-They don't speak Spanish here. They speak Chileno. If you think you can make it here with just Spanish, think again. As if the Chilean accent itself weren't hard enough to understand, Chileans also pepper their speech with modismos and vocabulary that are unique to Chile. For example, avocado is not aguacate, it's palta. Babies are not bebes, they're guaguas. Thankfully my co-teacher Carolina gave me a book called "How to Survive in the Chilean Jungle" for my birthday. It's full of Chilean slang and alternate vocabulary, and it's been a big help so far. So if you're planning a trip to Chile you might want to consider getting a copy yourself. ¿Cachái?
-Don't like something? Protest. And I don't mean express an objection against what someone has said or done. I mean gather hundreds of people with banners and flags and parade them through the streets, chanting and vandalizing until your demands are met. I've already witnessed three separate protests since I've been in Puerto Montt, and as I write there are people protesting to the North in Santiago and to the South in Aysen. Forget Occupy Wall Street, Chileans are the protest pros!
- Chilean drivers are absolutely insane but somehow it works. The Chilean road is like a jungle. There are no stoplights, no street signs, no traffic cops, nothing but cars and people. It's every man for himself. Not only that, but Chilean drivers have got to be the most reckless people I've ever seen. Cut off an oncoming bus? Sure. Pass someone on a blind curve? Why not. Speed up as a pedestrian starts to cross the street? I'm sure he'll pick up the pace. And yet I haven't seen a single wreck. I haven't even seen anything close to a wreck. Somehow the chaos moves like clockwork and despite the risky habits of Chilean drivers, I haven't once felt endangered while riding in a car here.
- Light switches are on the outside of the room. I suppose it makes sense, so you don't have to fumble around in a dark room to find the light switch, but it was seriously confusing at first. In fact I spent my first three days at my house taking showers in the dark because I couldn't find the light switch. When I finally asked my host mom how you turn the lights on in the bathroom she kindly pointed me to the light switch...out in the hallway. Of course.
-Everybody loves bread but nobody tries to keep it fresh. I really don't get this one. The thing is, everyone eats bread, all the time. Breakfast is usually bread with jam. You have a sandwich for a midday snack. Lunch is served with bread and once is tea with bread and palta. A typical Chilean may eat bread three or four times a day. And yet it is always stale. They just leave the bread out in the open, they don't even try to seal it up or anything. Have they never heard of breadboxes? And when the bread does go stale, their solution is just to toast it a little bit. What? Why?
- Getting around is cheap and convenient. Unless you own a car, you're probably going to be reliant on four forms of transportation in Chile: buses, micros, colectivos and taxis. Buses are for long distance trips and are really pretty nice. You have plenty of room in your seat and the prices are very reasonable, although it does take a while (my bus ride from Santiago to Puerto Montt was about 15 hours I think). Micros are smaller buses used to travel shorter distances. They're generally pretty cheap, although the driver will pack people in like sardines. And just because there are 15 people standing on the bus doesn't mean he's going to drive any more carefully. If you're standing on a micro expect a hell of an arm workout as you grasp the bar for dear life. Colectivos are like taxis, but they run a fixed route and you share the cab with 3 other people who are headed in your direction. They're a bit more expensive than the micros but they're all over the place and run at all times of day so sometimes it's worth it. And if you don't feel like relying on a micro or colectivo you can always take a taxi, but those are pretty expensive. I feel like we could really use micros and colectivos in the States. They're so cheap and convenient it would probably cut down on traffic and air pollution!
- The wine is top notch but the beer leaves something to be desired. No offense to any Chilean brew masters out there, but I've just been a little disappointed with the beer. Escudo, Becker and Cristal are OK for what they are (you can get a liter for about $2.50) but the craft beers just aren't that impressive. I'm looking at you, Kuntsman. You'd think that all that German heritage would pay off in some good beers, but really Kross is the only one I've been impressed by thus far. Maybe I need to take a road trip up to Valdivia and try my luck there.
- The Chilean people are very warm. One of the first things I noticed in Chile was the gratuitous amount of PDA. People greet each other with kisses on the street, couples lounge (and often make out) together in the parks, mothers fawn over their children, even when they're 20 years old. At first it all seemed kind of silly (it sometimes still does), but it's actually really nice. People here aren't bashful about their feelings and they greet strangers like close friends. Why are people in the States so scared to touch each other? Why are we so obsessed with personal space? Why does it take so much for us to say "I love you"?
- Los Bunkers are a great band. Seriously though. I'm still exploring Chilean music and I'm not exactly sure how popular Los Bunkers are here (I think they're pretty popular) but I like them a lot. They're sort of like the Chilean Guster. Here are some songs I've been listening to a lot lately:
The first song I heard. It's actually a cover of a Silvio Rodriguez song, but still very good.
Los Bunkers channeling their inner Beatles.
My first month here has been great. Chile is such a unique and wonderful country full of gorgeous sights and great people. I can't wait to see what's in store for me in the next eight months!
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