Words of the Day:
zipper- I thought this one was la cremallera, but apparently the normal thing to say in these parts is el cierre.
banano (Chile)- fannypack. Actually quite the fashion accessory here/incredibly useful. I caved and bought one. I think the name comes from the shape, because they are sort of shaped like bananas, cachai? Probably I just completely made that up though.
I bought a zipper today to fix a bag, and while this is the most mundane news ever, the incident was actually quite illustrative. I went to the sewing shops on a streets called Rosas near Plaza de Armas and attempted to buy one from a very patient clerk who must have spent over 10 minutes helping me find one the right length. Since I couldnt figure out how long I needed it to be in centimeters. The guy was totally patient though and we worked through it eventually.
Afterwards, I thought how unlikely the same situation would have been in the US. Despite our immigrant nation rhetoric, let's face it, there's a general impatience when people dont speak English well or when transactions take a long time.
I don't currently consider myself to be an immigrant, and certainly not one forced by circumstances outside my control, but it is interesting to live as an outsider because it gives you a bit of insight into the occasional anxiety that is par for the course in a new linguistic and cultural territory.
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