Mi Bienvenido a Chile

I've been in Santiago, Chile for over a week now. Physically I'm here, but my heart is missing BA in a big way. Don't get me wrong- Santiago is a nice city. It's clean, modern, etc...but I'm partial to the quirky and infectious character that sits heavy in the air in Buenos Aires. You breath and move around in it and sooner than later you find yourself addicted. At the moment I'm adjusting to life away from Argentina. The vibe of Santiago is different, but I have to say that my welcome here was quite flattering.

So I was making my way through the customs line in the Santiago airport like everyone else arriving from an international destination. I waited for my turn, approached one of the counters, handed my passport and forms to the officer, and he of course had trouble pronouncing my name. This has been a common problem on my trip. A way that I help people with my name is telling them that it is like the football team in England. Soccer is a big deal here and everybody instantly knows how to pronounce my name after I tell them that. So naturally I proceeded with this same explanation which then began a conversation. I'm please as punch about the fact that someone can speak to me in Spanish and I can understand what they say and then respond in a somewhat decent manner as well. So naturally I chatted with the officer for a few minutes. Wasn't too long before I realized he was asking me out. Took me by surprise, but also was a bit flattering. The other students who were waiting for me in the transfer van were impressed. 10 minutes in a new country and I already had a potential date.