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).