CHILE UPDATES #20
"Really? Chile?"
"Really? Chile?"
Date: January 4th, 2014
One of the most common responses I get from people when spouting off various facts about this part of the Southern Cone is “Really? Chile?"The specific topic doesn’t matter, from government to economics to food to culture to safety, it’s incredible how misunderstood Chile is to many outsiders.
Just a couple days ago I was telling a British friend of mine who’s been here in Santiago recently about how Valparaiso, Chile regularly throws the biggest New Years’ show in all of Latin America, which he thought was absolutely preposterous. He said he could see this being true for Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, or even Colombia, but a little country of 17 million like Chile? He just didn’t buy it until he saw for himself.
I’ve had similar experiences when telling people that;
-Chicago, for example, is a much more dangerous city than Santiago,
-the unemployment rate in Chile is half of what it is in many parts of the US,
-Chileans don’t eat spicy food or,
-that title insurance really isn’t necessary in Chile as long as you are using a competent lawyer.
It can be frustrating to hear so much doubt and opposition when you’re just trying to have a simple conversation about the country you currently call home, but at the same time, it’s probably a good sign for things to come.
The greatest opportunities are normally found in areas that are fairly undiscovered and that was one of the things that stood out to me the most when I first got here. I couldn’t believe that such a beautiful country with a growing middle class, solid infrastructure, clear rule of law, and a surplus of natural resources was still so unknown and misunderstood.
With interest in tourism, agriculture, and energy here steadily picking up over the last couple of years, it’s clear this is starting to change but for the time being, I’ve got to remember to be happy every time someone tells me “Really? Chile?”.
Just a couple days ago I was telling a British friend of mine who’s been here in Santiago recently about how Valparaiso, Chile regularly throws the biggest New Years’ show in all of Latin America, which he thought was absolutely preposterous. He said he could see this being true for Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, or even Colombia, but a little country of 17 million like Chile? He just didn’t buy it until he saw for himself.
I’ve had similar experiences when telling people that;
-Chicago, for example, is a much more dangerous city than Santiago,
-the unemployment rate in Chile is half of what it is in many parts of the US,
-Chileans don’t eat spicy food or,
-that title insurance really isn’t necessary in Chile as long as you are using a competent lawyer.
It can be frustrating to hear so much doubt and opposition when you’re just trying to have a simple conversation about the country you currently call home, but at the same time, it’s probably a good sign for things to come.
The greatest opportunities are normally found in areas that are fairly undiscovered and that was one of the things that stood out to me the most when I first got here. I couldn’t believe that such a beautiful country with a growing middle class, solid infrastructure, clear rule of law, and a surplus of natural resources was still so unknown and misunderstood.
With interest in tourism, agriculture, and energy here steadily picking up over the last couple of years, it’s clear this is starting to change but for the time being, I’ve got to remember to be happy every time someone tells me “Really? Chile?”.
