So how often do you meet Mexican-Ukrainian couples? Not that often I would say. “Almost never” – people in an immigration institution told us when we were moving forward with the paperwork. So today I decided to lift the veil of the mystery of the marriage to a Mexican man.
Since I was born in Ukraine, my plans about marriage didn’t assume marriage to a guy, who lived just on the other side of the world. But this is crazy life somehow it has happened. There is a huge difference to marry a Mexican man from Mexico City than from any other part of the world. The changes were enormous for me: starting from the language and life style and ending with a culture and traditions. Let’s talk about some stereotypes and truths I had to face:
1)Kids. The more the better.
From the minute you became a wife the most frequently asked question is “So when are you having kids?” The lectures from the members of the family are included)) While most families in Ukraine have 2-3 kids, you will most likely meet people of older generation with 6-7 kids in the family. Nevertheless most young Mexican people will go for 2-3 kids, making “familia grande” a stereotype. My husband is the 6th kid in the family. So at the end everything depends. Depends on you and the person you have married to.
2) Your husband’s family is enormous.
Since my husband’s parents are old school, that is true story for me. The family is really big. While the closest relatives get together – it is going be a challenge for you. You will try to memorize the faces of all the siblings, cousins, uncles, aunts etc. But when my husband figured out that Ukrainian family is 10-12 people max including all the relatives, it was not even a challenge for my him to remember each and every one of them)) So I took a shot of remembering Mexican names in the family. I tried really hard. It took me over 3 months to remember the closest members of the family (+ 2 first names and 2 family names of each of them). I screwed couple of times confusing the faces and names while talking to them. So as you can say my husband succeeded first memorizing everyone. 😉
3) You never get called by your name.
Partly true)) Mexicans really like calling each other by nicknames. And they love jokes. So the imagination flies high while inventing new one for a member of the family. And it would be nice to remember them as well as remember the names. Well, after all I got a pretty good one. They call me “flaquita” ( skinny girl)))
4) Mexican “salsa picante” and limes vs ukraine sour cream challenge
Well, as you could guess hot sauce and lime accompany every dish you cook if you are Mexican – and “her mom puts sour cream in almost everything!!” the very first worlds you hear from my husband if asked about Ukrainian food. So I felt a lil awkward while being the only person at the table who didn’t eat hot sauce and crying my eyes out if I run into smb preparing it. On the other side we have my husband flying 20 hours to Ukraine every time putting Mexican hot sauce into his baggage. Followed months I discovered the joys of real Mexican food, and followed months since my husband discovered sour cream as a pretty good addition to the meals. Now I can’t live without spicy food. And my husband loves pancakes with sour cream while adding his hot sauce to Ukrainian meals I make.
5) You start speaking like a real Mexican while it is a not piece of cake for your new relatives to pronounce your Ukrainian/Russian words 😉
You not only realize that Mexican Spanish is a whole new world for your Spanish, now you have to know the slang)) So somehow you use the words such as mande, ahorita, chingar, cabron, orale. And somehow your Mexican relatives start learning the most common phrases in Ukrainian/Russian. So at the end both languages are used over the dinner table to create that cosy “home” atmosphere in the house.
6) Soccer is a lifestyle.
Whether you are a sport fan or not, soccer match is going to be like another holiday for you. 😉
7) Double holidays never hurt! ;)))
I am orthodox Christian and my husband is Catholic – we celebrate all the holidays twice. It is a good experience though. Talking about winter holidays, Mexicans as well as Americans open their presents on Christmas while Ukrainians do it during the New Year Eve. At the end we are all big kids. And waiting is not cool!)) so imagine you waking up every year on the 25th of December by hearing “so can I? Are you sleeping? Can I open mine now?”
I am orthodox Christian and my husband is Catholic – we celebrate all the holidays twice. It is a good experience though. Talking about winter holidays, Mexicans as well as Americans open their presents on Christmas while Ukrainians do it during the New Year Eve. At the end we are all big kids. And waiting is not cool!)) so imagine you waking up every year on the 25th of December by hearing “so can I? Are you sleeping? Can I open mine now?”
8) And finally: You know that in Mexico there’s nothing more important than family.
No matter what, your family comes first. Wether you have your ups or downs, you were born in mexican family or you became a part of it, it will always be there for you. That is not just a saying – that is a real thing going on. So be ready to feel pretty special and truly appreciated. 😉
GENA'S ADVENTURE 