Foreign Concepts

I honestly don't know why it took so long, but the other day I was riding the metro, music in ears, faced with yet another bad Chilean haircut in front of me and it hit me:  I am a Foreigner.I know, I know... it seems weird that it took 10 months for me have this brilliant realization.  It isn't that I haven't had plenty of moments before this one where I felt out of place (wearing heels on the metro and being able to see over every single head all the way to the end), but the succinctness of the statement: "I am a Foreigner" escaped me until now.

Here's the thing.  I live here.  I was no longer visiting when I passed about 3 months and certainly was no longer a visitor when I became employed.  I live here, but I am still foreign, and no matter how comfortable I become, nothing will change that.

Admittedly, I am a foreigner in a country that accepts me.  A table of gringas speaking English is greeted with a cheerful "Bienvenidos Extranjeras" instead of nasty passersby shouting "You're in Chile! #$)(*ing learn Spanish!!".  It isn't all that easy... I'm talking to you salesguy who sees me coming and practically darts the other way rather than have to deal with having a conversation where I might have to ask him to repeat something  OR lady who works at the Registro Civil and lets me stand in the non-line for five minutes before I finally turn to ask if I am in the right place and she replies with a simple no... with  no explanation of where I need to go (I'm getting ahead of myself).  Anyway, for the most part, Chileans don't appear to be angry that I have chosen to live in their country, and for that I am thankful.

Foreign Concepts.  This phrase has an entire new meaning to me.  I now truly understand where it comes from.

Foreign Concept 1:  After 4 months in my new school, I think I know and/or understand about half of the day to day things I should be doing.  Instead of telling you things proactively, the way is just to learn as you go.  I'll admit, this has been super difficult to get used to. I mean, seriously guys, more planning, less problems, but since I am the foreigner it is my job to adjust, not the other way around.  Today at an end of the semester meeting for a class, I learned that about 4 kids have basically the Chilean version of an IEP.  Nice guys.

Foreign Concept 2: I have almost adjusted to little or no customer service.  The normal rate for a tip is 10 percent, regardless of the level of work, so there is just a lack of incentive to work any harder.  Michael and I gave an excellent waiter a 5000 peso tip one evening and he seriously did not understand what we were doing.  After a few minutes of ... no this part is for you... he smiled a Cheshire Cat smile and presumably went to tell all his waiter friends how dumb the gringos were.  :)

Foreign Concept 3:  Living legally.  Reapplying for the Visa.  Dear.   GOD!!!  What a frustrating ordeal.  I can tell you that I completely understand why people choose to live illegally... what a pain in the ass it is to be a foreigner.  My only experience with this has been in Chile and I have jumped through so many hoops in the last few weeks just to get the paperwork I need to SEND to START the process.  Strangest part of all is that the average Chilean is just like... "yeah, that's how it is."  They accept that you have to stand in line at 7 different places between the hours of 9 and 2 to do anything.

Foreign Concept 4: Smog... I'm never getting used to that filth. 

There's so many more, but maybe that it for another time.  For now, I am looking forward to a visit to Texas where I'm not the foreign one, if only for a little while.