Episode 78: Special Guest Monica Jones Talks About Her Life in Mexico and Chile

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Paige: You are listening to “Coffee with Gringos.” I'm Paige Sutherland.

Ian: And I'm Ian Kennedy.

Paige: And today we have a special guest from Dynamic English: Monica Jones. Monica, thanks for being here.

Monica: Thanks for having me.

Paige: So, Monica, since you are new to the podcast, just introduce yourself a little bit—where are you from, how long have you been in Chile?

Monica: Yeah, so I am from Boise, Idaho which many people aren't familiar with Idaho as much as maybe they are with more major states. So, it's north of California and it touches the border of Canada, and I have been here for about a year—almost a year and a half.

Paige: So, I actually have a lot of questions. I'm from the US and I don't know anything about Idaho. For those who don't know, tell us a little bit about the state.

Monica: So, we are, for better or for worse, known for our potatoes—we are the “Potato State” even though our main crop is actually wheat. And there's a lot of agriculture, but there's also a lot of outdoors activities—we're really well known for that. And we have a lot of rivers, mountains, lakes, lots of snow which, currently, there's a ton of snow right now in Idaho. And it's a beautiful state, it has a lot of outdoors activities.

Ian: That's awesome. Yeah, I've never been there myself but I hear it's amazing, especially for outdoors and it's kind of like a hidden gem in the West, a little bit. It's like I hear the people in Idaho don't like to talk about Idaho because then other people will come to Idaho and ruin it. So, I don't know if that's a thought you have.

Monica: Yes, this is very true. I actually was growing up, a lot of people would talk about anybody coming from other states and moving there in, kind of, a negative way which makes me laugh because now, I think, there are so many people from all over in different states and whatnot. But yes, we try to keep it a secret.

Paige: That’s pretty funny. No one's allowed in. So, I think the big question we always have to ask is, why did you move to Chile?  

Monica: Yeah, that's a really good question. I studied Spanish and then I also studied bilingual education, so I've been teaching Spanish in the United States for a little while and I had lived in Mexico for a year. I really loved my experience living in a Spanish speaking country and I was looking between Chile and Peru. And I was attracted to the culture, definitely the outdoor activities that they have in Chile and I really liked the idea of Santiago, just because it was a big city but there was also a lot going on. If I wanted to take a day trip to the beach, it just seemed like a really good location, and I was really interested in the indigenous culture in Chile as well.

Paige: Did you visit Chile before you moved here or you just went all in?

Monica: No, I never visited. The furthest south I had been was, I had traveled to Costa Rica. So, I've traveled a little bit in Central America, I also traveled a little bit in Spain. But I had never been to anywhere in South America, so.

Ian: Taking a leap of faith. Yeah, I, kind of, did the same thing. I'd never been to South America before deciding to come down and just said, “Yeah, why not?” So, good decision, I think, right?

Monica: Yes, definitely.

Paige: And I have to ask, you know, obviously you have quite a background in Spanish. Were you surprised at all by the Spanish here spoken in Chile?

Monica: Yeah, it definitely took me a while to tweak my ear and get used to it, especially because I had been used to the Mexican accent. I worked with a lot of immigrants from Mexico in the United States, as well as living there. I also had a connection to Spain and heard that accent quite a bit, so it took a lot longer than I expected to get my ear accustomed to the Spanish here.

Paige: Just, like, the rhythm, the different words, accent, all that?

Monica: Yeah, basically all the above. I did notice, though, I lived with a Venezuelan couple and I had some Colombian friends and I noticed right away the difference in accents and they had commented to that, even for them, Chileans have a different way of speaking. And a lot of my Chilean students will say that Chilean speak very differently. So, yeah, definitely took a little while. The “altiro”, “sipo”, what is it…they use the word “weon”, if I can say that, “cachay”. Lots of words. What I find fascinating, though, too is where the words originate. So, I didn't know like “guagua”, and “guata.” There's a lot of Mapuche (words) which I thought was kind of interesting. And the history was really fascinating because that has to do with the Pinochet era and the curfew. So, there's a lot of, kind of, cool history behind the Chilean Spanish too.

Paige: That is true. I noticed because I have that book, it's like, “How to survive in the Chilean jungle.” Have you guys heard of it?

Ian: I have. Yeah, I've heard of it. I haven't read it myself but I've heard of the title, yeah.

Paige: Most of the phrases have animals in them.

Monica: Yes, I had a student comment on that. He said, that almost all their phrases have something to do with animals which is very true.

Paige: And it's funny because, like, you have an extensive background in Spanish. I came with practically nothing so, I'm, like, learning here. So, like, since when you're learning the language, you're, like, very by the book, and very literal, so I would always translate. So, I'm like, “What about the monkey? And, like, what?” So, it's, like, hard when you hear these phrases because it's like that makes no sense. Literally.

Monica: Yeah, a lot of times I'll say, “Okay, so can you tell me what that phrase means or what you're trying to convey?” Because it's really hard, obviously, if you do a little translation it doesn't work.

Paige: Yeah, absolutely.

Ian: Has there been anything, in particular, here in Chile that you find that you don't like as much compared to when you lived in Mexico? Are there little cultural things where you say, “I think it'd be a little bit better if things were like this or like that.”?

Monica: Yeah, I think the biggest thing, and I don't know if this is necessarily a Chile thing or more of a big city thing, but I grew up in a smaller city. I've lived in small towns and for me, I'm used to talking to everybody on the street saying, “Have a good day. Take care.” That was also something that they did in Mexico, which Guadalajara is where I lived and that's a large city, but they were much more friendly on the streets. So, that's something I'm adjusting to. They're not as friendly on the streets here but I do notice when I do make Chilean friends, that they are extremely welcoming, very kind. They want to feed me and give me any kind of tea or drink that they can. So, I think for the most part that's the biggest thing is just people aren't as friendly on the streets here.

Paige: True. I feel like people are more distrustful, so it's like once you're part of their circle, they're very loyal, very caring, but you have to, like, prove yourself.

Monica: Yeah, yeah, that's very true. And it's a huge difference to go, I was fortunate enough to go to travel to Patagonia and Valdivia and Valle de Elqui and smaller areas and that helped a lot to experience that culture, as well. Because obviously they had much more of a small-town feel, and they were very friendly.

Ian: And just a quick reminder if you are interested in taking private classes with Dynamic English, go ahead and check out our website at dynamicenglish.cl. And there you can sign up for private classes in your apartment, in your house, in your office. You can even now take classes online. Sitting on your couch, you can log on and practice English. It's very easy. So, if you're interested, check us out also on social media through Facebook or Instagram.

Paige: Tell us a little bit more about your story. So, you lived in Mexico, how did you end up here? Like, was that right after?

Monica: No, so this will definitely age me or date me, but I lived in Mexico from 2005 until 2006. So, I did that when I was doing my undergraduate degree. Then I went back to United States and I worked with a lot of Spanish speaking immigrants and various social work programs and education programs and I really enjoyed working with the Spanish speaking community. So, it's something I've always been passionate about. I think I mentioned that I started to teach Spanish and I also was really interested in and had worked with English second language learners, so it's kind of a combination. I really enjoyed that experience in Mexico. I also enjoyed working with that population. So that drew me to Chile as well.

Ian: A really important question here: favorite Mexican food and favorite Chilean food. Go!  

Monica: That is tough! Oh my gosh. Favorite Mexican food, I think, I would say gorditas is what they call them. So, I think they remind me a lot of Venezuelan arepa, which actually. And I really, really like anything with a Mexican cuisine as far as spicy—I love, love spicy. That's something I actually miss. Here they do have ají, but it's not quite the same. Favorite Chilean food would be pastel de choclo—I really like the pastel de choclo. It's really, I don't know, it's unique but it's similar to, kind of, like a shepherd's pie but with corn. And I like that it's, it feels like a really warm, homemade dish that you can eat on a cold day. So, I like it and it's very unique—I've never had anything like it before. So, yeah, it's a good dish.

Paige: No that is true. And it's funny because, like, where I'm from in the US, no one knows where Chile is. And they think, like, “Oh it's Chile. All the food is spicy—there's so much chili pepper and everything.” And it's couldn't be further from the truth. The food is not spicy, you have to, like, go out of your way to find any kind of spice here.

Monica: Yeah, and they definitely don't think that a gringa wants a lot of spice in her food. So, when I ask for it spicy, many times it's still not very spicy so I think that's part of it too. They have a plant that I just learned this week, there’s the ají plant—that's, I think, just like the normal one. And then they have the “aji gringa”, which is the one that's less spicy. So, that kind of made me laugh too, when I found that out this week.

Ian: Yeah, “We gotta gringa. Give her the weaker ají. She can't handle the strong one.” That’s probably what they think.

Paige: Have you found good Mexican food in Santiago?

Monica: No, I have not yet and to be honest with you, I'm kind of particular. So, I've tried to recreate my own Mexican food here and sometimes it's harder to find the ingredients or they're a little bit more expensive. But I have yet to find really good Mexican food here.

Paige: I haven't either. If you do, let us know. Since you have traveled around a lot, it seems, do you have some favorite places in Chile?

Monica: I know this is really cliché and everybody says this, but I really did love Torres del Paine in Patagonia—that was gorgeous. I was fortunate enough to do the “W”, “W” trek with my dad, and that was absolutely magnificent. I really, really loved that. And I like Algarrobo, the small beach town, and Pichilemu. Those are two of my favorite beach places. I think that Viña (del Mar) and Valparaiso were enjoyable to visit but they're just a little bit more city-like, they’re more port cities. And so, I really enjoyed the laid-back, kind of—surfing—it was really fun. And kind of small beach town feel to those two places as well.

Ian: I think that's something for me that's always been a big draw to living in Santiago. Like you mentioned, you have access to the mountains, you have access to these beaches and it's something that separates Chile from a lot of other countries. And so, you know, that's something I enjoy here. I feel like I want to go visit a little beach town, it's pretty easy to do—hop on the bus go there for the weekend, right? You can't do that in a lot of countries and I'm from the Midwest in the US. And there, it's ten hours to get to the mountains, it's maybe more to get to the beach. And so, something I think people take for granted, in general, here is that amazing outdoor access. And so, I harp about it all the time and people are, kind of, like, “Oh yeah, that is pretty nice.” It's something I don't really think about so I think that was a big draw for me. And so, I hear that echoed with a lot of other teachers or people, in general, that decide to move here. So, you bring up a good point about being able to go to these places that, you know, normally you wouldn't go to this laid-back beach town. It's a nice part of the lifestyle.

Monica: Yeah, the access is amazing and especially for the size of Santiago. How close we are and how quickly we can get somewhere that's outside of the city that's just a gorgeous area.

Paige: So true. I have to ask, so, I think we all have our stories but because of the language barrier, cultural differences, have you been in a pickle anywhere? Had any funny, embarrassing moments? Lost in translation or just cultural differences?

Monica: So, one thing that came up, is there's like a hippie cologne called patchouli. I have a really good friend who absolutely loves it and can't find it anywhere, or she couldn't find it anywhere. So, I was going to small markets and whenever I was there at a little hippie market, I would ask for patchouli. Luckily, my Spanish is pretty good so I was able to get that across, but I didn't realize that the pronunciation for “patchouli” is much different in Spanish. And if I say it a certain way without putting an emphasis on the end of it, it could be a very vulgar word. So, I was going around asking for patchouli which I guess is a derogatory way to say “penis” and I didn't realize that. I did it all over Argentina as well, which if you are looking for patchouli, it's really cheap in Argentina. And you have to pronounce it “patchou-lee” with a definite accent on the end. So that was my learning experience and I did not realize that until I had a good male Chilean friend who told me that I definitely need to be careful with that word.

Paige: “Yeah go back, back in the room there to the left.”

Monica: It was rather embarrassing, and I think they were very polite about it and they realized “Okay, she's a foreigner. She has an accent.” So that was helpful, but after thinking I had probably gone to, like, at least a dozen places and asked that question. So yeah, that was kind of embarrassing.

Paige: That is hilarious. Yeah, the gringo just walking around asking for dick. I guess, just to end, any plans? Like, do you want to stay in Chile for a couple years? Forever? Any plans to go home?

Monica: Yeah, I really enjoy it here—I absolutely love my job, I love my students. I really enjoy Chile and the culture and there's a great, I have a great group of friends here from all over the world and also from all over South America. So, I am hoping to stay. I'm just going to see and kind of feel out how everything goes with a lot of the civil unrest in Chile and whatnot and see how everything goes in March. And then we'll go from there. I also am hoping to try and get in traveling to Patagonia on the Argentina side and going to El Chaltén, which should be fun because I am curious what the Patagonia in Chile is like compared to the Patagonia in Argentina. So those are my plans.  

Paige: Well, exciting, I'm jealous. I want to go there.

Ian: Yeah, me too. We'll tag along.

Paige: Well Monica, thanks for being here. It was great just to get to know you and hear more about your life.

Monica: Yeah, thanks for having me.

Paige: Well, in case you get lost everyone who's listening, check out that audio guide and transcript online. Thanks for listening.

Ian: We'll see you next time.

Paige: “Coffee with Gringos” was brought to you by Dynamic English, where you can learn English simply by using it. If you’re interested in taking classes or just want to learn more, go to our website at dynamicenglish.cl. Thanks for listening.

Key Vocabulary, Phrases and Slang:

1.     crop (noun): farmed plant grown for food.

a.     The farm has many crops growing to feed the community.

2.     hidden gem (idiom): something special or valuable that not many people know about.

a.     Torres del Paine once was a hidden gem before tourism became popular.

3.     indigenous (adjective): native, original people of a place or culture.

a.     Chile’s indigenous peoples have contributed so much of their culture.

4.     to go all in (phrasal verb): to completely invest or put all efforts and energy towards the success of something.

a.     When I get involved in a project, I go all in until it’s completed.

5.     to take a leap of faith (phrasal verb): to make a decision without knowing what the result will be.

a.     He took a leap of faith and moved to Japan without knowing anyone there.

6.     to tweak (verb): improve or make adjustments to adapt to something new.

a.     The teacher tweaks her lessons in order to keep the students interested.

7.     fascinating (adjective): extremely interesting.

a.     My new book is so fascinating that I’ve been reading it all day.

8.     curfew (noun): regulated and mandated time period to stay inside and not go outdoors.

a.     My curfew as a teenager was midnight.

9.     extensive (adjective): wide ranging, covering or affecting a large area or subject.

a.     The scientists are conducting extensive research on the new disease.

10.  to convey (verb): to make something understandable for someone else, communicate.

a.     She asked her students to convey their feelings to their classmates.

11.  to prove (verb): to give truth to something through evidence or argument.

a.     The police will try to prove that the suspect is guilty in the crime.

12.  to draw (verb): to attract.

a.     The beautiful outdoors of Chile is what draws many people to live here.

13.  to go out of your way (phrasal verb): make a special effort to do something, usually inconvenient.

a.     She goes out of her way every weekend to make sure her grandma has enough food.

14.  cliché (adjective): unoriginal, overused, repeated.

a.     “Live, laugh, love” is the most cliché I’ve ever heard.

15.  gorgeous (adjective): extremely beautiful.

a.     The Andes mountains are absolutely gorgeous.

16.  to take (something) for granted (phrasal verb): to not appreciate something or someone enough.

a.     People who live next to the beach take it for granted until they go inland.

17.  to harp (verb): to talk about something persistently and consistently.

a.     She is always harping to her children about the importance of studying.  

18.  echoed (adjective): repeated.

a.     I hear the echoed complains of our customers and we will fix this.

19.   to be in a pickle (phrasal verb): to be in a difficult and/or funny situation.

a.     She found herself to be in a pickle when she couldn’t communicate with the locals.

20.  to get something across (phrasal verb): to explain something to someone in a way they can understand clearly.

a.     It’s so hard to get this across to him! It’s like he doesn’t even want to know.

21.  derogatory (adjective): disrespectful, vulgar.

a.     The soccer fans received punishment for their derogatory comments.

22.  hilarious (adjective): extremely funny.

a.     This movie is so hilarious!

23.  dick (slang, informal): informal word for “penis”: the male reproductive organ.

a.     She was accidentally asking all the locals where she could get some dick.

24.  to tag along (phrasal verb): to join someone in something.

a.     Can we tag along with you on your trip to Europe?