CITY LIFE
...going to the bank and such.
Sometimes I don't know if the things I notice are just different on a city-town scale. For example, in Santiago they are crazy about taking a ticket and waiting your turn. Like the deli in the states...but on a bigger scale. At the banks. At the post office. Even at the doctors in the waiting room! And...of course at the deli. The banks are really what get me. You have to go to a machine right when you enter, and select "general public" or "bank client". Then you can sit down! No lines, just sitting and waiting for your number to be called...30-45 minutes later you finally get your turn. It's not a bad system, especially because in the banks they play a version of "funniest home videos" on a flatscreen. I still am not used to waiting that long though...I can't tell if places are understaffed, slow-workers or if it's just because I'm in a city and there are a more people.
...the metro.
The TranSantiago metro isn't that bad to me. I mean, compared to Boston's "T" the trains come more frequently and they are newer and cleaner. A lot of Chileans hate it...I guess 5 years ago it was different. I just try to avoid it during "hora peak" aka. rush hour. At 7 p.m you get crazies jumping on last minute squishing everyone together even more than thought possible as the doors slide shut. Face & body imprints on the glass are inevitable. Getting off the train is a whole other beast. People are so worried about getting on that people getting off have to fight their way through two opposing crowds...it's like moshing at a concert except with little old grannys and small children. Luckily, I am generally one of the taller people on the metro so getting off isn't as difficult. I do get annoyed when I am forced to push people in business attire. It doesn't seem right.
THE BASICS
...buying groceries.
It really is the little things that get you. Point in case, I couldn't find jam for the first 2 weeks. When I finally found it it was so expensive...like 5 bucks for a tiny jar! The next time around I noticed an entire section devoted to jams for $1 a BAG. Yup, jam comes in little foil bags. Who knew? Turns out, lots of products come in bags. Ketchup, mayonnaise, pickles, relish, spaghetti sauce...pretty much anything that's liquid. Not sure if this is more environmentally friendly yet...but it just might be. From what I can tell, Chileans aren't big on recycling...so the fact that everything comes in bags probably helps reduce the volume of waste. Another difference at the grocery store is that when you buy bread or produce you have to bring it to the counter to get weighed and priced. It's REAL embarrassing if you forget to do this and hold up the whole line at the register.
It really is the little things that get you. Point in case, I couldn't find jam for the first 2 weeks. When I finally found it it was so expensive...like 5 bucks for a tiny jar! The next time around I noticed an entire section devoted to jams for $1 a BAG. Yup, jam comes in little foil bags. Who knew? Turns out, lots of products come in bags. Ketchup, mayonnaise, pickles, relish, spaghetti sauce...pretty much anything that's liquid. Not sure if this is more environmentally friendly yet...but it just might be. From what I can tell, Chileans aren't big on recycling...so the fact that everything comes in bags probably helps reduce the volume of waste. Another difference at the grocery store is that when you buy bread or produce you have to bring it to the counter to get weighed and priced. It's REAL embarrassing if you forget to do this and hold up the whole line at the register.
Night Life.
As you probably already know, nightlife outside of the states is wild. When I tell people that the bars back home close around 1 or 2...their eyes get wide and they are unable to comprehend such a lifestyle. Here, clubs don't get filled until 3. In fact, they are empty until then. I can't adjust to this...I am not a night person.
Anything Else.
...on Staring & Ethnic Diversity
I thought there were many innate behavioral no-no's that transcend cultures. Apparently staring is not one of them. I guess in America we have the advantage of being "used to" a diversity of cultures in any given place. Except New Hampshire. Here in Chile you have VERY LITTLE ethnic diversity. To generalize, you have your uptown "pelo lice" people. These people are generally more european in ancestry so they have lighter skin and hair and dress like New Yorkers. For the most part people in said category live in parts of Providencia and in Las Condes. Even the neighborhood posters sport a very preppy, blonde haired, blue eyes models saying "Me Encanta Providencia" ("I love Providencia"). For example, one of the models on these posters looks EXACTLY like Juliette Lewis. She doesn't look Chilean AT ALL. Get my point? So as a whole, this population does not represent the vast majority of people living in Santiago...or even Providencia. I find the whole campaign racist and worse than the anti-models of the 90's. I would say that your average Chilean has both Indigenous and European characteristics. Most of the people that I see around have some shade of tan/brown skin and darker hair. The main foreign population in Chile are Peruvians. And of course anyone of African descent is pretty rare- causing some serious staring as well.
... extreme P.D.A
You have never seen such public displays of affection until you use Santiago's metro. I see kids making out at all hours of the day underground. Sitting in the hallways on the disgusting floor full on making out. Even on the train during rush hour. No one wants to see that. It's gross.
....on speaking like a Chilean
Like I've said before...Chileans don't speak Spanish. They speak Chilean. See chart:
Chilean/Standard Spanish/ English
¿Cachai?/ ¿Sabes? / Get it?
Sí Cacho/ Entiendo / Yeah, I get it.
¿Como Estai?/ ¿Como Estás?/ How are you?
Sí po. /Sí. /"Po" doesn't mean anything. It's a filler word.
Palta/ Aguacate / Avocado
Choclo /Maiz /Corn on the cob
La raja /..../ Something awesome
No hueí/ ..../Are you kidding me?
Don't even get me started on phrases and sayings. That's for a whole other blog post.
I will leave you with my favorite chilean "modismo"...
¿Estás echando la foca?
Literally means: Are you throwing the seal?
Actually means: Are you trying to start something (fight) with me?
This is why Chilean Spanish is so special :)
