Homesick and foodsick for the U.S.

Editor's note: Justin Cox is teaching English in Chile for six months and writing about his experiences.

By Justin Cox

After more than two months away from the States, there are a few things that I am missing badly. First and foremost is my family, of course, especially my beautiful 16-month-old niece Raegan (although I appreciate the pictures, sis). My friends are a close second, though many of them are in the middle of their own living-abroad experiences (including one in Japan, one in France, three in Taiwan) or are starting medical or law school. But on a completely different level, I have really begun to miss the food in the States.

Before I start verbally hemorrhaging for sushi, banana bread and strawberries, let me insert a preface. I don't think Chilean food is boring, per se. Actually, I think it's very interesting, for example, that the average Chilean eats more bread than a gymnasium full of Atkins dieters. One of the first sayings that I learned here was la mesa nunca debe faltar pan (the table should never lack bread). But I'm not talking about a loaf of Wonder Bread here; the bread they ingest like oxygen here is more like dinner rolls, which Chileans buy daily at corner mini-marts (my Chilean family was horrified to hear that Americans usually buy bread once a week or less).

Almost as interesting is the country's unhealthy obsession with mayonnaise. I had heard of putting it on French fries before ... but salads, rice and pasta? Less unfortunate is the abundance of avocado here. I had never really eaten avocado before I got to Chile, but now if I go 24 hours without eating it, I'm probably sick. Chileans put it on everything -- hot dogs, hamburgers, bread, chicken, etc. Basically wherever we would likely use ketchup or mustard, here they use avocado. And though I was skeptical at first, I count it as the one big food find of the trip thus far.

But what is really interesting is what they do not have here. With the exception of Chilean-ized Chinese food, ethnic food is completely absent in Antofagasta, to my severe disappointment. We 14 volunteers are often trading the latest rumors of restaurants that supposedly offer sushi or of friends of friends who know how to prepare Thai or Indian food. But alas, only rumors have surfaced to this point. And notwithstanding Chile's obsession with carbs, I would not be able to find a bagel or muffin here if my sanity depended on it (I think I would give my first-born for a cinnamon raisin bagel from St. Louis Bread Co. right now).

Despite the other possibilities that were present, the only vice I picked up at college was an appreciation for all-fashioned American coffee. Unfortunately, the drip coffeemaker has not made it this far south yet. Though you can find espresso drinks if you really look, the only coffee you are likely to find in most homes and restaurants here is the instant, Nescafe variety, which barely counts as a quick fix for the truly hardcore caffeine addict.

We Americans are trying our best to import some of the all-American gourmet goodness when we can, but it has been a struggle. We have made chocolate chip cookies a couple times, but we have to buy chocolate bars and cut them up for chips (but they have gone over well). Less successful was when I introduced my host family to American coffee when a visitor brought me some from the States. They thought the coffee so strong that they ended up with twice as much milk in their cup as coffee.

Overall, the experience here has been a very good one. But when it comes to the food, I keep telling myself: only a few more months.

Justin Cox is a graduate of Scott City High School and Washington University.