For three weeks now, I've been pinching myself from time to time: "Hey. You're on the other side of the world. Could you even imagine something like this, back then?"
The first week in Santiago de Chile was incredibly stressful, we could barely move around the city and we got robbed đ€Ż. I think that's kinda part of it here... Seems like people have a different attitude towards property here. In Germany, we somehow define ourselves by our belongings: my house, my iPhone, my Birkenstocks, my recycled backpack. Here, it doesn't seem to belong you as soon as you put it aside for a moment đ ...
The three of us arrived on the ocean coast a few days ago. Planning nothing, just staying in the here and now. Our son's first splashing steps, his first sunburn (oops), his first shrimp đŠđ. Just as I imagined it for him. Perfect.
I quickly noted down exciting insights on the go, just as the thoughts come. Here are the best ones for you, as always about spatial design, life and myself:
đ« The urban culture of Santiago seems progressive to me: small scene oases that encourage people to create more space for small stores and urban experiences. It says big: do something for your "barrio": open your little store. In the trendy neighborhood "Barrio de Italia", where we are based, food culture, local consumption (shopping) street music & performance are perfectly integrated into the urban landscape.
đ« Urban design in Chile does not appear perfectly planned, but rather spontaneous, experimental, colorful and hands-on. As if everyone is allowed to participate. And diversity creates a super exciting aesthetic.
đ« The human warmth. It's not your precious, valuable time that counts here, but human interaction and existence. I had to adjust from my German-ish way of planning and scheduling for a while. Even if we still have to plan a lot in advance since travelling with a baby.
đ« Love of nature. Perhaps this is the attitude of my business partners from the startup here, but this calm, observant serenity infects me. Just as the mountains and rivers have simply been there for millions of years, the people here don't have this western hectic pace, chasing after lost time, but instead enjoy the here and now.
đ« You should lower your standards of cleanliness in Chile. I think we get a bad look here when we let our little one crawl all over the floor like we do in Germany đ
đ« I see my little son, who is almost a year old, discovering the world every day with courage and bravery, with his little fingers and feet, eyes and ears. And at night he still needs my breast, my closeness, lies skin to skin against me and recharges his batteries. To discover try things out again tomorrow, with that sneaky face đ. Somehow we adults are still like that: a big person who feels safe in the world and an inner child who is vulnerable in weak moments and needs care. I think if each of us cared for our own inner child, the world might be a better place.
đ« I often see parallels here with the Russia I grew up in. If the system doesn't look after you - you're on your own. That's why people support each other more, just out of heart warmth.
đ« In Chile, you can feel the American cultural influence even more than in Germany. The sugar lobby sends its regards, and I don't think people are educated about healthy nutrition here. Sweet drinks instead of water, ready-made products instead of fresh fruit and vegetables.
We have to move on now, I promise there will be more! I'll tell you about my experiences and share a few pictures đ. And don't lose me, I'm here for your concerns and questions! See you soon đ
to be continued...