By vgosalvez11
I have now officially been in Chile for four days and have been trying to soak up as much of the country and the city of Santiago as possible.
Things are of course a bit overwhelming. Minutes after arriving after arriving into the busy Santiago airport, I was met with the challenge of navigating the busy terminals with (admittedly a bit too much) luggage. I then spent two days on my own settling and exploring before our four day group orientation. This short time spent wandering the city gave me the time to notice my surroundings and begin and catalog my thoughts on the new city.
My observations so far
1. Chilean Spanish is a language in and of itself - I was warned this was going to be the case, but I had no concept how “foreign” it would be. I was raised around many Spanish speakers (as in Spanish from Spain) and while wasn't really fluent I always understood the vast majority. In addition to this, I spent a semester in Madrid for and became more comfortable with Spanish. However, Chileans speak a Spanish that is incredibly different; their dialect is full of slang words and colloquialisms that I am not familiar with. Furthermore, their accent is distinct and unique from others I have heard. While this is a challenge, I think I am catching on pretty quickly, and hopefully I eventually won't notice the difference. I am pretty sure the on "Chileanismos" given to us by our group leader is going to become my new bible.
2. Chileans are NOT shy about PDA - Our hotel is near a grassy little park type area and you cannot walk 10 feet without seeing a couple lying in the grass “canoodling” (as my mother would say). It would be enough to make many Americans blush or complain. For my part, I really don't mind and find it rather sweet.
3. The mountains are BIG and CLOSE - I am not a mountain girl—the closest mountains to me growing up are about two hours away, and are called Blue Hills (you can guess it's more of a hill). I keep finding myself distracted and in awe at the pure size and scope of the Andes Mountains, which watch over Santiago. It is practically enough to get me interested in hiking (which is a big deal, if you ask my friends). From our hotel, we can actually see the famous statue of the Virgin Mary on San Cristobal Hill, which overlooks the city.
4. Chilean food is very varied - So far it seems like Santiago has influences from everywhere. Near our hotel there are Peruvian, Japanese, Mexican, and Chilean restaurants—not to mention American chains like Taco Bell and McDonalds, which are pretty much everywhere. I actually laughed out loud when I spotted a TGI Fridays on my first night in Santiago. It looked just like everyone favorite (terrible) Foggy Bottom Fridays. The influence I notice the most, though, is Italian food. Many Italians immigrated to South America after World War II, and it shows in the pure quantity of pasta, pizza and Italian food I see around.
5. Pickpocketing is practically an art form here - while Santiago is a pretty safe city (don't worry Mom), especially in relation to other cities in South America, there is still a huge problem with petty crime. Santiaguinos even brag that their "ladrones" robbers are the best in the world. Unfortunately/fortunately, I almost learned this lesson the hard way today. While on my first metro ride in Santiago, someone posing as a business man in a suit and talking on the phone tried to unzip my purse while standing next to me. Amazingly, I realized what was happening and when I jerked away he quickly got off the metro. I'm really not too freaked out by this, but I think the moral of the story is just to be very cautious and vigilant.
6. My first shock - The most shocking thing for me so far is just being away from my friends and family and especially spending a lot of time on my own. The two days I had by myself before orientation were honestly challenging for me- as a super extrovert, I don't find it pleasurable to be alone for long periods of time. I grew up in a family with three girls, lots of noise, and constant visitors and activities. Even at GW, where I spend most of my time busy with classes, clubs, and working, I always make time for my close friends. Even when I lived in Spain alone and had to make new friends, I had my Abuela whenever I needed her.
I know this about myself, and I need to work on being self-reliant and being happy on my own as I grow accustomed to this city, and eventually build my own network here. I'm not going to stop missing my friends and family, but I see a lot of possibility in learning to enjoy eating a nice meal by myself in a restaurant (which I did for the first time this week). And luckily, I know that I’ll always have a safety net of friends and family back home, for when I really do need them.
In several days, I will get to meet my host family and move in with them in a nearby neighborhood of Santiago. I am anxious to meet them and see my new home, and most importantly, stop living out of a suitcase. I am sure the next days with bring many many new observations, lessons, and surprises, but it is wonderful to catalogue them here so I can see some of what I have learned so far as I look forward to things to come.
