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.