School's Out

The results of Wednesday's Spanish test were released today. Despite my naysaying, I managed a pleasing 95%. This grade has to be taken in the context that it was the most basic level of exam possible in a foreign language. A pass at A1 level means little when tested on the mean Chileno streets of Santiago, where people fire words indiscriminately and don't have the patience or practice of listening to beginners fumble to construct a sentence.

After a small 'graduation' ceremony for those passing and/or leaving the school, all that was left for me was the individual conversation class. In this, we discussed the merits and pitfalls of travelling solo, how to meet people, and how to avoid moving through a country in a cultural bubble full only of other non-native travellers. Unfortunately, while cheap and with good amenities, hostels often suffer from this kind of monoculture. Staying in Santiago has been our first experience of hostel living on this trip and part of me wishes we had taken the time to organise a homestay with a family.

During our discussion of cultural norms and stereotypes, I learned that Chileans are considered to be the English of Latin America. This is put down to their aversion to confrontation and their reserved nature, at least relative to the fiery temperament of their neighbours. While queue-jumping piques their sense of fairness, nobody will stand up to the transgressor. This. Is. Chile.

And that was it. School's out forever. I toasted my success with a well deserved beer or three at favourite watering hole, Café 202.

Bottles!

We finished the day with a peculiar Chilean concoction, called chorrillana.

Mock meat mountain

Chorrillana is a mountain of chips more suitable for four people, which, as though this weren't enough cholesterol, is then topped with fried onions, sliced beef, and eggs (or in the case of this veganised version, mock beef gluten and tofu). Farewell Santiago.