Long time no write, I know. Im really getting bad at updating this thing but have been pretty busy lately.
Lets see-
Mendoza, Argentina.
It was awesome.
To me, the 7 hour bus ride there wasn't bad and the views were incredible. We drove through the Andes (literally, we went in several mountain tunnels) and rivers, caves, snow, etc. Believe it or not- customs was even on top of a mountain! We all made it through safely...even Nicole's tazer gun passed without problem.
We arrived in Argentina and before we knew it we were trekking to our hostel which was about 30 minutes walking from the bus terminal. After finding and ATM and mentally converting American money to Argentenian money we made it to the hostel which turned out to be THE BEST. Prime location (right next to McDonalds), just like a hotel (nice lobby, lots of people, etc.), good computers with internet, and a huge tv to watch the Rangers on !!!
The first night we strolled around the centro and found a neat restaurant with an outdoor patio. We enjoyed "normal" food and had fun just hanging out and talking for a few hours. The weather was perfect- not too cold. That night we watched the Rangers make it to the World Series. What a game....
I can't believe I'm 5000 away from the Rangers while they're playing in the World Series.
I was just as happy sitting in the hostel watching the game- but I can't even imagine how awesome it must have been to be in the stadium at the end of that game. I cant wait to get to the ballpark next season! Is that crazy? Probably....
Saturday morning we woke up early and sat around for a while to be picked up by the rafting people. After waiting for about an hour and a half extra- the dude finally showed up with a van-full of other foreigners and we were off to the river! Rafting was great- cold and super soaking wet but awesome.
We were totally exhausted after rafting and after resting for a while at the hostel we walked to the central market for some pizza. It was SO good...and the icy cold coke made it even better. I never realized how much difference a few cubes of ice can make...again that's something that sounds really silly and weird to even think about but IT MATTERS! Cant wait to come home and drive through the McDonalds on Randol Mill and get a huge icy Diet Coke.
Sunday was the day that we've been trying to have for the past month. San Alfonso was a total flop- we didn't get to bask in the sun AT ALL but I think el Parque San Martin in Mendoza, Argentina trumped that silly resort. We stopped at McDonalds for a delicious picnic lunch and walked to the famous GIGANTIC park........
I was NOT expecting such a perfect place...it was like heaven on Earth! Roses, fountains, people walking, joggers, rowing, trees everywhere, ice cream, and soooo much more that we didn't get to see. We laid in the sun for a good 5 hours and did absolutely nothing- how perfect.
Completely sunburned, the three of us walked back to the hostel later that evening, took a little nap, and got ready for dinner at a BUFFET! It was awesome, we all ate way more than we should have, AND a bunch of French guys thought we were so cute that they almost chased us out the restaurant. Luckily- the didnt. Good thing though...lets get real- the French are just so...French.
As always, it felt nice to be back in Vina the next day and much to my surprise, class has been exceptionally interesting all week. I am understanding EVERYTHING that our professor says. YES! This is a definite sign of Spanish progress.
Tomorrow we leave for PERU!
Its time to get organized and start packing. Packing is truly an art when you need a week's worth of stuff in a day's space. It can be done, though.
Itinerary coming soon...
Until tonight,
Lesley
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
presentations, partidos, and packing
A few notable things happened yesterday:
Nicole and I completed our presentation in Antigringo's class- we are GLAD that thing is overwith. It wasn't hard...just a stress-causer which I don't have much of here. In fact...I can't remember another time in Chile when I've been for-real stressed out. How nice is that ?
I take it back. I was stressed out yesterday- I was running from class which let out an hour and half late at 7 PM THANKS to those silly presentations. In fifteen minutes I:
ran out of the classroon at UVM
fast-walked to the Metro station
put 3,000 pesos on my Metro card, got change for my 10 mil (a huge relief)
took the Metro to Laurens (caught a train right away)
hopped of the train and jogged (with backpack, how dorky!) to snack store
they didnt have diet coke, ran to the next closest one
settled for Pepsi, sigh
RAN to Lauren's apartment building
waved to the guard, turned the corner
started sprinting because no one could see me
shoe falls off, Pepsi flies out of the side pocket of my backpack
crawled under the car that it rolled under
IN FIFTEEN MINUTES!
All that because I thought I had missed the Rangers...and come to find out...THEY WERE LOSING!!!
But that's alright- we have two lifelines and I feel pretty good that we will win tomorrow.
Speaking of tomorrow- Lauren, Nicole, and I leave for Argentina tomorrow morning!!!! Can't wait!!!
Later,
Lesley
Nicole and I completed our presentation in Antigringo's class- we are GLAD that thing is overwith. It wasn't hard...just a stress-causer which I don't have much of here. In fact...I can't remember another time in Chile when I've been for-real stressed out. How nice is that ?
I take it back. I was stressed out yesterday- I was running from class which let out an hour and half late at 7 PM THANKS to those silly presentations. In fifteen minutes I:
ran out of the classroon at UVM
fast-walked to the Metro station
put 3,000 pesos on my Metro card, got change for my 10 mil (a huge relief)
took the Metro to Laurens (caught a train right away)
hopped of the train and jogged (with backpack, how dorky!) to snack store
they didnt have diet coke, ran to the next closest one
settled for Pepsi, sigh
RAN to Lauren's apartment building
waved to the guard, turned the corner
started sprinting because no one could see me
shoe falls off, Pepsi flies out of the side pocket of my backpack
crawled under the car that it rolled under
IN FIFTEEN MINUTES!
All that because I thought I had missed the Rangers...and come to find out...THEY WERE LOSING!!!
But that's alright- we have two lifelines and I feel pretty good that we will win tomorrow.
Speaking of tomorrow- Lauren, Nicole, and I leave for Argentina tomorrow morning!!!! Can't wait!!!
Later,
Lesley
Monday, October 18, 2010
Beets, baseball, ballpark hotdog wannabe's, and blogs.
...and I may need some bleach. They should make a dye from beet juice.
To my closest followers- so sorry for the slacking, lately! Not much was happening around here for a while and then suddenly its like I'm rushing around trying to find time to fit everything in my day and before I know it its midnight. I don't think I'll ever get used to the time difference- as small and insignificant as it seems.
The past few days have included:
Baseball- The Rangers are going to the World Series. I just know it. I can't believe that I decided to come to Chile in the same year that the Rangers-my team-finally make it the the playoffs...but when I think about it for more then a second I realize its probably for my own good. If I were in Oklahoma, just 200 miles away, I would probably be standing at Iron Starr working during the games thinking "this stinks. I'm too close to home to not be at that game." But here...I just have to deal with the fact that I won't be traveling 5,000 miles/can't travel 5,000 miles to watch a baseball game. The good news: games are on TV here, now!
Im currently watching the Rangers beat the Yankees 2 to 0 in the 4th inning. There he goes again- Clif Lee strikes out yet another poor poor Yankee.
Priscilla just brought me an interesting 10:30 PM dinner.
Cauliflower, BEETS!, two hotdogs, yogurt, and cherry juice.
If this is as close as I can get to ballpark food...I'll take it. Besides, I love beets and its been too long since I've had them.
Yesterday I ventured to Santiago with a classmate for a concert at the Estadio Nacional. We saw RUSH- it was awesome, and my idea of Chileans was slightly proven wrong. They don't even serve alcohol at concerts, here! I asked Priscilla why...she said that people go too crazy. I should be thankful (as the only gringa in that gigantic stadium filled with dark headed, dark-clothed, Chileans) that things stayed very civil and we encountered absolutely no problems. Concert in Chile: check.
Well...maybe one little problem. I trusted Nick to make the hostel arrangements. He promised that the hostel we would stay at was near the stadium and right by the stadium- can it get more perfect?! Apparently he was dreaming anyway. We walked for about an hour after getting off of the subway (that was fun, though...slightly scary but fun) and landed at a home...not a hostel. The HOMEowners were slightly surprised when we rang the bell and said in Spanish "hi we're here to stay for the night!"...talk about late notice. I guess we rang the right bell, though. The woman who lived in the random house was kind and let us sleep on the floor. They even drove us to the concert!
I should get back to my current jobs:
another blog with a few Spanish classes at Shack (cool, right?)
a presentation due on Wednesday
a test tomorrow
the Ranger game
Later,
Lesley
ooh, and the weather today was shorts-worthy. YES!
To my closest followers- so sorry for the slacking, lately! Not much was happening around here for a while and then suddenly its like I'm rushing around trying to find time to fit everything in my day and before I know it its midnight. I don't think I'll ever get used to the time difference- as small and insignificant as it seems.
The past few days have included:
Baseball- The Rangers are going to the World Series. I just know it. I can't believe that I decided to come to Chile in the same year that the Rangers-my team-finally make it the the playoffs...but when I think about it for more then a second I realize its probably for my own good. If I were in Oklahoma, just 200 miles away, I would probably be standing at Iron Starr working during the games thinking "this stinks. I'm too close to home to not be at that game." But here...I just have to deal with the fact that I won't be traveling 5,000 miles/can't travel 5,000 miles to watch a baseball game. The good news: games are on TV here, now!
Im currently watching the Rangers beat the Yankees 2 to 0 in the 4th inning. There he goes again- Clif Lee strikes out yet another poor poor Yankee.
Priscilla just brought me an interesting 10:30 PM dinner.
Cauliflower, BEETS!, two hotdogs, yogurt, and cherry juice.
If this is as close as I can get to ballpark food...I'll take it. Besides, I love beets and its been too long since I've had them.
Yesterday I ventured to Santiago with a classmate for a concert at the Estadio Nacional. We saw RUSH- it was awesome, and my idea of Chileans was slightly proven wrong. They don't even serve alcohol at concerts, here! I asked Priscilla why...she said that people go too crazy. I should be thankful (as the only gringa in that gigantic stadium filled with dark headed, dark-clothed, Chileans) that things stayed very civil and we encountered absolutely no problems. Concert in Chile: check.
Well...maybe one little problem. I trusted Nick to make the hostel arrangements. He promised that the hostel we would stay at was near the stadium and right by the stadium- can it get more perfect?! Apparently he was dreaming anyway. We walked for about an hour after getting off of the subway (that was fun, though...slightly scary but fun) and landed at a home...not a hostel. The HOMEowners were slightly surprised when we rang the bell and said in Spanish "hi we're here to stay for the night!"...talk about late notice. I guess we rang the right bell, though. The woman who lived in the random house was kind and let us sleep on the floor. They even drove us to the concert!
I should get back to my current jobs:
another blog with a few Spanish classes at Shack (cool, right?)
a presentation due on Wednesday
a test tomorrow
the Ranger game
Later,
Lesley
ooh, and the weather today was shorts-worthy. YES!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Its official.
Octavia is the most perfect thing I have ever seen in my life. Something was just so great about going to the clinic today and seeing her and Priscilla...and I get to be her gringa sister!
She's teeny tiny, has lots of dark hair, blue eyes, and doesn't look like an alien...a rare quality for newborns, I think. I am actually excited for them both to come home tomorrow night :)
Until then, I'm just chillin' at the apartment with Balty and Patricio. It's 11:49 PM and we're all still awake just hanging out. Today Balty and I really bonded at the clinic/hospital. He discovered the beauty of my iPhone and the games that come along with it. He also told me that he wants to spell his name like this: "Balti" not this: "Balty". NOTED.
Patricio folded my laundry. Wow, having a dad in the house is nice! This is just another new and exciting experience to add to the list. What a great week I'm having.
When Priscilla is gone- I get back into "college" mode. This morning I made my own breakfast and even LIT THE GAS for a hot shower. Props to LJ for showing me how to do that last night when she came over. I'm thinking another Wii party is coming up in the near future.
I think I'll get to sleep- tomorrow we have such an exciting outing planned with classmates. A visit to the National Congress of Chile...
To get some extra Spanish practice in I took Balti's advice and am reading his comics each night before bed. They are really helping!
Later,
Lesley
She's teeny tiny, has lots of dark hair, blue eyes, and doesn't look like an alien...a rare quality for newborns, I think. I am actually excited for them both to come home tomorrow night :)
Until then, I'm just chillin' at the apartment with Balty and Patricio. It's 11:49 PM and we're all still awake just hanging out. Today Balty and I really bonded at the clinic/hospital. He discovered the beauty of my iPhone and the games that come along with it. He also told me that he wants to spell his name like this: "Balti" not this: "Balty". NOTED.
Patricio folded my laundry. Wow, having a dad in the house is nice! This is just another new and exciting experience to add to the list. What a great week I'm having.
When Priscilla is gone- I get back into "college" mode. This morning I made my own breakfast and even LIT THE GAS for a hot shower. Props to LJ for showing me how to do that last night when she came over. I'm thinking another Wii party is coming up in the near future.
I think I'll get to sleep- tomorrow we have such an exciting outing planned with classmates. A visit to the National Congress of Chile...
To get some extra Spanish practice in I took Balti's advice and am reading his comics each night before bed. They are really helping!
 |
| Balti's favorite comic book |
Later,
Lesley
October 13
October 13 was historically great. In fact, it should become a holiday.
Just a little after midnight, two monumental moments occured.
The first Chilean miner to be rescued reached the surface and finally breathed a breath of fresh air within the same three minutes that the Rangers, my team, made it to the next round of the playoffs for the first time in history.
Later that night, the night of the 13, Octavia was born. I hear she's healthy and am going with Patricio and Balty in just a little while to see her and Priscilla...how exciting! The house is never going to be quiet again...I better soak in this last day of minimal noise while I can. Then again...the building that's still going up outside my window continues to flood my room with the sound of a jackhammer each morning. Maybe the jackhammer will drown out the crying ? Or vice versa? We'll find out tomorrow I guess!
Later,
Lesley
ps. 10/13/10...10+13+10=33=the number of miners that WERE trapped.
Thank you Lauren Jones for that insightful observation.
Just a little after midnight, two monumental moments occured.
The first Chilean miner to be rescued reached the surface and finally breathed a breath of fresh air within the same three minutes that the Rangers, my team, made it to the next round of the playoffs for the first time in history.
Later that night, the night of the 13, Octavia was born. I hear she's healthy and am going with Patricio and Balty in just a little while to see her and Priscilla...how exciting! The house is never going to be quiet again...I better soak in this last day of minimal noise while I can. Then again...the building that's still going up outside my window continues to flood my room with the sound of a jackhammer each morning. Maybe the jackhammer will drown out the crying ? Or vice versa? We'll find out tomorrow I guess!
Later,
Lesley
ps. 10/13/10...10+13+10=33=the number of miners that WERE trapped.
Thank you Lauren Jones for that insightful observation.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
You need a Thums Up.
Class was boring today- but forget that! There is wayyyyy too much happening right now to even think about school!
Tonight we went and saw Eat Pray Love for free thanks to UVM :)
Believe it or not- it doesn't even officially come out until tomorrow. The two month delay really killed us, as we were all super pumped to see the movie and WOW did it live up to our expectations!
It was so great and the message was so analogous to our lives in Chile. The timing was perfect and it was just what I needed to get me back into my "im abroad and loving life" mood. En serio, it was such an attitude changer, and a much needed one at that.
I came home around 9:45 to a tearful Balty...he was crying from nerves and pure joy because tomorrow us the big day! Priscilla is having a baby TOMORROW!
I'm cracking up because they JUST put together the baby bed...talk about procrastination!
There are baby clothes everywhere and Balty is being showered with gifts and new things in his room. This is so interesting to me...just the whole thing. Priscilla is totally calm and has prepared all of my lunches for the next four days. She sure does have everything under control- I'm impressed.
Thanks to Gma's update, I have turned on the news and am watching the live rescue of the miners. This is a huge moment in the history of Chile and I can only imagine the happiness of everyone tomorrow...there will probably be celebrations tonight.
In addition to the screen-full of smiling Chileans and hopeful families of miners...I have on my computer screen the Rangers game. This is the first time in history that the Texas Rangers will move on to the next round of the playoffs.........I can't believe it! As dorky as it sounds, I will be sporting my bright red Rangers jacket tomorrow in honor of my team. And it's very appropriate, considering that Chile's colors are red, white, and blue as well.
I may as well pull an all-nighter. The fam is wide-awake preparing for Octavia, miners are being rescued, and Rangers are winning (right now).
Later,
Lesley
Tonight we went and saw Eat Pray Love for free thanks to UVM :)
Believe it or not- it doesn't even officially come out until tomorrow. The two month delay really killed us, as we were all super pumped to see the movie and WOW did it live up to our expectations!
It was so great and the message was so analogous to our lives in Chile. The timing was perfect and it was just what I needed to get me back into my "im abroad and loving life" mood. En serio, it was such an attitude changer, and a much needed one at that.
I came home around 9:45 to a tearful Balty...he was crying from nerves and pure joy because tomorrow us the big day! Priscilla is having a baby TOMORROW!
I'm cracking up because they JUST put together the baby bed...talk about procrastination!
There are baby clothes everywhere and Balty is being showered with gifts and new things in his room. This is so interesting to me...just the whole thing. Priscilla is totally calm and has prepared all of my lunches for the next four days. She sure does have everything under control- I'm impressed.
Thanks to Gma's update, I have turned on the news and am watching the live rescue of the miners. This is a huge moment in the history of Chile and I can only imagine the happiness of everyone tomorrow...there will probably be celebrations tonight.
In addition to the screen-full of smiling Chileans and hopeful families of miners...I have on my computer screen the Rangers game. This is the first time in history that the Texas Rangers will move on to the next round of the playoffs.........I can't believe it! As dorky as it sounds, I will be sporting my bright red Rangers jacket tomorrow in honor of my team. And it's very appropriate, considering that Chile's colors are red, white, and blue as well.
I may as well pull an all-nighter. The fam is wide-awake preparing for Octavia, miners are being rescued, and Rangers are winning (right now).
Later,
Lesley
Monday, October 11, 2010
two thumbs down.
I never go this long without posting! There is a lot to talk about after such an interesting weekend away.
To catch up on last week:
We had a few papers and a couple tests, but nothing too major. We (all of my friends here & I) spent most of the week looking forward to this past weekend- as we had planned the trip to San Alfonso and couldn't wait to get to the Worlds Largest Pool (!).
Wednesday night Lauren and I went to see the movie, Wall Street, in theaters to continue our weekly getaway at the movies with a icy coke and "pop con sal"- also known as popcorn WITH SALT.
The movie was really cool- but the scenario was a little weird since the movie basically explained how money-obsessed UnitedStatesian people are. Its never comforting to be the only two blonde/gringa people in a theater filled with Chileans who already hold a natural grudge against you. The realness of the movie was a little creepy and very eye-opening.
That night I slept over at Lauren's. Since we had to wake up the next morning at approximately 5 AM to trek to the airport in Santiago and help Nicole pick up Russ- we thought it would be best if we all stayed the night together at one house and walked to bus station together. We made it to the station by 6:20 AM, got on a bus to Santiago right away, and before we knew it we were on the way back to Vina with Russ! It was awesome getting to see him for a while- and we all knew that Nicole was so so so happy to see him :)
I slept in on Friday thinking: if I get up at 11 I'll have plenty of time to showr, pack, eat, and be ready at 2.
Change of plans: the hot water heater was broken- no shower. That was okay, though...I shower too much anyways.
We (me, Lauren, Nicole, Russ, Jemima, Corie, Nikki, Kelly, Ahzha) all met up in Valparaiso and quickly hopped on a bus to San Alfonso- the most beautiful, heavenly resort anyone could ever see.....we thought.
We arrived to find out that:
1) we werent in the sea-side buildings...our hotel was about a mile away and inland.
2) the pool at our hotel was not the worlds largest pool...and it was EMPTY. no water. not a drop.
3) all chileans hate all gringos.
okay, the third point isn't really true but after this weekend I show no mercy for Chileans who will try and argue the fact that we are instantly judged in South America as rude, ignorant people.
We felt like the workers at the hotel were trying to scam us, and they even joked around with us at times because the amount of money that we ended up paying to stay in the nicer resort with the gigantic pool was a significant amount more. We were all bitter and hesitant to spend any more money.
The pool that we had traveled to just to float in and lay by for a solid three days was too cold to enter. We didn't get in once. The sun didn't shine- no tans. Too bad we only packed summer resort clothes...this felt more like going to the beach in the winter.The hot tub cost us 20 dollars. Why ? Im not sure- it wasn't anything special AND it was completely filled with American-haters. Whatever.
The good parts about the weekend:
Lauren and I discovered we are, in fact, totally normal. Thank you, Jesus.
I did feel very relaxed for a while- and the condo was really nice.
I got to know each person on the trip WAY more.
I am a little bitter- but you live, you learn.
The lesson: never stay at a resort in Chile.
I came home today around 2 and could not WAIT to crawl into my bed for a while and finally get some quiet time. No one was home, so I was a little relieved that I could be in total relaxation mode for a while. About five minutes after i walked in the door I heard someone come in the house. I got up to go see who it was but missed them- they had already left. I think it was Patricio- and for some reason...he decided to be extra secure and deadbolt the door shut.
This was a problem. A major problem.
Because I do not have the correct key to unlock the second lock on the door- I was literally trapped inside the house and could not escape.
About an hour and half later, they came home and all was well. But seriously! Nothing is wierder than being trapped in your own house!
Later,
Lesley
To catch up on last week:
We had a few papers and a couple tests, but nothing too major. We (all of my friends here & I) spent most of the week looking forward to this past weekend- as we had planned the trip to San Alfonso and couldn't wait to get to the Worlds Largest Pool (!).
Wednesday night Lauren and I went to see the movie, Wall Street, in theaters to continue our weekly getaway at the movies with a icy coke and "pop con sal"- also known as popcorn WITH SALT.
The movie was really cool- but the scenario was a little weird since the movie basically explained how money-obsessed UnitedStatesian people are. Its never comforting to be the only two blonde/gringa people in a theater filled with Chileans who already hold a natural grudge against you. The realness of the movie was a little creepy and very eye-opening.
That night I slept over at Lauren's. Since we had to wake up the next morning at approximately 5 AM to trek to the airport in Santiago and help Nicole pick up Russ- we thought it would be best if we all stayed the night together at one house and walked to bus station together. We made it to the station by 6:20 AM, got on a bus to Santiago right away, and before we knew it we were on the way back to Vina with Russ! It was awesome getting to see him for a while- and we all knew that Nicole was so so so happy to see him :)
I slept in on Friday thinking: if I get up at 11 I'll have plenty of time to showr, pack, eat, and be ready at 2.
Change of plans: the hot water heater was broken- no shower. That was okay, though...I shower too much anyways.
We (me, Lauren, Nicole, Russ, Jemima, Corie, Nikki, Kelly, Ahzha) all met up in Valparaiso and quickly hopped on a bus to San Alfonso- the most beautiful, heavenly resort anyone could ever see.....we thought.
We arrived to find out that:
1) we werent in the sea-side buildings...our hotel was about a mile away and inland.
2) the pool at our hotel was not the worlds largest pool...and it was EMPTY. no water. not a drop.
3) all chileans hate all gringos.
okay, the third point isn't really true but after this weekend I show no mercy for Chileans who will try and argue the fact that we are instantly judged in South America as rude, ignorant people.
We felt like the workers at the hotel were trying to scam us, and they even joked around with us at times because the amount of money that we ended up paying to stay in the nicer resort with the gigantic pool was a significant amount more. We were all bitter and hesitant to spend any more money.
The pool that we had traveled to just to float in and lay by for a solid three days was too cold to enter. We didn't get in once. The sun didn't shine- no tans. Too bad we only packed summer resort clothes...this felt more like going to the beach in the winter.The hot tub cost us 20 dollars. Why ? Im not sure- it wasn't anything special AND it was completely filled with American-haters. Whatever.
The good parts about the weekend:
Lauren and I discovered we are, in fact, totally normal. Thank you, Jesus.
I did feel very relaxed for a while- and the condo was really nice.
I got to know each person on the trip WAY more.
I am a little bitter- but you live, you learn.
The lesson: never stay at a resort in Chile.
I came home today around 2 and could not WAIT to crawl into my bed for a while and finally get some quiet time. No one was home, so I was a little relieved that I could be in total relaxation mode for a while. About five minutes after i walked in the door I heard someone come in the house. I got up to go see who it was but missed them- they had already left. I think it was Patricio- and for some reason...he decided to be extra secure and deadbolt the door shut.
This was a problem. A major problem.
Because I do not have the correct key to unlock the second lock on the door- I was literally trapped inside the house and could not escape.
About an hour and half later, they came home and all was well. But seriously! Nothing is wierder than being trapped in your own house!
Later,
Lesley
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
30
...is the number of days of classes that we have left. CRAZY!
I have finally organized a calendar of events for the remaining two months of this trip and time sure is going to fly!
Order of events:
Girls Trip to San Alfonso (the largest pool in the world): October 8-11
Visit to Congress: October 15
Cabalgata (horseback riding): October 16
Peru Trip: October 29-November 6
Paintball: November 20
Jones Fam!: Thanksgiving
Last days of classes: November 29-December 2
Travel to Argentina?: December 3-December 8ish
Depart from Chile: December 11
And somewhere in there we would like to maybe try and get to Brazil. WOO!
Ok, back to the real world.
Today the sun finally came out after a week or so of pure gloominess. The sun really did make a difference, and we are all feeling more chipper. After classes, Nicole and Lauren and I went to the mall to try and find some good sales on winter clothes and/or find a bathing suit. The only problem is...the sales aren't quite to their cheapest yet and bathing suites are just soooooo hard to find here! I guess you could say that South Americans are a little more revealing when it comes to beach-wear. We better find something soon, since we have a 4 day vacation to the worlds largest pool coming up...
What was I thinking when I took the bathing suit out of my suitcase at home? Horrible planning on my part.
Tonight we had homemade pizza for dinner. It was actually pretty good- but different. Instead of tomato sauce...ketchup. Instead of pepperoni...HAM. I was able to eat the ham...that was an accomplishment as weird as it sounds. For dessert, fruitcake! Apparently "pan de pascua" is popular year-round here. Suits me!
I'm going to spend the rest of the night just getting organized. Marking my calendar, sorting papers, putting away clean clothes....
Patricio called a few minutes ago. I think he must be coming home for good tonight, because Balty and Priscilla literally FLEW out the door giggling and squeeking with excitement. They haven't come back yet but they should be here any time. FINALLY! Patricio will live with us and not on a ship.
Later,
Lesley
Update:
Patricio is home, Priscilla is laughing, Balty is prancing around in a weird hat that Patricio just gave him, and Saxophone Boy who lives upstairs is tooting away. Good night. Good night.
Oh, and I'm watching Friends!
I have finally organized a calendar of events for the remaining two months of this trip and time sure is going to fly!
Order of events:
Girls Trip to San Alfonso (the largest pool in the world): October 8-11
Visit to Congress: October 15
Cabalgata (horseback riding): October 16
Peru Trip: October 29-November 6
Paintball: November 20
Jones Fam!: Thanksgiving
Last days of classes: November 29-December 2
Travel to Argentina?: December 3-December 8ish
Depart from Chile: December 11
And somewhere in there we would like to maybe try and get to Brazil. WOO!
Ok, back to the real world.
Today the sun finally came out after a week or so of pure gloominess. The sun really did make a difference, and we are all feeling more chipper. After classes, Nicole and Lauren and I went to the mall to try and find some good sales on winter clothes and/or find a bathing suit. The only problem is...the sales aren't quite to their cheapest yet and bathing suites are just soooooo hard to find here! I guess you could say that South Americans are a little more revealing when it comes to beach-wear. We better find something soon, since we have a 4 day vacation to the worlds largest pool coming up...
What was I thinking when I took the bathing suit out of my suitcase at home? Horrible planning on my part.
Tonight we had homemade pizza for dinner. It was actually pretty good- but different. Instead of tomato sauce...ketchup. Instead of pepperoni...HAM. I was able to eat the ham...that was an accomplishment as weird as it sounds. For dessert, fruitcake! Apparently "pan de pascua" is popular year-round here. Suits me!
I'm going to spend the rest of the night just getting organized. Marking my calendar, sorting papers, putting away clean clothes....
Patricio called a few minutes ago. I think he must be coming home for good tonight, because Balty and Priscilla literally FLEW out the door giggling and squeeking with excitement. They haven't come back yet but they should be here any time. FINALLY! Patricio will live with us and not on a ship.
Later,
Lesley
Update:
Patricio is home, Priscilla is laughing, Balty is prancing around in a weird hat that Patricio just gave him, and Saxophone Boy who lives upstairs is tooting away. Good night. Good night.
Oh, and I'm watching Friends!
Monday, October 4, 2010
This could get long.
Monday morning goes as follows:
Wake up at 6:30
Get up and brush teeth
Priscilla hears me (how could she not- the bathroom that we all share is literally 4 feet from her bed)
She goes to the kitchen to light the gas and make my breakfast of ham and bread
The hot water doesnt work right away, so we have to go through a process that takes about 5 minutes
I take a five minute shower
Priscilla puts my breakfast on my desk
I cross the hall to my room in my towel- half frozen
I quickly dress myself and then spend 15 minutes trying to untangle my hair
I peel the ham from my breakfast sandwich and eat some bread with butter
I check my emails, finish homework, gather my things
Comb hair one more time
Put away breakfast things
Run out the door at 7:30
Hop on a bus and meet Lauren usually at 7:48ish.
Today, we mostly just graded papers at the school. The grades were horrendous. If I were a teacher in this country I would show no mercy. Seriously, it's ridiculous. These girls are on the verge of being complete adults and they can't sit still for more than 10 minutes (that would be most of them, not all. some are really cool.) We got the chance to talk with Janet about some of our always-annoying encounters with Chileans who want to prove to us that we really are just stupid Americans. She thought it was silly, too. It's sure nice to have someone NOT from the US on your side!
I came home to an empty house. Because I thought we had a test today, I spent my relaxation time reading over and over a paragraph a million times before Priscilla and Balty came dashing in the door at 1:30. I thought that since I have class at two I would just eat lunch at 6 when I finished class...but she thought I could eat and make it to class in thirty minutes. That was not a good idea.
I made it to class to find out (as did Lauren) that the test is actually tomorrow. That's alright though- its just ortofonia. Easy easy easy easy class.
After ortofonia came two classes with Antigringo. I was called out once but in a good way- for once Antigringo put the Chileans to shame. But it was short lived...five seconds later he basically dissed our culture once again. I'm soooooooooooooooooooooo over it. Couldn't say it enough.
Tonight I think my Chilean family has reached a turning point. Priscilla looks like she could burst any moment...because really....SHE COULD! The official due date is the 13th and today is the 4th. Its getting too close for comfort. Balty has been sobbing all night. I think hes 1)stressed out that in just one week his life will completely change and 2) sad that Patricio is coming home tonight as he had promised.
For dinner....bread and butter. Well...there was ham on the table but of course I was unable to even make eye contact. YUCKO! Priscilla didn't eat, so it was just Balty and I at the table. I tought him the concept of "ice in your drink." He now knows that in Texas, it is so hot in the summer that it's impossible to enjoy a drink without ice cubes. He thought it was interesting!
So now, I'm getting lots of homework done and catching up on some reading. I'm excited for tomorrow- we are going to the mall to browse the sale racks and try to find bathing suits for this weekend. WE CANNOT WAIT.
Later,
Lesley
Wake up at 6:30
Get up and brush teeth
Priscilla hears me (how could she not- the bathroom that we all share is literally 4 feet from her bed)
She goes to the kitchen to light the gas and make my breakfast of ham and bread
The hot water doesnt work right away, so we have to go through a process that takes about 5 minutes
I take a five minute shower
Priscilla puts my breakfast on my desk
I cross the hall to my room in my towel- half frozen
I quickly dress myself and then spend 15 minutes trying to untangle my hair
I peel the ham from my breakfast sandwich and eat some bread with butter
I check my emails, finish homework, gather my things
Comb hair one more time
Put away breakfast things
Run out the door at 7:30
Hop on a bus and meet Lauren usually at 7:48ish.
Today, we mostly just graded papers at the school. The grades were horrendous. If I were a teacher in this country I would show no mercy. Seriously, it's ridiculous. These girls are on the verge of being complete adults and they can't sit still for more than 10 minutes (that would be most of them, not all. some are really cool.) We got the chance to talk with Janet about some of our always-annoying encounters with Chileans who want to prove to us that we really are just stupid Americans. She thought it was silly, too. It's sure nice to have someone NOT from the US on your side!
I came home to an empty house. Because I thought we had a test today, I spent my relaxation time reading over and over a paragraph a million times before Priscilla and Balty came dashing in the door at 1:30. I thought that since I have class at two I would just eat lunch at 6 when I finished class...but she thought I could eat and make it to class in thirty minutes. That was not a good idea.
I made it to class to find out (as did Lauren) that the test is actually tomorrow. That's alright though- its just ortofonia. Easy easy easy easy class.
After ortofonia came two classes with Antigringo. I was called out once but in a good way- for once Antigringo put the Chileans to shame. But it was short lived...five seconds later he basically dissed our culture once again. I'm soooooooooooooooooooooo over it. Couldn't say it enough.
Tonight I think my Chilean family has reached a turning point. Priscilla looks like she could burst any moment...because really....SHE COULD! The official due date is the 13th and today is the 4th. Its getting too close for comfort. Balty has been sobbing all night. I think hes 1)stressed out that in just one week his life will completely change and 2) sad that Patricio is coming home tonight as he had promised.
For dinner....bread and butter. Well...there was ham on the table but of course I was unable to even make eye contact. YUCKO! Priscilla didn't eat, so it was just Balty and I at the table. I tought him the concept of "ice in your drink." He now knows that in Texas, it is so hot in the summer that it's impossible to enjoy a drink without ice cubes. He thought it was interesting!
So now, I'm getting lots of homework done and catching up on some reading. I'm excited for tomorrow- we are going to the mall to browse the sale racks and try to find bathing suits for this weekend. WE CANNOT WAIT.
Later,
Lesley
Sunday, October 3, 2010
IT'S OCTOBER
Its a Sunday night, and as usual I'm wasting the night away doing nothing when I should probably be studying and getting some homework done.
This weekend was fun. Friday we went to El Carnaval de Mil Tambores....what I would consider to be the most eccentric thing that I have seen yet, here in Chile. Lauren, Nicole, Jemima, Corie, Manuel, and I went to Valparaiso to the top of a cerro for this parade that we (or maybe just I?) really knew nothing about. I was thinking "oh, drums! like a drumline thing ?" WRONG! This was a human-rights, totally hippy parade. Body painting, dredlocks, painted flags, people on stilts, etc. It was pretty neat to experience and be a part of whatever these people were celebrating.
We woke up pretty early and met the international group at the school on Saturday morning. From there, we took an hour drive to the poet Pablo Neruda's sea-side abode. We got to tour the house...it was SO cool. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures inside the house. The water around his house and in that region in general is SO blue and pretty. We got to spend some time at the beach after the house tour and lunch.
This weekend was fun. Friday we went to El Carnaval de Mil Tambores....what I would consider to be the most eccentric thing that I have seen yet, here in Chile. Lauren, Nicole, Jemima, Corie, Manuel, and I went to Valparaiso to the top of a cerro for this parade that we (or maybe just I?) really knew nothing about. I was thinking "oh, drums! like a drumline thing ?" WRONG! This was a human-rights, totally hippy parade. Body painting, dredlocks, painted flags, people on stilts, etc. It was pretty neat to experience and be a part of whatever these people were celebrating.
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After the parade, I went home with Lauren and we watched The Rear Window (shout-out to Gma and Pa for opening our eyes to the world of Alfred Hitchcock).
We woke up pretty early and met the international group at the school on Saturday morning. From there, we took an hour drive to the poet Pablo Neruda's sea-side abode. We got to tour the house...it was SO cool. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures inside the house. The water around his house and in that region in general is SO blue and pretty. We got to spend some time at the beach after the house tour and lunch.
Today was just another Sunday- gloomy outside, so it was a perfect day for Starbucks with Lauren and Nicole. We were all a little bummed, but hopefully the sun will be shining tomorrow.....we need warm weather!!!!
Its Monday tomorrow- ALREADY!- so we will be waking up early to teach English. I'm looking forward to it...it seems to get better and better each week.
Its Monday tomorrow- ALREADY!- so we will be waking up early to teach English. I'm looking forward to it...it seems to get better and better each week.
Later,
Lesley
Lesley
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