This Halloween will certainly be one that I'll never forget. It won't be for the reasons you may be thinking upon hearing that though. I won't be exposed to some new kind of cultural rituals or parties that only a Chilean Halloween could present. Instead, I'll be returning to the famed Torres del Paine national park (the picture above is actually from the park) that we had the chance to visit during our first weekend here in the south. This time we'll be attempting to conquer the famous W trek. It's called the W because of the path the trail takes around various peaks, glaciers, lakes and rivers along the way cause it to form the shape of a W. Clever enough for you?
Now this is no day hike. We're planning to arrive in the park to begin the journey on Wednesday and we won't be done until the following Monday morning. Although I'm currently an English teacher, my math skills tell me that's 6 days & 5 nights of camping and hiking. I can't remember ever being on a camping trip quite that long. I was in the Boy Scouts for a few years and I think the longest I'd ever gone was 5 days & 4 nights so this will certainly be a test. I am happy to report that instead of the obligatory weirdoes that made up my Boy Scout troop, I'll have company in the form of Marie (my fantastically, wonderful girlfriend) and 4 other volunteers (who aren't too shabby either). While hiking around and camping for 5 nights with 6 people will be tough, the benefits will surely present themselves as we'll get to hear all kinds of interesting stories.
Hopefully, this time next week I'll be writing a new blog about how awesome the trip was and not about how I know only possess 9 toes due to an unfortunate sleeping bag zipper accident. Plenty of pictures to follow, of course. For now, I've gotta go finish packing.
WISH US LUCK!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
The novelty has simply worn off.
I have just about a month left in Punta Arenas. There were times throughout the last 7 months where that phrase seemed as far away as my old bed in Huntington Beach. As we creep closer and closer to our volunteer expiration date, I feel more and more ready to go making it feel still a bit too far away. While that might sound bad, I can assure you that the reasons for those emotions aren't all negative.
I'd be lying if I said everything has been peachy and that I'll miss doing everything I'm doing. There are parts of being a volunteer teacher that are thankless, useless and frustrating. There are parts of living with a family that isn't truly your own that are alienating, embarrassing and depressing. There are also parts of living in a foreign country that are humbling, awkward and sometimes just plain stupid. However, I knew what I was signing up for when I came here so I've tried to take all of it in stride and not ever let it get me down. That strategy is successful most of the time but I still have my days when I just want to feel sorry for myself. I quickly realize how silly it is to be feeling sorry for myself as I've gotten to have some incredible adventures so my mood usually corrects itself... and then I have to drag myself to a class full of 7th graders and we start the cycle all over again.
A lot about life here has simply become the norm, which in and of itself was never the point. I arrived to much excitement from my family, school and community. Everyone was happy to see me, curious to hear me speak my ridiculous Yankee language (they really do refer to it that way sometimes), and excited to introduce me to some of the interesting aspects of Chilean life and culture. Those were absolutely fantastic weeks where time seemed to fly by. To be fair, that may have been because the days actually were flying by since the sun was up for only about 7 hours per day. Now that we're entering spring and I'm entering my 8th and final month, the days are getting incredibly long and they're beginning to feel that way too. Much of the excitement about what I could/would/should do has worn off to a point where I feel like some people don't even notice me anymore. Now let's get one thing straight... I've never been one to be disappointed at not being noticed. I'm definitely not the type to be screaming for attention or feel neglected if I'm not the life the of the party. BUT in this situation, I never expected to be an afterthought. At that point, it feels like we're all kind of missing the point of me being here. I came to make kids excited about English, to expose teachers to new ideas of how to teach and to exchange cultural experiences and traditions with my family and community. As we press on through these last weeks, I feel that much of that has been tossed out the window. I'm not the new, exciting person that just showed up one day. I'm just part of the scenery now which certainly represents my cue to find an exit.
While all of this represents the forces that are pushing me away from all this wind and ice, there are other reasons that make it feel as though the US is ready to pull me back that I consider much more positive and exciting. More than anything else, I'm ready to get back to normal life. While this has been an incredible experience that has allowed me to escape a lot of the boring, monotonous routine that can sneak up on you, I'm ready to be building something again. I'm ready to have a job that I can feel passionate and confident about. I'm ready to start building a life that I can be dedicated to because I know it won't be disappearing any time soon. At the ripe old age of 26, I can't be messing around with excuses about wild oats for much longer. The money supplied by having an actual job will be nice to have too.
While I realize this post isn't the sort of butterflies and rainbows that most would enjoy reading, it's still represents part of this experience. Things have been great but things have also been tough. The bottom of the world isn't a glamorous place to be and neither are screaming, pre-teen girls. Such is life... for a little while longer anyway.
I'd be lying if I said everything has been peachy and that I'll miss doing everything I'm doing. There are parts of being a volunteer teacher that are thankless, useless and frustrating. There are parts of living with a family that isn't truly your own that are alienating, embarrassing and depressing. There are also parts of living in a foreign country that are humbling, awkward and sometimes just plain stupid. However, I knew what I was signing up for when I came here so I've tried to take all of it in stride and not ever let it get me down. That strategy is successful most of the time but I still have my days when I just want to feel sorry for myself. I quickly realize how silly it is to be feeling sorry for myself as I've gotten to have some incredible adventures so my mood usually corrects itself... and then I have to drag myself to a class full of 7th graders and we start the cycle all over again.
A lot about life here has simply become the norm, which in and of itself was never the point. I arrived to much excitement from my family, school and community. Everyone was happy to see me, curious to hear me speak my ridiculous Yankee language (they really do refer to it that way sometimes), and excited to introduce me to some of the interesting aspects of Chilean life and culture. Those were absolutely fantastic weeks where time seemed to fly by. To be fair, that may have been because the days actually were flying by since the sun was up for only about 7 hours per day. Now that we're entering spring and I'm entering my 8th and final month, the days are getting incredibly long and they're beginning to feel that way too. Much of the excitement about what I could/would/should do has worn off to a point where I feel like some people don't even notice me anymore. Now let's get one thing straight... I've never been one to be disappointed at not being noticed. I'm definitely not the type to be screaming for attention or feel neglected if I'm not the life the of the party. BUT in this situation, I never expected to be an afterthought. At that point, it feels like we're all kind of missing the point of me being here. I came to make kids excited about English, to expose teachers to new ideas of how to teach and to exchange cultural experiences and traditions with my family and community. As we press on through these last weeks, I feel that much of that has been tossed out the window. I'm not the new, exciting person that just showed up one day. I'm just part of the scenery now which certainly represents my cue to find an exit.
While all of this represents the forces that are pushing me away from all this wind and ice, there are other reasons that make it feel as though the US is ready to pull me back that I consider much more positive and exciting. More than anything else, I'm ready to get back to normal life. While this has been an incredible experience that has allowed me to escape a lot of the boring, monotonous routine that can sneak up on you, I'm ready to be building something again. I'm ready to have a job that I can feel passionate and confident about. I'm ready to start building a life that I can be dedicated to because I know it won't be disappearing any time soon. At the ripe old age of 26, I can't be messing around with excuses about wild oats for much longer. The money supplied by having an actual job will be nice to have too.
While I realize this post isn't the sort of butterflies and rainbows that most would enjoy reading, it's still represents part of this experience. Things have been great but things have also been tough. The bottom of the world isn't a glamorous place to be and neither are screaming, pre-teen girls. Such is life... for a little while longer anyway.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Vivan los mineros! Viva Chile!
Just wanted to drop a quick note to capture the feeling of the day.
In case you haven't watched the news, the 33 miners that had been trapped for more than 2 months underground are making their way out. Starting last night at about 5 pm, all the news stations began covering the last stages of this remarkable rescue. There was only one feed from the top of the hill where the team was working so all the video feeds were the same thing and, more or less, all the reporters were saying the same thing. As if the anticipation wasn't already jacked up enough, many of the stations showed numerous special stories about all different aspects of the experience that these men, their families, the community, the president, the minister of mining and even the media had gone through. At almost midnight, the rescue capsule finally reached the den where the men have been waiting anxiously for nearly 70 days. Some 20 minutes later, the capsule poked out from the hole in the ground and the entire country gasped. The first miner came out of the capsule with a big smile and immediately hugged his crying son. This was just the first of the 33 but everyone suddenly felt such joy at an accomplished mission. They really did it and I still think most people can't quite believe it has worked out as well as it has.
The Chileans are so very proud of this moment and what it means to the history of their country. The news constantly reminds the viewers that the entire world is watching what's coming out of that small hole in the middle of desert of northern Chile. I think we, in the US, take for granted how often our news is everyone's news. In Chile, there isn't much attention given to the comings and goings of life here around the world so this is a truly special moment. I heard one TV reporter mention that this news story will be the thing that people will begin to remember Chile for instead of some of the less favorable memories some may still harbor. Before this, most people around the world who knew Chile was a country and not something you put on your food to make it spicy, might have mentioned the recent earthquake. Obviously, the earthquake was a tragic experience for the people and not something most would classify as a happy memory. Others might think of Salvador Allende, the US backed overthrow of his government and the subsequent presidency of General Pinochet that was filled with oppression and human rights abuses. These definitely aren't the type of associations most Chileans would want you to think about when mentioning their beloved country's name. This incredible rescue is something that every person is proud of. Chile, and it's people, have done something never before accomplished. No one had ever been trapped underground for that amount of time and come out alive. No one had ever been trapped underground that deep and lived to tell the tale. Chile now has 32 heroes of their own (1 is Bolivian). They've shown the world that hope and strength of mind can get us through some of the most desperate situations we could ever imagine. For these men, life will never be the same. In some ways, I think the same could be said for the country.
In case you haven't watched the news, the 33 miners that had been trapped for more than 2 months underground are making their way out. Starting last night at about 5 pm, all the news stations began covering the last stages of this remarkable rescue. There was only one feed from the top of the hill where the team was working so all the video feeds were the same thing and, more or less, all the reporters were saying the same thing. As if the anticipation wasn't already jacked up enough, many of the stations showed numerous special stories about all different aspects of the experience that these men, their families, the community, the president, the minister of mining and even the media had gone through. At almost midnight, the rescue capsule finally reached the den where the men have been waiting anxiously for nearly 70 days. Some 20 minutes later, the capsule poked out from the hole in the ground and the entire country gasped. The first miner came out of the capsule with a big smile and immediately hugged his crying son. This was just the first of the 33 but everyone suddenly felt such joy at an accomplished mission. They really did it and I still think most people can't quite believe it has worked out as well as it has.
The Chileans are so very proud of this moment and what it means to the history of their country. The news constantly reminds the viewers that the entire world is watching what's coming out of that small hole in the middle of desert of northern Chile. I think we, in the US, take for granted how often our news is everyone's news. In Chile, there isn't much attention given to the comings and goings of life here around the world so this is a truly special moment. I heard one TV reporter mention that this news story will be the thing that people will begin to remember Chile for instead of some of the less favorable memories some may still harbor. Before this, most people around the world who knew Chile was a country and not something you put on your food to make it spicy, might have mentioned the recent earthquake. Obviously, the earthquake was a tragic experience for the people and not something most would classify as a happy memory. Others might think of Salvador Allende, the US backed overthrow of his government and the subsequent presidency of General Pinochet that was filled with oppression and human rights abuses. These definitely aren't the type of associations most Chileans would want you to think about when mentioning their beloved country's name. This incredible rescue is something that every person is proud of. Chile, and it's people, have done something never before accomplished. No one had ever been trapped underground for that amount of time and come out alive. No one had ever been trapped underground that deep and lived to tell the tale. Chile now has 32 heroes of their own (1 is Bolivian). They've shown the world that hope and strength of mind can get us through some of the most desperate situations we could ever imagine. For these men, life will never be the same. In some ways, I think the same could be said for the country.
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