How comfortable will you feel in this country as a resident? You can get used to new culture, people's habits, traditions? These doubts are universal when moving to any country in the world, and the choice of destination does not change anything at all: Santiago, Cape Town or Hong Kong, you will have to look for answers to these questions.

Ideal if you are in love with the country you are visiting. But it depends. My relationship with Chile can be characterized by deep sympathy and affection, which appears when you begin to look at another objectively, with all his shortcomings and advantages. I look at Chile soberly; I have never had the romantic dazzle of a newcomer, when everything seems velvety and rosy.

Ideas about Chile

As a rule, they don’t know anything about Chile. All ideas are very stereotypical and vague. Chile seemed to me like a country of prairies and gauchos, like Borges, and vineyards. The idea was vague but positive. Later I realized that I was imagining northern Argentine Patagonia. But it coincided with the vineyards.

Chile has nothing in common with jungles, coconut trees, anacondas and Caribbean beaches. The north of Chile is a dry pre-desert zone, and the further south you go from the capital, the colder it becomes, but the greener it gets; in the south, volcanoes, lakes, forests and fjords rule the roost. The country stretches along the coast, but the ocean is almost everywhere icy due to strong currents.

A universal plus of living in Santiago is its proximity to the mountains and the ocean.

Moscow-Santiago

Chile is a small country with a rather conservative way of life. Just as I can seriously judge life in Russia only by my life in Moscow, the same is with Chile - I live in Santiago, and I have exclusively capital criteria by which I can evaluate the country.

In Santiago after Moscow, I miss the active rhythm of life of the city and its inhabitants. Of course, this is a much smaller city both in area and in number of inhabitants (7 million). On Sunday, almost all cafes and restaurants are closed; in the business part of the city even Starbucks is closed.

Weekend and empty city

Sunday is considered a day to spend with family or do nothing. There is even a saying “domingo-fomingo”, which plays on the words Sunday and boredom.

Diversity

Still upsetting little choice goods. In Moscow, you get used to the fact that literally everything can be bought on the Internet with next-day delivery. You can also choose from a wide variety of stores, including virtual ones, but in Santiago there is less demand and the high cost of imported goods.

Once we were looking for yarn made from alpaca wool, the original inhabitant of the Andes. It seemed completely natural that there should be an abundance of such yarn in Chile, if not locally produced, then at least produced in Peru. But no. The choice is limited to five colors of poorly processed material. Although there are quite a few stores selling yarn, the bulk of the product is acrylic. I had to buy it in Moscow, in an online store with a huge selection and amazing quality, made in Peru, by the way.

Climatic features of Chile

Pleased with the quantity sunny days a year, there are most of them on the calendar. Even in winter and autumn. But there is also a fly in the ointment - strong temperature changes (up to 20 degrees), go out in only clothes early morning, it is impossible to survive in it day and night.

Heating

Central heating in Santiago is only theoretically available, but it is too expensive, so few people turn it on. They are saved by a variety of heaters: gas, paraffin, electric. It is difficult to understand the essence of the problem until you experience it yourself.

Climate Features

It would seem that it is colder in Moscow. But imagine winter temperatures of plus 10 in a city-basin, surrounded on all sides by mountains, on which precipitation from the ocean also settles. I compare by clothes: what I wore in Moscow at a slight minus, here I wear at +10. And late in the evening I'm still cold. Besides, you always know that even in cold weather you can run to your home, office, car or subway. In Santiago, the temperature outside and indoors is often the same.

Smog

in winter geographical location Santiago, a city surrounded by mountains, leads to smog. Last year, for several weeks the city was suffocated in a shroud of smog. Restrictions are often imposed on the circulation of cars around the city based on license plate numbers (cars with license plates 2 are not allowed on Monday, cars with license plates 5 on Wednesday, etc.).

Earthquakes

Just last week there was a shock with a magnitude of 6.5, to be honest, I slept through it, and, as usual, I learned about it only in the morning from the news (for comparison, a shock of the same magnitude a couple of days ago in Japan caused a disaster, and 7.5 and completely destroyed Nepal last year). If you want to live in an earthquake-resistant country with peace of mind, then Chile is for you. Even large-magnitude earthquakes here are felt as a second vibration, as if a subway car had passed underground. No objects falling from shelves or giant cracks in the roads like in disaster movies.

All buildings in Chile are built to strict earthquake resistance standards, perhaps this is one of the secrets of such prosperity. Any Chilean will tell you that walls must be flexible and move in time with the vibrations of the earth. But the most interesting thing is the reaction of the Chileans themselves to the earthquakes - they love to flaunt the fact that they did not even notice the shock, or, if they did notice, then “they continued to drink as they drank.”

Wine

By the way, about the last one. Chileans drink quite a lot. Of course, red Chilean wine. Most often the choice falls on cabernet sauvignon, from white - chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. At any holiday, you barely have time to notice how bottles of dry red replace each other. Chile has a real cult of nationally produced wine, and this must be taken into account. I can now even drink two glasses of wine in an evening, which was completely impossible before, and I have become more knowledgeable about wines. At the same time, young people prefer pisco and cola.

The most stable

Although the economy has slowed down, in comparison with most of its neighbors on the continent, Chile does differ in a number of indicators:

- low crime rate (no kidnappings or other passions, more and more annoying little things, like theft of bags and phones);

Low corruption;

- stability.

Moving to Chile also means accepting high prices. Prices in supermarkets and stores for many goods differ little from Russian prices. It's good that in Chile most food products are nationally produced, from vegetables to cheeses. By the way, a Chilean will always patriotically prefer his own, native. Except for meat. Beef of national origin is often more expensive than high-quality counterparts from Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina.

Food in Chile

A great love for soda, which often replaces water, is combined with the habit of consuming huge amounts of white bread, meat, and local flour dishes, such as empanadas or sopapillas. The passion for bread and cola is rivaled only by a tender affection for mayonnaise. Among sweets, the favorite is boiled condensed milk dulce de leche; this product is added to most sweets - from cakes to hastily concocted magdalenkas. Moving to Chile did not alleviate my bewilderment at the sight of traditional Ligurian sweets and the like.

About meat

Barbecue, which in Chile is called asado, can be called a local religion. At any holiday, meeting of friends at someone’s home, there will always be asado. Chileans consume the most meat per capita, but they never bother – they don’t marinate the meat or prepare sauces for it. So they say: “Good meat has no use for this.” But there is an opportunity to buy all year round vegetables and fruits (except for exotic bananas and mangoes) of local production. I always bring amazing local avocados home to Moscow, because you can’t find them in stores. Plus, Chile is home to many superfoods like chia seeds, making it easy to eat a balanced diet. There would be a desire!

Easy breath

On holidays, the host of the celebration will never bother with ready meals, the Chilean solves the problem of preparations simply - he goes and buys carrot sticks, semi-finished pies, liters of cola, a mountain of chips and the like. For a Sunday lunch with the family, a Chilean housewife might indulge in a dish like fried fish and rice. Chileans (may they forgive me) rarely cook well, even the mothers and grandmothers of older generations, and even less often set such a task for themselves. It is already significant that in the evening families do not have a full dinner; as a rule, it is replaced with an onse afternoon snack, which consists of sandwiches with ham, cheese, or optionally with mayonnaise and avocado. By the way, small Chilean Hass avocados, the color of ripe eggplant, are already a good reason to think about moving to Chile.

Pedestrians cross roads without even looking from side to side, cyclists calmly occupy a lane of an already narrow roadway when there is a bicycle path nearby - because in the country the first and second are given absolute priority at the legislative and social level over poor motorists, it sits in the back of their minds.

Chileans are generally about slow life. They are not in a hurry, talk about the same thing for a long time, chronically forget what they promised, do not leave the house on weekends, since it is a family day, and if they come to visit, they stay until dawn until they chat to their hearts’ content.

In speech and even advertising slogans, the verb disfrutar (Spanish: enjoy) is often used. All you hear is - enjoy the trip, the tea, the time spent, or whatever. A small nuance, but it seems very eloquent to me. So if you are planning to move to Chile, I advise you to start with meditation.

Social hierarchy

Also very strong in Chile hierarchical structure society. There is even official division people into social classes by letter. Here it is customary to close yourself in your own circles, and cases of “I made myself” are quite rare, since almost everything is determined from childhood - what area did you grow up in, what kind of school, and then go to college, this will be your circle of friends and career. And the whole system in Chile is built so that a person is born and lives in the same social class. For example, the second question a Chilean asks when meeting is traditionally about “what area do you live in and what university did you go to,” although for obvious reasons this is not always asked of foreigners.

Moving to Chile was a shock for me in this regard, that in society there is a conditional division according to external characteristics (skin color, hair, etc.) among the citizens of the country themselves. No one talks about this out loud, but it is very clearly visible. They say that in other Latin American countries everything is much worse in this matter - yet in Chile there is a huge percentage of the population with European roots, second only to Argentina.

Communal

Moving to Chile also has its financial pitfalls. If you live in a modern high-rise building, then an avalanche of utility bills goes to pay general bills aimed at maintaining the house - from cleaning the pool to the salaries of the concierge. This also includes the obligatory gym, swimming pool and parking in the houses. But the house is always clean, and it is difficult for outsiders to get into the house due to the fence and strict concierges, who perform not a decorative function at all, which was a novelty at first.

Ceremony

Moving to Chile made me more tolerant of otherness, but my rejection of some details remained. I still don't like the Chileans' inability to say no, especially in business matters. They will evade and ignore, but will never say a polite and reasoned “no, it doesn’t suit us.” According to the logic of the locals, it is better to ignore you in the hope that they will understand everything anyway.

In the area

A pleasant plus of living in Santiago for me was the very concept of barrio life. This is when you leave the house and wander between neat houses with cozy gardens. In some areas, high-rise buildings are replacing houses, but never completely. New small cafes, tiny yoga studios, shops are constantly opening in Santiago, all this pleases the eye and breathes life into the city. Around one corner, Germans bake bread, around another corner, Brazilians sell acai. I made a huge number of foreign acquaintances – both Latin Americans and Europeans. This is a plus size the whole world, which I appreciate about moving to Chile. In Moscow, I didn’t even notice how few foreigners live here.

Geography of the country

Of the enormous, universal scale, the advantages of living in Chile are the proximity of the mountains and the ocean. But if the ocean only teases, since it is very cold, then with the mountains everything is different. You can wake up on Saturday and within half an hour you’ll be climbing another hill, the local passion for trekking is exciting. Or go to one of the many national parks in the south for the weekend with a tent. By the way, to see fabulous nature, you don’t have to go to or. At a distance, the choice is already huge.

About the advantages of moving in general

Every day tests you for adherence to the usual foundations. There is an opportunity to look from the outside at all the usual stereotypes, habits and prejudices with which you grew up; weed out the unnecessary and leave the useful. At the same time, you stop judging the habits of another country. Largely because you begin to understand that much is explained not by the harmfulness of the locals, but by a different environment and culture. And moving is a great opportunity to get to know them.

A detailed story about my move and life in Chile is in the book “What is Chile”

A story about moving to Chile and impressions of life in Santiago was last modified: December 12th, 2018 by Anastasia Polosina

Text: Anastasia Polosina

I moved to Chile almost three years ago. Relatives, friends, work as an editor on a fashion channel and my usual everyday life remained in Moscow - but a loved one was waiting in Chile. Over the two years that we met, there were trips to St. Petersburg, where he lived then, to Madrid, where he soon moved, then naturally followed by flights from Moscow to Santiago and crazy romantic dates when we met in the middle globe- for example, in Santorini. But at some point, reality tactfully made it clear that without one address for two, this story has no future.

For me, moving was not an adventurous step with my eyes closed: before that, I visited Chile twice a month each, managed to explore Santiago, and at the same time travel around the country. Despite this, I thought about it for quite a long time, weighing the pros and cons: my life in Moscow suited me quite well, and besides, I had something to lose professionally. At some point, I asked myself an honest question, what would I regret more in ten years: the things that didn’t come true? career expectations, or what disappeared from my life wonderful person the one I love? And everything immediately fell into place. After all, when else would you decide to do crazy things, especially for the sake of love, if not at 23?

And here I am in the capital of a distant South American state, sandwiched between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean. I never looked at Chile through rose-colored glasses and from the very beginning I soberly assessed its advantages and disadvantages, because my move was motivated not by love for a country, but for a person. I remember well the impression of Santiago on the first day of my arrival, then just a tourist: glass high-rise buildings, neat houses with well-groomed grounds around, shady alleys of the Providencia district and many people who look like Europeans - that many Chileans have Spanish hidden in their families, Italian, Croatian, german grannies and grandfathers, I found out later. The picture was complemented by the huge lilac-blue wall of the Andes, which encircles the city - a more spectacular decoration could not be imagined. The only thing that was terrifying was the Mapocho River in the center of Santiago - a liquid coffee-colored stream, albeit mountain origin. Chile was the first Latin American country I visited, and I didn’t know what to prepare for - there were only vague associations with vineyards and gauchos. Like many compatriots, I thought in stereotyped images and had little idea of ​​what distant and mysterious South America was like.

Chile is sometimes called "Switzerland" South America", not without reason hinting that it is the most economically developed and stable country a region with low levels of crime and corruption - especially in comparison with its neighbors. The Chileans themselves sneer at this title: they love to criticize themselves, and even more so, their government. The social situation here is calm - there are no terrorist attacks, and politicians are forced to take care of their image, otherwise they will not be re-elected. Many young people come to the country, including from Russia - they are attracted by the Start-Up Chile program, which finances promising startups. The calm is only diluted by protests on the streets. As a rule, students and employees of small shops in the city center go on strike when they demand higher wages: in such cases, work stops and all the workers come out with posters and loudspeakers. And on March 8, many women demonstrated topless, showing their dissatisfaction with the ban on abortion in the country.

Chile is sometimes called the “Switzerland of South America” - it is the most economically developed and stable country in the region

I remember being pleasantly surprised by the neatly dressed policemen near the La Moneda Palace, who politely advised me how and where to go. By the way, the very idea of ​​giving a bribe to an official looks like a completely wild and incomprehensible gesture to the Chileans and is fraught with big troubles. If you exceed the speed limit and try to pay your way, you are guaranteed to spend the night behind bars.

One of the main problems for me at first was language. I knew Spanish well, but the Chilean version is not easy to understand by ear, it takes a long time to get used to: the words are pronounced unintelligibly, the endings and many consonants are “eaten up.” Plus a rich stock of specific idioms that are not used anywhere else - half of local speech consists of them. “Cachai weon po?” If you know Spanish but didn't understand anything from this phrase, that's okay. I often hear Latinos from other countries admit: “Before we came to Chile, we thought we spoke Spanish.”

A couple of months after moving, I entered the marketing department at the University of Chile; Such courses are called Diplomado here and are considered a prestigious addition to the main diploma. The course consisted of several parts, each taught by a new teacher with applied experience - among them were specialists from Google and owners of their own companies. Education here is based on discussions, while almost no one takes the usual notes or crams the material. The emphasis is on working on practical tasks as a team - in one of the lessons we even developed a startup model using Lego.

I needed knowledge in the field of marketing to launch my project - an online jewelry store. It did not last long because I frankly miscalculated my understanding of the Chilean mentality, despite active work with local bloggers and the press. It turned out that the online shopping market in Chile is still weak, and it is much more profitable to have a traditional corner in mall. In addition, tastes do differ - it is not always worth offering minimalism in the style of Elizabeth and James in the hope of a fashion revolution, when the country is in an enduring fashion for giant jewelry in the spirit of hippies.

For the first time after moving, I worked as a regular freelance writer on the site that was my place of work before Chile, and collaborated with other publications as a freelancer. To obtain a one-year visa after 180 days of tourist stay, you need a local work contract, so I got a job at private company, which works with innovative projects of entrepreneurs and helps them apply for and receive grants from Corfo (a government organization that finances entrepreneurs), where I continue to work partly today. At the same time, I launched a Russian-language blog about travel around Chile, Chiletravelmag.ru, which is gradually growing from a simple hobby into a serious project.

During my life here, I traveled almost the entire country from north to south, and I gained significant travel experience. There were multi-day hikes in Torres del Paine and other national parks, trips to the Atacama Desert, to islands, to volcanoes, mountain lagoons and through all kinds of valleys. I have been to places that Chileans themselves often do not know about, although they really like domestic tourism. By the way, I also became infected with this - between a trip to Tierra del Fuego and to a distant Caribbean beach, I will choose the first. Since there is little information on travel and life in Chile on the Russian-language Internet, I decided to share my experience on the blog pages; here I also talk about other countries in South America.

Over time, it became clear that Santiago is actually a multifaceted city, and, having settled in Providencia, I naturally saw the life of only the so-called barrio alto - prestigious areas in the east of the capital. This is an artificial “bubble” where it is comfortable and pleasant, but outside of it a completely different life is seething: the majority live in more modest conditions. The thing is that the quarter in which you live largely determines your lifestyle and even status. It is important what school and institute you went to: this automatically determines your social circle. In Santiago it is considered completely normal when, when you meet at a party, one of the first questions you are asked is unfamiliar people: "Where do you live?" At first I was upset, but then I got used to it. In Moscow, not all of my friends know what district I’m from, and in Santiago, especially conservative-minded employers may check your address during an interview. Therefore, many are ready for a small apartment in poor condition, but located in Las Condes.

When my young man explained to me the peculiarities of the local social structure, it made me laugh and irritate at the same time, it seemed like the order of the times of the colony. Over time, I myself became convinced that everything is so, tourists just don’t read such things. In Chilean marketing there is even an official gradation of the social classes of society by letters (A, B, C1, C2 and so on), which is often used in ordinary speech, when, for example, they talk about target audience establishments.

After moving, I began to face an avalanche of questions, regardless of the part of the world, and I felt the full depth of the prejudices with which we live. Having learned that I am Russian, the Chileans are very surprised that I speak Spanish fluently (and I also learned it in Russia! and on my own!) and that I freeze in winter in local houses without heating, where the temperature is on average about 15 degrees Celsius. The set of questions is always standard, so patterns can be derived. First of all, Chileans ask about your impressions of Chile. Touched by the love story that brought me to their country, they are always interested in how Chileans differ from Russians, something like this: “We are very open and friendly compared to Russians, right?” It’s especially frustrating for the stubborn ones because everything is relative, and many Chileans wear a poker face (if you haven’t met anyone like that, you just haven’t been here long). It is believed that Chileans are the coldest and most reserved Latin Americans (I felt this well after a trip to Colombia), but it is easier for a European to adapt here.

The main question that is asked with aspiration is about the Russian winter. We have to patiently talk about the wonders of central heating, unknown to Chileans, and how the same temperature feels different in the mountains and on the plain. I also often explain that Russia is too big a country to generalize from Siberia to the capital, so now all my answers begin with an honest “I can only judge Moscow.” It’s funny, but before moving I didn’t even think about it. In general, I am one of those expats who try to broadcast good image homeland - I have no grudge against my country, I did not leave in search of a better life and I come home every year with great pleasure.

I am one of those expats who try to convey a good image of their homeland - I have no resentment towards my country

I must say that I was very lucky: my boyfriend is interested in Russian culture and knows about it first-hand, since he lived in St. Petersburg for six months for work, and before that another year in Kyiv. My mentality is close to him: he reads Russian classics, loves Russian cuisine, is familiar with the Hermitage collection, and he doesn’t need to explain why it’s important for me to celebrate New Year and Victory Day, wearing slippers at home instead of street shoes, giving flowers and why Russian Post is not always the most reliable way delivery.

I noticed that Chileans show genuine interest and really want to learn about my country. They openly admit that they have not the slightest idea about Russia, and for most, I was the first Russian person with whom they had ever communicated. But many acquaintances in Russia are still firmly convinced that in Chile there are coconuts on palm trees everywhere, the Caribbean coast, round-the-clock samba on the streets and hot summer all year round - some kind of wild collective mixture from Rio and the beaches of Tulum. They are very surprised when they see photos of me in off-season clothes. Coconuts, alas, don’t grow in Chile either, but Pacific Ocean It’s just a tease - the water in it is icy almost everywhere. Swimming theme in the country with the longest coastline in the world - my personal pain, like that of many unprepared tourists. But the Chilean coast is excellent for surfing due to strong waves. Three months of the year it is cold in Santiago. Without frost, of course, but there is a reason to get sweaters and down jackets: from June to August I wear winter clothes. It’s also funny when they think that Chile is something very tropical. In the diverse geography of Chile, which has become business card country, there is a place for desert, lakes, volcanoes and glaciers, but the tropics are observed only on Easter Island, infinitely far from the mainland.

When talking about Chile, people always ask about earthquakes: how can one live in a country where it is always shaking? Answering this question, I turn on all my Chilean training and issue a machine-gun burst: tremors up to seven points are not felt here at all. Yes, you read that right. And the stronger ones are felt like a slight vibration, but nothing falls from the shelves, and houses do not collapse according to the canons of disaster films. When I tell this, I see shock on people’s faces, which is understandable: in other countries such earthquakes destroy entire cities, and besides, the strongest earthquake in the world occurred in Chile.

For the first six months, I was often woken up by messages like “Are you okay? You’re shaking!” - it turned out that the news about the next shock, which we did not even feel, leaked into the Russian news, when the Chilean press calmly ignored it. By the way, the locals like to boast about their indifference to earthquakes (“As they sat in the bar, they continued to sit”) and they reassure all frightened foreigners with the fact that all buildings were built according to special standards, so when there are tremors, the structure of the house comes into some kind of cunning movement , adjusting to the vibrations of the earth. The only real risk is a tsunami. In general, a trip to Chile is a unique opportunity to visit a seismically active country without real risk to life and nervous system.

Life in Santiago (not to mention the rest of the country) is measured and quiet, teaching you to slow down and enjoy simple things without the cheerful Moscow bustle. A Chilean's ideal weekend is a family dinner or barbecue with rivers of wine, so on Sundays the city seems to die out: with the exception of supermarkets and malls, absolutely everything is closed. I, like many expats, miss interesting events in the city, exhibitions and other cultural programs.

What I love most about living in Santiago (besides the delicious avocados and wine) is the proximity to the mountains and hills. Previously, I would not have signed up as a fan of hiking, but recently I decided that since I live here, I need to take advantage of my opportunities, and now on weekends I often climb mountains - Santiago is surrounded by hills, so in less than an hour I can drive from home to another path. I also like that my barrio has a very cozy and quiet atmosphere. There are many private cottages with manicured gardens filled with roses, oranges and pomegranates, and I can walk to yoga studios, cafes and shops. For example, on the next street a German built an extension to a private house and bakes delicious bread there, which we go out to buy almost in our pajamas.

Sometimes you have to pull yourself together so as not to completely adopt the great Latin American philosophy of “mañana” - this is when everything will be done tomorrow, and maybe never. Would I have chosen Chile if great love had not happened to me? To be honest, it’s unlikely. But the experience of living abroad is wonderful because it expands your perception of the world and teaches you to look at it without the prism of previous prejudices - both about other countries and about yourself.

Do you dream of Chile, this beautiful country on west coast South America? Can't wait to meet the hospitable Chileans? However, in Chile there is more possibilities. Read our guide to learn everything about healthcare, finding housing and other aspects of life in Chile.

Also in this article:

• Living and education in Chile

Chile's population: a mixed pot

Chile's current population is descended not only from indigenous peoples and Spanish colonizers, but also from immigrants from Europe, Asia and South America. For centuries, immigrants and settlers have shaped the population of this country. Currently, Chile has a population of approximately 18 million people, approximately 90% of whom live in cities and major cities. The capital of Chile, Santiago, is truly the center of the country, where almost one third of the country's population lives

About 10-11% of the population belongs to indigenous peoples such as the Mapuche, the largest of these groups. The Mapuche live in the Araucania region of Chile, in the south. The Aymara and Atacameno people can mainly be found in the northern deserts and mountains, while Alcaluf and Yagan live in Tierra del Fuego. Easter Island from Rapa Nui is home to unique Polynesian traditions.

Different languages ​​and traditions

Spanish, of course, is official language Chile. However, linguistic traditions still dominate among indigenous peoples. For example, among the Mapuche, Mapudungun is widespread. Aymara, Quechua and Alkaluf also remain popular indigenous languages ​​in Chile, as does Rapa Nui, spoken on Easter Island.

Like other Latin American countries, Chile is a predominantly Catholic country. In fact, 70% of the population identifies as Catholic and 15% as Protestant. However, expats living in Chile who are not Catholics should not worry. Religious diversity is not only respected, but also protected in Chile.

Healthcare and medical care in Chile

Residents of Chile need not fear dangerous situations in medicine. After all, the country has a reputation for having the most advanced medical care in Latin America. Throughout your life in Chile, you will benefit from modern medical facilities with well-trained medical staff and first-class equipment. Although there is also private healthcare, the country has good system public health, and emergency care is always available.

The Chilean public health system is the National Health Fund (FONASA). Foreigners living in Chile who are covered by FONASA have free access to public clinics and hospitals, as well as private doctors. Thanks to a highly developed private sector, patients enjoy wide coverage of health care in the field of preventive medicine. Companies providing private healthcare are called ISAPRE. They provide wide access to private health services and hospitals.

Health risks in Chile: unusual suspicions

Tropical diseases such as malaria, yellow fever and cholera are not common in Chile, and expats living in Chile do not have to worry about protecting themselves from these diseases. The only contagious disease that tends to cause problems in rural areas is the Hanta virus. The airborne virus, which is carried by mice and rats, is a major concern in campgrounds. Fortunately, the disease is not fatal and hospitals are well equipped to treat its symptoms.

Though drinking water in Chile is quite safe, you should buy bottled water during the first weeks of your stay in Chile. If you have a sensitive stomach, you should avoid consuming raw seafood or unwashed fruit. Another threat is dangerous insects and spiders such as vinchucas (kissing bugs) and arañas de rincón (Chilean recluse spiders). They live in remote areas and in old houses, and judging by the number of people bitten each year, they pose only a minor threat. If you are bitten, you should go to the emergency room immediately. Be sure to bring a spider or beetle with you, if possible, so doctors can determine what antivenom you need.

We do our best to keep this article up to date. However, we cannot guarantee that the information provided is always current or complete.

What kind of work do you need to do in Chile to live happily, is Chilean cuisine really spicy, and why can’t you surprise anyone here with an iPhone? - in an interview with our compatriot Anna Prosyannikova-Mitryanina.

- Anna, tell us how you got to Chile?

- The first time I visited Chile was in 2008 as a tourist with my future husband, whose family moved to this country from the post-Soviet space in 1996. The main goal this trip was the fulfillment of my cherished dream - visiting Easter Island.

At that time, we did not even consider Chile as our country of permanent residence. In 2009, after a short stay in Belarus, we ended up here. The day of our arrival coincided with Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 18, and now it is a double holiday for us.

- What do you do for a living?

- Being a foreign language teacher by profession - English and German - I work in a completely non-humanitarian field. I've been working for two and a half years at Oracle Chile, one of the world's largest companies dedicated to driving innovation by simplifying IT, where I serve as a senior technical support specialist for Sun systems. Since the company is American, they follow the motto that everything can be learned, of course, if it’s not design spaceships, besides, I had experience working in American company, where, by the way, I met my husband.

- What was the most unusual thing during the adaptation period?

- Definitely earthquakes! Especially after the first acquaintance with this natural phenomenon took place on February 27, 2010, when the strength of the tremors reached 8.8 points on the Richter scale. This earthquake was one of the 6 strongest in the world recorded by seismologists. In the two and a half minutes it lasted, I realized how fragile a person is in the face of the elements.

How long did it take for your body to adapt to life in another hemisphere?

- Almost immediately I had to change my ideas about solar “relationships”. Solar Activity it’s very high here: after all, Santiago is located at an altitude of 520 meters above sea level, so You always have to use sunscreen with SPF 30 and above, hide your eyes behind sunglasses, and your hair under a hat so as not to fade or dry out.

There were cases when After one day of relaxing on the beach, the tan became a first-degree burn. An ocean holiday in Chile is not Rio de Janeiro! Scorching sun and cold open ocean, Where Maximum temperature the water reaches +15 degrees in summer, so everyone swims in pools and most do not know how to swim.

It’s still unusual to celebrate the New Year when it’s summer outside.

- How did you cope with the language barrier? How many Chileans speak English fluently?

Upon arrival in Chile, I had a basic knowledge of Spanish, which needed to be improved in order to integrate into society. And my first education helped me a lot with this. I learned Spanish on my own, using all the techniques: self-instruction classes, reading periodicals, watching movies with subtitles and directly live communication with native speakers, i.e. full immersion. I received great support from my husband, who owns Spanish in excellence.

In everyday communication I am accompanied by 3 languages: English when working with clients, I speak Spanish with colleagues and acquaintances, and at home I speak Russian.

But “fluent” command of the English language is very actual question in modern Chilean society. The level of proficiency among graduates of private schools is very good, which graduates of public schools cannot boast of. educational institutions. In order to correct this situation, The Ministry of Education annually allocates tens of thousands of scholarships for everyone who wants to undergo language course both in Chile and in English-speaking countries, opportunities are provided for free to take the TOEFEL and receive the corresponding certificate.

In what sector of the economy is the majority of the country's population employed? Which professions are considered prestigious and are the highest paid and which are the opposite?

The market economy makes it possible for approximately 70-80% of the population to be involved in small and medium-sized businesses in almost every economic sector - agriculture, winemaking, timber processing, fishing, all types of transportation, healthcare, education, services, tourism.

All those who work in the mining sector, especially in copper mining, can be called record holders in terms of wages.

Their year-end bonuses are calculated in very high amounts. For example, the amount of bonuses in some companies reached $30,000 in 2012. And as an indicative consequence: in the city of Antofogasta, all new cars were sold at local dealers' showrooms within a month. Specialists in the field of healthcare (doctor, surgeon), education (teachers at universities and private schools), IT (programmers), international relations

(export-import), winemaking (emologists).

How much do you need to earn in Chile in order to feel comfortable (not to live in luxury, but not to count every penny)? I would call Chile a fairly expensive country to live in. but the queue of people who want to go to work for this money is not worth it and, no matter how paradoxical it may sound, the unemployment rate in the country is at this moment only 6%. This is easy to explain: it will be quite difficult to live on $450. For comparison: rent for a one-room apartment in the center where students live is low, middle class and emigrants from neighboring Latin American countries, will cost at least the same $450. The Chilean peso itself is a very strong currency and the Central Bank has to restrain its growth, as this stimulates exporters.

The concept of average salary does not exist! Your salary depends on your education, work experience, and knowledge of foreign languages.

But the question of how much you need to earn to live comfortably is quite complex. It all depends on the person himself and exactly how much money he needs for this. A big role is played by the area of ​​residence, location of work, housing (owned, you have to pay rent or interest on the loan (approximately 4% per annum), the number of children.

For example, the cost of gasoline is almost $2 per liter, travel on the metro and public transport- $1.5, if necessary, you can cross Santiago on toll roads for $13 one way. Approximately for a family of two adults, without children, with their own housing, it is required about 1800$ per month.

Life here is much more comfortable than in the post-Soviet space, but you have to pay for this comfort, so the more you earn, the better, although even if you don’t have enough money for something, but you really want something, the banks are very They will quickly come to your “help” with offers to take out a loan.

Anna, what do you think, if a typical Chilean won a million dollars in the lottery, what would he spend it on first?

A typical Chilean, and not only a typical one, would immediately call all his relatives to celebrate this event somewhere on the ocean shore, with good wine, beer, baking meat and sausages on the grill. Then they would all go together to the stadium to watch Soccer game favorite team.

Chilean cuisine. Is everything really “with pepper”? Please tell us in more detail about what everyone who finds themselves in Chile must try.

It’s so good that you asked me about this and I have the opportunity to dispel this stereotype! Chile is the name of the country, and chili is a hot pepper, and there is no connection between them.

According to one version, and there are several, “chile” means “cool, cold.” This name was used by the Indian tribes living in the south of the country to call cold and strong winds blowing from the ocean in winter.

In the indigenous Mapuche language, trih or chi is a small bird with yellow spots on its wings that squeaks in a similar manner.

There is also a version that this name was given to the leader of the Cacique tribe, who ruled the Aconcagua Valley before the Incas conquered it, and all this happened long before the arrival of the Spaniards.

And here Chilean cuisine with its national dishes is quite bland for my taste, although the food selection here is excellent. You should definitely try seafood (mussels, loco, oysters), different kinds fish. And what kind of fruits are there - chirimoya, tuna, sweet cucumber! A special ode is dedicated to avocado, the preparation of which is numerous: in salads, in the form of pasta with crispbread, with fish, and with meat.

Can the women of Santiago be called fashionistas? How do Chileans generally feel about fashion and brands? Do they consider it important to get the latest iPhone model and “shop around” at the seasonal sales of fashion houses?

Yes, you can! Last year, the largest shopping center in Latin America, the Costanera Center, was opened in Santiago, which serves as a mecca for all shopping lovers, where the doors of stores of leading American and European brands are open to you on 7 floors.

The iPhone and other technological advances such as 3D TVs, tablets, etc. are perceived very naturally by Chileans. For them it is rather a vital necessity, than showing off, and on top of that, these things are affordable. The functions of smart things are very actively used here. For example, all bank payments are made over the Internet; using smartphones, you can make purchases from a digital storefront at a metro station (Wi-Fi in the metro is free), which will be delivered when you arrive home; You can get information about traffic jams and which gas station has the cheapest fuel...

At what age do Chileans usually start families? Do young people live with their parents? How many children are there on average in a family, and how strong are family ties in general?

Chilean society is quite liberal (although 70% of the country's population professes Catholicism), and there is no social pressure here - at what age should one learn, get married, have children, etc. and so on. Approximately between 25 and 35 years.

When a young couple creates their own family, then they usually live separately from their parents. The number of children depends on income, as I said earlier.

But strong family connections they can brag. Friends, first of all, are your relatives and friends. The tradition of joint family dinners on Sundays is maintained, all important events They celebrate with their family, and they all go on vacation together.

Are Chilean women emancipated (perhaps this was somehow influenced by the presidency of Michelle Bachelet, who became shining example success for many women) or does society follow a patriarchal structure - wife-housewife, husband-breadwinner?

The Chilean woman is not only emancipated, her rights are very strongly protected by law. The movement for the emancipation of Chilean women was founded in 1935, and in 1949 they received the right to vote in elections.

The economic development of the country over the past 15 years has given women the opportunity to realize themselves in various fields of activity. Today, women occupy the positions of ministers, senators, heads of mayor's offices, judges, and police officers.

By nature, a Chilean woman is more independent and active compared to Slavic women. She will not sit idly by waiting for a breadwinner with a mammoth, especially when there are children in the family, and will make every effort to ensure that her children do not need anything.

A young middle-class couple will not be able to lead a decent lifestyle (this means having an apartment, a new car, beautiful clothes, meeting friends, entertainment, traveling), adhering to a patriarchal way of life, when the woman does not work, but only takes care of the house.

- What would you classify as the favorite entertainment of Chileans?

Spending free time at the mall is one of the favorite pastimes of most families. There you can shop, go ice skating, play slot machines, watch a theater performance or the latest film release, or relax in a restaurant or cafe. During the holiday season, of which there are usually two - winter and summer - they try to go to the ocean or to the mountains. And the male half of the population are ardent football fans.

One of the heroines of our project said that in Venezuela, for example, the height of beauty and the dream of many women is silicone breasts. What is the situation with the canons of beauty in Chile?

I would not compare Chile and Venezuela)))) The canons of beauty in Chile are closer to European ones: appreciated natural beauty, fair skin and brown hair, slender figure. An example is Cecilia Bolocco, who became Miss Universe in 1987.

Regardless of social class, women take care of themselves - hairdressers and beauty salons are not empty.

What would you consider to be the main values ​​of Chilean society? Are they similar to Western ones (money, career, comfort) or do they still have their own specifics?

The main value of Chilean society is maintaining family relationships. They are very sensitive to children and the elderly and try to spend all their free time with their family.

On weekends, moms and dads with their kids can be seen riding bikes or playing catch in the many parks and recreation areas.

But overall, I would call Chile “America in miniature,” where money, career and comfort play far from a secondary role.

- Please describe your usual working day and day off.

My day starts at 6.30 am. I have to be at my workplace at 8.30. I am very lucky, because my office is located only 6 km from my house, but it is advisable to leave home 40 minutes in advance, because, firstly, you can get stuck in a traffic jam (the population of Santiago is almost 7 million inhabitants), and secondly, 3 of the 6 km of the route are a mountain track passing through a tunnel. Even if you really want to, you can’t get there on foot. I work until 18.30, on Friday until 17.30. Total - 44 hours work week

. I do Pilates with a personal trainer twice a week and go jogging twice, so I’m home around 8:30 p.m. After a light dinner I read or watch a movie. At 23.00 - lights out. I try to spend my days off as varied as possible. For example, there is a theater in our area and, being a resident of this area, I can purchase tickets for various cultural events

with a big discount. Most recently, we had the pleasure of attending a theatrical performance at the Moscow Theater. Chekhov, taking place as part of the annual theater festival. We love to go trekking and go to the ocean. Maintaining family traditions, once a month and on holidays we travel out of town to

amazing place

This is probably a democratic way of life)))) It is still sometimes unusual for me that people take to the streets to openly express their opinion about this or that problem, organizing demonstrations or marches. No one is afraid of this, and it is not perceived as if there is something unsettled in the country.

- How difficult is it to emigrate to Chile?

It's still easy. Citizenship can be obtained after 5 years of residence in the country, and with a Chilean passport you do not need a visa to 137 countries. But I would recommend everyone to hurry up, because Chile is changing its emigration laws, making them similar to the laws on emigration to Canada and Australia.

- What would you advise or what would you warn against for those who are determined to do this?

I would put ownership first foreign languages. If you do not know Spanish, a good command of English, German or Japanese. Western European and American education is valued.

It should also be remembered that there is a class division in the country, and moving for permanent residence to a country with a capitalist structure is like a litmus test. will show you which class you belong to.

I would also like to add that Chile is a very diverse country, as is its 7 climate zones. In the north, you will meet representatives of the Aymara Indian tribes, living according to the traditions of their ancestors, and in the south, burgher Klaus, who speaks Spanish with a slight German accent, will sell you apple pie. Santiago is sometimes compared to California, and resort town Zapallar - with Cote d'Azur, but everyone who comes here will find a place here that is similar to their homeland. Therefore, when I go on my next vacation to the Chilean south, I find myself in Belarus for a while.