Week one in Chile

Well, I've made it a full week. I arrived last Saturday and have had many new experiences. Hopefully this week will be just as full of activity. There is certainly a lot more to learn here, but here's a recap of lessons and observations from this week:

*Speaking spanish is hard, like physically difficult. My jaw is a little sore after a session of Spanish. I still can't make some of the sounds and am often made fun of for it. I try to practice talking to myself, but it just can't be done in your head. You have to move the mouth and vocalize the sounds to get the hang of it. Probably the best practice that I've found for being able to speak the language is to read a book aloud and have someone help with the sounds and pronunciations. Unfortunately I have only found one person who is interested in me reading to them. Apparently my book of choice, Freakanomics, isn't interesting to these people. Maybe I'll find a new one that both I and my listener will enjoy.

*People touch each other a lot here. It's normal to kiss complete strangers. I still don't know if I'm doing it right, but I'm going for it. The North American greetings don't fly here. You don't simply wave or give someone a nod. Apparently that's rude. You must press your cheeks together and kiss. I think I'm getting the hang of that. The awkward part is the hug. To begin with, I wasn't much for hugging. The hugs here are more of a one-armed embrace sort of thing. I'll keep working on that.

*It's hot here. There were a few days that were almost unbearable, but I survived. It probably wouldn't be too bad compared to a lot of places in the south of the US. I'm just not used to it yet. Luckily there is air conditioning in my office. Unfortunately, there are only open windows and the small fan I brought from Wyoming to help out at home. I think I'm about to get used to it though. It was a little difficult coming from frozen tundra to the middle of summer. I expected that, so I can't complain too much.

*Speaking of bringing stuff from home, I'm glad I decided to bring certain things with me. It really helps me to feel comfortable in my new environment. I know some people wouldn't have agreed with a lot of the stuff I brought, but I'm really enjoying it. For example, hygiene products are much more expensive here. I packed a couple of things that I normally use. I'm not sure if I can even find someone of the things here after I run out. I guess we'll see though. Bring all you can if you come here. I feel at home with my pillow, my brand of soap, my blender, and lunch box. It's the small things that help.

*I had hoped to find a gym by this weekend. I asked some people if they had a membership anywhere or knew of any good places. After they gave me some recommendation, I asked if they were completely full this time of year thinking that the answer would be "yes". They didn't understand the reason behind my question. In the US, gyms are usually quite full at the beginning of the year on account of peoples' New Years resolutions. This concept doesn't really exist here, I learned. Instead of making resolutions to stop smoking or lose weight, for example, Chileans will wish success upon themselves. To make sure the wish comes true, they will fill their pockets with or carry items pertaining to their wish. An example is clenching a fist full of money at a New Years party to wish for wealth. A friend was telling me how he showed up to a party with a suitcase to show that he would be traveling more in 2013.

*Lastly, our vocabulary lesson of the day: Lombriz - earthworm. In spanish (at least in Chilean spanish), a person can be said to be "as happy as an earthworm".

*Picture time- Here are some "carabineros" (policeman) on horseback on my walk to work, a starbucks by my office, and an Audi A1 (I had been waiting to see this car in the US).



Is there anything in Chile that you want to see or learn more about? I'll try to check it out while I'm here. Stay tuned for more fun updates.