New month, New pants, New ID card, New season

June has arrived, and it has brought winter with it.  Despite that less than thrilling news, June has also brought a lot of good with it.

The situation with the dog bite is finally settled.  My student and I called up the woman after I bought my new pants, and after a lot of rude comments about how ¨the dog bite wasn´t that bad¨ and about how I was being dramatic about getting rabies shots the woman agreed to pay for my pants.

After sending an email to the wrong address, getting a call asking what race the dog was, resending my banking information to the correct email address, getting a letter from the court of Las Condes that no crime was committed, and waiting for over a week for her to respond, she FINALLY transferred the money to my account.

Dockers (like most clothing) are pretty expensive here and they don´t have sales.  They also don´t sell pants in length lower than 32 inches, so I had to send them out to get fit to my size.  In the end they cost 37.990 pesos, which is just shy of $80.

Throughout the whole fiasco I found myself getting frustrated and worrying about how it would work out, but after reassuring myself that it would all work out I felt better.  I still lost over $100 due to classes that I had to cancel to get the rabies shots and the night of the incident, but at this point there´s nothing I can do about it.      I´ve also grown to realize that it´s not worth getting caught in past injustices and that it´s best to just move on.

The other big thing that June brought was the finalization of my permanent residency here.  I went to the civil registry last week and went through the formal process of photos, filling out a form, and getting my picture taken for my ID card for the third year in a row.  The nice part is that my new ID card is valid for five years, AND my picture looks much better than my old one did.

I´ve also found myself becoming more confident when problems arise.  I was in line to pick up my ID card with two people in front of me, and a guy came in after me and blatantly walked up to the counter cutting in line in front of the three of us.  I made my way next to him and made the comment ¨Hay que respetar la fila po." which translates to you have to respect the line.  He didn´t even look at me and mumbled about how he just had to drop off a piece of paper.  Luckily the woman helping us heard the disagreement, and she let me clarify the order of the line.  It might seem like something small, but being able to speak up about a small injustice like that in a foreign country and in a foreign language is an empowering feeling for me.

Last but not least, June has brought winter.  Those of you that know me know how much I hate cold weather.  After having been a paperboy for my middle school and high school years and having delivered newspapers through multiple blizzards and snowstorms from 1992 to 2000, I developed a vehement disgust for snow and any type of weather that makes me put on any type of heavy coat.

Well, that season is here once again.  I´ve decided to change my attitude this year.  Yeah, I still don´t like winter.  But is there any positive in it?  I´ve come up with the following positives to winter weather:

1. It´s a good excuse to use and enjoy the down comforter and flannel sheets that I wouldn´t use otherwise.
2. It´s good weather for making tomato soup and enjoying it with a piece of bread.
3. It´s nice weather to stay in and watch TV or play video games.
4. It´s also a good reason to get some new winter clothes every year.  At least that way I can somewhat look forward to wearing multiple layers of clothing.
5. The rainy weather that accompanies winter in Santiago clears out the heavily polluted air and allows for an amazing view of the Andes the following days.
6. I´m very fortunate to have winter clothing, blankets, and a space heater to help me keep warm.  It´s very easy to forget that and take things for granted.

So do I still hate winter?  No.  Do I love it? No.  But now at least I see the positives and won´t wake up in a bad mood for the next 2 or 3 months over something that I can´t control.

I hope everyone up north is enjoying their summer.  I´ll be enjoying mine around the time that you´ll be bundling up for the winter in November and December.

When dogs attack, Mistaken for a Mormon, Becoming Chilean, and Grammar Answers

So about 2 weeks ago I was bitten by a dog.

It happened in Las Condes, which is a well to do neighborhood of Santiago.  I finished a class and was on the phone calling a student and passing by a woman talking with a friend and her dog, and the dog started barking at me.  Then it bit me in the back of my leg.

I looked at my ripped pants that I had only worn twice and called out to the woman.  She didn't even notice what happened until she came over. She apologized, and when I asked what she was going to do about my pants she told me she'd pay a maximum of 20.000 pesos, which is about $40.  When I told her my pants cost more than that she started saying I was taking advantage of her.

After trying to reason with her for a few minutes I gave up, telling her I didn't agree but didn't have the time to settle it then.  I got her name, ID number, and phone numbers.  I also gave her my business card.  My student was waiting for me for my next class.

So my student for my next class picks me up on the way out of his office and we then drive to my place for the class, and when he saw my ripped pants he insisted that we go to the police right away.  After 4 hours of driving around between the police station, hospital, back to the police station, and home, I was exhausted and wanted the whole ordeal to be over with.

To make a long story short, I had black and blue marks on my leg where the dog bit me and that I now have to get a series of 5 rabies shots. (Luckily it didn't draw any blood.)   I was also mistaken for a Mormon at the hospital.  (I was wearing black dress pants, a white dress shirt, and a black tie that day.)

After getting home at 11 that night I went to sleep but was waken up by a phone call at 12:30.  After filing the police report the police forgot to give me back my ID card, so I had to go get it.  I waited until the next afternoon, and after talking to multiple people in the office and being told to sit and wait I finally got it after being persistent and asking again and again (which included a half hour wait).

So what's happening with it now?  The woman was truthful and gave her real name, ID number, and phone numbers.  I'm buying new pants in the next few days and am compiling documents showing the classes I've had to cancel to get the rabies shots (on specific days between 9 and 11 in the morning) as well as the class I lost the night of the incident.  I'm going to ask her to pay me the full amount of the pants as well as my lost classes.

Here´s what the rabies shot paperwork looks like:

No matter how many times I tried, I was unable to rotate the pictures above.  To save you from craning your necks sideways here´s what the gray box says:

No olvide que usted ha sido mordido por un animal sospechoso de rabia.  La rabia siempre es mortal.  Ud. está en peligro.

Translation?

Don´t forget that you´ve been bitted by an animal suspected of having rabies.  Rabies is always deadly.  You are in danger.

It's a frustrating situation, and I just want to get it settled.  I hope that she'll cooperate with me and take responsibility, but given her attitude I'm not hopeful that it will happen.

On a much happier note, I am now a permanent resident of Chile!

My letter that let me legally stay in the country for 6 months while the government processed my paperwork expired on Friday, so I went in on Tuesday to file for an extension.  While looking around I noticed a friend of mine was also there, and so after we got our numbers we got to chat and catch up.

After about an hour wait my number was called, and when I went to the desk the woman pulled out a small but official-looking document.  She gave me a half sheet to sign acknowledging I was getting the paperwork from her, and she gave me another half sheet with instructions on what to do next.

Here's what it looks like:

Looking at it, my residency was processed and approved on April 13th.  I got this on May 22nd, and I still never got the official letter in the mail that it was processed.  (Chile is notorious for taking a long time to mail out the letters to people).

I was a bit surprised that I didn't need my passport or get any type of stamp in it, but apparently my new ID card will indicate that I'm a permanent resident.  Permanent residency will allow me to get a credit card, a more comprehensive bank account, vote in elections, and pretty much do anything that Chileans can do.

I'm just a few steps away from completing the process.  I registered with the International Police and they took my photo and gave me a new registration card, and after that I went to the Civil Registry to apply for my new ID card.  Once there I found out I needed photocopies of particular documents which I didn't have at the time, and I didn't have enough time to get the copies and return to complete the process, so I decided to finish that part another day.

And I have taken another step towards becoming "Chilean".  I ate not only my first but my first AND second  completo on Friday.  For those of you who aren't aware of what they are, here's a visual aid:



What is that, you query?

Well, it's tomatoes, onions, mustard, mayonnaise, and a hot dog bun.  Oh, and under all of that is a hot dog.

I have seen plenty of completos in my time here, but I've never had the desire to eat one.  So how did I manage to eat TWO of these in one day?

I have a Friday class at lunch with a great student, and he always orders us each a sandwich from Dominó, a  famous sandwich chain in Santiago.  Instead of the usual sandwich this Friday, however, I was greeted with 2 styrofoam completo-shaped containers.

I´ll be the first to admit that I´m not the poster child for eating healthy.  I enjoy pizza, cakes, cookies, and things like that.  Seeing people eat completos at 10 in the morning (with a Coke to drink) however, makes me intestines start to cry just at the sight of what they´re doing.

So I dug in and ate them.  Some mayo and tomatoes fell off when I ate my second one.  I didn´t really enjoy it, and my intestines protested for the next 24 hours.  I don´t think I´ll ever willingly eat a completo again, but some people have told me that eating one is a key ingredient to becoming Chilean.

Last but not least, what are the answers to the grammar puzzle from my last post?

When using adverbs in English, there is not only one correct word order.  I´ve sorted them into groups with the adverbs in boldface:

Group 1  Subject Adverb Verb

Daniel sometimes takes the bus to work.

Some people always need to drink coffee in the morning.

She almost had a car accident.

Group 2 Subject Verb to be  Adverb

I am rarely sick.

They were both late to the party.

She is usually on time.

Group 3 Subject Verb 1 Adverb Verb 2 (perfect tenses, auxiliary verbs, future, and passive)

My brothers have never been to Chile.

You should always eat breakfast.

Exception 1: Sometimes can be at the beginning of the sentence.

Sometimes Daniel takes the bus to work.

Exception 2:  Probably

Subject Verb Probably

Homer is probably at Moe´s tavern.

Subject Probably Verb in Negative

Homer probably isn´t at work.

Well, that´s all for now.  It´s 10 AM and I figure I should go to Dominó to see some people feasting on completos.

The 2012 Census, a Submarine, Spanish Classes, and Adverbs

It´s mid May, and the weather has been changing slowly.  I've had flannel sheets on my bed for about 2 weeks now, and I recently changed over my comforter from my regular one to the down one.  The mornings are cold with temperatures dipping down to 40, but by mid day it has been getting up to 70 or so.  The temperature change makes it difficult to dress for the weather, at least for me.

Well, this year they're counting the people here for the census.  On some students front doors I've noticed stickers showing that they have taken the survey and answered the questions.  I was wondering if I'd get to take part in the process, and earlier this week I got the answer: Yes!

The doorman rang up to my apartment letting me know that someone would be coming around, and so I sat and waited anxiously.  After about half an hour, a woman rang the doorbell.  She wore an officially looking blue apron and carried a packet of questionnaires with her.  I stood at the door and answered a variety of questions, which included my job here (for the purpose of the survey I'm an independent contractor), asking if I have any disabilities (deaf in my right ear), the energy used in the building (I named the electricity and water companies), where I lived in April of 2007 (Lake Balboa, CA), and more obscure ones such as the materials used to construct the walls and roof of the building (I just shrugged my shoulders).

So after about 20 minutes of questioning I got my sticker!

I have it proudly displayed on the front door of my apartment.

When I was at McDonald's the other day I got a submarino.  With that being said, let me clarify two things:

1. The only reason I usually go to McDonald's is because they are located near one of my classes and have free wifi.  If I get something there it's usually just fries and a soda or some tea from the McCafe.

2. No, I didn't get a full sized submarine there.  I got a mini one.

So here's what it looked like:

You take it and submerge it in a glass of hot milk, and it eventually melts and gives you a yummy glass of hot chocolate.  Here's what it looked like before:

And after:

They actually get a bit fancy too.  In the before picture you'll notice a small cookie and glass of carbonated water to go with my order.  It was something nice for a change instead of the normal tea that I order.

Since I got back to Santiago in March I've felt like I haven't been doing much to stimulate myself intellectually (outside of preparing materials for my classes), and so I decided to start taking Spanish classes.  

Those of you that know me and my level of Spanish are probably wondering why I'm doing so.  I'm fluent and credentialed to teach it, but I still want to brush up on the finer points of grammar and improve my accent.  Besides that, it gives me something to look forward to each week.  I'm taking classes with a university student that is studying linguistics and English, and so far they are going well.  I want to really master pronunciation and be able to roll my r's like native speakers do.

To wrap up this post, I'm going to leave you with a grammar puzzle.  Here are a variety of sentences that use adverbs in them.  The adverb is in bold.  What are the rules of English to determine word order in sentences with adverbs in them?  Can you change the word order of any of these sentences and still have them be grammatically correct?  If so, how?

            Some people always need to drink coffee in the morning.

            Some Chileans probably won’t go to work on Septermber 20^th.

            Daniel sometimes takes the bus to work.

            My brothers have never been to Chile.

   

            She almost had a car accident.

  

             I am rarely sick.

            Homer is probably at Moe’s Tavern.

            She is usually on time.

            They were both late to the party.

             You should always eat breakfast.

Post your ideas and comments, and in a week or two I'll post a response and explanation so you're not all left in suspense!

Day of the Youth Combatant

Today marks an important (and usually destructive) day in Chilean history.  In Spanish it is called Día del Joven Combatiente.


It all came about during the military dictatorship that lasted from 1973 to 1990.  There was a protest against the Pinochet dictatorship on March 29th, 1985 in which 2 brothers were killed by police.  As a result, there has been violence on this day ever since then as a way of striking back against the police and military and also remembering the brothers who lost their lives that day.

Sure enough, in class today some of my students told me about disturbances earlier today.  In the Estacion Central area of Santiago there were Molotov cocktails being thrown in the street during the morning rush hour.  (Molotov cocktails became the English vocabulary word of the day.)  Estacion Central is also the neighborhood where the 2 brothers were killed, so most Chileans expect things to happen in that area.

Everyone is advised to be careful and to get home early this day, and so I am relaxing at home and beat the rush hour traffic.  Apparently buses and taxis will stop running because they become worried about getting broken into or attacked, and it´s common to expect to see protesting, tear gas, and water cannons throughout the city.  Many Chileans leave work early and it´s common for businesses to close early too.

Much like the earthquake on Sunday, this is something that is completely normal for Chileans.  They have become used to protests and striking back against authority, and one can see the roots of this in the Chilean classroom.  (It´s common for elementary to high school students to do whatever they want in class and have no respect for the authority of teachers).  While it is something that probably horrifies those of you reading this, it is part of Chile and part of the culture.  Protests and the resulting violence and chaos have strangely become normal for me, and I´ve accepted it as a part of the culture and experience of living in Chile.

I came across a new article with a description of what happened on this day in 2007.  It has some pictures of the destruction and conflict in it to give you a real idea of what it gets to be like.  Rest assured that I do not live anywhere near where this happens, and I am sure to stay clear of the chaos.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17862795/ns/world_news-americas/t/chilean-police-battle-rock-throwing-students/#.T3TKJTEgdWY

So, would you like a Molotov cocktail with your dinner tonight?

Bogotá (no pictures yet)

Bogotá is the capital of Colombia, and after Mexico City and New York it is the 3rd largest city in North and South America.  It doesn´t have a subway, so the 8 million inhabitants travel either by car, bus, or taxi, causing major traffic each morning and evening.

With so many people moving from one place to another, the streets, sidewalks, and bus stops are chaotic masses of people, cars, taxis, buses, and motorcycles that can be very confusing and disorienting to the foreign visitor.  I´ve found myself pushing my way through crowds, getting bumped into by people as they pass through (ironically even if there was enough space to move around me), and being jammed onto the buses.  One thing that I notice is the same as in Chile is the lack of a concept of personal space and that it´s not polite to push people onto a bus so that you can fit on yourself.

Despite the challenges of navigating such a sprawling city, it´s a nice place to visit.  The city in general isn´t as modern as Santiago, but you can still find everything that you need.  People are friendly and helpful, and it´s common for everyone to talk to taxi drivers, their doormen, maids, and other people that we would probably consider a more formal or less close relationship in the States.

I´ve also heard from people to be careful in Colombia.  While there are news reports of horrible things happening here, those instances are mostly in remote areas and are not the norm.  I do tend to get a bit nervous when I am out walking, but I always keep my hand in my pocket covering my wallet and my bag with my camera in front of me.  But I haven´t had any problems, and I don´t go out at night alone.  As with traveling anywhere, it seems like a good dose of common sense goes a long way.

So, what have I done so far here?

I arrived bright and early Wednesday morning and got a taxi to my friend Marcial´s apartment in the northern neighborhood of Chico.  We had some breakfast, and I napped to catch up on the sleep I didn´t get on the red eye flight.  We got some amazing burgers at a place called El Corral, and then I explored the La Candelaria area.  I got some hot chocolate and browsed an arts and crafts market, and I bought some artwork by Fernando Botero.  (He´s an artist from Colombia that is well-known for his depictions of very round and overweight people in most of his art)

At night Marcial and I went out to get some drinks in the T zone.  It´s an area with bars and restaurants with terraces, and they have become very popular in the past few years.  The area is in the shape of a T, hence its name.

Today I woke up with a bit of a sore throat, but I didn´t think much of it.  After a yummy breakfast of arepas, I headed out to catch a bike tour at 10:30.  By the time I got on the bus, however, I realized I wasn´t going to make it in time.  It turns out that there was a protest blocking traffic to where I had to go to, and so I had to get off the bus a few stops early.  Luckily a girl was going to the same area as me, and so we talked while we made our way there.

Since I didn´t make the bus tour, I decided to check out a few museums.  The Museo de Oro (Gold Museum) was pretty amazing, and it documented the role of gold in cultures dating back to thousands of years BC.  The artifacts they had on display were amazing.  After that, I went to the Fernando Botero Museum.  It displayed a lot of his artwork from over the years, and it was really cool seeing his work up close.  Unfortunately they didn´t have my favorite pieces of Los músicos or Tres músicos, but I still enjoyed seeing what they did have on display.

Remember that sore throat I mentioned that I woke up with?  Well, it didn´t get better as the day went on.  As I was going into the first museum, I started feeling warm and had body aches.  I had just spent about an hour getting to the area, so I decided to take it easy and at least check out the two museums.  Afterwards I got on the bus and made my way back to the apartment to rest.

After resting for most of the afternoon into the evening, I´m now feeling much better.  I took aspirin and got a sandwich for dinner, even though I wasn´t that hungry.  (I had gotten a few snacks in town with some hot tea, but they weren´t really much of a meal.)  Marcial thought it was good old altitude sickness, but I didn´t have any of the usual symptoms.

In any case, tomorrow I am off to Cartagena, a beach town in northern Colombia.  The beaches are supposed to be amazing, and there´s supposed to be lots to do there.  I actually haven´t done too much research about it, so I´ll see what they suggest when I get to the hostel.

A Map for Saturday

I'm sitting in the JFK airport in New York, anxiously waiting to board my flight to Bogota.  The woman at the check in counter was understanding about my bags being slightly overweight and let me through without a problem.  

I didn't do much preparation for this trip in regards to finding tours and deciding what I'm going to do besides explore Bogota and Cartagena.  I'm a bit anxious about the trip due to what people say about safety issues in Colombia, but I'm just going to let common sense and my instinct help me navigate my trip.  

On Youtube last night I found a documentary I saw on MTV a little over 2 years ago.  It documents a TV producer's decision to leave his hectic but well-paying job in New York to travel the world for a year.  When I saw this it reaffirmed the wanderlust that I got when I first went to Germany.  It's about an hour and a half long, but very inspiring and interesting.  If you have the time to watch it feel free to post comments and let me know what you think.

Here's the link:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-TpSCDv04g

Enjoy!

Los Angeles, Jersey, 2 year earthquake anniversary, and Colombia

Panera Bread is a place I enjoy hanging out when I'm home in Jersey, and probably at least half of my updates while I'm home take place there.  The comfy booths, delicious food, and free wifi create a nice way to get out of the house, and it's a nice alternative to Starbucks.

I'm enjoying a sandwich and cinnamon scone at Panera Bread, and when ordering I ran into a former student who is now in college.  She was there with her mother, and I was mistaken for a fellow college student.  It's a nice feeling knowing that I still look young.  :-)

The past 2 weeks have been a whirlwind of social events, enjoying downtime, packing, and preparing for my next adventure.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words,  so here are a few thousand words:

The trusty Metro Rapid buses that I would use to get around

A meal from the pasta bar at Oxy's cafeteria

A nice touch to a cup of hot chocolate

I always love going back to LA and visiting my alma mater's campus.

Dinner at Olvera Street

cream-filled churros

A landmark at Olvera Street.  Many a pictures were taken here over the years
 I've visited with friends and even on a field trip with students.

I never saw a hand drying contraption like this before.

Venice Beach

Good weather, good friends, good times

After over 4 years, we got to catch up.

yum

You have no idea how beautiful this picture is until you've had In n Out Burger.

Near Anaheim

No, we didn't plan to match.  Great minds think alike.

The Cheesecake Factory with Ellie

Parmasean crusted romano chicken

I didn't get to see everyone I was hoping to on the visit, but it was still a great time catching up with people and reconnecting with people I hadn't seen in years.

My time in Jersey has also been great.  I've been fortunate to catch up with family and friends and enjoy the food I miss. We also celebrated 4 birthdays this month. So here again are a few thousand words:

Outback Steak House

Amaretto sour

home made pot stickers

My brother and sister in law are amazing in the kitchen.

Panera Bread bacon turkey bravo

a cinnamon scone

In the midst of preparing to spend 8 days in Colombia before returning to Santiago, I almost forgot that today is the 2 year anniversary of the earthquake.  It's hard to believe how much time has gone by, and I feel fortunate that the damage was not any worse than it was.  For the second year in a row my dad will unfortunately have to go without an earthquake for his birthday.

With my visit home to the States drawing to a close, how am I feeling?  It's quite a mix of emotions.  It was such a gratifying experience spending time at home and reconnecting with what is familiar to me.  I realize that I've changed a lot, and things at home haven't changed that much.  I'm looking forward to my trip to Colombia, and also to returning to Santiago.

Despite that, there's also an uncertainty in the future.  Will my private classes and institute be as reliable as they were this past year?  Am I going to survive another Chilean winter with freezing temperatures and no central heating?  I am growing a bit apprehensive and cautious about the future, but I know one thing for sure: You never know how things will turn out if you don't give it a chance.

Technology Moves at the Speed of Light

I am becoming convinced that technology is growing at an exponential rate.

At the risk of sounding like an old geezer, technology was in a very different place when I was in Germany in 2000-2001.  (Gosh, was that really 11 years ago?)  I remember the big thing then was to have an email address and to use AOL Instant Messenger.  The camera I had was from Kodak and was APS.  Rather than having the film that you had to set up in the camera it was all internal, and you dropped off a small roll of film to get developed.  In terms of communication, things were still pretty primative compared to today's standards.  The main ways I communicated with my family was writing letters, an occasional email, and calling home once a month.

In college I felt like I was a bit behind the ball with technology.  Sure, I signed up for Facebook when it first came out.  I didn't get my first laptop until I finished grad school in 2006, and I had a prepay cell phone for my first few years of college mostly to use just for emergencies.  I kept a blog on Livejournal for a few years, but unfortunately I wasn't able to use it to document my travels before I got it.  Cameras became more advanced, and I had a digital camera to take pictures.

Now it's 2012, and technology has come a long way.  Skype lets people make video calls to see each other.  You can also make international phone calls for cheaper than Skype with Google Voice.  Blogs have become a part of mainstream culture, and cell phones now make phone calls, send text messages, and connect to the internet.  Wifi connections have become standard in coffee shops, and are even available in airplanes, trains, and some subway stations.

After having felt a bit behind, I feel like I've caught up a bit.  I have a Kindle Fire and can read books for pleasure or to kill free time between classes or when traveling.  My new laptop has an integrated webcam, meaning that I can now video chat with family and friends.  I'm actually typing this update while on an Amtrak train from Los Angeles to Anaheim to visit some friends.  My camera is nice enough to take pictures and even record some basic video, and it suits my needs.

I don't have a smart phone, and I really don't want to get one.  I just don't feel like paying extra money every month to be able to access the internet on a phone.  I mean, it would be nice.  Between a laptop that I can carry with me and my Kindle Fire, I think that that will be connected enough to suit my taste.

I told myself that I would use free time (like this time on the train) to prepare documents, search for resources for teaching, and do productive things.  Yet I find myself on Facebook, playing Angry Birds, and doing not so productive things.

This leaves me wondering a few questions.  Is technology really that good for us if we don't use it to be productive?  Is it a good thing to feel like we're dependent on the internet, email, and Facebook?  Has technology becoming a part of our daily life improved or worsened our relationships with people and the amount of time we spend with people face to face?

I find a mix of yes and no with these questions.  I don't have time to elaborate now, as I have reached my stop at Anaheim.

Experiment Results and Oktoberfest

So October is over, and so is my monthlong experiment in frugality.

What were the results of the experiment?  Well, here's my best shot at summarizing them.

Despite having 6 hours less of classes and one week with 8 hours of cancellations from private classes on top of that (all cancelled within the required time period and therefore unpaid), I was able to get through the month without having to withdraw money from my bank account or use a credit card.  This month reinforced the notion to me that it's so easy to spend money more easily when you have a larger income, but in those months when you have less income it's very easy to want to kick yourself for eating out so much or spending money the way you did when you had more of it.  I realize that this doesn't happen just to me, but to almost anyone in that situation.

I also found that it's not really that difficult to watch my spending.  I did two main things to help spend less money.  The first was that I only carried around the amount of cash I knew I would need (I never carried around credit cards here anyway), and I exercised self discipline in asking myself if I really needed what I wanted to buy or if it was an impulse buy that wasn't necessary.  Most of the time it was an impulse buy, and with a little forethought and planning I could avoid the situation.  Most days I pack my lunch and snacks throughout the day, and it simply required the planning to prepare everything the day before.

Walking when I would normally take the bus also helped this month.  I walked to most of my morning classes, and a few days when the weather was nice I walked home.  The walk each way was usually about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes, and it was a nice way to give myself time to think and clear my mind.  I also found that the exercise got my blood flowing and I felt more relaxed by the time I got to my classes or home.

With that being said, I didn't deprive myself of all spending during the month.  I ordered pizza twice during the month.  I realized how expensive it was and recognized it as a luxury, but I also knew that I worked hard during the week and wasn't in the mood to cook.  When one of my afternoon classes cancelled when I was on the way there I had about an hour and a half to kill before my next class, and so I went to the metro escuela militar which has some shops and places to eat.  Earlier in the day I decided I was going to get a sandwich at Subway for dinner, so I decided to go to the Subway there to pass the time.

Then on the weekend I went with some friends to Oktoberfest.  No, it wasn't the real one in Munich, but it was the closest thing you can find here in Chile.  It was in a town called Malloco half an hour (in theory) outside of Santiago, but becuase of it being a Saturday and the first day it took us over two hours to get there.

Once we got there, it was worth it.  It was about 80 degrees, clear and sunny.  There were a lot of people, but the area was huge.  We spent some time waiting in lines, but we passed the time catching up or talking to the people in line with us.  I got to eat sausages (although they weren't German bratwursts), churros, and tried a few different types of beers.  A lot of stands sold glass Biersteins that you could get refilled, so I got one and then was able to keep it as a souvenir. 

By the end of the day I had spent about 15.000 pesos at Oktoberfest, which is about $30.  In the grand scheme of things it really wasn't that much money, and it was a fun experience. 

So what is my conclusion of the experiment in frugality?

1. It takes a bit of self discipline and planning.
2.It makes you decide how you really are willing to spend your money.
3. It makes you walk the fine line of being frugal but at the same time not depriving yourself of things.
4. I also had to think what was the purpose of saving this money and if I really wanted to or not.
5. It's very easy to accumulate things that really don't have much value, and I'd much rather spend my money on experiences like traveling or one time events like Oktoberfest.

This month I'm looking forward to my students returning from vacation, more warm and sunny weather, and possibly taking a weekend to go relax on the beach.