here's a pretty good reason not to learn chilenismos if you are planning on returning to north america any time soon...
you may ending up calling someone's child an asshole without realizing. in asking what i can say instead of "guapo" or "guapito" for a cute child (which moreso has the translation associated with potential partners and mates in chile- that's someone's attractive), someone said, oh "here we call them pendehos." being cynical, i thought this could be a joke. alas, it was not.
chile is just that unique, oh chile!
* i don't recommend trying to strike up a discussion about babies being like little aliens and whatnot (even as a light joke); it has never been good conversation fodder in santiago. this kind of behavior will surely identify you as American, if your sarcastic, somewhat bitter sense of humor hasn't already. probably because of the close-knit family society, everyone just loves kids (even when young adults are in their most "selfish" years).... and wants one of their own one day...
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Jimmy Carter: The Words of God Do Not Justify Cruelty to Women
Jimmy Carter takes modern/organized religion to task for its responsibility for and role in the subjugation of women around the world. He is speaking as a member of the The Elders and is apparently firing the first salvo of this group's focus on this issue. He not only nails the fundamentals of the issue itself, but also acknowledges the political realities and difficulties facing all leaders of our world. My favorite part of this op-ed is that it lays out facts that have been known for years, and places them in the light of our modern society. He isn't calling for the removal of organized religion or the elevation of atheism. He merely wants us to be better. In many ways, he is only asking for the fulfillment of religion's ultimate goal.
I recently caught Will Smith's "The Pursuit of Happyness" and felt that warmth and inspiration as his character listened to the Glide gospel choir in San Francisco perform, "God, Don't Move That Mountain". Faith and religion have a place and it's an important one.
While the message about women's unfair and lesser status in our societies is an important one, it's not the chord that is struck the loudest for me. The cynicism that says we can't change the way religion acts, that says we can't change the way we produce our energy, that we can't change our politics... all suffers from the same basic fault. It's the same cynicism that your mother combated when she told you to eat your vegetables and brush your teeth. If you'd just try it, and give it an honest shot... you might find yourself down the road -of your own volition- brushing your teeth after eating some vegetables!
The link above for "change our politics" is for a piece by Glenn Greenwald. He uses the example of NBC's Chuck Todd to make the case that our government could be closer to the way we'd like it, if they weren't in bed with the establishment press. The long entry by Greenwald ends with this follow up interview with Chuck Todd...at Todd's request.
The link above for "change our politics" is for a piece by Glenn Greenwald. He uses the example of NBC's Chuck Todd to make the case that our government could be closer to the way we'd like it, if they weren't in bed with the establishment press. The long entry by Greenwald ends with this follow up interview with Chuck Todd...at Todd's request.
As I've noted many times before -- though it still never ceases to amaze me -- the most revealing fact about our political culture is that the group most opposed to investigations of high-level political officials happens to be the very same group that was supposed to lead the way in investigating: our journalist class. Thomas Jefferson said:--------------Our first object should therefore be, to leave open to him all the avenues of truth. The most effectual hitherto found, is freedom of the press. It is therefore, the first shut up by those who fear the investigation of their actions.
The video below is what we could do today to change the way our power is generated and our dependence on an internal combustion engine. It is both fascinating and breathtaking simply because of how far from science fiction it is. What's clear is that we just have to try the vegetables...and if we did that...we might just like them
coñaripe
it was great to be back in the south again. after the pucón trip, i realized i was really craving the fresh, clean area of the lakes region. it did rain, like really rain, pretty much the entire time. stupidly, i forgot my rain jacket and had to rely on my winter shell to keep me dry. we were staying with a very nice man native to the area. he was a musical performer as well so i enjoyed a little pancho/leo/mia/scott sing-along. highlights of the weekend included seeing a real house in a tree, trying rosa mosqueta jam and absolutely loving it and spending an afternoon in hot springs underneath a shelter next to a raging river, all while it was storming... raining really hard. the picture above on the right is from the inside of the tree house, complete with windows! the one on the left is an amazing che painting that we saw inside the tree house.
this video was taken after one of our water-logged expeditions when pancho couldn't get his boots off.
* notice pancho clinging to the doorframe as his foot is being pulled in the opposite direction. classic pancho move.
from l to r, pancho trying to brave the flood without shoes, lentils dinner and below- the view from the termas.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
what's hilarious to me right now
i'll tell you what i think is funny. and i'm sorry ahead of time if this is insensitive...
on more than one occasion i have heard highly inappropriate english songs played in department stores, grocery stores, restaurants... why? because they're in english and no one is really paying that much attention and maybe some people don't understand the lyrics anyway?
we're talking, songs with lyrics like "you turn me on baby, yeah" and words with sh*$ and f#@*. no joke!! i'm like, seriously? and people just go on with their business as if nothing is going on at all.
on the upside, you can hear jamiroquai, sometimes pearl jam or eminem while you're buying your cheese and milk...
on more than one occasion i have heard highly inappropriate english songs played in department stores, grocery stores, restaurants... why? because they're in english and no one is really paying that much attention and maybe some people don't understand the lyrics anyway?
we're talking, songs with lyrics like "you turn me on baby, yeah" and words with sh*$ and f#@*. no joke!! i'm like, seriously? and people just go on with their business as if nothing is going on at all.
on the upside, you can hear jamiroquai, sometimes pearl jam or eminem while you're buying your cheese and milk...
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
perks of working at my school
my school is a technical/trade school. it's all about putting people in situations and classrooms that are as real as possible. how does english fit into this? it doesn't. i'm just saying that hotel/administration classes are held with rooms with faux front desks. gastronomy class is held in a virtually real restaurant inside one of the campus' buildings. adventure tourism classes are outside as much as possible.
as a teacher there, and also as a native english speaker, i'm quite hooked up. the gastronomy kids need people to feed, the tourism students need people to give tours to... we're talking like 5-course meals with free wine and apertivos. a couple of weeks ago, i went on a tour to about 5 different small towns outside of Santiago and on the coast (all this for free!). the tour was all in spanish and after 10 hours my brain hurt. but i saw seals!! that was the highlight for me. i also ate some delicious seafood stew/soup (called paila). the picture below on the left is part of the cajón de maipo mountain range and legend has it this particular mountain looks like a reclining/sleeping lady. oh and we had the most delicious cheese and chicken empanadas (they were baked in a clay oven, like the ones from Argentina)!
so yeah, free stuff is nice. free experiences are even nicer. i had the opportunity to play pick-up soccer games (pichanga) with some of the college women but stopped after one session. the coach was kind of a drill sargeant and by then i still hadn't been used to being called niña by an adult male not related to me.... but that's a whole other discussion.
as a teacher there, and also as a native english speaker, i'm quite hooked up. the gastronomy kids need people to feed, the tourism students need people to give tours to... we're talking like 5-course meals with free wine and apertivos. a couple of weeks ago, i went on a tour to about 5 different small towns outside of Santiago and on the coast (all this for free!). the tour was all in spanish and after 10 hours my brain hurt. but i saw seals!! that was the highlight for me. i also ate some delicious seafood stew/soup (called paila). the picture below on the left is part of the cajón de maipo mountain range and legend has it this particular mountain looks like a reclining/sleeping lady. oh and we had the most delicious cheese and chicken empanadas (they were baked in a clay oven, like the ones from Argentina)!
so yeah, free stuff is nice. free experiences are even nicer. i had the opportunity to play pick-up soccer games (pichanga) with some of the college women but stopped after one session. the coach was kind of a drill sargeant and by then i still hadn't been used to being called niña by an adult male not related to me.... but that's a whole other discussion.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
oh chile!
not trying to be racist or anything but i swear chileans walk differently than what i was used to. they seem to dart back and forth, changing direction without too much warning... just some hidden cultural cue that suggests they're about to veer off course. it's also like a gang-mentality... if you are walking alone you might have to deal with people walking three alongside each other blocking off any spot for you to squeeze through (no they don't fall behind and make a vertical rather than horizontal line). i've now become accustomed to intentionally sticking out my elbows and forcing my way through rather inhospitable crowds and passersby.
9's look like p's, g's look like q's and q's are backwards.
m's look like n's here and n's look like n's.
1's look like upside-down v's.
frutilla is strawberry and chileans think fresas are something else.
it's weirdly comforting to know that chile is a plastic nation, everything goes in plastic. i feel like i'm home! you have to anticipate the plastic and intercept the grocery item, pastry, whatever commodity it may be and ASSURE them you will live without being plastic-ed out.
[oh what is that you say sir? well i have another plastic bag right here i can use instead of your new shiny one!] - by the way this is pure sarcasm for those of you reading who don't know me well enough.
any decent mexican food ingredients are imported, very expensive and aren't high quality anyway (same for indian food).
the really good ice cream is so freaking expensive!
they can't make flan here (sorry guys, but you know it's true)! they call it flan but it's like instant jello mixed with some milk with really bad food coloring and flavoring.
all the vendor stands with sweets and snacks within 5 feet of each are making me fat.
i blame the US for using feet, inches, fahrenheit, non-military time and everything else that's weird and isolationist. late in the summer, i told a lady it was 85 degrees outside and she almost died.
i wish i didn't stand out like a sore thumb here. sometimes it might be nice to be mistaken as chilean. hasn't happened yet, doubt it will.
[girl in store] ¿eres chilena?
[me] ¿me pareces chilena?
[girl] no
let me throw a good one in here, though clearly goodness is not the aim of this post.... the bread and baked goodies are to die for!
learning chilenismos can be treacherous... you MUST inquire about every word you hear before re-using it because chances are it's quite inappropriate for nearly any audience.
i'm a little bit upset i haven't yet mastered my monthly trip to the bank. somehow I end up being the one who waits forever in line with my ticket while people diligently sneak up to the counter and get in before me! really i'm impressed. so, you wait for an hour and a half and then you fill out the bank slip when you get up to the teller. it does provide for good personal service, however.
3 cheers for chile, who has successfully denied Walmart access to its territory. chile can economically afford to support its local commerce and say no to the corporate giant. i guess that's what being close to the largest western exporter of fresh produce and copper gets you.
when people get pissed at you here, they might just throw a rock at you. watch out! yes it's true, the continual threat of minute legalities and lawsuits just doesn't exist here. if you want the story you need to leave a blog-like comment and ye shall know!
be careful, also, on a bike here. you might die, for a variety of reasons.
if people think heterosexism is bad in the states, they should come here.
damn cans of anything in the grocery store are either outrageously expensive for what you get or they're obsolete. don't take the 89 cent cans of chicken stock for granted anymore, you people!
you also can't go anywhere without seeing people make-out. it's a little excessive.
the peddlers on the street have inspired me to save objects like it's USA cerca 1929 (we're talking a serious reusage and monitoring of all paper products, cardboard, plastic bags, paperclips, twist-ties, tape and rubber bands).
i tried out this café, "classic café", that i had been wanting to patronize for quite a while and i was intrigued by the english name (which is an all too frequent occurrence for a country that very largely does not speak ANY english)... anyway, there is a sign "english spoken" in the window. i asked my waitor (in spanish) about it and he responded with... the old owner spoke a lot of english and he put that sign there but he's sold the place to the new owners and no one speaks english here now ¿cachai?
rumor has it chile recently has disallowed bringing in objects like peanut butter via personal air travel. confirmation of this could bring about a very sad day for me (as you all well know by now).
on another positive note, the metro pleasantly smells like freshly cut cedar. i've yet to figure that one out.
i've been amazed by the incredible bluntness, but at the same time, distant nature of people here... case and point... one of my students wrote on her exam "i don't want to see [that movie] because i don't like chinese actors" whoah! try that one on for size...
also, i ask kids in class... did you guys study? what i will get in return is an real sample size of who actually studied for the test (2 people raise hands, rest of class solemny shakes head "no"). they're completely honest; it's unique and refreshing!
chileans are incredibly good at getting by on limited energy resources (though if you think this is because they are environmentally courteous you would be dead wrong). no seriously, they wear warm clothes and always have their jackets on inside in the winter but heating is just not an option (too expensive). so, they are thrifty; drinking multiple cups of tea and wearing gloves that allow dexterity do the trick (for writing, teaching, computering). i have never utilized the benefits of solar whatever more in my life. my daily routine is dictated by what the sun decides to do. it makes all the difference in the world.
i am dying for drip coffee (oh elena's on central ave. in albany. get me some please). it took me 10 minutes to explain what regularly brewed coffee is to a very hip young man (in spanish of course) in response to him having made yet another latté when i thought i had successfully asked for drip coffee.
me: [in response to seeing him add steamed milk] no, no, um, just the milk on the side.
him: (confusion and unintelligible spanish). oh an expresso?
me: well kind of, more like an americano but not quite as strong, and not with steamed milk.
him: oh
me: it's like, you have the coffee grinds and you put hot water (like alot of hot water) through them and you DON'T add steamed milk (using hand signals here like i am in class) and the milk is added cold from the refrigerator.
him: [frowns] cold? we don't have that here.
me: [smiles] thanks. (yea i know you don't have that here but if you let me behind where you are i could make it for myself).
*according to some, there is a place where you can get somewhat comparable drip coffee (Juan Valdez shops). Anyway, a friend of mine said a bunch of Chilenos went in, asked for instant and when the clerk explained no, only fresh Colombian drip-coffee, they walked out unsatisfied and unsatiated. Anything but Nestlé instant just would not do!!
on a more serious/focused note, experiencing these cultural differences has been a blast, completely fun and intellectually inspiring...
9's look like p's, g's look like q's and q's are backwards.
m's look like n's here and n's look like n's.
1's look like upside-down v's.
frutilla is strawberry and chileans think fresas are something else.
it's weirdly comforting to know that chile is a plastic nation, everything goes in plastic. i feel like i'm home! you have to anticipate the plastic and intercept the grocery item, pastry, whatever commodity it may be and ASSURE them you will live without being plastic-ed out.
[oh what is that you say sir? well i have another plastic bag right here i can use instead of your new shiny one!] - by the way this is pure sarcasm for those of you reading who don't know me well enough.
any decent mexican food ingredients are imported, very expensive and aren't high quality anyway (same for indian food).
the really good ice cream is so freaking expensive!
they can't make flan here (sorry guys, but you know it's true)! they call it flan but it's like instant jello mixed with some milk with really bad food coloring and flavoring.
all the vendor stands with sweets and snacks within 5 feet of each are making me fat.
i blame the US for using feet, inches, fahrenheit, non-military time and everything else that's weird and isolationist. late in the summer, i told a lady it was 85 degrees outside and she almost died.
i wish i didn't stand out like a sore thumb here. sometimes it might be nice to be mistaken as chilean. hasn't happened yet, doubt it will.
[girl in store] ¿eres chilena?
[me] ¿me pareces chilena?
[girl] no
let me throw a good one in here, though clearly goodness is not the aim of this post.... the bread and baked goodies are to die for!
learning chilenismos can be treacherous... you MUST inquire about every word you hear before re-using it because chances are it's quite inappropriate for nearly any audience.
i'm a little bit upset i haven't yet mastered my monthly trip to the bank. somehow I end up being the one who waits forever in line with my ticket while people diligently sneak up to the counter and get in before me! really i'm impressed. so, you wait for an hour and a half and then you fill out the bank slip when you get up to the teller. it does provide for good personal service, however.
3 cheers for chile, who has successfully denied Walmart access to its territory. chile can economically afford to support its local commerce and say no to the corporate giant. i guess that's what being close to the largest western exporter of fresh produce and copper gets you.
when people get pissed at you here, they might just throw a rock at you. watch out! yes it's true, the continual threat of minute legalities and lawsuits just doesn't exist here. if you want the story you need to leave a blog-like comment and ye shall know!
be careful, also, on a bike here. you might die, for a variety of reasons.
if people think heterosexism is bad in the states, they should come here.
damn cans of anything in the grocery store are either outrageously expensive for what you get or they're obsolete. don't take the 89 cent cans of chicken stock for granted anymore, you people!
you also can't go anywhere without seeing people make-out. it's a little excessive.
the peddlers on the street have inspired me to save objects like it's USA cerca 1929 (we're talking a serious reusage and monitoring of all paper products, cardboard, plastic bags, paperclips, twist-ties, tape and rubber bands).
i tried out this café, "classic café", that i had been wanting to patronize for quite a while and i was intrigued by the english name (which is an all too frequent occurrence for a country that very largely does not speak ANY english)... anyway, there is a sign "english spoken" in the window. i asked my waitor (in spanish) about it and he responded with... the old owner spoke a lot of english and he put that sign there but he's sold the place to the new owners and no one speaks english here now ¿cachai?
rumor has it chile recently has disallowed bringing in objects like peanut butter via personal air travel. confirmation of this could bring about a very sad day for me (as you all well know by now).
on another positive note, the metro pleasantly smells like freshly cut cedar. i've yet to figure that one out.
i've been amazed by the incredible bluntness, but at the same time, distant nature of people here... case and point... one of my students wrote on her exam "i don't want to see [that movie] because i don't like chinese actors" whoah! try that one on for size...
also, i ask kids in class... did you guys study? what i will get in return is an real sample size of who actually studied for the test (2 people raise hands, rest of class solemny shakes head "no"). they're completely honest; it's unique and refreshing!
chileans are incredibly good at getting by on limited energy resources (though if you think this is because they are environmentally courteous you would be dead wrong). no seriously, they wear warm clothes and always have their jackets on inside in the winter but heating is just not an option (too expensive). so, they are thrifty; drinking multiple cups of tea and wearing gloves that allow dexterity do the trick (for writing, teaching, computering). i have never utilized the benefits of solar whatever more in my life. my daily routine is dictated by what the sun decides to do. it makes all the difference in the world.
i am dying for drip coffee (oh elena's on central ave. in albany. get me some please). it took me 10 minutes to explain what regularly brewed coffee is to a very hip young man (in spanish of course) in response to him having made yet another latté when i thought i had successfully asked for drip coffee.
me: [in response to seeing him add steamed milk] no, no, um, just the milk on the side.
him: (confusion and unintelligible spanish). oh an expresso?
me: well kind of, more like an americano but not quite as strong, and not with steamed milk.
him: oh
me: it's like, you have the coffee grinds and you put hot water (like alot of hot water) through them and you DON'T add steamed milk (using hand signals here like i am in class) and the milk is added cold from the refrigerator.
him: [frowns] cold? we don't have that here.
me: [smiles] thanks. (yea i know you don't have that here but if you let me behind where you are i could make it for myself).
*according to some, there is a place where you can get somewhat comparable drip coffee (Juan Valdez shops). Anyway, a friend of mine said a bunch of Chilenos went in, asked for instant and when the clerk explained no, only fresh Colombian drip-coffee, they walked out unsatisfied and unsatiated. Anything but Nestlé instant just would not do!!
on a more serious/focused note, experiencing these cultural differences has been a blast, completely fun and intellectually inspiring...
Friday, July 3, 2009
peanut butter
this is a bit late but
our peanut butter went to china...
and now it's here
and i'm enjoying it QUITE a bit
our peanut butter went to china...
and now it's here
and i'm enjoying it QUITE a bit
Friday, June 26, 2009
food packaging
so... chilean food isn't exactly good for you. this of course, excludes fruits and vegetables of chilean origin. but i mean.. the FOOD... the empanadas, breads, sweets, candy, hotdogs, fried dough with sauce (sopaipillas) and greasy beef sandwiches. there's also a ton of packaged items. they sell these twinkie-like things with either chocolate or vanilla frosting. they have bags and bags of different chips and salty sweets. they have like 15 different kinds of chocolate (chocolates bars, truffles, bonbons, alfajors), sugary candies like gum drops, different flavored marshmallows, jordan almonds, hard candies, candied nuts (did you know the guys who do the nuts 4 nuts stands in nyc are chilean?), brownies, manjar or marmelade stuffed donuts.... the list goes on...
you know how you look at a package of chips while you're eating them in new york and they say they were made in seattle? well i got used to expect that sort of thing in the states. half the reason why packaged food has a bad rep and you can convince yourself it's gross. in chile though, you might look at your bag of chips and realize it was packaged only a few miles away or in a town two hours away. does it mean this stuff has less preservatives? no. does it mean it's any better for you? i'm sure not. does it convince you that it's not completely gross and almost kind of desirable? kind of... and that's the scary part.
you know how you look at a package of chips while you're eating them in new york and they say they were made in seattle? well i got used to expect that sort of thing in the states. half the reason why packaged food has a bad rep and you can convince yourself it's gross. in chile though, you might look at your bag of chips and realize it was packaged only a few miles away or in a town two hours away. does it mean this stuff has less preservatives? no. does it mean it's any better for you? i'm sure not. does it convince you that it's not completely gross and almost kind of desirable? kind of... and that's the scary part.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
pleasant surprises
so i've been here for a little more than 3 months (mind you this post was written a month ago) since then we have done more cool things :)
i am impressed and amazed i have been able to do the following (in addition to teaching)...
1) hike a volcano
2) see a glacier lake
3) hitchhike and see some of the most amazing things ever
4) visit and chat with a mapuche about native culture
5) relax in hot springs during a rain storm next to a raging river
6) go whitewater rafting
7) go salsa dancing
8) participate in a couple of latin american jam sessions
9) navigate chilean public transportation in the depths of rural territory
10) visit and tour a chilean winery
11) hold an awesome party enjoyed by chileans and gringoes alike
and in less than two weeks we are headed to argentina to pick up some maté mugs and check out mendoza :)
i am impressed and amazed i have been able to do the following (in addition to teaching)...
1) hike a volcano
2) see a glacier lake
3) hitchhike and see some of the most amazing things ever
4) visit and chat with a mapuche about native culture
5) relax in hot springs during a rain storm next to a raging river
6) go whitewater rafting
7) go salsa dancing
8) participate in a couple of latin american jam sessions
9) navigate chilean public transportation in the depths of rural territory
10) visit and tour a chilean winery
11) hold an awesome party enjoyed by chileans and gringoes alike
and in less than two weeks we are headed to argentina to pick up some maté mugs and check out mendoza :)
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