Arizona? Like the Eggs?

Explaining where you are from is part of the "living in another country" experience. Explaining where Arizona is part of the "Beth Anne rambling in Spanish and answering unusual questions" experience.

Since being in Chile, I have explained where I am from many different times and each time I am met with additional questions, some of which are completely unexpected. When I first got here and told someone I was from Arizona, they responded with, "Arizona? Like the eggs (los huevos)?" I was so confused. I thought for sure this was a language barrier, how could Arizona be connected with eggs? And then I saw it-

Now, I understood! Arizona = Name of Chilean brand of eggs. Little did I know that this was the first of many questions about Arizona.

Here is a list of a few of the translated into English, reoccurring dialogues I have had when explaining Arizona.

John Wayne

Chilean: Where are you from in the United States?
Me: Arizona.
Chilean: Arizona! I love Arizona. I have seen all the John Wayne movies. Is living in Arizona like those movies?
Me: Not really, no. That was a long time ago.
Chilean: But you still have cowboys, right?
Me: Not really, no. But there are a couple left.
Chilean: So, did you ever date a cowboy?
Me: No.
Chilean: Have you dated anyone who looked like John Wayne?
Me: No.
Chilean: But you have seen a bank robbery and people riding away on horses, right?
Me (sigh): Only in the movies.

New York

Chilean: What city are you from?
Me: Phoenix. It's in Arizona.
Chilean: Is it like New York City?
Me: No, not at all.
Chilean: So Phoenix, isn't a city?
Me: No, Phoenix is a city. It's just that NYC is unlike any city in the world, including Phoenix. Phoenix is way smaller, more spread out, and in the middle of a desert.
Chilean: So, is it like Las Vegas?
Me: Kind of. But without Ocean's 11 and less casinos.
Chilean: I'd rather go to New York City.


Spanish


Chilean: Where are you from in the United States?
Me: Arizona. It's close to Mexico.
Chilean: Are there a lot of Mexicans in your state?
Me: Yep.
Chilean: Do they speak Spanish or English?
Me: It depends. A lot of times they speak both.
Chilean: If you have so many Spanish speakers in your state, why are you not fluent in Spanish?
Me: ...


Miami 


Chilean: Where are you from in the United States?
Me: Arizona.
Chilean: Is it close to Miami?
Me: No, it's on the other side of the country?
Chilean: I have heard there are a lot of Cubans in Miami. Do you have a lot of Cubans in your state too?
Me: No, a lot of the Cubans go to Miami not Arizona. It's called "Little Havana" in Florida. We don't have that in Arizona.
Chilean: So then, what do Arizonans think of Castro?
Me (diplomatically): What do you think of Castro?

Latinos


Chilean: Where are you from in the United States?
Me: Arizona. It's close to Mexico and California.
Chilean: Which Latinos do you think are better- the Mexicans or us Chileans?
Me (looking for the win-win): Well, you guys have really good bread and wine and they have really good tamales and tequila.
Chilean: But who is better?
Me (last resort): Who usually wins in fútbol?





National Headlines


Chilean: Where are you from in the United States?
Me: Arizona.
Chilean: Arizona! I read about your state all the time in the news.
Me: Uh, oh.
Chilean: You're from the racist state.
Me: Umm. Well not all of us are racist but that is definitely a problem.
Chilean: I know all about Joe Arpaio. Are you racist?
Me: No! That's a problem in my state not with me personally.
Chilean: Is that why you moved to Chile? You don't want to get arrested for not being racist?
Me: Umm. Okay, we will go with that.


Texas

Chilean: Where are you from in the United States?
Me: Arizona. It's in the Western part of the United States.
Chilean: So, are you guys close to Texas?
Me: No, absolutely not. No connection with Texas.



Ocean


Chilean: Where are you from in the United States?
Me: Arizona. It's close to Mexico and California.
Chilean: So, do you have access to the ocean?
Me: No. But we do have some pretty awesome forests and deserts.
Chilean: Well in Chile, we have forests, deserts, AND access to the ocean.
Me (when I am feeling feisty): Well, we have the Grand Canyon, which is one of the seven natural wonders of the world!



Geography Lesson



Chilean: Where are you from in the United States?
Me: Arizona.
Chilean: Arizona! I know where that is, near California and Mexico.
Me: Yeah! How did you know?
Chilean: I learned where all the states and important cities are in your country.
Me: Wow! Right on.
Chilean: Do you think Americans know all the states and important cities in Chile?
Me: Umm, about that...

Classmates

As my classmates and I are sprinting into the last month of classes and finals, I am reminded how fantastic my classmates have been to me. For the whole semester, I have been able to ask them questions, listen to their advise, and smile every time they call me "gringuita" ("little gringa"). Students here are less competitive here amongst each other and are always willing to help each other out and offer suggestions. I really enjoy being around them and studying with them.

A couple days ago, I bumped into one of my fellow students in the library. (You know it's finals time when you bump into every student you know in the library.) I asked her about one of the dates for finals and she looked at me, smiled, and told me to wait a second. She then proceed to make me a complete schedule with the dates for all of our final project and final exams. She color coded it for me and explained the whole thing to me. I couldn't help but smile. After thanking her profusely, she smiled at me and added two more thing to the schedule- a smiley face and the word "Luck!". She already put a smile on my face and now we are all hoping for "Luck!" in the weeks to come.

"Note to Self"

In the last couple months of Chile, whenever something new or unexpected happens I usually think, "note to self," and then inscribe it on a mental sticky note. Some of them are practical and pragmatic while others are more abstract and cultural. Here are a couple from the last few days.

Note to Self:

• Relax. You think you are showing up 30 minutes late somewhere? That means you are still 20 minutes early.
• Drinking maté is not enough to sustain a 12 km run. 
• Chilean students and ASU students have something in common- half of them don't go to class when it's raining. 
• One small spelling error in Spanish is the difference between someone "empowering" women to someone "impaling" women. This could be an interesting essay.
• Streets turn into rivers when it rains, this makes walking to school a wee bit challenging. 
• Small victories are important. Being able to tell a funny story in Spanish in front of a group of people is worth celebrating. 
• Remember everyone you meet is on a journey. They are all in the midst of their own stories. The girl who you are sitting next to on the bus has travelled and worked in over 20 countries. A female friend who seems to be doing fine, breaks down in tears in the kitchen. The man who works in your apartment is also a chef whose first wife died or, as he explained it, "se fue al cielo." 

Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head

Whenever the weather looks like this...

Public transportation seems to drown in the gutter.

It's almost inevitable that when it is raining I wait longer for a bus or collectivo than on any other day of the year. On a good note, I have plenty of time to think about how grateful I am for sunny days while I am waiting.

You've Never Bought Fish Like This Before...

In Chile, some people buy fish in grocery stores. Some people buy fish at the market. Some people buy fish at the port.

And some people buy fish in a cart. That is what I learned this weekend.

Once in awhile I hear the fish seller in the neighborhood yelling advertising that he has fish to sell. Now, I know how he actually sells, cuts, and cleans fish all at the same time. Who would have thought a grocery cart, an icebox, and a cutting board could accomplish all this?!

P.S. Pretty sure this guy does not have a food handler's license. ;)

Living in the Land of Soccer

Closed. So I went to a second store. Closed. Then, a third. Also, closed. I found myself walking for blocks looking for an open little grocery store so I could buy a couple food items. I knew that it was not a national holiday and, as far as I was aware, no national figure had died. So, seriously, why was every single store closed? Finally, I found one little store that was open and grabbed what I needed. As I was walking home, I realized I must be unaware of some aspect of Chilean culture because why else would everything be shut down in the middle of the day? 

Later, as I discussed this with a friend, I realized the all important reason Chile shut down for the afternoon- a soccer game!!! Why I didn't think of that? Let's shut down whole neighborhoods so we can watch guys kick a ball around on a field. The love of soccer here is incomprehensible. 

I am learning though and, next time I need to go grocery shopping, I will make sure to check the soccer schedule first. However, the real puzzle now is, why can't people here get this excited about NBA finals?

What Do I Really Like about Living in Chile?

This weekend I was chatting with a friend and he asked me if I still like living in Chile. Chileans, I have noticed, in general ask foreigners on a regular basis if they like Chile, do they like being in Valparaíso, what parts of the Chile do they like the most, etc. I immediately replied yes.

And my friend looked at me and I realized that this was a different question. The question hinged on the realization that I have now been living here several months and have had an opportunity to "settle in" here and get to know the area. So he asked me again, "Do you really like living here? If so, why?" This was a bigger question. I thought about it for a moment and I said the first two things that came to my mind. (Although saying what immediately comes into my mind is not always a good strategy for me, I think in this case it worked out well.) I realized I do like living here and the two biggest reasons that I think I am happy and enjoying my time here are: the people and the place.

When I first came to Chile, I knew no one. I left a great group of friends and family in the US. (Side note, I am so grateful for all the love, support, care boxes, etc. they have showered me with since I left.) Before I arrived, I was not sure how, where, or when I would meet people and make friends here. Almost four months later, I am so fortunate to have a little community of friends here. We celebrate each other's birthdays, go camping together, eat dinner together, etc. People, I realized, are what have made my time in Chile so incredibly beautiful.

The other aspect of me loving Chile is the place. I love living in the Viña del Mar/Valparaíso area. I wake up to the sound of seagulls and fog horns and fall asleep at night looking at the city lights across the bay. The beaches in Viña are clean and full of life. The architecture and hidden art in Valpo is charming in a style unique to the city.

I am really glad my friend asked me the question, "Do I really like living here?" And I am so happy I could truly answer, "Sí."

A few pics of the people and places-

Lunch with the Girls

BBQ

After a Rotary Volunteer Day

Valparaíso

The Port!

Beach in the Summer