Chile Forum

Hello everyone, we're a family of 4 (Parents and two teens) from the midwest USA that is planning our first trip to Chile. We will be going in June for about a month and visiting the Lake Region and the Northern Pategonia area, which I believe is Region X. Our trip is for both fun/vacation, and also to search for a real estate property. Tons of information on this site (a bit overwhelming) so thanks to all the contributors. No questions right now, as I"m still sifting through previous posts, but am sure will have many questions later. We have three months to plan and prepare for our trip, and hope to find a house/cabin to rent as opposed to a hotel. We're thinking of the Pt Montt area as our "base of operations". Any advice and/or suggestions are appreciated.
I look forward to getting to know the other members of the forum!

Mark

Welcome to the forum Mark, we are based 3 1/2 hours north of PM and came here with a teenage son. Your right there is a mountain to read, but all good info. It should be pretty easy renting a cabin/house that time of year.
Rgds Mardy.

Welcome to the forum.

Number one advice for Chile: don't rush, and don't let anyone rush you. Everyone in Chile will take their time, you should too.

Hello
'Nopat' here. Born in Chile, +- 40 years in the States. Retired. Returned to Chile last July. I am having a harder time than my better half adjusting to the cultural shock and family expectations.Feel like I am neither an "expat" (though my taxes say I am), nor an "inpat"..therefore..NOPAT. I do not even understand half of what is being said (slang), although my spanish (if it can be called that) is getting better. Love the dogs, the drivers, the garbage just as much as other members do. My mother believes that because I was born in Chile, if I walk around barefooted I will catch cold and that I am expected to eat at 10:30 at night and ..it goes on and on and on. Chile has progressed from the Chile I knew and some of the social programs are wonderful...maternity leave, time for mothers to go home to nurse and feed babies everyday until they are 3, I think. I was a pediatrician/neonatologist in the States, so this has come as a welcome surprise. Do miss the snow/blizzards/invigorating subzero cold..truly, not kidding. In particular when I can not do a thing between 2 PM and 4 PM around here because everything is closed for siesta...did not grow up with that or I do not remember.
NOPAT

Your insights should be very interesting to read, "NoPat". Welcome to the forum.

Hey Nopat. I understand exactly what your saying. My wife was born in Chile but left for Australia age three. Learnt to speak spanish in the home with her parents but English is her native languageand and what we speak at home. Now we are here, she gets. "why didnt you teach your son spanish?" "your a chilena aren't you?" and so on. She has found it harder than me..I'm a straight out expat, blundering through with my broken spanish and so I get some slack. But the pressure for her is obviously much harder having to hold up the communication stick, deal with all the chilenisms etc. We were prepared for it having been here before, and we do go with the flow and have a little chuckle about it from time to time. The good thing is every day, every week, every month we get a little more accustomed and it gets a little easier an we enjoy it that little bit more.

No pat you should have started your own thread here. Boy do you have company . I too was born in Chile, Chilean mother (you know "eso no se hace") Gringo dad. Lots of culture shock in both directions.

I'm also a chilean born, back to the mother land since May 08 and been absent from the place where I was born for 40 + years it has been a challege, however I'm happy to be here.It has been most difficult for me to deal with this constipated burocracy that constantly needs a laxative to get things moving. I get aggravated for the lack of customer service and in many cases their pure ignorance and lack of business ethics really gets under my skin.However I need to make the best of the situation after all I'm here to stay for the rest of my days.At least I feel that I belong somewhere...good or bad, I have a country to call my own.And yes, it was and still is a culture shock but things are getting easier.I'm happier and I have a good sense of freedom, more so here than in the States where you cannot make a move without paying a penalty for whatever reason, living practically under the boot of Uncle Sam. I live the way I want to, I get up when I feel like it, I eat at the time I desire and I mind my own business. Life's good!

Would you be married to Storklady? What took you so long???

Yes, she happens to be my liege lady, the one I have done homage to.
Why so long? Conflicting emotions that needed to be resolved.
Nopat

xxx

Hola - I am also a Chileno who left Chile when I was very young and now some fifty years later have come back to live. I have some of the same problems that some of you have, my Spanish is not as good at should be, I sometimes get frustrated with the bureaucracy of banks, municipality etc. but overall my wife and I feel that this is the best place to live. I have gleaned a lot of information from this website and now I feel I may able to contribute, assist or just throw my 2 cents in when I can.
Saludos to all of you.
Rasmataz