1) School in other countries is not the same as school in the United States. Studying for a "very very important" test COULD mean that that test will not be administered until 5 weeks after the initial exam date. Case-in-point: my Sociología Económica class has not met for the last 3 weeks and we were supposed to have our first test the first week of September. Fail.
2) Never ask your professor if he "ha visitado el huevón" when trying to ask about an important monument in Valparaíso. This literally translates to, "Have you visited the big testicles?" Fail.
3) Make sure to check foreign exchange rates before going abroad. I don't wish for Chile's economy to do poorly... well, actually, that's a lie. I don't wish for Chile's economy to do poorly after December. Until December, it would be nice for it to start failing so I can get more pesos for my dollar until then.
4) PDA in the parks, subway, streets, and stores is pretty typical... don't get too close to the couple in question, because they won't stop; instead, they'll just push up against you and make you even more uncomfortable. Hey, thanks!
5) The Chilean diet will not give you your nutrient quota... I've been wondering why people wear scarves, boots, and long pants even in 80 degree weather... it's because they're not getting all their fresh vegetable nutrients! Haha, but I can't even tell you how many crazy looks I've gotten when I tell people I prefer to not eat meat... usually the conversation goes something like this (aka, a typical day in the house of my host family): me, "No como carne." Host mom: "Jamón?" Me: "No como animales." Host mom: "Pollo?" Me: "No, pollo es carne." Host mom: "Pescado?" Me: "No como pescado tampoco." Host mom: (looks confused): "Pollo." Me: (sigh) : "Sí, pollo."
6) One of the most important things I've learned: sand is not good for your camera :(. Do not bring your camera out while sandboarding during a sandstorm in the Atacama desert or it will get ruined! I had to learn this one the hard way, but luckily I found someone who is more than willing to fix it for a small price.
7) Do not feed the stray dogs! Especially if they follow you and the rest of your foreign friends in packs of 8. They will never leave you alone and may proceed to throw up said food right in front of you 30 seconds later.
...Ooooh, Chile. I may not have learned many school-related topics, but that can be a little difficult when your classes are canceled every other week and you have fear of being tear-gassed if you happen to accidentally cross a picket line (again, learning from experience here). The 4-month anniversary of my time here is coming up, and I started to get a little sentimental as I come realize this experience is over half finished. I initially thought almost 7 months would be way too much time away from home and that I wouldn't be able to handle speaking Spanish for such an extended amount of time, but I'm now realizing that I am just starting to settle in and become fully comfortable here. While I never experienced "culture shock" in Chile, I am positive that I will feel it when I return to California. But, I'll think about that in a few months. Until then, I'm going to go out and enjoy spring in Santiago... without crossing any picket lines :)
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