Living in Latin America without the Manana attitude

This morning I woke up at 6:30am went for a run along the beach, showered, ate some cereal, then got a ride from my co-worker to start my 40-minute commute to work....after speaking spanish for 3 weeks I am definitely getting more comfortable with my foreign life, but it is still mentally exhausting at times....then I have an espresso(one of my favorite parts of the day) and begin working on FOB comparisons and calling different clients to obtain sales reports and liquidations. Because I can speak English I have been given a lot of english speaking accounts as well as a couple Chilean accounts, it is all very interesting to me because I am improving my spanish and learning a third language, the exportation lingo, which at times I am not sure if my spanish is lacking or my business sense. Anyway, then I go to eat in the "Casino" which is the cafeteria, and there is usually some kind of mystery meat or blood sausage, salad, bread, and dessert, this is always fun because none of the departments mix together and I have eaten lunch with everyone! Speaking spanish in a noisy cafeteria with a lot of people and distractions is one of the hardest situations, but it is entertaining to observe and interject when I can. After lunch I have another "cafecito" (I try to limit myself to two a day) and converse a bit more before heading back to work. The work day starts and 9am and ends a 7pm with a one hour lunch break. I usually get home around 8 or 8:30 eat some dinner and try to go to sleep around 11pm. As you can see the days are quite long, and everyone truly works hard the entirety of the day, so I guess you could say that Chile is somewhere in between Espana and the US....but it is definitely not the typical latin attitude of manana, manana.

Pololos y Pololas

Boyfriend and girlfriends are pololos y pololas en Chile (Novios y novias refer to a more serious relationship or engagement) So overnight, my roomate has a new "boyfriend," they met friday night and have spent every morning and evening together since then, it is now wednesday afternoon. He is a nice enough guy, but it is incredible the difference in dating here. There isn't the casual american attitude of, well let's see how things go and talk about our status later. It is basically all or nothing. This is such a foreign system to me and you would think that maybe it would require people to be a bit more committed, but the divorce rate in Chile is just as high as the divorce rate in the states...... So I guess I have to ask the infamous question... "Can two people really stay together forever and be happy?" By no means am I trying to be cynical or pessimistic, it's just realistically speaking, if people all over the world are experiencing similar results then it makes you wonder if it is really possible.......I guess the best thing that we can do is appreciate each relationship for what it is, try and learn from our mistakes, and love the one relationship that will always be there, the one with yourself.....

Santiago de Chile

Bus systems great, metro fast and easy, all museums free on Sundays, free live music ranting about the political struggle of Pinochet, political student involvement, barrio londres/paris y barrio bellas artes, great restaurants y vino, happy hour till 23:00 (2x1), political demonstrations in Plaza de Armas, the view of the Andes with snow on them from pretty much anywhere in the city...... FABULOUS!

However, I could have done without all of the Teen-age Make-out sessions in the metro full of people and getting ripped off in restaurants (make sure to check-out your bill before paying).

It is really great to see that young people in Chile, Santiago in particular, have such a political involvement and the affects from the Pinochet era that the Chileanos are dealing with. Most public speeches, music, and student efforts are in regards to a political movement. It is really inspiring to be a witness to that.

Cachai

Things that I love about Chile: Cachai a slang verb that is parallel to the frase "you Know" in America and is used after almost every sentence, "Po" is an emphatic yes that is used to re-iterate "SI" or "NO," that you can park your car on the sidewalk like it is normal, espresso and chocolate after every meal, hanging out with a guy and not knowing that it was a date and then finding out from your friend that you had your first chilean dating experience, walking along the boardwalk in Vina del Mar and getting splashed by the waves because the surf is so huge, the chilean pronunciation of my name and all American labels, Pisco Sour, the techno clubs that play music from about five years ago, and the best part is how I get stared at every where I go without any shame or remorse......because apparently I am the only "Rubia" in Chile, hahahaha. The Culture here is great, I cannot believe how wonderful the lifestyle is down here. Viva Chile!

La Gringa

Walking through the packing house in Propal(the export company that I am working for) is truly an adventure....there are all kinds of things going on, shipments of fruit arriving, shipments being packed to go out, packing materials and machine problems, but the main attraction seems to be my blonde hair. It is a good thing that I don't scare easy, because when I walk through the packing house everybody looks at me as if I am an alien. Then there is the other matter of lunch, in Chile a cafeteria is called a casino (but you cannot gamble in this casino) and everyday you swipe your card and receive a ticket to eat lunch, there are usually two choices of entrees, salad, bread, and dessert. Everyone eats lunch together, but just like in any other society, the people that work in packing eat together and the people that work in the office eat together, there is very much a hierarchy within Propal. However, I am the only "gringa" and it is actually a term meant in quite and endearing way, but everybody refers to as "La Gringa" and my place in the world is quite interesting, because I am bombarded with questions about where I come from and what I am doing here. It is a good feeling to see that people are interested in you, and it is fun for me to see people smiling when I say something in spanish that might have an alternative meaning. In the United States, people think someone who is not fluent in English are stupid, but here someone who is trying to speak the language and somewhat succeeding is greatly admired. Also I went to Yoga last night for the first time with my roomate Francisca and it was sooo relaxing. I think that I enjoyed it more because it was actually in somebody's house, with a wood fire burning, candles lit, and we practiced yoga in silence. There was no religion, but it seemed spiritual to me and made me feel and peace with my mind, body, and soul. Who knew the american girl would find a way to finally relax in Chile......

Las Primeras Dias

After traveling for over 24 hours, I finally arrived in Santiago! FYI: never fly aeromexico, no matter if your bag is 5 lbs overweight or 100 lbs overweight you have to pay 100 dollars, luckily the lady at the counter allowed me to put all of my things in one bag so that I did not have to pay more than 200 dollars. In Santiago, all US, Austrailians, Mexicans, Canadians, and Albanians have to pay an entrance fee, also know as a visa fee, since they don't require a "tourist visa." Anyway, it took an hour to pay my visa fee, because they only had one person working, but luckily I mad a friend in line. She is studying in Valparaiso, Chile and she is from Ensenada, Baja California. My apartment is sooo cute and it is less than a mile from the beach, it is soo beautiful here and all the people are soo nice and warm. Everyone has welcomed me and is truly curious about what I am doing here and where I am from. Everyone is amazed that I speak spanish, and after three straight days of speaking spanish I am starting to adjust to the idea of my life en Castellano! It is amazing how quickly you learn to repeat things that people say if your life depends on it. I feel like a kid again, because every time I learn something new or master a single word, it feels like christmas! I suggest that if you want to feel loved and appreciated that you learn a little bit of spanish and move to Chile!!

Moving to the Strip

So... my brother thinks that it is hilarious to nick-name Chile the Strip and I suppose I do as well, and in reality it is better than some of the other names and ideas that people associate with Chile, at least it makes sense calling Chile " the strip" because it never gets more than 22o miles wide and does resemble a spaghetti like strip. Anyway, just for the record: please do not spell Chile chilli or chillie it really aggravates me and traditional Chilean food is not the same as mexican food. Chile is in South America on the pacific side, bordering Peru and Bolivia to the north and Argentina to the east. Just wanted to clarify a few fun facts, since recent audiences might have been confused on where Chile is in the world. P.S. Arnold we might want to re-think not offering high school geography, statistics show that general common sense may not exist within the american youth and adults for that matter. Good night america, tomorrow I will be in CHILE!! (you should now know where that is.)