Gotta love Chile!

This has got to be one of my favorite moments so far in Chile; it made me laugh and like the culture here just that much more. This evening I was riding home on the bus and, as it was quite full, I was standing. About halfway into my trip, an elderly woman got on the bus and there were no empty seats so she worked her way towards the back and took hold of one of those things that you hold on to while standing on a bus (what's that called?). She ended up standing next to the seat of a boy that I would guess was in his mid-teens. When he didn't get up to offer his seat, another woman who was seated behind him SMACKED HIM UPSIDE THE BACK OF HIS HEAD! I almost burst out laughing out loud. And of course he immediately got up and gave the elderly lady his seat, mumbling an apology. No attitude, no getting hostile at the lady that hit him, just realizing the error of his ways and quickly rectifying it. I LOOOVE that!

Also, tonight I went to a movie, Love In the Time of Cholera, which is based on one of my all-time favorite books (although everyone that I have ever recommended it to ended up hating it. Whatevah). Anyhow, it was in English with Spanish subtitles. About mid-way through, I realized that outside of the classroom I had not heard/spoken English since I've been here until that moment. At all. I can't tell you how relaxing it was to sit and be able to just understand without any effort on my part. After two hours of listening to English, I honestly walked back out thinking I was in the US and was genuinely surprised to walk into the theater lobby and hear Spanish being spoken. It was a freaky moment.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! ¡Besos de Santiago!