...it's COMPROMISE that moves us along"- Maroon 5
That's right folks. If you have been reading with your +2.00 reading glasses (I'm looking at you daddykins!) then you know that the study abroad experience ain't always sunshine and happiness. The only reason I bring that up is because lately I have been seeing a lot of my friends post their blogs on facebook and upon skimming a few of them, it appears that they have become quite skilled at selecting only the best moments they have experienced thus far. Not to say that's not what you should be telling your friends and family....but it just seems like this blog would be quite bland without my occasional rant about the metro, mama or the heat. So thanks for reading- and enjoying my serious struggles, triumphs and laughable life in Chile.
So this post won't be too elaborate because I have a "solemne" tomorrow. Yes- solemn is the translation of solemne, and upon looking that one up I became slightly nervous to take perhaps the equivalent of a "serious" (test). Let's go with that. Taking it to the next level- I also found out (luckily before I showed up to my 8:30am class) that classes during this week are cancelled so that we can study. Yuup- that sounds pretty serious to me. WISH ME LUCK because I have 5-6 open ended essay questions to respond to in spanish tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn. Did I mention that tomorrow will be a friday? TGIF
In other news- I am back on Mama's good side. Exhibit A: she bought me more yogurt mid week. gasp. please note that mid-week grocery trips are a rarity due to her work schedule. Exhibit B: she has become slightly annoyed by the amount of time Camila spends with her pololo and therefore has diverted her love to me. SUCESS (just kidding- I don't think I could ever break the mother-daughter bond they got goin on) but still. Mama's mood has improved significantly and she has been quite amable.
With regards to my edu-macation- I continue to show up to my ceramics class (now I realize that on Chilean time this means you should arrive around 9am for your 8:30am art class- its a shame this doesn't apply to my international relations class...sigh) my spanish class has just been approved as a Pass/Fail credit (happy dance) and for my other class that I rarely mention- because we haven't had it in oh I don't know- ONE WHOLE MONTH- yesterday I found out that the professor is on sick leave which comes as news just a week after the students of our "facultad" have ended their strike (we didn't have class when they were protesting). Apparently he is seriously ill and who knows when we will have class again- maybe they will just give the gringos credit for trying. I mean, being a gringo ain't easy and I need at least an elective credit. OYE.
And last but not least on Carly's list of random thoughts that she should blog about is the fact that I have mastered the art of popping popcorn on the stove (apparently Camila never made the connection between popcorn kernels and popcorn...not sure where she thought popcorn came from..) I have fallen in love with fresh chilean bread and pebre (remember- it's that pico de gallo type tomato dip they serve with the bread) and I have gotten used to planning an hour for my transit time. Do you know what these things mean? It means that I could see myself comfortably living here for a while. And although that is obviously not happening- ahem- medical school- i think this is a big step for me because a few weeks ago I couldn't rid my brain of the reoccurring thought that although I was enjoying Chile- it would just be so much easier to live in the states- in my little comfort zone with green grass, coffee ice cream (a rarity here), wheat bread (no one likes it), spinach (iceburg lettuce just doesn't make much of a salad), almond milk, chobani, oh I could go on...PS. anyone else notice that essentially all the things I miss most are food....Bueller?
Anywho- the moral of the story is that while I miss somethings, in the grand scheme of things I think my life has become normalized, I feel confident and happy here and I'm glad to be able to say that.
Also a random note about the bread is that my friend says that the reason no one is fat here is because even though everyone eats so much white bread- the bread here is free of preservatives (it gets hard in like 3 days tops)- and therefore not as bad for you (even though it pains me that it is all white flour bread). I eat SO MUCH more bread here than I would in the states (I would say that not a day passes that I don't have a sandwich or two..) -partially out of necessity and but mostly because it SMELLS and tastes so frickin' good. Yeah. Imma miss that cheap, delicious, fresh white bread when I return. Maybe I'll have to perfect mom's non-knead beer bread. Nom Nom.
until next time- a San Pedro de Atacama excursion recap is coming your way! xoxo
That's right folks. If you have been reading with your +2.00 reading glasses (I'm looking at you daddykins!) then you know that the study abroad experience ain't always sunshine and happiness. The only reason I bring that up is because lately I have been seeing a lot of my friends post their blogs on facebook and upon skimming a few of them, it appears that they have become quite skilled at selecting only the best moments they have experienced thus far. Not to say that's not what you should be telling your friends and family....but it just seems like this blog would be quite bland without my occasional rant about the metro, mama or the heat. So thanks for reading- and enjoying my serious struggles, triumphs and laughable life in Chile.
So this post won't be too elaborate because I have a "solemne" tomorrow. Yes- solemn is the translation of solemne, and upon looking that one up I became slightly nervous to take perhaps the equivalent of a "serious" (test). Let's go with that. Taking it to the next level- I also found out (luckily before I showed up to my 8:30am class) that classes during this week are cancelled so that we can study. Yuup- that sounds pretty serious to me. WISH ME LUCK because I have 5-6 open ended essay questions to respond to in spanish tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn. Did I mention that tomorrow will be a friday? TGIF
In other news- I am back on Mama's good side. Exhibit A: she bought me more yogurt mid week. gasp. please note that mid-week grocery trips are a rarity due to her work schedule. Exhibit B: she has become slightly annoyed by the amount of time Camila spends with her pololo and therefore has diverted her love to me. SUCESS (just kidding- I don't think I could ever break the mother-daughter bond they got goin on) but still. Mama's mood has improved significantly and she has been quite amable.
With regards to my edu-macation- I continue to show up to my ceramics class (now I realize that on Chilean time this means you should arrive around 9am for your 8:30am art class- its a shame this doesn't apply to my international relations class...sigh) my spanish class has just been approved as a Pass/Fail credit (happy dance) and for my other class that I rarely mention- because we haven't had it in oh I don't know- ONE WHOLE MONTH- yesterday I found out that the professor is on sick leave which comes as news just a week after the students of our "facultad" have ended their strike (we didn't have class when they were protesting). Apparently he is seriously ill and who knows when we will have class again- maybe they will just give the gringos credit for trying. I mean, being a gringo ain't easy and I need at least an elective credit. OYE.
And last but not least on Carly's list of random thoughts that she should blog about is the fact that I have mastered the art of popping popcorn on the stove (apparently Camila never made the connection between popcorn kernels and popcorn...not sure where she thought popcorn came from..) I have fallen in love with fresh chilean bread and pebre (remember- it's that pico de gallo type tomato dip they serve with the bread) and I have gotten used to planning an hour for my transit time. Do you know what these things mean? It means that I could see myself comfortably living here for a while. And although that is obviously not happening- ahem- medical school- i think this is a big step for me because a few weeks ago I couldn't rid my brain of the reoccurring thought that although I was enjoying Chile- it would just be so much easier to live in the states- in my little comfort zone with green grass, coffee ice cream (a rarity here), wheat bread (no one likes it), spinach (iceburg lettuce just doesn't make much of a salad), almond milk, chobani, oh I could go on...PS. anyone else notice that essentially all the things I miss most are food....Bueller?
Anywho- the moral of the story is that while I miss somethings, in the grand scheme of things I think my life has become normalized, I feel confident and happy here and I'm glad to be able to say that.
Also a random note about the bread is that my friend says that the reason no one is fat here is because even though everyone eats so much white bread- the bread here is free of preservatives (it gets hard in like 3 days tops)- and therefore not as bad for you (even though it pains me that it is all white flour bread). I eat SO MUCH more bread here than I would in the states (I would say that not a day passes that I don't have a sandwich or two..) -partially out of necessity and but mostly because it SMELLS and tastes so frickin' good. Yeah. Imma miss that cheap, delicious, fresh white bread when I return. Maybe I'll have to perfect mom's non-knead beer bread. Nom Nom.
until next time- a San Pedro de Atacama excursion recap is coming your way! xoxo
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