The days following the 8.8-magnitude earthquake of February 27th, 2010 revealed much higher numbers of dead, wounded and homeless than first calculated, more damage than first reported, and unexpected strains on supplies of basic necessities such as food, gasoline and cash.

There are many ways to contribute to the earthquake relief effort, whether you’re in Chile [...]]]>

The days following the 8.8-magnitude earthquake of February 27th, 2010 revealed much higher numbers of dead, wounded and homeless than first calculated, more damage than first reported, and unexpected strains on supplies of basic necessities such as food, gasoline and cash.

There are many ways to contribute to the earthquake relief effort, whether you’re in Chile or abroad.

In Chile

Chilean Red Cross This internationally recognized and trusted organization offers several ways to donate, including bank transfer

Donate blood to be sent to Concepción at Organización Humaniza on Vitacura 0115 in Providencia, Monday through Friday 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM.  More info about donating here.

Cómo ayudar a Chile from Endeavor – An extensive list of relief organizations and how to donate to them

Outside Chile

Chile Earthquake Relief: How You Can Help from The Huffington Post

Caritas When you donate, select the Emergencies option and then Earthquake in Chile 2010 from the pull-down menu

Other Useful Websites

How to Donate to Chile from The Pulse

Ayudemos Chile This site contains information about volunteering as well as donating money, supplies such as food and temporary shelter, and blood

ChileSurf Help for specific coastal towns affected by the tsunami

Caveat: I have no medical training.  Please use the information in this article as a reference only, and consult with your physician before taking any medication.

The first time you get sick and go to the doctor in Chile, you will probably discover two things:

Friends photo by luiswalk

Did you ever wonder how Chino Ríos was related to tennis star Marcelo Ríos?  Or what parents were thinking when they named their daughters Kena or Mane?   Actually, Chile produced only one tennis-playing Ríos, and Kena and Mane’s parents gave their girls quite traditional names (María Eugenia and María Elena, respectively).  [...]]]>

Friends photo by luiswalk

Did you ever wonder how Chino Ríos was related to tennis star Marcelo Ríos?  Or what parents were thinking when they named their daughters Kena or Mane?   Actually, Chile produced only one tennis-playing Ríos, and Kena and Mane’s parents gave their girls quite traditional names (María Eugenia and María Elena, respectively).  Chileans like to give people nicknames.

Nicknames based on a person’s given name, for the most part, have one of three origins, which I’ll call “Shortened”, “Younger sibling”, and “Imported”.

1) Shortened: These nicknames are easy to connect to their full-form counterpart, since they’re usually just the first one or two syllables of the name. They may sound confusing at first to foreign ears, since male nicknames can end in “a” and female nicknames in “o”.  Examples: Fran, Manu, Pau, Rafa, Seba.  In the case of compound names such as Juan José or Carmen Luz, the shortened form will usually be made up of the first syllable of each component name, producing Juanjo and Calú, respectively.

2) Younger sibling: These nicknames sound vaguely like the original, though they never have more than two syllables, and they simplify complex sounds, in much the way a child learning to talk might pronounce her older sibling’s name.  For example:

Jorge -> Coke :  /x/ (written as “j” and “g”) is replaced by the easier-to-pronounce /k/, and the adjacent /r/ is removed
Gloria -> Lola : /g/ is removed from the first consonant cluster, /r/ is replaced by the easier /l/ and the diphthong /ia/ is reduced to /a/

3) Imported: These are Anglo-sounding nicknames, like Paty and Naty

Here is a list of common name-based nicknames.  As  you’ll see, several have both shortened and younger-sibling forms.

Then, of course, there are the nicknames that come not from a person’s given name, but rather from a physical characteristic of theirs.  The most common of these are: Chascón (needs a haircut), Chico (short), Chino (Asian-looking), Flaco (skinny), Gordo (fat), Guatón (fat), Pelado (bald) and Negro (dark). These are generally pejorative terms, but always used con cariño.  The nicknames are often assigned by peers in primary or secondary school and can never be shaken.  They stick so fast to their owners that they can often be spotted in mainstream media, followed by a surname, as though they were official.

Your local feria libre (farmers’ market) is THE place to buy your unpackaged and unprocessed groceries for the week: fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts, fish, eggs and cheese are available at most ferias, and many also offer dry goods and some semi-processed items such as hot pepper sauce and pre-cut salads.  According to the newspaper La [...]]]> Your local feria libre (farmers’ market) is THE place to buy your unpackaged and unprocessed groceries for the week: fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts, fish, eggs and cheese are available at most ferias, and many also offer dry goods and some semi-processed items such as hot pepper sauce and pre-cut salads.  According to the newspaper La Nación, in Santiago alone some 30,000 vendors sell fruits and vegetables to 70% of the population at 120 markets around the city.

Most ferias operate at a given location once or twice a week, from around 9:00 am to around 3:00 pm.  Since you pay as you go, you can usually get through and out of the feria much faster than you can from the supermarket.  Not to mention that the produce is usually less expensive and better quality than what you can get at the supermarket.

Sounds great, eh?  Now how do you find your local feria?  If you’ve just arrived in your neighborhood and don’t know anyone, you have several options, depending on your level of Spanish comprehension and the amount of free time you have.

1. Go up to a neighbor and ask her “Dónde se pone la feria? Y qué días?”
2. Walk in a spiral around your house or apartment every morning for a week, until you find one
3. Look online:

culturaenmovimiento.cl has a map of all of the ferias in Santiago, by comuna.  This map is pretty comprehensive but not necessarily up to date (for example, it doesn’t show Line 4 of the metro, which was inaugurated in 2005).

The Ministry of Agriculture has a list of ferias by comuna.  More accurate but less useful, especially if you’re not familiar with the street names in your comuna, and if your closest feria might be in a neighboring comuna.

Google Maps has two crowdsourced maps of Santiago ferias (See Ferias libres de Santiago and Ferias libres de santiago chile).  These maps aren’t complete but are more up to date than the above map and list.  Go ahead and add yours (when you find it)!

Vocab

• casero, casera this is what the vendors will call you, and what you should call them as well (casero to the men, casera to the women, of course)
• el cuarto a quarter kilogram, as in quinientos el cuarto (“500 pesos per quarter kilo”)
• el medio a half kilogram, as in quinientos el medio (“500 pesos per half kilo”)

Photo by constantin jurcut

After wine, seafood is perhaps Chile’s most famous export. In the U.S., you can go into a restaurant and order “Chilean Sea Bass,” but when you get to Chile and you want the same thing, what should you ask for? And what are all of those other kinds of fish on the menu? Here’s a [...]]]> After wine, seafood is perhaps Chile’s most famous export. In the U.S., you can go into a restaurant and order “Chilean Sea Bass,” but when you get to Chile and you want the same thing, what should you ask for? And what are all of those other kinds of fish on the menu? Here’s a quick guide to Chilean seafood.

So now you know what animal to order.  Now on to how you would like it prepared:

Common preparations for seafood in Chile

In a bowl…

• caldillo (e.g. de congrio) stew or chowder, may be water- or cream-based
• chupe (e.g. de camarón) milk and bread (marraqueta) are often mixed into the broth of this seafood chowder
• paila (e.g. marina) seafood stew served named for the traditional clay bowl it’s served in
• pastel (e.g. de jaiba) chunks of meat in a cream sauce topped with cheese and baked
  

On a plate…

• a la plancha grilled
• al horno baked
• frito fried

Special sauces…

• a la mantequilla negra in a butter- and vinegar-based sauce prepared with ground pepper or peppercorns, which may or may not be darker in color than plain butter
• a la parmesana covered with parmesan cheese and broiled
• al pil-pil sautéed in butter, garlic and hot pepper
• en escabeche/escabechado marinated and baked in an acidic marinade with onions and herbs
• en salsa margarita in a white sauce with shellfish

Famous dishes…

• ceviche/cebiche raw fish “cooked” in lemon juice and mixed with onions, cilantro, red pepper (sweet pepper, similar only in appearance to the fiery rocoto used in Peruvian cebiche), and served with corn and boiled sweet potato
• curanto just about every variety of animal protein– including fish and shellfish– is placed with potatoes, cabbage and white wine in a large pot or a hole in the ground and cooked for several hours

Find the fish

Have you been wondering if the grass is greener on the other side?

Has everyone you know gone and you’re (again) the last to go?

Then get ready to get yourself across the border to Argentina, crossing the Andes along the way.

We’ll assume you’ll be driving, either your own car or a rental.

First, you’ll need to get [...]]]> Have you been wondering if the grass is greener on the other side?

Has everyone you know gone and you’re (again) the last to go?

Then get ready to get yourself across the border to Argentina, crossing the Andes along the way.

We’ll assume you’ll be driving, either your own car or a rental.

First, you’ll need to get the paperwork ready.

1) Authorization.  If the car is yours, you won’t need authorization, since the padrón (the yellow piece of paper in the car document pile that identifies the car and owner) and your ID will match.

If the vehicle is not yours, i.e. it’s rented or loaned, then you will need the owner’s notarized permission to take it from the country.  The owner should go to a notary with your usual identification details (full name, date of birth, passport number, home address), and fill out a permiso notarial for about 2.000 pesos.  A rental car company will charge you a fee starting around CLP 50.000 that includes both the permiso notarial and the seguro de responsabilidad civil, described below.

2) Seguro de Responsabilidad Civil Internacional. This is special insurance required by Argentina to allow a Chile-plated car to drive on their roads.

You can buy this insurance at various places: on the internet (Scotiabank, BBVA) or at Jumbo Bilbao, where the Paris travel agency has a little stand outside.

Always buy the minimum number of days required for your trip.

If you forget, don’t worry, all hope is not lost. You can buy it right after the toll booth to Los Andes, on the right hand side, and you can actually get it at the exact point where they request it (after you cross the border into Argentina) at a little stand that sells it (and if you pay in Argentine coin, it’s the cheapest option!).

But if you prefer to play it safe, you’ll feel better having everything ready the day before.

3) Map. You can buy the following roadmaps, which include the route through Chile and part of the way into Argentina, at Copec and Terpel filling stations.

• Copec Rutas de Chile
• TURISTEL Mapa Rutero

See below for Google Maps driving directions.

Ready!

This is one of the best drives in South America.

First, the route: Get out on Americo Vespucio highway (Américo Vespucio Norte) heading north, which from Vitacura, is the road that wraps around the north side of the San Cristobal hill. Drive to the Los Andes exit, and continue straight ahead.

When you pass the toll and the tunnel, you’re almost there. Keep on the highway, straight, en route to Portillo/Mendoza as marked. No need to go into Los Andes; it will slow you down. At the end of the bypass, make a right and drive up the mountain.

There are some wide turns that can seem a  little daunting, but press on, underneath the chairlifts and through the avalanche tunnels. Make a left at Portillo, snap some photos of the lagoon, and have a hot chocolate. Get back in the car, and 5 minutes past Portillo you’ll have to stop at a little window, a checkpoint where they will verify your vehicle’s documentation and give you a form to fill in with the corresponding information.

Once he hands you the form, drive through without stopping at the big building (that’s the Chilean border station, where you’ll stop on your return trip).  You’ll be waved through by a man at the end of the building.  Nothing between you and Argentina now.

After coming out of the big tunnel, there is a smaller one, then a sign a mile or so down that says (in Spanish), “Private vehicles turn left”. This is the Argentinean border control building. Fill out the form they gave you while you wait your turn. Then it’s window window window, stamp stamp stamp.  A small control station in the middle of the road will check that you have your seguro, and give you yet another scrap of paper, that will be stamped as you go through a few more minor checks.

It may sound complicated, but it’s not.

Recommendations? Stop in Uspallata, Argentina, 80 km from the border, at the end of the mountain segment of the road. Have lunch at the Bar Tibet (made from props used in the film Seven Years in Tibet, which was shot here). It’s right at the first corner, opposite the YFP filling station.

There are horseback trips available in Uspallata, but the top trip is taking the camino antiguo a Chile (“the old road to Chile”), a 365-degree curve, dirt switchback that has the most stunning view of the pampas as you come down.  At the end, you’ll encounter the Villavicencio hotel, closed since 1978, but maintained by the mineral water company of the same name, and with a very good restaurant serving the finest local fare. If you ask for chicken, you will get the whole bird.  And bread? Let’s just say the loaves are filling.

From there, it’s a relatively short drive into Las Heras (the backyard of Mendoza city).

Biking down this road is heaven on earth for mountain bikers.

If you prefer staying on pavement, continue on Route 7.  The road to Mendoza has been recently redone, while conserving the red stone tunnels and the impressive view of the Mendoza river.

Potrerillos is a small town past Uspallata. On weekends, more hearty country food can be found in small simple restaurants, with chairs and tables set up on the lawn. Don’t miss this, some of the places are Anthony Bourdain-worthy.

Potrerillos is also home to a massive artificial lake. One day, this will be developed with recreational boats, picnic areas, and weekend homes, but today, it’s just a big beautiful mass of blue water. See it today!

You’ll notice I leave out Mendoza; it’s more of a city than a town, and there are many things to do, from the vineyards on the outskirts, to the famous argentine beef and pasta restaurants.  The park is magnificent, rivaling the big parks in Buenos Aires and possibly even New York City.  Too much to list here.

Returning to Chile

Driving back, you don’t have to stop at the same Argentinean border control as on the way in. What you do have to remember is to keep 3 pesos in Argentinean money handy for the tunnel toll.

Back through the tunnel, carefully pass the lines of parked trucks (never get behind them, they can be there for hours!), into the Chilean border control. Here, the procedure is different than on the other side. You will have to get out of the car, all passengers, and go through the immigration procedure from left to right. Have a pen handy as you will need to fill out the SAG (agriculture/livestock ministry) declaration that says you are not bringing in honey, meat, live animals, etc into Chile.  No fruit either.

Once your piece of paper is fully stamped, check with the carabinero that you’re good to go, and give your paid toll stamp to the man in the tiny plastic cabin, before heading back home.

This article and accompanying photos were contributed by ywok.

Google Maps Driving Directions ⇑

Patricia Hendricks Sensei will be giving a presentation entitled “Leadership and the Benefits of Practicing Aikido for Women”, followed by two introductory Aikido classes for women.

Pat Hendricks started studying Aikido in 1974 with Stan Pranin and Mary Heiny. In 1976 she moved to Iwama, Japan, to study with Saito Sensei Shihan. For [...]]]> Friday, 04 September 2009

Patricia Hendricks Sensei will be giving a presentation entitled “Leadership and the Benefits of Practicing Aikido for Women”, followed by two introductory Aikido classes for women.

Pat Hendricks started studying Aikido in 1974 with Stan Pranin and Mary Heiny. In 1976 she moved to Iwama, Japan, to study with Saito Sensei Shihan. For the next 30 years, she returned to Japan over 25 times of which 6 years were uchi-deshi. She holds a menkyo keaiden in weapons certification and was certified to test for the U.S. She served as Saito Sensei’s representative for the U.S. and runs the Iwama division in the California Aikido Association (CAA). Her own dojo, Aikido of San Leandro, attracts students from all over the world, including Japan.

17:00 Ceremony and talk “Liderazgo y los beneficios de la práctica del Aikido en la mujer”
18:00 – 18:45 Introductory Aikido class for women
18:50 – 19:35 Introductory Aikido class for women

Location: Akikai Chile, Libertad 86, Santiago
Organizer: Federación Deportiva Chilena de Aikido
Phone: +56-2-681-7703
Email: informaciones@fedenaa.cl

Pat Hendricks will be presenting in English with an interpreter.  The classes are free but space is limited, so write or call to confirm participation. Wear sweats or other comfortable clothing.

Click on the flier below for more info.

Want to see a movie and not sure where to look?  Google has showtimes for first-run theaters in many Chilean comunas/cities:

Estación Central – Independencia – La Florida – La Reina – Las Condes – Lo Barnechea – Macul – Maipú – Ñuñoa – Peñalolén – Providencia – Puente Alto – Recoleta – Santiago [...]]]> Want to see a movie and not sure where to look?  Google has showtimes for first-run theaters in many Chilean comunas/cities:

Santiago (partial list)

Estación Central – Independencia – La Florida – La Reina – Las Condes – Lo Barnechea – Macul – Maipú – Ñuñoa – Peñalolén – Providencia – Puente Alto – Recoleta – Santiago – Vitacura

Regiones

Antofagasta – Arica – Chillán – Concepción – Iquique – Rancagua – Talca – Temuco – Valdivia – Valparaíso – Viña del Mar

They don’t include descriptions at the moment, so to find out what the Chilean films are about, go to EMOL, and for the rest, any web-giant movie portal, such as Yahoo! Movies, will have synopses, ratings and reviews.

Moviefinder

Here’s a nifty web application (“mashup”) you can use to find showtimes on a map.  Unlike the Google links above, this mashup’s showtime listings include arthouse and classics as well as first-run films.

Click on a theater near you to see showtimes, or choose a movie on the left to see the theaters where it’s being shown. (Make sure to click on the marker and not just hover.)

It’s classified as a prototype, so you should verify the showtimes for the theater you choose.

If you’re not sure what you want to see, here are a few web sites to help point you in the right direction:

CineArte
Site & blog about arthouse cinema in Chile

CineUC
Screenings and film series sponsored by the Universidad Católica

Film Festivals

Santiago Festival Internacional de Cine (SANFIC)
An annual international film festival shown in theaters throughout Santiago

Festival Internacional de Cine Valdivia

Festival International de Cine del Norte de Chile

Festival Chileno Internacional del Cortometraje (FeSanCor)
An annual international short film festival shown in theaters throughout Santiago

Festival Internacional de Cine Digital
In Viña del Mar