Am I Chilean Yet? - Trying to Assimilate

Girls' night in the city

Emphasis on the word "trying." However, I certainly do feel like I am learning more about the culture of Chile everyday, and as a result, maybe starting to fit in?

**Disclaimer** this post is about to be an unorganized jumble of all sorts of events / observations / stories from the past few weeks that I'm just now getting around to showcasing (got busy, not sorry) so here are the newest highlights from my South American adventure:

La Vega market - 3rd largest in the world, composed of several enormous warehouses offering everything from fruit and vegetables to meat and cheese and exotic spices and random household supplies.

For my Albuquerque friends, they even have sopapillas. These are round, flat, and slightly thicker than what we have in NM, but still incredibly delicious (no honey, though).

Barrio Italia - For my D.C. friends, this is like the Georgetown district of Santiago. Posh boutiques and (real!) coffee shops line the colorful streets - definitely worth the visit (especially for the Nutella espresso, featured below).

Coffee Shops / Food - Coming from D.C., a city filled with great coffee shops, to Santiago, which is sparse in this department (aside from Starbucks / Barrio Italia) has been tough, but we have one good find tucked into a little corner downtown, not too far from the university. We are also trying to take in as much of the local cuisine as possible, but we still have yet to find outstanding Chilean food (aside from empanadas, of course).

                

 

Understanding historical backgrounds - Only a little more than 20 years ago, Chile was governed under a military dictatorship, led by Agusto Pinochet, from 1973-1990. Among other terrors, the dictatorship was known for its blatant disregard for human rights and excessive use of torture. While looking at this time period from an outside perspective makes it easy to see the atrocities that were caused as a result of Pinochet's rule, not everyone here views his regime in this way. Before Pinochet took power in the coup of 1973 (backed by the United States), a socialist named Salvador Allende governed Chile. The more conservative population of Chile viewed Pinochet's rise as entirely beneficial to them, as his policies favored the upper classes (who also tended to have lighter skin and more prestigious occupations). This is a painful simplification of the recent history that has shaped this nation's current social and political environment, but it gives context for (though does not excused) the often blunt racism and admiration for Pinochet that initially caught me off guard.

Don't worry, I'm going to school / sometimes I speak Spanish - Yes, it's true, I'm just now beginning my second week of classes and hopefully starting to settle into more of a routine. I'm taking an assortment of courses, but they are mostly focused on the politics and development of Latin America. The school is really beautiful, comprised of an assortment of buildings spread out over a few blocks of the university district downtown. An observation - Chilean students act very differently in a college classroom setting. Many of them talk to each other the entire class, the professors too accustomed to it to do anything about it (but annoying to those of us whose first language isn't Spanish, as we try to hold on to each and every word that comes out of the professor's mouth). Somehow, though, the students simultaneously still pay attention and bring up incredibly relevant questions in class, while the rest of us international students are just trying to keep up.

University library

That being said, I do feel so much more confident with my Spanish now than just one short month ago when I couldn't remember the words for shower or dinner (both important). I understand a good majority of what the professors say, but only because they use proper Spanish. Talking to other Chilean students is a nightmare - I'm pretty convinced that there are really two Spanish words for every English word, one proper and one slang. I do have some new friends to help, though, because...

I joined the University's soccer (fútbol) team - I really don't know what they are saying most of the time, but I can distinguish when they're yelling at me for good or bad reasons, and the rest I just infer (probably better this way). So far, this has been such a good way to meet Chileans my age and get out and run around (it's certainly whipping me back into soccer shape quickly). It's competitive but fun, and honestly one of the best decisions I've made here.

For those who made it this far, I appreciate you bearing through a long and scrambled post. I hope that this gives you at least a glimpse of the incredible time I am having here and some of the friends I'm making along the way.

Darcy and I enjoying Chilean
"Asado" - BBQ

Isla Negra ~ Viña del Mar ~ Valparaíso

Three weeks into our endless vacation, we were able to venture outside of Santiago for the first time since our arrival to Chile. The other students in the AU abroad program and I headed out to the coast early Thursday morning, winding through the smaller (it's all relative here) set of mountains separating Santiago from the Pacific Ocean.

Our first stop was Isla Negra, an incredibly small and fairly quiet coastal town. Here, we visited Pablo Neruda's second home (I wrote about his first home in my second post). Positioned directly on the beach with exceptional views, Neruda's home showcased his love for the ocean as well as his passion for collecting extravagant items from around the world.

After, we were able to stop in at a local restaurant and have incredible crab and cheese empanadas, as featured below. **Side note about empanadas - I've eaten so many. The locals here love them, and they are incredibly inexpensive. It doesn't help that there is a shop right next to our school that sells them for 900 pesos (a little more than a dollar). Needless to say, my diet is stellar.

From there, we left for Viña del Mar, a touristy beach town that is a popular spot during the warmer months. We walked around the beach for a couple of hours, and enjoyed some ice cream while watching a beautiful sunset over the water.

The majority of Friday and Saturday were spent touring around Valparaíso, a port city on a hill situated right next to Viña (accessible by both metro and bus and only 15-30 mins away). The city is stunning, but not in a "traditional" sense of beauty. The local government commissioned a project a while back to paint all of the buildings/ houses in different colors to make the port more aesthetically pleasing. Because of this, the city is filled with color and art everywhere.

Normally, street art isn't my taste, however many of the works of art here have me convinced otherwise.

                             

Though both Viña and Valparaíso are considered cities, they both have a more small-town rural feel (we paid our bus fare in coins to the drivers). We did get to stay in a hostel for the first time, though, and had a really good experience. It felt like a cross between a college dorm and summer camp, with bunk beds, communal bathrooms, and a living area with couches and a TV. We did get to meet other foreign travelers (some who spoke English, others no) and hear their travel stories, which was certainly a highlight of staying in a hostel as opposed to a motel (in addition to the low cost).

Our bunk beds were right off of this main living room

For the most part, though, our weekend was pretty relaxed and we got to enjoy our last few school - free days (yes, I promise I am actually here to go to class eventually). And it wouldn't be South America if we didn't return to Santiago with the city in full protest mode, civilians blocking off our access to bus and metro routes. The march made international news, and the picture at the top of this article is right where we were kicked off the metro as the police started to shut it down for safety reasons. Though we did have to walk several blocks with our bags to reach the next open metro, it was interesting to see this protest from the ground. The local news reported 300,000 participants (international news sources gave numbers much higher), but what we witnessed of the march was entirely peaceful.

If you look closely, you can see people standing on top of the bus awning waving huge flags

And now, believe it or not, three weeks later and I have finally started classes. It still feels like a vacation here, but now the reality of papers and tests is beginning to set in. I've been learning so much outside the classroom, though, and I'm beginning to wonder how much I really need these classes...

...kidding, but another post soon to follow about other recent adventures around the city.

Trekking Saltos de Apoquindo (Sort of)

Eight gringos took off bright and early this morning to hike up to a waterfall hidden deep within the easily accessible Andean mountain range. Just a short (though almost exclusively uphill) 45 minute walk from our neighborhood is a trail head that sections off into 3 different hikes. After signing in with the trail guides and paying a small entrance fee of 2,000 pesos, we set off up the mountain full of anticipation and with blisters already forming in our new hiking boots. The trail starts off fairly steep but gives way to incredible early morning views.

We stopped frequently to take pictures (and catch our breath) on the way up.

About a 17 km (~10.5 mi.) round trip hike, this is clearly one of the most popular ways to get out of the city without really having to go that far (source: internet). Though our age demographic was by far the most represented on the trail, there were kids and grandparents alike winding their way into the mountain.

We found a mini waterfall on the way up, and stopped to climb around.

We also ventured over a suspension bridge that swung a little too much for comfort as we walked across, yet still stood in the middle and shifted our weight around to make it swing more (sorry Mom).

Eventually, we ended up at a large river that we had to cross to continue on the trail. However, the guides standing on the other side of the river waited until all eight of us had made it across (some with feet significantly more wet than others) to tell us that we needed to have reached the river by 10:30 AM to continue on the trail (it was a little after 11 by the time we got there). Sad and hungry, we sat down to eat our lunch, bitter at the rangers for not telling us this important detail when we started the hike, but also mulling over the realization that had we not climbed so many rocks and taken so many pictures, we might have made it on time.

Nonetheless, the views were stunning enough to leave us satisfied as we jumped on rocks back across the river. And don't worry - these inner-city D.C. gringos do not give up on the Andean wilderness that easily. Stay tuned in the next few weeks for Saltos de Apoquindo part 2: the actual waterfall edition (hopefully).

Settling in to Santiago

Though I am still not sure when (or if) this city and myself will start to thaw, I am beginning to settle into a routine in my temporary home. The more I discover within Santiago, the more time I want to spend just wandering its streets and learning about as much as I possibly can. Some initial observations:

1. The smog: Santiago sits between 2 mountain ranges - the Coastal Mountain Range and the Andes. Because it sits in a valley, and this is a city of 7 million people, it is almost always smoggy. Apparently several times a year the government restricts the number of people on the road and imposes huge fines for those who don't comply. On the bright side, if you can get above the smog for a clear view of the mountains, it's pretty spectacular.

2. The people: for being a major metropolitan city, I have been continually floored by the genuine kindness and positive attitudes that accompany nearly everyone we have met here. People are patient with us as we try to work through conjugating Spanish verbs and deciphering the "Chilenismos", and aside from being a social culture, people of all ages have gone out of their way to get to know the gringos from D.C. And it's not just us - this is how they interact with each other as well, even in the crazy, packed streets of downtown.

3. American influences: They're everywhere. In conversation especially, English words and phrases are thrown in regularly. My favorite is the phrase "super bien", used for pretty much everything. Have a super bien evening, the weather is super bien, this food is super bien, etc. Also, at least half of the music played on the radio, at stores, and in the bars/ clubs we have ventured to are popular American songs. I think it would be such a different experience growing up to hear both Spanish and English music and have this be the norm, but maybe it contributes to the fact that many people from other countries are able to speak English much better than we are able to pick up on other languages. Maybe.

4. Street performers: This is incredibly entertaining. Usually taking place downtown, performers will run out into the crosswalks of major streets while cars are stopped at the lights and put on some kind of 30 second show, and then proceed to walk through the lanes of cars asking people for money (usually a few will roll down their windows and give them a few pesos). We've seen everything from break dancing to knife juggling to ukulele playing. Sometimes they try to sell candy as well.

5. Student protests: We were told before coming here that there are frequent student protests over the high cost of college education, promised by the president of Chile to be lowered during her term in office. However, as the end of her term is nearing and nothing has changed, these protests happen frequently. As the oblivious and privileged Americans that we are, we got within a block of a protest before we realized that the "heavy smog" was tear gas and our throats and noses began to burn. According to our professors, they aren't usually violent, but it only takes one student that goes too far for them to start spraying tear gas. It was a different experience to see large, armored police vehicles rolling down one of the main streets of the city while it was completely empty due to the protests, as opposed to watching something similar on the news. Even if I wanted to, it is illegal for all of us here with a student visa to participate in these protests, so don't worry - I'm fine. But all part of the experience, right?

 Throughout this past week, we have wandered through many different sectors of Santiago, and are taking in history and culture everywhere we go. We visited the President's palace, referred to as "La Moneda".

We strolled through a large marketplace with an overwhelming amount of fish, and enjoyed fresh seafood in the process.

We visited the El Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino.

We toured Nobel Prize winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda's famous house located in Santiago. He named the estate "La Chascona" which means messy, unruly hair in honor of the woman he had an affair and fell in love with, who shared the house with him (and had crazy hair).

And, we are getting accustomed to the local nightlife. This is just a quick sample of the wonderful things I am getting to experience here in Chile. Everyday I get to see and learn more about this beautiful country, and make more mistakes as I try and pretend that I can speak Spanish. One word we have managed to nail down: la cerveza. 

Toes Cold but Heart Happy

With mi amiga, Darcy above Cenrro Santa Lucia

Though tonight marks the end of my 5th full day in Santiago, the city is rapidly becoming increasingly familiar, and I am quickly falling more and more in love with what I find. If all I had seen of Santiago was the sunrise over the Andes (referred to locally as, "la Cordillera") in the final minutes of my flight into the city, I would have told you then and there I was ready to stay. And yet, the city continues to grow on me (and the Cordillera continues to take my breath away each time I step outside). However, it is winter here, and the majority of the buildings in Chile do not have a central heating system, including most of the houses. Though Spring is around the corner, I sleep comfortably with 3 wool blankets and a down comforter each night, wandering the house with no less than socks, slippers, and several layers. But, much like late fall/ early winter in Albuquerque, the mornings and evenings bite, but the days heat up pretty quickly.

Aside from the views, the food here has also held its own set of surprises. Fun facts: Chile is the 2nd largest consumer of bread in the world and the 1st largest consumer of mayonnaise (and yet, they boast about this). So if you're wondering what I've been eating recently...bread and mayo aren't all that far from the truth. (Side note - even Chileans admit to not loving their "local" food - several professors have already told us to skip the Chilean eateries and head for Peruvian ones instead, which line many of the city streets).

Culturally, it is normal to eat the biggest meal of the day at lunch (el almuerzo), which normally consists of rice, meat (often chicken), and salad. Oh, and bread and mayo to start. Also, unfortunately for all of us who value coffee and rely on it for sustenance, the best we have in Santiago is powdered "Nescafé" - unless you want to venture out and drop $3-5* in a coffee shop each morning (though this is not all that different from my D.C. college life). The difference is, coffee machines are apparently not a common household appliance. While I don't like to be picky, this might take a longer adjustment period. (*Side note #2 - the money here is legitimately beautiful. $1 USD ~ 600-700 pesos).

Speaking of adjustments - it's been Spanish 24/7 since I got off the plane. Each day is a little easier, but catching on to the "Chilenismos" (Chilean slang) is its own unique challenge. Not including the fact that they cut off most of their words half-way through. Several times a day, we (the foreign students) are referred to as "los gringos", however we are continually assured that it's used as a term of endearment here. But the locals say this with a smile, and often laugh. I'll let you decide.

Cerro Santa Lucia

We've wandered around the city a good amount in the past few days, but Cerro Santa Lucia was certainly a highlight, especially considering we found it by accident. Located in the middle of downtown Santiago and built into an old volcano, this fortress was constructed sometime in the 1800s and is complete with (I'm not kidding) its own moat. There is a rumor that at one point in time, inhabitants of the fortress would fire off a ceremonial cannon everyday at noon. Considering its location in the middle of Santiago and the fact that we learned this from Wikipedia, I would advise skepticism. However, I counted at least a dozen cannons as we walked around. The highlight - the view from the top:

I certainly did not intend for this initial post to be so long; maybe I just miss using English. If that's the case, this is a fraction of the words I've been saving up from the past few days. There is so much more I have to tell, but I'll try to space it out and post regularly. Rest assured - I'm settling in to my new home a little cold but nonetheless thrilled to be here.