A BIT ABOUT VALPO

VALPARAISO

Pick up any guidebook, whether for Chile or South America, and amongst the top sights to see you will find Valparaiso.  Famed for its gravity defying architecture, steep furniculars and quirky artwork, the entire city of Valpo is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  There isn’t much to DO here, instead the joy of Valparaiso is to simply walk and lose yourself in it’s narrow maze-like streets, peering into colourful houses, deciphering truly delectable graffiti, admiring the broad vistas and trying delicious Chilean dishes in tiny seafood restaurants at the top of a winding cerro (hill).

Arrival into Valpo inevitably drops you into the El Plan city centro area of the city – lets not forget that Valparaiso is a working port city and therefore has the charm to match.  There is an abundance of people (and an overabundance of dogs, the real hidden ‘charm’ of Chile), and the flat city area is like any other.  There are some good restaurants in this area including the reliable Paulo’s, and working markets where you can purchase delicious fast food, jugos, Spanish books (the occasional English), pirated dvds, fruit and vegetables and the usual market ware of clothes, jewellery and smoking paraphernalia.  Walking around the city area reveals grand churches, modern buildings (including the National Congress building), statues and sculptures and steep walkways up to the hills above. In addition, there are working cable cars.

Valparaiso is a city prone to fires, and during my stay the bomberos (always serving on a volunteer basis here) were busy.

 

Those who do not wish to undertake the city’s steep ascents, there are numerous lifts or ascensors, that can take you to the top.  The oldest services Cerro Concepcion and was built in 1883. There are 42 hills in Valpo, and Concepcion is one of the nicest.  It partners Cerro Alegre and boasts many 19^th century buildings, more touristy restaurants, and of course, the essential Valpo graffiti.  Oh, the art!!  Valparaiso is a place that attracts all kinds of artists, from painters to sculptors to writers and poets.

 Given that Chile is the second largest producer of Salmon (after Norway) in the world, and given that Valpo is beside the sea, the city is an ideal place to sample seafood, at much cheaper prices than Santiago.  Salmon ceviche is especially good, as are queso and camaron empanadas.

MY LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHILEAN FOOD

Chile is not a gastronome’s delight however there is enough here to keep foodies entertained.  Seafood is more than abundant due to the close proximity of Chile’s coastline, and a quick browse in any market reveals types of shellfish that are not found elsewhere – even to me, a New Zealander used to many varieties of kaimoana.  This weekend marks Semana Santa (Easter Week), which culminates in a feast of mariscos and pescado (mussles and fish).  I’m not sure of the religious significance of this, but apparently it is a Catholic tradition that is upheld by the majority of the people.  The Mercado Central of Santiago is thriving with patrons readying themselves with preparations, and the news is rife with warnings about boiling the mussels before eating.  Raw seafood is a delicacy of Chile, especially on the southern island of Chiloe (the second largest island of South America) – ceviche, a dish of raw fish and lemon juice, is immensely popular but be wary – Marea Roja (Red Tide) is a vicious disease as a result of blooming algae and high sea temperatures in oysters, mussels and clams, which has been known to cause severe illness and even death.   In addition, Chile is the second biggest exporter of Salmon in the world, and the South is the place to find truly delicious (and very cheap) dishes utilizing it.  Chupe is a seafood casserole served in clay bowls, in particular Chupe con Jaiba (crab) is especially delectable.  

The island of Chiloe is noted for blessing mainland Chile with Curanto, which is traditionally cooked underground like a Maori hangi.  It consists of all types of seafood with chicken and meat and is truly a sight to behold.  It is served throughout southern Chile, however it is rarely cooked the Chilote way.

Mote con Huesillo is one of my favourites.  It’s an interesting concoction of dried peaches and huesillos (a type of wheat) in sweetened peach juice.  This food-within-a-drink is available everywhere at roadside stalls and is absolutely delicious.  Fresh juices are equally abundant and the many varieties are thanks mostly to the influence of Ecuador – in particular, frutillar (strawberry) is a true thirst quencher.  The water in Chile is generally safe to drink, despite being contaminated with fluoride (whose arm of influence is ever reaching it seems). 

Travel shows always feature the completo – Chile’s signature hotdog – which is served everywhere and gaining in popularity (indeed, Chile’s fascination with fast food has seen it become the sixth most obese nation in the world).  There is even a national day of the Complete, which sees thousands queuing up and numerous eating competitions (and much drinking for the students!).  The traditional completo is a gooey, artery-clogging feast, featuring a frankfurter, a bun, gallons of mayonnaise and mashed avocado.

Lomo a lo pobre (literally ‘poor man’s steak’) consists of a plate of greasy chips topped with a chunk of steak and a fried egg – not particularly inventive but its filling and real ‘man’ food.  Expat Chilenos salivate at the sight of this dish.

Dining in Chile always begins with white rolls and pebre – which is, in my humble opinion, the best thing about Chilean food!  Pebre is a spicy mix of cilantro, tomatoes, lemon juice  and onion, and it is slightly different in every restaurant you go to.  It is YUMMY!

The German influence throughout Southern Chile has meant that the moist cake known as Kuchen is extremely popular.

Typically, Chileans have bread for breakfast, a big lunch involving meat and lots of tea and coffee.  “Once” is very popular.  There are all sorts of theories as to how it got its name as it doesn’t take place at eleven, but to be honest, Once’s take a while to get used to.  Instead of having dinner, many Chileans partake in a repeat breakfast of bread and tea/coffee.  Chileans rave about their staple bread – the marrequeata – which are two rolls joined together into a bunch of four.

Porotos Granados is a traditional Chilean dinner of beans with corn and potato, and probably one of the few vegetarian options available.  Porotos con riendas is another variation containing pasta and dried poroto (brown in colour). Many suburban eateries do not have menus either, and usually have a deal consisting of juice, salad and the meal of the day.    A note on salads:  Chileans have bizaarely boring salads – think just iceberg lettuce or onion – and covered in salt and lemon juice.  They put lemon and salt on everything (EXCEPT on tomatoes)! 

Palmeras is a popular snack which is basically just pastry covered with sugar;  sopaipilla is a roadside snack made of fried flour with Manteca (vegetable oil); Berlin in a small hamburger filled with manjar (very sweet evaporated milk, used as a spread) or crema pastelera.   Ubiquitous to South America, the empanada is obviously prevalent in Chile and umm, YUM!  They are very similar to an English pasty, and the meat ones always contain a single olive.  Anything can be made into an empanada but my favourite is cheese with prawn – it is basically like going to heaven with a single bite. 

Chileans eat a lot of avocados, usually with salt and lemon, mashed up over marrequeta bread.  In general, Chileans use a crazy amount of lemon and salt.  If any readers are dating a Chilean, you need to acquaint yourself with Chilean food – the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach they say, and most guys are accustomed to the amazing cooking of their mothers.

THE MACHISTA CULTURE

I have a terrible truth to admit.

I am cheating.

I am cheating on my wonderful partner with … castellano.  Chilean castellano.

I am surrounded every day by a language so beautiful it seeps into my skin, it tangles in my brain like fire, its romantic, sexual, musical … its also too fast, too slurred, too complicated and it makes me want.to.bang.my.head.on.the.wall.  For those of you new to Chile, maybe you have encountered this for yourself and are joining me in banging your head against some hard object.  

In addition to a unique accent and a tendency to change verb endings, Chilean Spanish is riddled with enough idioms to fill a book (in actual truth, there are two: see How To Survive In The Chilean Jungle) and each can be used on a variety of different occasions.   As a gringa from a town so small it is mainly visited by wandering cows, Santiago seems a confusing metropolis a world away. I followed a boy here, firmly believing the “no regrets” mantra, and am so thankful that I did as I am very much in love.  But this has opened a pretty big can of worms: how to adapt to life in a foreign country, with a man from a culture so very different to my own?  There are some baffling differences here (for example, WHAT IS UP WITH THE MILK?!) and, in addition to the language, some mighty big cultural differences too (I am guilty of a few gaffes).  My mission is simple: to take all you newbies on a journey of Chilean discovery, from the intricacies of Chilenismos, to insights into the Chilean psyche, culture and identity.  As I am fresh from a heated discussion (argument) with my lovely pololo, perhaps this is where I will begin.    The differences between men and women in Chile, in particular -

Chile and Machisimo Culture

We have all heard the stories stereotyping Latino men – usually involving them saying “the only place for a women is in the kitchen!”  Some lucky few may have even heard the warnings “Latin men only marry Latin women”, “he just wants to get in your pants!”, or my personal favourite, “he’s just after a Visa!”   While guidebooks constantly refer to Chile as a slice of England in Latin America (due to a “cooler” temperament in comparison to their fiery neighbours), Chile is still a latin country and therefore, men are decidedly different to their foreign counterparts. You can always be sure of a few wolfwhistles walking down the street (I am very new to this!) and blatant staring (particularly if you have blonde hair – see next weeks blog!).   I do not want to be guilty of stereotyping, so instead I am going to provide some common characteristics of the Chilean man.

1)     

 The Place In The Family

The other day, I was sitting in the hairdressers (also quite a different experience to what I am used to!) when a father brought in the most GORGEOUS little boy I have ever seen to have his hair cut.  He was about three, and truly the cutest little thing, and the reactions of everyone around was very telling.  Everyone was fussing over him – including passers by who saw him in the window – and this stands out because this attention was not given to the girls. When I have asked Chilena friends about children, they have all wanted sons.  This is not to say girls are less loved, just that the sons have an important place within the family unit.  The first born is always close to his mother – the little leader of the family – and the youngest is traditionally spoilt.  The bond between a mother and son is very strong in Chile, so much that the worst insults you can possible say all involve the mother (don’t ever use them, even in passing, because the reaction will not be good).

2)      What Society Expects

What society expects of men is changing.  My flatmate is of the old-school kind.  He strongly asserts that a woman’s place is at home, to cook, clean, support the husband and have children, while the man works.  This means that if a woman needs something, the man is expected to buy it, and they traditionally work many hours.

In many Latin cultures, the ideal woman is painted as a perfect princess.  She doesn’t argue back, she is there at beck and call, she is always pretty (in a distinctively unslutty way) … and she doesn’t talk about sex.  It is very uncommon for women to speak to male friends about sex – and to socialise with male friends alone in general.  I have found this to be the most difficult thing to get used to.  I have a big mouth and I use it to talk … A LOT.  Chilean men HATE forward women and dirty language – perhaps because they feel they are losing control?

3)      A Typical Chilean Relationship

It is difficult to define a typical Chilean relationship as obviously, all situations are different.  Generally, a couple live together when they marry (though not always) and both are usually open about wanting children.  The men are usually very romantic with a great many flowery words, but like their space.  Knowing the family is very important as well.  Public affection is much more apparent here as well.  Men expect a great deal of support from their partners, though keep a very clear boundary of the man/woman place.  Take away the flowery words, and a Chilean man will often keep his feelings very close to his chest.

However, a friend of mine has lived with her partner for four years and has only just announced their engagement.  I live with my partner as well.  Like anywhere, it depends on the individual, but the most common factor is the very clearly defined “I am man, you are woman” differences in attitude.

4)      The Presence of Luchando

Until a few years ago, it was common to resolve an argument with a fight.  This quick to anger temperament is still very present, and all men will staunchly hold their ground.  I have found that men are very protective of their women and get jealous quickly, and if there is a problem they will not resist saying so.  Chile has a very high number of domestic abuse cases.

5)      Chilenos At Play

Chileans usually live at home until they marry, and flatmates are extremely uncommon.  Therefore, one night stands usually take place in one of the many “sex motels”.   Porn is not as common as it is the West, and for many Chileans sex means something. The friendship circle is very important and usually involves the same friends from a very young age.  Although men and women do socialise together, close friendships are usually formed between the same sex.  To be honest, many Chilean men I have met have been very gossipy and can sit and just talk for hours and hours.  Literally – hours – and many nights of the week.  Friends are as important as family and the girlfriend should never try and intervene with this bond.

My own personal experience has not been tainted by machisimo … much.  Perhaps this is because my partner has lived abroad.  However, it certainly is there, hiding under the surface.  Can we say Machisimo is specific to Latin America?  No.  Can we say that Chile has a way to come in the areas of equality?  Perhaps.  As the only OEDC in South America, and with solid infrastructures across the board, changes are happening quickly here and the future seems bright. 

IT'S CHILEAN, CACHAI???

So many times I have sat down to write this blog and so many times the pages have just stayed blank, the cursor blinking up at me like a ticking clock of disappointment.  But the first stage of recovery is acceptance: clearly this article is not going to write itself.

So where to begin?  There are so many things that frustrate me about Chile and so many things which I don’t understand.  I could talk for hours about the milk situation (prepare for a shock newbies!) and how much I’ve suffered wasting a day in endless queues, but I’m not here to uphold the reputation of a moaning gringo.  I’m here to stay and I love this place, and now I intend to take you all on a journey into its very heart, commonly known as …

Its language: pride and joy of Chilenos and the daily bane of existence for those weaned on the husky undertones of Espana.  It is almost like another language – in fact, for my Spanish colleague, it IS, after a month she is still struggling with comprehension barriers. 

I have always had my nose in a book and been interested in weird things – I’m a nerd, I freely admit it – and one of those things has been linguistics.  Why do we say what we say, in the way that we say it?  We speak all day (and in my case, without thinking!) with thousands of words at our disposal.  It’s a miraculous thing.  My favourite thing about Chile is its Castellano – its very lilting and musical, with lazy consonants and deceptively clear vowels, and of course more slang then you can shake a stick at (or fill books with, see the ever in print “How To Survive In The Chilean Jungle”).  It’s also extremely fast, extremely descriptive, FULL of expletives and sayings that completely change meaning depending on the situation.  There is a wall in my room which I like to bang my head on after a day attempting Chilean – perhaps you have one also.  Of course, then hearing my brain rattle is not too encouraging a moment.

Last night, a friend came up from Puerto Montt.  He has just got engaged and personally came to invite all those closest to him.  After the agonising 12 hour bus journey he’d endured, he spent his one night in the capital drinking with his companeros.  I was woken up in the middle of the night to join in, and so started my lesson in Chilenismo’s.  Chileans LOVE to explain their language and they speak about it with real pride.  One friend told me that “there is no point speaking Spanish if you are not going to learn the idioms or the bad words”. Yes, Chilean’s use swear words the way I use mascara – the sentences just aren’t complete without them!  Though a word may literally mean one thing, in conversation they are used to accentuate the speaker, and their use is not just accepted, it is ENCOURAGED.

My favourite thing to say in Chilean (besides “oh relampagos!”) is “cachai?”.  Maybe this is because in English I say “you know?” every half sentence (I need constant reassurance, ok?) but I find cachai just rolls off the tongue, making it the easiest slang word to practice, and one where there is no question of people understanding.  It comes from the saying “cachai el mote” (the word “mote” has a few connotations but that is for another time) which means …..

I don’t want to overwhelm you straight off the bat but there is a lot to cover, especially with the sea of huevos-inspired sayings ahead.  To all the newcomers, the veil of incomprehension shall pass and you will eventually stop relying on the wall to make yourself feel better, cachai? Until next time, chauchau!

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