But I'm sicker than you

Here's something I've noticed. When you ask a Chilean person how they are doing, as in the standard "hola, como estás" greeting, you'll get more than just a "I'm good, thank you" that is common in the US. Here in Chile, you get the whole story. Everyone seems to tell everyone everything. My aunt is a good example of this. Lately, whenever she has a client come in and ask her how she's doing, she begins her whole story about how, oh she's not great, because she was really sick to her stomach for a while, and she couldn't eat anything, and she was vomiting, and she had to go to the hospital and now her back is really bothering her and she's really tired but she will keep working anyways, everyday, because what else can you do? This is a quality that is not unique to my family. Today we went to a store to buy a can of peaches and a can of cream, and store lady was kind of walking around slowly with her hand near her stomach groaning occasionally. As she was ringing us up my Tía asked her how she was doing and so began the story, she's been sick for a long time, her stomach hurts, she can't eat anything, she's been to the hospital TWICE! with bruises on the arms as proof, and she thinks she has kidney stones, but she doesn't know, she needs to go to the doctor, but she doesn't have time because she needs to work. Now my aunt also managed to interject her story here, you can imagine what parts and what time, and it seemed to me that neither was really listening to one another, and it almost felt like a competition to see who was feeling worse. I think this is kinda funny. When we got to my cousin's house after the trip to the store she was like oh did you hear the story? I laughed and told her how I thought this was funny because this wouldn't happen often in the states, unless you knew the person. But I've noticed that here, it doesn't matter who it is, but if someone asks you how you are doing, you answer them honestly. Now I have to say, I have a little bit of this quality myself because often times I find myself telling all kinds of stories to people who probably really don't care, but I don't know it's as if the truth, the way I'm really feeling, just finds it's way out of my mouth somehow. Not all Chileans share this trait, but I would definitely say it is common.

Today we went to San Vicente to visit my Tío Enrique and I have to say I am definitely impressed with how clean and well taken care of that town is. I never really noticed when I was younger. We took the bus there, an experience which I enjoyed because I love looking out the window. Once again I found myself marveling at how beautiful the Chilean countryside is. Some hills seem to be covered with lush, green velvet, others are peppered with small trees that seem to defy gravity with the direction of their growth. I saw field after field of farm land, some lined with young trees filling out with budding flowers, others boasting straight lines of crops and other bushes. The grass everywhere is covered in little orange and yellow flowers with small dots of purple. We passed a number of fruit stands, most of them appearing to be left unattended. I am just continually amazed by all the growth I see, so many different plants, trees, flowers, everything; and spring is only just beginning.