Welcome back, dollar

The past month has seen an abrupt, and somewhat puzzling, reversal in the trend in exchange rates between the chilean peso and the us dollar. I posted not too long ago that the dollar had plummeted in value, nearly 15%, from when I arrived. Well, as of today Friday June 13th, the dollar has regained nearly all of its value and now stands again at 1USD=500CLP. As I am paid in local currency and buy everything here in local currency, this fluctuation is invisible to me. But I guess after I start accumulating savings, and want to move them back to dollars, I'll be paying closer attention to the exchange rate.


In other money-related news, next Wednesday, I plan to boldly go to Banco de Chile and try (again) to open a bank account there! Woohoo! My postdos advisor and I visited them back in February, and were first told "no, you can't open a checking account here," and then after some negotiations on his part, I was given a long list of documents to collect and bring with me. I now have a photocopy of my university diploma, five months' worth of paycheck stubs (called "boletas" here), the signed and notarized copy of my housing rental contract, and photocopies of my passport, visa, and cedula identidad (Chilean Identity Card). I will keep you posted .... hopefully by the end of the month I might just have a checking account in Chile! (And it would have only taken seven months to do it!)

Finally, RIP Mr. Tim Russert of NBC News. I fondly remember your white-board electoral college musings during the 2000 and 2004 presidental elections.