Ya Sabe

One of my favorite expressions here is "ya sabe." It's one of several ways to say "you're welcome," but it has a warmth to it that I don't hear in the more common "de nada." Ya sabe is literally "you already know," carrying the connotation of "Look, you know I'd do this for you any time, no gratitude required." You're not too likely to hear it on the street from a stranger you just thanked for picking up a dropped package; more likely it comes from someone who knows you at least a little and feels some affection or respect for you.

This evening Basi and I went to the auditorium at the Museum of Anthropology to see the film Dirt. It was produced for Showtime and tells the story of a woman from El Salvador trying to make a living as a housekeeper in New York City. The actress who played the lead role, Julieta Ortiz, was in town and spoke before the film. Basi and I got to talk with her in the lobby for awhile. She's actually Mexican, and she told us about her experiences trying to get the Salvadoran accent and vocabulary right for the film. She said it's not an easy film to get ahold of since it was produced for cable TV and has not been distributed on DVD, but if you get a chance, see it. It's good.