Food

Santiago: An Experience Like No Other

I was amazed by the beauty of Santiago as soon as we stepped out of the airport. Day by day, I only grew to love it more. We learned a lot in class leading up to the trip, but there were so many aspects that could only truly be learned through experiencing it.

The openness, for instance, was very surprising. Everywhere in the city felt like a single open area. Sidewalks, streets, plazas, and parks all felt like one. Locals, tourists, and even dogs all shared the same space while using it in their own way. I have tried to explain this to people since I have come back home, but found it difficult to describe. Perhaps this is simply something that needs to be felt and experienced.

There was a similar situation with the architecture. We discussed and read plenty ahead of time, but nothing compares to seeing the buildings in person. A picture of a handrail in a museum does not do it justice compared to touching it in person and walking down the stairs. Images of the Innovation Center do not convey the monumentality of the space and the views that it provides.

We also spent a decent amount of class time talking about Chilean drinks and food, but no number of videos could convey the delicious taste of jugo de frutilla or the many flavors of helado on the streets.

Simply walking through Santiago or the hills of Valparaiso was probably my favorite part. Looking around gave me the opportunity to appreciate the country and its beautiful art and nature. We were lucky to have a tour guide as great as Alejandro with us because we had so much access to better understand the culture and people around us.

Now that I am back in Columbus and can reflect on the trip as a whole, I have nothing but fond memories. The trip may be over, but the memories of the beautifully vibrant city will surely last forever.

Back to Reality

My experience in Chile was everything I had hoped and more. I can say I definitely received the culture immersion that I had desired and included everything from language to food. This was especially apparent when I walked into a restaurant for lunch the first day and nobody there spoke any English. I will say, the Chilean people were very patient with us “Gringos” and our broken Spanish. Also, I noticed a large part of Chilean cuisine was either very meat or fish heavy, this was fine by me as I am relatively open-minded when it comes to food.

The one thing that really stuck out to me about Santiago and Valparaiso was their proper use of all the land available to them. Santiago was the most expansive city I have ever seen, I don’t think I was able to see all the way to the end of it even at the top of the Costanera Tower. And in Valparaiso, with the steep landscape, they were able to build up to use all the space they could in a very dense landscape.

Even with all this dense urban environment, the idea of a natural landscape was never lost on the Chilean people. This is an idea that I think needs to make its way to America more, it seemed like everywhere I was in Santiago, I was only a short walk from the nearest park. There were numerous parks all throughout the city, some with wide open areas, and some with much more condensed space. The important thing was that there was a space for everyone’s wants and needs in these parks.

First time in Chile but not my last…

The Santiago trip exceeded my expectations immensely. As my first study abroad trip, I’ve never expected to have such a entertaining time in Chile yet still be a teaching experience. I not only gained an understanding of the Chilean culture, but I also gained insight on architecture from a different continent. I understood the difference and between Chile and Ohio in terms of architecture and I’d admit that Chile is way beyond Ohio in design. Chile has been undertaking these urban ideas that have a SOCIAL PURPOSE and creating a meaningful architecture, which the landscape and climate having a huge role.

The landscapes of Chile incorporated throughout all of Santiago creates an interesting architectural promenade. Every street, every walk you took, you were surrounded by trees that bordered the road or trees/plants and created spaces for outdoor seating areas or provided shade. The heat during the day that hardly reaches 80 degrees with a constant breeze throughout the valley that keeps you cool. I’d say over all the countries I’ve traveled I’ve never experienced such an ideal weather.

One of my goals for this trip was to come back in one piece, since this was my first time traveling on the air without family members. I think I learned a lot about myself.  To be more responsible with my items. How to take care of myself independently, in terms of money. I also learned that maybe Ohio isn’t where I want to study for Graduate school… I was really impressed by the programs offered for architecture, more specifically Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, and they how they don’t label architecture as it is, but into multiple categories of design, philosophy, engineering, etc.

Santiago reminded me of a cleaner New York…. I won’t forget the guy who was selling ice cream on those hot days, screaming “HELADOHELADOHELADO!”. I definitely won’t forget the food, which were mostly meat based, really heavy to digest and was always too much to take in, but never regretful. The people of Chile were patient even with our language barriers, they always tried to understand or communicate even if it was through hand motions.  It felt more like New York when we took the metro bus and artists were performing on the bus. But what Chile has that New York doesn’t is green spaces; hills, trees, multiple parks, mountains in the distance and a whole body of ocean along the country.

I don’t think I can pinpoint a favorite project we visited or restaurant we ate, but I know I had special memories that I hold for ever place. I won’t forget this spring break trip!

¡Adiós Chile!

Thoughts on Santiago

The time I spent in Santiago was a very valuable and unforgettable experience. On this trip, I was exposed to so many different types of architecture and learned so much about the culture and history of Chile. The visit to the Museum of Memory was an especially eye-opening experience for me and really helped me to better understand the history of this area and the pain that was caused by the coup. Doing things like riding the metro and walking through pedestrian streets and Plaza de Armas also helped me to gain a better understanding of daily life in Chile.

One of the most interesting things for me on this trip was seeing how much the Chilean lifestyle differed from that of America. The laid-back style of service and small size of restaurants and stores contrasts the fast-paced, big-business culture of America. It was also interesting to me that most people, while not overly-friendly, were not outwardly rude or annoyed and no one seemed to be in a rush, like we often see in America. Even though most of us spoke another language, most people we interacted with were friendly and patient with us, and didn’t become easily frustrated or annoyed.

Overall, I am really going to miss Santiago and all of its special characteristics, like the dogs wandering around everywhere and the delicious foods, like empanadas and huesillo. I’ve gained so much from this trip, including a greater knowledge of architecture, culture and the Spanish language, and I’m glad that my first trip to South America was this one.

Light and it’s effect on shopping

As advertisers and entrepreneurs may already know, the ambience of a space can have a very direct influence on how people act and feel in that space. I think this principle was shown very clearly when we visited the two markets today. Both were technically open air markets, as they had ceilings that were not closed and minimal amounts of walls. Despite this similarity, the two markets were different in very distinct ways and I would argue these differences arise as a result of their qualities of light. Within the main Vega market the roof is formed  by slanted corrugated panels that open up, shown in the diagram below.

Diagram showing directionality of light at Vega

While some light is let in, because of the orientation of the building this light is limited and the market feels quite dark.

Looking up inside the Vega market

I do think that it contributes to it having a subterranean feeling. This is quite different in the first market we visited. The ceiling and light were treated in a very different manner.

Outside view of panels

Inverted pyramids with permeable faces allowed a diffused amount of light to enter the market, giving the space a more full, welcoming quality. The pyramids are instrumental in this, allowing light to pass no matter the time of day, as opposed to the strict directionality of the roof of the Vega market. The eating places were located on the second floor and while it may simply be correlation and not causation, I noticed many more people eating on this floor.

Elevation of pyramidal panels

what type of roof you plan to have may not always be number one concern on designers lists. However, as the case with many things, attention to detail can make a huge difference in how a space feels.

Food For Thought

As our Santiago adventure draws to a quick end, I stopped and reflected today on everything I’ve gathered from this trip. There is definitely a new and unique aspect to learning and understanding architecture when you visit the site as oppose to seeing images in a classroom, but this has also been a huge culture shock to me as well. Never traveling outside of the country, I’m used to seeing elaborate and architectural marvels in the US, but nothing could’ve prepared for the atmosphere here in Chile. The people, the lifestyle, the food, everything is so different yet so similar. I think a great way of understanding these similarities and differences is through food, we were given the freedom to choose any meals we would like and I think this gave leeway into how we got to experience the culture here.

I can’t read Spanish, so a majority of the time ordering I would just be guessing and hoping it all went well. I was forced to break out of my comfort zone, and to my surprise the new flavors and courses were all outstanding, I don’t think I had one bad meal. On a larger scale than just discussing what kind of french fries I tried, I believe this basic human necessity – food – is a means that brings people together throughout any language or cultural barrier. It is a medium for socialization, exploration, connection with others, and so much more. On this trip, my meals were opportunities to connect with my peers, teachers, Chilean locals, etc. and brought me a new understanding to foreign countries.

 

 

An açaí, chirimoya ice cream, two flavors I don’t think we have in the US and I have never tried before.

Griled chicken with a merlot sauce. I find it interesting how Chileans incorporate wine into their cooking and daily lives as it differs from the US greatly.

Passionfruit mousse, again a flavor I’ve tried before and I don’t think I’ve ever had mousse!

Hake (?) fish from the restaurant Ambrosia, another new try that came with a variety of unique sauces, fine dining is something I’ve come to really enjoy and admire on this trip.