Moving On, Up and Out : Culture Shock?

On the school grounds children playing.

It's one thing to know that things will be different when you travel to a new place, but it's another to actually experience it. As what some might refer to as an 'experienced' travel, I always find myself going through a period of adjustment. Even with this being my second trip to Chile I am aware of the differences between the culture I grew up in and the one I am in now. Ask any Kentuckian and they will tell you, "Kentucky is the best place on Earth." Sweet tea. Front porch sitting. Food with way too much salt and pepper to be health, but it sure does taste good. Yes the cliches are true for the most part. Behind every stereotype there is some truth because it is merely the brains way of helping people to recognize something immediately. Our brains desire order. Psych major coming out in me. I love being from Kentucky. I love being able to come back from wherever I've been and call that sweet bluegrass state my home. Though in reality, staying put has never been in my blood. There is something so fascinating about meeting new people and going to new places. Traveling is also something I never thought I'd actually be able to do, let's just say I didn't grow up with a lot of things in my family.

The school's banner.

Now I'm going to admit something that might shock a few, so grab your seats ladies and gents. I am an introvert. Yep. I said it. For too long I have taken this to be a condemnation when it's not and shouldn't be considered one by society. Psychologically speaking the difference between an introvert and an extrovert is that the former are literally able to entertain themselves while the later need to be stimulated by outside sources. It's all in the brain chemistry really. When I first went to college I was determined to not be such an introvert. In some ways I've succeeded and others I have not. It's not to be confused with not liking people or even being around them. Having the company of others isn't necessarily painful for me, but I actually enjoy being alone at times. A thought that others might not be able to fathom. God has blessed me with many people here that care how I spend my time and don't want me to be lonely while I'm here. Everyday I meet more people that invite me to be social with them and I love it! The hardest part is for me to take them up on it by asking them to keep me company during my free time. Ironic I know, but I still have that southern upbringing that taught me that it's rude to invite yourself to places. In due time I guess...

Here I will try to discuss some of the things that I have noticed as being different for me. Now this could be just because personally I find it interesting or it is so starkly different that if I ignored it it would be doing an injustice to the Chilean culture (not being melodramatic or anything). Since lists seem to be the current thing right now let's try one here!

6 Culture Shocks Experienced in Chile:

1. Handshakes to Besos. Here's a little Spanish for y'all, besos means kisses. So everyone in the states knows the standard greeting when meeting someone new is a nice, distance keeping, handshake. Chileans are a little more... let's say friendlier. Greeting a new acquaintance or an old friend is the same here. You touch your right checks and "kiss." I use this term lightly because some there is lip to cheek contact and other times just the sound is made. Another common greeting along with this is also a hug. Now I'm not uncomfortable per se over this new greeting but I never seem to remember it so I just come off as awkward and rude. 

2. Tea or Coffee? A single day has not gone by where I haven't had a cup of coffee and/or hot tea. My thoughts on this is that Chileans secretly believe that a meal literally cannot be finished without having something hot to drink. (Clearly this is a dramatization! I'm sarcastic, sorry not sorry?) So my hot tea, with more sugar than normal for here, is the closest I get to my southern sweet tea. I don't drink sodas so I basically live on sweet tea in the states. Over the past month I have grown a taste for black coffee with only sugar in it. 

3. Peanut Butter Jelly Time. For many Americans it is common knowledge that we are a part of a select few that actually enjoy peanut butter. When I was doing my grocery shopping for my dinners I was worried about finding some of this wonderful delicacy. Success! I found peanut butter but ran into a problem I'd never thought of. Chileans like jams and jellies. It appears that you can find almost any fruit in this grand form... except grape. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, unless you really really want grape jelly on your pb&j. 

4. Juicy Juice. Speaking of Chileans liking all things fruit related. I've decided they like to juice lots of things as well. The local Jumbo (equivalent of a Wal-Mart) has an aisle for just these juiced fruit items. No joke. Pineapples, oranges, apples, mangos, pears, peaches and more! Bananas would be juiced if it was possible I'm sure. Then you get into combining these lovely juices together to get fruit concoctions. 

5. Over There! Come Here! Okay. This next one is strange and I'm not sure if I can describe it in full detail and it has two parts. These are both body gestures that I have witnessed people doing. The first is when pointing at something, hands full usually but not always, they use their lips to point. It's like puckering your lips for a kiss but then pointing them in the direction you're talking about. Personally, I find it hysterical. Secondly, when trying to call someone to come towards them the gesture includes sticking their hand out, palm down, and curling the fingers toward the wrist. To me it looks like a cat using it's paw to get your attention.

6. Desayuno. Almuerzo. Once? (Breakfast. Lunch. Eleven?) Breakfast here is usually a light meal that is just bread with cheese along with coffee or tea. For me I eat this meal at the school on week days and typically have ham and cheese sandwich with coffee. Sometimes I opt for a cup cake type item for something sweet. Lunches are the largest meal of the day here, which is probably healthier in the long run. Often a salad is given with a this meal, which consists or some cold vegetable (lettuce, carrots, celery, corn, green beans, etc.) with either vinegar or lemon juice with salt on it. Personally I haven't taken to a liking of this part of the meal and often opt out. Once literally translates to the number eleven. This is the dinner that Chileans have and it is often a cold sandwich or even leftovers from lunch. It is never eaten as late as 11PM and even Chileans aren't sure where the term comes from though there are speculations. Google it if it interest you.

The hot springs.

I know there are more, and more that will come to mind later, but for now this seems sufficient enough for me. As you've probably figured out by now I really like to talk about Kentucky. Mostly for comparison purposes but nonetheless I love my old Kentucky home. Which brings me to the last thing I want to discuss for this entry. A few weekends ago I went to the termas (hot springs) with a group of teachers from the school. Now this isn't my first time visiting the termas, I went three years ago on my last visit, but it was my first time to this particular one. My opinion on them remains the same, they are nice but over all kinda boring, though I do think it is something you should experience for yourself. The drive to the location is what I'm more interested in describing here. While Kentucky has the Appalachia Mountains they are nothing compared to the Andes. See, Appalachia has a nice slow rolling hill progression into the mountains on both sides. In contrast, the Andes appear to be jutting up straight from the ground out of nothing. It's really quite a sight to take in. The peaks of these mountains are eternally capped with snow as well, making the breathe taking view all the more impressive. One of my favorite things about travel is seeing the natural landscapes. No masterpiece compares to God's masterpiece. Chileans have a saying about Chile and all it's natural wonders. It goes a little something like this:

Just outside the hot springs.

"In the beginning of time, God created the wonders of the world. When he was finished, however, he saw that he had many leftover pieces. He had parts of rivers and valleys, of oceans and lakes, of glaciers and deserts, of mountains and forests, and of meadows and hills. Rather than to let such beauty go to waste, God put them all together and cast them to the most remote corner of the earth. This is how Chile was born."

- A Chilean Legend

Me in front of one of the hot springs. 

A Traveler Not A Tourist

Wanderlust; (noun) the strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world.

Passport & Morgan's KY ring.

Before I continue this blog I guess I should give an update on what has happened since I last wrote (for the unfortunate souls that stumble upon it by accident). All previous entries are from a wonderful time I had while studying in Sevilla, Spain for the fall semester of 2012. Originally I started writing as a way to help family and friends stay updated with my travels without having to retell story after story to each person and to maintain a time capsule of sorts. A time capsule that was strictly for my own memory, since few were/are expected to care about the ramblings of a white girl's so called adventures. I have no delusions to the insignificance that I am in comparison to the world and all the great minds that have and still do roam it. I merely pray that I am able absorb as much as I can and if I'm lucky leave a small impression on the world myself. 

Two years have gone by since I was last able to curb my wanderlust. That's not to say I spent my time idly, for the most part, either. With my bachelors degree in psychology and minor in Spanish I am ready to take the next step... sorta. A year before I graduated from Georgetown College I would have said that I would immediately attend a graduate school afterwards and earn my masters followed by my PhD or PsyD. Reality and life itself hit as the date for my graduation slowly approached. Going straight to school again seemed like a daunting task that I could not tackle. Remembering that while I was in Spain I was contacted by Marta, a teacher at a school in Chile that I had visited and worked with a year previously, asking if I was interested in returning to work with the English department for a semester I considered my options. At the time I passed it off, having one more year of school left, and also imagining myself going straight to school. So I contacted Marta and asked about the position which led me to speak with Grundy Janes, who officially offered my the position.

First day in the school!

Grundy is a beloved man in Chile who lived in Temuco for over 40 years with his family as a missionary and principle at the Colegio Bautista, a private baptist school. He is originally from Louisville, Kentucky and up until the recent president was elected at Georgetown College he worked with a partnership between the two schools. Students from the colegio could attend the college at a set price and every two years a mission group was sent from the college to assist the school and explore Chile. The summer after my freshman year I was lucky enough to be on the trip to the school and that's where I made a few of the connections I have now. After a very veeeerrrrryyyy long summer of unemployment (intentional, my thinking was it was too short of a time to get a job where I was staying with my parents) I am finally in Chile! No I am not a full time teacher with my own classroom. Simmer down. Mostly I just have small group conversations with students to help them practice their English. All grade levels are worked with throughout the department, I was even lucky enough to go to the kinder (kindergarden) class and be smothered with love from the students. 

View from the English Department office.

Only one hiccup occurred on my way to Chile. Not a big deal. But I almost didn't get admitted into the country... scared me to death! I'm really not sure what happened though cause the boarder agent never really explained why he was being so hesitant with me. Once I mentioned, in my broken Spanish. that I was staying at the baptist high school he let me by. Note: make sure if you are traveling you are prepared for anything! This time I wasn't expecting that and I was already sick from the plane (no sleep on a 10 hour flight...) so I was very off guard. I made it though! So I will worry about that in October when I have to leave and return to renew my visa. 

Yellow flowered trees.

My arrival date was July 27th and departure is December 16th. About six months to see what adventures I can find myself in. So far most attempts at adventure have been thwarted. Stress not. Adventures will be had. The students have been great so far, through ranging from two extremes. They either sit silently in conversations avoiding eye contact usually, probably praying to God I don't actually ask them to speak (the feeling mutual when it comes to Spanish for me right now) or they talk so much I don't even have a chance to ask other students questions. A bad habit has formed of asking their classmates how to say something instead of talking about to the group. My Spanish minor isn't a complete sham after all. In all seriousness though, my Spanish is pathetic. Comprehension is greater than conversation, but even that comes at a struggle. After my return from Spain I was done with all my requirements for Spanish and was unable to practice or take any more classes back at the college. Spanish dwindled from my memory. Not that I was a pro before. Read my previous posts, I'm sure there is angst written all throughout them about it. 

Chileans in general are great. Remind me of the southern comforts of being from Kentucky. Always making sure you are happy and completely obsessed with making sure you've eaten enough. It's endearing really. Though I find myself inexplicably aware of my differences as I walk down the streets. Usually I draw attention just by walking in a room. The white girl. Growing up I never really considered race a factor. Yes people were different looking but I was never inclined to blatantly stare at someone who is different. Chilean diversity is not the same as American and grading papers from a movie review of "The Blind Side" made the differences stand out even more. Nothing is meant out of malice, just curiosity for them. Though the illusion that all Americans have a lot of money still lingers in the air. To set things straight on my part I do not have money and neither does my family (not in the modest 'oh we get by' way but in the I grew up with very little way).  I am the minority. When I travel I usually have moments where I stand out and am perfectly content with being a tourist. Other times I merely want to go by unnoticed and to experience the culture. Temuco not being a tourist town also causes me to stand out more so.

Temuco from the roof of Javiera. 

Sunday's I have spent time being invited to different churches followed by lunch at someone's house. I cherish these moments. Having a chance to spend time with a Chilean family and attempting my best Spanish while trying to refrain from being frustrated by my own lack there of is heart warming. Sadly though I fear that these events have mostly been restricted to Sundays. Which I love getting to visit different churches but there are six other days of the week to consider. Marta and her family have been a big help so far and I love her for it. The past two Saturday's I have spent time with them. Going shopping for groceries and hiking the hill in the city (discovering my raincoat is water resistant not proof and taking me to buy a new one).  A trip was planned for the teachers to go to the thermos (hot springs) and was either post-poned or canceled (still up in the air I guess) so there went one possible adventure. Last time I was here I did a lot of things so it's also difficult to think of what to do this time around. A lot of repeat trips will occur I'm sure. It's Chilean winter now, which for Temuco means cold and rain. Honestly, it isn't that cold but there isn't central heat so at times it just seems like it's always cold. Also, I despise rain. I love a good summer Kentucky rain but a cold rain... no sir. And... I have ants in my kitchen. I hate ants. 

Welcome to the land of coffee and rain. 

Clearly rambling on about nothing is my specialty, so we shall see how this goes! I'm currently trying to make more connections with people closer to my age. I love the teachers and spending time with them (I'm an old soul) and the students, but there is a difference. The students are clearly younger and it's just a different type of relationship. I know though, until my Spanish improves, making these connections will be difficult for me. At the school I have been given the opportunity to attend some of the sophomore Spanish classes to start improving my skills. In the mean time I've read a lot of books on my Kindle (Divergent trilogy... killed it in a weekend. To be noted that I'm a fast reader). With my hopes for future friendships I also hope for new traveling companions. Traveling is a must. But it's always funner with a friend...