It's Just You and Me, Blog

I know, three blog entries in one day. I blame it on the fact that I haven't left my host house in three days. I mean, Jesus, I haven't breathed fresh air since Friday afternoon. I've got some serious cabin fever but nevertheless can't seem to bring myself to go outside.

These past few days I have entertained myself with documentaries, movies, chocolate, sleep, and econ reading (that part wasn't so entertaining). Today I watched Volver, a movie by Almodovar, so far the best one I've seen (and trust me, I've seen a lot). Surprisingly, this one didn't have any transvestites. Maybe that's why I liked it so much. Don't get me wrong, I don't discriminate against transvestites. But the transvestite motif really does get old after awhile, even if Gael Garcia Bernal does make one gorgeous woman. Lately I have been hoarding movies from the movie collection at the Stanford center, most of which are shitty Chilean movies. I must say, Chile makes some damn shitty movies. I am taking a Chilean film class this quarter, and the movies just pretty much suck. What a waste of 3 credit hours.

I mean, let me be brutally honest here. Chile kinda sucks in general. I have yet to discover anything distinctly "Chilean" here, besides the complete butchery of the Spanish language and Pisco sour. Have Europe and the US sent so many gringos here that it has lost all its Chile-neity? The fact that I am here is a testament to my country's monopolization of Chile (or at least Santiago). I am contributing to the destruction of Chilean culture. I am one of the millions of agents of US hegemony tainting the world's diversity. Shit. But I am digressing.

But let me qualify my harsh statements about Chile. By no means am I saying that the US is superior to Chile, because I totally disagree. It's the US' fault that Chile has been so inundated with American culture. I am sure that what is now an unremarkable metropolis crawling with American food chains was once a distinctly Chilean city. Or maybe a distinctly Euro-wannabe city, as I have read it was back in the old days. But, as far as I have noticed, Chile is far more globally integrated than, say, Argentina, or even Russia and Ukraine and Estonia and Finland and Turkey. I guess I am arguing, then, against global integration. Shit, I don't know. All I am saying is that when I walk the streets of Santiago I feel like I am walking the streets of any large city in the US, except I hear Spanish instead of English. Oh, and except that there are wild dogs here.

I don't mean to blame Chile for my hermit-like behavior during the last few days. But frankly, Santiago doesn't offer anything interesting or distinct enough to draw me out of my house. Poor Chileans. I am being such a bitch. I think I am just grumpy because I haven't stepped foot outside all weekend.