miércoles, 23 de septiembre de 2009

What makes Chileans Chileans?

It is an interesting question, because I`ve always felt we aren`t a patriotic country… until September. If you ask to the people about our history, our national heroes, our traditions, or about our native people, it`s very probably the don`t know anything, but they may feel very Chilean. And if you ask about what place they would like to know, it`s also very probably they answer places like Europe, Caribbean or U.S.A, but nothing in Chile (except Easter Island, but it is almost Caribbean). It`s a few people who can dance cueca in our national holydays, but everyone still feels a Chilean in every aspect.

Why?, What make us feel like a part of a nation named Chile, even if we don`t know about our country?. Maybe it`s the isolation of a place so far away of the world, where the foreign people is something strange. We are the southest country on earth, that`s why we`re always looking out, trying to be part of a world, but forgetting our roots. We are still trying to be “the English of South-america instead to be the “Chileans of the world”. We are a very weird country, and maybe that´s why I like it, because when the name of our country is threaded in a soccer game, an Olympic game, or by another nation we fight for it, and support it, no matter if we know who is Carrera, O`higgins, o Godoy Alcayaga, because Chile is not history or traditions, Chile is our family, our friends, and everything we love.

And that make us Chileans.

O.k, That, and the immeasurable love for the barbeques and liquor in September.

3 comentarios:

Alejandro dijo...

"We are still trying to be “the English of South-america” instead to be the “Chileans of the world”

Nice phrase there. Chilean idiosyncrasy is very particular and difficult to understand for sure, probably we lack of sense in our ideals. Maybe because we are not rooted to a particular culture at all. The Chilean culture, does such a thing even exist?

Miss B dijo...

Interesting indeed. I think there certainly is a Chilean culture. Maybe not the want we would like to have with strong roots, but the one there is, with all the details mentioned on this A's post and more.

Flández Rodrigo dijo...

Well, it's and interesting point of view I must tell XD, but paradoxically I must tell that I know to dance Cueca (many of my uncles start stamping and not with the walk like they must ¬¬) and I know ( not very much nor very few too) about our history, I now for example that our cultural expression comes from the rural world, with the Huasos and the live in the "Casas Patronales" and thats a condition that makes because in the "Capitania General de Chile" were very dificult to found cities because the natives destructed them periodically, we must remember the Arauco war. But even knowing all that I can't fell really a Chilean, it's hard to explain, I see that more that an independent country we are a country that constantly is looking for and identity without recognize it's own identity.