En route: Talca to Santiago

Jan8

In early December, I returned on a bus from Talca, Chile in the agricultural heartland of the country, to Santiago, where I caught my plane to Antofagasta. The three hour bus ride was perhaps one of the most memorable parts of my trip to the central valley of Chile. For a while, I have been convinced that the colours in the southern hemisphere are infinitely more vibrant than in the north, and this bus ride was no exception to my suspicion.

Almost-dry rivers, early summer farms and vineyards, the low coastal mountains and the breathtaking Andes, horses grazing in fields, lumberyards, and then the outskirts of Santiago: these photos, presented in order of the journey from Talca north to Santiago, hopefully capture a little taste of what I saw on my trip.

12 photos (and a few thoughts) from 2012

Dec31

January 2012: the Laurentians, Quebec

2012 was once again a year for me to cover two hemispheres, thousands of miles and plenty of airports and flights, and saw many dear family and friends (new and old) in between.

February: Montreal

I spent at least 24 hours in 14 different towns and cities throughout the year, spanning four different countries. I tred the interiors of 10 different airports, and took off and landed on approximately 20 separate flight legs.

March: Chicago

But I didn’t count up any of this – not until now at least. To me, travel is a part of my life. I don’t do it with the goal of keeping track or “collecting” destinations. I do it because I must, and also, a little bit because I can.

April: San Pedro de Atacama

One thing that I have gotten out of all of this is that nothing is perfect, and I wouldn’t wish a life that is so “up in the air” on anyone. I also can’t imagine who I would be as a person without it, because I have been so absolutely, irrevocably changed by it.

May: Buenos Aires

There is one key thing that I have learned from my travels this year, and it will change how I travel forever: this is that the most wonderful memories don’t come from following a guidebook list of sites to visit in a new city, or from taking a sightseeing tour or from running between the most famous landmarks of a city upon arrival. At least in my experience, the most vivid memories I take with me back home after traveling are those that come from the little, unexpected moments…

June: Montreal

When you unexpectedly connect with a stranger. When you stumble upon a charming artisan workshop off of the busy main streets. When you can finally order dinner in that language you’ve been trying to master. When you see or sense something that imprints itself permanently in your mind: the vivid colours of a flower stand on a busy street corner, a cardboard collector driving a horse and buggy in the veil of a dark night, a man dressed in a suit, tie, hat, reading a book while waiting for the light to change, the distinct dim orange lights of a South American city at night – so much darker than the bright white lights of our American cities, an invitation to a library in the top floor of a museum hidden from most of the public, the warm smell of a eucalyptus forest when boarding a plane on a runway in the early morning before the sun has risen.

July: Nova Scotia

I cannot convey everything I have seen and experienced on this blog. I also refuse to. Some things simply cannot be recorded and presented to the world in this manner. Some things you have to see or experience for yourself, otherwise, they lose their value when they are merely retold.

August: Antofagasta

What I do hope I have done is given you a taste of the world: a taste of the world outside your borders, outside of your familiar social circles, to places you may never have considered visiting. I know I have not done full justice to everything that Chile, Argentina, Canada, etc. and their people have to offer. One person, on one blog that publishes one post a week, cannot do it. However, I do hope that if you visit some of the places I’ve visited about this past year, you will find at least a few of my insights and a few of my experiences helpful.

September: Antofagasta

I also want to mention that my opinions do (and have) evolve and change over time. If I had to do this year – and this blog – over again, I wouldn’t have necessarily written about the same things, or posted the same images. But time marches on, and this blog is a time capsule of what I saw and what I was thinking at the time, and so it remains here, an archive of a year of experiences.

October: Alta Gracia, Argentina

There is one thing that I am certain of: my daily life has been enriched by your visits, comments, emails, feedback, and suggestions. I am truly humbled by your visits – especially from those of you who are from Chile and Argentina to see what I am writing – and am very aware of your presence when crafting my posts. I think of your comments often – truly. Thank you so much for taking time this year to stop by.

November: Antofagasta

I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful 2013.

December: near Santiago

Visiting a Vineyard in the Curicó Valley

Dec18

Grapes (in progress!)

During my visit to central Chile, I had in mind a possible visit to a vineyard. This goal was certainly reinforced when I rode the bus from Santiago to Talca: for most of the 3 hour journey, we passed picturesque vineyards resting in between the foothills of the Cordillera (low coastal mountains) on one side and the magnificent Andes on the other.

Chilean wine country… as viewed from the Pan-American highway

Although this region has a “wine route,” it is not a particularly straightforward task to explore as a visitor. After some research, we realized that unless you opt for a pricey tour (which does not necessarily guarantee a visit to all of the vineyards of your choice), visiting vineyards and wineries was going to take some effort. We discovered that (at least this time of year – early summer -) many vineyards or wineries were not open to visitors, and of those that were, many required appointments. Many did not seem to be set up for tourists: most websites were in Spanish only (if a website even existed) and therefore it would be difficult for English speakers to make the necessary arrangements. If you are dreaming of a Chilean wine tour, some locals recommended an annual wine and harvest festival, which is held every March in Curicó. This festival mainly celebrates the wine harvest, and wine producers from all over the region converge and offer wine tastings and a wine market. It sounds to me like this would be the ideal way to experience the wine culture of the region!

Miguel Torres winery

We finally settled on a visit to the Miguel Torres vineyard just outside of the town of Curicó, which I had seen from the bus window on the way to Talca. This particular vineyard was Miguel Torres’ first in Chile, acquired in 1979 by the Spanish family. We arrived at the visitors’ centre, located just off the Pan-American highway, on a warm and sunny Saturday morning. The centre was pristine and charming: wood buildings built in a traditional Chilean architecture mingled with very modern facilities. A chicken coop housed some beautiful feathered specimens, which were vigorously pecking away on the grass and in between the vines. (This served a functional purpose: they kept down the population of insects!)

Why did the chicken cross the road? Why, to eat bugs!

We had scheduled a tour for noon, and our tour guide walked us through the facilities where the grapes are brought from their vineyards throughout Chile after harvest and the process of winemaking begins. We also stepped into the wonderfully scented cellar, where the red wines and Chardonnays are aged in hundreds of French wood barrels. We also learned a bit about the bottling process and how the different lines of wines are marketed to the various parts of the world.

The tour was not complete without a tasting!

After, we had a tasting of some of the estate’s Santa Digna line. My travelling companion and I selected the Gewürztraminer and Carmenière to try. We were also given a small taste of the estate’s Manso de Velasco, which is hands down the nicest red wine I have ever sipped. But more on that in a moment.

I think that Chilean white wines are the best white wines in the world. I am a huge fan of the Sauvignon Blanc – and the Santa Digna is certainly a nice one. But at the tasting, I tried the Santa Digna Gewürztraminer, which quickly became one of my favourite white wines I’ve tried in Chile. Fruity, floral, perfumed… it was the perfect wine for the hot early summer Saturday afternoon! When we ate at the Miguel Torres restaurant after the tasting, I ordered another glass of this to go along with my elegant fish lunch.

Carmenière vines

Next, we tried the Santa Digna Carmenière. Carmenière is essentially Chile’s trademark red wine; one of the world’s oldest grapes, the type of grape was thought to be extinct in the late 19th century when a plague hit it in Europe. Little did anyone know, it had been confused for the Merlot grape and was already widely planted in Chile. It was then “re-discovered” in Chile and has been recognized as a distinct variety since the late 1990s. Chile now grows more of this variety than anyone else in the world. The Santa Digna Carmenière was very pleasant, with flavours of berry and a light vanilla/oak taste from the ageing process.

The real standout wine we sampled was the Manso de Velasco, named after a former governor of Chile. Made from Cabernet Sauvignon, this had such a deep, rich flavour, I suppose reminiscent of “jam” (as described on its website; of course, I am not used to reviewing wines so I lack a bit of the proper vocabulary). It had an incredible aftertaste, very fruity and refreshing in a way that many red wines don’t have.

Miguel Torres cellars

Visiting this vineyard was probably my favourite experience of my week in the region. I learned a lot and it was an excellent way to pay hommage to Chilean wines.

*Note: I visited the Miguel Torres winery independently; I am not affiliated in any way with the winery or the wines described here. This is my own, independent review & opinion of a pleasant Saturday afternoon visit!

In which I see rain, green: Talca, Chile

Dec11

In Talca’s central square

Last week I was in Central Chile visiting the wine-producing region of the Maule Valley. Now, this isn’t exactly a place that is on the radar of many tourists, although I think it must see a fair stream of visitors thanks to all of the agricultural industry in the region (including the local headquarters of many American-owned companies, such as Dole). From Santiago, many tourists head west to the seaside cities of Valparaiso or Viña del Mar, not south to the agricultural towns. But I am not one to follow most tourist itineraries.

Blossoming bougainvillaea “tree” Talca’s central square

In all fairness, I also went to Talca to visit someone I know. Above all, welcomed the opportunity to finally explore a different part of Chile than the north and Atacama desert. And also – to see rain! Although the region seemed relatively dry this time of year (we passed a number of nearly-dry riverbeds between Santiago and Talca), I experienced rain for the first time since I was in Canada a few months ago one morning. It was so refreshing to finally hear raindrops and smell the ground after a fresh rainfall. (Of course, it was also nice that the rain cleared up by noon and the sun promptly emerged!)

Talca

Talca was a pleasant place to stay for a few days. I enjoyed wandering around, especially through the pretty central square. I read that Talca was once known for its hats and leather goods, and although I didn’t see any fancy hats, there were still some leather goods and shoe stores. I also saw a lot of beautiful hand-knitted clothing – some just sold by vendors right on the street – and stores with beautiful yarns, many made of Chilean wool and natural dyes, that made me (almost) wish I knew how to knit.

A wall with a colourful mural.

Of course, this was an agricultural town, so I have to mention the fruits and vegetables. The summer fruits were in full swing, and many sidewalk vendors were selling blueberries, strawberries (one vendor even sold chocolate-dipped strawberries!), cherries and creamy, to-die-for avocados fresh from the farm. I also found lovely apricots and peaches at the grocery store. A rustic market was located in the center of town also selling fresh produce, honey and beeswax, beautiful carved wooden objects (I picked up a few hand-carved wooden spoons made from a Chilean wood for about $1 each), wool, flowers and even live chickens and turkeys! Needless to say, someone could eat a very fresh meal in this city.

More street art

What is noticeable around Talca is a lack of buildings that are very old. Most of the beautiful old Spanish colonial buildings seemed to have been damaged by the earthquakes that the region experiences. The 2010 earthquake (its epicentre was in the same general region) has certainly left its mark on the city landscape. I walked past many beautiful old Gothic cathedrals that were all closed because of the severe earthquake damage they sustained. Similarly, an old market building and several other homes and buildings throughout the city were shut down, abandoned, or have not yet been repaired. Therefore, the city seemed to be filled with stark contrasts: crumbling, abandoned old buildings, lots and houses next to brand new condo high rises or newly renovated office buildings.

Cathedral that was damaged in 2010 and is still closed

Near the central square, I visited an artists’ co-op, with little shops selling fashions, shoes, paintings and weavings, most made in the region. I lingered in one shop in particular, where a woman told me all about the weavings she sells, most made from wool and natural dyes following traditional techniques.

Where the locals (and pigeons) eat lunch. Stands selling “completos”: hot dogs with mayo and avocado.

Many locals told us there are a number of scenic drives around the area, but without a car our hands were a little tied. There are also some interesting festivals later in the summer: a wine festival in nearby Curico, as well as a festival in the nearby hills on the Argentina/Chile border. Again, this is not a tourist town (the one museum I saw was closed every time I walked past) but if I ever happen to be on a road trip through central Chile I would definitely stop there again.

View of the city and “cordillera” (low mountains that run along most of the Chilean coast; the Andes were visible in the other direction)

And, because I am sure you must be wondering, yes, this was wine country, and yes I visited a winery. That will most certainly be the topic of my next post!

Just after sunset

Snapshots of Santiago

Dec5

Bellavista

This week I am travelling in Santiago and Chile’s Central Valley region. I stayed in Santiago for only a night, in a small hotel in the relatively quiet and green streets in the Providencia neighbourhood. We had just enough time to take the (clean and very pleasant, albeit a bit crowded) subway downtown to La Moneda, the seat of the president of Chile. Next to it is a museum dedicated to some temporary exhibits, as well as a permanent exhibit of the work of Violetta Parra, an influential Chilean folk singer and artist.

La Moneda

From La Moneda, we walked to the central historical square in the city, Plaza de Armas. We had to admire in passing the Spanish colonial influences as we moved quickly down a side street to escape some of the heat and crowds. Much of the square was dedicated to Chile’s telethon, an annual charity drive, the afternoon we were there. From the plaza area, we walked to a much quieter and shaded little area called Bellas Artes, where we finally got a snack – chicken sandwich – and some much needed water at a pleasant cafe.

Artists’ market (with a neat mosaic sidewalk) in Bellavista

From Bellas Artes, we walked to the fine arts museum (unfortunately we were there too late on a Sunday evening and didn’t visit), and along the very lively Parque Forestal, alive with snack vendors, families and couples on the Sunday evening. The walk took us to the final destination of our evening: the Bellavista neighbourhood. This was the most scenic neighbourhood we found in Santiago. It had houses that seemed to be built in the 1920s in an interesting art deco-meets-Spanish colonial style. It’s also where you can visit La Chascona, the home of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.

The charming lobby of our hotel in Providencia

My overall impression of Santiago was that it was a business-oriented city. The people seemed a bit more serious in the center of town, and even the buildings seemed to me to be quite stoic in appearance. Santiago is also an incredibly sprawling place: we could barely scratch the surface of the city because we were relying on foot, subway and taxis to get us around, whereas a car would have been much more useful.

Bellavista

For the rest of the week, I am travelling around the agricultural heartland of Chile’s Central Valley. I’ll have more on the wineries, summer fruit and little towns next week!

Primavera en Chile

Nov28

Cactus

Late spring is in full force here in northern Chile with intense sun and very hot afternoons. (Our proximity to the ocean and the strange current that keeps northern Chile relatively temperate keeps us cool at night, thankfully.) It’s hard to believe that it will once again be summer here in less than a month! Why, I was just enjoying summer only 4 months ago… ahh, the benefits of skipping hemispheres, I suppose.

Unfortunately the warm, dry environment hasn’t kept me healthy. I am still recovering from a stubborn cold after having been under the weather for a few weeks now, so I will keep this post simple with a few photos of flowers in full bloom and some of the breathtaking sunsets we have been enjoying over the past few weeks of spring.

In a few days I will be flying down south to explore Santiago and Chile’s central valley (aka. wine country!) for the very first time. I look forward to updating you from a different part of Chile very soon!

Andean musicians practice the guitar and flute on the beach

Sunset over the city

Sunset over the Pacific (the city recently obstructed my view with new lamp posts!)

Bougainvillaeas form an arch over the sidewalk

Alta Gracia, Argentina

Nov14

I know I write a lot. Writing is my passion, and I love sharing my discoveries with all of you. But, some days, I don’t think I need to write too much. Not when photos can speak for themselves.

After all of the travelling I have done, I have come to the conclusion that there is an infinite amount of charming small towns in the world. Virtually anywhere you go, you can find pleasant people, interesting history, and beautiful landscapes.

When we were in Argentina in October, we took a half-day trip from Córdoba to Alta Gracia, Argentina. Perched in the sprawling green landscape of the Sierra Chicas (or “small mountains” before the Andes) is known for its ideal climate, especially for people who suffer from asthma and other health problems. (I agree that the climate felt lovely on the warm, sunny day we were there. I had a cold at the time, yet I felt really good in the pleasant environment there.)

Alta Gracia was founded in the 1600s (!) by Jesuits who ran an estancia, or ranch, there, and was once home to a young Che Guevara and a famous Spanish composer, Manuel de Falla. Now, it is quiet and pleasant, and tourists come to visit the interesting Jesuit Estancia which has been made open to the public. I think my favourite part of the visit that day was wandering and looking at the green landscape, the spring flowers, and the beautiful historic homes – many quite well preserved and maintained – in the neighbourhoods.

Alta Gracia was also testament to my belief that sometimes when you travel it’s not the flashy tourist landmarks that are most memorable, but the quiet spaces where you can relax among the locals and feel lucky that you got to experience that special corner of the world.

Exploring Córdoba, Argentina

Oct30

Last week, my husband and I needed an escape. Quite simply, Chile is not our home and therefore like a good friend or relative that you have been spending far too much time with lately, sometimes you need to a bit of distance to recover.

Not ready to go back into the glorious madness that is Buenos Aires, and after learning that Peru – despite being close by – would require multiple flights, multiple days to acclimatize, tour guides and possibly elevation sickness, we opted for something simpler. We decided we wanted a few things: green trees, coffee (for me) and meat (for my husband), and some pretty things to look at. So, we hopped on a plane to Santiago, and after another quick 40 minute jaunt by air across the Andes mountains, we found ourselves amongst the glorious spring green landscape of Córdoba, Argentina – and in a city that met all of our needs for an escape.

Córdoba is quite literally in the middle of Argentina – and the middle of South America, for that matter. Nestled next to the foothills of the Sierra Chicas mountains, Córdoba is also a really, really old city. It was founded in 1573 and its first map dates back to 1577, and a lot of the architecture we saw in Córdoba had actually once appeared on that map. The Universidad nacional de Cordoba is the earliest university in Argentina, founded in 1613 by Jesuits, and I would also hazard to guess, probably one of the first universities in any of the Americas.

The remnants of this early settlement can still be seen in the downtown Jesuit block (Manzana Jesuítica), designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. These Spanish colonial buildings are extremely well preserved and maintained and still are very functioning parts of the city landscape. They still house some university buildings, a secondary school, an order of nuns, and more. The residents of Córdoba use the cathedrals, stopping in to pray and to worship. It is truly a treasure when parts of a city that are so old are still so functional and integral to the everyday life of its residents.

Over the years, Córdoba has been an important center of the agricultural industry in Argentina (it is, after all, surrounded by tons of beautiful, rich soil), the meat industry, and later in the 20th century, it became a hub for the auto industry. Naturally, we sought out steak and were not disappointed. A restaurant called Alcorta served us a perfectly cooked steak with delicious potatoes con crema and roasted vegetables as a side. We enjoyed this all with a bottle of Argentina’s trademark red wine, Malbec, of course… and went back again another night for seconds.

We spent the better part of the four days we were there just walking. The city has a very pedestrian friendly center, with endless shops, plazas and malls. This expansive pedestrian area, with its historic Spanish colonial and trademark “French meets Italian meets Spanish colonial meets eclectic” Argentinean architecture, is also very functional – every day we saw tons of locals shopping and eating gelato in this area. The pedestrian area was almost completely shaded thanks to archways draped with soft green plants, and the sidewalks with marble accents gave it a lovely feel. This area though old and worn around its edges, is still charming, reasonably well maintained and very functional with tons of shops and very cute, affordable made-in-Argentina fashion boutiques and lovely, lovely leather shoes (that were actually too nice for me to buy – I have no where to wear them!). It was a pleasure to walk around there and people watch (I loved watching the women walking around in their impractical and highly fashionable footwear).

When we first arrived in Córdoba, it was a Sunday night so after checking into our hotel (with its well-maintained historical Spanish Colonial features and art gallery featuring local artists) we went to the city’s famous arts fair. There were endless booths selling very high quality art, glassware, jewelry, pottery and other decorations for the home. I loved the fused glass lamps and the handmade lanterns, although unfortunately those would have been impossible for me to get back in one piece in my luggage. I also loved all of the flowers, plants and handmade flower pots being sold (and bought by the locals), although again those would have been impractical to bring home. Instead, my husband bought me a beautiful pair of handmade glass earrings and I picked up a small mug and salt and pepper shakers made by a talented young potter. The eclectic atmosphere was really fun.

The rest of the days we walked, ate, had a coffee break in the afternoons, ate some more, walked some more… we loved ducking into all of the baroque cathedrals and exploring the endless little shopping malls tucked away in the downtown. I am saving some of my pictures of cathedrals for a future post. We also visited the town of Alta Gracia, just outside of Córdoba, and soaked in the lush green springtime countryside… which I am looking forward to sharing with you in next week’s post!

Overall, it is such a treat to find a city like Córdoba, a functional, “real” city – hardly a tourist in sight – and a place that truly makes use of and embraces its historical features in its day to day life. Needless to say, it was a very well appreciated escape from our everyday life.

Describing the Tastes of Chile

Oct16

Limón de pica pie (pica lime pie) – like a key lime pie – one of my favourite treats.

I dealt with a bit of “blogging writers’ block” last week which is why I didn’t quite get a post together as usual last Friday. I had a few frustrating things happen, including the inability to get my hands on a book I need for my master’s research and some unexpected dinner guests, that took me away from the blogging world. But, everything has been solved, thanks to an acquaintance of a friend who can bring me the book I need and dinner guests who came, enjoyed my American barbecue-style chicken sandwiches, and left.

Anyways, speaking of food, during my writers’ block I turned to Twitter and asked what you want me to blog about. As it turns out, I have not been blogging enough about food!

You might remember a year ago when I was incredibly frustrated by the lack of spices, familiar ingredients and apple varieties available on the supermarket shelves. (Hey, I am from an apple-growing region… I miss the 100 varieties of apples we have there every fall.) Even though groceries have not changed much in Chile in a year, I certainly have. I have grown very accustomed to the ingredients available here; indeed, I enjoy many of them. I love that we get delicious avocados year-round, and wonderful, fresh, ripe mangoes for months – the likes of which we would never see in North America, where mangoes that have travelled long distances simply taste like a pine tree, instead of the sweet, peach-like flavour they have when freshly delivered down here from nearby Brasil.

Mangoes! This was taken in June, when they were in season.

I also am able to get my hands on enough things to make the foods I like: black beans and creamy cheeses for Mexican-style quesadillas, homemade pizza dough with portabella mushrooms and chorizo, imported chickpeas from Canada (!) for homemade hummus, steak and potatoes for my husband. (Filet mignon is surprisingly affordable here – yes, still pricey enough to merit reserving for an occasional treat, but affordable nonetheless – and I made it once using a recipe from Food Network’s Giada de Laurentis, which I later Tweeted about how much I liked and she replied to me personally, which I loved.)

Anyways, the thing is – the bad thing is, for the purposes of this blog – I have been cooking similar foods (just using local ingredients) that I might at home, which has meant I have tried fewer Chilean foods than I might have if, say, I had a Chilean mother or chef living with and cooking for me. So, I am hardly an expert.

Still, between dining out, dining at friends’ houses and simply talking to other people, I have pieced together a little knowledge of what is commonly consumed in this region. Cooking is, of course, a regional thing, and near the ocean shrimp and mussels are used in a lot of dishes. In fact, you can order steak or chicken at many restaurants with cream sauces that have little baby shrimps and mussels mixed in. Meanwhile, further inland, like near San Pedro, the cooking has more Andean influences, such as the use of grains like quinoa.

And, to my knowledge, there are not really celebrity chefs here of the likes of Jamie Oliver, Paula Deen or my favourite Tweeting chef, Giada, so I can’t direct you to a Chilean cooking show. (If I have any Chilean readers, I’d love to know if there’s a good Chilean chef somewhere out there? I think most Chileans would say their mother or grandmother is the best!)

We got this in a restaurant once. I can’t even really describe it… I suppose it’s like a Chilean poutine? It had French fries topped with chorizo, chicken, beef, and runny eggs that had been fried on one side. Not a health food.

I can’t really generalize the cuisine of a whole country. Chile is long, remember! And it’s like trying to sum up the food of the U.S.: how would you possibly generalize what New Yorkers, Californians, Texans and Michiganders eat in a day? Nonetheless, as per your request, I will attempt to. Also, I recommend Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations episode on Chile from a few years ago, which I think was quite representative of a number of common foods in the country.

If I had to describe the food typically consumed in a day around here, I would say that northern Chileans start the day with a sandwich or some bread and jam, yogurt, fruit, tea and fruit juice. Then, they have their largest meal of the day between 1-3pm. This might consist of meat, rice, potatoes, a type of bread that is round and white and looks a bit like a hockey puck, and maybe a boiled vegetable like cauliflower. Here in Antofagasta, they might eat ceviche, which is slices of raw fish marinated in lime juice, or a seafood soup, which consists of a simple broth, some shrimp, mussels, squid, and cilantro. This can be commonly found downtown Antofagasta near the mercado or fish market, which are packed at lunchtime. Salad doesn’t seem as popular as it is in North America, and is definitely not what we know as salad: the only time I have been served salad by a Chilean, it was lettuce with a bit of lime juice and canola oil on top.

Next, there might be a snack around 5 or 6pm, although I don’t think this is too common. Sometimes, I observe couples or tables of friends enjoying a coffee or tea and a slice of pie or cake at this time, a habit that feels reminiscent of another era. Dinner is served at 10pm or so, and is usually light, consisting of something as simple as a sandwich – or, since we are in the era of fast food, a hamburger or hot dog or a choripan (chorizo in a hot dog bun).

Happy hour at bars usually runs from 9pm-midnight, as the nightclubs (or so I have been told, I’ve never actually been to one!) don’t get going until well after midnight!

Chilean empanada

Over the past year (and after numerous complaints), my friends and family back home still seem surprised that my favourite coffees and spicy foods are hard to find, despite the fact that some of the best coffee in the world is grown in neighbouring Peru. Several Chileans have told me they like the taste of their food without spices, confirming what I discovered on my own: case in point, one woman told me recently she can’t even stand the taste of a little cinnamon in something. Black pepper is rarely found on tables at restaurants.

And, again, coffee is simply…not that popular. Still. There is no culture around it – as hard as those of us in the northern hemisphere find it to believe. Although that might change in only a few years: I see tons of young Chileans lined up at Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts whenever I am in the Santiago airport, and there are coffee shops in grocery stores just like the Starbucks that seemed to creep into many grocery stores in the U.S. in recent years.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this culinary “journey.” Next week, I will describe three of my favourite Chilean dishes – including recipes!

Reflections on Language

Oct5

My language experiences

Learning a third language has been an interesting experience, and far more fun than learning a second. I suppose Spanish could be considered my fourth language, if you count the Italian that I studied for 2 1/2 years in university, which I don’t because I never ended up applying it in a practical setting (still waiting for the day when I can, preferably whilst sipping cappuccino in some charming Italian piazza)!

I began learning French in 10th grade. I flew through four years worth of high school French in three with the help of an excellent teacher at my public school, and then struggled through two more intense and full years of French in university. My university was in Montreal, which I believe led them to take a no-nonsense approach to the language and I had to learn tenses and obscure grammar rules that I still haven’t used. I was also taking classes with students who had been taking French since grade one. Needless to say, when I actually learned useful French – that elevated me to an advanced, relatively fluent, speaker of the language – it was during experience working in an office somewhere in the Eastern Townships of Quebec with other francophone colleagues. French has been a rocky road. I am still, by Quebec standards, not nearly perfect in the language, but my mind processes the language fluently and with ease and I’ve learned all of the quirks and nuances of the Quebec version of the language in particular.

Anyways, Spanish has been a different experience than French. First of all, I’m not afraid of making mistakes in Spanish like I was when I was learning French (and thought every word I said had to be perfect). It doesn’t hurt that Latin American Spanish speakers have been more forgiving and easygoing on my non-native Spanish skills. (Gracias!) My mind also processes Spanish differently. Most second language learners struggle with the language and “translate” the language to and from their native language in their mind, which can result in clumsy and inefficient formations of the language. Since learning French somehow taught me not to do that, I have likewise learned to “compartmentalize” Spanish into its own place in my mind and I automatically tap into it whenever I need to use Spanish. Sometimes, switching between Spanish and English is so seamless that I forget whether the word or phrase was even in Spanish. It’s odd because I still can’t do that in French. Still, I am far, far, far from perfect in Spanish and could stand to do a few conjugation drills, but in general learning Spanish has been a rewarding experience.

Inside the portrait gallery of the Casa Rosada, Buenos Aires

Why culture isn’t only about language

I value learning languages, as I am sure you can tell. But I have to wonder sometimes if we don’t place too much emphasis on learning language over other things. I think that learning history, politics, and the “culture” of other parts of the world is just as valuable – if not more so – than learning the actual words or grammar of another language.

Now, I would never discourage travellers from learning a few key words or phrases at least when travelling. I also believe that travellers should never expect to be served or helped in English – even if visiting a country where most of the population speaks English, I find it impolite to have that attitude. With that said, though, I have been thinking about how at least in the U.S. it seems to me that too often we conflate languages with culture.

Sure, there are a lot of cultural nuances in languages and things to be aware of (take, for instance, formal language you would use to address your boss vs. informal language you’d use to address your friends or children, and culturally taboo words that exist in every language). But, I find that learning a language cannot necessarily also teach all about the culture of places.

When I think about my high school language classes in the U.S., my teachers were almost always also charged with the task of teaching about the culture of countries where the language was spoken. (Which they did admirably, but it was almost as though they were teaching two subjects in one.) In contrast, I almost never learned about the culture, politics or history of other countries in classes such as government, history, literature, art or geography… all areas that could easily encompass international themes and topics. And, school trips to other countries, at least at my school, tended to be organized by language teachers and language departments, not history or economics or literature departments.

Anyways, I am not here to critique school curriculum… I think American public schools are by and large quite commendable (at least mine was!). I’m just afraid that in the North American consciousness in general, we’ve come to blur the lines between knowing a language with knowing a culture.

Huh? We found this nonsensical t-shirt in a store recently. I think somewhere a t-shirt designer could have benefitted a quick language lesson!

Experiencing the world without words

This is especially interesting for me to think about, because some of the most profound cultural experiences I’ve had in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Portugal, Quebec, and elsewhere were not because of or through the use of a specific language. Think about all of the other ways in which people communicate. Through art, through literature, through their use of spaces and places, at home and at the market. Religious practices. Food. You don’t have to know a language to appreciate those things. At least that’s been my experience. Seeing artwork, visiting homes, sitting in town squares and cathedrals, reading the news about political or economic events, watching people make food… all of this teaches me something, and language skills aren’t necessarily a pre-requisite to understanding any of those things.

So, yes, I would feel naïve moving to a country without language skills and certainly travelling with some language skills is important. But, I think that the single most important thing for appreciating culture is an open mind and keen sense of observation, and being very compassionate and in touch with other people, language skills or no language skills. I can drill conjugations all I want, but knowing a language didn’t teach me how to appreciate everything.

Postcards from Amanda

A chronicle of travels in Chile, Canada and beyond | www.postcardsfromamanda.com

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