Observations and Dogs

by Matthew Johnson

My observation may start out somewhat cliché, but the stories that I am going to tell will be unique to many people. In Chile, there have been many cultural differences than those in my daily life in the United States. Riding the metro, paying for the public bathroom, and foods I have never seen before are just a few of the adjustments I have had/gotten to make in my first week in South America. Two events have occurred that I could not have anticipated before coming on this trip. First, on our third day in Santiago, a few members of the group were walking back to the hotel. By the time we arrived back at the hotel, we had a pack of four dogs “herding” us along the sidewalk. When strangers would walk by our group, the dogs would run ahead and start barking, and once the strangers had passed, the dogs would prance back in toe with our group. After this experience, I knew I was in for an interesting and different adventure while in Chile. Secondly, there seems to be no sense of personal space in this city. With a population of 5.5 million, Santiago is jam-packed with people traveling to work or school on their daily commute. On the metro, because there are people pressed up against one another, one has to protect their belongings in fear of pick pocketing. I’m sure there will be more aspects of life that I will need to adjust to while I am here, but I couldn't ask for a more interesting and unique experience this semester.