Despite the implications of the title of this post- the following are things that may not happen everyday, but nevertheless, are things that I have almost become accustomed to- most prominently, the absurdity of the things that seem to happen here.
Today, unlike other days- my host mom asked to 'borrow' 1000 chilean pesos (approximately a $1.50) to buy cigarettes
Yesterday, I pleaded with the bus driver to let me on the bus because I had insufficient funds and only a credit card with me (you have to reload your public transport card with cash)
This week, the power went out on the metro, I used a public restroom with soap that was conveniently stored in a water bottle next to the sink (lets just go with the fact that it was probably soap...) and I went to the beach for four hours. Good stuff.
Out of all of my woes I think the most important thing I have learned this week is that public transportation has been improperly generalized as being cheap, quick and easy. It is not cheap when you ride the metro and/or bus approximately 6 times a day (say you need to go three different places- and yes this does happen because I take classes at 4 different campuses..). Additionally it is not quick or easy if you ride it at rush hour- nor is it fun. Standing in a packed metro or bus without air conditioning with sweaty people all around you- sufficiently so that you don't even need to (nor are able to) hold onto anything. Especially fun when the metro stops and the power goes out...mmm nothing like stagnant metro air.
Lastly- Although the metro will always get you from point A to point B, if you are on the wrong color, sub-color (yes there is an express track that runs during rush hour on certain lines that makes life that much more complicated- imagine red and green stops within a green line and a purple line- oye), or even the wrong direction- getting to your destination is most definitely going to take longer than the hour that you had previously allocated to your public transport travel time...That's right, even when I left an hour before my class started, I arrived at the metro station (via bus) when my class was starting....talk about a spectacle- not only was I the gringa- on Tuesday morning I was the LATE gringa....with blonde hair. Don't worry though- people come in late all the time and the teacher apparently likes me enough to ask me about the US's foreign policy towards Iran- which of course I failed to respond to in time and instead gave her a sufficient 'I have no idea look' before she answered her own question herself.
Besides my lack of rapid-fire spanish my week was pretty good! I went to a ginormous fruit and veggie market (which I am potentially going back to this weekend with mama- it's the place she brings her suitcase to and proceeds to fill it with tomatoes, apples, avocados, you get the picture).
I also finally had my first class at the Universidad de Chile- the class that the professor never showed up to. I survived the heat wave (I am now a certifiable expert at sleeping in minimal clothing and tuning out any noises that come from my open window). Today I hit up the beach at Quisco, Chile and tomorrow I have plans to take a tour of a local winery. What a life(;
xoxo
Today, unlike other days- my host mom asked to 'borrow' 1000 chilean pesos (approximately a $1.50) to buy cigarettes
Yesterday, I pleaded with the bus driver to let me on the bus because I had insufficient funds and only a credit card with me (you have to reload your public transport card with cash)
This week, the power went out on the metro, I used a public restroom with soap that was conveniently stored in a water bottle next to the sink (lets just go with the fact that it was probably soap...) and I went to the beach for four hours. Good stuff.
Out of all of my woes I think the most important thing I have learned this week is that public transportation has been improperly generalized as being cheap, quick and easy. It is not cheap when you ride the metro and/or bus approximately 6 times a day (say you need to go three different places- and yes this does happen because I take classes at 4 different campuses..). Additionally it is not quick or easy if you ride it at rush hour- nor is it fun. Standing in a packed metro or bus without air conditioning with sweaty people all around you- sufficiently so that you don't even need to (nor are able to) hold onto anything. Especially fun when the metro stops and the power goes out...mmm nothing like stagnant metro air.
Lastly- Although the metro will always get you from point A to point B, if you are on the wrong color, sub-color (yes there is an express track that runs during rush hour on certain lines that makes life that much more complicated- imagine red and green stops within a green line and a purple line- oye), or even the wrong direction- getting to your destination is most definitely going to take longer than the hour that you had previously allocated to your public transport travel time...That's right, even when I left an hour before my class started, I arrived at the metro station (via bus) when my class was starting....talk about a spectacle- not only was I the gringa- on Tuesday morning I was the LATE gringa....with blonde hair. Don't worry though- people come in late all the time and the teacher apparently likes me enough to ask me about the US's foreign policy towards Iran- which of course I failed to respond to in time and instead gave her a sufficient 'I have no idea look' before she answered her own question herself.
Besides my lack of rapid-fire spanish my week was pretty good! I went to a ginormous fruit and veggie market (which I am potentially going back to this weekend with mama- it's the place she brings her suitcase to and proceeds to fill it with tomatoes, apples, avocados, you get the picture).
 |
| in case you didn't get the picture(; |
I also finally had my first class at the Universidad de Chile- the class that the professor never showed up to. I survived the heat wave (I am now a certifiable expert at sleeping in minimal clothing and tuning out any noises that come from my open window). Today I hit up the beach at Quisco, Chile and tomorrow I have plans to take a tour of a local winery. What a life(;
xoxo
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