Good News Bad News: Living in Santiago

Although teaching English in Santiago may have its many downsides, the few positives outweigh the negatives by far. My time here has only been sprinkled with a few bad experiences. When I finally decide to leave Santiago, I will take home the greatest souvenir- perspective. Living abroad truly enriches your life and instills in you a strong sense of confidence. If I can jump on a plane to South America, then I can do just about anything. Life is never without its bumps, but hands down, teaching and consequently living in Santiago has been the greatest part of my 24 years on this earth.

Bad News - Relax, there isn't much bad news when it comes to living in Santiago!

1. Expenses- Alright, everything here is very comparable to Texas (and I say Texas because it has a lower cost of living than other states). A trip to the grocery store costs about the same. In reality, this is only bad news if you have planned on lower expenses in a South American country. However, clothes and shoes run a bit high for the shoddy quality.

2. Less Amenities- I don't have a dryer, dish washer, indoor heating, air conditioning. To me, this is perfectly fine. Actually, I enjoy putting a little extra effort in hanging up my own clothes. Unless you want to pay a lot of money for all the comforts of your cushy life back home, enjoy this so called "suffering." It makes you a better person. 

Good News

1. Rent- I rent a room in a fairly large older apartment in Providencia. I pay about $260 a month and it includes electricity/gas/internet. My roommate situation is ideal. After I was hired at my institute, I had grand plans of finding my own apartment. However, compared to my month earnings, the feat is fairly unfeasible for a single person. Plus, if you do not have an i.d. card, I hear it's difficult to contract  internet service and it opens up more opportunities for someone to take advantage of your bright-eyed gringo-ness. On another note, finding a room to rent is another great way to meet people and practice your Spanish. It cuts significantly cuts down the amount of loneliness of the first month.

2. The City Itself- When I first arrived in South America I jumped off a plane in Buenos Aires. It was huge, the people were beautiful but cold, the downtown was a little dirty, the transportation was a nightmare, and I couldn't receive change anywhere. So, I was immediately relieved when I hit the streets of Santiago. There is smog and it may not be as fascinating as other cities, but it's the perfect first-time-living-abroad city: different enough to be interesting but similar enough to be comforting.

3. La Vega- This is wonderful. Just plain wonderful. The prices of fresh produce and everything else you could possibly want is sinfully cheap. It's about a 45 minute trek and a couple of hours of dedication. However, I leave with a bag (sometime a bag and a coche) full of beautiful vegetables, dried goods, and fresh eggs.

4. Wine and Pisco- Wine is good. Wine is cheap. Nothing is better than finishing classes a little early on a Friday afternoon, coming home, and pouring myself a little (or big depending on the week) glass of wine. As for pisco, the origin of this liquor is a huge debate between Peru and Chile. It's very difficult to find the US, but it's everywhere in Chile. Whether you like a sweet pisco sour or the ever popular piscola, you will have no problems ordering one at any establishment.

5. A Lot of Humans- I have met more people from around the world here than is anyplace in the US. Santiago is home to some very large university making it a hub for international students. I've met people from Sweden, Norway, Germany, France, Slovakia, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Ireland, California and almost every South American country. Whether you take a TEFL course, study, work at an institute, or just bum around, Santiago is a great city to meet other people.

DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! Move abroad, travel, open your mind, and change your perspective. Stop living with your parents or off of their money, step outside of the comforts of home, and enjoy something that reaches beyond the horizon of what you know. Sometimes it's difficult to read through pages of pathetic facebook updates. "My problem is this. My problem is that." NO! The problem is yourself. Now, do something about it and stop littering my newsfeed! Please, of course. :)

Life Currently: Aside from the impending excitement of the September holidays, the weather is by far the best part of this week. It has been in the upper 60's to mid 70's. Nothing brightens your day more than a dose of sunshine. Me encanta Santiago en la primavera! For the next three months, my goals are to eat more veggies, think more positively and kindly, and learn more Spanish. Just practicing for my trip home... which I purchased my plane ticket this past Friday!

La Malena- bad kitty, doesn't come inside when I call her!

air dried

welcome home

My first bottle of Pisco back last fall!

Deodorant and wine.

Two very essential things to have when living in Santiago and the entirety of my grocery store purchase en route to Grace's apartment.

Alright, I've been horrible at blogging. I understand this entirely. I haven't had a lack of inspiration or a lack of gringa stories. I simply haven't wanted to take the time to post properly. And if you know me at all, then you also realize that I'm a HUGE procrastinator. Without further ado, I'll try to hit all the major updates over the past few weeks.

Valparaiso 
After a few piscolas my partner in crime, Grace, and I decided that our weekend would not be complete without a trip to the port city of Valpo. Okay, a little piece of advice. DON'T HAVE PISCO PLANNING PARTIES. They usually result in the absence "planning." The next morning, we groggily climbed onto a bus headed towards the sea. We stumbled around the town until we found a less than satisfying hostel and a greasy meal and then preceded to explore the hills and graffiti of the surrounding city. It was fascinating.

And so we deemed this trip "gringa winning"

NERD!

View from Pablo Neruda's house

Easter/Pascua
I set out on a mission to find a Catholic mass to attend Easter morning. I'm in Chile; so that wasn't difficult. It was a nice service that consisted of some Easter message in Spanish obviously. So basically, I focused on watching the woman beside me, standing when she stood and kneeling when she knelt. Earlier that week, I was blessed by a priest. Which according Texan Southern Baptists probably means I'm going straight to the devil's place. I was sitting in the cathedral in Plaza de Armas observing what I imagined was a Semana Santa mass. After the completion of the mass, most of the congregation went forward for a blessing from the priest. And I, being a curious gringa, watched silently from the side. Until I saw, an older woman staring at me. At this point, I should have started walking away because this usually means I'm about to be asked for directions (which is a whole other issue in itself). But I reassured myself that everything was fine, and I would just respond with the normal "Lo siento, no se nada" or "uh, GRINGA." Well, this woman did in fact approach me, asked me if I wanted a blessing, and then proceeded to drag me to the line in front of the priest. She left me there and then watched in the safety of my previously occupied space on the side of the church. Mortified, I stood in the ever shortening line. When it was finally my turn, I uttered a quick "hola" and then an even quieter "gracias" after my encounter with the priest was over. I survived. His hands didn't burn my forehead, and I wasn't asked for prayers to Mary. I left the church a little holier...

The Place of the Blessing.

We had a beautiful Easter meal with a couple of friends. Afterwards we decorated Easter eggs and then rolled them down a Cerro Santa Lucia attracting much attention from the locals. I think we were endearing, though.

Other Easter Celebrations

Hipster bunny after a few calimochos (wine and coke- trust me- uhmazing)

Mendoza
When one enters Chile, you are given a 90 day tourist visa. So, as I'm waiting for details of my temporary residential visa to come together, I have a tourist visa. In order to extend my visa, I can do one of two things: pay $140 after applying two weeks before my visa expires or make a trip to Mendoza, Argentina. Remember what I previously confessed? I'm a huge procrastinator. So naturally, I waited until the last second to leave for Mendoza (since it was WAY past the time for applying for the extension). I booked the bus ticket for Sunday morning. I would take the 7 hour bus ride, spend the afternoon in Argentina's wine capitol, and then take an overnight bus back to Santiago in order to attend a teaching workshop at 10:30 the next morning. Well, well, well. For some reason, I decided to accompany some friends to the infamous Blondie's club Saturday night. After few Escudos, some dancing, number exchanging, three in the morning came sooner than expected. After the taxi ride home, I crashed on my bed and woke up to the bright sun pouring through my window. My bus left one hour previously. I ran (or rather took the metro) to the bus station and purchased a ticket leaving at 1:40 that afternoon. In the end, I spent a grand total of two hours in Mendoza. Not to mention, I almost missed my second bus since I misread the time on the ticket. I had assumed that I would be sleeping on the way back; however, the flashing camera, the chorus of snores, and the conversationalist beside me prevented that. Despite the longevity of my suffering, the trip resulted in another legal three months in Chile.

In closing

• It's getting cold here.
• I've purchased a coat and boots, and I'm searching for cozy leggings tomorrow.
• My students are fun! And they like me.
• It's amazing what constant walking and eating veggies will do for your body.
• I habitually get asked for directions when I'm walking around the city by Chileans young and old. I look like a gringa and clueless. 
• My cooking is getting better, since it's way cheaper to eat in than go out.
• I can't stop smiling when I think of where I am. 
• I have about 6 voicemails on my cellphone because I don't know how to check it.

I love and miss everyone from Texas. Don't forget about me. Come visit me. You may not want to go home.