Okay, so sorry for the six week delay. I know you have all been waiting anxiously for this moment, sitting on the edge of your seats, and biting your fingernails in anticipation of my rants, rambles, and run-ons, unable to do anything all day except press the refresh button on your e-mail to see if I have responded to your lovely letters. As always, these messages come with a warning to pardon my spanglish, my syntax, and the ridiculous details I may share, but hopefully you will still find this blog somewhat entertaining, marginally informative, and at the very least proof that I haven't yet fallen off the face of the earth.
I know I have to make up for lost time, so I will do my best to give you a taste of Santiago and some background information, while still keeping you up to date with the happenings of the here and now.
So, here we go..
Let's Start From The Very Beginning...A very good place to start
Unlike the adventure I had flying to Peru, the "pasaje" here was relatively calm. Besides being required to throw out my trail mix by customs, the trip over went smoothly. I couldn't have been happier to have an uneventful flight after having the s***t scared out of me, being told I had mono, and being kindly reminded by a certain someone that they would be happy to get the "Sara Lever has mono" facebook group started again. But I arrived in one piece and after struggling to explain to the airport people that I wasn't chilean, I collected my belongings and was chaufferred by "radio taxi" to my new home for the next 5 months. The car ride consisted of lots of awkward pauses and I honestly couldn't tell you anything the driver said having had it been my first contact with chilean spanish (more on that to come).
It's All in the Family
My family here is da bomb. 'Nuff said. I know some of you have had the pleasure of meeting my little brother on skype and hearing wonderful stories about mi madre y padre, but for those of you who haven't, perhaps I can give you just a hint of what it's like to be a part of the Vasquez familia.
I was greeted to a comfortable apartment one Saturday six weeks ago by Alvaro. We awkwardly stared at each other for a couple seconds as I tried to remember whether to greet with a kiss on one cheek or two . Luckily he broke the ice by extending one arm out to hug me and offered me a hand with my luggage. At first, his quiet demeanor and sharp features made me think he thought I was weirdo, but after several long chats, we both have come to understand each other. Alvaro, might be the smartest person I have ever met who knows about everything from the Mapuche (the indigenous group here) to how to prepare gefilte fish, and has a quick wit, which comes out at dinner conversations and at once (weekend tea/coffee time). Mi madre, Pati, has more soul than Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye combined, and fills her house with love and compassion (to date the Vasquezes have opened their doors and their arms to 8 host children, with whom which they continue to keep in touch). Pati is a mean card player, and is never shy to offer a word or two of advice, and has a soft spot for all things organic, natural, and spiritual. Diego, mi 9-year old (hermanito) is always running around doing something and never ceases to surprise me with his extensive english knowledge and ability to keep himself entertained for hours on end. There isn't a day he doesn't greet me with a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek and is never shy to correct my spanish or teach me new words. I love thinking back to the first day when I met him, and he gave me a drawing he had made of a family portrait of all of us together, and how he responded to my "how are you" greeting with a "super-bien."As you can see, I am quite lucky to have been placed with the most kick-ass family in all of Santiago, which might I add is conveniently located in a great part of town (more on that later)
So...What's up Next?
As I mentioned before, I have to make up for lost time and so I might have to skip some details, but not to worry I will be sure to fill you in on the protests in which I have been partaking, the tear gas I'm still trying to wash out from my clothing, and late night run-ins with carabineros. Chill brah, I have actually almost succesfuly avoided all of the above. But, there will be more to come including tales of visits to la Virgen, failed dining experiences to strip clubs, and not so suave attempts to make friends at local university. In the meantime, here are some pictures of mi vida.
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| Hiking up Cerro San Cristobal Rethinking my defintion of a hill |
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| Being weirdos at an ecoferia Filling up on free samples of goat cheese and whole wheat bread |
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