Fiestas Patrias

Like I said, it was a busy week. In addition to my international travels, Chile celebrated its independence--lucky number 198 (if my math is right)--on September 18th. I always knew that Chileans are very proud of their country, their heritage, and their future, but watching the country and the people change over the course of a few days is rather remarkable.

While I'm at it, I'd just like to brag about Chile for a second. In my International Trade class, we talked about Chile's economics--you can skip over this paragraph if econ doesn't interest you like it does me. I'm a business major. That's just the way it is. Anyway, Chile's government is just so much smarter than our government! Despite the rampant partisanship, the ruling party has come to find an odd equilibrium. The party is called the "concertacion," and it's not just one party. It is a group of men and women from multiple parties who formed this new "party" to match the needs and desires of the Chilean people. They've only been in power for one term, which has had its ups and downs as expected. However, they still get along and govern wisely. With a socialist president paired with liberal and conservative ministers, they have to come to accords to get anything done. It's a fantastic, unofficial checks and balances system. Economically, Chile is a very intelligent country as well. I won't get into the details of neo-liberalism--ask me later if you're curious--but it involves heavy privatization of services and a focus on free trade. Additionally, the government has made it a requirement to save 1 to 1.5% of the country's product each year. We're talking about millions of dollars put into investments and liquid assets to protect the country in the case of a crisis. It forces the government to operate under a specified budget and creates a rainy day fund for a country that is vulnerable to international crisis because of its trade agreements. It's just very well thought out and impressively responsible. (My professor also loves to give investing advice, so if you're looking to invest well internationally, check out Peru, Chile, or Uruguay.)

Back to fiestas patrias. So Chile is a proud country. In fact, they're so proud that they celebrate their independence for an entire week. Everything changes after the 11th--I find that that that particular day is like a tantrum from a toddler; the country just needs to get all of the bad juices out in order to come together for the celebration. Rich and poor, conservative and liberal, and everyone in between comes together for this week. Chilean flags sprout from each and every house, office building, and condo tower. And then the parties begin.

Fondas--big tents or buildings--are built in public parks to hold shows, dancing, food, etc. People begin to dance the "cueca," the national dance, in clubs and bars. "Chicha"--kind of like spiked apple juice--is served everywhere. Seriously, the entire country shifts focus onto the traditional customs.

On the 18th, it's very similar to the 4th of July. Families gather together to celebrate, drink wine, and have an "asado" or barbecue. Just like in the US, the men gather outside to drink, talk (football a.k.a. soccer is usually a main topic of conversation), and watch the grill and the women gather inside to drink and talk (I don't know about what). In my homestay, friends and family gathered around 1. I think everyone was pretty well drunk by 3, and we ate at 4. Mary made a great drink with white wine and strawberries called "poncha," which I imagine is somewhat similar to Spanish sangria and I'm sure it's just as powerful, if not more. I recommend it. You can see Arturo here, hard at work at the grill. He's a good guy.

That night, I went to a fonda with some of my friends to see what it was like. I guess it's kind of similar to a state fair, without the smelly animals and creepy carnies. Everyone wanders through the artisan stands or gathers at the dance floor or sits and talks. It's a very relaxed atmosphere and everyone in Santiago seemed far more animated than usual.

On Friday, there's the military parade. What better way to unite than to marvel at the stuff your country has to blow other stuff up? Of course, it means more than that (the purpose is a tribute to those in the armed forces who have died for Chile), but thousands of people gather, drink beer, and cheer whenever jets fly over. It almost reminded me of major sporting events when they do a flyover. Except bigger!

So here are some photos. The one of me in the visor was not my doing. My friend, Sara, and I are planning on going to Patagonia together, but she got worried that I was going to get sunburned while we watched the parade. So she bought me this 20 cent visor. Humiliation ensued. But at least I didn't get sunburned. And I least I had a beer. I guess it wasn't all that bad.

On our way back, we happened to stumble across La Presidenta herself (Michelle Bachelet), rolling back to the Presidential Palace. If my camera hadn't malfunctioned, I would've gotten a picture of her waving at us. But her back is nice too. Stupid camera...

So that's about it. Viva Chile!

Chao.