2010: The Year I Spent Thinking About CHILE from CHINA

I spent 2005 studying in Chile, as part of my degree in Latin American Studies, and the country will always have a special place in my heart.

This year I have had several distinct reasons to think of Chile, from China.

(1) El superterremoto

The 8.8 mega-earthquake hit around 3AM on February 27.

(2) An impromptu encounter with Chilean architects in Beijing

One day this summer, I was walking down the street and heard a guy asking a chicken vendor a question in mumbled Chilean Spanish.  I interpreted for him, and we started talking more.  It turned out that he and his colleagues are all architects with a Chilean firm that designed the Chilean Pavilion at the Shanghai EXPO.  So their firm flew them out to China and they had a few days in Beijing to see the wall and the city.  I showed them around for the rest of the afternoon and night, on a walk through the city, into a construction site, then to see the CCTV building and The Beach by Chaoyang Park. They were impressed that I could speak Chinese and Spanish in the same conversation, and could understand their very Chilean requests (involving agua con gas, pisco, carrete, etc.) Buena onda

(3) The Chilean Pavilion at the Shanghai EXPO

In July I visited Shanghai and the Expo.  My friend Suda kindly hosted me, and showed me around the expo with her U.S. Pavilion staff pass (her company organized an event at the pavilion during Hillary Clinton’s visit).  This meant we could jump to the front of the expo’s famously long lines.  My favorite was definitely the Chilean Pavilion.  It featured gorgeous design and cheap Chilean wine.

with Suda and a Chinese guest at the Chilean Pavilion

The Chinese guy in the picture was visiting with his family. His 8-year-old son liked the wine too.

(4) Los mineros, trapped underground and rescued!

CHI CHI CHI, LE LE LE! VIVA CHILE!  Such a wonderful reason to open up the bottle of pisco I bought at the EXPO and mix it up into pisco sours

(5) La Copa Mundial

I cheered for Chile in the World Cup.  Every game was late at night.  Chile has a pretty good showing, ultimately losing to the eventual victor, Spain.

P.S. Not quite Chile, but right hemisphere…

Here’s some historical documentation of World Cup celebrations.