The Etalia Project

“Puedo verlo?” Mailu was quick to ask at the conclusion of our interview.

She swayed gently in the hammock, her eyes fixed on the screen of my iPhone, giggling at herself answering my questions. At first I worried she might critique herself or ask to redo certain selections, as in the initial discussion of the possibility of an interview she had expressed discomfort with being in front of the camera. But as I observed her watch herself back, she seemed to blossom in recognition of her story. One young woman witnessing another, I marveled in the delight she found in her own power.

Mailu was born to two very young parents in a small part of Mendoza, Argentina called Tupungato. Her mother was only 16 when she came along, the second of what eventually would be four siblings. Defined by movement, her childhood was one without profound roots nor bonds as her family was constantly in motion due to her father’s work. 

By early adulthood, the path ahead was undetermined, but her own personal transient upbringing coupled with the economic instability of her country motivated her to take the leap and set off into the unknown without much of a plan at all. Following nothing but word of mouth, she found herself out on her own in Chile at 22 years old.

Just as the Scots are considered by some to be the speakers of the most unintelligible form of English, so too the Chileans carry the stigma of a vastly different dialect of Spanish that other native speakers struggle to recognize. When Mailu arrived in Chile, she expressed massive overwhelm facing a version of Spanish that seemed to her another language entirely.

It was the people, she said, who made it all worth it. In them she found a warmth and friendliness that confirmed her initial impetus to strike out on her own, far from all she had ever known. Perhaps for her lack of stability in relationships as a child, Mailu valued connection with people above nearly all else and was encouraged by such a welcoming. 

In the coastal town of Valparaíso she finally found the home for which she had forever been searching, Templo Silbante, a multipurpose sanctuary made up of a cafe, a yoga/pilates/dance studio, and a hostel for wandering travelers and the staff to stay. Mailu dedicated herself to the craft of coffee and learned quickly, soon finding herself in the constant company she craved, as many baristas so often do. 

To her, coffee is not just an addiction in the form of a daily drink, but a gift from the earth that, like humanity, offers unending diversity and possibility. She relishes each bean’s history and identity and prides herself in her mastery of a variety of preparations that range far beyond a machine. 

Mailu possesses a rare manifestation of courage which is arguably the most authentic: kindness. To be kind is to be vulnerable, to let down your walls and offer a part of yourself forward out into the distance for another to meet, without knowing their response. It is not easy to be kind, especially after the experience of rejection, but Mailu is one of those people who doesn’t even question it. And hers is not just any kindness either, but a sunny, joyful one that warms you from your toes and remains long after the interaction in the form of a gentle upward curvature at the lips that might otherwise have fallen to rest. Having moved to a whole new country entirely on her own at 22 without a secure job or place to stay, the city of Valparaíso welcomed her with open arms just as she welcomes anyone who enters her cafe. 

Thank you Mailu, for sharing your story///Gracias Mailu, por compartir tu historia.

Watch the full interview: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hbXFrKLx6Nk