Altitude can make the dreams wild...

So much has happened in my life since my last post. For starters I found a much better job teaching at the Los Pelambres copper mine some 400 Km north of Santiago. I'm working with a different language institute as well. The contract is through McLean Consulting, a much smaller company then Linguatec or Tronwell. It is nice to once again work at a business where I work directly with the owner. I still don´t know who owns Tronwell, the legend is that Willie Tronwell owns it, but I don´t believe it.

For this gig I ride a bus around five hours to Salamanca, where I spend the night. The next morning I get up around five am, catch a bus to the base of the mountain that houses the mine. The ride takes around an hour or so. We go through security, I eat there at the base, then head up the hotel mina where I write this entry. All the facilities are very nice, remind me slightly of the army, but are all much nicer. There is a very tight sense of community among the miners here. Most are away from their families for most of the week and often feel like visitors in their own homes.

I teacTuesdayay, sleep at the hotel, where I havsatellitete TV, and good food. In the morning I get up and teach all of my five one and a half hour classes once again, catch a ride down the mountain and then catch a bus to Santiago. Finally at around 3:00 am I make it home and can sleep in the next day (que rico!) It is nice to be on a bit of adventure during to week, not to mention the fact that it pays much better then Tronwell.

Anyways, it is about time for lunch,

hasta luego....

Gotta work in the mornin....every mornin

Yes that´s right, I now work every morning, at 8:30 am. I figure that at some point I will finally be used to getting up at this hour but until this day, I continue to down the Nescafè. It would be much nicer if I didn´t have to work until around 9:15 pm. I mean sure, I have some free time during the day but if it is less then a couple hours then I end up spending that time sitting on a park bench reading the newspaper.

In other news, Pinochet was stripped of his immunity by a Chilean court today, I heard this before, so I don´t know exactly what the difference between the two deceisions are. His name is a no-no, expecially in my spanish classes, it is one of the things that they warn you not to talk about. Pinochet was supposed to go in front of a court a week or two ago, but "fainted" the day before. I don´t know if I buy that one.

Chilean courts are also going through a dramatic change at this point as well. For the first time in recent history all trials will involve oral proceedings, instead of only written ones which was the system until now. This system had a test run in Conception, but now as of July 1st has came to Santiago. It already is having effects on soceity. A Chilean Senator, and accused pedofile, ended up confessing to his crimes because he didn´t want to face the oral proceedings. He then quickly denied that it happened the next day, but really, is pedofilia something you just admit to because you don´t want to go to court?

and the week begins again

Monday morning, it always creeps up on me. Luckily I didn´t have any classes this morning. Tomorrow I have a morning class at 8:30, if the student actually shows up. Getting people to come to class can be a difficult matter. Most people who need the classes are also quite busy. It means that I can never be certain how many classes will actually happen. If they cancel ahead of time, I don´t get paid, if the don´t I still get it on my check. It can make teaching a frustrating business as you never know exactly how much your going to make for a given month.

I have also deceided to start back up with Spanish classes. I really need to understand some of the grammar, and it just isn´t happening through conversation or reading the newspaper. It is money that I would like to save for traveling, but I think that it is going to a good cause, my ability to communicate here in Chile.

Been a little while

Let me just apologize for never updating this blog, it has been quite awhile since the last entry. Just teaching right now, trying to get some more classes, looking for other things to do in Santiago as well. The last two weekends I managed to get out of town, went to Coquimbo two weeks ago, stared at the sea, ate some fresh fish. Last weekend I went to a little lodge in the Andes owned by a French couple. Really cozy, beatiful scenery, even better food. I think that this weekend I will stay in Santiago and try to get some stuff down around town.

Also tomarrow I will start working at a house for 12 ninos, all orphans. It provides a place for them to stay and the majority of the work there is done by volunteers. I have been looking for some sort of vounteer opportunity, so we´ll see if this works out. I had interview, and complete a psychological evaluation, all in Spanish. Never thought I would be describing what the ink smear looks like to me in Spanish. Much to the surprise of many of you, I was pronounced "sane" what a relief!

Thinking

Life here can be quite complicated.

Micros passing me by, students not showing up, business deducting extra money from my check. It happens here in Santiago, it has happened in Iowa City, in the military. It is a certainty that there will always be tests, that life is never for sure. The only thing you really have to cope is how you view those complications. I realize that I have been taking the wrong approach, focusing on what I have, and trying to get certain results from many complicated situations. I need to change up my philosophy, to focus on the process of moving through these challenges. There are many opportunities, many openings around me if I allow myself to see them. If I close myself off to the possibilities, then I will never be happy, and never get anywhere. Especially when my mode of transportation is the micro...

a shout out

Hello world,

A quick shout out to Dan Hulsing, who will be going to Taipai to teach this July. He will be teaching mid sized classes of children, sounds excited about it. I would like to teach in Asia one day as well, maybe I'll have to make a run to Taipai as well sometime soon....

Crossing twisted bridges

bridge
Originally uploaded by deambular.

I seem to be able to find these places all to easy. I don´t ever seem to be happy, unless I'm balancing along, on a wooden handmade bridge.

Carnet

No longer an illegal worker, an issue which doesn't seem to be as big as in the US. My ID allows me to do wonderful things like pay Chilean taxes.

Haciendo tuto

Haciendo tuto
Originally uploaded by deambular.

Wandering the crooked streets of Valpo, and I came accross these two taking a nap on a beautiful day. They were quite the pair.

smoglight

smoglight
Originally uploaded by deambular.

The Andes at sunset around dominate the skyline, filled in the the red glow of the sun hitting the smog. I find it strange to find such beauty in something as ugly, dirty, and dangerous as Santiago's smog. As we move into winter, I notice it more and more. There are more days with rain, afterwhich the mountains are clear as can be. It is then that realize how bad the smog actually is. But, it allows for some beautiful sunsets, such as this one.

here we go

here we go
Originally uploaded by deambular.

I got invited to a costume party a couple of weeks ago. I ended up being Yung dum fuc a Japanese soccer player. Of course a sportsman of my level had to accompanied to an even such as this.

Reñaca 6

Reñaca 6
Originally uploaded by deambular.

It has been nice to be able to live so close to the sea. Having it as an option for a weekend geataway has been something that I used to dream about during cold Iowa winters. (and hot summers)

Its raining...

Everyone dawned their scarves, their coats and their jackets. People complain about the cold now, I don't think it is really that cold at all. You can walk around during the day without a jacket and not feel cold in the least. What makes everything strange for me, is that it is colder in my apartment then it is outside.

My place is located on the bottom floor, and in a corner of the building. I get direct sunlight into my living room for about 10 minutes a day. In the mourning it falls on the balcony, but usually the curtains are still drawn, so little warmth is gained. By nightfall, it is quite frigid, I have had to wear my jacket and hat inside a couple of nights. It always feels so cold, then I go outside and it never is as bad.

So it goes...

Been lucky...

So my three day weekend slowly winds to a halt. It is always amazing how fast three days can past. I was lucky enough to be able to get out of Santiago. It was the second weekend in a row, and I hope to keep it up if I can.

The family of one of Carolina's friends recently purchased a house on a hill overlooking the Pacific ocean. It has a large deck that offers a panaromic view of the ocean. You can sit and have breakfast while watching the ocean spray off the rocks in the harbor. The house is in this quite little town. It is an uppty area and each house is more of a castle, with a few reaching palace status. Everyone uses woodfire chimnies to heat their homes so the streets are filled with the scent of burning wood. Like many coast towns, it is filled with steep hills, lots of stairs to get you up them. Many of the roads and infrastructure within the town were made of stone. This lent a feeling of Europe, as did the architecture of many of the houses.

It was a relaxing weekend, there was really nowhere to go out, Carolina cooked some fresh fish with pasta, we played cards and drank vodka. Saturday, we hiked to one of the large boulders along the coast. I figured out that I have only went to the ocean around 16 times in my life, about 6 of them being since I arrived to Chile. This makes being on the beach such an experience. It is something that I need to do more often, especially if I am invited to stay in a nice cabin.

The week before, I made it to Valpariaso for a couple of days. It is an amazing town. Narrow, steep streets wind all about, elevators, stair cases, pass ways, all meander through the cerros. I think that you could live in Valpo your whole life and still get lost. There is an interesting aestetic, as well. It was one of the richest ports, but has since lost its importance after the opening of the Panama Canal. There are countless mansions, amazing houses, all falling apart and in need of serious repair. Murals line the narrow streets, and the view of the sea is never far. There is a brisk feeling in the air, and a level of energy on the streets. We stayed in hostel that had an amzing view from the roof, it was an old building. For lunch, you can pay around 2 dollars and get a huge plate of fried fish with a salad at the central market. I left Valpo feeling refreshed and inspired, not too mention full. It is a unique place, and only a little over an hour away from my place.

Santiago isn't a bad place to live, there are alot of things to do, and see. However, it is a place that you have to leave. The choas, noise and fumes of the micros are reason enough. There is something about the pace of city life that can get you down at times. Sometimes, you just have to escape, or else the humm of the micro might have its way...

Just wishin...

Just wishing my English grammar were somehow better. I teach English right now and my understanding of English grammar is awful. I think I know more about Spanish grammar to be honest. I have this big grammar book which I read but I can never remember exactly what the rules are, I know what sounds right. I know when something is just plain wrong, but trying to explain it all is another matter completely. All these people that come to study English, I wonder what they would think if they knew their teacher was just studying the same lesson to figure out what the hell it means shortly before class. Maybe it would be easier if I didn't know anything period, if there was nothing that I was knowledgeable about. Then I wouldn't have this feeling that I enjoy teaching, but that English just isn't the subject where I should be the one trying to lead the class...

Getting some sun...

Really nice day today, the kind that makes you want to stay outside. I wish I could just enjoy it but I have to go to work a little later. We are doing all these workshops. Pretty much the same thing we did while I was in their ¨training¨session. I am looking forward to being able to teach, talking about teaching when I'm not doesn't seem to do a lot for me.

The last few days it has been raining a lot, at least once everyday. Santiago doesn't get too cold in the winter, by Iowa standards at least, but it does rain all the time. It should lead to a nice clear view of snow capped Andean peaks afterwards. I am so confused about the weather, doesn't feel like it is almost May. This will be my first winter in a year and a half! I think it will be a little different from an Iowa winter. Maybe if I can, I'll try to get up into the Andes for some skiing. Though I'm not sure if I'm up to it.

So it goes...

Can move a little more now...

Ever since I moved out of my last apartment here to Nuñoa, I lost access to a bicycle. At firs it didn´t seem like sucha big deal, there were other things I could do. I had new places to explore with new people and for the time being it was sufficient. Slowly though, I began to crave the feeling of moving on two wheels. I started to feel out of shape, had less energy, and felt bored with my surroundings. I realized that I needed to buy a bike last week, when it just became too much and the craving was on the forefront of my mind. I had found another job and was ready to focus on other aspects of life.

So I went this weekend to the neighborhood that has all the bikes. It is jam packed full of bike stores. There is also a market that has lots of bikes for dirt cheap, however most are stolen and I didn't feel right buying one. So I went looking through the stores, bargaining for the best price. Carolina came along with giving me more of an bargaining edge then had I went alone. Finally I decided on a Spitfire, some cheap bike with all kinds of flashy stickers that I immediately removed after buying. It has front shocks and is fun to ride. Yesterday I went up to San Cristobal, which is even more of a ride now that I am further south in Nuñoa. It was a good ride, but wore me out, which is something I have been longing to feel ever since I moved.

So it all moves a bit...

It wasn't too long ago that I was living next the daily chaos of Vicuña Mackenna, one of Santiago's arteries of communter traffic. My window overlooked the parallel road, General Bustamante, which from 7am until late resembles a NASCAR track. I was living in an apartment that was always changing, the other room that was available for rent usually went to a Spanish student at the Senora´s institute. So I had roommates from Austria, Germany, Brazil, and Japan. It was interesting of course, but didn´t make the place seem stable by any means. It is sometimes strange for me to talk to someone who is only in Chile for a short time weeks. Their minds are in a different place then mine.

It wasn´t the smoothest transition to the place in Nuñoa, I spent a week sleeping on the floor of a friend´s apartment. I had tried to extend my first place until I could move, but the month I had paid for ran out, and she wanted to charge me more then a week´s worth. So I just left.

I finally moved into my new place about two weeks ago, it was quite nice to have a closet, a bed, and a key to get in and out once again. It also made it possible for me to move my thoughts to other matters, such as my employment situation.

I wanted to leave Bridge, then I learned that my boss was quitting, so I had to leave Bridge. It is more of a business then a school anyways, I hardly had any classes, and I wanted to get a sense of other working environments here in Santiago. So I wait now, in a training session at a Chilean run school, hoping it will work out. This institute is called Tronwell, and it full of activity. Many students at all times of the day. The halls have a feeling of energy that Bridge lacked. I just hope that I get the job.

Maybe after I have that lined up I can focus on some of the other things in life. I can refocus my effort to learn Spanish. Start to make some books again, play some music, get a paycheck, some of the basics that I haven´t been able to enjoy since coming back to Santiago.

I´ll just have to wait and see...

Changes coming soon...

Got out of Santiago this weekend. Wandered with Carolina to the Canjun del Maipo, walked and walked until we reached the foot of Mt. Colorado, with the San Francisco Glacier lining it's towering peaks. I haven´t been out in the Andes enough, there is nothing quite like them. From what I've seen, now Santiago to the Ausengate, I can safely say that they are a force that can change the way you think about yourself and this awesome planet we inhabit. All sense of human scale is diminished in the face of these structures. The scrape the sky, are more rugged then one can imagine, and have a silence to them that will clear your mind of all the human jumble that lurks in our cities. My mind felt so peaceful when I was there, even though many questions were waiting for me when I got back to Santiago.

I think that I need a big change here in Santiago, I have some new options opening up, nothing for sure, but just enough to give me some hope that my work situation will change. I feel my time with Bridge slowly winding down, tomorrow I will know more. Today, I just think about those mountains and nothing can take me down for now...

day to day...

Just living it day by day for now. Still not too many classes, wondering whether we will ever get more. Feels like I might need to look elsewhere because all this inactivity isn't fun at all. Plus I would like to earn some money so I can eat, pay rent, travel a bit, nothing to grand. Chile's focus slowly has started to return to more daily activities after the death of the Pope. For awhile it was all that one could find on television.

My new apartment is nice, the only downfall is that there isn't a metro stop nearby, making the commute to those few classes I have quite ugly. I like the place though, so I will stay for now. A good living situation is worth the micro ride every mourning. There are also some good places to hangout nearby as well, not that I have gone out in a while, once I get some more work I'll be able to afford such luxuries. So for now I just try to practice my Spanish, read the newspaper, hang out with friends, and make the best of these times...