Very surprising Chile...

Before I get too used to the Chilean culture I’m going to let you all in on some of the things that caught me by surprise.

I didn’t expect:

To like the food. There is a great mix of fresh fruits, veggies, breads, and meat. I can’t get enough of the super strong tea made with hot milk.

The mullets and the long rat tails. Some guys have a single skinny 2-foot-long braid. “Trenzas” with colored thread and beads tied in are also quite fashionable. I expected more of the suave, slicked back style but I’ve seen my fair share of dreadlocks. It seems that the beach-bum-hippie style is universal.

Shameless nose-picking.

So many people running and going to the gym. I guess I thought that was sort of an American luxury. However, I have lots of friends that have gym memberships and the beach is full of people running and doing yoga.

Graffiti. It caught me off-guard at first. Anything within arms-reach is fair game. I’m pretty used to it now and I know that graffiti-adorned walls don’t necessarily imply gang-ridden, shady parts of town.

The subdued colors. I definitely stick out when I wear light jeans and my cream-colored fleece. It might have a lot to do with the darker hair and skin-color but I feel like there definitely is a lack of variety in color here when it comes to attire.

English. I can’t escape it. Everybody’s wearing, everybody’s singing it, and everybody’s listening to it.

T.V. during meals. Don’t they know that it breaks down the family unit and causes most children to flunk out of school?!! Apparently not.

T.V. content. National news is a strange mix of celebrity gossip and what I would consider local news-worthy stories. They spend about 30 seconds talking about what’s going on in Tibet and then a good half-hour every day following the family of a little boy waiting for a heart transplant as they attend prayer services. Hmm.

To feel so safe. Granted, I try not to walk alone at night but I can walk all over town by myself during the day and I feel completely secure.

There. I’ll end on a good one. I gave you some conversation starters people, so I expect some emails! Sorry for the attitude, I just miss you all a ton!