Love: Graffiti in South America- Vandalism or Art?

O graffiti

ɡrəˈfiːti/

noun

1. 1. 

   writing or drawings scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place.

   "the station was covered in graffiti"

   
   

   South America redefines this dictionary definition of graffiti in its own way as a public expression of Art and culture.

   
   

   As an incredibly colourful and vibrant continent, South America expresses its unique cultures through intricate public murals and what others may consider vandalism. Graffiti here is an important art form, it gives citizens the freedom to show artistic talent and profundity in any public place. Here are some examples...

   
   

   

   
   

   This beautiful mural in Puerto Natales, far Southern Chile shows the lives of the native indigenous peoples in history, emphasising the importance of Chile's rich cultural heritage in today's society.

   
   

   

   
   

   This, would you believe it, is the front of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which proves graffiti to be an refreshing art form that injects colour into the dull greyness of city life in order to draw attention and guests. 

   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   And again, we return to the visionary Valparaiso, arguably the most imaginative city in Chile. For many years, the people of the city couldn't afford to full pots of paint to make their houses all one colour. So that's why there are rainbow coloured house (like the one in the picture).

   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   "When the tyranny is law, the revolution is order" can be found on the pavement in a public park in Buenos Aires , Argentina, making a powerful political historical statement about Argentina's past dictatorship- A significant reflection of Argentinian memory in the city. 

   
   

   
   

   And here's some more...

   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   Mural in La Paz, Bolivia that shows the mix of traditional and contemporary Bolivian fashion culture.

   
   

   
   

   

   
   
   

   Rio de Janeiro, Brasil declaring its undying love and talent (shown by the hand of God) for football and its skill for impressing women.

   
   

   
   

   

   
   
   

   A simplistic way to question the real motivations of Cusco, Peru that lie within a capitalist society driven by tourism.

   
   

   
   

   Whilst some may consider it vandalism, I see it as  a powerful tool in making essential cultural statements. And the graffiti is just one of the millions of reasons why South America such an exciting continent to visit!

   
   

Learn: What not to do when you're ill in Chile

(Public FONASA and Private ISAPRE health care insurance in Chile)

After having spent over 9 months in Chile, I consider myself pretty lucky that I haven't had any major problems and needed to go to the doctor. But after a nasty (and mysterious) mosquito attack, it now was my time to experience what the Chilean health care system is really like.

So one morning I woke up to find my face all blotchy, red and as puffy as a marshmallow. I had work later that day and obviously couldn't teach looking like this. So I tried to ring my boss but no answer. I then sent her an email explaining what had happened in the hope that I could stay home and hide away in my room until my face returned to its normal state.

But this is Chile. And when you're sick in Chile and you need a day off work you must ALWAYS provide a doctors certificate proving that you were actually too ill to work. This means, instead of resting at home, you must drag yourself out of bed and crawl to a doctor to get a medical certificate or 'proof of illness'. Knowing this, I reluctantly started research online how to get a doctors appointment in Santiago.

I found out from a Chilean friend that I could reserve appointments online with a private doctor. Easy! I thought. But when I finally managed to register online and get to the appointment reservation stage I was confronted with the worst news imaginable;

No appointments till Wednesday... And it was Monday!

Oh god, what do I do now!?

In a fit of panic I thought, maybe going to the public hospital on the other side of town would be a good idea. In this case, I was lucky. Even though my face was on fire, I was still able to walk. So being completely oblivious to how the health system works in Chile, I left the comfort of home and naively headed off to the hospital.

This was then followed by strange stares and comments regarding my swollen face, which I tried really hard to ignore.

Got to the hospital, just walking in through the nearest door I could find, with no clue as to what department I was in. I explained my situation to the receptionist at the desk. Afterwards she stared at me as if I was an ignorant foreigner (I was) and told me...

"Mejor que vayas a una clínica privada (it's best that you go to a private clinic)"

Turns out that, in order to receive treatment from a public hospital I would've had to become a registered patient for the specific hospital that corresponded to my residential area in Santiago. But I was quite relieved to hear this news, as there was more than a two hour wait even for urgent appointments. 

So in the end, I went to work the next day terrified of being fired. I couldn't get the doctors certificate and still took the day off, which in Chile is considered a sackable offence. But luckily my face was still a bit swollen- I had evidence that I was ill so I didn't need the doctors certificate after all.

Lesson well learnt: know about the health care system in your country and how it works BEFORE you get sick!

Live: For those feeling alone abroad

 (Photo: in the Andean hills, Alto Naranjo, near Santiago)

This weekend, I had problems with the flat I was living in and had to leave. The hot water had been cut off, the bathroom was broken, and my flatmate had been having parties nearly every night, which left the place trashed. When the landlady/my flatmate's mother demanded an explantation, I was blamed for the mess. Instead of trying to argue in Spanish, I decided it was better to leave. This situation made me feel alone and depressed. I got on well with my flatmate and we were supposed to be friends.

Luckily I managed to find another place to stay. I got a lot of support from other English and Chilean friends and it's all okay now. But after everything that happened, it suddenly hit me that I didn't have a home here. It pushed my confidence right down and made think that I didn't belong in Chile. 

You may think that because you're on your own in a foreign country, you have to deal with your problems alone, but you really don't have to. Now and again, we all need reminding how to pick ourselves up from feeling low whilst living abroad,

So here's my pep talk in (a very rough) poem form:

Life in another country can be a stress,

As everything is new, it's easy to get in a mess,

Even the little problems seem like a big deal,

Such as missing the bus, it can make you feel,

Like you can't do anything right, like you don't belong,

And these feelings get worse if you hide them too long,

The best thing you can do, is to share your pain

Remember you are not alone, every foreigner feels the same

Lost, upset, and on yourself you put the blame,

So when you get worried, or if you have doubts,

Take your problems from the inside and turn them out,

I know you're thinking that no one understands,

What it's like not to fit, there's no one to hold your hand,

But all over the globe, there are many people like you,

Who live far away from what they're used to,

So let's share problems, not bottle them up,

Because wherever you are in the world, you have friends, even if you don't realise it. 

Never keep problems to yourself! Share them with your support network:

Friends and family back home- confiding in close friends and family can immediately make you feel more comfortable and relaxed. 

Other people from your country living abroad- these friends will understand what you're going through and will maybe have felt the same.

Local friends- talking about your problems with local friends can help you feel happier in a foreign country, as they make you realise that you're not really on your own.

And....

DO NOT: stay locked up in your bedroom or house alone

DO: arrange to do something with friends that makes you happy to live in your new country (for me in Santiago, this would be going to a restaurant for BBQ and pisco sours).

Love: The Soul of South America

       

"Everything starts from our hearts,

Man's relationship with nature and the cosmos,

To all be children of the same sun,

We must return to the natural order of things,

And flow like the river that knows no boundaries."

Marcelo Yaksic Vera

Contemporary Poetry, Tiwanaku, Bolivia

Learn: A newbie to Teaching. English. Abroad

When I first came to Chile, everything was new. I'd never lived in a different country before, I'd never had a full time job before, and I'd had only a little bit of teaching experience. I really felt like a fish out of water! 

      

        

Why am I in Chile? So, the main reason I'm in Chile is for the part of my Spanish/linguistics degree called the year abroad. The year abroad is a compulsory year spent in a foreign country that speaks the target language (for me it's Spanish).

Why am I teaching? During the year abroad, you must complete a placement. This can be an internship, a paid job, or studying at university. Although I was very tempted by the thought of reliving freshers week again as a student, I decided to go for the more rewarding option of being an English language teacher.

How did I get the job? I sent off an application to the British Council , a scheme which helps organise overseas opportunities for British students to teach English. It was a lengthy process which started nearly a year before I came to Chile. I sent off the application, did the interview and went to two pre departure briefings. Finally, in September 2014 I found myself in Santiago about to start a job as a British Council English Language Assistant.

What was the first day like? Naturally my first day was the worst, mainly due to my complete lack of teaching experience. In lessons, all the students could tell I had never done this before which inevitably pushed my confidence right down. I remember I was put in a level 1 class on my first day, so everyone (myself included) spent the whole class feeling just a little bit confused as to what was going on. 

What's it like now? Although I'm an assistant at most of the time, the experience I got teaching my own classes, has been the most rewarding (I've had three in the time I've been here). Now, I feel much more comfortable with giving explanations and presenting information to students. I have more confidence so the students listen to me more and ask me questions all the time.

What's been the best experience? Surprisingly, teaching teenagers has been my best experience. When my bosses first asked me to take over a group of 12, level 1 teens...for four hours...on a Saturday, I was a bit reluctant to accept, but I really wanted to teach my own classes. So I took my opportunity. And it actually has turned out to be fun and rewarding all at the same time. In classes I used to do games with them and competitions with edible prizes, and it was a lot of fun, so everyone could enjoy the classes.

And what's been the worst? Giving oral exams. I find this part of the job awful, seeing students so stressed- mainly because the oral exams count for a lot. And when they are so nervous they can barely talk, it's heartbreaking to give them a bad grade. It also puts a lot of pressure on me because, I'm then largely responsible for the students' final grade.

Finally, what do you think the key to teaching is? From my experience, I would say that the main key to teaching is confidence. If you can present and explain something confidently, people will naturally listen to you and believe what you're saying. Also preparation. If you know what your next steps are, the lesson runs smoothly without any awkward pauses. And keeping it fun. When students are having fun, they are more confident to join in with classes, which helps them to learn better. 

                    

                            ( my class organised a surprise birthday party for my 21st) 

Now, it's been nearly a year. Thanks to my time in Santiago, I've learnt a lot about what it means to be a teacher and why it's such an important, rewarding job! 

Live: Work as an English Teacher in Chile

As I'm in Santiago at the moment working as an English Language Assitant, I thought I'd write a blog post for others hoping to teach English here in Chile.

There are many opportunities for teaching English in Chile as everyone wants to learn the international language of business. And native speakers in particular are even more sought after because Chileans always want to practice an authentic accent!

It is possible to find English Teaching jobs up and down the country, from Arica in the North to Concepcion in the South, although the majority are in Santiago. 

The main places to look are...

Private institutions, such as (Instituto Chileno Britanico de Cultura, Instituto norteamericano de Cultura, Tronwell, Instituto Profesional Inacap, DuocUC)

Universities (Universidad Chileno Britanico de Cultura, Universidad de Santiago, Universidad Catolica, Universidad de Talca, U de Valparaiso etc...)

Private tutoring sites (it's relatively easy to find private clients, especially in Santiago. Depending on the client you can make up to 15.000 pesos per hour (~20 USD))

English tutors in Santiago, there´s a facebook page to advertise yourself. Check it out at  https://www.facebook.com/groups/646226682125245/?fref=ts

For my classroom experiences in Santiago, read my next blog post:

                          

                                Learn: A newbie to Teaching. English. Abroad

Love: Mariscos, Chile's National Treasure

If you're a fan of seafood, you'll love Chile. Here, you will find many varieties of tasty mariscos (shell fish) in abundance. Along with wine, they are a national treasure and feature in many traditional Chilean dishes.

Here, the Chilean pacific is full of fruits of the sea with so many different types of fish and shell fish that you wouldn't even dream of existing.

I first got the taste for seafood when I went to one of the makeshift restaurants in the fish market (a famous food market in Santiago called 'la vega') with some Chilean friends. 

They knew all the best dishes and urged me to try Paila Marina (a shell fish soup) I thought I may as well start simple.

My bowl came to the table looking like something out of a pirates of the carribean movie! Oysters, muscles, octopus, Machas (which I don't think exist in Europe but are similar to clams) 

At first I was a bit sceptacle, but after one taste I was hooked. This first encounter marked the beginning of my seafood quest to find the best fish dishes in Chile.

After careful and rigorous testing I would strongly recommend to try following dishes:

1) Paila marina (a bowl full of different types of shell fish with white wine) 

2) Chupe de Mariscos (a dish made with mushed bread, seafood and cheese on top)

3) Reineta (the name translated means little queen but it's a delicious fish)

4) Machas a la Parmesana (shell fish in the shell covered with Parmesan cheese)

5) Ceviche (typically a Peruvian dish of raw fish marinated in lemon juice)

6) Empanadas de Mariscos (fried pastries with seafood inside)

7) Empanadas de camaron-queso (a deep fried cheese and prawn filled pastry)

8) Curanto (a special dish traditionally from the South of Chile which involves digging a hole in the ground, filling it with meat and shell fish covered over with leaves and leaving it to cook for a day)

So if you visit, don't miss out on one of Chile's greatest assets: Mariscos!