Fotografo de Bodas, Santiago

August 24, 2010

As you’ve probably realized by now, we’re mildly obsessed with Spain and the idea of going to live there at some point — or at the very least try to base ourselves there for a month next year. Brides in Europe, contact me!

So I emailed one of my lovely brides for next year. She lives in Barcelona.

And I did exactly the same thing to her that I hate when other people do to me.

I emailed her gushing about how much I loved Spain, with nothing more than my stupid tourist observations, which probably aren’t true at all.

When a woman emails me saying, “OMG, I LOVE Chile. The people are SO nice!” I kind of want to punch her in the face and say, “No they’re not.”

That’s in part because I’m evil, but also in part because I hate when someone who has been her for a month or two as a tourist, or an exchange student or some kind of short term living, idealizes life in Chile and makes it out to be completely something that it’s not. Then I’m put in a bad position — of either lying, or crushing their dreams.

Anyway, I totally did that to Cynthia (sorry!!!) and she responded basically the same way I respond to people who do that to me — that yes, Spain is very nice, but no, it’s not perfect. She said that she feels like people look at her like a “bicho raro” sometimes, which is exactly how I feel in Chile (a lot of the times). The literal translation for bicho raro is weird bug, but the figurative translation is probably something like odd duck.

In the end no place is perfect. We all know that. But the grass really is greener in Spain. I still want to go live there (even if it’s temporary) next year.

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7 Comments

I’m there xD ahahahaha, its totally cool ahahah =D
Es cierto no hay lugar perfecto pero algunos se acercan ^^, supongo que aca eso de bicho raro les pasa a muy pocos a diferencia del Chile que deje aqui vive muchisima gente y digo muchisima por q hay de tooodas las nacionalidades sales a las calles se ven todos los colores de piel, se escuchan todos los idiomas, todos los colores asi q un poco bicho raro somos todos, eso en general despues dependiendo de la zona en donde vives, quizas si que lo notes mas, no puedo decir que no este integrada en la sociedad pero tampoco soy una ciudadana del dia a dia, de esas q se saludan a todo el mundo por la calle xD (vivo en lo que se considera pueblo) …
Supongo q en Chile si que se debe notar mas yo viviendo ahi la unica vez que vi a un extranjero fue a una chica de China que fue a mi casa que era amiga de bla bla bla
y los circulos familiares casi siempre estan compuesto por Chilenos y la gente que conoces generalmente son mas chilenos, entonces oportunidad de dialogar y conocer otra cultura casi no hay a exepcion de varias familias, incluida la mia ahora ^^
Personalmente creo q te ira fantastico aqui y estoy segura que no te sentiras un bicho raro, la mayoria de la gente es muy muy amable y hay un sin fin de culturas y razas asi q no te miraran como una extraÃ±a porque seras una mas ^^

Siempre que te sientas como un odd duck xD
escucha esto, por que estar con tu pareja es lo q realmente importa â™¥ sea donde sea

Gegrafia – la oreja de Van Gogh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FywCCvGokI

Comment by Cynthia — August 25, 2010 @ 3:25 am

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After your experience living here in Chile, I don’t think it could possibly get any worse in Spain. Spanish people are more used to foreigners than Chileans. That said, you’ll still encounter cold, distant people on the street and a lot of the Catholic mentality, but if I got the chance to go live there in your situation, I would totally do it.

Comment by Flo — August 25, 2010 @ 6:15 am

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Well, I think there’s currently the issue of 20% unemployment in Spain. Nearly double that in Chile & the US, believe it or not. I have a lot of Spanish friends who would like to go back but stay here because they feel like there’s nothing there, or they have to leave the country to find a job.
I kinda have the same issue with Italy. A lot of Italians have said, “maybe it’s nice to visit but things are really tough there right now.”
That being said, I thought the people in Spain were terribly cold when I went there. I just didn’t spend enough time for it to make a lasting impression like Chile made on me.
Viva Latin America

Comment by Amanda — August 25, 2010 @ 6:36 am

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Realmente me llama muuuuucho la atenciÃ³n Europa, y EspaÃ±a me encanta, me escanta el acento espaÃ±ol tambiÃ©n… son cosas super superficiales, hahaha, pero creo que esas cositas chicas, asÃ como que te haya gustado el color fuerte y vibrante del pasto, son cositas que alimentan un poquito los sueÃ±os y nos hacen querer conocer un poco mÃ¡s el lugar.
Yo espero ir a Barcelona en Enero-Febrero, si es que logro juntar el dinero.
Y has visto el Sur de Chile, Kyle?

Comment by Pia — August 25, 2010 @ 7:17 am

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I support the Spain bit. Chile is so homogeneous, I could barf. Hope Spain offers more diversity! I imagine it does … in the very least it offers more history and a deeper culture.

Comment by Andrea — August 25, 2010 @ 7:23 am

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YEEESSSS! Totally come live on this side of the world even if it’s just for a few months in the year!! I agree with an earlier comment, if you’re already used to feeling like a bicho raro in Chile, feeling like one in Spain shouldn’t be such a big problem for you guys.. and I personally think you’ll love Barcelona! Plus, the bicho raro thing wont be so pronounced there because nearly EVERYONE who doesn’t speak Catalan feels like that even if they ARE themselves spaniards!!

Come to think about it, I wonder how second time expatration will feel like? Will it still be the same as the first time you go live in a foreign country? Will you still go through the same trials and tribulations as the fist time around? Hmmmm… wonder about that…

Comment by Francine — August 25, 2010 @ 10:00 am

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Can’t wait for you to come to Europe for a month or so. Spain…hmmmm….I find the Spanish kinda difficult. They don’t say please and they’re not overly polite, but that’s not because they’re rude, more that it’s not really their custom. They think the English are weird for saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ so much – they think we have no self-esteem and we’re basically a little weak and pathetic. However, they’re very used to foreigners, from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and, of course, lots of immigrants from African countries, so you won’t get the whole ‘staring at me because I’m blonde’ thing. Especially in the Northern parts of the country, and the big cities.
But you must visit London this time.

Comment by Eliza Claire — August 25, 2010 @ 11:15 am

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