There are actually several customs that I have found a bit difficult to adjust to, but I´ll just focus on one: SOCCER. That is, the custom of watching soccer until your eyes bleed.
Good grief, even my pololo pointed this out to me last night after watching Chile lose once again in soccer, this time to Ecuador. He asked me a rhetorical question, and quite a good one at that: Why, in a country with such bad soccer teams, is soccer such an incredibly popular sport?
The answer? Heck if I know. I mean, we have Colo Colo, la U, Catolica, the national team, etc etc... and which team is actually good? Sorry if it sounds like I´m completely trashing Chile´s soccer program, but I happen to be having one of those everything-about-living-here-sucks days, so I´m feeling a little edgier than usual. Now, the real problem for me is not that the teams are so bad. That´s not the reason I detest watching soccer. The real reason is that I find it incredibly boring. Fact numero 1 about me: I am a HUGE sports fan. But that does not include soccer. The sports I really really love watching with a passion are college basketball, college and NFL football, and the NHL. Short story about my obsession with college basketball: I graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill (hereafter referred to as Carolina). At Carolina, basketball isn´t just another sport, it´s a passion. People eat, sleep, dream basketball. And not just the players, but the students too, myself included. So in March of my senior year at Carolina (2005), we were set to play dook (Duke) as usual, as the last game of the regular season. If you´ve ever even heard the words college basketball, you´ve heard of the Carolina-Duke rivalry. It´s always a huge game, and it´s always an amazingly fun time (unless we lose). So my senior year, I had the fortune of getting riser tickets for the game - risers are the platforms right beneath the basket where students with those tickets stand. Those are the most coveted tickets, because they´re literally right on the court. The thing is, if you´re in the back rows, it´s pretty hard to see. So, to make sure I was in one of the front rows, I camped out (along with a ton of other students) at the Dean Dome for 3 days before the game. Believe me, I would have camped out longer if I´d needed to. It worked out too - I got on the second row, and watched us beat Duke in thrilling fashion. :) Carolina went on to win the championship, my senior year!
Ok sorry, I got nostalgic for a moment. But seriously, I LOVE sports. This is why it´s frustrating for me to live in a country where I can´t just turn on ESPN or WRAL (local channel in Raleigh) and watch a Carolina basketball or football game. I´m resigned to watching soccer. And bad soccer at that. You might say, but Jessica, nobody is FORCING you to watch a soccer game. Sort of true. But where I´m living right now, my boyfriend´s brother watches literally EVERY soccer game that´s ever shown on tv. It could be Señora Rodriguez`s cuarto basico class vs. Señor Bravo´s class and he´d watch it. So it´s hard to escape.
Anyway, it seems my choices are limited here - either cultivate a love of soccer (not looking likely), or buy a slingbox so I can still watch Carolina games. I love Chile, but man... I need my college sports!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
An Open Letter to the Lady at the Notaria
Dear Lady Who Cut in Front of Me in Line,
I had been waiting for 20 minutes for the Notaria to open so that I could finally sign this contract for work. Oh, and by the way, those heels I was wearing? NOT very comfortable. In other words, I was excited to be 2nd in line, so that I could get the heck out of there and into more comfortable shoes. Meanwhile, here you come... you wait 5 minutes, compared to my 20, and then you proceed to cut in front of me when the Notaria finally opens. Thanks for ignoring my attempts to bring this to your attention. Also, thanks for wasting my time by discussing your personal hygiene habits as they related to fingernails as I waited in line. Clearly, that´s a good idea when there are 70 million people waiting in line behind you. You know, to make small talk with the Notaria worker about which nail polish color is currently in fashion. After all, it´s not like I had anywhere else to be. Wait, that´s right... I DID have somewhere else to be. Silly me. I hadn´t had time to eat lunch yet, so I was starving, and I also had to drop off this contract and get to my next class. But let´s forget about that... because after all, this is your world and we´re all just living in it, right?
Sincerely,
Chata de personas asì
I had been waiting for 20 minutes for the Notaria to open so that I could finally sign this contract for work. Oh, and by the way, those heels I was wearing? NOT very comfortable. In other words, I was excited to be 2nd in line, so that I could get the heck out of there and into more comfortable shoes. Meanwhile, here you come... you wait 5 minutes, compared to my 20, and then you proceed to cut in front of me when the Notaria finally opens. Thanks for ignoring my attempts to bring this to your attention. Also, thanks for wasting my time by discussing your personal hygiene habits as they related to fingernails as I waited in line. Clearly, that´s a good idea when there are 70 million people waiting in line behind you. You know, to make small talk with the Notaria worker about which nail polish color is currently in fashion. After all, it´s not like I had anywhere else to be. Wait, that´s right... I DID have somewhere else to be. Silly me. I hadn´t had time to eat lunch yet, so I was starving, and I also had to drop off this contract and get to my next class. But let´s forget about that... because after all, this is your world and we´re all just living in it, right?
Sincerely,
Chata de personas asì
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Changing Lives for the Better
I´m betting if you´re reading this right now, you are also an avid reader of Kyle´s blog, Just Married Chilean Style. And if not, there´s never been a better time to start reading, because Kyle and her husband are doing something that will literally change someone´s life for the better. It actually makes me look at myself and wonder - what have I done lately to change someone´s life? Anyway, here´s the deal: Kyle and her husband, S., are good friends with a young man named Marcelo who works in construction. M. busts his butt everyday at his job and is quite talented at it. The only problem is, his level of education is holding him back from earning a more decent living and being able to adequately provide for a family. This is where Kyle and S. come in - they have pledged to pay for Marcelo to attend a great technical school and earn his degree, so that he DOES have the opportunity to earn a decent living. I honestly can´t think of many ideas that are better than that. Now for the part where YOU (and I) come in - Kyle is quite a talented photographer, and all of the proceeds from her photography business will go to paying for Marcelo´s education. I´m putting the link below to her blog post explaining all of this, but just know - every little bit you can give, every print you can buy, is contributing to the education of a young man that many people believe in.
http://ohquepasa.blogspot.com/2008/10/art-for-good.html
http://ohquepasa.blogspot.com/2008/10/art-for-good.html
Friday, October 3, 2008
I May Rise, But I Refuse to Shine
That was the saying printed on a pajama top I used to have a long time ago - it rung true then and it still does today, sometimes. I have not ever been a morning person, and I´m not sure I ever will be. So this morning, I groaned when my alarm went off at 6:45 - knowing that I had to get up for an early morning class in Providencia. I had tried to go to bed early-ish last night, because of my class this morning and because I´d had a headache practically all day yesterday (side note: I had a great time at Basic last night watching the debates! I finally got to meet Sara, and hung out with Isabel and Shannon whom I already knew - wish I could´ve stayed longer!).
Anyway, I took the micro on Pedro de Valdivia and actually ended up getting to the company about 10 minutes early. Luckily, I had a good book with me (one I borrowed from Shannon, actually), so I sat and waited.
8:00 - I say hi to the front-desk receptionist. Me cae bien, he greets all the guys who come in to work there as ¨caballero¨, and always has a smile for everyone.
8:05 - My student is always late, so I decide to look over today´s lesson one more time.
8:17 - No more of that, I want to read my book.
8:25 - Some woman who works at the company comes in, looks at me in amusement and says, ´You´re still here, in the same spot as last night!¨.... yes, that´s true, but I did actually go home to sleep before coming back this morning, thanks.
8:30 - Receptionist: Do you want to walk around the office and see if your student is here somewhere? The cafeteria is right around there.
Me: Sure, why the heck not.
(I know you´re on the edge of your seat... I´ll give you one guess as to whether I found my student or not)
8:40 - Receptionist: Do you want to keep waiting?
Me (bleary-eyed, sans morning coffee): Eh, I might as well... not like I have anywhere else to be right now.
8:55 - The receptionist tries to call my student´s cell phone. No answer. This is about the 4th time he´s tried to reach him by now. By this time, me and the receptionist are good pals. He pulls out a camera and tells me to smile, saying he´ll show this as proof to my student that I was actually here this morning.
8:57 - I leave, kind of feeling like a loser when My Friend the Receptionist gives me a sympathetic smile and shrug.
9:00 - I get back on the same bus and head home to relax before my 1:30 class.
And, ladies and gentlemen, such is the life of an English teacher in Chile.
Anyway, I took the micro on Pedro de Valdivia and actually ended up getting to the company about 10 minutes early. Luckily, I had a good book with me (one I borrowed from Shannon, actually), so I sat and waited.
8:00 - I say hi to the front-desk receptionist. Me cae bien, he greets all the guys who come in to work there as ¨caballero¨, and always has a smile for everyone.
8:05 - My student is always late, so I decide to look over today´s lesson one more time.
8:17 - No more of that, I want to read my book.
8:25 - Some woman who works at the company comes in, looks at me in amusement and says, ´You´re still here, in the same spot as last night!¨.... yes, that´s true, but I did actually go home to sleep before coming back this morning, thanks.
8:30 - Receptionist: Do you want to walk around the office and see if your student is here somewhere? The cafeteria is right around there.
Me: Sure, why the heck not.
(I know you´re on the edge of your seat... I´ll give you one guess as to whether I found my student or not)
8:40 - Receptionist: Do you want to keep waiting?
Me (bleary-eyed, sans morning coffee): Eh, I might as well... not like I have anywhere else to be right now.
8:55 - The receptionist tries to call my student´s cell phone. No answer. This is about the 4th time he´s tried to reach him by now. By this time, me and the receptionist are good pals. He pulls out a camera and tells me to smile, saying he´ll show this as proof to my student that I was actually here this morning.
8:57 - I leave, kind of feeling like a loser when My Friend the Receptionist gives me a sympathetic smile and shrug.
9:00 - I get back on the same bus and head home to relax before my 1:30 class.
And, ladies and gentlemen, such is the life of an English teacher in Chile.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
All I'm Askin is for a Little Organization
That's it. I really don't think it's too much to ask, but I could be wrong. Last week, the Institute called to offer me another class - MWF from 8:20 to 9:50 at night. Rock on, I'll take it. So I'm told to come pick up my books/materials for the class, which should include a roll book, etc. I go last Friday and am told the roll book isn't quite ready yet (what? the class starts Monday) - so I must come back on Monday. Oooook fine. Oh, by the way... turns out this class has technically already started. There have been 2 class sessions already, taught by 2 different fill-in professors while they were trying to find someone permanent. So in addition to coming to pick up the roll book on Monday, I am also expecting them to hand me a list of what has already been done the first 2 classes. Here's pretty much how that went when I went to the Institute on Monday:
Me: Hi, I'm here to pick up the roll book and list of material already covered for this class (handing the secretary a piece of paper).
Secretary (frowning): Hmmmm, yeahhhhh... see, the thing is, we have to track down the first 2 professors and ask them what they've already covered. You'll have to come back later.
Me: But this class starts tonight. What am I supposed to do with them?
Secretary: Yeahhhhhh umm.. I think they probably covered the first 2 pages last time.
Me: [silence]
*** crickets ***
Secretary: Hmmm, let me try to call someone.... (I wait). Oops, they didn't answer their phone. You'll just have to ask the students what they did last class.
Good grief, people. Honestly? Is it really that hard to get your crap together and organize a class? I ended up going to the class and trying to get the students to tell me what they did before. And then there's the old reliable "2 Truths and a Lie", which we played for a few rounds. About 20 minutes into the class, one of the secretaries knocks on the door and hands me a piece of paper - on it was the God-awful handwriting of someone who I suppose was the previous teacher for the class, attempting to communicate to me in one horribly written sentence what had been covered last time. I glanced at it, decided there was no way I was going to decipher it, and continued with my own thing.
After class was over and I was walking to the metro, a pigeon flew over my head, and for a brief second I almost hoped it would poop on my head - and that something equally as cool as what happened to Kyle would happen to me. Then I realized I really didn't feel like cleaning poop off my head. I would still like something good and unexpected to happen to me, though. :)
Me: Hi, I'm here to pick up the roll book and list of material already covered for this class (handing the secretary a piece of paper).
Secretary (frowning): Hmmmm, yeahhhhh... see, the thing is, we have to track down the first 2 professors and ask them what they've already covered. You'll have to come back later.
Me: But this class starts tonight. What am I supposed to do with them?
Secretary: Yeahhhhhh umm.. I think they probably covered the first 2 pages last time.
Me: [silence]
*** crickets ***
Secretary: Hmmm, let me try to call someone.... (I wait). Oops, they didn't answer their phone. You'll just have to ask the students what they did last class.
Good grief, people. Honestly? Is it really that hard to get your crap together and organize a class? I ended up going to the class and trying to get the students to tell me what they did before. And then there's the old reliable "2 Truths and a Lie", which we played for a few rounds. About 20 minutes into the class, one of the secretaries knocks on the door and hands me a piece of paper - on it was the God-awful handwriting of someone who I suppose was the previous teacher for the class, attempting to communicate to me in one horribly written sentence what had been covered last time. I glanced at it, decided there was no way I was going to decipher it, and continued with my own thing.
After class was over and I was walking to the metro, a pigeon flew over my head, and for a brief second I almost hoped it would poop on my head - and that something equally as cool as what happened to Kyle would happen to me. Then I realized I really didn't feel like cleaning poop off my head. I would still like something good and unexpected to happen to me, though. :)
Friday, September 26, 2008
Might Be a Quarter Life Crisis...
I turned 25 years old today. Wow, that looks old when I see it typed out... does anyone else think that´s old? I´m not complaining, though... as my dad always says,¨beats the alternative¨(the alternative being dying, not growing younger haha). Today started out... well, in a way. I was supposed to have a class at 8:00 this morning, and I got to the company only to wait..and wait..and wait some more. Finally at 8:45, some woman came and told me, ¨sorry, your student had a problem and won´t be able to come today - he sends his apologies.¨ My first 2 thoughts: 1) Problem = couldn´t get out of bed in time? and 2) You´re telling me this at 8:45 WHY? ... But in the end, I figured, what the heck. It´s my birthday, and this is my first birthday present. Because I still get paid even though I didn´t have class. So I took myself to Starbucks and got a Grande coffee to wake up. And as I was sitting there, I thought.. I´ve been living for 25 years - have I even accomplished anything of merit in all that time? Then I looked at my watch and realized it was way too early in the morning for such deep thoughts. Better to leave that one until at least... noon.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
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