I recently spent 2 luca ($4) to fix a dilapidated, deflated bike that Alvaro had on his patio that's more like an outdoor warehouse, and it may possibly have been the best investment I've made here. A few weekends ago, I went with a friend to visit Alvaro at work (that's the benefit of him working at the beach- if he worked in a boring office, I'd probably never go), and we rode our bikes (she rented) out to Reñaca- it was beautiful! Today, I biked to the consultorio in Valparaiso, and the ride was incredible- I rode along the ocean the entire way from Viña to Valpo, and the breeze made it beautiful (it's been really warm here- get jealous). Plus, witih bus fares going up, and the fact that I still haven't obtained a fake student pass, after 2 trips to Reñaca or Valpo (aka now), I made up my investment in bus fare savings!
Speaking of investments, I also went out for dinner last weekend to a Thai place- the food was pretty good, but nothing special. Guess the price- $22! I wouldn't pay that much in the States for Thai food! I guess monopolies really can raise the prices. But, I met some new people who were nice and friendly, so I considered it an investment.
I was recently offered a new project at the newest Institution that I'm working at, and I accepted. It's a government program, but I really know very little. Unfortunately, the classes I'll have to teach are from 7-10pm at night every M-F, and in the morning on Saturdays, but they make up for it by paying me a more than decent salary, even by US standards. I'm not thrilled about the schedule, but it's nice to know that I'll have secure hours to teach, and that I'll have some savings for the summer, in case it's difficult to find work.
Is everyone enjoying fall? Any Halloween costumes? I'm going to a gringa friend's house for a Halloween party, but unsure if any costumes will be involved. I miss my leopard print dress! Think of me as you put on an extra sweater, because I'm taking off sweaters these days and it's BEAUTIFUL! besitos for todo el mundo...
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
i am now a chilean outlaw
A few updates, in unimportant order.
a) I had my first run in with Chilean law enforecment. I know, you're thinking, what?! But no worries, I paid them off with some cash and all was fine. No, actually, there was no bribing nor offering of free English lessons invovled. I'll tell you my crime: I got into a colectivo (shared taxi). Now technically, what happened is that I crossed a street on a green light and got into a colectivo that was waiting at the red light. I did the typical flagging down of the colectivo (I've previously mentioned that I've an expert) and he made the appropriate, yes-please-enter-and-hand-over-$450-pesos gesture. Now, apparently, it's illegal to enter colectivos or micros in non-marked stops, or paradas. I usually wait at paradas because it's easier to flag down the drivers (they get into the right lane to scan around for passengers), but this was even more convenient, and it happens all the time! But apparently this time there was a policeman (aka carabinero, aka paco) behind him, and he immediately gestured for my driver to pull over. After interrogating the driver and examining his license, colectivo information, etc. the paco began to ask me questions. At this point, I discovered a key advantage: I could understood his questions, but I could easily pretend not to and feign (well, it wasn't really feigning- I really didn't know it wasn't LEGAL to get in colectivos that weren't in paradas!). So I explained (in my best imitation of my Spanish circa 2 years ago) that I wasn't from around the country, that I had no idea of the issue, and that the driver really shouldn't have let me in the car if this was the case. Everyone seemed pretty satisfied with this response, including the guys in the backseat who were already in the colectivo when I got in who were mad about the delay. All in all, the delay was about 5 minutes, and I got to my night class just fine.
b) I started volunteering at a new place! I've only been for a few hours, but it's an organization that works with local kids doing workshops on art, local history, theater, etc. My favorite part is that they have a community garden- and I might be in charge of it! They already have cilantro GALORE, garlic, kale, lettuce, spinach, raddish, and some medicinal plants. The volunteer in charge is going home in a month, so I might take over, which would be kind of sweet (minus the lack of experience or real technical knowledge part). Speaking of gardening, my raddishes actually have red bulbs now (!), though my broccoli still is young. I made rosemary potatoes with my rosemary, and Alvaro made a delicious salsa with cilantro, parsley, a little bit of the chives that survived, and a bit of oregano. And the best part- mojitos with the mint! So hopefully I'll have more gardening updates, both from mine, and my to-be adopted garden with the kids.
c) My new class is so-so. I'll update more soon, but let it just be said that there is a ventilation specialist who spent an hour dominating the conversation about how the internet caused his heart attack because of contaminated air particles.
Summer has arrived, unofficially. But the air is warm even without direct sunlight, and I work up a sweat walking uphill to come home. So I think that counts.
Love to everyone at home
a) I had my first run in with Chilean law enforecment. I know, you're thinking, what?! But no worries, I paid them off with some cash and all was fine. No, actually, there was no bribing nor offering of free English lessons invovled. I'll tell you my crime: I got into a colectivo (shared taxi). Now technically, what happened is that I crossed a street on a green light and got into a colectivo that was waiting at the red light. I did the typical flagging down of the colectivo (I've previously mentioned that I've an expert) and he made the appropriate, yes-please-enter-and-hand-over-$450-pesos gesture. Now, apparently, it's illegal to enter colectivos or micros in non-marked stops, or paradas. I usually wait at paradas because it's easier to flag down the drivers (they get into the right lane to scan around for passengers), but this was even more convenient, and it happens all the time! But apparently this time there was a policeman (aka carabinero, aka paco) behind him, and he immediately gestured for my driver to pull over. After interrogating the driver and examining his license, colectivo information, etc. the paco began to ask me questions. At this point, I discovered a key advantage: I could understood his questions, but I could easily pretend not to and feign (well, it wasn't really feigning- I really didn't know it wasn't LEGAL to get in colectivos that weren't in paradas!). So I explained (in my best imitation of my Spanish circa 2 years ago) that I wasn't from around the country, that I had no idea of the issue, and that the driver really shouldn't have let me in the car if this was the case. Everyone seemed pretty satisfied with this response, including the guys in the backseat who were already in the colectivo when I got in who were mad about the delay. All in all, the delay was about 5 minutes, and I got to my night class just fine.
b) I started volunteering at a new place! I've only been for a few hours, but it's an organization that works with local kids doing workshops on art, local history, theater, etc. My favorite part is that they have a community garden- and I might be in charge of it! They already have cilantro GALORE, garlic, kale, lettuce, spinach, raddish, and some medicinal plants. The volunteer in charge is going home in a month, so I might take over, which would be kind of sweet (minus the lack of experience or real technical knowledge part). Speaking of gardening, my raddishes actually have red bulbs now (!), though my broccoli still is young. I made rosemary potatoes with my rosemary, and Alvaro made a delicious salsa with cilantro, parsley, a little bit of the chives that survived, and a bit of oregano. And the best part- mojitos with the mint! So hopefully I'll have more gardening updates, both from mine, and my to-be adopted garden with the kids.
c) My new class is so-so. I'll update more soon, but let it just be said that there is a ventilation specialist who spent an hour dominating the conversation about how the internet caused his heart attack because of contaminated air particles.
Summer has arrived, unofficially. But the air is warm even without direct sunlight, and I work up a sweat walking uphill to come home. So I think that counts.
Love to everyone at home
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
impacting
So there's this guy in New York (Colin) who is known as the No Impact Man. I'm sure lots of you have read about him- he lived for a year with his wife and 2-year old daughter in NYC, trying to make no net impact on the environment. In his words, that meant, "In other words, no trash, no carbon emissions, no toxins in the water, no elevators, no subway, no products in packaging, no plastics, no air conditioning, no TV, no toilets…". It was an extreme project, but he devoted himself to researching questions like, is it better to use paper towels (trash, wasteful of resources, use energy in production) or cloth towels (need to be washed with bleach, hot water, use energy in production and cleaning), and volunteering to cut his societal impact. His project is at noimpactman.typepad.com for more info.
So, I read at the Huffington Post that they're proposing a No Impact Week, starting October 18. www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/29/no-impact-week-with-huffp_n_302897.html Even if you don't participate, I suggest flipping through the No Impact Guide that they produced- obviously, don't print it out, so no ACTUAL flipping, just virtual flipping, aka scanning with the eyes. It tells you how to slowly go about cutting your impact (thinking one day about your trash, another day about local food, another day about carbon-less transport, etc.), and even without participating, gives you something to think about.
So I started thinking about MY carbon footprint and environmental impact, especially while living in Chile. I have some major benefits here, especially because I live in a large city that doesn't sprawl too much, unlike living at home in Vancouver (C-Tran- the local bus system- doesn't get anywhere near my house and we have to climb up a large hill to get near the bus stops), which makes transportation pretty easy. I walk every day to the office where I work (it's about a 15 minute walk to get there and about 20 to get back- it's uphill). I don't take the elevator to the 5th floor because I eat white bread DAILY, and I figure that the stairs can add the 'cardio' component to my walk. I certainly don't have a car, and Alvaro's family's car (aka the refrigerator- the large, clunky, white van) not-so-recently died of old age, so if I'm going to go to Valparaíso (or Santiago, Reñaca, Valdivia, or any other location), I take public transportation or walk.
Because I am no longer at school, my paper usage has declined significantly. I still sometimes have to print things for class, but I'm pretty conscious of the paper I use. One of my students constantly acuses me of being unprepared because if it's not asbolutely necessary to fill in the blanks, I don't make copies for him.
My food choices are also (necessarily) more sustainable. I'm lucky to live in a food-rich country, and instead of eating impored Chilean grapes and pears in the U.S., I buy fruits and vegetables from the local feria (outdoor market- basically, a farmers market without the kettle corn and jugglers) and I can eat a good variety of fruits and vegetables that are seasonable, and locally grown. Sometimes we get food products that have stickers on them (meaning that they were originally grown 'for export' and therefore concentrating on aesthetic quality). I can't speak to the farming practices because I'm not sure where exactly the food comes from. I would guess that because chemicals are pretty expensive, that most of the food is fairly organic, although the products that are actually certified organic certainly don't arrive to the feria- organic certification is expensive, and that would only help in the foreign market. The most sustainable difference of my food consumption is the cutting down of middle men- the foods I buy at the feria usually come direct from the farms, with one intermediary (the one selling it to me at the market). Buying from a Santa Isabel (local grocery market) or Safeway (in the U.S.) means lots of other negotiators who need to make profits as well. I also eat seasonally here- we've just recently seen asparagus arrive at the feria, and I just ate my first strawberries of the season. From what I can think of, the only food that I regularly eat that I know is imported would be the bananas- I know those come from Ecuador. We also just bought a pineapple, and I'm pretty sure it was imported, although I also know that they can be grown in the North. We eat a lot of fruits and veggies here, so those form the bulk of my diet. The only purchases at the supermarket are usually paper products (toilet paper, napkins) and rice and pasta. Legumes (garbonzo beans, lentils, black beans, white pinto-like beans) are bought dried at the feria, and I'm pretty sure (though not an authoritative expert source) that they're grown in the country. Bread is rampant, and likely unsustainable. I also eat eggs (except for the ones from the abuelita's place, they're probably factory farmed) and cheese (which is definitely local, but not really that flavorful). I miss Tillamuk cheddar!
My energy and water uses are much more conscious because I pay for the gas that we use to cook with in the kitchen, and the gas that we use to heat up the water in the bathroom. There's no hot water in the kitchen, which means I'm less likely to run the water while I'm washing (it's too cold!), so I just soap up and either reuse leftover water from tea (in a thermos- hopefully, a bit warmer) or use as little water as fast as possible to avoid cold hands. I feel like people are timing me when I'm in the shower, and the water doesn't heat up to particularly length-inducing temperatures, so my water usage in the shower is definitely cut. There's also an 'if it's yellow let it mellow' policy, so toilet water is saved.
It's funny how many of these come out of economic necessity. The Nana (Patty) recently taught me how to keep using old, hard bread (you wet it in the sink and then toast it over the stove- it works!), which means less waste. I carefully think about how long I'll be using the oven, or what else I can cook in there at the same time when I use it because I know I pay for the gas. I walk to work because paying $370 (about 65 cents) for a local micro doesn't make sense if I can walk there and back easily.
Everyone knows that 'developing' countries have a smaller carbon footprint than 'industrialized' counries because more money means more consumption, consumption usually killing the environment. Still, those with money have the resources to make some changes- not everyone can afford to buy in bulk (less packaging), and a Nalgene/other equivalent BPA-free bottle is an investment, while plastic water bottles are more affordable in the moment.
So I have resources here (I brought a bottle and don't buy plastic bottles) AND here I am, living in an area where most people thinking economically and therefore save the environment. I should be sitting pretty, environmentally! But, here comes the killer, just BEING here in Chile is a major impact on my carbon footprint. Flying such a long distance in a plane (and TWICE in a year) is horribly damaging, so I can't really be so smug about myself. In calculating my carbon footprint, my 'flying and driving' account (without even having a car!) was the biggest part of my footprint. Check out your carbon footprint here! (U.S. only) http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator
How about y'all? Is anyone planning on trying a No Impact Week? Let me know.
So, I read at the Huffington Post that they're proposing a No Impact Week, starting October 18. www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/29/no-impact-week-with-huffp_n_302897.html Even if you don't participate, I suggest flipping through the No Impact Guide that they produced- obviously, don't print it out, so no ACTUAL flipping, just virtual flipping, aka scanning with the eyes. It tells you how to slowly go about cutting your impact (thinking one day about your trash, another day about local food, another day about carbon-less transport, etc.), and even without participating, gives you something to think about.
So I started thinking about MY carbon footprint and environmental impact, especially while living in Chile. I have some major benefits here, especially because I live in a large city that doesn't sprawl too much, unlike living at home in Vancouver (C-Tran- the local bus system- doesn't get anywhere near my house and we have to climb up a large hill to get near the bus stops), which makes transportation pretty easy. I walk every day to the office where I work (it's about a 15 minute walk to get there and about 20 to get back- it's uphill). I don't take the elevator to the 5th floor because I eat white bread DAILY, and I figure that the stairs can add the 'cardio' component to my walk. I certainly don't have a car, and Alvaro's family's car (aka the refrigerator- the large, clunky, white van) not-so-recently died of old age, so if I'm going to go to Valparaíso (or Santiago, Reñaca, Valdivia, or any other location), I take public transportation or walk.
Because I am no longer at school, my paper usage has declined significantly. I still sometimes have to print things for class, but I'm pretty conscious of the paper I use. One of my students constantly acuses me of being unprepared because if it's not asbolutely necessary to fill in the blanks, I don't make copies for him.
My food choices are also (necessarily) more sustainable. I'm lucky to live in a food-rich country, and instead of eating impored Chilean grapes and pears in the U.S., I buy fruits and vegetables from the local feria (outdoor market- basically, a farmers market without the kettle corn and jugglers) and I can eat a good variety of fruits and vegetables that are seasonable, and locally grown. Sometimes we get food products that have stickers on them (meaning that they were originally grown 'for export' and therefore concentrating on aesthetic quality). I can't speak to the farming practices because I'm not sure where exactly the food comes from. I would guess that because chemicals are pretty expensive, that most of the food is fairly organic, although the products that are actually certified organic certainly don't arrive to the feria- organic certification is expensive, and that would only help in the foreign market. The most sustainable difference of my food consumption is the cutting down of middle men- the foods I buy at the feria usually come direct from the farms, with one intermediary (the one selling it to me at the market). Buying from a Santa Isabel (local grocery market) or Safeway (in the U.S.) means lots of other negotiators who need to make profits as well. I also eat seasonally here- we've just recently seen asparagus arrive at the feria, and I just ate my first strawberries of the season. From what I can think of, the only food that I regularly eat that I know is imported would be the bananas- I know those come from Ecuador. We also just bought a pineapple, and I'm pretty sure it was imported, although I also know that they can be grown in the North. We eat a lot of fruits and veggies here, so those form the bulk of my diet. The only purchases at the supermarket are usually paper products (toilet paper, napkins) and rice and pasta. Legumes (garbonzo beans, lentils, black beans, white pinto-like beans) are bought dried at the feria, and I'm pretty sure (though not an authoritative expert source) that they're grown in the country. Bread is rampant, and likely unsustainable. I also eat eggs (except for the ones from the abuelita's place, they're probably factory farmed) and cheese (which is definitely local, but not really that flavorful). I miss Tillamuk cheddar!
My energy and water uses are much more conscious because I pay for the gas that we use to cook with in the kitchen, and the gas that we use to heat up the water in the bathroom. There's no hot water in the kitchen, which means I'm less likely to run the water while I'm washing (it's too cold!), so I just soap up and either reuse leftover water from tea (in a thermos- hopefully, a bit warmer) or use as little water as fast as possible to avoid cold hands. I feel like people are timing me when I'm in the shower, and the water doesn't heat up to particularly length-inducing temperatures, so my water usage in the shower is definitely cut. There's also an 'if it's yellow let it mellow' policy, so toilet water is saved.
It's funny how many of these come out of economic necessity. The Nana (Patty) recently taught me how to keep using old, hard bread (you wet it in the sink and then toast it over the stove- it works!), which means less waste. I carefully think about how long I'll be using the oven, or what else I can cook in there at the same time when I use it because I know I pay for the gas. I walk to work because paying $370 (about 65 cents) for a local micro doesn't make sense if I can walk there and back easily.
Everyone knows that 'developing' countries have a smaller carbon footprint than 'industrialized' counries because more money means more consumption, consumption usually killing the environment. Still, those with money have the resources to make some changes- not everyone can afford to buy in bulk (less packaging), and a Nalgene/other equivalent BPA-free bottle is an investment, while plastic water bottles are more affordable in the moment.
So I have resources here (I brought a bottle and don't buy plastic bottles) AND here I am, living in an area where most people thinking economically and therefore save the environment. I should be sitting pretty, environmentally! But, here comes the killer, just BEING here in Chile is a major impact on my carbon footprint. Flying such a long distance in a plane (and TWICE in a year) is horribly damaging, so I can't really be so smug about myself. In calculating my carbon footprint, my 'flying and driving' account (without even having a car!) was the biggest part of my footprint. Check out your carbon footprint here! (U.S. only) http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator
How about y'all? Is anyone planning on trying a No Impact Week? Let me know.
Monday, October 12, 2009
More photos, but why can't I seem to organize them with subtitles?
A glimpse of the Mil Tambores Carnival activities.
OK, I swear I tried to do this so that I would post a little subtitle under each photo but I really need to work on that because my subtitles didn't work out. Buuuuuut I think that it should be pretty clear which ones are from La Campana (to the top!) and which are from Mil Tambores. On a clear day, you can see Santiago AND the coast from the top, but we just saw Santiago smog (typical) and the coast. Note the different colored clouds. Oh, and I'm in one photo with Hannah (German) and I noticed that it looks like I am holding a cigarette. I was like, whoa, what's that doing there? because
a) I don't smoke, and
b) Even if I did smoke, it would be a dumb idea to smoke while doing a climb that is almost 2000 meters up because hi, it's hard enough already without destroying your lung capacity
So, to clarify things for anyone else who may similarly be confused, it's a white stripe on my shorts.
Friday, October 9, 2009
it goes on and on and on and on
Today I had a revelation. I was walking back to my place from work, listening to David Bisbal's Ave Maria, and it hit me: I actually live here in Chile! I'm not just paseando or tourist-ing around, I live here! This morning, I successfully bought a yoghurt at the supermarket while being able to understand and respond that No, I don't accumulate points (like a Safeway card) and Yes, I'll donate one peso (about 1/5 of a cent) to a fund that helps children with cancer. Then, I went to the bank and got in the right line (not an easy task) and cashed my work check with no problems. I got my legs waxed (hey, it's spring and it's CHEAP!) and easily chatted with my massage-therapist-turned-waxer, and even ran into a friend as I was walking home (unfortunately I was silently rocking out to Abba's Lay All Your Love on Me- no musical judgement, please).
It was when I ran into my friend that I realized, oye weon- vivo aqui! Dude, I live here! You don't just run into people that you know when you're just passing through, and I have totally created a space for myself here. I can manipulate bank lines, I have work and home responsibilities and when someone says "WOW" loud and directly in my ear on the street, I don't even flinch! I bought skinny jeans and I've stopped wearing so many ponytails, and when someone asks me for directions, I don't have to make anything up, I can actually direct people in the right direction now. Conclusion: I must even look almost chilena. I can even catch micros (buses) and colectivos (shared taxis) as they pull away. Hell, I can catch ANY KIND OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION running in heels, which is something that not many people who don't spend massive amounts of time on public transport can boast. I mean, I don't do it in heels all that much, but I have become a master at the flagging down of transport vehicles.
I guess it might seem pretty obvious that I live here, but it hit me today that I've been here for four months exactly, and I don't feel pressured to do everything RIGHT AWAY because I know I'll be here for even longer. My first time here was a study abroad trip, which was the perfect way to experience living abroad for the first time: lots of safety nets, including built-in friends (who happened to be fantastic people, score), directors who helped me around, and a host family who would sometimes do the talking for me when I had to go out with them. My time in Ecuador was a lot more independent, but it was just the summer. This time, I feel like it's the real deal. I'm set to get my carnet (my Chilean identity card) sometime this month, and no one (university, NGO, etc.) helped me get it- I applied for temporary residence on my own, and it will soon be mine! As of today, I'm employed by TWO English institutes (oh yeah, by the way, I scored an interview and a job in the same day! I'm now going to start teaching night classes in Valpo as well), and I have places that regularly expect my presence as a volunteer. I've finally settled in (to a degree), and I form a part of this society.
All in all, it was a bigger revelation than I thought. I guess I was feeling more temporary for a while, but I really am here to stay, at least for 2 more months until I come back to the U.S. for a bit for some much needed gummi worms, Butterfinger bars, and lots and lots of lovin' from friends and fam.
I'll try to get pictures up sooooon.
P.S. via internet TV-viewing websites, I have officially become hopelessly addicted to the new TV show Glee. I recommend it to anyone who wants to watch a show about a 12-member Glee club that produces musical numbers that sound like there are at least 30 singers.
It was when I ran into my friend that I realized, oye weon- vivo aqui! Dude, I live here! You don't just run into people that you know when you're just passing through, and I have totally created a space for myself here. I can manipulate bank lines, I have work and home responsibilities and when someone says "WOW" loud and directly in my ear on the street, I don't even flinch! I bought skinny jeans and I've stopped wearing so many ponytails, and when someone asks me for directions, I don't have to make anything up, I can actually direct people in the right direction now. Conclusion: I must even look almost chilena. I can even catch micros (buses) and colectivos (shared taxis) as they pull away. Hell, I can catch ANY KIND OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION running in heels, which is something that not many people who don't spend massive amounts of time on public transport can boast. I mean, I don't do it in heels all that much, but I have become a master at the flagging down of transport vehicles.
I guess it might seem pretty obvious that I live here, but it hit me today that I've been here for four months exactly, and I don't feel pressured to do everything RIGHT AWAY because I know I'll be here for even longer. My first time here was a study abroad trip, which was the perfect way to experience living abroad for the first time: lots of safety nets, including built-in friends (who happened to be fantastic people, score), directors who helped me around, and a host family who would sometimes do the talking for me when I had to go out with them. My time in Ecuador was a lot more independent, but it was just the summer. This time, I feel like it's the real deal. I'm set to get my carnet (my Chilean identity card) sometime this month, and no one (university, NGO, etc.) helped me get it- I applied for temporary residence on my own, and it will soon be mine! As of today, I'm employed by TWO English institutes (oh yeah, by the way, I scored an interview and a job in the same day! I'm now going to start teaching night classes in Valpo as well), and I have places that regularly expect my presence as a volunteer. I've finally settled in (to a degree), and I form a part of this society.
All in all, it was a bigger revelation than I thought. I guess I was feeling more temporary for a while, but I really am here to stay, at least for 2 more months until I come back to the U.S. for a bit for some much needed gummi worms, Butterfinger bars, and lots and lots of lovin' from friends and fam.
I'll try to get pictures up sooooon.
P.S. via internet TV-viewing websites, I have officially become hopelessly addicted to the new TV show Glee. I recommend it to anyone who wants to watch a show about a 12-member Glee club that produces musical numbers that sound like there are at least 30 singers.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
MUJERES y tambores
This has been a good week for my womens groups because they've been, well, active! Monday was a good surprise because I looked out of the window in my office building where I teach classes in Viña, and I saw women with signs that said "No más violencia contra la mujer" (no more violence against women). Great!, I thought. I don't think there should be anymore violence against women either, and this is a complex, interesting subject for me, made even more complicated against the backdrop of Chilean machismo. Then I looked more closely and noticed that I knew the vieja (older lady- not an offensive term, I promise!) handing out pamphlets. And the other one! So as soon as I finished class I went down to see what they were up to.
They had set up a display of shoes, 38 pairs, all on top of construction paper squares. The text on each square detailed the 38 cases of femicide that have happened this year in Chile. Most of the cases were women who were killed by current or ex-partners, and almost all were domestic violence cases. The shoes represented the variety of women through their style, size, fashion, etc. Lots of people walking along the busy main street there stopped to check out the exhibition in the plaza, and the women handed out brochures explaining femicide and their work. It was a successful display (which unfortunately didn't mean that their next activity later in the week was successful- only 1 other girl came and I go back and forth about whether it's worth it to walk all the way over there for their events).
On Thursday I went back to the consultorio to meet with my other women friends. In the consultorio they mostly do work with mothers, or mothers-to-be. On Thursday, I met a woman who was having a hard time with motherhood, now with her second wawa. This poor woman had been under stress ever since pre-conception: no one else in the family had a boy, and she felt pressured to conceive a boy, which she now has. Still, there were some pregnancy complications, and she's been on medical leave from work for more than a year now. She (understandably) feels lonely, bored, unproductive, etc. To top it off, she's scared to leave the house with her baby because he was hospitalized 3 days after birth, and now she thinks he's too delicate. Terrible as her situation may be, it was nice that she was able to get some support at the consultorio. The 4 nursing students who are considering OBGYN/maternity-type work were all able to give her advice, and a friend of mine who is 35 with 2 kids of her own sympathized and gave suggestions. As far as the motherhood topic is from my own life (obviously I have a mother- hi Mom- but am obviously NOT a mother), I like going to the consultorio to meet with the other students, to meet the women who come in, and to just see what life is like there. The consultorios (especially where I go) are generally used by those who can't afford private care, so many of the women are much poorer there. So I like going to the consultorio, but secretly, I also have an alterior motive: LUNCH AFTERWARDS.
Generally after going to the consultorio, I go out to lunch with my 2 closest friends there. But not just any lunch- a cheap vegetarian place! So the food isn't THAT great (I just don't understand why garbonzo beans and lentils always seem to have to be part of a soup here), but it's cheap, plentiful, vegetarian, and the conversation is great! It's nice to get to talk lots of things- one of my friends is an English profesora at the Arcis (Alvaro's university) and the other studies Anthropology and is writing her thesis (she's a student at the Arcis as well. ARCIS: ARtes and CIencias Sociales- one of the only universities in the area that offers majors in art, dance, political science, sociology, etc...), so they have interesting things to say. We talk about classes, my family, their families, feministy themes, non-feministy themes, etc. It's a nice way add some variety to my conversations.
Other than womens activities this week, I did two other interesting things:
- I climbed a mountain (really!)
- I participated in the Mil Tambores (1000 drums) carnival by painting my body
The mountain climbing is the one that I'm still feeling, so I'll talk about that first. I went back to La Campana, but this time, instead of only climbing up to the mine (la mina), I continued up to the top- 1990 meters above sea level! And let me tell you, the second half of the climb was double as hard as the first part, not just because you're more tired, but because it's technically more difficulty- more like rock climbing for parts, and the trail just gets STEEEEEEP. All in all I went up 7.5 km and then down 7.5 km, for a total of ~15 km. in total in the day. A chilean friend of mine from work invited me to go with her and her pololo, and she invited another friend. I also invited a friend, a German who volunteers at La Isla (the toma with the permaculture), so we were 5 in total. Despite my diet of white bread and marmelade and the fact that my main form of exercising is the occasional push ups/crunches in my room and walking uphill everywhere, I was by far one of the fittest people there, which was good. The pololo didn't fare as well, but we all made it up to the top! I don't have any group shots, and I haven't uploaded my pictures yet, but more to come. We saw another fox (these days I'm like, psh, a fox, been there, done that), and a TARANTULA!!! They run wild in the mountain, and I'm sad to admit that I screamed like a baby for about 5 seconds when I saw it. After that it was cool to see it in the wild, but my first impression was that it was somehow going to jump off the trail and onto my body at which point I would be too tired to fight it off and I would have to succumb to the poison (we were near the bottom and I was tiiiired), but my friend told me that their bites are apparently only as poisonous as a bee sting from a wasp? I'm not sure about that.
Mil Tambores: great! I've always wanted to participate in some form of body painting, and part of the Mil Tambores festival is a reclamation of the streets (under the dictatorship social gatherings in public spaces was seen as anti-government and wasn't permitted) with a big parade. Part of the parade includes cuerpos pintados, or painted bodies. Local artists display their talents by painting peoples' bodies: men, women, children, pregnant women, gringos, etc. Everyone wears some form of covering for the lower half (bikini bototms, boxers, skirts, pants, underwear, etc.) and people have varying degrees of nudity on top. Since I saw the Mil Tambores parade during my study abroad time, I've wanted to participate! So I allowed Manuel, my local porteño artist, to paint me. I ended up with feather/gill-like shapes on my body, and I think I looked kind of like a bird- it was great! The weirdest part was that I suddenly converted into a piece of art- strangers were taking pictures of me without asking, and of course, people were staring. It was kind of cool to think that I was temporarily a canvas, displaying Manuel's talents. Also, during the entire process of pintando cuerpos, there was a huge crowd of people watching, waiting to see how each piece turned out. I would say that 30 or so people were painted in total. I also painted my face, which was not as comfortable- the paint immediately hardened and pulled at my skin and I couldn't move my facial features easily. I got a headache, as well as weird looks when I had to take the bus home from Valpo to Viña with a painted face (I had to wash everything off quickly in order to meet my German friend to head out to the campo for the evening to be closer to La Campana to leave early Saturday morning- it was a long weekend!). But I was even mentioned in the local newspaper, La Estrella! A journalist interviewed me and took a picture, and my picture and a quote (that I never said) appeared in an article about the variety of people who participated: "even gringas waited in line to participate!" I'll try to post pictures in a bit.
So that was my long weekend. I spent today cooking, updating my CV, and slowly stretching my sore legs.
What are you all up to? Is it fall yet at home? besitos for everyone.
They had set up a display of shoes, 38 pairs, all on top of construction paper squares. The text on each square detailed the 38 cases of femicide that have happened this year in Chile. Most of the cases were women who were killed by current or ex-partners, and almost all were domestic violence cases. The shoes represented the variety of women through their style, size, fashion, etc. Lots of people walking along the busy main street there stopped to check out the exhibition in the plaza, and the women handed out brochures explaining femicide and their work. It was a successful display (which unfortunately didn't mean that their next activity later in the week was successful- only 1 other girl came and I go back and forth about whether it's worth it to walk all the way over there for their events).
On Thursday I went back to the consultorio to meet with my other women friends. In the consultorio they mostly do work with mothers, or mothers-to-be. On Thursday, I met a woman who was having a hard time with motherhood, now with her second wawa. This poor woman had been under stress ever since pre-conception: no one else in the family had a boy, and she felt pressured to conceive a boy, which she now has. Still, there were some pregnancy complications, and she's been on medical leave from work for more than a year now. She (understandably) feels lonely, bored, unproductive, etc. To top it off, she's scared to leave the house with her baby because he was hospitalized 3 days after birth, and now she thinks he's too delicate. Terrible as her situation may be, it was nice that she was able to get some support at the consultorio. The 4 nursing students who are considering OBGYN/maternity-type work were all able to give her advice, and a friend of mine who is 35 with 2 kids of her own sympathized and gave suggestions. As far as the motherhood topic is from my own life (obviously I have a mother- hi Mom- but am obviously NOT a mother), I like going to the consultorio to meet with the other students, to meet the women who come in, and to just see what life is like there. The consultorios (especially where I go) are generally used by those who can't afford private care, so many of the women are much poorer there. So I like going to the consultorio, but secretly, I also have an alterior motive: LUNCH AFTERWARDS.
Generally after going to the consultorio, I go out to lunch with my 2 closest friends there. But not just any lunch- a cheap vegetarian place! So the food isn't THAT great (I just don't understand why garbonzo beans and lentils always seem to have to be part of a soup here), but it's cheap, plentiful, vegetarian, and the conversation is great! It's nice to get to talk lots of things- one of my friends is an English profesora at the Arcis (Alvaro's university) and the other studies Anthropology and is writing her thesis (she's a student at the Arcis as well. ARCIS: ARtes and CIencias Sociales- one of the only universities in the area that offers majors in art, dance, political science, sociology, etc...), so they have interesting things to say. We talk about classes, my family, their families, feministy themes, non-feministy themes, etc. It's a nice way add some variety to my conversations.
Other than womens activities this week, I did two other interesting things:
- I climbed a mountain (really!)
- I participated in the Mil Tambores (1000 drums) carnival by painting my body
The mountain climbing is the one that I'm still feeling, so I'll talk about that first. I went back to La Campana, but this time, instead of only climbing up to the mine (la mina), I continued up to the top- 1990 meters above sea level! And let me tell you, the second half of the climb was double as hard as the first part, not just because you're more tired, but because it's technically more difficulty- more like rock climbing for parts, and the trail just gets STEEEEEEP. All in all I went up 7.5 km and then down 7.5 km, for a total of ~15 km. in total in the day. A chilean friend of mine from work invited me to go with her and her pololo, and she invited another friend. I also invited a friend, a German who volunteers at La Isla (the toma with the permaculture), so we were 5 in total. Despite my diet of white bread and marmelade and the fact that my main form of exercising is the occasional push ups/crunches in my room and walking uphill everywhere, I was by far one of the fittest people there, which was good. The pololo didn't fare as well, but we all made it up to the top! I don't have any group shots, and I haven't uploaded my pictures yet, but more to come. We saw another fox (these days I'm like, psh, a fox, been there, done that), and a TARANTULA!!! They run wild in the mountain, and I'm sad to admit that I screamed like a baby for about 5 seconds when I saw it. After that it was cool to see it in the wild, but my first impression was that it was somehow going to jump off the trail and onto my body at which point I would be too tired to fight it off and I would have to succumb to the poison (we were near the bottom and I was tiiiired), but my friend told me that their bites are apparently only as poisonous as a bee sting from a wasp? I'm not sure about that.
Mil Tambores: great! I've always wanted to participate in some form of body painting, and part of the Mil Tambores festival is a reclamation of the streets (under the dictatorship social gatherings in public spaces was seen as anti-government and wasn't permitted) with a big parade. Part of the parade includes cuerpos pintados, or painted bodies. Local artists display their talents by painting peoples' bodies: men, women, children, pregnant women, gringos, etc. Everyone wears some form of covering for the lower half (bikini bototms, boxers, skirts, pants, underwear, etc.) and people have varying degrees of nudity on top. Since I saw the Mil Tambores parade during my study abroad time, I've wanted to participate! So I allowed Manuel, my local porteño artist, to paint me. I ended up with feather/gill-like shapes on my body, and I think I looked kind of like a bird- it was great! The weirdest part was that I suddenly converted into a piece of art- strangers were taking pictures of me without asking, and of course, people were staring. It was kind of cool to think that I was temporarily a canvas, displaying Manuel's talents. Also, during the entire process of pintando cuerpos, there was a huge crowd of people watching, waiting to see how each piece turned out. I would say that 30 or so people were painted in total. I also painted my face, which was not as comfortable- the paint immediately hardened and pulled at my skin and I couldn't move my facial features easily. I got a headache, as well as weird looks when I had to take the bus home from Valpo to Viña with a painted face (I had to wash everything off quickly in order to meet my German friend to head out to the campo for the evening to be closer to La Campana to leave early Saturday morning- it was a long weekend!). But I was even mentioned in the local newspaper, La Estrella! A journalist interviewed me and took a picture, and my picture and a quote (that I never said) appeared in an article about the variety of people who participated: "even gringas waited in line to participate!" I'll try to post pictures in a bit.
So that was my long weekend. I spent today cooking, updating my CV, and slowly stretching my sore legs.
What are you all up to? Is it fall yet at home? besitos for everyone.
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