Santiago: Where Can I Find...?

Living in a big city of 6 million or so people has its ups and downs. Living in the third world country with a semi-developed capital city has its benefits and struggles.  I'm sure living where you do also has its happy face and grey days, too. We all day. At the end of the day, I want to be the best I can and leave the world a bit better than I found it each day. :)

I want to make the best of it but, a girl from the good ol' USofA just wants some Reese's, pretzels and friendly strangers. Did you know something that foreigners comment on about us Americans is that we pick up a conversation with just anyone? That apparently isn't normal in the rest of the world. When you are walking around the streets of Santiago, you see the opposite. People have their resting-not-nice-face on all.the.time.  Try smiling at them and they think you're nuts.

happy get lucky pigs from Pomaire!

We need those people that wear the "Free Hugs" t-shirts on the streets of Santiago! Someone bring them here!

That was sort of connected to where I wanted to go. I was thinking about what to do on a Friday night and simultaneously thinking about things I miss/can't remember that I miss from the red, white and blue.

p.s. WE ARE GOING (COMING) TO AMERICA!!! Pablo and are going to the US this September for 3 weeks. Bring out your American friendliness, humor and take us to a football game, invite to your pumpkin patch and fill us with American beer (no Bud, though). Can't WAIT!

at work in a typical Chilean elementary classroom with 38 students

Anyway... my random list of things I wish I could find in Santiago...

• Live music. Small little hole-in-the-wall places with live music
• Great tacos. I need fish tacos with slaw. Or Mexican tacos with sweaty-spicy salsa. 
• Jazz
• Radio stations with a variety of music. How is radioDisney the only station to play throughout the whole city? It's either romantic Latino music or Justin Beiber.
• Veggie sandwiches without mayo or cheese. 
• Efficiency. I miss efficient meetings, quick service, and timely responses
• Greek yogurt. The stuff they sell here is marketed as Greek yogurt but I want US-style authentic Greek yogurt. 
• Policeman at intersections that have malfunctioning traffic lights. It is a fierce battle of the bigger machinery when traffic lights go out. I'm afraid my car and I won't come out alive every time. Where are the policemen protecting the citizens?
• Nice strangers/workers. Where are you?  The negativity that 99% of workers here is unbelievable. I miss nice strangers/workers. 
• Bars to sit at. I love sitting on a stool at a bar and enjoying a cocktail or leaning against the bar to have a advantageous viewing spot. There are a few here, but very few. 
• Great clothes. Man, I'm not even a fashion-forward girl but I miss my Anthropologie, Macy's, Buffalo Exchange and TARGET. Oh, what I'd do for a Target shopping spree... 
• Fresh air. Oh yeah, gotta hike out and into the Andes for that one. The winter smog is setting in...

My friends Leanne and Katy on my rooftop! 

Which leads me to... Why do I live here and like it? 

• super casual work environment yet still meaningful 
• loads of vacation time
• cheap travel throughout the country
• insanely delicious fruit and veggies for DIRT CHEAP
• Peruvian food
• city life + mountains. It's better access than Denver to the foothills of Boulder or Golden
• I feel smart living and working in Spanish. I feel smart in English too but a different smart
• I don't spend lots of money on materialism: fashion, design, home goods, purses so I have more in my bank account at the end of the month
• I can get away with a lot because I'm a foreigner. But I can also get screwed over because I'm a foreigner. 
• AMAZING view from our apartment balcony! I live on the 18th floor. That is super high up and we look straight at the Andes and over a big park. We don't have an Ugly Naked Guy !