2008 December | Kyle Hepp

December 12, 2008

*We’re in the U.S. right now, we got here yesterday! Posts will probably be shorter and more infrequent than usual, FYI.

First Woah-I’m-Not-In-Chile-Anymore moment:

An hour outside of Atlanta at a rest area right off the highway — we pull in and see a truck with wheels the size of our “compact” rental car. The Confederate flag is displayed proudly across the back window.

Me to S., only half joking: Don’t speak Spanish loudly, you might get shot.

(We then walk up to a pay phone to try to call my friend that we’re meeting in Atlanta. I put money in and my quarters get rejected. I then try to dial, and put the phone down then pick it up again and shake my head in frustration that I no longer know how to use my country’s pay phones. An overweight girl approaches holding out a cell phone and speaks in a heavy Southern accent): Y’all trying to use the phone?

Me (suspiciously): Umm, yeah, why?

Random Southern Girl: Use my (pronounced mah) phone. It ain’t gonna cost me anything.

Me (taking phone, afraid the phone is a secret distraction technique while her cohorts are stealing our car off in the distance): Umm, thanks?
Me (dials and talks to friend, hands phone back over, turns and sees rental car is still there): Hey thanks, that was really nice of you. I guess that’s your random act of kindness for the day.

Random Southern Girl (smiling a big and very genuine smile): Hey, it ain’t no problem. I (pronounced ah) know how it is. We all been there.

Me to S., as we walk away: Wow, that was cool, slash a little weird.
(S. nods in agreement)
Me: But, still, don’t yell in Spanish or anything until we get in the car.

Living in Chile has taught me to never trust strangers. Coming back to the U.S. reminds me why I was this trusting to begin with.

For another interesting trust graph, and why I always scoff when Chileans tell me what a warm and open culture they are, click here. I didn’t find this graph on my own, it was left in a comment on someone else’s blog, although I can’t remember whose, sorry! The graph compares Chile’s levels of trust to the rest of LatinAmerica’s over a period of time. Then countries who were surveyed once also appear. Swedes are the most trusting, with 70% of people surveyed responding “Yes,” when asked if they believed you can trust in the majority of all people. Holand follows closely at 60%, while the U.S. comes in with 35% (in 2001). Chile’s percent was just below 10 when surveyed in 2007.

I’m not trying to beat a dead horse. I just felt like this anecdote is extremely telling of where I am now in terms of trust in strangers, compared to where I came from. And the graph quantefies that.

8 Comments

December 5, 2008

Marcelo is officially signed up at DUOC. Classes start March 8th. He’s a little nervous, but excited!

In other random news, photos from Mila’s daughters’ double wedding are up at my photography blog. And guess what…her son graduates from high school in three years. Right about the time Marcelo will be finishing up his degree at the DUOC. Can anybody guess what I’m thinking?

7 Comments

December 3, 2008

Just a few pics from the beach house. They’re just boring unedited photos from our point and shoot of S. and I with Papi and Mundi (his childhood dog who lives with his parents). I understand that most people will not be too interested in these shots…and I just don’t care.

I really hate cooking.

But when it’s done, it’s so worth it!

The dogs played fetch all weekend long with pine cones. Poor underprivileged puppies who can’t afford real balls.

Except that Papi doesn’t understand the concept of fetch. She waits until Mundi chases down the pine cone, brings it back and drops it at our feet. Then she steals it and runs away. I spent the whole weekend just chasing her!