Chile, Po.

Mi Amor... Chile

2009-01-27T13:00:00.004-05:00

Its been almost 2 months since I left the wonderful land of Chile.

I can't even begin to describe how depressing it is to come back to a place of extreme economic hardships and winter. I left Chile in the beginning of summer. On December 1st with a tan and 6 months worth of irreplaceable memories. Now, 2 months later, day after day all I can think about is how can I get back there.

These days I am living in Boston, trying to make it by, since I did leave the country directly after college graduation, with little financial stability. But it was worth it. I regret to this day, the decision I came to after a little dispute that I had going on in my head the day I was to depart the country. I was actually contemplating on staying a few extra months. I don't know why I didn't. If I had that choice now, I would have stayed, and it would have saved me from this excruciating eagerness to be back there now. Who knows what I will do or where I will be in the next few months. All I know is that I will be back.

Chile.... wait for me. I'll be there soon.

Hello Miss, I Love You.

2008-10-28T10:46:00.003-04:00

For being the only blonde in a town this size, I´ve apparently become pretty famous. However, Im not even quite sure why. All I do is teach english and go about my way... Im not a TV star of the latest episodes of ¨Hijos del Monte¨ or ¨Lola¨. But regardless of why I am so interesting to these people, I feel like in a way, I can relate to the newly rascly Miley Cyrus or Britney Spears when she was in her Im not a girl, not yet woman stage. And for being an amid follower of the celebrity gossip thankfully provided everyday by Perez Hilton, I sympathize for those whose privacy is violated everyday of there lives.

I would actually prefer to not be famous or a sensation here, or anywhere that I go. Every move I make, every place I go, and every person I talk to is sure to make gossip headlines because I was spotted in public by a student, parent, family member, collectivo driver, or just anyone in that matter. It almost seems like I am a fish out of water in the grocery store. Yes, I have blonde hair and blue eyes and I look different because everyone here looks the same. You are all Chilean, and I am not. You would think that by now, as 5 months have gone by, you would be used to me being around... but no, this is not the case.

So, I guess the purpose of this blog is to give my insight on the life of someone famous. haha. If you want to call it that. Please just leave me alone and let me live my own life. BUT, this is what I want, and 5 months later it seems to have gotten worse, so I dont think anything will change until I leave. Oh the horror, what will the passerbys have to look at when Im gone.

So, until I leave, I will continue to deal and ignore the numerous ¨I love you¨ shouted at me in all directions as I walk down the street. It is flattering that you love me and would like to show off your ability to speak a little bit of English.... but, I do not love you back.

Yo <3 Tocopilla.

2008-10-27T23:57:00.009-04:00

WOWOW. I have one month left in this delightful little place I have called home for the past 5 months. Well, actually only 1 month left in Chile, only about 3 more weeks here in Toco. But regardless, I never thought the day would come.

So, this week I only have classes on wednesday. It is the week of my schools anniversary, so of course, celebrating... much more important. And it means that I will only have 3 more weeks of classes, 15 days more of teaching. omg. I cant believe its ending.

Now that I think about it, Im sad. I wish this program was longer and that it didnt end right before christmas time, because I would love to stay longer and spend the summer months here while everyone at home is freezing in the ridiculous nor-eastern snowstorms. ha. But, since I cant stay longer, I hope to return within a year, mas o menos. Plane tickets are super caro, but once I start working... vacay in chileee.

This place has become a home to me. Ive become accostomed to the people and routines here. I cant imagine leaving forever. But, as sad and as hard as it will be to leave, it will be great to go home again and experience the wonders of life I have been blessed with for my 22 years of existence in the USA.

Go Obama. Please win.... or I may not be coming back.

Octubre???

2008-10-27T17:03:00.007-04:00

Ahhh. for anyone reading this, I apologize for slacking off for 2 months until my next update on my adventures here in the southern hemisphere. So much has gone on and I have legitimate excuses for not writing more, as I so hoped to do.
Lets see, in September, after my birthday and after my surgery, my computer decided to break for the second time in 4 months, and I lost everything on it as well as my 24/7 connection with the outer world. which has been the main reason for my lack of writing.

So, now lets recap on some important events here in chile during the past two months. First, September 18 or Fiestas Patrias or Independence Day, if you will. I guess it can be compared to how we celebrate July 4th in the states, but everything in Chile always seems a bit more over the top. If there was a spirit competition between the 2 countries, Chile without a doubt, would win. Anyway, the week was full of Chilean flags, food, and dancing. I watched students perform various national dances that you can find throughout the country and Easter Island. (I had videos of them but of course they were on my computer) Then, we had a wonderful asado at la casa de Roman Chazarro, or Jackie´s host family. And afterwards, we headed north to ¨the beach¨ for some kite flying and fishing off some jagged rocks in the pacific ocean with some fishing line and bait. I actually caught a fish. We also ate Lenguas out of some sea creature, and I spent the rest of the day thinking it was feasting upon my insides.
About a week after Independence day was Dia de Tocopilla. The day the town celebrates its independence, or something. it was similar to Sept. 18, but this time there was a huge festival and fireworks at midnight.

A few weekends ago Jackie and I took a trip to the city north of us called Iquique. We left early on a saturday morning and I almost missed the bus thanks to a long night of Carretering, but I made it and we spent the day wondering the city and eating sushi. The next day we delighted ourselves to a trip to a small oasis town in the middle of a desert called Pica. We couldnt spend much time there since we had to get back to the city for our bus home, but it was a lovely little place with fabulous fruit. I hope to go back there for a longer amount of time, but with time dwindling down here, I do not see that trip anwhere in the future.

We also had another celebration called Dia de Profesores, or something along those lines. A day for all the teachers. But like everything else that goes on here, it was celebrated for the entire week. First there were various games of volleyball with the teachers from each school in Tocopilla. Then a tournament type event for a game called Baby Escoba. Only the females played this and it was basically hockey with a broomstick and volleyball. I got pretty roughed up and had a broomstick to my jugular and a sore body for the next 3 days . Then when the actual day rolled around there were acts in the school put on by the students, who also gave out awards for the teachers. I won the most beautiful in Cosafa and in all of Tocopilla, how nice. Then there was a big fancy lunch, and a fancy dinner/ dance/banquet type thing. It was a good time.

Well, other than that, things here have been pretty mellow. I usually just go to the beach, oh and I started going to a new gym once my body was healed up from the appendicectomy and now I usually go there everyday after school during the week to kill time. I have also been meeting a whole bunch of new and wonderful people. Where were all these people the first 3 months I was here?? I will be sad to leave them.

So, thats it for now. I have much more to write but I will spare you and not write everything in one entry. Until next time... I promise there will be a next time, and soon.

besitoss.

p.s. i will be adding pictures. but I cant right now.

BIRTHDAY BIRTHDAY BIRTHDAY

2008-09-01T21:55:00.003-04:00

2 posts in the same day... wow.

Friday is my birthday. I'll be an exciting 22 years old. I'm excited for it; but who isn't excited for their birthday?

I'll be spending a majority of the day in Antofagasta for the 8th graders public speeches and hopefully getting my stitches out. We will be celebrating later in the evening with choripan and cheeseburgers that I am not allowed to eat, but I will anyway.

The Chileans took my appendix.

2008-09-01T21:16:00.003-04:00

On Wednesday, August 27th around 6:30pm, while I was enjoying a variety of Chilean television programs in my Chilean hospital bed, I was graced by the presence of the lovely nurse of Hospital Militar in Antofagasta, who gave me the news that I had appendicitis and I was going into surgery within the next 30 minutes.
Now, I have never been in surgery before, not even in my homeland, and the idea of my first time going under the knife in a foreign country wasn't very calming, and I began to cry.

I first went to the doctor here in Tocopilla because I was worried that these sudden pains in my lower right abdominal region could have been something to worry about; such as appendicitis. And, I was right and needed to go to the hospital right away.

So, its Tuesday evening and we head to Anto. Once in the hospital, I was taken right in and given a few tests. First I was given an ultrasound, the kind pregnant people get when they want to look at their baby. Next, they took my blood, and after waiting for the results, they did not see any changes in my blood or problems in my baby monitor. So, the doctor assumed that I did not have appendicitis, sent me home, and told me to come back tomorrow to check up.
I went back on Wednesday morning and the doctor preceded to push down on my stomach and cause even more pain. He called for the appendix surgeon to come check me out and he assumed I had it, so they took more blood from me and admitted me into the hospital.
From there I recieved a stomach scan that was similar to taking off in a spaceship and spent all day laying in a hospital bed waiting for my results.

The results finally came in, and I DID have appendicitis and I went into surgery. First I had to wait in the recovery room before I went into the operating room, and in there I saw some pretty disgusting stuff. Once in the operating room, the man prepping me spoke English and I think he was mocking me.
When I first "woke up" or the first time I think I woke up I was asking for people who were clearly not doctors, but my friends, and were definetly not in the room or the hospital. The second time I woke up, in the recovery room, I was shivering uncontrollably thanks to the anesthesia, got to use the "bear hugger", and remember nothing else. I was starving, I couldn't eat, I wanted to see my appendix, and I spent the night vomiting. I finally left the hospital on Friday with two holes in my stomach.

So yea, everything I just wrote was a really sucky experience, but an interesting one indeed. Unfortunately, I dont think my belly button will ever look the same.

I can now say "I left a piece of me in Chile"... and really mean it.

Viva Peru.

2008-08-12T15:52:00.021-04:00

I apologize for not updating as often as I would like. I know you’re all dying to hear about my Peruvian adventure, but ya know, falling down stairs, getting robbed, breaking my shoes, seeing sweater dog without a sweater, and starting a LOST marathon was just way more important than blogging. But today I've decided it is time to tell you about my winter vacation.

So about a month ago mi amigas y yo, Katie and Jackie, set out for our 2 week adventure north. It was sad to leave our beloved city, but we did and it was on an 8 hour bus ride to Arica; which is the northern most city in Chile. We spent the day and night in Arica. This city is one of the nicer cities found in Chile, for the most part it was pretty kept up and the beach areas were very nice. Last year, known for its waves, Arica hosted the International Surfing competition, or something like that. We ate at McDonalds and stayed at an interesting little hostel made for real backpackers, or simply foreigners who need money and have no where to go. The people who worked at the hostel were young Europeans and often stayed for long periods of time. One of them strolled in from the beach when we arrived and the other we had just woken up from a long night. They didn't wear shoes and there was beer bottles scattered throughout the common area. The man who ran the hostel was wonderful. He had some sort of crazy accent and very much enjoyed saying "mother fucker." Sorry for the profanity, but it really helps describe his character. Never would I have thought that a Brazilian with long hair who permanently smelled like alcohol could be such a pleasure. Roberto, you have helped us in many ways and we thank you for all your handy advice.

So we arrived in Arica early Sunday morning but we had to wait until Monday morning for our friends Nick and Andrew who were coming from Antofagasta and Valdivia; destinations further south. We met with them Monday morning and now we were finally able to begin our adventure. Thanks to Roberto, we found out it was more cost and time efficient to take a taxi across the border and into Peru; so that is what we did. At the international bus station there were plenty of “taxis” to choose from, waiting to take gringos like us into their country. As we found our taxi, the driver took all of our passports and walked away. After he was gone we thought that may have no been the smartest idea, but his keys were still in the car and he came back about 15 minutes later. The car was a Buick like car and it was something that could be found in the 70’s. Nothing inside the car worked except the radio which only played reggaeton music. So, we loaded our luggage, piled in the car and headed towards Peru. After about 20 minutes of driving, we arrive at the Chile border. We waited in line for while to present our passports and Chilean ID cards so we could leave the country, since we are citizens until May. Unfortunately, Jackie forgot her ID card, and the ID was needed to prove that she had registered her Visa, but since she didn’t have it, they would not let her leave the country. We left her at the border hoping we would see her again shortly. From there, we headed to the Peru border, got our passports stamped, and had to have our entire luggage scanned like they do at the airports. You cannot bring fruit into the country and the guy was convinced I had an apple in my bag so he had to search my bag for this mysterious manzana only to find out I did not have one; I can’t even eat apples unless they are chopped up because of my dang teeth. But other than that, we finally made it to Peru. The taxi brought us to the Peruvian city equivalent to Tijuana, Tacna. Luckily for us we didn’t stay long, only about 2 hours. Xiao was right, it smelled bad and everyone wanted to sell me a calculator.

Now let me inform you that Peru is the land of the “native” or “indigenous” people who dress in traditional clothing, carry babies on their backs, and try their hardest to sell the same exact items as the other 35 vendors in one area to all the tourists they can find.

We bought our bus tickets so we could continue our journey. We took Cruz Del Sur for 6 hours to Arequipa, played bingo, and watched every Adrian Brody movie possible. For anyone traveling in Peru, I suggest Cruz Del Sur, most of the other bus companies are just people who bought a bus, painted it, and eventually just end up ripping you off, or you may experience what we experienced towards the end of our trip, but that comes later.

My favorite city in Peru, as of now, Arequipa. We only spent one night and one day here because we had to leave the next night at 8:30 pm on a 10 hour bus ride to Cusco. However, I personally liked this city the best, it resembled a city you could find in Europe, only it’s in Peru and everyone speaks Spanish. Our day in Arequipa began by finding out Jackie was alive, safe, and made it into the country. After our trip to the Starbucks like coffee shop, we met her in the Plaza de Armas. Early in the day we spent a while touring the city sights and shopping. The boys ditched me and Katie, so we could go shopping because we were determined to find the perfect Alpaca sweater and fanny pack. Afterwards, we all met up again and grabbed a taxi to see the outskirts of the city. We were supposed to go see some wheel type thing that we read about in our handy dandy travel book, but we ended up at a horse ranch and went horse back riding for 3 hours throughout the Incan terrace farms. We also had a great view of the Misti Volcano and the countryside. It was actually pretty amazing to see the farmers still using farming techniques they used thousands of years ago. Also, this was my first time ever on a horse, so it made the trip even more interesting. Good ole Oro de Pluma, my lovely horse. She wasn’t the leader, but insisted on being in front the whole time. We almost got kicked by another horse, she kept biting the baby horse, and always wanted to drink water; but we got along and she treated me well. The next three days were hell for my legs, nor was the 10 hour bus ride in the freezing cold top, front of the bus any better.

Pretty much every city we went to in Peru is located at a really high altitude. The air is thin and it’s difficult to breath. The weather was quite warm during the day since we were closer to the sun, but once the night came, the temps dropped.

Cusco, one step close to the world wonder. Cusco is a lot higher in elevation than Arequipa, so we were warned to drink lots of Te de Mate, with the cocao leaves in order to avoid any type of altitude sickness. I luckily didn’t get sick to a point where it seemed like the flu. Instead it was more of a massive cold, but once we dropped in elevation it went away. Anyway, we layed low for our first day here; all we did was nap, watch Motorcycle Diaries with the rest of our hostel, and go for dinner at the best restaurant I have been to so far here in South America. The service was great, we sat on a bed for our seats, the food was great, and we ate Alpaca or Llama ceviche.

The next day in Cusco we hiked up the steep city to check out some Incan ruins called “Sacsaywumun”, I’m actually not to sure of that spell job but it is pronounced by just about

everyone as “sexy woman”. The altitude was a killer and made me

feel like I was really out of shape. This night we met up with a bunch of other volunteers and had an English Opens Doors dinner together.

If you ever make it to Cusco, don’t be alarmed if you are asked on multiple occasions if you would like a massage or maybe even a happy ending to go along with.

The next morning we got up super early to get on a bus that took us to the train station which took us to Aguas Calientes. The town which all tourists stay at and have to stay at before heading up to the big MP. We didn’t do much when we got here, only eat, sleep, and bathe in hot springs.

Saturday, July 19, the day we got to go to Machu Picchu. It seemed terrible at first because we had to wake up at 4am and go wait in a line to get on yet another bus. But around 5:30am we got on a bus that brought us up the terrifying, steep, road that led us to MP. We made it in time to see a beautiful sun rise and watch MP shine with light. I fully understand why Machu Picchu is one of the world wonders. It’s the most amazing place I have ever been to and I encourage everyone to go there at least once in their life. We spent several hours here. The morning was cold, but it quickly warmed up as the sun came out. We took a tour around the ruins and learned some pretty cool stuff. Afterwards the boys were determined to embark on a 2 hour hike up a mountain, none of that interested us girls, so we found a lovely spot on one of the terraces and took a nap. Katie was snoring and a tour guide walked passed us and we heard them say “Here is where the Incans used to sacrifice Llamas. Now it is where these senoritas nap.” Once we left MP, we were covered in bug bites since we were practically on the border of the jungle, we ate some lunch, and unfortunately we already checked out of the hostel so we napped for several hours on a bench. Later on we weren’t able to get on the earlier train back to Cusco, so we had to wait. We found a restaurant where you can watch movies, so we watched Happy Potter.

The next morning we left Cusco and headed to Puno and Lake Titicaca in the southern part of Peru. Lake Titicaca is known to be one of the natural wonders of the worlds. It’s a gigantic lake with large islands, man made floating islands, and it is bordered by both Peru and Bolivia. We never made it to Bolivia because it was too expensive, we had no time, and Katie and I didn’t have our yellow fever shots. So, here in Puno we got on a boat. First it took us to some man-made floating islands and interacted with the locals. Afterwards, we set out for a 4 hour boat ride to the island where we were to sleep. At the island we were greeted with a bunch of traditional Peruvian women. Peruvian women wear very bright colored skirts, white blouses with colorful embroidery on the front, these black scarf things and usually have a colorful blanket tied to their back that is holding something, most commonly, a baby. Katie, Jackie, and I met our host mom and she took us back to her home. After the 20 minute walk through streets, farms, and sheep gatherings, we made it to her house and made ourselves at home. The house had no electricity and the toilet was in an outhouse with no toilet seat, but don’t fear, we had plenty of scented puppy toilet paper. She made us lunch. I hope to never eat such a thing again. First we had soup which had potatoes, oka (another potato type food), and rice. Second was the main course. The dinner consisted of everything found in the soup, just not in soup form and was accompanied by squeaky cheese. These people don’t eat meat because they don’t have adequate farming for animals and use their sheep and cows for milk and cheese purposes only. After we ate and napped, we were forced to eat again; the same exact thing. By now my body was on such carb overload it was terrible. Also, we had to interact with our host mom’s parents who only spoke Quechua, the indigenous language, so let’s talk about a language barrier. Anyway, after dinner we had to attend the party which was help for us. Luckily we got to wear some sweet traditional clothing, and of course mine had to reek of body odor.

The next morning we washed up in a bucket of warm water, ate pancakes, and were late for the departure off the island. We went to another island, had to walk a lot uphill, and all for no particular reason, so by now I was extremely miserable and bitter. Also, to add to this wonderful trip, our tour guide Miguel, was an idiot and wore too much sun screen on his face that each day we walked around with a white face because there was too much to rub it all in. Eventually after walking down 700 steps, we set out for the mainland. 4 hours later as we approached Puno our boat was pulled over by the lake’s coast guard and our driver lost his license was fined 90 soles for over capacity. Oh Peru. Overall, I am glad I was able to do this trip to the island, it was quite an experience but I will never do it again.

The next morning it was time to head home. Taking a bus from Puno to Tacna is not something that a lot of tourists do. We didn't have a bus ticket before we left, so we just went to the bus station in the morning and found a bus right away. However, this was not a bus that is meant for tourists and it only took a few minutes to realize this, and we were on this bus for 10 hours. We were the only people on the bus that weren't Peruvian, and by Peruvian I mean carrying a baby on your back with a mini-bowler cap and long braids. The two seats behind Katie and I were filled by two mothers with two babies. One mother sat in the aisle for most of the trip feeding her baby, and when she was not there, her breasts were exposed while she was breastfeeding, or sometimes they were just out. About three hours into the voyage, a very old woman came on the bus with a walking stick that was actually a stick and decided halfway on her way to her seat that she didn't want to sit that far back, so she planted herself in the middle of the aisle, on Katie's feet. She sat their very content for about 2 hours until I woke up and desperately needed to get up to go to the bathroom. I was pretty annoyed by this point so I didn't whether she could get up or not. Eventually it took about 4 people to get her up off the floor and she finally made it to her actual assigned seat. There were three people on the bus who stood up and made speeches, basically asking for money. One did magic. One evangilized then talked about eating right and gave out books, and the last one sold skin care products and even had a portable microphone. We stopped many times on the bus, and one time everyone had to get off. This was a fruit checkpoint meaning that you aren't supposed to take fruit passed this point. Although everyone was supposed to get off, only about 20 people did, and all the women who did, except us, lifted up their skirts on the side of the road and went to the bathroom right there, although there was a bathroom in the bus. And, as soon as the bus took off again, a wholw bunch of people whipped out their fruit and started eating away. Good thing there was a fruit check. This bus ride was probably the most culture I experienced my entire time in Peru.

When we made it to Tacna, we had to find another taxi to take across the border. All went well and in Arica we hoped to find a bus leaving shortly going straight to Tocopilla. No. Buses were only going to Antofagasta, 2 ½ hours south of Tocopilla. So we decided to take this overnight bus, which stopped three times to check for drugs, to Antofagasta. We got there very early and had to wait about 3 hours for our bus to Toco. We finally made it home only to be greeted by no one other than Sweater Dog, without a sweater.

Back in Tocopilla, it’s good to be home.

Overall this was an unforgettable trip. Before I left the states I told myself that I was going to make it to Machu Picchu no matter what, and I am thrilled that it actually happened.

If you want to see more pics, here's a link http://picasaweb.google.com/MelScott08

Check it out.

Hope you enjoyed.

Paz.

Sweater Dog

2008-07-10T21:37:00.006-04:00

So, Katie and I have taken up a new hobby. It has taken approximately 3 weeks of observation, but we have finally started to take a true interest in the dog that wears a sweater. But let me tell you, its not just one sweater. There is actually a person who takes time in providing and changing the sweaters on the sweater dog. Or, it could be that the dog has its own stash and changes itself, but I highly doubt that. Anyway, the first sweater I've seen the sweater dog wear was blue, the second was light pink, and finally a polka dotted sweater. As seen in the picture. So, our hobby is that each new sweater the sweater dog wears, we take a picture, so eventually we end up with a sweater dog album. It will be fantastic.

In addition to the sweater dog, I think I have lost my dog. (the one in the pictures below) I keep seeing look a likes, but when I compare pictures the spots arent the same. I DONT KNOW WHERE MY DOG IS. I miss him. Katie and I thought we saw him near the sweater dog, so we took some time to look at it, all of a sudden he started doing the motion that dogs do when they have worms... this was definetley not my dog.

Some other interesting news, well to me at least. I have finally taken a ride with the collectivo driver I had recently written about. I was not aware of his ability to speak broken English, but I sure found out as I sat down in the car and closed the door. Right away he knew who I was. I was greeted with "I KNOW YOU, YOU'RE FROM THE UNITED STATES!" It seems as if he has made a fan club for the Americans and is on a mission to find out as much as information as possible. During the entire ride, with other passengers who were clearly ignored, I was grilled with various questions such as "are you married", "do you have boyfriend", and also questions about the Statue of Liberty. Finally, upon the arrival at my destination, he continuously repeated " You are beautiful, I want to see you again. I have candy for you". He never gave me candy and I rapidly removed myself from the car.

This week I experienced my first two earthquakes (terremotos) ever. The first one on Tuesday wasn't very strong as it was just some shakes we were feeling from the 6.0 terremoto in that was occurring in Peru. Nonetheless it took place in a city in which we will be traveling through. The second terremoto was on Wednesday. This one was a bit stronger and caused an extreme feeling of fear to run throughout my body. Both terremotos happened during class, one with my 5th graders, the second with my 9th graders. Now, I have never been in an earthquake before so I didnt really know what to expect. At times the floor shakes when a loud truck or something drives by, but these two times, the students knew exactly what it was and rushed to the door. When the earth started to shake, so did I, once it stopped I couldn't tell because my body was still trembling. I think I am mostly afraid of the Tsunami that is likely to occur if another 7.0+ earthquake occurs here, as it did in November. There is a rumor that all of these small earthquakes are previews of what is to come in the near future. I really hope this is not true. But if it is, please pray for us.

I lost the only pair of sweatpants that I brought to Chile when we were traveling from Santiago. Yesterday I finally bought a new pair. They are blue and I bought them for 3,000 pesos (6$) at the school clothing store. Of course they are my schools sweatpants, and I love them.

Tomorrow is finally Friday, and the last day of school before the 2 week winter break. Yes, winter, however unlike any winter you may find in north eastern USA, no rain, no snow. Instead its fairly warm everyday and cold at night because of the ocean and the desert. Anyway, on Saturday night at 12:15am, Katie, Jackie, and I are beginning our journey to Peru. First we will travel to Arica, the northern most city in Chile and spend the day and night there shopping at local vendors, perhaps the mall for some adequate walking shoes, and hopefully Pica where we can find some fabulous hot springs to enduldge our bodies in. In Arica we will be meeting up with some other volunteers who are living in various parts of the country. Once we all meet, Monday morning we will take off to Peru. Once in Peru there are a few cities we have to travel through, but we will eventually arrive to our destination in Cuzco, Peru. Here is where we will travel by train up to Machu Picchu. MP is the only place in the world I have ever dreamed of going, and next week I am going. I am super excited and will definetley post pictures once I make it back to Tocopilla.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the update. I must be going now. For anyone reading this and wants to be kind and send some goodies my way, such as tortilla chips, salsa, milk, peanut butter, contact solution, ya know things that I cant find here, anywhere. Let me know and I will be sure to give you my address.

Te extraño.

CHORIPAN

I finally have the internet... now I'm addicted.

2008-07-03T23:31:00.005-04:00

Today I received a note from one of my 9th grade students. He threw it onto my desk as he was leaving class, and I obviously had to read it once everyone left. It read, in English nonetheless, “You are a beautiful teacher, Melissa. I am very happy with you in Tocopilla. Welcome!!!” by Nicolas Olivares, 1stB. It was definitely not something I was expecting which made it even better because it threw me off. Although he may be trying to suck up to me, it’s hard to tell considering I’m not even giving the students grades. Regardless it was a nice gesture and I appreciated it.

Tomorrow is July 4th, the day of American independence. It’s hard to believe but this is the first July 4th I will be spending out of the country; aka no fireworks or tacky celebrations. However, we Americans still have something to look forward to. Chile’s Independence Day is September 18th, and to celebrate schools have the entire week off and from what I know, they celebrate a majority of the week. So, since there are 4 Americans living here in Tocopilla and for our independence, the English club wants to do something for us. (Just to inform you, all the English teachers from all the schools in Tocopilla have created an English club and they meet once a month to talk about English related things and how they are going to teach it. We went to the meeting yesterday and had to do some traditional USA dancing. I don’t know how traditional it was because I have never danced nor seen it ever in my 21 years of living in the United States.) Anyway, today, the day before Independence Day, I was informed when I went to school that on July 4th all the teachers are doing something for us, and we have to be free at 6:30pm to attend. She wasn’t allowed to tell me what it was or where it is taking place. So, I can’t really tell you what I will be doing, but I’m sure it will be great. I’ll let you know at a later date. I don’t think it is an asado, but no worries, we are attending one later in the evening.

One month worth of chilenismos…

2008-07-03T13:38:00.006-04:00

I apologize to anyone who may actually be reading this for my lack of updates that I promised prior to departing the country. My access to the internet has been limited and I have actually been busy while creating a life here in South America.

As most people know, I am here teaching English. I teach grades 5-9. Classes here have approximately 40-45 students, so I have the class for 45 minutes and the other half for the other 45. all together I teach 26 classes a week. Everyday is different but everyday I go to school at 9:45am, except for Thursday when I have to go in at 8:00am. The days aren’t so bad because I am not usually there for the entire day. Chilean schools release from school at 1:00-3:00 so everyone can go home and eat a 2 hour lunch, since dinner isn’t a real thing here. At 3:00 everyone comes back for at least one more class. Afterwards I usually find things to do, they are often sports related, but I have no complaints.

In addition to adjusting to the Chilean lifestyle and not being able to put toilet paper in the toilet, I have also been attempting to improve my Spanish speaking skills, there are many other things I have learned and/or experienced while spending one month in Chile… and I would now like to share them with you.

Chile: aka known as the country of its own language. As difficult as it already is to learn a foreign tongue, it doesn’t make it any easier to learn when all of the native Spanish speakers have transformed the language to their own form of Spanish, or slang if you will. These words or phrases are what many call “Chilenismos”. Here are a few of my favorites: (some spelling may not be accurate, but it’s how they sound)
- Chao: Goodbye, not Adios (pronounced like ciao)
- Chiquitito: Little/young kids
- Poh: added to the end of words/sentences. Por ejemplo: Si poh. No poh.Ya Poh. However, it has no meaning whatsoever.
- Buf!: (sounds like boof) Said when one would normally say “ah man”, in times of stress or miscommunication, or just all the time for no reason.
The following are bad words:
- Concha de sus madre (pronounced: conchicamadre)
- Geon or Geones (pronounced: weon, weones)
- Culiao
There are many others; however I will save them for a later date.

Cueca is the national dance of Chile. It consists of one Hombre y one Mujer dressed in appropriate Chilean clothing. It is performed to cueca music using a variety of steps. I have yet to learn this dance; however I made some of my 5th grade students show me during class. We did not have music, but the other students succeeded in making music with their hands.
Pisco is the national liquor. They make it here in Chile and I will be sure to bring a bottle or two home with me.

Asado is the equivalent to a barbeque, and are by far my favorite thing here in Chile. We have luckily succeeded in attending at least one asado every single weekend we have been here. The food is cooked on a grill that everyone seems to have which can only be lit my using coal, matches, paper, and some good ole oxygen. Once lit, the most meat I have ever seen in my life is mounted onto the grill for the amazingness to eventually grace my sweet mouth. 4th of July is quickly approaching and everybody wants to have an asado for us so we can celebrate. Fine by me!

Tocopilla is the name of the city I live in. It’s not a huge city, but it’s also not small. It’s a great size because everybody knows everybody, and we Americans are famous. Tocopilla is in the Antofagasta region and basically it’s a desert with gigantic hills. There is no grass to be found anywhere, some palm trees, it doesn’t rain, right on the Pacific Ocean, and when I wear sandals my feet get really dirty. But I am happy here.

Kattie, Yaki, y La Rubia. We are the 3 Americans here in Tocopilla, there is one more, but we never see her. Our real names, Katie, Jackie, and Melissa; however a majority of the Tocopillians know us as something different. My name is La Niña Rubia because I seem to be the only blonde here. But I deemed it necessary to introduce you to my friends. We spend a lot of time together. And I’m sure you will hear more about them.

Terremoto is an earthquake. In November 2007, Tocopilla suffered a massive earthquake. Something among an 8 on the Richter scale. I’m not too sure what that means, but it was really bad. Lots of people lost their houses and many businesses/building in town were destroyed or collapsed. Throughout the city there are tons of emergency houses that people are forced to live in because they lost their houses. I recently found out that you can see footage of the terremoto on YouTube. Just type in Tocopilla terremoto or earthquake. Its pretty interesting. You can see the dust in the hills shake up and create huge clouds. Since I have been here we have had 2 tremors, but I have yet to feel one because I was sleeping both times.

Collectivos are my choice of transportation. Well, it’s really the only source of transportation unless I am lucky enough to find a ride from a wide variety of 3 people I know who have cars. Collectivos are taxis that pick up as many people that fill the car and it only cost 350 pesos; which is less than a dollar in the US and it brings you anywhere you want to go in the city for the same price. The only downside is that it is possible to ride bitch in between several random people you have never met. Most collective drivers have figured out who we are. One man gives us gum, knows who we are, and always knows where our other friends are. I find this slightly odd, since I am the only one who has yet to ride in his car, but I guess my light colored head isn’t difficult to spot while walking down the street.

Dogs. There are so many dogs here that live and play all day in the streets and sidewalks. Some are old, some are ugly, some are cute, some are big, some are little, some wear sweaters, and some are pregnant. There is a wide variety of different kinds. I would love to open a place here that provides baths and homes for all the dogs; but they seem to have fun with their other dog friends in the streets. The only downside is if they have no owner, they have to scrounge around in garbages and streets for some food. I have yet to encounter a mean dog here. Ones that look semi-clean and look cute are fun to pet. All they want in the world is for someone to pet them. However it is a must to thoroughly sanitize your hands afterwards. It is also common to see the same dogs more than once. I have picked one as my dog, we have a picture together.

Discos. Every single weekend so far here in Chile, we have attended a disco and had an asado. Here in Tocopilla there is only one, so we have been to that one twice. When we traveled to Antofagasta, we went to one there. Discos are great. Very similar to a club you would find in the U.S. however it’s not full of the typical clubbers who are often people I’d like to avoid. The music of choice is Reggaeton. Our friend Marco gave me about 100 songs from his computer and it is all I listen to. Just trying to fit in. I’m not sure what other people like to drink at the disco, but I have only had Ron y Coca y Piña y Vodka. Which are rum and coke and pineapple juice and vodka. The great thing about these discos are that when you pay about 2 dollars to get in, they give you a ticket for a free drink of choice and they fill the drinks ¾ of the way full and give you a small can of Coke to fill the rest with. They do not mess around here. Also, it is nice to get a discount when you tell them you are an “intercambio” or “exchange student” at the university.

Exercise Class. We, the three Americanos have joined an exercise class. However, this is unlike one you may find anywhere else in the world. It takes place at 8:30 pm Monday-Friday. It’s basically just a step class, but we use wooden boxes of various sizes. It is a step class run by this woman in an empty room at her church. About 30 women go every night and every Monday the instructor creates a new “routine” and throughout the week she adds more to it to make it more challenging. I really like it, it is 1 ½ hours of hardcore cardio and conditioning. I’m sure my body will be transformed come December, but with all the bread I’m not so sure… only time will tell.

Meals here are slightly different. It took a little while to get used to, but I think I’m starting to adjust. Here is a rundown of my everyday meals: breakfast- bread, butter, and cheese w/ hot chocolate. Lunch is different everyday. Dinner/Once- bread, butter, tomato, guacamole, etc. it varies day to day but pretty consistent w/ coffee.
Lunch here is like dinner in the U.S. very large. The other meals are very light, if you call bread and completos light eating. I have also come to wonder, do people here go on dates, and if they do, what do they do? I know that in the U.S. it’s common to go out to dinner and a movie; however there aren’t any real restaurants or a movie theater, especially in Tocopilla. You only find those in the big cities.
Some of the Chilean foods include empanadas, flan, ave palta, Choripan, and completos. Completos are a big hit here. It is a hot dog with tomatoes, guacamole, mayo, and sometimes mustard. The first one I ever had in Santiago tasted like ass and I swore I would never eat another. However, the other night I was forced to eat two, but luckily they actually tasted good. And I realized I am the messiest completo eater as I continually dropped the ingredients all over the table cloth and not my plate. Choripan or Chorizo is by far my favorite. I could probably eat them all day everyday and enjoy every minute of it. Anyways, there are many other common foods here but I have yet to try them, I think.

I purchased a pre-paid cell phone that I can use during my time here. It often runs out of money and then I never know how to put money back onto it because all the instructions are in Spanish. But have no fear, I find some way for it to work. So call me. Please. I miss your sweet voices.

International Police. Katie and I have picked up a new extra-curricular activity here in town. As I had to take another trip down to the International Police for some residency and visa matters, I was approached about teaching English to some of the officers. I agreed, as did Katie. We would work with them probably once or twice a week for a few hours over at my school, and they want to pay us. Katie assumed we would probably make more friends and get some good asados out of it. Although I’m totally down for making some extra moolah here as I slowly fall into poverty, I think it is kinda funny how the INTERNATIONAL POLICE want to offer us another job.Yet, our visa’s do not allow us to have other jobs because it is ILLEGAL. Oh well.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the massive update of things going on down here where the toilets flush the opposite way. I must be going now. There will be more to come. Miss you all.

Last Day in Santiago

2008-06-06T14:06:00.003-04:00

Its lunch time. Today we had Paella for lunch. We have successfully made it through the week of training in Santiago. Well, we have only two more workshops this afternoon and we will be done. Afterwards we will be having an "Asado" aka barbeque. But i was informed that the barbeque does not consist of the normal american cheeseburgers and hot dogs... it'll be interesting to see considering the food i have been exposed to the entire week.
Yesterday was a day of experimenting. We finally tried the Chilean version of a hotdog... its called a "completo"... the ingredients consist of a hotdog, guacamole, tomatoes, and mayo. I had half, and it wasnt very appetizing.. unappetizing seems to be the trend of food around here, but i eat it anyways. for dinner we went out to a very interesting restaurant. they had music playing and there were lots of people. I tried Ceviche for the first time. it was good.

So, basically the entire week has been full on workshops that are preparing us for our teaching. its goes from 9am to 6pm. With breaks of course for coffee, lunch, and at 4:30 we have our spanish classes which seem to be my favorite part of the day. The evening activities vary from playing intense card games, drinking 40's of Brahma, or wondering around the city. The kids in medio schools, which are basically highschool, have been protesting and having strikes about their school system. they want it changed so they have been parading around the city chanting. Im not sure what they are saying but they carry a coffin and its slightly interesting to see.

Anyways, tonight is our last night in Santiago. However, we will be back here when we are done teaching and spend another week here in the end of November. We plan on going out and having a fabulous time for our last night all together as a group. I will miss these people. Tomorrow night we embark on our 20 hour journey north, to Antofogasta, on a BUS. Wish me luck.
I must be going now. Until next time.

Picturesss

2008-06-04T21:44:00.004-04:00

Here are some pictures... internet is no bueno and its hard to upload. bu here or two. one is of the Andes Mountains and the other is of Santiago, Chile.

Hola Hola Holaaa

2008-06-01T19:12:00.002-04:00

Today is Sunday.. June 1st. Happy June. My time here has been well spent so far. I had yesterday and today to do whatever and explore. Yesterday I didnt do much... I met a few people who had gotten here around the same time. We seem to now be a crew, and it was weird today when we went out in the city and there were tons more people here. The hostel we are staying in serves us free b-fast, lunch, and dinner. Yesterday lunch and dinner were exactly the same... pasta w/ meat sauce, soup, and flan. flan is nasty. if you have never had it, i recommend never trying it. During dinner we met some guys from Ireland who were travelling the world. they were staying here for a few days on their way to Austrailia and gave a few pointers on where to go out at night. We ended up meeting them out at a Bar called Dublin. very un-chilean. However, we were able to try some chilean beer and pisco sours. I am pretty sure the meals were the same today.. chicken and mashed potatoes or something. I ate a empanada for lunch and havent had dinner yet.

Today, we got up early and went exploring throughout the city of Santiago. it is not a very clean city. but its kinda cool. We saw the "white house" of Chile called La Moneda. I suppose that is where the presidente lives. we also climed some cool structures on mountains that had alot of steps. We were able to see the entire city from them... Santiago is gigantic. Also, the snow covered Andes Mtns. are very close to the city. They are fairly large and beautiful. I really enjoyed it when we flew from Argentina into Chile, it was amazing to see them so close. today we also had our first gathering as all the volunteers. We had to do all of our visa stuff, pictures, etc. and we had a 5 minute oral test on speaking. I'm sure i did terrible.

Chile right now has really weird weather. it was cold, then it got warmer, and now its cold again. It also does not help that the hostel has very little heat provided so i sleep in as much clothing as possible. My new watch has become my ipod. having no cell phone is torture. But once we move to our real homes I am going to get a cell phone asap. maybe ill buy a watch somewhere along the way.

I will be living in the northern region on Chile. It is in the Antofagasta region, called Tocopilla. I wanted to be in the city of Antofogasta, but its nearby. Most of the people I've met will either be in the same city or in Antofogasta. I will be living with a 42 year old school teacher and a 13 year old boy. both will be in the same school as me, so i'll have walking partners each day. My house has 3 bedrooms, 1 kitchen, 1 bathroom, 1 living room, 1 dining room... AND internet access... thank god. i hope its wireless. I was hoping i would be living with a larger family to get the whole chilean family experience, but I'm sure these peoplem will be great and I get my own room.

I have never seen so many stray dogs, ever. Its like instead of homeless people, there are homeless dogs. I saw some sleeping in boxes, some were begging for food, one was barking its head off at a cat who had a large peice of bread by its side.. finally the cat ran away and the dog snatched the bread... idk what kind of cat eats large peices of bread, but hey, beggers cant be choosers.

Tomorrow we start our "intensive" training. 9am to 6 pm. we have a long lunch and random breaks throughout the day, so it shouldnt be too bad. Its okay being here, but i just want to be where i will be living instead of a hostel and a room with 3 other people i dont know.

Well, I am done writing for now... please keep me posted on your lives.

The Journey

2008-06-01T18:40:00.004-04:00

So, my journey to the southern hemisphere began very early on friday. I had to arrive to the airport early, however I was way too early. I spent about 6 hours in the Miami airport awaiting my departure to Buenos Aires. Finally around 6:15 p.m. we departed the U.S. and flew to the Deep South on about an 8 hour flight. Once we started to descend and got closer to Buenos Aires, I was able to see a lot of light clusters throughout various areas. It was dark so I couldn’t see much at all, but the most logical thing is to assume they were small cities. When I depart for Santiago it will be day time and I’ll be able to see whats going on out there.

The flight wasn’t bad. They served dinner. It was chicken with some vegetables and mashed potatoes. There was also this very delicious piece of heaven for dessert. I have no idea what it was, but it tasted delightful. But as good as airplane food can be, I was satisfied, especially since it was free. After that I slept for a good 2-3 hours. Around 2ish a.m. we were served breakfast. It was a small croissant, muffin, and a fruit cup which I preceded to spill all over me. All I wanted before I left the country was a big greasy McDonald’s cheeseburger with some French fries, but surprisingly couldn’t find a McDonalds anywhere, so I had to suffer. Oh well.

Enough about food… I sat with a man named Sebastian. He didn’t seem too old, maybe in his mid 30’s. We talked a bit throughout the flight. He talked to me in English however it wasn’t the best, but I was able to understand him. We exchanged emails because he wants to know about my experience in Chile and if I ever make it back to Buenos Aires or Argentina he would like to show me around. We walked together off the plane and then parted ways as he had to go through customs. I am not used to the “kiss” on one cheek as they all do around here… but I’ll adapt. It was weird, it seemed like everyone on the plane knew each other. I have never been on a flight where so many people were walking around and chatting with each other as I experienced on this one. Lots of people seem friendly; I think I’ll like it down here. (i wrote this earlier and now i am able to post it...) but once i got off the plane in Chile, another guy on my flight found me and we are doing the same program and had the same destination. He told me someone was smoking in the airplane bathroom and announcements were made about it... something i apparently missed. anyway.. we had trouble getting through customs... first we didnt go pay our reciprocity fee, next we didnt fill out some extra form, third time was a charm. I'm just glad i didnt have to do it alone, plus he knew alot more spanish than me. AND coincidently he is from new york and went to Geneseo. kinda cool.

Just to remind you, I’m sitting in the Buenos Aires airport right now. My next flight to Santiago isn’t until 8:30 a.m. It is currently 5:00 a.m. right now as I write this. For those of you who will hopefully read this it is 4 a.m. where you are. Everyone is smoking in the airport, I find it odd since there is no ventilation, but I’m sitting on a bench on the corner so I can’t smell it. I’m thirsty, but nothing is open and I have no Argentinian money. All I can think about is a greasy cheeseburger. I have all day in Santiago to myself once I arrive, so if I don’t make any friends with the other people there; I’m going exploring alone and will be sure to find a greasy cheeseburger. Wish me luck on not coming home in December 30 pounds heavier.

It is legitimately winter here. No snow, but I can feel the cold air. Everyone is in winter jackets and all I have is a measly sweater and sandals. Clearly I wasn’t thinking, but hey I was in Miami for 3 days where it was about 95 degrees everyday. Plus my skin in on fire.... I thought I was too cool for sunscreen and now I am paying for my idiotic decision. But on the bright side my skin is keeping me warm. I will be sure to miss the summertime; although I think its way cooler to be in South America. I’ll see many more summers in my lifetime.

I used the bathroom when I got off the plane. I wanted to see if the toilet water spun the other way when I flushed since I am below the equator… but little did I know these bathrooms were not like anything I have ever used. The toilet itself was some plastic material and to flush I had to push this pointy button that was way above my head. Hopefully I’ll find a more normal toilet somewhere else and witness the water spinning theory with my own eyes. I took a picture of the toilet. I’ll be sure to post it.

I must be going now. I’m going to try and nap, I’ve been awake far too long. I’ll write again soon. Miss you all.. only 6 months to go...

MAY 30, 2008

2008-05-15T12:35:00.000-04:00

Friday, May 30th I take off at approximately 6:05pm from Miami International Airport. After three days of soaking up the sun on South Beach, I will be embarking on a six month journey that will land me in Buenos Aires, Argentina for 5 hours. Eventually I will make it to my final destination in Santiago, Chile.

Keep in touch. Wish me luck. I will miss you all.