Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sundays in Santiago
Santiago on Sunday: I love it and at the same time I'm a little baffled by it. Every Sunday, my usually bustling neighborhood essentially becomes a ghost town. Traffic is non-existent, you can walk the sidewalks without having to bob and weave your way through the crowds, and 99% of the stores are closed. I walked around quite a bit today and the only things that were open were the supermarket, Starbucks, a couple of the big name pharmacies, and a few chain restaurants. Not even Castano, the bakery that is by far the most ubiquitous establishment in the city--think Starbucks times 10--pulls down the metal grate for a day of rest. I really like the feel of the city on Sundays, it's a lot less hectic, and great for strolling around. And because nothing's open, you're sort of forced to adopt the city's leisurely pace. But the American in me has to wonder, what are these businesses, especially the restaurants and coffee shops, thinking closing on Sundays? From a practical money-making standpoint it seems crazy. But you have to respect them for putting their need for rest and relaxation above the pursuit of profits. I do also think that Chileans do a lot less eating out on weekends--exactly the opposite of American dining out habits. Still, maybe I'll open up a coffee shop or restaurant that's open on Sundays and try to capitalize on the lack of competition...
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Back to being a student
So no actual teaching yet (tomorrow!) but today I was in a classroom nonetheless: as a student. As part of our program we get to take a Spanish class twice a week if we want to. Since I've been feeling quite insecure about my Spanish abilities since I've gotten to Chile, I jumped on the opportunity.
We spent today's class talking about precisely what has been making me feel ashamed to say I've taken Spanish for more than ten years: Chileans VERY distinctive (and quite difficult to get used to) version of the language.
I won't go into the linguistic aspects, for fear of losing anyone who doesn't speak Spanish, but I'll leave it at this: the things you learn in the classroom from your (most likely) Mexican teacher about pronunciation, probably don't hold in Chile. "S's" are being dropped left and right. Entire syllables disappear. And letters that you thought had distinctive sounds...well, apparently, they are interchangeable. These things coupled with Chileans' mile-a-minute speaking speed, and their arsenal of jargon and slang that puts American rap culture to shame, and I guess I can start to forgive myself for the countless times I've had to ask people to slow down or repeat.
And when I thought the reason for my communicative failings had been explained, our teacher began to explain the most interesting and subtle feature of Chilean speech of all: basically, he said, Chileans, as a people, don't always quite say what they mean. What? You mean, that's a cultural trait? And you can actually see it in their speech? Our professor seemed to think so.
Let me say, I don't think any of this--talk about all the things his country's speakers "do wrong" with "official" Spanish--was easy for him, and, though he was a little sheepish about admitting this last fact, it didn't come off as something entirely negative at all. In fact, I found it completely endearing.
He said, "Chileans don't ever use the word 'no,' it's ugly to them." So, when you ask someone on the street if they know where something is, they are never going to come out and tell you that they don't, even if that is the case. They are going to say "Well...let me think...that's two blocks that way...wait, wait...no, no...it's going to be over there...ask again when you get that way...but yes, yes, it's over there"
And if you invite a Chilean to a party? No "regrets" here. It's going to be "de ahi vemos" (we'll see), or "if I get some of these things done I need to do, then yes, yes."
And a famous one, he said, is an expression you'll hear if you're applying for a job in Chile. You hand in your resume to a business, and you ask them when you should expect to hear back. You better hope they don't tell you "nosotros lo llamamos" (we'll call you). Because, guess what, they're not going to.
I can see how this cultural "persona," let's call it, of wanting to please and be helpful, not wanting to be confrontational or appear rude, would bother some people. Especially Americans who are seemingly always saying exactly what's on their minds in a very direct, blunt, no-reading-between-the-lines-necessary kind of way. But, for better or for worse, I'm more Chilean than American on this. Lucky me, I'll fit right in.
We spent today's class talking about precisely what has been making me feel ashamed to say I've taken Spanish for more than ten years: Chileans VERY distinctive (and quite difficult to get used to) version of the language.
I won't go into the linguistic aspects, for fear of losing anyone who doesn't speak Spanish, but I'll leave it at this: the things you learn in the classroom from your (most likely) Mexican teacher about pronunciation, probably don't hold in Chile. "S's" are being dropped left and right. Entire syllables disappear. And letters that you thought had distinctive sounds...well, apparently, they are interchangeable. These things coupled with Chileans' mile-a-minute speaking speed, and their arsenal of jargon and slang that puts American rap culture to shame, and I guess I can start to forgive myself for the countless times I've had to ask people to slow down or repeat.
And when I thought the reason for my communicative failings had been explained, our teacher began to explain the most interesting and subtle feature of Chilean speech of all: basically, he said, Chileans, as a people, don't always quite say what they mean. What? You mean, that's a cultural trait? And you can actually see it in their speech? Our professor seemed to think so.
Let me say, I don't think any of this--talk about all the things his country's speakers "do wrong" with "official" Spanish--was easy for him, and, though he was a little sheepish about admitting this last fact, it didn't come off as something entirely negative at all. In fact, I found it completely endearing.
He said, "Chileans don't ever use the word 'no,' it's ugly to them." So, when you ask someone on the street if they know where something is, they are never going to come out and tell you that they don't, even if that is the case. They are going to say "Well...let me think...that's two blocks that way...wait, wait...no, no...it's going to be over there...ask again when you get that way...but yes, yes, it's over there"
And if you invite a Chilean to a party? No "regrets" here. It's going to be "de ahi vemos" (we'll see), or "if I get some of these things done I need to do, then yes, yes."
And a famous one, he said, is an expression you'll hear if you're applying for a job in Chile. You hand in your resume to a business, and you ask them when you should expect to hear back. You better hope they don't tell you "nosotros lo llamamos" (we'll call you). Because, guess what, they're not going to.
I can see how this cultural "persona," let's call it, of wanting to please and be helpful, not wanting to be confrontational or appear rude, would bother some people. Especially Americans who are seemingly always saying exactly what's on their minds in a very direct, blunt, no-reading-between-the-lines-necessary kind of way. But, for better or for worse, I'm more Chilean than American on this. Lucky me, I'll fit right in.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Getting Down to Business
It's hard to believe that I will have been in Santiago for one month and three days by the time I teach my first class. It's been great having the time to get to the know the city and get settled in, but I am more than ready to start working.
I started working on my first lesson plan and I think it's pretty cute and fun. The material in the first unit has to do with giving and asking for personal information (name, nationality, job, etc), the verb "to be," possessive pronouns, and a couple other things. So, to start (after the necessary schpeel about rules, requirements, etc) I thought I'd play a medley of pop songs that feature asking for someone's name. You'd be surprised how many there are. And, once the students get the hang of asking for eachother's names and the like, I thought it would be fun to play a mystery dating game. What more well known (and practical) situation for asking for someone's name, hometown, and number than dating? I cut out a bunch of slips of paper and put famous couples names on them (Brad & Angelina, Romeo & Juliet, Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes... you get the picture). Each student will have one name and will have to ask around to find his or her date.
Let's hope they are familiar with, and at least slightly interested in American celebrity culture, or I'm going to be out of luck. I'll let you know how it goes.
I started working on my first lesson plan and I think it's pretty cute and fun. The material in the first unit has to do with giving and asking for personal information (name, nationality, job, etc), the verb "to be," possessive pronouns, and a couple other things. So, to start (after the necessary schpeel about rules, requirements, etc) I thought I'd play a medley of pop songs that feature asking for someone's name. You'd be surprised how many there are. And, once the students get the hang of asking for eachother's names and the like, I thought it would be fun to play a mystery dating game. What more well known (and practical) situation for asking for someone's name, hometown, and number than dating? I cut out a bunch of slips of paper and put famous couples names on them (Brad & Angelina, Romeo & Juliet, Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes... you get the picture). Each student will have one name and will have to ask around to find his or her date.
Let's hope they are familiar with, and at least slightly interested in American celebrity culture, or I'm going to be out of luck. I'll let you know how it goes.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Different strokes...
It's been a quiet week for me, hanging around in Santiago for the last few days before my work finally starts. I got my schedule the other day and it's quite bizarre this semester. All my classes are consolidated into two days, Wednesday and Friday, with my last class not finishing until 10:45 PM. It should be interesting having such a wacky schedule, but it also gives me a lot of time to look into other things, like tutoring and hopefully volunteering or getting another job of some sort.
Anyway, this afternoon I started thinking about all the quirky things I've noticed about Chile and Chileans since I've been here. Here's a partial list of the cultural differences that I find infinitely entertaining (and only sometimes just a tad frustrating).
1. Chileans have a gigantic sweet tooth. I think their choice of beverage shows this best. If you order a juice at a restaurant (which is extremely common, like ordering water or iced tea with lunch in the states) you'll get either a strangely thick and unbelievably sweet concoction from a powdered mix, or a delicious (but also don't-tell-the-dentist sweet) blend of whole fruits, pureed to an almost liquid. But Coke has to be the national "bebida" of choice. And Chile's Coke has got something going on that our version in the U.S. does not: pure, real sugar. I've seen many a Chilean walking down the street with a two liter bottle of the stuff in hand, just a little refreshment for the afternoon heat.
2. PDA is an epidemic in this city. I experienced similar awkwardness by the public displays of affection of the Spaniards when I was in Sevilla, but Chileans take it to a whole other level. Park benches, the metro, elevators, restaurants, more park benches, park grass, park statues, intersections, you name the spot and it's fair game for some heavy petting.
3. The metro at rush hour and grocery stores are the city's battlegrounds. Enter either and you better be prepared to use your muscles or you ain't going nowhere. And, DC people, you haven't seen anything like this metro rush hour. I've seen faces smooshed against windows, people trapped in the center of the car unable to get off at their stop, heads pushed into armpits, and lines to swipe your BIP! card (like SmartTrip) that wind out of the station up to the street. And grocery stores-- I think there must just be a shortage or something, because they are ALWAYS jam packed. If you don't know what you want, where to go to get it, and how the line system works, it's going to take you a good 45 minutes to get a couple yogurts and some olive oil.
4. Despite Chile's mild mediterranean climate, Chileans find an awful lot to comment (read: complain) about regarding the weather. Since I arrived toward the tail end of summer/beginning of fall, I've gotten both ends. That dial goes above 78 and all the sudden it's "Hay que calor!" but if the wind picks up a tiny bit, or when darkness falls and it's a little nippy, you'd think we were in the arctic for all the talk about the "frio." I think Chileans are preoccupied with the weather because if affects their lives a lot more than if affects people in the states'. Central heating and air are uncommon, at least from what I've seen in Santiago, so they've had to be resourceful and make do with open windows and hot water bottles to combat the elements. I'm going to go ahead and guess right now though, that this winter is going to seem like a walk in the park to me, especially after the brutal one I just came out of. But who knows, maybe come July, when I'm shivering in my bedroom cursing my estufa (space heater) for not giving off more warmth, I'll be eating my words and wondering why I didn't heed the warnings of the Chileans who tried to tell me that I would need to sleep in a hat, scarf, gloves, socks, and multiple layers.
Anyway, this afternoon I started thinking about all the quirky things I've noticed about Chile and Chileans since I've been here. Here's a partial list of the cultural differences that I find infinitely entertaining (and only sometimes just a tad frustrating).
1. Chileans have a gigantic sweet tooth. I think their choice of beverage shows this best. If you order a juice at a restaurant (which is extremely common, like ordering water or iced tea with lunch in the states) you'll get either a strangely thick and unbelievably sweet concoction from a powdered mix, or a delicious (but also don't-tell-the-dentist sweet) blend of whole fruits, pureed to an almost liquid. But Coke has to be the national "bebida" of choice. And Chile's Coke has got something going on that our version in the U.S. does not: pure, real sugar. I've seen many a Chilean walking down the street with a two liter bottle of the stuff in hand, just a little refreshment for the afternoon heat.
2. PDA is an epidemic in this city. I experienced similar awkwardness by the public displays of affection of the Spaniards when I was in Sevilla, but Chileans take it to a whole other level. Park benches, the metro, elevators, restaurants, more park benches, park grass, park statues, intersections, you name the spot and it's fair game for some heavy petting.
3. The metro at rush hour and grocery stores are the city's battlegrounds. Enter either and you better be prepared to use your muscles or you ain't going nowhere. And, DC people, you haven't seen anything like this metro rush hour. I've seen faces smooshed against windows, people trapped in the center of the car unable to get off at their stop, heads pushed into armpits, and lines to swipe your BIP! card (like SmartTrip) that wind out of the station up to the street. And grocery stores-- I think there must just be a shortage or something, because they are ALWAYS jam packed. If you don't know what you want, where to go to get it, and how the line system works, it's going to take you a good 45 minutes to get a couple yogurts and some olive oil.
4. Despite Chile's mild mediterranean climate, Chileans find an awful lot to comment (read: complain) about regarding the weather. Since I arrived toward the tail end of summer/beginning of fall, I've gotten both ends. That dial goes above 78 and all the sudden it's "Hay que calor!" but if the wind picks up a tiny bit, or when darkness falls and it's a little nippy, you'd think we were in the arctic for all the talk about the "frio." I think Chileans are preoccupied with the weather because if affects their lives a lot more than if affects people in the states'. Central heating and air are uncommon, at least from what I've seen in Santiago, so they've had to be resourceful and make do with open windows and hot water bottles to combat the elements. I'm going to go ahead and guess right now though, that this winter is going to seem like a walk in the park to me, especially after the brutal one I just came out of. But who knows, maybe come July, when I'm shivering in my bedroom cursing my estufa (space heater) for not giving off more warmth, I'll be eating my words and wondering why I didn't heed the warnings of the Chileans who tried to tell me that I would need to sleep in a hat, scarf, gloves, socks, and multiple layers.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Pop Music
One of the things I've found most interesting in Chile so far is how much, and in what forms, American culture reaches and manifests itself here. Most apparent is the incredible reach of pop music.
The tunes of American pop, hip hop, and rap stars play in the majority of the bars and clubs, though perhaps last month's hits instead of the most current.
I've chatted with teenage girls about their favorite music, and for the most part, all of the artists they named were American--Hannah Montana, Beyonce, some alternative rock bands, to name a few--and they couldn't get enough of the music videos on Chile's version of MTV.
When I visited the home of the family of a friend from the states this past weekend, the four young girls performed a dance they choreographed to none other than the queen of pop, Madonna. Even though Madonna was way before their time, and living and performing thousands of miles away, they knew all the words.
When we were traveling in the north, we passed through a tiny one street town, and I saw a boy, maybe 8 years old, riding a bike and wearing a shirt with Michael Jackson's face on it.
I was in a club this past weekend and the Chileans were just as excited to hear "Hey Mickey" and the medley from Grease as they were to hear Akon and Ke$ha. And the seriousness with which they danced to the former (no interpretive dancing or jokey moves here) made me question my notion that these songs were really more suited to a sock hop than a discoteque.
The tunes of American pop, hip hop, and rap stars play in the majority of the bars and clubs, though perhaps last month's hits instead of the most current.
I've chatted with teenage girls about their favorite music, and for the most part, all of the artists they named were American--Hannah Montana, Beyonce, some alternative rock bands, to name a few--and they couldn't get enough of the music videos on Chile's version of MTV.
When I visited the home of the family of a friend from the states this past weekend, the four young girls performed a dance they choreographed to none other than the queen of pop, Madonna. Even though Madonna was way before their time, and living and performing thousands of miles away, they knew all the words.
When we were traveling in the north, we passed through a tiny one street town, and I saw a boy, maybe 8 years old, riding a bike and wearing a shirt with Michael Jackson's face on it.
I was in a club this past weekend and the Chileans were just as excited to hear "Hey Mickey" and the medley from Grease as they were to hear Akon and Ke$ha. And the seriousness with which they danced to the former (no interpretive dancing or jokey moves here) made me question my notion that these songs were really more suited to a sock hop than a discoteque.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Aftershocks
I wrote in an earlier post about my experience of the huge earthquake in Chile a couple of weeks ago, and about how my group and I were extremely lucky to be totally unharmed except for a little scare. Ten days later though, I'm realizing that even though I wasn't physically affected in any way, and even though on the surface Santiago seems relatively unscathed, this earthquake is going to have deep ramifications for my life here and for the country as a whole.
First, and on the most practical level, the start date of classes at the university where I'm teaching has been pushed back once again. It's strange to think that by the time I start working, I will have been here for almost a whole month. I'm sure that the rest of the semester, and the work that my students and I do will reflect this shaky beginning. It's definitely going to be an important lesson for all of us in flexibility, which our coordinators have already stressed is essential both in this country and this job.
The happiness and excitement of finally finding an apartment was tempered by the news that one of my future roommates lost family members in the earthquake. She has been in Conception for the past two weeks, and the other two girls I'll be living with have yet to speak with her. All they know is that both her sister and cousin died in the quake, and that another of her relatives is still missing.
Even in the north of Chile, where I was this weekend, and where there was no damage, there was an air of solemnity. Every Chilean we met asked us, within minutes, whether we were here for the earthquake and how it was for us. And everyone seemed to know someone who suffered from it in one way or another, and their concern and sadness was really apparent. One of the most striking things we saw while in the north was actually a huge group of high school students collecting any and all types of goods--food, furniture, toiletries, etc--to be sent to the south. We were walking back to our hostel when we came upon them, loading up a tractor trailer with what they had collected. One of my friends went to take a picture of them, and they all immediately broke into a song/chant and excitedly posed for the camera. (Unfortunately I couldn't make out exactly what they were singing, but the closest thing I can relate it to is a sports fight song. Hopefully it wasn't a taunt to the gringos trying to take their picture. It didn't seem that way at least...)
It has been a surreal experience being here in the midst of this national crisis. On the one hand we are right in the middle of it, but on the other we are in many ways separate from the real catastrophe. But, as resident of this country, no matter how new, I feel really connected to Chile at this time of need. My group is exploring opportunities to help out with the relief effort, and we'll probably try to head down there once things settle down and they start to need more volunteers. If anyone has any ideas, please feel free to share them with me, and if you feel inclined to give in any way, trust me, Chile really needs it.
Monday, March 8, 2010
La Serena
With the start of classes pushed back a week, some new friends and I decided to take advantage of the last long weekend we'll have in a while, not to mention to tail end of the summer season, by heading to the beach. Since we had received word that Valparaiso and Vina del Mar, the two closest beaches to Santiago, were still recovering from the earthquake, we thought we'd venture a little farther north, where there hadn't been much impact at all.
We took the six hour busride to beautiful La Serena, the second oldest city in Chile. (As a side note, a six hour bus ride may sound pretty miserable, but I must say, Chileans have the bus system down. The bus we took, which wasn't even the most luxurious, was by far the most comfortable vehicle I've ever traveled in. I got some great snoozes in sitting in my full reclining seat, and enjoyed the view of the countryside, all for around $20 round trip.)
Our hostel in La Serena, Maria's Casa, is an adorable little complex of tiny bright yellow buildings, lovingly run by Maria and her husband Pancho. Maria greeted us each day with fresh fruit for breakfast, straight from her own kitchen, and I was lucky enough to get a bracelet making lesson from Pancho, who specializes in leatherwork.
We had a fun-filled weekend of beach-going (though the weather wasn't exactly cooperative), a visit to the beautiful Elqui Valley, and two celebratory nights (my friend's birthday) at a oceanfront discoteque and our own private beach bonfire.
Pisco, the unknown aperitif
One of the first things that was recommended to me when I got to Chile was a cocktail--a pisco sour. I've tried other "sour" drinks before, but I had never heard of the liquour used in Chile's national aperitif of choice. This weekend, in the Elqui Valley of northern Chile, I got a first hand look at just about everything I'd ever want to know about pisco.
The Elqui Valley is the only area of Chile where the pisco grape can be grown, not only horticulturally, but also by law. The liquor has been described as similar to a brandy, though to my untrained palate, a pisco sour (pisco + lime juice + a whipped egg white) tastes a little like a margarita. On Saturday we visited the piscoteca Capel, which is where that particular brand of pisco is manufactured and bottled. We were taken on a quick tour of the piscoteca, while our delightful Chilean guide explained the process. It's quite labor intensive to make pisco, with a lot of distilling, fermenting, etc, but for a drink with this much clout, that's to be expected.The final stop on our tour was the cellar, where we could each sample one of the various varieties of pre-mixed pisco cocktails. Salud!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Visit to San Cristobal Hill
Yesterday some of us decided to venture up to the highest point in Santiago, el Cerro de San Cristobal. The hill is visible from all points in the city, particularly the HUGE statue of the Virgin that sits atop it. Though we had a little trouble finding the entrance to the park, we finally got to the point at the foot of the hill where you can catch the funicular (sort of like a train that takes you straight up the side of the hill) to the top. It's also hikeable, but lacking the proper gear, we decided we'd save that for another day. Here are some photos from the summit--definitely the best view of the city I've seen so far. Apparently it's really spectacular right after it rains because it's much clearer. Nevertheless, it was pretty breathtaking. The walk down was pretty fun too, even if it was a little treacherous trying to avoid the bikers, cars, and vans on the winding road.
The view from inside the funicular. Actually pretty scary...
Monday, March 1, 2010
Un almuerzo chileno (A Chilean Lunch)
Yesterday I got to visit the home of a Chilean friend for a delicious lunch. I'm lucky enough to have some wonderful Chilean friends in DC, and I was invited by their family, Ximena, Miguel, and their two twin daughters, Mery and Valentina. I'm happy to have the chance to share my experience of true Chilean generosity, especially at a time when many foreigners might be getting a bad impression of what is really an incredibly considerate, friendly people.
I met Ximena at the metro station closest to my hostel, but because of the earthquake, we were not able to take the metro back to her home in Puente Alto in the southeastern section of Santiago. We arrived by bus to their charming neighborhood set right at the foot of the Andes mountains. The view was spectacular, even on a somewhat hazy day, and I could only imagine how breathtaking it would be when the mountains are covered in snow.
We spent the afternoon chatting and eating delicious pastel de choclo, which is a traditional Chilean dish made in a ceramic bowl of ground corn (choclo), meat, olives, onion, and egg. It's kind of reminds me of a pot pie, not in flavor, but in how it looks and is put together. Here's a photo of one (unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of Ximena's). I have to admit, it was a little tough for me to understand my new friends' speech at times--there are just so many unique words in the Chilean dialect, and their manner of speaking is so distinct. I found myself constantly begging "perdon?" and I'm quite sure that I missed a big chunk of what was said. I didn't need to understand every word though, to understand that this family is one of the kindest of any I've met, and I am so happy to have them as friends here in Chile.
The daughters amused me endlessly, with their questions about America (What is Broadway like? What are the most popular zoos in the United States?) and their interest in American music (they knew more popular artists than I do). It's one of my favorite things to see how people outside the United States view our culture, especially our pop culture, and these girls were experts in it. Miguel also, is very familiar with United States culture, and we had a great time sharing experiences of Chicago (where he lived several times). We discussed differences in work culture, food, and social customs and taught each other new words in our respective languages.
Today we continue to have setbacks in our schedule due to the earthquake. We were supposed to register for Chilean ID cards (so official!) but until further notice (that seems to be the dominant theme with respect to the earthquake) they are unable to serve foreigners, only Chileans. So for now, we wait, not only on ID cards, but on news of whether classes will start on time, and whether we'll be able to do the necessary orientation with DUOC. Only time will tell.
I met Ximena at the metro station closest to my hostel, but because of the earthquake, we were not able to take the metro back to her home in Puente Alto in the southeastern section of Santiago. We arrived by bus to their charming neighborhood set right at the foot of the Andes mountains. The view was spectacular, even on a somewhat hazy day, and I could only imagine how breathtaking it would be when the mountains are covered in snow.
We spent the afternoon chatting and eating delicious pastel de choclo, which is a traditional Chilean dish made in a ceramic bowl of ground corn (choclo), meat, olives, onion, and egg. It's kind of reminds me of a pot pie, not in flavor, but in how it looks and is put together. Here's a photo of one (unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of Ximena's). I have to admit, it was a little tough for me to understand my new friends' speech at times--there are just so many unique words in the Chilean dialect, and their manner of speaking is so distinct. I found myself constantly begging "perdon?" and I'm quite sure that I missed a big chunk of what was said. I didn't need to understand every word though, to understand that this family is one of the kindest of any I've met, and I am so happy to have them as friends here in Chile.
The daughters amused me endlessly, with their questions about America (What is Broadway like? What are the most popular zoos in the United States?) and their interest in American music (they knew more popular artists than I do). It's one of my favorite things to see how people outside the United States view our culture, especially our pop culture, and these girls were experts in it. Miguel also, is very familiar with United States culture, and we had a great time sharing experiences of Chicago (where he lived several times). We discussed differences in work culture, food, and social customs and taught each other new words in our respective languages.
Today we continue to have setbacks in our schedule due to the earthquake. We were supposed to register for Chilean ID cards (so official!) but until further notice (that seems to be the dominant theme with respect to the earthquake) they are unable to serve foreigners, only Chileans. So for now, we wait, not only on ID cards, but on news of whether classes will start on time, and whether we'll be able to do the necessary orientation with DUOC. Only time will tell.
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