What Are Chilean Locals and Their Habits Really Like?

Chilean locals rank quite high in my personal list of the most eccentric nations. Especially now that I’ve finally discovered the reason behind the exorbitant prices of seafood in this country. It turns out that seafood is scarce because they feed it to chickens.

Yes, you heard that right—chickens. I nearly fell off my chair when I learned of this.

A visit to the local university also left me in utter disbelief. I was curious about their experimental practices. And let me tell you, if the health inspector were to pay them a visit, the entire university would be shut down immediately. 

The building was brimming with refrigerators, lining every corridor from floor to ceiling. Inside these refrigerators, you could find reagents, colas, and even waste. The lack of electricity in these refrigerators gave the whole place a peculiar smell.

It felt like a scene from a low-budget horror movie, and I thought I was going to faint. I must admit, though, they do show frugality when it comes to using animals. 

What Did I Learn About Chilean Fauna and How Research Animals Are Shared?

In Chile, they have a special mouse-like species called degu. This species has a longer lifespan of up to 10 years and a visual system more suitable for experiments than regular mice. They use these degus.

Instead of sacrificing the entire animal for a small portion of an eye, they either remove one eye and set the animal free. Alternatively, they have a sort of sharing event where each lab takes what they need—some take eyes, others take kidneys, and so on. 

It’s quite a remarkable concept when you have diverse types of research happening in close proximity. I have to admit that the locals here are more organized than the Dutch. They can dismantle a pet, leaving only skin and bones.

How Is Art Different in Chile Compared to Europe?

Art in Chile is a whole different story. In Europe, art follows a certain canon. Theater performances take place on stage.

Paintings are displayed in frames. And installations are housed in galleries—everything adheres to specific rules that classify an object into a particular category. 

For instance, actors don’t usually leave the stage during a performance. They certainly won’t spontaneously start painting the theater walls just because they had a sudden idea. And paintings are typically created on canvas, not on the walls of someone’s home or anywhere else. 

In Chile, however, art begins wherever the disruption of reality begins. And there’s no clear boundary between art and the rest of the world. Houses are adorned with vibrant graffiti, people spontaneously create music in public squares.

And artistic events take place, but they are nothing like what you would see in Europe. I attended an art festival in Sotomayor Square. There, individuals dressed as birds started walking and striking various poses amidst the crowd, accompanied by peculiar music. 

Later, we were treated to a captivating animated presentation on a giant screen, accompanied by techno music. And to top it all off, people on roller skates began blowing giant soap bubbles underneath the video screen.

It left me with a sense of witnessing something beautiful yet so unconventional that it defied classification as any specific kind of art. Simply astonishing.

Why Do Chileans Seem to Long for Europe Instead of Their Own Culture?

Moreover, Chile’s representatives seem to have their own set of insecurities. Despite having beautiful sunshine, lovely beaches, palm trees, stunning architecture, abundant art, enjoyable entertainment, and a healthy lifestyle, they still long to be somewhere else. They also long to be someone else. 

Their obsession with Europe is particularly noticeable. According to dos Santos and Pereira (2021), this kind of selective national inferiority complex is a documented social-psychological pattern, not just a personal impression. Everyone claims to have some European ancestry or distant relatives, expressing their desire to visit Europe.

The radio and clubs exclusively play American and European music, American sitcoms dominate television.

And billboards feature models with typical European beauty. Even to pursue a career as an artist, one must leave the country since Chileans fail to appreciate their own people. It’s a rather disheartening situation.

When I inquire about their thoughts on their own nation, many Chileans often claim that their fellow countrymen are cool. However, in my eyes, they are far from cool compared to the Dutch.

I recently spent a week with a Chilean family, and they were incredibly warm-hearted individuals. Interestingly, Chileans perceive themselves as uninteresting. 

Many people I spoke to about their philosophy of life confessed that they have none, which is disconcerting. On the other hand, these individuals generally don’t travel due to the high costs. So one can’t expect much in terms of personal development.

It saddens me that I can’t change my way of thinking. I used to rely on stereotypes. I assumed that someone who prioritizes fun over work lacks intellect and possesses a shallow personality, simply chasing pleasure mindlessly. 

How Did I Find People Who Finally Understood Me?

However, I have encountered a few people here. These people are not only fun-loving and emotionally profound, but they are also highly reflective and wise. It was quite a revelation, especially when I discovered that these guys, who appeared to have grown up between the gym and clubs, are actually physicists who read philosophy books, keep diaries, and enjoy cooking in their spare time.

For the first time in a long while, I felt understood. Even with all my peculiar hobbies that not everyone appreciates and the conflicting emotions that stir within me, I found someone.

This person shares the same experiences. According to Montoya, Horton and Kirchner (2008), perceived similarity in attitudes, values and interests is one of the strongest predictors of interpersonal attraction.

Suddenly, everything started to make sense. From a young age, I have been different—I have embraced life, risk, and adventure while also being sentimental, oversensitive, and lost in my thoughts.

Do I Have a Latin Soul?

It seems that I was born with a Latino soul. This explains why I never truly felt at home in Poland and why the Netherlands doesn’t quite fulfill me.

Now, it’s crystal clear to me, and I’m surprised it took me almost thirty years to discover this about myself. According to Hong, Morris, Chiu and Benet-Martínez (2000), people who have internalized more than one culture can shift between different cultural frames depending on context.

What Brought Me to Chase a Postdoc in Barcelona?

Therefore, I made up my mind to complete my PhD in the Netherlands as soon as possible. After that, I plan to embark on a demanding postdoctoral position in Barcelona, as previously mentioned. Sunshine, mountains, delectable food, beaches, warm-hearted people, and a reputable scientific institute—Barcelona offers everything I need to find happiness. 

Thankfully, staying in Chile is nurturing my mind. Three days ago, I climbed La Campana hill in the local national park. Near the summit lies a place known as Placa Darwin, where Charles Darwin himself used to sit and work on his theory of evolution.

During my journey, I stumbled upon a few insights that will prove useful for my project. It was like finding the solution to a problem in a dream—suddenly, it came to me as if bestowed by a blessing. 

I often solve problems through moments of insight, but this time, ideas bombarded me. According to Maddux and Galinsky (2009), time spent actually living abroad and adapting to a new culture, rather than merely traveling, is linked to enhanced creative thinking. It has filled me with optimism because, before this, I felt exhausted and struggled to focus on anything, especially with the project weighing heavily on my mind.

Now, everything has started moving forward all of a sudden. As you can see, staying at the end of the world can truly make a difference.