Chile Forum

I am starting to get a little more nervous about the move. I think the unknown is the biggest factor.

AussieMum wrote:I am starting to get a little more nervous about the move. I think the unknown is the biggest factor.

Chile is nothing like Australia. In its own quirky way it works and it does have some really beautiful countryside, friendly people (can be a little shy at first) - or maybe thats just they are shy of me...not sure LOL. But it is what you make of it and can be really rewarding. I guess my point is, don't expect what your use to, come with an open mind, make the most of the experience, enjoy the Chilean hospitality, get out there and keep busy and soon you will get hooked. Chile has a unique ability to help you unwind once you relax into its way of life...aside from the things that may frustrate the hell out of you LOL, but you get use to them.

It's an adventure, how often in life do we get one of those.

Have a great time...we have! and when all else fails talk the guys here on the forum, they've all been there and done that and worked out how to overcome it or work around it.

Cheers Mardy

Hey! I just saw your post! I am moving from seattle to Antofagasta this up coming year.
Anywho, I used to live there before and some recomendations that I'll give you are the following:
- The closer you are to the coast the safer you are, the closer you are to the "mountains" it gets more dangerous. that is because near the coast there is wealthier people usually can afford to live so there is more security and less crime, aas on the other hand far back facing the mountains there is more poverty, in some places extreme poverty. So I won't recomed you to go to that part.
- Have a car if possible because public transportation (BUS) can give you a real headeche because of the fact that there isn't a specific bus stop, but --Taxis are always a good fast,cheap option! notice that they'll charge you an specific fare (that is that you pay about $2 u.s dollars and they take you anywhere!)
- I don't know how warm is in Australia but it gets pretty warm and humid over there so be prepared for that.
-Don't wear too many expensive-looking jewls if is not nessecary or the occasion doesn't requiers it ( as for example just wondering about in the streets).
- Use sun block (plenty in the summer time)
- if you are buying groceries and still don't now spanish that well I would recomend you to perhaps go to a regular super market, since sometimes at the farmers market, judging by someone's foreign appearence and lack of spanish, they would rise up the price of something! It is not nessecerely true but it does happens!
-I think those are all my recommendations I hope you enjoy your stay there, I have had many good experiences there and made lots and lots of really good friends!
best of luck to you and your family!

Thank you so much for the advice.

Felipe- thanks so much for the specifics. Where we live in Australia now and previously, has been in hot and humid climates.
We were looking at the Jardines del Sur as a place to live- it seems to be a nicer part of town- although we may not know this until we get there.

With your husband working for la escondida, you will be fine and especially since you are not american but there is a choice to make. It will be the biggest choice you will make and define how you talk about Chile from the moment you arrive to the moment you die. One choice will be such that, after you return, old friends could say that its like you never went away and new friends after 10 years will say "...I never knew you lived in Chile?". The other choice will be marked by your first phone call home where friends and relatives will say "You sound different..." and by the time you leave Chile its what you always hear "You seem so different..."

You can stay within the "confines' of what you could say is the mining royalty and really your experience will be almost as if you were in Paris, which I mean in a social, party type way. It wold almost be like the diplomatic circle where everyone drinks scotch and it all tastes the same because it is the same; all bought at the company store.

Ok....

or you could choose to take life one day at a time, mix with expats at times and with Chileans too, evolving into a happy time of your life where you get to enjoy Chile the way you want to... and as for the "company store" What the...?

Steph wrote:

With your husband working for la escondida, you will be fine and especially since you are not american but there is a choice to make. It will be the biggest choice you will make and define how you talk about Chile from the moment you arrive to the moment you die. One choice will be such that, after you return, old friends could say that its like you never went away and new friends after 10 years will say "...I never knew you lived in Chile?". The other choice will be marked by your first phone call home where friends and relatives will say "You sound different..." and by the time you leave Chile its what you always hear "You seem so different..."

You can stay within the "confines' of what you could say is the mining royalty and really your experience will be almost as if you were in Paris, which I mean in a social, party type way. It wold almost be like the diplomatic circle where everyone drinks scotch and it all tastes the same because it is the same; all bought at the company store.

Ok....

or you could choose to take life one day at a time, mix with expats at times and with Chileans too, evolving into a happy time of your life where you get to enjoy Chile the way you want to... and as for the "company store" What the...?

Don't worry Steph- I was going to do exactly as you described. I think taking it one day at a time is the best way- who knows what will happen?

Oh and thank you so much- you have been the best help with trying to work this all out.

For sure not everyone moves to a foreign country as a matter of choice. Employment, or spouses employment certainly cast a different light on the experience and how it is approached. Also, the individual reasons are different. My most enlightened experience with ex-pats was being invited to a group pot-luck in [a country I won't name]. It was in the home of a very lovely elderly couple who were career ex-pat company people...Chiquita I think. The rest of the folks were a mix...but mostly the recent rush of disillusioned recently retired folks, or hoped-to-be retired folks who wanted to live cheap and in a temporate climate. And a few nice folks scattered in who just wanted a different life, slower pace, and who wanted to experience the culture. The pot-luck people quickly, but politely slipped into their assigned groups.

The first consisted of the ex-pat company people who never had to open an electric account, or get a driver's license by themselves, never rode a city or rural bus, or ate anything that a maid didn't cook for them...they hooked up with the career diplomats. They discussed the indigenous artwork they had pilfered or bought for pennies, the artifacts they smuggled from one post or employment or another and laughed about bribing local officials for some favor or another. Their badge is living in other countries without "living in other countries" but having all the trinkets and pictures to prove they did. How brave. I think they passed on the mondongo that was on the buffet. They sniffed and sneered at groups two and three when they werent' looking (you know, the low downs and freaks).

The second group included the Ruby Ridge Folks (though that is an insult to the people from Ruby Ridge) and they were the people who stuffed sugar packets in their pockets and shared resources for razor wire, finding vicious dogs to menace neighborhood children and cheating maids and gardeners out of a days pay and talked about how they were always getting robbed. This group often raises money for "good causes" so long as the cause is what they thing things should be like, as in "back in the US......" These people eat meat, but watch their cholesterol and often filter their water. They hate the US, but hilariously want to re-create it in this new country. They sneered at the other groups (you know, the snobs and earth muffins).

The third group...the old hippy type, and the loners, they gravitated to the salad and veggie section of the buffet. They talked about sustainable and organic (or hydroponic) farming, organizing the farm workers for better pay, and shook their heads at everyone else for not joining their little local causes. Well-meaning causes such as raising money for the "poor indians" so they could have gas cook stoves, yet not realizing that dragging a 30-pound tank of gas through the mountains isn't a very nice idea. The wood stoves worked just fine - thank you! They didn't sneer at anyone, they only meditated that the others would find their way though truth and light and understanding. Pass the organic toasted sesame seeds.

This is why we never went to another pot-luck for the illustrious ex-pat community.

Moving to a new country can be anything you want it to be. It's also a little bit about who you are before you go.

Great post. Antofagasta is not our first expatriation and we adopt the same atitude here as before, hay que decir.....it is not home.....it is new.....it is different....you dont get all the things that you are used to....you must live with this....and in some cases you may even enjoy this....

We have lifelong friends from around the world...who are not from our home country, which we love dearly by the way. I can sum it up like this, If you dont have an open mind it will be difficult.

Buena suerte

el puelche wrote:You guys are classic, why did you ask for advice if you knew what you were already going to do? You'll be the first ones at the PX in Santiago screaming for your peanut butter, jaegermiester and tide detergent.

Good Luck, and I hope you enjoy your year in Chile.

p

So, personally, I didn't ask for advice, I gave some to AussieMum, so sorry for having an opinion different to yours.
But since AussieMum is coming here not knowing the language (neither did I), from Australia (as did I), to Antofagasta (as did I, after a year in Santiago), with at least one young daughter (I have 3), I felt like I could offer her some advice...


My point was, if I was unclear, that you don't have to come here and be completely black and white. You should definitely enjoy the local culture and community and become as much a part of it as you can. But, part of that community is other expats (though I am yet to meet one in Antofagasta) and you shouldn't rule out hanging out with them. Often other expats, particularly from the same country, understand what it is that you find difficult about your transition and can help you through it. Definitely agree that you should not try to make a mini-US or mini-aus in your new country.

There is also the fact that coming here on a job rotation generally means that if you want to remain employed you have to go back to your country of employment eventually, be it 2, 3, 5 years, or if you are lucky, longer. But you never know. You have to come here assuming that you are going to go back home in order to both make the most of the time you have here (it might be short, do as much as you can as soon as you can), and to ensure that your children are prepared to go back into your home country. To this end I speak spanish to everyone except my children and husband (except for the basic greetings etc, which we say in spanish) but I don't think I have "gone native". Life is about a balance and its up to everyone to find their own.

I can't speak for AussieMum, but my guess is that her thanking me for my advice was in regard to some emails we have been exchanging since "meeting" on this forum. As you can see, we have very similar backgrounds and there were things that I have been able to help her with regarding the transition etc (like the fact that you really can't buy cute bucket-style hats for kids here, so buy a bunch before you come, that sort of thing).

As for being the "first ones at the PX in Santiago screaming for your peanut butter, jaegermiester and tide detergent", I don't know what the PX is, they sell peanut butter at Jumbo (but we don't eat it), and I have never heard of either jaegermiester and tide detergent... but I do miss vegemite and freddo frogs, sorry if that offends.

Thanks so much for your broadmindedness, it seems you already have everyone figured out el puelche.

Steph wrote:... Thanks so much for your broadmindedness, it seems you already have everyone figured out el puelche.

Look, in order to state that "Chile is strong", one should have some knowing how to "look at the ocean", how to "smell the hot and dry air" and how to "listen to the wind". With respect to such knowing, there is no way to tell you how to learn, but there is a tiny possibility for you to be able to "feel" when someone else has a little bit of such knowing. That someone usually has many things figured out. Actually, quite a few things. Listening to what el P is saying may be sometimes beneficial to the listener, so I think.

el puelche wrote:Anto has a smell and a feeling on your skin; its dry, its the ocean, its the wind and whatever else it is, its strong. It shouldn't scare you but you should be scared.

... hey, no one needs to print this out!

But, if you do, then smell the paper..

It shouldn't scare you but you should be scared..

Okay so lets clear this up.

el puelche- I have taken into account what you have written, I just found it to be a very negative slant on things and to undermine my ability to look beyond the expat community. I would never move somewhere without acknowledging the country in which I live. Also if you would have read my previous posts you would have seen that my Husband grew up in Chile (also his family are in Chile), therefore being able to help me to integrate into the Chilean Community. Your comments on me being scared made me even more nervous about the move. It is okay to tell people about both positives and negatives about the country in which they will live but not to assume that people will follow the normal expat situation- and really if they do then that is their choice.


As to Stephs comments she has been wonderful in helping me out with all the questions that I have been asking of her in emails. She is helping me prepare for what I am going to experience and what I may need to get prior to moving. All these things will help with a smoother transition into a country which I have no experience. I think that can only be a good thing. I have always had the opinion to take things one day at a time. I have lived in various locations in Australia and some very remote so having to make the experience what I make of it. I think this is a healthy way to adjust to a new location and not have too many preconcieved ideas on what you are going to do.

As for the XP in Santiago- I have no idea what that is. I would get my Jagermister from our German relatives (If I drank it), no idea about Tide and well peanut butter is not really something that I would crave. But I think vegemite and tim tams might be an issue.

Oh and on a side note- I already cook Chilean foods- have for many many years. Having Chilean family (Husbands) means that I have been able to experience some of the culture here in Australia. BUT I am still slighty nervous about the move, which I think is completely normal.

Aussie Mom,

I don't honestly think El P's original post was meant to be negative at all. I thought what he was saying (and he can certainly speak for himself) that you can be the kind of person who will be changed by Chile. As in when you call home and people notice that you are different now, or if you return home and it's like you never had a great ex-pat experience. His "be afraid" comment was possibly a tongue-in-cheek warning about getting caught up in ex-pat fever and missing out. Anyway, that's my take on it.

Since you already have a pinky in the door with some Chilean relatives and cooking, and you are traveling to a nice area with good weather and the backing of your husband's employee, you certainly should not feel fearful for yourself or family. Try not to let hysterical thoughts enter your thinking, and when you get settled and learn how to make pastel de choclo, be sure to share the recipe in one of the food threads. You'll have a great adventure, I hope.