Walking the streets of Santiago

Ever been outside your country and realize that you notice things that you have never ever considered in your own home city/country?

For example, walking down a sidewalk. I never realized that there is a nationalized pattern to public walking. Being a pedestrian in Chicago means that you walk quickly, headphones in and with a purpose. Heels, flip-flops or running shoes on the Lakefront Path and yet, there aren't confused pedestrians or joggers. Even bikes can navigate with purpose along the popular path. Visit New York? Walking rules are similar.

Chicagoans move slightly to the side if someone wants to pass them. They look both ways before making a zig-zag across the sidewalk. If you change direction, you are mostly aware of not running into another person. Crossing the street? Stay "right." We follow the Maritime rules when it comes to head-on pedestrian traffic. Maybe its Midwest manners or survival in the concrete jungle. All I care about is the fact that strangers on the sidewalks are mindful of space. I have never considered US public sidewalk spaces as safe, or comforting. Until these past few days.

That's it! Spatial awareness.

I cannot figure out how spatial awareness works on the public sidewalks of Santiago. People walk on the left, on the right, straight down the middle. Groups of people walk in a straight line across the sidewalk path, straight toward me, see me walking toward them, and don't make space.  Maritime rules do not apply here. I have to move out of the way. Is it because I am blonde (which I am not)?  When walking in the same direction, people don't look behind them before stopping or crossing through others. Pushing is involved. Shoot, bikes don't even say "on your left."

Chilean walking patterns are sporadic and if you can't figure out how join the flow, you will get run over by a 5'2" grandma. I have been wracking my brain over this for a few days. A few theories:

• Santigunos walk like drunk people. Not in a straight line at all 

• Talking on a cell phone gives you the right to walk a sine curve on the sidewalk (math joke…)

• There is a GIANT national game of chicken being played, and I wasn't invited. Someone, people are keeping track of how many people they have run off the sidewalk and are tracking their scores in a national data center. Maybe that is why google came to Chile? 

• The slower one walks, the more of a right they have to space on a sidewalk. So, for a fast-paced USofA city walker that I am, (thanks, Chicago) I have no right-of-way. 

My vote? It's a giant game of Tetrus and I am the lone piece, falling, not knowing where I fit best or how to rotate to orient my fall. 

Despite my frustration with simply walking tranquila down the street, I appreciate the gorgeous weather. …. who am I kidding? Why can't they walk like me - stay to the right, be cautious of your change in direction, and don't take up the whole width of a sidewalk. 

:) 

Silly Chilean Spanish

A carro to me, being from the US and all, is a Mexican word for car.

Here in Santiago, this is a carro:

Also known as a metro train car. 

Or, same city, this is also a carro:

Also known as a grocery cart. 

Don't be confused. You can't board the carro at the grocery store. You can, but it won't take you home after a long day of work. But, at least you'll have more space to sit than you would on the other carro.

Confused? Welcome to Chilean Spanish.  

Chilean Dieciocho (18) is like Applefest, times 100,000

If you are from Fenton, Michigan, you know what Applefest is. If you are not from Fenton, Michigan, but you grew up in a small town where there was one festival a year where parents got drunk in a tent, there were cheesy carnival rides and games, and as a kid you thought - you knew - you were the coolest kid there because you had an armfull of snap-it bracelets and a caramel apple, then you know what Applefest is now.

Why Applefest? It happened this month and so does the largest national party in Chile.

AND. My friend Kyle, from Linden, but we are friends from living in Chicago and training for marathon #1 together, was here to celebrate with me. He likes to day drink. And does not make plans in advance when traveling. love.

Why celebrate 18th of September in Chile?
Before I answer that, how many of us in the States can explain the story of why we celebrate the 4th of July? Yup, I looked to wikipedia just to confirm what I thought was true. The founding fathers declared the 13 colonies independent of Great Britain on July 2nd, 1776. The declaration was finally approved by Congress on July 4, 1776. Some historians say it was actually was not signed until August 2, 1776.
We celebrate the 4th with small town parades during which we catch cheap candy being thrown from parade floats, BBQs with friends and family, sitting on a boat, drinking American beers, watching fireworks, and singing to some sort of patriotic song throughout the day. One day, maybe 2, to celebrate. Remember that...

WHY is the 18th so important? I have been in Santiago about two weeks, and the Chileans LOVE to share the history. Chile convened as a government for the first time on September 18, 1810. Even though the war with Spain continued and Chile was not actually independent of Spain until 1818, the first meeting of Congress is critical. It is the day that the Chilean identity separated from the Spanish crown. A few Chileans have shared the history with me, all the same story. Must have been the same paragraph in every textbook in elementary school here. Must have been an effective lesson that day, they all remember the historical account.

HOW do they celebrate? 5 official days of the national holiday. By getting drunk, of course. But here, we say curado or borracho. Day drinking starts with EVERY Chilean asking, "Did you drink a terremoto yet?"



recipes with terremoto? be on the lookout

 This sugary, diabetic-shock alcoholic cocktail drink whisks you away to a tropical beach. But we are in chilly, cloudy Santiago. This concoction of fermeted wine with piñeapple ice cream is potent. One will knock you right onto the dance floor to bailar the national dance, la cueca.

Celebrations focus on the Chilean lifestyle: food, drinks, rodeos and even clothing. This week is a rebirth of the Chilean spirit, their identity. Let`s get real. Chileans know how to party.

The fonda, or massive gathering of Chileans at a large public venue, is an all day drinking and eating fiasco with silly made up games that you can never win. Did I spend some monedas on playing games? You bet. I also consumed way too many calories eating choripan, anticuchos (kebobs) and some sweets. Add in a few beers, terremotos and piscolas, and glutony was my boyfriend this week.

The kebobs, anticuchos, are freaking amazing. The meat is medium, medium well. Juicy but crispy on the outside. Chorizo was salty and so flavorful. I do not ever want to know what goes into making that. I have one idea though. And I will eat them as long as I am here.

Another major event is the rodeo. Too bad the men are either too old for me, or just kids. Where are the Chilean cowboys for me? Guess they are hacking meat, grilling meat, or drinking a beer. My kind of man. This rodeo is pretty important, and I am a gringa expert. One of my English clients shared with me how to compete in a rodeo. Maybe I will be saddled up and cornering a cow soon. His English lesson one day was consumed by the rodeo. It was great- I learned a lot and we worked out some verbage and pronunciation.

You can see the two horses, towards the left, with the small cow (baby cow?) stuck. You get 4 points for cornering the cow in the rear. And only 1 point if you capture it at the shoulders. All the other horses in the ring are waiting their turn to get in on the action. Who doesn´t want to wear a poncho, hat and race around the ring?

Chilean girl in the traditional fiesta patria clothes

Did I tell you I went to 3 fondas? The one above was located at the Estadio Nacional. Lots of terrible, dark history from the Pinochet era. If you do not know who that is, learn before we talk again. love you.

Crazy story. I know maybe 10 people in Santiago. There are 5 million or so that live here. I am getting off the metro train to walk to the stadium, to meet up with 1 of the (now) 10 people I know. All of a sudden, I hear English and slightly, casually, turn my head. Lisa? No way. I know her. Met her my 2nd day in Santiago and there she is, with her fiance and friend from Chicago (#3 and #4). So, about one-quarter of the people I know are right there, walking with me to the same fonda that has thousands of people.

We had a great time dancing at a fonda party.

Needless to say, fondas are fun. First one was at Parque OHiggins, the free fonda downtown. Apparently, it may not be so safe. Kyle and I were the only gringos, and definitely whitest, people there. Workers took photos of us. At least I got a free beer and oyster. I just think that 3 days of them is a bit much. I did not even go to the late-night fondas with concerts because I was there ALL day, eating and drinking. I had to take naps, which turned into...nope, I am sitting this 3AM party out. This gringa is not used to Chilean parties.

Apartment Hunting in Santiago, Chile

Thinking about renting an apartment in Santiago, Chile?

With almost 5 million people in the city of Santiago you would think there would be 5 million places to live. Right?

No way. In 1 week of being in Santiago, here is what I have learned about renting an apartment in the capital of Chile.

1. There are only 20 apartments that fit my criteria on the most-used apartment search website. 

www.portalinmobiliario.com

2. Most people that you contact about the apartment are not the owners or the landlords, they are a middle-man service. And they get paid to talk to you on the phone and maybe, show you the apartment. Almost 10% commission from the rent gets paid to them, for answering a phone! 

3. Phone conversations about an apartment last 45 seconds. Email is extremely informal and the communication between me and whoever is behind the apartment is short, usually not even a complete sentence. At first, I thought it was rude and cold. Now, I realize it is cultural.  

4. Refer to #3: have a Chilean cell phone so that you can call. Email is unreliable. Cell phones are the best way to set up a time to visit the apartment and check out where you can sleep off your terremotos y chichas. Oh, cell phone numbers here are 8 digits. Cool, right? 

5. Being frustrated is normal. I felt down in the dumps yesterday because an apartment I really liked: perfect location, furnished, new paint and 2 huge terraces with lots of natural light is not mine. The property management wants a list of numbers, banks, bank accounts, proof of jobs, and more. Since I am gringa, renting means paying 6 months up front. WHAT. This isn't a rap video with money being thrown around me. 

6. Living alone in Santiago, in the areas where I want to live, means paying around $600 - $700 per month. Plus building fees and if you want Internet, add another $50US to that. Now, I am thinking of sharing an apartment with Chileans or expats that are here, if I can find a way to do that. Craigslist doesn't seem too popular, unless Chileans are living with non-Chileans. 

Did I mention that I moved here at the start of the BIGGEST Chilean holiday? This Friday starts the celebration of Chile's Independence from Spain in 1810, when the first meeting of the Chilean government took place. Imagine a city of almost 5 million feeling empty. I can't either but it is about to happen. People take off for beach houses, farms, houses in the south. They leave the city for almost a whole week.

Finding an apartment won't happen for another week. I am at peace with my new life as a vagabond. For today. Living without a home can truly be a vulnerable place to be. Yesterday, it got to me. It's all I think about now: find an apartment. Fortunately, I have friends that are taking me in and giving me a place to crash. <3 div="div">

Get this, my new friend Pablo is taking me tonight until I find a place and he was ROBBED 2 days ago. They only thing that they took? His couch! My future bed! Just in case you are wondering.. he went and bought another couch already. So, I can still crash in his gorgeous apartment that has the best views of Santiago. 

Moral of the story? Since I don't have an apartment yet, I must continue to search. 

Be ready to be frustrated and shocked by the process & the prices. Yesterday, I even found myself thinking that I might have to jump on a plane back to the States soon. Or, just cave in and sleep in the streets. Can you believe that? 

A friend asked me last night, "Why are you here?" 

Plaza de Armas, Santiago, Chile

I asked myself the same thing. Vamos a ver. 

Dancing the La Cueca

I was waving a silk handkerchief with rose petals as my dance teacher waved hers high above her head. She played the ¨man¨ role while I continued being the lady without rhythm. The 3 steps of the dance are guided by louder and louder music until the 3rd step, when everyone stomps their feet and twirls in circles. Partners end, arm and arm, with smiles and rosy cheeks. Frustrated by not feeling so rhythmic, I was encouraged by Pablo and friends to keep practicing. We need to be ready for 18 de septiembre! More on that later... 

The dance floor was crowded with Chileans, and gringos, dancing to the live music all night. We heard a little merengue and cumbia but the dance floor filled with slightly intoxicated, cunados, Chileans when the band played the first notes of the cueca.

Each region of Chile has a slightly different version of this popular, and original, dance. I can catch on to the salsa, the merengue and even the cumbia. The cueca is tough. The 2 steps - 1 step and circling just don't feel natural. But, I keep twirling my panuelo and doing a jig with my feet. Why not? I am dancing with fun new friends who are having a blast teaching me the ways of the Chilean dance.

And when the Pisco is flowing and the terremoto shakes the laughter from silly dancing, I feel right. Right at home. I don't even remember the names of all the people I met last night. Sorry!! Sometimes, learning names is just as tough as learning new Chilean phrases. I will learn them because I LOVED our night out last night.

How did I end up there? All thanks to Laura and Seba. I have not even met Seba but now, I am friends with his colleague, Pablo. And Pablo, with his awesome mustache and swag, is too cool. We are going to be friends, he says. That may have been after a few terremotos…

Oh, we went to Huaso Enrique where the tables were packed with close friends and family. There were speeches, celebrations, and a fun spirit to prepare for 18 de septiembre.