Riding the bus

The place to really know a country isn't in the airport, at a restaurant or nightclub or in the natural history museum, it is on the public transport, especially the bus. Every country that I have ever visited has highlighted this to me - buy a cheap seat (or stand) and ride the bus for an hour in any direction and see what happens. I couldn't recount all of my experiences on buses, from nursing other people's children and teaching them nursery rhymes, having songs invented about me, seeing a rush hour bus crammed with people suddenly turn into a dance floor to meeting a woman going to the market who showed me her baby goat wrapped in a shawl and then introduced me to 10 of her family members in the terminal. Of course not every day is like this, but usually, if you have your eyes open, something is going on. Even if it just observing the people, heading home exhausted from work, or excited before a night out.

Of course the buses in Santiago are a kind of theatre, with everything from poetry readings to beat-box rapping constituting entertainment (I kid you not I got both on the same journey the other night). There is comedy and theatre, usually ad-lib which while very daunting to the new-comer (especially when it is rapid chilean spanish) can be hilarious. And there is always someone trying to sell you bandaids, mints or icecream (depending on the season). So go on, next time you have no idea about a country, try it out. Get on a bus and see where it takes you. I am sure it will be quite a journey.

What a difference a year makes

Never a truer statement. I have been here for a year. My astute readers might argue that I actually arrived at the start of February in 2009, which is correct, but I say I really arrived in Chile with my trip to the vendimia (grape harvest) last year, where I met my first real Chilean friends. And as the title suggests, what a difference a year makes.

Last year the vendimia was a fantastic weekend away, but I didn't understand anything. I couldn't remember anyone's name as they all sounded so foreign to me, I didn't understand anything anyone was saying to me, I couldn't sing, I couldn't dance, and while people did their absolute best to include me I couldn't even figure out what the deal was with food. This year was completely different, the exact opposite. I have so many friends there, was never short on someone to talk to, understood what was going on, sang, danced, and of course worked. Sometimes I think I am making no progress at all, but it's not true. It is still hard work, but I can do it. For a change I am able to make the odd joke, instead of being the butt of the jokes and not really knowing why. (Of course sometimes I am still the butt of the jokes but that happens in English too).

So I will continue studying, as the light in my head has switched on and I can finally see what I am reading.

On questions of stability

People always ask me "But why CHILE??". There are so many other countries in South America with bigger reputations than Chile, Argentina is known for it's lifestyle, food and drink, whereas Chileans are seen as much plainer. Columbians have a voracious appetite for life, and Peruvians are open, friendly, and have awesome food. So why Chile? Until now my answer has always been stability. The economy is strong and stable, the government is similar, however, I never factored in the power of the earth itself. Now when I reply with "stability" people look at me as if I incorrectly translated the word from Spanish into English, a kind of confused but understanding stare.

And it is true, natural disasters didn't really influence my planning at all. However, natural disasters can destroy every ounce of stability a country has in mere minutes. Law abiding citizens can become animals, looting goods that aren't necessary, or buying food in loads and selling it for double price on the black market. In times of disaster and catastrophe everything changes, money no longer has value, and power is simply the person with the biggest gun. I am lucky. I wasn't here when the earthquake struck, nor do I live in an area particularly affected by the gravity of the disaster, but it is maybe something that people should factor into the planning and consideration of any trip. I never took it seriously before, but I will be adding it to my checklist for future adventures.

In Chile, luckily, there is stability. The government deployed troops to keep order, the main business centre resumed functioning after only a week, and efforts to construct essential buildings and housing are ploughing ahead at the speed of a high horsepower tractor. The comparisons between the quake and following reactions here, with those in Haiti, show that I was at least half right about the power of stability.

Chileans have grown up with this instability, and lack of security. Their past has seen not only literally shaky ground, but fragile economies and governments. It seems that crisis actually brings the people together, gives them strength. The rebuilding process is almost therapeutic, stone by stone, laying the foundations for new growth and opportunities. And that is the attitude of today, "Fuerza Chile" (strength Chile). The foundations are good, and the reconstruction is simply allowing space for new interpretations.