exploradora

Our first week in Chile...it flew by! Today I went for my first run in Chile. I love running around a city to explore it because it gives you a chance to see, smell, and observe the culture in a fun and beautiful way. After an intensive week of school (I can't believe so many people get up at 6am and come home at 6pm! I was completely exhausted by Friday. We plan our lessons and have homework at night so the days are very long but its a really good experience!)..we had the weekend to explore a bit and get to experience things other than school.

When you are a foreigner in another country--such as myself--often one makes observations and generalizations of the culture--the outside perspective is sometimes more insightful but can also lead to stereotyping.. but es la vida! So here are some things I have noticed so far:

1. Chilean toilets cannot handle toilet paper. When you go to the bathroom you have to throw the toilet paper in a trashcan. When at a bar you have to tip the attendant to get toilet paper..this is definitely more useful to know BEFORE you go into the stall to pee, as Cortney and I discovered last night when we were at a bar in Bellavista. Oops!

2. Palta which is Avocado in Chilean Spanish is put in everything here!! Its a different kind of avocado and very delicious!! mmm. I love it! My favorite salad accessory of the moment:


3. Dogs rule in Chile. Most dogs here are not domesticated. They run around freely in packs--more wolflike than in the US. Ging would have serious problems I think! They are very sweet to humans and will follow you around..(like during my run this morning) and they are everywhere! Ive only seen one weenie so far..I spotted a pup enjoying the sun at the top of a park we visited on Saturday..The park Cerro San Cristobal (they love Christopher Colombus here..go figure?) has the famous sculpture of Mary of Santiago and it is really peaceful and spiritual at the top. We took a the funicular up (scary!) but it was beautiful!


Doggie Chillin in the sanctuary


view from the top


Mary

4. Chilean culture is pretty! They are super modest people who work really hard. But they also really know how to get down and enjoy themselves. Going out doesn't start till midnight but they really take pleasure in the weekends..A seemingly random parade went down the street outside our apartment today..their costumes were so pretty!



Besides that heres a few people who are making our intro into Chilean culture welcoming, fun, crazy and hilarious!


Nel, Fabian, Maury, Cortney y Yo at Sushi (muy popular here!!)



Nel and the abuelitas drinking tea! hahah. We were so tired!