombia and be in complete shock that I was moving out of the house. Now that I've been at UGA for three years, of course the shock has died down some but my mom's nurturing attitude just hasn't gone away.

In Hasta Que La Plata Nos Separe, the protagonists both live with their family and they are in their thirties. For American culture, this is simply not normal because if you're thirty and living with your parents people think you're probably not going anywhere in life. It has been kind of funny watching my telenovela and kind of thinking about it so analytically. Alejandra lives in a mansion with her dad and aunt, and it is completely normal. Of course, she plans to move out once she marries her fiancé. Even though she has a good job and could totally afford to have her own place, it just isn't weird that she hasn't done that. Rafael lives with his mom and little sister. His mother, reminds me of my own mom and my abuelitas. She cooks for him, does his laundry, and just takes care of him in such a genuine and loving manner. In the last episode I watched for example, Rafael gets woken up at 5AM to get to work early and his mom comes in his room to see what is going on (mind you he is a man in his thirties and his room still looks like a little boy's and he sleeps with a stuffed duck). When I was watching this scene, all I could think about was how childish it all looked. It also made me wonder if my views on all of it would be any different if I was still living in Colombia.

Going off on little different direction now, that last episode I watched also made me want to rant about Rafael's relationship with Vicky, his girlfriend. The relationship does not seem to be adult in any way. Since they both live with their parents, getting alone time is always difficult. Vicky still has to ask for permission to go out with Rafael, and has to make up lies when she won't be sleeping at home! She also just talks in such a childish manner, and calls Rafael at work at least five time a day crying and nagging him the whole time. Either way, their relationship is kind of hilarious so here's a little video (it's in Spanish but you'll get the idea just from watching her).