Lessons Learned in Chile.

1. Don't drink the water -- at least not for the first few months. This is not a reflection of the quality of water; it's just that the bacteria is different. This includes drying vegetables and fruits very well before eating and not having ice in anything.

2. English is important. My uber liberal political science education had me believing that teaching English to people in other countries was a form of cultural imperialism. This is not the case. While working in Constitucion I met someone who was a physics major and because translated books are so bad, all the students in his class were forced to read English textbooks -- whether they spoke English or not. Not knowing English in this way can really limit your career and scholastic choices.

3. Layers. I've learned how to dress for the cold -- what combination of leggings, socks, bufandas, and jackets are necessary to stay warm. This (obviously) was never a problem back in LA, but with the freezing nights here, I have learned how to sort of stay warm and I can survive the cold.

4. People from the U.S. are very apathetic and cynical -- about everything. I've known this, but contrasting Chilean culture with the U.S. has really highlighted how cynical we are. People don't protest because they think it won't do anything. No one cares about the World Cup even though it's our country and that makes me very sad. No US pride.

5. I've learned that I really like a good football match.

6. I can live outside the United States and be very happy and comfortable. I love love love the US for a million reasons, pero I can call another country home and love it too.

7. I've learned about one million new Chilean words and modismos (including that one).

My two favorite:

a medio morir saltando -- I'm somewhere between dying and jumping (under the weather).

De Micheal Jackson! -- I don't really get the story behind this, but it means "yeah, sure".

8. Being an immigrant can be extraordinarily difficult. I've had friends who've told me about their own struggles coming to the U.S. but now I personally know how it feels to be unfamiliar with a place, it's laws and customs, and it's dialect (I came here with Spainish/Mexican Spanish). I have even more respect for people who leave their home to live in a new country. And being a newcomer here is nothing compared to the hardships people face when they come to the U.S.

There are tons of other things I've learned here, especially about myself, my relationships with other people that I couldn't fit into a list. Living here has given me more than I can name or put into words. I've loved living here and I definitively know that it's changed me.

-- Lauren

Things I'll miss.

1-2. This picture is from an empanada cooking night at our apartment in Long Beach months ago, but it combines two things I'll miss: friends and empanadas.

Chileans have been incredibly nice, and even though I have so many wonderful friends in the states, it took time to develop those relationships. Here you meet someone once and they're someone you'll talk to often.

Re empanadas: although this picture shows me making empanadas, I don't exactly know how to make them from scratch on my own. But they're delicious, like little Hot Pockets filled with onions, cheese, spinach or meat.

3. Architecture: This picture totally encompasses Chilean architecture -- centuries old buildings next to all-glass high rises. Buildings like these are all over the Santiago, and it really feels like a city. I love walking down the street and seeing these two types of buildings right next to each other.

4. This is a shot of Parque Forestal (not mine). This park is about three blocks from our house and stretches for miles through Santiago passing monuments, fountains, and a number of kiltros, mounted policemen, and jungle gyms on the way. I run through the park almost every day, and it is a beautiful view, especially after a rain when the Andes are just huge, and white in the background.

5. Now onto food. I love humitas. They're a lot like tamales, pero without the lard or stuffings and with a corn/onion combination and they're softer then tamales. I think it's because the corn here is so sweet, but these are super delicious.

6. This is a bakery chain all around Santiago that sells an incredible amount of fresh pastries, breads just out of the oven, prepackaged salads, and empanadas. You open the door to this place and it smells amazing.

7. Different flavor things. You can find lucuma, cherimoya, membrillo flavored juices, piscos, and snacks in the supermarket.

Other things: I'll miss taking a bus 10 minutes outside the city and seeing someone tilling their field with a horse-drawn plow or fields of vineyards. At first I wasn't keen on it, but I'll miss seasons, having to wear a coat, taking (or forgetting) your umbrella when you leave. I'll miss the amazingly efficient Metro system here.

But it's a toss up. I miss LA summers. There are about 20 people in the United States I can't wait to see, hug, sit down with, give quirky presents to. I miss how easy it was to be vegetarian. I miss my runs by the beach and the little ceramics studio I go to with Brigid on Saturday mornings and all the other places around LA I have memories with my friends and family. The Pantry on Sunday mornings with my parents. The Pike/Alex's/Fern's any night of the week with Andy. The endless list of concerts, museums, art exhibits, book readings that make Los Angeles "LA" and doing those things with friends I miss. I miss working! I can't believe I almost left that out of the things I miss. I miss meaningful employment. Waking up and doing something that is important to you (almost) everyday, or at least that contributes to world in some way.

I didn't anticipate feeling torn at all when I left. Just "Hey! It's been a great six months. Peace!" That's not even close to how I feel. It's been a wonderful six months. My connection here is stronger than I'd imagined it would be. A lot of big moments happened here. I'm as sad to leave as I am happy to go home to LA. No sé.

I'll be seeing you all on Monday!

-- Lauren

Chile Game 2 Celebration Pictures.

Plaza Italia where everyone celebrates. The smoke is from people lighting flares.

Stephen and Theodora avoiding the sometimes excitable police.
Our contribution to the festivities. Confetti was everywhere.
People marching toward Plaza Italia.
Women at the clothes store right outside our apartment showing their Chilean pride.

People were hanging out their cars, out taxis, buses, and on the back of trucks with gigantic flags.
Everyone was showing their Chilean pride.






-- Lauren

Pomaire.

A few weeks ago Daniela told me about the small town of Pomaire about an hour's drive from Santiago. I love ceramics, both throwing things of my own and very skillfully made homemade things from other people: especially practical things. In Pomire I was a potter's heaven.

Rather than throw things, women scrape away clay called greda (clearly terra cotta) -- There wasn't a wheel in sight! I am especially keen on handmade ceramic cookware, this is what my crazy projects are meant to look like before they come out very ugly.

And very few things were glazed (the process which gives me the most troubled in my ceramics life). I never even considered not glazing! But I feel like that only works with terra cotta because of the nice red hue, but I can't work with terra cotta because it doesn't have enough sand for me to work with. But I digress. After my Poaire visit I have so many new ideas for projects when I get back into the studio at home.

I couldn't find anyone to travel the distance just to look at some hand-thrown pots, so I took the bus to the bus which landed me in this super cute small pottery town. People here were incredibly nice, even nicer than Chileans normally are. I had some homemade humitas with tomato (think tamales, but without lard or meat and with onions) and watch Brazil barely win against North Korea (surprising).

I guess I thought my bags weren't heavy enough and I bought way too many of these heavy fragil things. They were just so lovely (and cheap), I couldn't resist.

-- Lauren

Not going to Antofagasta/San Pedro.

A mix up with tickets, miscommunication between myself and a LAN representative on the phone (in English), and $140 of nonrefundable ticket money later it turns out I am not going to Antofagasta or San Pedro.

Although the representative on the phone assured me that yes, I was all set to go up north it turns out I'm not. And they won't refund or credit me the money I lost.

I was prepared to read them the riot act marching into an uptown Santiago office this morning (by which I mean, "Um, excuse me, I think there's been a mistake"), but was just turned away with a representative that wouldn't budge.

On the positive side (if there is a positive side):

1. It gives me time to finish things around the house instead of racing to the airport, coming back, getting ride of things/packing, then racing back to the airport.

2. I can see and say goodbye to some friends I won't being seeing for a while.

3. It's another reason why I have to come back to Chile.

I will say that I am very disappointed. I was ready to see some stars, volcanoes, geysers, flamingos, hippies making pisco, but clearly that is meant for another time.

-- Lauren

Antofagasta/San Pedro de Atacama.

For the last hurrah in Chile I'm headed to the north of Chile alone, but I will say I am quite excited. I have 10 days left here, and six of them will be spent either on a bus, plane, or one of the above pictures.

When we headed down here the place I most wanted to visit was Chiloe. It was said to be magical (literally, magical, like with magical creatures). Unfortunately before that became possible the cold set in, I went on my only job here as a translator, and Chiloe became an impossible trip.

Which is when I focused my attention on the also magical, archeologically rich north.

Some things I'm looking forward to/random facts about the north:

--Rain has never been recorded there -- ever.

--There are mummies that predate the mummies of Egypt by centuries.

--The ocean looks gorgeous (in Antofagasta).

--It is said to be the best place to see stars in the world.

-- There are llamas.

--The towns are believed to be 11,000 years old.

--Precolumbian city ruins are 2 miles outside of town -- walkable.

--There are also volcanoes and geysers.

--Places have strange, mystical names like "Valley of the Moon" and "Plain of Patience"

Wish me luck!

-- Lauren

The World Cup.

This is the best shot I got of the crowd. Of course, I haven't charged my camera and it died before we got to the plaza.

Women leaving the bank the work at the cheer on the crowd.

So first of all, CHILE WON!!!!!! WOOO!!

The game started at 7:00 a.m. here, but yesterday you could tell people were ready for the big match. This has been 11 years in the making and after the victory thousands, literally thousands of people flooded the streets, were on the rooftop waving flags, honking their horns, yelling, chanting Chi-chi-chi-le-le-le!!

It's patriotism I have never before seen ever in my life. Roads were closed for all the pedestrians, people were singing the national anthem, everyone was wearing a flag, people were climbing out of their cars, flags were draped over cars. Flags everywhere. Confetti covering the streets, floating from everywhere. It was insanity.

Normally at 7 a.m. the streets of Santiago are more empty than at 3 a.m., but today I woke up before my alarm at 6 a.m. because of all the people honking in anticipation. Some people were excused from work, or their work brought out the big screens for employees and provided beer (at 7 a.m.). Daniela, Stephen, and I watched the game over breakfast, and the commentators were saying that Suazo (a key player kept out because of a bad shoulder) was needed to assist some goals, but Chile won even without Suazo.

We walked to Plaza Italia and the streets were overwhelmed with people. People were spontaneously cueca-ing in the plaza. Today, everyone was all about the Chilean pride! It was incredible to see. People were deliriously happy. Those who had to be at work left to cheer on the crowd or leaned out windows to watch the pandemonium.

But after a few hours, I assumed things would resume to normal. It is a Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., after all. So I went for my usual run down Parque Forestal, where I have to cross Plaza Italia. That's when I saw the police tanks shooting out tear gas down my running path and a group of 10-year-old boys chased me (teasingly. I was never in any danger family in the United States. Don't worry.)

At some point people got out flares, were throwing each other in the air, and the police decided that was enough for game 1. And I have two more matches left to witness (departing June 27, and game 2 is the 21st against Switzerland; game three 25th contra Spain).

Let's hope Chile keeps it up!!!

-- Lauren

El Cuida Autos.

Today is Aneya's last day in the country, and we won't be seeing posts from her for a while, but I still have two weeks in the country and I intend to continue to share all the things I find interesting/different about Chile.

The cuida autos is one of these things. The job of watching over other people's cars in suburban neighborhoods is a common job for homeless people, and I find it totally fascinating.

Car theft or vandalism is very common here, people will take the mirrors off your car and sell them back to you at La Vega (a place that really deserves a post of its own). I actually know someone who had the tires taken off their car during the day while they were in church (in church!) for a few hours.

Usually after dark, someone will come up to your car and slip a little piece of paper under your windshield wipers and you pay them when you return. And it seems that the service isn't optional. You cannot refuse the cuida autos. If there is an homeless person there, you will have to accept these services if you're parking in their area. In suburban neighborhoods! Fascinating.

-- Lauren

Aneya: Lessons Learned from Living in Chile

Adios, Chile! Hola, USA!

Well, ladies and gentlemen, the time has come. I'll be leaving Chile for good on Monday. Yes, it's partly due to the robbery, and the fact I feel less safe now (not to mention I have no readily available money). And it's also just time to move on. It's sad, but true. Lauren and I were planning to leave in a few weeks anyway, I'm just speeding up the process. I've been thinking a lot about the past 6 months I've spent here, and about all that I've experienced, and most importantly, all that I've learned. Here's a few things I've discovered:

1. I'm not as good at languages as I thought: I've always thought of myself as someone who can catch on to a new language fairly quickly, who has a good ear, a fairly good accent. I learned French quickly in France, why wouldn't the same happen in Chile? Because in France I was 13, and here I'm 23. There's a major difference between learning a language as a kid and as an adult. Yes, my Spanish has greatly improved, but I'm definitely not fluent.

2. I need diversity to live. Diversity in all aspects of society. Racially, religiously, socially. Being in a country as homogenous as Chile has made me realize how much I love the States, just for the diversity of its people.

3. Kindness is relative. Lauren told me the other day she never realized how mean people were in LA until she came to Chile. And it's so true. People here (for the most part) are so warm, kind, compassionate, generous and it's heartening to see. It also makes you realize how rude people are in the U.S. (especially in LA).

4. After visiting Buenos Aires for a week, I came back to Chile with a new appreciation for it's public serves. The streets of Buenos Aires were filthy at night, open garbage bags spilling out onto the street. The buses and metros were older, rustier, and there was no such thing as a Bip! card, you had to use coins (and there was a national shortage of those) which was annoying and time consuming. Being in Buenos Aires reminded me of a what a clean, modern and efficient city Santiago is.

5. Just because people tell you it'll be easy to get a job, doesn't mean it's true. That is a lesson I learned the hard way. Everyone I talked to in the States, in the TEFL program I took, told me how easy it would be to find a job. "Just start speaking English and they'll hire you on the spot!" How wrong they were. Never take anything for granted.

6. I can survive an 8.8 earthquake and live to tell about it. This was another hard lesson to learn, since for a few weeks there Lauren and I were both super sad, lonely and scared. But we never once said we wanted to go home. We fought through our sadness, we joined the Red Cross, we helped where we could, and we moved on. I'm proud of us for that.

7. Being unemployed is fun....until it's not. We tried to make the best of our unemployment, and for a while, we did. We made separate trips to the South, we went to Temuco, we did little trips to Valparaiso, to Vina del Mar, we went to Mendoza, we discovered everything that Santiago had to offer. And then, there was nothing else to do. Our money was running out, and it was getting cold. That's when things slowed down, and we both wished more than anything to get a job. But it never happened. And that's when we realized that being unemployed....kinda sucks.

8. I realized that I cannot date anyone who has the following attributes: self righteous, condescending, misogynistic, self pitying, preachy, extremely stubborn (extremely anything, for that matter) small minded, can't think for themselves, easily influenced, and most importantly: I can't date someone who wants to fundamentally change who I am. Not. Gonna. Happen.

9. This one is really for Lauren: Don't talk to strangers! Just because they look normal, or they look like they need help, doesn't mean you need to be "nice" and talk to them. Just ignore them. It may sound mean, but it can help you avoid ugly situations (such as crazy gypsies attacking you). In other words: Trust no one.

10. And last, but not least. Never, I repeat, NEVER put anything valuable in backpack, in a large city, in any kind of public transportation. If you insist on using a backpack, turn it around so it's facing the front of you (you'll risk looking an idiot, but that's fine. I looked like even MORE of an idiot when my bag was stolen). Also, never let your guard down. Not for ONE minute. Not even when you're exhausted and hungry and completely out of it. Stay alert. As Mad-Eye Moody liked to say "Constant Vigilance!"

All in all, these past 6 months have been an emotional roller-coaster, to say the least. I honestly came to Chile with no expectations, I had no real knowledge of the country and its people, no real agenda (apart from getting a job and exploring). I never would have imaged half the things that happened, both good and bad. I met some amazing people, I experienced both beautiful and sad things, and I lived to tell about it all. What I loved most about this trip has been this blog. It's been our baby, and we nurtured and cared for her as best we could. I hope you all enjoyed reading it, because I truly loved writing it.

Thanks for reading, and so long, for now!

-- Aneya

Aneya & Lauren: Getting Robbed.

Lauren: It's happens to the best of us. In a big city, it's almost expected. And it finally happened to us. On our way back from Buenos Aires, about two blocks from our own front door my better half on this blog, Ms. Aneya Fernando was the victim of a crime. Amid the commotion on the bus when we were least expecting it someone opened her backpack and took her purse.

Aneya: I don't even really know what to say at this point, I'm still in a state of shock. It was especially surprising given that we've been living in this city for the past 5 months, have used the metros and the buses countless times, have had such faith in the people and now....this. It was also weird because we'd just been to Buenos Aires, a city we both found way more intimidating and scary than Santiago. This city was our home, nothing bad could happen here. Right? Wrong.

Lauren: In retrospect, other passengers on the bus were trying to warn us. They were indicating certain passengers with their eyes, silently indicating that we should be aware of these men, but after an exhausting international flight we weren't picking up on these cues. All we wanted was to be back home and someone saw their opportunity and took it.

Aneya: It's hard because I keep reliving the moment and thinking, what I could I have done differently? Well, obviously I shouldn't have put my purse in my backpack. But I was carrying three different bags and I thought I'd be easier. We were exhausted and hungry and just wanted to get home. Lauren asked a man next to her for directions and suddenly three men surrounded us, each of them telling us different things, distracting us. It made us both really uncomfortable and we just wanted to get off the damn bus. People were shoving and pushing and when I finally jumped off Lauren realized my backpack was open. And my purse was gone.

Lauren: And really, things could have been so much worse. It's a terrible feeling to have someone take something from you, get that close to you, but the robber didn't attack Aneya. We got back to our front door unscathed, albeit a few emotional scars. If we were in Buenos Aires, largely unfamiliar with the city and only knowing Eric it would have been far worse. Instead we came back here, to our apartment rather than a hostel and started putting things together. It's a hassle to get all new things, but not the end of the world.

Aneya: I've traveling quite extensively throughout my life and nothing like this has ever happened, it's really quite shattering, emotionally. Of course the material things I can replace, it just sucks because I had more in there than usual, since we were traveling. First of all, the bag itself was Coach (so was the wallet) and not cheap. In the bag was everything I hold dear.

My passport, my wallet (with various credit cards and my American driver's license among other things) my iPhone, my Chilean cell phone, my iPod, my camera, my sunglasses, the book I'd just bought at the airport, my notebook, my keys to the apartment, basically everything that's important to me. The camera really hurts the most, because I took so many beautiful shots of Buenos Aires and I'm never gonna get those back. So that hurts. I mean, it all hurts. And it's a strange feeling to come home and realize you have basically nothing. No identity. No money. It's like I don't exist at all.

Of course, all these things are getting replaced. I've been wired money, so I'm not broke, I made a new set of keys, I'm looking into getting another cheap, Chilean phone. But it's just not the same. Nothing is. I have to go to the Embassy to get a new passport, which I guess is a good thing, since the pages in mine were almost all filled up.

This whole thing just really makes me lose faith in people, and that makes me sad. It also makes me overly anxious and suspicious now and my general attitude towards Chileans has changed. Maybe it's just a temporary thing. I don't know. All I know is I'm never using that damn backpack again.

-- Aneya & Lauren