Last Full Day in Chile

12/15/09
Instead of packing my bags (don't worry, they're almost done) I'm sitting on the floor with my computer crying. I can't leave. I'm so accustomed to this life, and I prefer this culture over American culture any day. The reverse culture shock bullshit I learned about before coming, isn't going to be the bullshit I thought it was going to be.
Chileans have got it all right. All right.
Some randomg facts about them:
1) The concept of "nevermind" does not exist here what-so-ever. And if you try to explain it to them, even for those that know English, they'll never get it.  I like this idea; you can't just brush away something misunderstood or off topic. You don't ever do that. If someone didnt hear you and you try to brush it off, they'll push it until you share it.
2) Saying "I don't care" is possibly the rudest thing you can do. If someone asks if you want something and you say "Oh, I don't really care... I guess, maybe" They assume you're saying No, since you didn't say yes straight out. And then they get offended you wouldn't be straight up with them.
3) The concept of maybe doesn't exist either, its yes or no. If someone asks you a yes or no question, you absolutely positively cannot say "quizás" (the word for maybe in Spanish).  I can't think of an example right now, but maybe you get the idea.
4) If they offer you food and you refuse it, YOU ARE RUDE. If you're stuffed to the brim and your host mom offers you more corn, you have to take at least a few kernels or you could offend her.
5) Chileans never hold grudges. Unless its something really bad. If you're arguing about something, its  almost always solved in the day. They never like to go to bed angry, as they say. And tomorrow is always a new page, unlike a lot of people I know in the US.
6) They're families are SO CLOSE. NO matter what. They never say bad things about their family members either. And I've seen this outside of just my familiy as well. Mom's are always proud of their sons/daughters, no matter what. Even if they're mad at them that day, they won't say anything horrible about their children, ever. I adore the closeness of chilean families.  I never felt like I belonged to something so closely until coming here.
7) There are no secrets. No secrets. I don't think my host brother has ever not told anything to my host mom. And they swear all the time and its no big deal. They're just words to them.

I"m sure I've thought of more that I haven't wrote. These are my new green shoes I bought, sitting in front of the lake me and my mom went to 2 days in a row to tan and relax. I had the lovliest conversation with her... I don't know if I blogged about it, it was before Pichilemu. We talked about love, life, children, abortion, relationships, just about everything. We helped each other out, it really brought us closer than we already were. Afterward we hugged about 3 times and she kept saying "I had the lovliest conversation with my daughter today" and smiling.
Just 3 nights ago we discussed how we changed each other and what we brought into each others lives. And the changes that came and went, and those that will come.
I'm going to miss her so much. She's one of my best friends now. And I love that she has a mother's perspective on things.

Well. I must continue packing now. I'm weighing my bags soon (SCARY SCARY SCARY!) but I found out paying for overweight luggage is cheaper than shipping things, considering to ship a shoebox size box is nearly 50 bucks. *sigh.
The wine and 4 glasses/mugs I"m bringing home are really going to screw me... yikes.

Everything will be worth it though! I'm careful with my money always and I know that any money I spend on this trip is worth it, so I won't let the fees bother me. All the times I resisted buying something and all the times I shopped at Goodwill over the Mall will pay for the overweight luggage. Plus I didn't go on vacation to Pucón, so that saved money will pay for it too. There we go!

Like I said, back to crying and packing now.