More Insights into Chile

For the most part, I haven't missed much about life in the States as I thought I would as I find Chile more similar to the US than I imagined. Not to say that everything is the same, but if you want a burger, you can get a burger in Antofa. In fact, if you want good sushi, you can also find good sushi here (although you'll have to pay a pretty penny to get it). Aside from the fact that everything is in Spanish and the majority of people here have South American roots, there are also a lot of similarities. Music in English is big here (esp. 80's music), people love to eat french fries here, and quite a few people are of European descent as well.

Although, traveling to Iquique reminded me of the huge differences between the two cultures. For example, the more I thought about it, the more lucky I felt to have met Karrina and Pepa who let me, a complete stranger and foreigner, into their home for a week after only knowing me for less than 24 hours. I was reminded that "That's how Chileans are" It was as simple as that. I doubt if I traveled around the Bay Area or Manhattan I would get a similar invitation.

I told my professors about my mom's Better Than Sex cake (Mejor Que El Amor) and brought my version of it to school, which they really enjoyed. Making the cake was quite a task! Not because the recipe is difficult, but to find the ingredients for the cake cost quite a lot and I scoured the city for the right things. You can find sour cream, cake mix, and pudding mix in supermarkets (thank you, Jumbo) although foreign products are more expensive. (Peanut butter costs $8 for a regular sized jar) Baking chocolate was hard to find. I had no idea what German chocolate was but bought chocolate with 72% cacao instead. Then, chocolate chips were an ordeal! None of the baking shops by the mercado had them nor did the supermarkets. I improvised by cutting chocolate sticks into tiny morsels. All in all, it worked out.

Another food thing I noticed is the milk. I'm not a fan of it here, although I don't actually drink it much on a day to day basis. My throat was sore and I was in desperate need of something to quench my thirst. I stick to bottled water instead of tap (just a personal preference, no real harm in drinking the water... I think), the juice is super sugary and usually saved for special occasions (in my family)... anyway, my friend gave me a huge glass of milk. It was extremely viscous and was more similar to yogurt in flavor and texture! So, it was no milk for me. Although, the aloe vera yogurt is really yummy. When you forget aloe vera is typically used as a topical remedy, the flavor is similar to lychee fruit and less sweet than other fruited cereals. Most people here take their cereal with yogurt instead of milk.

It's also ok to eat ice cream at 10 in the morning. Not that it isn't ok in the States, but it seems more common here. Since arriving, I have craved and eaten more white bread than I ever did in the States. Perhaps it's because 2/3rds of our meals are bread. My friends joked we could have an extensive conversation about all the different white breads we've tried here. Actually, that's pretty true. Multi-grain exists but it's not as common.

Manjar is a big thing here. It's in almost all of the desserts and cookies and cakes. I've had it as a spread for breakfast as well.

The difference in seasons (celebrating winter vacation in July) is one difference I haven't gotten used to. I think it's because I haven't lived here long enough. But, I can't imagine celebrating the birth of Christ and getting a bikini as a Christmas gift! I do know that instead of returning to the States in December I'd much rather enjoy summer here in Chile and return to the States next July!