By rmattiola
I am almost bothered by how constantly I am noting cultural variations. I need to actively tell myself to turn off—stop thinking—just enjoy. Here are some of those never ending cultural observations:
- Besos (kisses): Here in Chile, and in most of Latin/ Central America, the greetings are more intimate. Handshakes are reserved for men. I made this mistake early on based on instinct, and felt the discomfort from the other person and those watching. Friends of friends and family of friends are automatically qualified for cheek kisses. I’ve even seen doctors give besos to their patients after the appointment. I was nervous about this new greeting style since my family and friends at home are much more casual with greetings, and I had little to no practice with cheek kisses. But I’ve found it’s much less stressful than I thought--the kiss is merely putting your right cheeks together and making a kissing noise while you half hug or place your hand on the other’s shoulder. The Chileans are smoother than I am, and I sometimes feel like I’m crashing into the other’s cheek rather than gently meeting them. The angle of the kiss changes on the intimacy between the couple. For example, family members and close friends will often turn to actually plant a kiss on the other’s cheek. We were warned to be cautious of how close our “kiss” lands to the other person’s mouth, because if you even remotely get close to a kiss on the lips, you are understood to be making an advance towards the other person.
- Dogs: dogs are everywhere! Most people have one or more dogs, and there is a surplus of street dogs. I hear dog “fights” frequently. Usually these “fights” are more or less playful, and people are unconcerned, but they are very noisy, and last all night.
- Doorbells: When the doorbell rings, it’s not commonplace to get up and answer it right away. They wait, almost ignore it, talk about who it might be, and after a few minutes will get it.
- Time: many of the girls in the group are having a hard time adjusting to Chilean time. I however, am thriving in it. It’s normal--and expected--for locals to arrive 30 minutes to 1 hour late to any event that is not class. I believe that this lateness is actually respectful, because if you arrive on time or early to a party, the host might not be fully prepared.
- People here are not loud, unless at a carrete. It is uncommon to project your voice when outdoors like many Americans are often guilty of.
- Women: although women seem very empowered and independent, it is obvious that there is still a patriarchal system. The mothers, although they may have jobs or careers of their own, are still very much homemakers. In my opinion, women (mothers) carry a heavier workload than their husband and children. Every family is different though, and I should be careful to not make blanket statements.
- Bathrooms: clean, fully functioning and stocked bathrooms are a commodity. Most public restrooms do not have toilet paper or soap. When there is toilet paper, it must be thrown away not flushed because the pipes are so old and small.
- Coffee: I imagined that there would be a bigger coffee culture but this is not the case. There are a few coffee shops down town, but you don’t see many people walking around with coffee cups, or complaining about not having their coffee yet. Caffeine intake in general seems to be much lower than in the states, although Chileans will have a cup of black tea at 8 or 9 or 10pm without worries. (I asked my brother if he wanted a cup of tea of coffee around 2pm and he replied with a confused look, “No, I’m having lunch” as if it was unfathomable to get a caffeine kick in the afternoon.)
- Hair(y): The girls in the program are pretty liberal when it comes to hair growing. Hairy legs and armpits are common. But it seems like Chilean girls are very aware of their hair and groom often.
- I have not noticed obesity. This is not to say that everyone is skinny. Most people seem to be within a healthy weight range.
- Afuera vs. Adentro (Outside vs. Inside): Here in Arica, what is “outside” and what is “inside” is much more fluid. The extremes of “outside” and “inside” almost don’t exist. Rather, most places can be considered somewhere in between this continuum. Doors and windows are constantly open due to the perpetual good weather (no storms), lack of air conditioning, an eternal breeze. Screens are not used so bugs are accepted inside, not feared.
- Cell phone culture: People do not walk and text or even walk and talk. They don’t stare at their phone browsing social media while waiting for class to start, or for the bus, or for the doctor. But that doesn’t mean they don’t use their phones. They call each other to communicate over a quick conversation, or play games while relaxing at home. It is just shocking how little people use their phones in public.
- Governmentalization: the government stamp (literally) is everywhere here, and people aren’t mad about it. A strong government presence seems to have been normalized and survived since Allende/ Pinochet.
- Campus life (or lack there of): Students don’t live on campus since housing is not provided. Therefore, hanging out on campus is not common at nighttime or on weekends.
- Prices: despite inflation, the cost of food and clothes are pretty similar in the US, perhaps a tiny bit cheaper. The easiest conversion is 1.5x the whole number without the zeros. For example, 40,000 CLP is about equal to 60 USD.
Chilenismo de la semana: una luca: 1,000 chilean pesos: similar to “a buck”
Some photos from this week:
Los cuevas (caves) de Anzota
Flowers in el Sanctuario de Picaflor (Hummingbird Sanctuary)
Aymaran Hebalist and Traditional Medicine practitioner at a rural health care center
Public Health students listening to a discussion held in the "stimulation center" of a health clinic
Next week, I’ll give you my opinions and observations regarding the health care system.
¡Nos vemos!