Ain´t Too Proud to Beg

I suspect that what I´m about to say is probably a characteristic of the majority of people around the world...

I HATE to ask anyone for money. In general, I just hate to feel in debt to anyone. But this particularly applies to asking strangers for money, something that I actually can´t recall ever doing... until last night, that is. And now, to reveal the very unfortunate side of having a somewhat lopsided weekly class schedule. Here´s the thing... on MWF, I have 3 classes, so I lug around my huge bookbag those days, to fit all of my books, papers, and various other ¨necessities.¨ However, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I only have one class, so I switch the books for that class from my insanely large bookbag to my much more comfortable messenger bag. In the process, I also have to switch things like pens, markers, my BIP card, etc etc... and my wallet. Well, wouldn´t you know it... in my hurry to get out the door yesterday, I neglected to take my wallet from my bookbag and put it in my other bag.

Awesome. Particularly awesome because I only had enough money on my BIP card to get TO work, not home again. I was planning on charging it in the metro after class, with the money that was in my WALLET. Obviously, it´s kind of hard to use money from a wallet that you don´t have. Righto. So here I am after class, scrounging for change in my bag. I find 620 pesos, and carry this to the BIP counter, trying to pick the most sympathetic looking cashier I can, praying they´ll have mercy on me and forego the 800 peso minimum. No dice. Even after I explain that I literally have NO more than 620 pesos, I still get a bored look and a declaration that ¨You can´t put this amount on your card.¨ Greeeeeat. So now I have no way to get on the metro, I´m not about to get on the micro that would take me to a sketchy micro stop, and I have no money on my cell phone. What to do, what to do... I really wanted to find ANY other way to get myself out of this situation, because I knew the last resort would be to use a pay phone and call D to come pick me up. Where I work isn´t exactly the closest place to his house, so I didn´t want him to have to do that. So, I humbled myself and did what I was dreading the most... I asked a stranger for money.

It was hard, I admit. I stood there for at least 5 minutes in the metro, letting people pass me by, scrutinizing each one in a pathetic attempt to determine if they looked like they would help me out. Finally, I looked at my watch and decided I was tired of standing there, and just wanted to get home. I saw a pleasant looking man in a suit coming toward me, and thought, ¨here´s my chance.¨ I stopped him and politely asked if he had 200 pesos he might be willing to give me, explaining that I only had 600 and that this wasn´t enough to charge my BIP. He looked at me with a friendly glance, and pulled 200 pesos out of his pocket, saying, ¨200 pesos? No problem, here you go.¨ I thanked him profusely, and went on my way. When I finally got home and told the story to D, he looked surprised that I´d asked a stranger for money, but thought it was cool that I had. And my suegra´s reaction? ¨That was a very Chilean thing to do!¨

Random Musings

1. You know those posters in the metro that say "En el metro siempre nace nuestro lado amable¨? To that, I only have one thing to say: Wishful thinking, party of one.

2. I almost offered some of my ¨Nuts for Nuts¨ to el tipo that makes sure people stay behind the yellow line in the metro stations. I don´t really know why... come to think of it, he didn´t even look particularly buena onda.

3. Yesterday was ridiculous. I left the Instituto at 5:30 (could I have picked a worse time?) and of course, it was pouring down raining. I waited for 3 trains to pass before I finally managed to squeeze onto the metro at Baquedano. But while waiting, I felt like I was being violated by the lady pressed up against my back. I was also about to have to fight her because she was about to push me onto the tracks. Hey, I don´t particularly want to be electrocuted today, thanks anyway.

4. My thought process today while in Paris, Ripley, and Falabella looking for some pants suitable for work - ¨Hmmm, that looks cute... [searching through the sizes]... ok, nevermind." Two minutes later... ¨Oooooh, I really like these! [pull them out and hold them up to me]... yeahhhhhh, these are going to be way too long.¨ And so it continues. Seems like the chances of me finding a pair of dress pants here that fit me are about as good as the chances of Chile winning the World Cup. O sea, not good.

5. Choripan + whatever flavor of Cristal we had last night = win. I´m normally not a fan of Cristal, but D picked a good flavor last night.

6. While sitting at Starbucks today (I know, I know), I realized my cell phone was still in my bag and I should probably take it out in case anyone calls. Upon opening it, I am told I have 11 missed calls. ELEVEN. And the best part is, I think they were all from the Instituto, wanting to offer me more classes to teach (thankfully, I finally got to my phone in time when they called, and now I have more hours! Woohoooooo!).

More to come later...