It's Chile, not Chili!

I cannot tell you how many times people asked me when I was younger if I 'ate Chili in Chile' or if 'it was Chilly in Chile.'  I was born in Santiago, Chile in the 70's and came to Canada when I was one with my parents who were political exiles.  Back then, no one really even knew where Chile was, let alone what we ate in Chile or what the weather was like.  Most people assumed we spoke 'Mexican,' ate tacos and burritos and that 'orale orale' was a greeting of some sort for us.

I understand today, that back then topics like diversity and inclusion and intercultural competency were foreign terms to many, so political correctness was not something many of us practiced.   But as we have become more globalized, we have also become more curious and we are learning more and more about other cultures and countries.  How can we become more curious?  Well, we can ask questions about; where people come from, what they eat, what they celebrate etc.  You will be amazed at how much information you can gather about a culture, simply by asking questions.  Never assume things about a culture or a country or its people, that is how stereotypes and generalizations happen. 

So I want to tell you a little about Chile and Chilean culture so that you get an understanding of who we are.   But I am going to focus on some fun facts about us!

Fact #1:
We definitely do not eat 'Chilis.' I can guarantee you that!  We don't eat tacos or burritos either.  In fact, some Chileans do not even like spicy food.  An interesting fact about Chileans is that they love their bread! Oh yes, Chileans are the second biggest consumer of bread, right after the Germans.  If you have never tried a marraqueta or an hallula, I encourage you to try them out!  They are just as good as French bread.   

Fact #2:
It is definitely not 'Chilly' in Santiago, Chile.  In fact temperatures in Santiago can get into the mid-30's on a hot day.  However, as you move more to the south, well Chile can be very much like Canada and the deeper south you get, just like the Antarctica.  You might also get to see a penguin or two.  Oh yes, Chile is known for its penguins and the further South you go, you might actually get to see one at the Seno Otway Penguin Colony.

Fact #3:
The origin of the name 'Chile' comes from the indigenous Mapuche word 'chili,' meaning 'where the land ends.' It is also based on the Mapuche imitation of a bird call which sounds like 'cheele cheele.'  The Mapuche are Chile's indigenous group, known for their ferocity in battle and never giving up against the Spanish conquistadores!   They were the only indigenous group in South America to have stopped the advancement of the Incan empire into their territory.  Fierce!

Fact #4:
Chileans love their UFO's and is one of the few countries on Earth that has an officially funded and recognized UFO Research Centre.  San Clemente in Chile is often mentioned as having the most recorded UFO sightings, even boasting a UFO trail.  People say, that in San Clemente you can almost guarantee a UFO sighting weekly.

Fact #5: 
Although Chileans are known for their world-class wines, we also drink a lot of beer.  This is thanks to the influx of German immigrants who came to Chile in the 1800's and brought with them their beer brewing traditions. As well as bringing with them pastries and traditional kuchens that are still prominent in the South of Chile.

Fact #6:
Chile has the biggest swimming pool in the world, located in Algarrobo city, and recorded in the Guinness book of World Records.  It has a length of 1,000 yards, a depth of 155 feet and is spread on an area of 20 acres.  It also is filled with 66 million gallons of seawater.

Fact #7: 
Chileans love their avocados or paltas as we say.  I can guarantee you that avocados were being eaten by Chileans, way before this avocado good-food craze we have going on.  I remember going to elementary school carrying my snack, made by my Chilean mother, which consisted of green, mashed up, avocado paste on bread.  In fact, palta on bread is one of the most eaten snacks at 'the elevenses time' (or once as we say which is typical 'tea time' in Chile, where families get together and drink tea and eat bread in the evening time).

Fact #8:
If the ground moves in Chile, don't be alarmed.  The entire country sits on a fault and is prone to earthquakes, in fact we have had some the biggest ones on record.  If its not over 6 on the Richter scale, well then its not even going to raise alarm bells in Chileans.  Many Chileans are so used to the ground moving beneath their feet that if you ask them if 'they felt that?' Most of the time they will say 'no!' 

Well there you have it.  These are just some of a few, fun and interesting facts about Chile.  And from now on, I can guarantee, that you will remember that it's Chile and not 'Chili' or 'Chilly.'

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog....