My newest observations/stories about Chile:
- Watching TV here has been a bit comical. They do have a couple of English channels but most of their shows that we have in the US have been dubbed over with other voices. Watching the Simpsons and Spongebob is quite hilarious to say the least.
- Basically all students write on graph paper. I find it so strange. When I was at the store buying notebooks, it took me and my mom a good 20 minutes to find a regular composition notebook.
- LEGIT EVERY TIME I try to go to sleep, some alarm car is starts going off.
- Toilet paper. In Chile (at least at my university), they have one toilet paper dispenser in the bathroom that is located outside all of the toilets. You don't even think about sitting down on public toilets, seriously gross. Some of the toilets don't even have seats or covers. Anyways, back to the toilet paper. So the other day while I was at school, I needed to use the bathroom. I only know where one bathroom is in this building. I'm convinced it's the only one that exists. Anyways, so I went to go to the bathroom and there was no toilet paper. So I decided to hold it for a little more in hope that someone would change the roll. People were still using the bathroom though... I'm not quite sure about that. Maybe they carry toilet paper with them? So I waited for another 10-15 minutes, went back and checked. None. I ended up having to go to a whole other building to find a bathroom with toilet paper. I didn't realize using the bathroom would be such a struggle. My biggest issue with this whole toilet paper ordeal is what if you don't anticipate enough? YOU'RE BASICALLY SCREWED.
- Good lucking finding paper towels to dry your hands after you use the bathroom. I usually just flock my hands all over the place to air dry them. I probably look like an idiot but whatever.
- My first night out, a bunch of the American/Exchange students went out to a club. In the bathroom there is a lady who hands out a certain amount of toilet paper to the patrons. She was this little old lady working at this club and was legit falling asleep holding the toilet paper. I should have taken a picture of her.
- ALRIGHT ENOUGH ABOUT THE TOILET PAPER AND BATHROOMS, sorry :)
- My host mom and I are very alike. She has tummy issues just like me. It's good to know I'm not alone.
- People here don't know what a turn signal is. The driving here is absolutely terrifying.
- Avocado is a main food group here. In Chile, they call avocado "palta". The avo here is absolutely delicious. You can go to restaurants and order sandwiches with straight up avocado on it, nothing else. It's super popular. If I didn't like avocado, I don't know how I would survive. I have it at least once a day.
- The buses are STILL terrifying. While I was on this super packed bus today, which is huge clusterfuck in itself, this dude comes onto the bus and starts telling this extensive story and starts asking for donations. While there is already a ridiculous amount of people standing in the small aisle (including myself), this dude squishes through everyone. THERE IS NO ROOM DUDE!
- So I had somehow convinced myself it was an hour earlier that it really was so I unknowingly arrived to the university early. So I found my classroom and open to door to find a classroom completely filled with students. Still convinced it should be the start of my class, everyone stared at me as I attempted to ask what class it was. Moral of the story, I made an ass out of myself. Meh, what's new?
- I am currently in 6 classes, which is definitely more than I anticipated but four of them are with the Chilean students and 2 of them are Spanish classes. I can already tell that this semester is going to be struggle for me but it's all part of the experience.
