Fact Friday #9- Economy II

Currency & Exchange Rate-

Chilean currency is called the Chilean Peso ($). It is also split into 100 centavos, but there are not centavo coins in circulation. There are bills for1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, and  20,000 pesos as well as coins for 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, and 500 pesos. The current exchange rate is 0.0016 dollars for 1 peso. Below are what the pictures on the bills mean.

• 500 pesos - Image of Pedro de Valdivia on the obverse side and the back side of the note depicts an illustration from a painting by Pedro Lira symbolizing finding of the city of Santiago
• 1000 pesos - Portrait image of Captain Ignacio Carrera Pinto on the front and the backside shows the Monument to the Heroes of La Concepción
• 2000 pesos - The picture of Manuel Rodriguez Erdoyza is depicted on the obverse side and a church named Iglesia de los Dominicos is shown on the backside of the note
• 5000 pesos - The front side possesses a portrait image of Gabriela Mistral, a Nobel Prize winner poetess and the image on the backside is taken from the front of her literature.
• 10000 pesos - A portrait picture of Captain Arturo Prat Chacón is possessed by the obverse side and the backside shows an image of houses of the Hacienda San Agustín estate, the birth place of Captain Arturo Prat Chacón.
• 20000 pesos - This note depicts the image of Andrés Bello on its obverse and the picture of main campus of the University of Chile on its reverse side.

Currency and Exchange Rate of Neighbouring Countries-

Argentina- 1 Argentinian Peso =.11 dollars = 69.42 Chilean Pesos

Bolivia- 1 Bolivian Boliviano =.14 dollars = 92.32 Chilean Pesos

Peru- 1 Peruvian Nuevo Sul =.13 dollars= 200.53 Chilean Pesos

The Classes-

Chile is very stratified. The classes rarely mix, and hardly ever to people get married outside of their class. The lowest class is called “flaite”. This term is also used to refer to every class under you. Much of the lower class does not like the upper class at all. They refer to them pejoratively as “cuico”.

¿Quieres saber más?-

Google Public Data

Chile: The Expat's Guide, by Nathan Lustig

https://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/chl/ www.agediscrimination.info/international/Pages/Chile.aspx

https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/americas/chile

http://www.oanda.com/currency/iso-currency-codes/CLP http://www.crnindia.com/currency/chile_peso.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g2615224-Activities-Araucania_Region.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Araucan%C3%ADa_Region

Cultural References

I never realised just how many cultural references are in everything. TV shows, movies, books, songs, memes, literally everything. Picture when you are watching your favourite movie, and then one of your nerdy friends says "You know that this is an allegory for... like Shakespeare, right?" and then your little lightbulb goes off, and you can't believe that you never saw it, and it all makes so much sense. I think it's like that when you watch gringo TV and before you have lived in the US. I find myself explaining these cultural allegories all the time. Gringo TV is good, but when you watch it without the cultural allegories, it's like, well... trying to understand a joke in a language that you are almost fluent in, but not quite.
I'm not saying that this is anyones fault. It's not. It's just a fact.
So, for you gringos, try to pick out some of these next time you watch a movie. The Simpsons, for example, is full of them. Like when they play the Morning Addition (from NPR) music to Mr. Burns as a threat. Or high school in general. That's very gringo.
And for you non-gringos, if you were to live in the US for 4 months, I promise you, you'll have an epiphany.

Fact Friday #8- Economy I

Where's the Money?-

Chile's economy is based on the export of minerals, mainly copper. Chile is the world's largest copper producer.

Main Imports and Exports-

Exports: Refined Copper (28%), Copper Ore (20%), Raw Copper (4.1%), Sulfate Chemical Woodpulp (3.3%), and Wine (2.4%)

Imports: Refined Petroleum (10%), Crude Petroleum (7.5%), Cars (5.0%), Delivery Trucks (3.9%), and Planes, Helicopters and/or Spacecraft (3.8%)

Trade with The States-

Chile's main exports from the USA in 2013 were: Mineral Fuel (oil) ($6.0 billion), Machinery ($2.7 billion), Vehicles ($1.5 billion), Electrical Machinery ($1.1 billion), and Aircraft ($832 million). Their main imports to the USA were: Copper ($3.5 billion), Edible Fruit and Nuts (grapes, blueberries) ($1.8 billion), Fish and Seafood (salmon fillets) ($1.3 billion), Wood ($701 million), and Rubber ($359 million).

My Region-

The region that I am going to is called Araucanía. The main city is Temuco, which is where I will be living. There is a large population of Mapuche, natives in my region. So they are known for the products, and culture of these groups. Temuco is also famous for its Chocolateria Norweisser and the chocolate they make. It is supposed to be really good.  Araucanía is also one of Chile's most prominent agricultural regions. Their main crop is wheat, but grapes, lupine, and oats are also main crops. For this reason it has developed the nickname “granary of Chile”. It also has many national parks, hot springs, and caves making tourism a big industry. Finally, they are known for their wool yarn. 

The Stats-

	Chile	USA
Per Capita Income (GNI) (2013)	$21,060	$53,750
Gross National Product (2013)	$371.1013 Billion	$16.9924 Trillion
Unemployment Rate (2013)	6%	7.4%
Retirement Age	Women: 60 years Men: 65	62

Life.

I don't know what to blog about because I haven't done anything. Okay. That's a lie. I have done everything. Among other things, I've taken tests in school, taken "Micro" (the public bus) home, gotten a letter from my mom in the US, and hung out with the other intercambios. But that's all "normal" stuff. I do it all the time so it doesn't feel picture or blog worthy. And I don't want to to take pictures of everything because I want to be a citizen. Not a tourist. And taking pictures feels touristy. I dislike everything about tourists. They're loud, ignorant of the culture, and try to still use their culture. At the same time it's ironic because I would love it if everyone traveled to a different country to see how they live. I guess I wish they would just observe and blend in, like a good exchange student newbie. I've learned that sharing your culture, language and country is good and fun. But, not too much. It's more important to absorb the culture. Not to just "fit in" exactly, but to become more like the natives, but still be yourself.

Well, with the normal stuff I've been doing. I went over to Shayla's house. She is one of the other 4 exchange students in Temuco, and she is the other one from the US. So anyway, I went over there to make gringo food for a Rotary thing we have this weekend. And we ended up making like 90 chocolate chip cookies, and mac&cheese.

These are the cookies! They are really yummy!!

This would be me straining the cheese out of the water because it goes in after u cook the noodles. XD XD It turned out ok though

Beautiful Primavera

All exchange students have tons in common. Like this:

This picture is pretty much true for every-single-one of us. 

At the same time, everyone has a unique and totally different exchange than anyone else in history. In the world. 

So one of these big defining differences is whether one goes on a same-hemisphere (SH) exchange, or a other-hemisphere (OH) exchange. There are plenty of advantages to both.

Like, if I had gone on a SH exchange, I would have had a better chance of transferring my credits, because our school years are relatively the same. But, I'm on an OH exchange. So I get different advantages, like it's spring! 

This is Algarrobo beach where my host family's beach house is.

The water was absolutely freezing, but beautiful and refreshing!

These are snails. I didn't realise that and I picked one up. 

6 pointed starfish!

Purple crab! which I almost picked up because I thought it was a rock.

Pretty little park in Santiago

My adorable host brother whom I love to death. <3

Fact Friday #7- Religion

Major Religions-

The official religion of Chile is Roman Catholicism, representing 59% of the population. Another 16% are protestant, 22% atheist, and only 3% are anything else. Because Catholicism is so prominent in Chile, it has a large effect on their holidays, schooling, and laws. For example, many of the schools in Chile are catholic and even the public schools teach Catholicism in their class rooms. Another example is the fact that abortion in Chile is illegal and divorce was only made legal in 2004, due to influence from the Church.

Religious Holidays-

Easter, Holy Saturday & Good Friday: Kind of like in the US, Chileans eat no meet, except fish, for the whole weekend. Also, Holy Saturday is the quiet, peaceful day as people get ready for the festivities of Sunday. Easter begins for most, with special church services. Afterward, people have elaborate meals, and family gatherings that last the rest of the day.

St. Peter & St. Paul's Day (June 21): Largely celebrated in Valparaíso and other coast cities, this holiday celebrated both St. Peter, St. Paul, and the martyrdom of Rome. They are the patron saints of fisherman and therefore highly important to the coastal South American country.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel (July 16): This holiday is to commemorate Mary, who is the patron saint of Chile.

Assumption of Mary (August 15): This is a feast day that is associated with the ascension of Mary into heaven after she died.

Reformation Day (October 31): Even though Chile is primarily Catholic, reformation day is to recognise and please the increasing number of protestants in Chile.

All Saints Day: Holiday to recognise all of the saints.

Immaculate Conception (November 8): This day is to celebrate the conception of Jesus in the Virgin Mary and occurs nine months before Christmas.

Christmas: Chileans have many of the same traditions that we do. Such as, Santa and his reindeer, Christmas cards, carols, Christmas movies, and a large shopping season. People also decorate their homes, give presents, and share large family meals. However, presents are traditionally given out on midnight Christmas morning. But... and this is the weird part... it's HOT. I mean like really hot.

Quieres Ver Más?-

http://worldlyrise.blogspot.com/2013/06/chile-holidays-and-celebrations.html

Celebrating Me

We went to the beach again last weekend. (More about that later ;) ) And I celebrated who I have become in two months, nay. Maybe it's been longer. Maybe it's been for this whole year of Rotary that I have been changing so dramatically. Growing up so fast. Or... Maybe it's been for my whole life. One will never know. I could never know. But I was celebrating this fact. This life I can live. By being this person. By being myself. And not wearing any makeup. But wearing my favourite shorts. The green ones with white flowers. And driving down a winding mountain road singing "Titanium" with the salty wind whipping my hair. And I celebrated me. More often than not, the big celebrations do not need parties. They do not need guests. Nor planning. They just need a normal day, marked by something special, and appreciated more. Like every day. And on Exchange I can celebrate this Everyday.

Fact Friday #6- History II

Disclaimer: remember that I wrote this before I came to Chile. So I apologise if all my facts are not correct. Feel free to comment any changes you feel need to be made.

Immigration-

The first major people who immigrated to Chile, after settlement by the natives, were the Spanish during their conquest of Chile, and after. During the 19th and 20th centuries, a significant number of Germans, Italians, Irish, English, Greeks, Yugoslavs, Lebanese, and others came to Chile due to hardship in their own nations. Also, during and after World War II both a large number of Nazis and Jews settled in Chile. This has made Chile quite diverse. So much so that it has been called “the United States of South America”.

Civil Wars-

A brief civil war broke out in 1830 when the Conservatives regained control of the government from O'Higgens. However, the main civil war occurred in 1991. This was caused by increased tensions between the Liberals and Conservatives. In 1980 The National Congress refused to approve President Balmaceda's spending plan. This was the breaking point for the Civil War, in which 10,000 Chileans died fighting. The president's forces were overcome, and he killed himself. After that, congress increased its powers, and remained the power force in politics until 1925. Another major civil war ensued in 1973 when General Augusto Pinochet lead the military to overthrow the Allende government, and established a brutal dictatorship. This has created a controversy about whether he was good or bad for Chile overall.

Chile and International Wars-

Chile remained neutral for World War I, and their economy boomed because of the need for nitrates. However, in World War II, they were originally neutral but eventually cut ties with Germany and Japan in 1943. For the rest of the war they continued to sell copper, nitrates, and other war supplies to the Allies.

New Holidays-

1) National Holiday (September 18)-  This holiday commemorates the First Government Junta in 1810. It is kind of like the 4th of July, because it is their independence day.
2) Navy Day (May 21)- This day commemorates the Battle of Iquique in 1879, which was part of the War of the Pacific. It is also the day in which the president gives his State of the Nation address. Special programs are held in Santiago, Valparaíso, and Iquique.
3) Army Day (September 19)- This day is to celebrate the armed forces.

4) Columbus Day (October 12)- Although we have Columbus Day in the States, in Chile it is a day of mourning for many of the natives because so many of them were wiped out by the Spanish Conquistadors.
5) Partial Holidays for Elections- Employers are required to give everyone at least 2 hours off to go vote.
See Religion for other holidays

Want to see more?-

World Book

http://www.timeforkids.com/destination/chile/history-timeline http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Chilean-Americans.html#ixzz3f3ZHMqAw

The Little Things

Here are a few little things that no one bothered to tell me before I left:

1) This is probably the biggest. Your adapter is lying when it says that South America and the US use the same type of plug. Don't trust it! Bring an adapter!

This (Chile)

and this (USA) are not the same!

2) Mail is a luxury. You might not realise it, (I know I didn't), but in the US we enjoy the privilege of mail that is delivered every day to our doors. We also can just stick a stamp on anything, and it's gone. Simple as that. In Chile, we have to take our mail to a company to get it sent to the US. And I'm not even sure how the delivery service works. So if you send a letter/package from X to Chile, put the phone number of the To person on it and also expect it to take awhile.

3) This is a light switch. This has no importance except to say that lights will come on if you press this. It will not page the butler (that's not a thing).

This is a light switch in Chile.

This is a light switch in the USA.

4) Bring toilet paper to school, or at least to the bathroom. In my school we are privileged to have a toilet paper holder in our class room, that contains toilet paper most of the time. But there is not any for your use in the bathroom stalls.

5) Drinking fountain? What is that? You will find one below. You can drink water right out of them, and they're just about everywhere in the US. Well, I have yet to find one in Chile. We use our hands to drink water in school, but if you're new you should be careful drinking the water. It's perfectly safe, but it's really hard, and your system might not be used to it. Mine wasn't for like the first month and a half.

6) Germaphobes, be ware. I think the US is rather anal about cleanliness. But if you don't you should know the following. Sharing food is perfectly normal in Chile. Even with the same utensil. It's polite if your eating something to ask the people around you if they would like some. I don't think that "double dipping" exists. Also, It's normal to wear the same shirt for a week without washing it.

I may sound like I am hardcore judging Chile, but I'm not. I absolutely love Chile. But it's kind-of my job to observe and write down these things. It is also my job to just go with the flow, so I'm totally cool with everything I just stated.

Here are some more differences between Chile and the USA. It's a little old, but you get the idea.