“In December, we are already starting to say that there are nine months left until the 18th”: an American tiktoker recounts his life in Chile

In an interview with La Tercera, the American Samantha Westphal, who went viral for a video in which she commented on national holidays, “I don’t know how I’m going to survive, they have barbecues and drinks every day”, says that she was his experience and the cultural differences between the two countries.

When Samantha Westphal (28 years old) was a biology student UNITED STATES and arrived in 2015 at the University of Valparaíso for a six-month exchange, He never thought he would ultimately decide to stay .

She also didn’t know that she would meet her current husband here or that she would have over 93,000 followers on her account today. Tic Tac in which he tells stories about his life in Chile .

A week ago, one of his videos was made particularly viral .

In it, the Iowa native who currently lives permanently in Concón since 2019, He told Internet users about his experience and his vision of National holidays .

He said, “The only way to describe September in Chile would be to compare it to Christmas in the United States” .

“When the clock strikes midnight and it is already September 1st, “The whole country is changing,” he said, before pointing out the music that plays at this time, the decorations and the fact that this year “there are a lot of parties.”

Thus, he continued: “I don’t know how I’m going to survive, they have barbecues and drinks every day” .

Four years have passed since he moved to Chile. And over time, he was not only able to explore the geographical diversity and enjoy the varied cuisine that the territory offers, but also, deciphered a culture different from that of his hometown located in the Midwest of the North American country.

In conversation with La Tercera, Samantha talks about her experience, what she likes most and cultural differences between the two nations.

Reels, festivities and a different humor: the vision of the American TikToker who recounts her life in Chile. Photo: Samantha Westphal in Santa Cruz, Chile / captured by Marissa Kelly Photography.

The vision of Samantha Westphal, the American tiktoker who recounts her life in Chile

Westphal says he’s always loved creating content. I used to have a vlog and upload videos to Snapchat, but It was only because of the pandemic that he decided to start sharing stories on TikTok. about what his life is like in Chile.

“For me, it was a way to express my creativity. And also, When I arrived in 2015, there wasn’t much information about Chile in English. . It’s a very beautiful country, that was my motivation, there are many places to visit and explore, but most tourism information was in Spanish (…) I wanted to create a community “.

Although Samantha speaks the language perfectly – due to her stay here and her studies at school and university -, In the videos he uploads, he tends to speak in English, but with Spanish subtitles. .

That makes content easier for more people to understand in the huge world of networks social.

One of the things he loves most about the country is its gastronomy. . So much so that he claims he couldn’t choose just one dish.

My 3 favorites are the corn pancake, the empanadas and the wholemeals. . (In Iowa) We have a few dishes with corn, but not as delicious as the corn pancake with meat or chicken.

Every 4th of July Independence Day is celebrated in the United States, a national holiday that Samantha assured in her viral TikTok that “I wouldn’t really compare it” to national holidays. From Chile.

“It’s still a fun day, but there’s not as much excitement.” It’s pretty much any day, since it’s the middle of summer. So good, everyone is happy in this season, but it’s like another day . Normally there are parades and events that don’t look like hostels, but more like carnivals (…) I think The most interesting thing is that there are fireworks “.

Regarding the music he listened to that day, he comments that he a playlist from Spotify with songs from artists from different eras . From classics like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and James Brown to more contemporary names like Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry.

Along with this, on this day there is a tendency to carry out cultural activities in historical places and to organize meetings between families and friends, but Samantha says that while she had a great time during those times, in her experience it wasn’t a “very great” vacation. .

This is precisely why, as he said in his viral TikTok: He was surprised by the number of holidays there will be this year in September .

Added to this is the fact that, generally, National holidays in Chile are generally not celebrated in a single day. . And in many cases, Family reunions are followed by previous ones with friends, meetings with more people and, why not, a later event. .

SO, A day in this setting can easily start at lunch and extend into the early hours. in the morning.

“It was very interesting for me. It’s been several days and there are people who, in December, are already starting to say: “Now there are nine months until the 18th.” There is a lot of emotion (…) the party is very big “.

Reels, festivities and a different humor: the vision of the American TikToker who recounts her life in Chile. Photo: Samantha Westphal.

Differences in reels, ways of socializing and humor

Beyond the patriotic festivities, Samantha says that in Iowa, social gatherings tend to start and end earlier. a different scenario from that encountered in Chile.

“It surprised me a lot and it still costs me dearly. “Around 2 a.m., I’m already very tired and want to sleep. » he comments to LT in a laughing tone.

Another aspect that caught his attention the most upon his arrival in Chile was that during birthdays the classic “smack” was given and the birthday child had to drink “a dry piscola”. when midnight arrives.

Regarding ways to socialize with other people, he says that In his hometown in the United States, “they love to talk to everyone,” so he compares it to the warmth of the south from the country.

“They can talk to anyone, no matter where they come from they like to do it. So here, in Viña del Mar and Santiago, it was sometimes a little difficult for me, because I didn’t understand Chileanisms very well. (…) and I didn’t go to the same college or university either. I find that in Chile friendships are very grouped, while in Iowa it’s a little more open, you can have friends from everywhere . “It was a little different for me.”

A few months ago, Samantha told Paula from La Tercera that what was hardest for him to understand was humor .

Asked now about this subject, she explained that this one is rather sarcastic a factor by which On some occasions it was difficult for other people in Chile to identify him when he was telling a joke. and not a serious sentence.

On the other hand, regarding here he says the jokes are more direct .

I was a little sensitive at first and everyone had to tell me: ‘No, calm down, It’s just a joke’ . It’s a little different (…) for example, If someone has no hair, they will be called “bald”. or something like that. In the United States, you can never joke about this, nor about their physical appearance or personality, because they would be offended. . We are more sensitive to this aspect . You could make such a joke if someone did something stupid or said something, but you would have to be a little more careful (…) you have to reach a level of trust.”

You can watch the videos that Samantha Westphal shares on TikTok by creating click on this link .

Reels, festivities and a different humor: the vision of the American TikToker who recounts her life in Chile. Photo: Samantha Westphal in Santa Cruz, Chile / captured by Marissa Kelly Photography.

Source: Latercera

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