Ch-ch-ch-changes

You may have recently noticed that my posts recently have been fewer and far between.

Like some other bloggers in Chile, namely Andrea and Kyle, I feel as though I have nothing more to say about life in Chile, because it's no longer "life in Chile"...it's just...life.

I've been thinking about this a lot. I considered stopping to blog altogether. This wouldn't be the end of the world for me, because I have a personal blog with my friends so I could still write for an audience, although a much smaller one.

But then I thought about the members of my family who read this blog and tell me that they feel more connected to me through my writing. I don't want to end that. So then I thought maybe I'd put a password on the blog so I could write more personal things.

I don't really like that idea though, because then if someone asked for the password and I didn't really feel like giving it to them I would feel bad.

And then it dawned on me. In the end, this is MY blog. The title even indicates that very well. It says nothing about Chile or being an expat or traveling. It's just mine. So I can write whenever and how ever much I want. It might not be about Chile. I might write five posts in a row about my cat. I can do that.

I think it's inevitable, however, that some posts will be about Chile. After all, I'm still constantly reminded that I'm "different", like today when I had to stifle laughter and remember not to contradict my suegra (Jack's mother) when she said the reason I have a cold is because of the fuertes cambios de temperatura (strong changes in temperature).

So bear with me, audience, as this blog goes through some growing pains. I'll still be here, but maybe not as much. As always, you can write me an email if you have specific questions about Chile of if you want to know if I'm still alive. I'd even accept suggestions for posts if you've got those.

What I'm Thankful For

I would be a very bad blogger if I didn't write about the things for which I am thankful. I haven't had time before today because along with my boss, we prepared a full Thanksgiving meal for the students and it was A LOT of work. My kitchen is tiny (although not as small as Eileen's) so at times it was challenging to find surfaces to put everything on, and I had to cook everything in shifts. But it was all delicious, and for that I am thankful.

What I am really thankful for, however, is that I decided to go to the doctor's on Wednesday, specifically the dermatologist. I went for a really vain reason. Ever since I moved to Chile, I've been getting these white bumps on my face, and I wanted to know what to do about them. While I was there, I also asked the doctor about a mole that I've had for a little while that seemed a bit strange to me.

Turns out, I have to get it removed because it might be cancerous.

I'm also thankful that I have really good health insurance that covers the entire procedure except for a co-pay of around $10.000 pesos (approximately US $20.00).

And of course, I'm very thankful for all of the blessings in my life: my supportive family, my friends, my boyfriend, Charlie, going home for Christmas, my health and my happiness.

I know it's a bit late, but...Happy Thanksgiving!

A week of music

My idea of a good time after work usually involves one of three things. If it's a Tuesday, I hike up to Vitacura to spend an hour and a half "teaching" my private student which usually just involves us talking about anything and everything and drinking tea and eating strawberries. It's lovely. If it's a Thursday sometimes I get together with my girlfriends and we drink some sort of alcoholic beverages and talk about life. If it's any other day of the week, I run some errands, come home, take a nap with Charlie, wake up, make dinner, clean a bit then watch some TV shows from the US, read three pages of La ciudad y los perros and then go to bed. Once in a while Jack will come over, or we will go out for pizza and wait an hour to be served by a girl named Elke at Pizza Hut.

What I don't normally do after work is go to concerts. But this week was an exception.

Photo by HS, my camera is still broken

On Wednesday, I headed up to Espacio Riesco in Huechuraba to SUE (Santiago Urbano Electronico) which is a two day music festival featuring two bands each night. On Wednesday it was Mika and Scissor Sisters. I went mainly for Mika, as did the majority of people there. It was a great show and even though the venue wasn't 100% full, the crowd was really hopping. Mika speaks some Spanish so he was very endearing to the crowd, and at a couple of points the Chilenas started chanting "Mika mi'jito rico!" (I have to admit, he IS quite attractive).

Photo also by HS

One of the guys I went with used to study at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, which is arguably one of the most cuico universities in Santiago (also a really good university, especially for business). He saw four different people he knew from studying there and I would say that that pretty much summed up the type of crowd. Needless to say, I think my friends and I were the only ones to arrive by micro and not by Mercedes Benz.

Scissor Sisters was not as good. The problem was that their performance style depends A LOT on English, and the crowd just wasn't getting their jokes AT ALL. Also, the main singer had a cold and lost his falsetto, which was a bummer. Half the crowd had left before they came on (at around 12:30...WAY past my bedtime) so that also diminished the energy.

On Thursday, Jack emailed me that he had tickets to see Itzhak Perlman and the Prague City Orchestra in Parque Bicentenario. Was I interested? WAS I INTERESTED? Hello! Yes. So after work I rushed home and changed into formal wear and thank God thought to get my pea coat out of storage.

We had seats in the way back, but we had a really good (but small) view of the stage. The concert theme was music from movies, and as they played, scenes from the movie were projected on a screen. They played music from Gone With the Wind, The Godfather, Scent of a Woman, Out of Africa, Schindler's List and more. Apparently, Jack and I left at the intermission because we didn't realize it wasn't over. It was REALLY cold and there was a massive exodus during the intermission, so we thought it was over and left too. There was no type of announcement to the fact either, so how were we supposed to know? But anyway, it was for the best because even with my pea coat I was frozen and my butt was numb from the hard seat.

All in all, it was an entertaining week, but I know for a fact that I can't do this every week. I've spent all day today in bed with a sore throat, and I know its from lack of sleep this week. However, it was good to break out of my routine for a couple of days in the name of good music.

Whose idea was it to build a country over an earthquake?

A couple of weeks ago I went to see a play at Matucana 100, a cultural center and theater in Estación Central. It was an "experimental" play called Historia Abierta. The play combines visual art, music, dance and acting to tell different stories about Chile, its people and its history. There were a couple of scenes that were a little too "artsy-fartsy" (as my Dad would say) for me, but overall I thought it was really well done.

My favorite scene, by far, depicted a couple in the south of Chile. They are standing at their kitchen counter chopping vegetables, and it is temblando, as they say here in Chile. The ground is shaking, but it's not a full-out earthquake. So the couple is standing there, talking about the shaking and one says to the other, "A quien se le ocurrió construir un país sobre un terremoto?" Whose idea was it to build a country over an earthquake? But they don't seem too worried. They just accept it as the way life is.

And then, it stops shaking. The woman starts to get nervous and looks at her husband then screams, "Un calmor!" Which is not a real word, but basically sounds like temblor and means a calm period without shaking. She starts to get hysterical and asks her husband where their son is. He tells her to calm down, that he's with a friend playing in the street. Then she insists her husband go look for her kid in the street because it might be dangerous. She starts crying. Her husband comforts her saying, "It'll be over soon, don't worry."

Then, it starts shaking again. And the couple calms down. They say "Thank God, the calmor is over. It's finished." They go back to chopping vegetables.

Obviously, this scene is an exaggeration, but I have to tell you, after February 27th, I can identify. The first strong aftershocks weren't fun at all. They were scary and for me, even worse than the actual earthquake. However, after awhile, I just got used to feeling the little shakes every once in a while. A few weeks ago, I realized I hadn't felt one in a long time, maybe a month or so. I started to feel nervous. Then I felt one, and even though it still freaks me out a tiny bit (I sit in my chair and calmly see how strong its going to be and contemplate opening my apartment door while my heart beats through my chest), after the fact I felt relieved.

A while ago, my boss and I were trying to decide where to go on our once a semester trip with the students. She said, "It's still temblando in the South, I don't know if we should go." I said jokingly, "It will always be temblando in the South!"

In closing, I would like to show you this video that Margaret posted on her Facebook today. It's a scene from the Chilean show Los 80s and depicts the 1985 earthquake, which was 7.8 on the Richter Scale, but its epicenter was closer to Santiago (for reference, the 2010 earthquake was 8.8, but its epicenter was farther south). I first saw this scene when it aired on TV, and let me tell you, it gave me goosebumps. Even though the February 27th earthquake happened at night, so the environment was a bit different, it can give you a good idea of what it's like to be in an earthquake (if you've never been in one before!). Also, if you live in Chile, try to watch Los 80s. It airs every Sunday at 10:00pm on Canal 13, and it's by far the best Chilean television I've ever seen.

A city of contrasts

Today I went to Parque Arauco, which is a big, modern mall in Las Condes, which is one of the poshest neighborhoods in Chile. It's actually one of the nicest malls I've ever been in. It has a large boulevard with numerous restaurants such as TGI Fridays, Asian Bistro, Tony Romas, Starbucks, Boost, etc. Inside the mall, there are store such as Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Lauren, Kenneth Cole, etc. The people who shop there are ABC1, in the highest socio-economic classes. For a really good explanation of these categories, check out Andrea's post here. I don't go to Parque Arauco very often, because I only have time to go on the weekends and large crowds of people overwhelm me. Plus, it's not super easy to get to from my apartment, although there is a direct micro if I walk a few blocks to it. Today I went for two things completely unrelated: shoes and brackets. The first is self-explanatory, the second is because I'm desperately trying to hang some curtains that my mom gave to me SIX MONTHS AGO, but my walls are not cooperating because they are too hard to drill into, so I thought I'd try the ceiling, hence the new brackets.

But anyway, I digress.

So there I was this morning, among the elite of Chile, buying some brackets and some shoes. Then I came home and ate some lunch and took a nap, then got on the metro and went south to the metro station Camino Agricola, where Jack picked me up and we went to his church in La Legua, a población in the neighborhood of San Joaquin. . Based on Andrea's descriptions, I would say the majority of people who live in La Legua are in Group D, some might be in Group E, some might be in Group C3. Most houses are very simple, cement dwellings with few windows. There's a lot of graffiti and a TON of street dogs. There's trash on the street and sidewalks. The parks lack grass and are run down.

And then, after church, we were driving home and Jack decided he wanted to drive up Macul, which is a street that is kind of an extension of Los Leones (and changes names several times). We started out in the comuna of Macul, and then as we crossed into Ñuñoa (a middle-upper middle class neighborhood) I said, "Now we're in Ñuñoa" and Jack said, "Yeah, you can tell because of the nice private high school over there."

It blows my mind the contrasts in Santiago. And I feel so grateful and priviledged to be able to move throughout the city to observe them. There are Santiaguinos who never leave the neighborhood they were born in. There are people from the "barrios altos" (high, upper class neighborhoods) who never venture beyond Plaza Italia. And there are people from the "barrios bajos" who don't ever go to downtown Santiago, not to mention the "barrios altos". I think it's good to see how other people live. And I consider myself very blessed to live where I live, but to also be able to see the many sides of my adopted city.

Prime Time Dreams

Last night I came to the conclusion that I need to watch less movies and/or TV episodes from the US right before I go to bed.

I dreamed that I was being held captive in my old playroom (a la Toy Story III) by John Stamos (who has guest starred on Glee recently) and his side-kick Shane (from Weeds). Also present was Peggy (from Mad Men) who was John Stamos' girlfriend but later secretly helped me escape. But then John Stamos sent his army of dogs (kind of like in Up, although I haven't seen that recently) after me and I ended up captive again, this time in my old bathroom.

And then I woke up.

Judgy McSanderson

I'll fully admit, apparently I have a problem with substances getting into my electronics. Remember when my laptop was full of fuzz? And remember Judgy McJudgerson? Well, he is hereby christened Judgy McFuzzerson, because ladies and gentlemen, he's got some competition in the judgy department: Judgy McSanderson.

So when I was in the south, I went to the beach and dropped my camera case in the sand. (I also dropped my glasses and then almost forgot them there, you can tell I was having a good day). Without thinking, I then proceeded to put my camera in its case without shaking the sand out.

The next day I turned on my camera and there was an awful crunching noise. Sand in the lens. So after I snapped two pictures, I shut it off. Then just to see, I tried to turn it on again. No luck.

So today, I brought it to an official Sony Servicio Tecnico here in Providencia (Santa Beatriz 205, in case anyone needs the dato). I walk in and explain my problem. The man raises his eyebrows at me and examines the camera. "You dropped the camera in the sand?" he says, as if that were the most idiotic thing a person could do EVER IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND. So I explained to Mr. McSanderson that no, it was the camera case. He just sighed and I swear to God he rolled his eyes.

He then proceeded to tell me it would be $9000 pesos just to price out how much the repair was going to cost. It seems pricey, but cheaper than buying a new camera, I suppose. He then opened up the compartment where the battery and memory card go and took them both out. Then he tried to tap out any sand that might have been in there. Nothing came out, but he rubbed the counter where the invisible sand had fallen and said, "Yeah, this is full of sand." (You stupid little gringa who doesn't know how to take care of her camera, said his eyes and tone of voice.)

Maybe in Servicio Tecnico school they teach you to be judgmental so therefore to justify the ridiculous prices they charge, to make you believe that your problem is really bad and therefore deserves the amount they charge. Or maybe I just bring out the judgy in people, who knows.

Me verás en el sur

Last weekend I went to the VIII Region of Chile with work. Specifically, we went to the Provincia de Arauco, which is known for being home to the Lafquenches, or the Mapuches from the coast. I learned A TON on this trip, some of which I had learned and then forgotten from my Mapuche Art and Culture class that I took while I studied abroad here almost four years ago, and some which I never even knew. The landscape is SO GREEN, and because you can't see the volcanoes like you can in the areas around Osorno or Pucón, it really truly reminded me of Vermont (except for the odd palm tree or araucaria thrown in there).

First up on the agenda, we visited Lota, a town known for its undersea carbon mines and the setting for the book and movie Subterra. We visited the mines and the park that used to be home to Luis Cousiño and Isidora Goyenechea, owners of the Lota mines. We also went to the beach near Lota and that's where my camera got sand in the lens and is patiently awaiting repair. Therefore, the rest of this pictures are courtesy my travel companions.

After Lota, we headed into Cañete, where we stayed for the three nights we were there. Cañete is famous because it's where the Mapuches killed Pedro de Valdivia, the Spanish conqueror of Chile.

Photo Courtesy HS

We visited Contulmo, a German town whose wooden houses are a patrimony to humanity, and went to the cementary on October 31st, not in honor of Halloween, but in honor of The Day of the Dead, where people clean the tombs in preparation for All Saints Day on November 1st.

Photo Courtesy AN

Photo Courtesy AN

And we spent time with Lafquenches from the area, both at the Mapuche Museum outside Cañete and at Ruka Lelbun in Elicura. It was so interesting to get a first hand perspective on the Mapuche struggle to maintain their identity. The vast majority of Mapuche children nowadays are growing up without learning Mapundugun, the indigenous language. The majority of Mapuches who grow up and go to the university don't ever go back to their native villages. It was also interesting to learn that Mapuche "communities" are very disperse and organized by family clans (even today), so for that reason a lot of Mapuches don't agree with the more radical Mapuche resistance movement, including the hunger strike and violent acts. Some accept the fact that they live in the Chilean state, and want to do so as peacefully as possible without losing their heritage, while others are extremely bitter and want to recuperate their ancestral lands from the Bio Bio River down to Chiloé, through whatever means possible.

Photo Courtesy IY

Another interesting thing we learned throughout the trip were the medicinal and practical properties of many plants of the region. Here I'm pictured holding hinojo which smells like licorice and is used in a tea that aids in digestion (I think, it was something about the stomach).

Photo Courtesy LM

It was an eye opening trip, and I'm glad that I'll be able to go back next year to learn even more.

A Random Update

• Despite what my recent blog activity would suggest, I am, indeed, alive. I have some posts brewing, including a recap of my trip down south last weekend. I went to the area south of Concepción, in the province of Arauco, an area that is seldom visited by international tourists and has a large Mapuche population. It was an interesting and eye opening trip, only dampened by the fact that my camera stopped working after the first day when I got sand in the lens on the beach. However, my traveling companions have lots of pictures that they will share with me.
• A perk of my job is that I can discover things like Mika, who apparently has been around forever (well since circa 2007) but since I live under a rock, I haven't ever listened to. (Except for an acapella version of Lolipop that one of the acapella groups a Colby performed, but I had no idea who it was by at the time). Now he's coming to Santiago on the 17th of November, and I want to go, but the stupid Feria Ticket page is so slow it keeps timing out so I can't see how much tickets are. Frustrating.
• I have a bike. Have I mentioned that here? I don't think I have. So far, it's been great to ride to work in. The ride home, on the other hand, is uphill and can be quite tiring. I didn't think about this when I bought a bike with no gears, so let's just say my thigh muscles are getting a great workout!
• I promise to write a real post soon. I have so many great ideas, I just need to get over this case of temporary ADD and write them down properly.