As I continue to adapt to living in Chile, I have noticed some things about the country that will take quite a bit of getting used to. Aside from the noisy streets that sit right below my balcony and the congested sidewalks that rarely ever clear, I have also noticed that Chile does not have a large selection in the grocery stores. As many of you know, grocery shopping is a pastime that I enjoy quite a bit, and the variety of produce in American grocery stores always had me oddly excited. Over the past two weeks, I have noticed how difficult it is to find some good produce in this country. There is a fairly large produce section, but they only have a few selections. For example, there will be oranges in one area of the produce section, then I'll walk to another part and oranges will be the main fruit over there as well. I guess I simply just miss my apples and sweet potatoes and broccoli. Luckily, there is a market which I frequent as much as possible.
Other than lack of apples and other delicious produce items, things are going fairly well. I've had random interviews and tests in order to get a job teaching English, and I'm still waiting on a place that will secure one for me. Other than that, I've been making some Chilean friends and they've been slowly introducing me to their habits of dinner at 11pm and going out until 6am. So, needless to say, my sleep schedule and food intake have changed fairly dramatically, but it's all part of the experience.
As of now, Chileans have vacation which means a whole lot of nothing for the city. Everyone is relaxing and enjoying a month off until March comes back with a vengeance and people have to resume their normal lives. Therefore, in the interest of being as Chilean as possible for the time being, I've decided to go hardcore with my relaxation and get serious about being part of this country. Though, I must admit that I go stir crazy after awhile if I relax too much and I find myself wandering the streets and ending up at my friends apartment to bother them.
Not much else for now. I hear it's still quite frigid where many of you are, so I hope you're using lots of wool (sweaters, socks, etc.) and packing on the layers. I'll try to fill you in on any interesting things that come my way, though the city will be dead for a little while. As for the produce problem, I'll be heading to the market across town quite a bit, so don't worry too much. :)
Keep the hugs flowing
send some to me
love love love...
Monday, January 26, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
And so the job hunt begins
I woke up this morning ready to take on the search of a job to become an English teacher. Luckily, my roommate from England did this about five months ago, so over the past week or so he's given me many tips and pointers of how to go about it. He's given me lists of institutes, advice on which ones to avoid, and quite a few comforting words. So with that, and many copies of my resume, I headed out to go shake some hands and give out my phone number.
Basically, all that is required is that you give a resume and a contact number, and more likely than not someone will call you eventually and offer you a job. I got on the metro at about 8:30am (the busiest time of the morning for the metro) and it was more packed than the subway in Boston after a Red Sox - Yankees game. So, needless to say, no one needs to hold on to anything because you can simply lean on everyone around you, but for those with claustrophobia or those who enjoy their own space, the metro at 8:30am is a nightmare. Luckily, I'm not one who needs my personal space, and the metro was just one big awkward hug for me.
After I got to a certain area of town, I set out on foot and found my way to a list of institutes. One by one, I handed them my resume and explained my situation, and I was greeted quite nicely by each place. After hours of walking the city and trying to hide from the heat in las sombras (the shadows), I finally called it quits for the day. The job hunt, day one, is now over and I feel like I've actually been rather productive instead of sitting on my bum in the heat of Chile. Day two begins tomorrow. There are tons of English Institutes scattered throughout the city, so there is apparently no lack of job opportunities.
Aside from the job hunting, things have been going really well. I feel like I've been here for months, though technically I've been here about a week and a half. Even saying that out loud ("a week and a half") sounds like such little time, and I can't believe I can feel so comfortable in the city and in my surroundings already.
This past week, I met quite a few Chileans and foreigners alike, and I recently decided to move to another house that holds more young people (both Chileans and foreigners) because of the locality and the wonderful vibes that I immediately got when I walked in. In March, I'll be packing my things and moving even closer to the center of town in a house that has large windows, bright colors, and wonderful people. I really lucked out with who I've met so far, since I've recently heard that Chileans from Santiago are some of the hardest people to get to know. Apparently, the culture in Santiago has people mainly conversing with their family and their close friends from school with little room for new people. However, once you meet some and get acquainted they are very hospitable and loving and they will introduce you to many other people. So one by one, I've been introduced to random people and somewhere along the way I found a new apartment.
The heat has been climbing and is now near 94 degrees during the day. It's almost debilitating because you can't do anything but walk around and try to escape it (air conditioning is unheard of here), so most people stay inside somewhere until dusk when things start to cool down. Right now, it's the middle of the day and I'm dreading the outdoors since I just came from the sweltering heat, but I'm heading down to check out an Amnesty International march that one of my friends mentioned to me.
That's pretty much all there is going on here. Heat, jobs, and new friends.
I hope you're all well. I miss you quite a bit because it feels like I've been away for so long. I'll try to send some of the heat your way so you can warm up and we can cool down.
Keep the hugs flowing.
Send some to me (and I'll bring 'em to the metro...)
much much love.
Basically, all that is required is that you give a resume and a contact number, and more likely than not someone will call you eventually and offer you a job. I got on the metro at about 8:30am (the busiest time of the morning for the metro) and it was more packed than the subway in Boston after a Red Sox - Yankees game. So, needless to say, no one needs to hold on to anything because you can simply lean on everyone around you, but for those with claustrophobia or those who enjoy their own space, the metro at 8:30am is a nightmare. Luckily, I'm not one who needs my personal space, and the metro was just one big awkward hug for me.
After I got to a certain area of town, I set out on foot and found my way to a list of institutes. One by one, I handed them my resume and explained my situation, and I was greeted quite nicely by each place. After hours of walking the city and trying to hide from the heat in las sombras (the shadows), I finally called it quits for the day. The job hunt, day one, is now over and I feel like I've actually been rather productive instead of sitting on my bum in the heat of Chile. Day two begins tomorrow. There are tons of English Institutes scattered throughout the city, so there is apparently no lack of job opportunities.
Aside from the job hunting, things have been going really well. I feel like I've been here for months, though technically I've been here about a week and a half. Even saying that out loud ("a week and a half") sounds like such little time, and I can't believe I can feel so comfortable in the city and in my surroundings already.
This past week, I met quite a few Chileans and foreigners alike, and I recently decided to move to another house that holds more young people (both Chileans and foreigners) because of the locality and the wonderful vibes that I immediately got when I walked in. In March, I'll be packing my things and moving even closer to the center of town in a house that has large windows, bright colors, and wonderful people. I really lucked out with who I've met so far, since I've recently heard that Chileans from Santiago are some of the hardest people to get to know. Apparently, the culture in Santiago has people mainly conversing with their family and their close friends from school with little room for new people. However, once you meet some and get acquainted they are very hospitable and loving and they will introduce you to many other people. So one by one, I've been introduced to random people and somewhere along the way I found a new apartment.
The heat has been climbing and is now near 94 degrees during the day. It's almost debilitating because you can't do anything but walk around and try to escape it (air conditioning is unheard of here), so most people stay inside somewhere until dusk when things start to cool down. Right now, it's the middle of the day and I'm dreading the outdoors since I just came from the sweltering heat, but I'm heading down to check out an Amnesty International march that one of my friends mentioned to me.
That's pretty much all there is going on here. Heat, jobs, and new friends.
I hope you're all well. I miss you quite a bit because it feels like I've been away for so long. I'll try to send some of the heat your way so you can warm up and we can cool down.
Keep the hugs flowing.
Send some to me (and I'll bring 'em to the metro...)
much much love.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Cachai?
I went to get a cell phone two days ago, and I quickly realized that doing simple things in a foreign country becomes a huge adventure. I walked down La Ahumada (a walkway for pedestrians with tons of stores) and scoped out which cell phone store had the least people who would hear me make a fool of myself. Once I found one that I liked (a company called Claro), I walked past it several times before entering and asking for a telefono prepago (prepaid phone). The people inside were so nice, even after I revealed that I was indeed an American, and they began joking around with me right away. Luis, the store representative, helped me pick a phone and told me all the prices and whatnot before we began to set it up. Unfortunately it didn't go as planned and my phone wouldn't work at all, so he decided that we should go figure out the problem. We ended up walking about 100 feet to another Claro store (cell phone stores are plopped everywhere), and Luis and I waited in line to settle the issue with the company. I guess something had happened and they had repackaged a phone that had already been used, so he was determined to politely raise hell. We sat in a cubicle with a woman for ages, and Luis got it all cleared up and I got a replacement phone. Luckily, Luis was a really nice guy and helped me out, otherwise I would have been completely out of luck with my phone and I probably would have had to buy a new one days later when I figured it out. We walked out of the store, he put his hand on my shoulder, smiled and said "you take care of yourself here", and he walked away. Each time I encounter someone that goes out of their way to help out or simply does something kind for another human being, I'm delighted. It's always nice to get a friendly reminder that humans are pretty good to each other on many basic levels.
Later that day, I found myself walking around the city at dusk with a heavy bout of loneliness resting on my shoulders and weighing me down. It's a really odd emotional roller coaster to go from the excitement of even buying a cell phone, to the extreme loneliness of walking the city by myself. Everything here seems to be measured in such extremes, and it certainly tires me out. I've learned very quickly to accept every feeling that comes my way, and simply embrace it for what it is.
Things looked up yesterday as I headed to the HUGE market near the center of the city. There's an area just past the Plaza de Armas, and once you cross the river you're in a completely different world of shouting fruit vendors and vegetable connoisseurs who have corn and carrots that come in insane sizes. It's gritty and cheap, and so very real. It was so great to walk around and take in the aromas of the different produce that surrounded me.
After walking around for an hour or so, I headed back to the house for lunch and to escape the 90 degree weather that looms over every afternoon. At our apartment, my roommate Isa ended up having some friends over from her University, so I got a little taste of how the Chileans really sound with each other. It's so difficult to understand, and they say CACHAI after practically every sentence...which I've learned basically means "ya know?". So, needless to say, my brain was spinning in so many different directions, but it was expanding so rapidly. After we all sat around and hung out for awhile, my roommate Christian and I headed over to his friends place in Providencia. They are 26 year olds from Connecticut who recently got engaged, and it turns out that the girl I met knew some girl from my sisters lacrosse team at UNH many years ago....or something like that. I'm always shocked at how small this world really is.
We hung out with them all night last night and sat on the terrace of their building, where the views are something out of a movie and they take your breath away everytime you glance up. The sun was setting over the mountains, and it was casting a beautiful glow on the city below us. We had a mix of Gringos and Chileans, and we spilled conversation, in spurts of Spanish and English, over the beautiful evening. We eventually headed to their neighborhood bar, where one of the Chileans (Pancho) knew EVERYONE. We were introduced to so many new people, and everyone was having a great time. Pancho said he knew the coolest Chileans around and I think he meant it! We met old men with wrinkles profound enough to tell stories, we met young poets and musicians, and we met fun bartenders that loved to sit and have conversation. It was an amazing night, and suddenly my new cell phone had a contact list.
The sun is beating down on the city again today, and I'm planning to go roam some more and figure out what to do with myself. Perhaps I'll find a new adventure, cachai?
I hope you're all well. I think of you often.
Keep the hugs flowing,
and send some to me if you can.
much love.
Later that day, I found myself walking around the city at dusk with a heavy bout of loneliness resting on my shoulders and weighing me down. It's a really odd emotional roller coaster to go from the excitement of even buying a cell phone, to the extreme loneliness of walking the city by myself. Everything here seems to be measured in such extremes, and it certainly tires me out. I've learned very quickly to accept every feeling that comes my way, and simply embrace it for what it is.
Things looked up yesterday as I headed to the HUGE market near the center of the city. There's an area just past the Plaza de Armas, and once you cross the river you're in a completely different world of shouting fruit vendors and vegetable connoisseurs who have corn and carrots that come in insane sizes. It's gritty and cheap, and so very real. It was so great to walk around and take in the aromas of the different produce that surrounded me.
After walking around for an hour or so, I headed back to the house for lunch and to escape the 90 degree weather that looms over every afternoon. At our apartment, my roommate Isa ended up having some friends over from her University, so I got a little taste of how the Chileans really sound with each other. It's so difficult to understand, and they say CACHAI after practically every sentence...which I've learned basically means "ya know?". So, needless to say, my brain was spinning in so many different directions, but it was expanding so rapidly. After we all sat around and hung out for awhile, my roommate Christian and I headed over to his friends place in Providencia. They are 26 year olds from Connecticut who recently got engaged, and it turns out that the girl I met knew some girl from my sisters lacrosse team at UNH many years ago....or something like that. I'm always shocked at how small this world really is.
We hung out with them all night last night and sat on the terrace of their building, where the views are something out of a movie and they take your breath away everytime you glance up. The sun was setting over the mountains, and it was casting a beautiful glow on the city below us. We had a mix of Gringos and Chileans, and we spilled conversation, in spurts of Spanish and English, over the beautiful evening. We eventually headed to their neighborhood bar, where one of the Chileans (Pancho) knew EVERYONE. We were introduced to so many new people, and everyone was having a great time. Pancho said he knew the coolest Chileans around and I think he meant it! We met old men with wrinkles profound enough to tell stories, we met young poets and musicians, and we met fun bartenders that loved to sit and have conversation. It was an amazing night, and suddenly my new cell phone had a contact list.
The sun is beating down on the city again today, and I'm planning to go roam some more and figure out what to do with myself. Perhaps I'll find a new adventure, cachai?
I hope you're all well. I think of you often.
Keep the hugs flowing,
and send some to me if you can.
much love.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
I found more foreigners
I've been walking through the city, quite a bit, getting to know the area around me. I'm already pretty comfortable with knowing my way around and I even helped a woman out the other day who was lost! She asked me for directions, and I knew where to send her. That either means I'm walking around WAY too much, or just that she probably never made it to where she wanted to go. She's probably still walking around in circles...kinda like I do during the day. I've discovered some interesting parts of the city, however, and I've gotten the feel of when things are busiest, when things are calm, and when to stay the heck away from the metro.
Other than walking, I've been trying to meet as many people as I can and make any sort of connection that I can. When I landed in Santiago, I met a couple from England who wanted to get together for a drink sometime. I emailed them when I got here, and we decided to meet up last night at the only Irish pub in town where their friend was playing in the band. When I arrived there, there was a huge mix of Spanish-speaking and English-speaking people, and I think they had the only public restroom (that actually had toilet paper) in all of Santiago. I found them immediately, and we all shared hugs and kisses and handshakes. After settling in and ordering some drinks, we got to talking. The couple lives here in Santiago because the woman works with the British Embassy, so they've been transferred here for about four years. They have a 5-year-old son, and they live outside the city closer to the mountains. While we were exchanging stories, many of their friends poured in, and I got even more handshakes, hugs, and kisses. The place started to get lively with Chileans and foreigners alike, and once the band started things were pretty hoppin. I looked over at the table next to us, and a group of study-abroad students were spending their night having a ball and dancing with each other. It immediately brought me back to my study abroad days when everything was so intense and exciting and it felt like there was not a care in the world. Being in this bar actually stirred up my memories of the few nights I'd spent in Ireland when I visited Danielle and the energy that just seems to creep from the walls of any Irish pub. It made me smile.
After we'd exchanged our stories and stuff, I immediately felt comfortable with Tina and John and all of their friends. I ended up sitting with two or three 45ish-year-old women as we laughed over random happenings in the bar, and as we shared our different vocabulary with each other ("no, in America, 'sketchy' is the SAME as 'dodgy'"). It was great to feel so comfortable with the people around me, and they all offered to help me if I ever needed anything. They also said they'd love to invite me to different events that they will be putting on throughout the next year or so. It felt so great to have that support.
When I left the bar, the night was still young by Santiago standards, but my body was screaming at me to get some rest. I think I am still recovering from throwing myself into a new city, a new language, and a new climate. Today, I think my goal will be to get a cell phone. Small steps :) I'll keep you posted on my cell phone adventures and whatever else I find along the way. I'm going to try to figure out how to put pictures in this thing, and hopefully I can share some of Santiago with you visually.
I miss you all quite a bit.
Keep the hugs flowing.
Send some to me.
love love love
Other than walking, I've been trying to meet as many people as I can and make any sort of connection that I can. When I landed in Santiago, I met a couple from England who wanted to get together for a drink sometime. I emailed them when I got here, and we decided to meet up last night at the only Irish pub in town where their friend was playing in the band. When I arrived there, there was a huge mix of Spanish-speaking and English-speaking people, and I think they had the only public restroom (that actually had toilet paper) in all of Santiago. I found them immediately, and we all shared hugs and kisses and handshakes. After settling in and ordering some drinks, we got to talking. The couple lives here in Santiago because the woman works with the British Embassy, so they've been transferred here for about four years. They have a 5-year-old son, and they live outside the city closer to the mountains. While we were exchanging stories, many of their friends poured in, and I got even more handshakes, hugs, and kisses. The place started to get lively with Chileans and foreigners alike, and once the band started things were pretty hoppin. I looked over at the table next to us, and a group of study-abroad students were spending their night having a ball and dancing with each other. It immediately brought me back to my study abroad days when everything was so intense and exciting and it felt like there was not a care in the world. Being in this bar actually stirred up my memories of the few nights I'd spent in Ireland when I visited Danielle and the energy that just seems to creep from the walls of any Irish pub. It made me smile.
After we'd exchanged our stories and stuff, I immediately felt comfortable with Tina and John and all of their friends. I ended up sitting with two or three 45ish-year-old women as we laughed over random happenings in the bar, and as we shared our different vocabulary with each other ("no, in America, 'sketchy' is the SAME as 'dodgy'"). It was great to feel so comfortable with the people around me, and they all offered to help me if I ever needed anything. They also said they'd love to invite me to different events that they will be putting on throughout the next year or so. It felt so great to have that support.
When I left the bar, the night was still young by Santiago standards, but my body was screaming at me to get some rest. I think I am still recovering from throwing myself into a new city, a new language, and a new climate. Today, I think my goal will be to get a cell phone. Small steps :) I'll keep you posted on my cell phone adventures and whatever else I find along the way. I'm going to try to figure out how to put pictures in this thing, and hopefully I can share some of Santiago with you visually.
I miss you all quite a bit.
Keep the hugs flowing.
Send some to me.
love love love
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Settling in is interesting
My second day in Chile was pretty fantastic as well. After I'd woken up to the loneliness that crept into my room, my roommate Christian came in and told me to put my swimsuit on because we were venturing outside the city to a small picnic and swimming area. I immediately felt better, and I obliged. After waiting quite awhile for Isa to get ready (she takes longer than 3 girls combined...) we finally ventured out. They showed me how to use the metro (which is very similar to that of Boston), and I experienced first hand the crowds they were talking about. There is no air conditioning, so the windows on the metro are open, and the wind offers at least a little bit of relief from the heat created by the crowds.
After about 40 minutes on the metro, and meeting their friend Clint (from Texas) half way, we made it to the end of the line and hopped a bus to where we were headed. It was a bumpy but beautiful ride.
Upon arriving at the picnic area (in Spanish, they spell it pic-nic....they just felt like putting that lil dash in there I suppose), I noticed how calm and relaxing it was. We were far from the city and there was so much nature all around us.
We swam and relaxed for hours until we decided to eat some typical Chilean food and cool down in the shade. It was beautiful. As we walked back to the bus stop (10 minutes down the road), I noticed how many cacti were growing out of the hills and spilling into the streets. I'd never seen a cactus that close, so it was fairly exciting for me. Isa told me of all the fruits that lay hidden beneath the tough exterior, and I was amazed.
The bus ride back was longer and hotter, as was the metro ride.
Eventually we got here and plopped down to rest our legs and recover from all the sun we'd gotten.
It was a pretty great second day, considering I was starting to get a little lonely and homesick and worried about what I would do with myself.
Yesterday I found my way to the bank and the grocery store. The grocery store was so exciting for me (I LOVE grocery shopping) and I was overloaded with so many new products. It took me forever to get a few things, but it didn't bother me a bit. After that, I walked to the center of the city and roamed for a bit. The heat really bites you even though it's not humid. It's extremely hot, and there is apparently a hole in the ozone layer right over Santiago (mom, yes, I'm putting on sunscreen...). I roamed the streets before I had to get back to the cool temperature of mi casa.
I talked with Isa for awhile about various things, and we got to know each other a little more. Soon, Christian came home from his one class, and we all set out to get Isa a Yellow Fever shot (they're traveling to Bolivia) and to get a juice of some sort at a cafe. The hospital was closed when we got there, so we walked to Barrio Bellavista (the cultural, young neighborhood) and I immediately loved it. There were young people spilling into the streets and music coming from every which way. We enjoyed a natural fruit juice at one of the cafes and just talked.
It gets late really quickly here, but it only feels like the afternoon. It's still not dark at 9pm, so it's easy to think daytime goes forever.
I slept almost 10 and a half hours today, which is a rarity for me. I think my body and mind are still in recovery and trying to catch up to what is going on around me.
I don't know what I'll do today, but I'm thinking about checking out some free theater shows that are going on. I'm not entirely sure. It's already almost 10am here, but for them that's early.
Well, I'll keep you posted.
I miss you all and think of you often.
Keep the hugs flowing
Send some to me too
love love love
After about 40 minutes on the metro, and meeting their friend Clint (from Texas) half way, we made it to the end of the line and hopped a bus to where we were headed. It was a bumpy but beautiful ride.
Upon arriving at the picnic area (in Spanish, they spell it pic-nic....they just felt like putting that lil dash in there I suppose), I noticed how calm and relaxing it was. We were far from the city and there was so much nature all around us.
We swam and relaxed for hours until we decided to eat some typical Chilean food and cool down in the shade. It was beautiful. As we walked back to the bus stop (10 minutes down the road), I noticed how many cacti were growing out of the hills and spilling into the streets. I'd never seen a cactus that close, so it was fairly exciting for me. Isa told me of all the fruits that lay hidden beneath the tough exterior, and I was amazed.
The bus ride back was longer and hotter, as was the metro ride.
Eventually we got here and plopped down to rest our legs and recover from all the sun we'd gotten.
It was a pretty great second day, considering I was starting to get a little lonely and homesick and worried about what I would do with myself.
Yesterday I found my way to the bank and the grocery store. The grocery store was so exciting for me (I LOVE grocery shopping) and I was overloaded with so many new products. It took me forever to get a few things, but it didn't bother me a bit. After that, I walked to the center of the city and roamed for a bit. The heat really bites you even though it's not humid. It's extremely hot, and there is apparently a hole in the ozone layer right over Santiago (mom, yes, I'm putting on sunscreen...). I roamed the streets before I had to get back to the cool temperature of mi casa.
I talked with Isa for awhile about various things, and we got to know each other a little more. Soon, Christian came home from his one class, and we all set out to get Isa a Yellow Fever shot (they're traveling to Bolivia) and to get a juice of some sort at a cafe. The hospital was closed when we got there, so we walked to Barrio Bellavista (the cultural, young neighborhood) and I immediately loved it. There were young people spilling into the streets and music coming from every which way. We enjoyed a natural fruit juice at one of the cafes and just talked.
It gets late really quickly here, but it only feels like the afternoon. It's still not dark at 9pm, so it's easy to think daytime goes forever.
I slept almost 10 and a half hours today, which is a rarity for me. I think my body and mind are still in recovery and trying to catch up to what is going on around me.
I don't know what I'll do today, but I'm thinking about checking out some free theater shows that are going on. I'm not entirely sure. It's already almost 10am here, but for them that's early.
Well, I'll keep you posted.
I miss you all and think of you often.
Keep the hugs flowing
Send some to me too
love love love
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Chile, day one.
Yesterday was a pretty wonderful day. After I awoke, I explored our little apartment and settled my things into my space. My roommates were hanging out and had no qualms about coming by my room to see what I was up to. It felt pretty nice to have people around.
Eventually, Christian and Isa asked if they could join me in my little downtown exploration, and of course I said I'd love them to come. We set out in the afternoon to walk around the downtown area. We walked through the park across the street, and I started to notice the abundance of small cafes leaking from the buildings as we got closer to the center. The city comforted me, and I couldn't put my finger on what it was that felt so normal. Eventually, I realized that it was the mixture of places I've been before that touched upon the city around me. The cafes of Spain sat quietly on the sides of many buildings while the heat from Mexico loomed at my back, and the sun from Venezuela held my hand. Chile has a European feel, but a South/Central American flair that kept me comforted on my first walk around the city.
My roommates showed me the center and the main cathedral, which was rich in detail and beauty, before we headed to Barrio Bellas Artes (an artsy, diverse neighborhood) to get ice cream from a well known place. After that, they brought me to a park where we climbed the stairs and went to the top to see the view of the city. The mountains enveloped the city below, and I couldnt believe how beautiful the sight was. The wind was cool and lifted the sweat off of us for the moment. On our way down, we sat in a little courtyard area with some water and got to know each other a little more.
We walked all day and already I felt so comfortable with my roommates and the city.
The sun was still not down at 7pm (an odd feeling for me), and we went to the supermarket to pick up some chicken and stuff to cook dinner. We headed back to our place where Isa and I chopped chicken and onions, and then she put it together in a delicious sauce over pasta. We all sat at the table and just hung out with our meal and more conversation.
It was an amazing first day.
I woke up this morning with a little loneliness that creeped in through the balcony doors and past the bright red curtains, but its starting to dissappear as the sun warms the city up. Nevertheless, I continue to miss everyone back home...quite a bit.
For now, I'm gonna eat an orange on my balcony and decide what I want to do for the day.
Keep the hugs flowing.
Send some to me if you get a chance.
love love
Eventually, Christian and Isa asked if they could join me in my little downtown exploration, and of course I said I'd love them to come. We set out in the afternoon to walk around the downtown area. We walked through the park across the street, and I started to notice the abundance of small cafes leaking from the buildings as we got closer to the center. The city comforted me, and I couldn't put my finger on what it was that felt so normal. Eventually, I realized that it was the mixture of places I've been before that touched upon the city around me. The cafes of Spain sat quietly on the sides of many buildings while the heat from Mexico loomed at my back, and the sun from Venezuela held my hand. Chile has a European feel, but a South/Central American flair that kept me comforted on my first walk around the city.
My roommates showed me the center and the main cathedral, which was rich in detail and beauty, before we headed to Barrio Bellas Artes (an artsy, diverse neighborhood) to get ice cream from a well known place. After that, they brought me to a park where we climbed the stairs and went to the top to see the view of the city. The mountains enveloped the city below, and I couldnt believe how beautiful the sight was. The wind was cool and lifted the sweat off of us for the moment. On our way down, we sat in a little courtyard area with some water and got to know each other a little more.
We walked all day and already I felt so comfortable with my roommates and the city.
The sun was still not down at 7pm (an odd feeling for me), and we went to the supermarket to pick up some chicken and stuff to cook dinner. We headed back to our place where Isa and I chopped chicken and onions, and then she put it together in a delicious sauce over pasta. We all sat at the table and just hung out with our meal and more conversation.
It was an amazing first day.
I woke up this morning with a little loneliness that creeped in through the balcony doors and past the bright red curtains, but its starting to dissappear as the sun warms the city up. Nevertheless, I continue to miss everyone back home...quite a bit.
For now, I'm gonna eat an orange on my balcony and decide what I want to do for the day.
Keep the hugs flowing.
Send some to me if you get a chance.
love love
Saturday, January 10, 2009
I made it
I'm sitting in my room in Chile.
I made it.
I have been traveling for more than 24 hours, and I am extremely worn out, but surprisingly awake. My mind is crazily tired, but I can't fall asleep.
The rest of the trip was good. I met a woman on the plane to Colombia who talked to me in random spurts about her life and asked about my adventure. It was then that I realized that my world was now officially set in Spanish and that my brain would have to do all it could to keep up. The directions in the plane were now only said in Spanish, and I immediately felt like an outsider. My flight to Colombia actually offered a meal, but unfortunately my nerves would barely let me touch it (for those of you who've traveled with me, you know it's a rarity for me not to eat airplane food...I oddly enjoy it). I couldn't sleep a wink, so I read and wrote and watched about 5 minutes of the in flight movie before deciding it was too horrible to continue.
When I arrived in Colombia, things were different. There was no cell phone at my disposal, and my language was now the second one to come on over the loudspeaker. I found my terminal and waited. The chairs were orange and looked like they had been flown in from the 80's and never made it past this airport. I buried myself in a book and waited some more.
The flight to Santiago proved to be much better than the others. It was the last leg of my trip and luckily I didn't have anyone sitting next to me. As much as I loved random conversations, at this point I was done wanting to answer questions and use my brain for much of anything. They gave us a meal on this flight too, which I poked at quite a bit more, but unfortunately they doused it in cilantro (the one food I despise)...yup, I must be on my way to South America.
I slept slept slept, and the flight went fairly quickly.
Upon arriving, I met a couple from England who were now living in Chile and they offered me some advice and some support. They gave me their business card and told me that if I was looking for a job teaching English, they could help me out because they had moved here two years ago and had many contacts since they worked with the schooling system. They traveled with their 4 year-old son (who was oddly behaved on such a long flight...well done, chap), and they had such a warm kindness in their eyes. Before we parted ways, the woman took my arm and said "please call if you need anything. There is a network of foreigners, and we're here to help you out. We were in your place once too." I thanked her, with tears in my tired eyes, and I went my way.
When I was almost home free (past luggage, customs etc.) I was stopped because I had forgotten to declare a damn apple that I forgot about in the bottom of my backpack. I bought it in Florida, thinking I would devour it, but never got around to it. After a lot of paperwork and almost a lot of stressful tears (I kept it fairly together, I must say...) they charged me 200 US dollars because I FORGOT to declare it. "Really? I don't want the damn apple. Just throw it the hell away" I could only muster up a teary "ok. shit", and they smiled at me saying if it were their choice, they'd let me go.
So, needless to say, the Chilean government has already screwed me out of some money, but I'll also never to forget about the apples in my backpack. Oh well.
I took a cab to the center of the city and talked with the cab driver on the way here about everything from jazz music to president Bush and president-elect Obama. Luckily, we had quite the same views.
After 20 minutes, I arrived.
I got to the door.
I rang the bell.
I recognized a face from a Craigslist picture, and my roommate Isa came to the door in her robe. She's already so sweet, and she showed me my room, gave me a map and keys, the internet code, earplugs (my balcony is loud) and told me to rest and that we'd speak today or tomorrow when I was recovered. She shut the door and I cried. I made it.
Now, I should probably try to sleep...Perhaps I'll be up by next week.
I miss you all already.
Keep the hugs flowing.
much much love.
I made it.
I have been traveling for more than 24 hours, and I am extremely worn out, but surprisingly awake. My mind is crazily tired, but I can't fall asleep.
The rest of the trip was good. I met a woman on the plane to Colombia who talked to me in random spurts about her life and asked about my adventure. It was then that I realized that my world was now officially set in Spanish and that my brain would have to do all it could to keep up. The directions in the plane were now only said in Spanish, and I immediately felt like an outsider. My flight to Colombia actually offered a meal, but unfortunately my nerves would barely let me touch it (for those of you who've traveled with me, you know it's a rarity for me not to eat airplane food...I oddly enjoy it). I couldn't sleep a wink, so I read and wrote and watched about 5 minutes of the in flight movie before deciding it was too horrible to continue.
When I arrived in Colombia, things were different. There was no cell phone at my disposal, and my language was now the second one to come on over the loudspeaker. I found my terminal and waited. The chairs were orange and looked like they had been flown in from the 80's and never made it past this airport. I buried myself in a book and waited some more.
The flight to Santiago proved to be much better than the others. It was the last leg of my trip and luckily I didn't have anyone sitting next to me. As much as I loved random conversations, at this point I was done wanting to answer questions and use my brain for much of anything. They gave us a meal on this flight too, which I poked at quite a bit more, but unfortunately they doused it in cilantro (the one food I despise)...yup, I must be on my way to South America.
I slept slept slept, and the flight went fairly quickly.
Upon arriving, I met a couple from England who were now living in Chile and they offered me some advice and some support. They gave me their business card and told me that if I was looking for a job teaching English, they could help me out because they had moved here two years ago and had many contacts since they worked with the schooling system. They traveled with their 4 year-old son (who was oddly behaved on such a long flight...well done, chap), and they had such a warm kindness in their eyes. Before we parted ways, the woman took my arm and said "please call if you need anything. There is a network of foreigners, and we're here to help you out. We were in your place once too." I thanked her, with tears in my tired eyes, and I went my way.
When I was almost home free (past luggage, customs etc.) I was stopped because I had forgotten to declare a damn apple that I forgot about in the bottom of my backpack. I bought it in Florida, thinking I would devour it, but never got around to it. After a lot of paperwork and almost a lot of stressful tears (I kept it fairly together, I must say...) they charged me 200 US dollars because I FORGOT to declare it. "Really? I don't want the damn apple. Just throw it the hell away" I could only muster up a teary "ok. shit", and they smiled at me saying if it were their choice, they'd let me go.
So, needless to say, the Chilean government has already screwed me out of some money, but I'll also never to forget about the apples in my backpack. Oh well.
I took a cab to the center of the city and talked with the cab driver on the way here about everything from jazz music to president Bush and president-elect Obama. Luckily, we had quite the same views.
After 20 minutes, I arrived.
I got to the door.
I rang the bell.
I recognized a face from a Craigslist picture, and my roommate Isa came to the door in her robe. She's already so sweet, and she showed me my room, gave me a map and keys, the internet code, earplugs (my balcony is loud) and told me to rest and that we'd speak today or tomorrow when I was recovered. She shut the door and I cried. I made it.
Now, I should probably try to sleep...Perhaps I'll be up by next week.
I miss you all already.
Keep the hugs flowing.
much much love.
Friday, January 9, 2009
The duty free shop in Ft Lauderdale is very disappointing
It's 1:52 on Friday afternoon, January 9th, and I'm sitting in the airport in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (I have no idea how I have free internet, but I'm taking advantage). I am literally sitting in limbo between what I've left behind in the cold New England weather, and a complete unknown. I've been awake for God knows how long, and I'm starting to go a little insane due to lack of sleep, but adrenaline is keeping me awake.
The flight from Boston to Florida was an interesting first leg of my journey...I was seated next to a husband and wife from Dover, NH who talked to me the whole time. The man, Gene, had what most would call "mutton chops" and the woman, Gaz, had bright red hair which reached longer than most I've seen. She sneaked little nips of vodka on the plane to mix with her complementary orange juice, and he was stuck holding her hat and her hand as we took off. They were cheery and fun, and they shared stories of their lives and everything that accompanied them. We laughed for 2 and a half hours (we napped the last hour) and got to know each other in a way that brings closeness to people who have no one else for the time being. It felt good to share my story with them and hear theirs...I was thoroughly informed on how they met, what they do for work and fun (lobster fishing and such), and that they've each broken a hand or wrist, or something in that general area.
Conversations like that with strangers always remind me of the goodness in people and it confirms my belief that on the most basic level we will always take care of each other. That brought me to a state of ease as we landed in Florida. We parted ways with a hug and they went their way (to a cruise around the Caribbean), and I went mine (to find where the hell my next terminal was).
So, I've taken the first steps, and I'm now sitting in the international part of the Ft Lauderdale airport (which has a really disappointing duty free shop unfortunately) and the nerves in my stomach are starting to go haywire.
In a few hours, I lose my cell phone contact and I'll be letting go of all the hands that I've been holding up to this point. In a few hours I've got to rely on myself to make the last leg of the trip and find my way to an apartment in Santiago Centro which is waiting for me to arrive. Then, thank god for wireless internet and Skype, because I know I'll already be needing to hear some familiar voices.
Well, I've got books to read, words to write, and people to watch before hopping from one culture to another...and I've certainly gotta go check for a better duty free shop, because I am thoroughly unimpressed...bummmmer
I'll update soon to let you all know I've made it to that random apartment in Santiago Centro which is waiting for me to arrive :)
Keep the hugs flowing.
love love love.
The flight from Boston to Florida was an interesting first leg of my journey...I was seated next to a husband and wife from Dover, NH who talked to me the whole time. The man, Gene, had what most would call "mutton chops" and the woman, Gaz, had bright red hair which reached longer than most I've seen. She sneaked little nips of vodka on the plane to mix with her complementary orange juice, and he was stuck holding her hat and her hand as we took off. They were cheery and fun, and they shared stories of their lives and everything that accompanied them. We laughed for 2 and a half hours (we napped the last hour) and got to know each other in a way that brings closeness to people who have no one else for the time being. It felt good to share my story with them and hear theirs...I was thoroughly informed on how they met, what they do for work and fun (lobster fishing and such), and that they've each broken a hand or wrist, or something in that general area.
Conversations like that with strangers always remind me of the goodness in people and it confirms my belief that on the most basic level we will always take care of each other. That brought me to a state of ease as we landed in Florida. We parted ways with a hug and they went their way (to a cruise around the Caribbean), and I went mine (to find where the hell my next terminal was).
So, I've taken the first steps, and I'm now sitting in the international part of the Ft Lauderdale airport (which has a really disappointing duty free shop unfortunately) and the nerves in my stomach are starting to go haywire.
In a few hours, I lose my cell phone contact and I'll be letting go of all the hands that I've been holding up to this point. In a few hours I've got to rely on myself to make the last leg of the trip and find my way to an apartment in Santiago Centro which is waiting for me to arrive. Then, thank god for wireless internet and Skype, because I know I'll already be needing to hear some familiar voices.
Well, I've got books to read, words to write, and people to watch before hopping from one culture to another...and I've certainly gotta go check for a better duty free shop, because I am thoroughly unimpressed...bummmmer
I'll update soon to let you all know I've made it to that random apartment in Santiago Centro which is waiting for me to arrive :)
Keep the hugs flowing.
love love love.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Is it 2009 already?
Happy New Year.
I can't believe it's already 2009.
I was listening to the radio today, and I heard them recounting the events of 2008 and all the newsworthy happenings that we'd all certainly remember. As I was listening to the list of events (Britney Spears shaving her head, Sarah Palin seeing Russia in her back yard etc...), I realized that we all shared those together in our memory and our construction of the past year. However, I thought about my own year and realized that in addition to what we have been through on a larger scale, it is usually the minor things in our individual lives that really weigh on our memories. In addition to reflecting on the fairly large issues (world recession, historical election etc...) it's really important to reflect on the small things that happen day in and day out. I started thinking about my own year and how it held so much change (as every year usually does) from last January to this January. The moments that we let out a laugh or shed a tear, let someone new into our lives or let someone go, are the ones that form us, even if we don't remember each specific moment perfectly. I had so many memorable moments in 2008, and as it comes to a close, I find myself ready for 2009 to serve me just as many life changing moments.
A week from tomorrow, I am moving to Chile. A week from tomorrow, I'll put into effect a decision I made in 2008 to throw myself into the scariest and most exciting thing I could think of doing right now. It still hasn't hit me, though when I speak those words out loud it resonates a little closer to home. I am so scared and I am so excited, and this pit in my stomach is the perfect balance of each feeling in order to remind me that I am functioning properly as a human being. So, I find myself teetering on overwhelming anxiety and a readiness that's been ripe for some time now. Fortunately AND unfortunately, when I'm anxious I tend to be productive, so I'm already 95% packed. That leaves me less stressed about packing, but it leaves me with nothing much to do for my trip, so I've resorted to cleaning random parts of the house (my mom will approve...) to let out my nervous and excited energy. As 2008 comes to a full close, I find that I have to embrace every ounce of this energy and bring it into 2009, as well as those little moments that got me here.
For now, I'll clean the kitchen or something....
Keep the hugs flowing.
Much love.
I can't believe it's already 2009.
I was listening to the radio today, and I heard them recounting the events of 2008 and all the newsworthy happenings that we'd all certainly remember. As I was listening to the list of events (Britney Spears shaving her head, Sarah Palin seeing Russia in her back yard etc...), I realized that we all shared those together in our memory and our construction of the past year. However, I thought about my own year and realized that in addition to what we have been through on a larger scale, it is usually the minor things in our individual lives that really weigh on our memories. In addition to reflecting on the fairly large issues (world recession, historical election etc...) it's really important to reflect on the small things that happen day in and day out. I started thinking about my own year and how it held so much change (as every year usually does) from last January to this January. The moments that we let out a laugh or shed a tear, let someone new into our lives or let someone go, are the ones that form us, even if we don't remember each specific moment perfectly. I had so many memorable moments in 2008, and as it comes to a close, I find myself ready for 2009 to serve me just as many life changing moments.
A week from tomorrow, I am moving to Chile. A week from tomorrow, I'll put into effect a decision I made in 2008 to throw myself into the scariest and most exciting thing I could think of doing right now. It still hasn't hit me, though when I speak those words out loud it resonates a little closer to home. I am so scared and I am so excited, and this pit in my stomach is the perfect balance of each feeling in order to remind me that I am functioning properly as a human being. So, I find myself teetering on overwhelming anxiety and a readiness that's been ripe for some time now. Fortunately AND unfortunately, when I'm anxious I tend to be productive, so I'm already 95% packed. That leaves me less stressed about packing, but it leaves me with nothing much to do for my trip, so I've resorted to cleaning random parts of the house (my mom will approve...) to let out my nervous and excited energy. As 2008 comes to a full close, I find that I have to embrace every ounce of this energy and bring it into 2009, as well as those little moments that got me here.
For now, I'll clean the kitchen or something....
Keep the hugs flowing.
Much love.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)