Santiago, Chile?
Out of context: Reply #13
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- plash0
^^ donno what happened there. that last paragraph was just notes to myself, things to mention. but let me summarize.
- Yes, Santiago is a latin american city, where being american doesn't mean being in the United States. Don't forget that. most of these south american cities were around before the united states was even a thought.
- Shit is expensive, you're 2,000 feet up in the mountains, everything but local food is imported. (especially electronics, a 800 usd iphone is 2 grand in Santiago. Don't be a dumbass and forget that. you'll get robbed. (not much difference here in chicago) Don't spend a fortune on a outlet converters, go to Lider or Sodimac when you arrive and pick on up for $1500 pesos ($3). Chile is the most developed country in Latin America, and I've found that for most things, prices and availability are very comparable to the states, so my advice would pretty much be to not worry about it.
- Learn rudimentary spanish, Santiago has a lot of universities whom students are taught english (bilingual is a big deal there, as in everyone is taught english but no one uses it) you'll be expected to communicate just like everyone one else on this planet.
- Dinner can mean late night. don't be surprised if you're walking in for a dinner party around 11:30pm. lunches tend to be "me" time and it's ok to be late without a response, white people tend to stress it; don't, it's cool ese. also earthquakes are common, but no one will freak out for anything more than a 5 it seems.
- there is real poverty in south american cities. (as in neighborhoods made out of trash) people of means can be surprisingly racist and cruel towards these forgottens.
to end this, there are all kind of people in South America but even more so in Chile, Brazil and Argentina. the Germans, Natives and a slew of mixed nuts that make up a beautiful palette of people. you're going to find the bad, the good and the boring. yet, Chile is an incredible piece of earth with mind opening, ample and simply a real place to discover.so drink up, eat up and wake up! hope you have fun!