This city has my heart meaning

The idiom ‘in my heart of hearts’ is a statement of belief in something one strongly believes to the extent of knowing it, even if others disagree that such a belief or piece of knowledge is valid.

One could say ‘In my heart of hearts I know that I am immortal,’ and although everyone else would be sure it was nonsense and the speaker was delusional, the speaker is saying that in spite of the surrounding scepticism she really believes it.

Shakespeare’s “In my heart of hearts” phrase

Origin of ‘In my heart of hearts’

The phrase appears in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Act 3 Scene 2. It is slightly different from the way the idiom has ended up in that it is ‘heart of heart’ (singular) in Hamlet rather than ‘heart of hearts’ (plural) in the idiom.

In that modern usage the meaning has changed, or developed. When Shakespeare’s Prince Hamlet used it he meant the core – the centre – of his heart. There is a sense in that we still use it like that in its modern usage. When Hamlet says that he will carry a man who is not passion’s slave in the very core of his heart he is saying that he really believes in that man.

Talking to his friend , the only character with whom he is able to communicate in a straightforward way, he says:

“Give me that man
That is not passion’s slave, and I will wear him
In my heart’s core, ay, in my heart of heart,
As I do thee.”

Hamlet Act 3 Scene 2

He is paying tribute to his friend, saying that Horatio is just about the only person he knows who is not governed by his emotions but who is capable of rational thought and that that is something he values above anything else in the people he comes into contact with. Horatio is the only person in the play Hamlet trusts. Because of Hamlet’s different, sometimes bizarre, interactions with the other characters Shakespeare uses the device of the soliloquy to help us understand what’s really in Hamlet’s mind. He also uses Hamlet’s friendship with Horatio, making Horatio his confidant, so that when Hamlet talks to Horatio we know that the things he says are direct, and not the winding up kind of things he says to the other characters.

So he is saying that he will hold such people – like Horatio – in the deepest recesses of his being, deep in the centre of his heart. From that meaning – in the centre of one’s heart – the phrase has evolved to mean having a strong, indelible belief in something.

Synonyms of  ‘In my heart of hearts’

inwardly, inside, internally, within, deep down, deep down inside, deep within, at heart, in one’s mind, to oneself privately, secretly, confidentially

Whenever people ask me what’s my favorite place I’ve been to, I always come up blank. I mean, how can I possibly choose?! I imagine it’s like asking a mother to choose a favorite child.

So when I was invited by Accor Hotels to write about three things I love about my favorite city for their A Tale of Three Cities competition, I fretted over the decision. I was even going to completely blow it off because I just can’t choose! Is it the place I felt the happiest and most alive in (Koh Chang)? Is it the cutest city I’ve ever sight my eyes on, and which incidentally, contains my favorite restaurant (Wroclaw)? Or maybe it’s the city that completely awed me at every turn with its grandeur and history (London)?

But ultimately, instead of picking a favorite city, I have to pick the city that takes up the most residence in my heart – my beloved Santiago de Chile.

I never expected to like Santiago. “Who wants to go to Chile?” I thought when D proposed that we go. We were picking a place to kick off our new full-time traveling lifestyles, so it should have been somewhere epic. A dream city, perhaps. The whole world was at our fingertips, but D had to propose Santiago, a place that was never even on my radar. But going to South America does sound beyond adventurous, so I agreed. We bought the plane tickets, sold off our stuff, rented out the house, and flew to Santiago.

By all accounts, Santiago shouldn’t be a city that I would come to love so much. I’ve never had a worse first impression that practically made me want to get back on the plane and fly to Anywhere Else. It’s loud, the air is bad, there’s dog poo on the sidewalks, there’s way too much secondhand smoke, and I was pick-pocketed on my 4th day. But slowly, as we passed our month there, I learned to see the city in other ways.

I don’t love Santiago because it’s beautiful or romantic. Instead, it’s special to me because of how it changed me. This is the place where I learned to get out of my comfort zone and how to function as a traveler. Here is where I had my first taste of freedom and where I finally discovered what it means to be completely in love with life.

But because I can’t also send these same feelings to you through the screen, I can only tell you a few things about Santiago to inspire your wanderlust.

1. The vibrant neighborhoods

1. old buildings in Centro // 2. funky street art in Bellavista // 3. cozy outdoor cafe in Barrio Italia // 4. landscaped garden and modern buildings in Las Condes

Santiago isn’t a city with a lot of must-see tourist attractions or must-do activities. Rather, the city is best experienced through its different barrios (or neighborhoods). A tour of Santiago just wouldn’t be complete without visiting each barrio and soaking in each’s individual charm.

If you’re in the mood for culture, history, markets, and authentic Chilean food, take a walk around busy Santiago Centro and you’ll be in the heart of Chile. For a self-guided tour of the best street art, head over to Bellavista and get lost among the colorful streets. For hipster clothing shops and organic eateries, look no further than Bella Artes.  For those who prefer skyscrapers and luxury malls, Providencia and Las Condes will fool you into thinking you’re in another country. And if only browsing artsy boutiques and hiding in cozy outdoor cafes is an acceptable way to spend everyday, I’d never leave Barrio Italia.

2. The friendly people

On one of our first few days in the city, we stumbled into Yuly’s little corner stall in Mercado Tirso de Molina. Her food was delicious and we promised to come back the next day. We did. And the day after. By our third visit, she was greeting us with kisses on the cheeks. From then on, she’d see us walking over from her position on the 2nd floor, and by the time we had made it up there, our table would always be set and waiting.

Now, that’s hospitality.

Since Santiago, I’ve traveled to a lot of other countries. But never in another country have I felt so welcomed and like I belonged. That little story is only one of the many ways the people of Santiago made us feel at home. Almost nobody speaks English and our Spanish is broken at best, but that lack of a common language was never a barrier. Everyone was happy to talk to us through shoddily strung together words, mimes, and Google translate. I felt more at home there than in other countries where communication wasn’t a problem.

3. The distinctive food

Of course I can’t talk about a destination without talking about the food!

1. razor clams with cheese // 2. gigantic lomito // 3. fried fish // 4. mote con huesillo // 5. bisteq a lo pobre // 6. hot dog completo // 7. Peruvian lomo saltado // 8. cazuela // 9. coffee with legs

I honestly didn’t think the food sounded too exciting, but there’s nothing else in the world like Chilean cuisine. After all, what other country has a drink made of preserved peaches and grains of barley (I’m talking about the mote con huesillo, and yes, it’s superbly refreshing and delicious!)? And what other country’s national dish is a hot dog slathered with avocado and mayo (hmm… this one is kinda gross)? What about the love for dumping all sorts of things unto a bed of fries (the very caloric chorrillana)? And let’s not forget the humongous sandwiches or the sexy cafe con piernas. 

Okay, so Chilean food is definitely a little odd. But it’s distinctive and very much a cultural experience. And if you get bored with Chilean food, you don’t have to search very hard for Peruvian food, which is just as popular as Chilean’s own cuisine.

And if absolutely none of those sound appealing to you, then there’s always the wine. :)

From the day I left, Santiago has never left my heart and I know it is there waiting for my return. If this post has had you looking up flights to Santiago and you happen to get there before I do, then please give Yuly a hug from me. :)

This post was written as part of Accor Hotel’s A Tale of Three Cities competition. They have some pretty awesome prizes (including a 9-night trip to Europe for first place, and go-pros for other places) so go participate as well!!  Competition is open until January 26, 2014. Details here and here. 

But because these kind of blogger competitions aren’t fun without dragging others into it as well, I’m gonna tag a few people too because I wanna know about their favorite cities: adventurings, Why Waste Annual Leave, Little Wanderings, and Eat Sleep Breathe Travel.

What does has my heart mean?

When someone says you will always have a place in my heart?

What does it mean to have a piece of someone's heart?