We invited some friends over tonight to watch the game. A big game, because it's my team and they're doing pretty well. As well as one can when their QB is so hit or miss. The wrong sports metaphor, I know.
Because I've screwed up the schedule so many times, I made sure to check espn.com to make sure that MNF would in fact be gracing us here in Chile. Even with the recent time change. Anticipating a 9:30 start, I was horrified to see baseball highlights, and began to assume that the Sox had bumped my beloved Giants. I checked again, this time in VIVO! my trusty cable revista.
The game would be shown at 1:30am. For no reason that I can currently fathom. I have very real memories of watching MNF at Hooters, Publicity and the Geo Pub. In fact, once the Geo pub closed IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GAME I WAS WATCHING. What was different today?
Pablo tells me: It's Chile. Everything is different.
And so it is. We're trying to pick a new Program Director, and have to ask ourselves if an American, or Holander (?) or Mexican can adjust to life in Santiago, without the luxury of integrating with a class of volunteers like all the rest do. None of the current admin, save Luke who came on a fellowship, have come out of class. So many come for a very "latin" experience. The kind that you simply don't get in Santiago, at least not right away. I've struggled recently, especially with my impending exit from VE and Chile, with the fact that I can't say that I enjoy life here, outside of the volunteer and VE experience. Like so many expat bloggers, it gets increasingly difficult to enjoy life in a city where people don't appear to enjoy their lives.
So I ask the Chileans reading this blog (and I know that you're out there)....what do you enjoy? Do you have the same love-hate relationship that I have with New York? Is it hate-hate, or love-love?
And will I be able to stay away from NFL.com until 1:30am....
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You were joking about the "love-love" scenario, right?
You got me. I know no one with the love-love. Except for my friends who found pololos chilenos.
Hola gringuita. As a native santiaguino living in Los Angeles California since the 1970s (after the golpe, cuando era un cabro chico), i suggest you move to move to L.A.
New( old gringo imperialista) York suck sucks sucks.And the New York Times is fascista without comics.
L.A has the same weather as Stgo, many more happy people, and less huevones pitucos. And better Ethiopian food.
Saludos,
Sergio
(gracias a "chileno" for directing me here from marc cooper's loco- filled blog)
Yeah, but who has a love-love relationship with ANY city? If it was all love-love, personally, I'd be looking at moving to somewhere a little more interesting. I am a chileno (and a city planner to boot!) living in Melbourne, Australia and I can assure you that while I love Melbourne very much it also has its annoyances...the negatives, however, provide a good reason to take a break from time to time, allowing me to re-acquaint myself with this city's charms on my return (funnily enough, I have chosen to escape to Chile this time and will be there in January/February)...so I guess the 'hate' component has its hidden benefits. I am originally from Valparaiso and whilst I like visiting Santiago when in Chile, I don't think that I am qualified to discuss the apparent negativity of the capitalino towards their city. My suspicions, however, are that it has to do with them living in the largest, most impersonal city of a very isolated and inward focused country (not that different to Australia, in many ways!) - they can't see beyond their own worries (be they minor, major or made-up)to look up once in a while and look at the positives of living in Santiago. Surely, someone has undertaken some research on what Santiaguinos like/dislike about their city!
Saludos!
Patricio (Melbourne, Australia)
I am on my way back to New York, because my family and friends are there. As for who has a love-love relationship with where they live, I'd say just about everyone I met in Northern California. I lived there for a bit, and I the only thing I didn't love about it was the lack of winter.
Don't hate on NYC.
I'll take your word on Northern California, not having been there myself. Must have a lot of city planners loving life over there there - all we seem to do down here in OZ is fuel the hate! I have not real personal intention to visit the US but if I ever had to, NYC would be top of my list (I've heard great things about the place from Aussie and some chilenos who have travelled there). Hope you have a safe journey back home.
Hasta pronto!
Patricio
I live here in London, UK. Come and stand in a bus queue or on a tube platform at rush hour and tell me how many Londoners "love" (and how does that show exactly?) London? Maybe it's true that the Chileans are the English of Latinoamerica?
Wembley
Love-love is Heaven. Believe me, you don't wanna go there. It's a bunch of self-righteous hippies who live in the mountains and come down to Santa Cruz, CA to preach and warn against the evils of 'Babylon', I kid you not. Perhaps that's why I chose Santiago which, for a period of time in recent history, did mimic many a protestant pastor's depictions of Hell. Fiery-eyed daemons raping women and electrocuting their victims on the Wrack. Now it's not so barbarously violent, but rather like a perpetual nightmare of consumerist baubles, forgetfulness, petty, pathetic political posturing that scornfully mocks the noble, valiant and peaceful road to socialism that the intensely political Chile of the early 70's literally led the World with.
I'm willing to give L.A. a chance, at least conceptually, despite N. California propaganda I hear great things. Still, I'm currently falling in love with Manhattan which seems to happen every time I visit, although I always choose October ;-)
In my limited experience Valpo seems a lot nicer than Santiago, if only because it's not a Crime to talk to strangers.
I do have a love-love relationship with Tampa, FL. I went to college there and pretty much adored every minute I ever lived in that city.
My husband who is Chilean hate a love-hate relationship with Santiago, leaning more towards the love side before he visited other places and met people of other cultures. Now he still has a love-hate relationship but it's verging on hate-hate.
I have lived here for almost two and a half years so I feel semi qualified to opine as well. I love/hate Santiago too. I don't mind the weather, I'm love with the parks and the interestingness that there is to photograph in the city. I like that Chileans have pride in their country. I love that they have their own unique Spanish and that they use the word weon or say po in every sentence. I used to like the metro before Transantiago, now it's so full I hate having so many people in my space. I hate the smog, I hate the inequality and how hard it is to get ahead. And I hate how rude Chileans are, but I think that might be more of a big city thing than a Chilean thing because I've heard New Yorkers are really rude too.
I am wondering why you are looking for in Chile USA standards.
I have a like-hate relationship with Santiago.
>>>I've heard New Yorkers are really rude too.
Generalizing gets tricky cuz you'll find the opposite is always true and exceptions abound. That said, to back up your "New Yorkers are rude" idea I talked to a girl in NY who lived in Chile and she said she gets great responses from Manhattanites when she takes a minute to ask people how they are doing, and BS for a sec - something she learned in Santiago - and how people in NY really appreciate that because most people demand instantly - we're talking cab drivers, servers, etc.
OTOH, a totally anecdotal 'test' is the look-lost-in-the-subway thing. Literally just send out a silent prayer and look toward heaven. In Harlem a woman immediately came up to me "you lost?". Same thing happens in Buenos Aires, in Paris a stranger on the subway gave me her address - I think I inspired serious concern. Anywhere in Italy people would walk me to my destination. I'm gonna be traveling Chile soon and on the airporter back home I was chatting with a Chilean and asked him recommendations of good places to go - always good for conversation - and he told me to read a guide book.
Speaking of rude New Yorkers though I asked a woman for directions and she completely ignored me it was surreal cuz we ended up walking a block together and I was asking her, "why don't you respond to me, I'm talking to you!" and I ended up berating her and calling her a 'deaf bitch' and she walked on, unflinching.
Hm. I probably shouldn't be so mean to disabled people.
I'm absolutely not looking for USA standards in Chile. I don't think that there is such a thing as USA standards. Everyplace is different, people are different. Is not wanting to be squished up against a stranger on the subway a USA standard, or just a people standard?
Yeah Carlos, Lauren never ever said that she was holding Chile up to US standards. Where the hell did you get that from???
Your argument is a sad and tired companion to the suite of xenophobic, overly sensitive arguments used by those Chileans who can't stomach constructive criticism. Or guilty, harmful, Latinamericanist gringos who would have it that we should let Chile limp along like a wounded dog because to offer a helping hand would be 'imposing our imperialist values' on them. This same logic says we should let third world dictators run their course rather than presume to know what's best for their people.
It's thinly guised racism and, coming from a Chilean, shows a disgusting level of self-loathing. If you didn't hate yourself, you wouldn't have a problem taking helpful hints from somebody from a different country.
The point of travel and living abroad is for us to learn from one another. Despite your inferiority complex, Carlos, we're not all out to domineer over Chile. Before getting all uppity, try to see things for what they are.
Jesus loves you.
"chileno", I am absolutely sure that you didn't understand what I am trying to say. This is probably because my english sucks and I didn't use the right words.
"chilelle", I was living in NYC 3 months. I love the exciting downtown and I hate the extreme weather.
Now I have 3 years living in Santiago and I love parks and some places like the old city but I hate how rude the people are. I agree that they look like don't enjoy their lives and walk on the street without any care of others.
I know just one thing: people and stories are different in every place and there are a lot of reasons for that in background. The beautiful thing is that you can discover why the people adopt that behaviour (different behaviours in every country is what I called "standards").
I have my own theory but we can left it for the next. It is hard for me write in english hehe...
Hope I used correct words this time. I don't want "chileno" becomes angry again LOL.
Regards.
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