Office Celebration, a Trip to the Emergency Room, and a Birthday Dinner

Well, turning 30 has certainly been an adventure so far.

On Tuesday my bosses had cake and champagne to celebrate my and 2 coworker's birthdays.  They're both really thoughtful people, and it was a really nice way to come together and celebrate.

Then for my 30th birthday I had a surprise trip to the emergency room.  I was out walking near Plaza Italia, and I was walking down a step.  The ground that I stepped onto wasn't even, and I twisted my ankle.  There was a railing along the entrance to the metro right there, and so I leaned up against it.  A guy was riding his bike and saw what happened, and he stopped to help me.  He walked me over to a police van and helped me get in.  The policeman was helping a woman and a child at the time, so I sat and waited for about 5 minutes.  Then a few other policemen came and I explained the situation.  They helped me into a police car.  At this point I had to take off my shoe and sock because my ankle was swelling up to the size of an apple.

So my understanding of it was that they were going to take me to a clinica (which is what we consider the equivalent of a hospital in the States), but I was wondering why a camera man was in the car with us.  It turns out that they had to go to a car accident that was nearby first.

A driver decided that they were going to change lanes in front of a bus, and the bus dinged the car.  I sat and waited in the police car as patiently as possible.  I asked a few times how much longer it would take and I was told "un rato mas"  (a little longer).  So in the meantime I realized I had the number to call Cruz Blanca (my insurance company) to see what to do for treatment. 

The call went something like this:  (It was in Spanish but I'm telling it in English):

Automated Voice: Welcome to Cruz Blanca!  If you're a member press 1.  If you're not a member press 2.
I press 1.
Next Automated Voice: Please type in your RUT  (Chilean ID number)
I put in my RUT.
Third Automated Voice: If you have a secret code please press 1.  If you don't please press 2.
I press 1.
Fourth Automated Voice:  Please input your 4 digit code.
I put in what I thought was my 4 digit code.
Sixth Automated Voice:  I'm sorry, but there is no secret code registered to this user. 
Seventh Automated Voice: For questions about your health plan, press 1.  For medical attention, press 2.
I press 2.
Actual Person: Welcome to Crzu Blanca!  How can I help you?
Me: Hi, I was out walking and had an accident.  I'm with the police now but need to get medical attention.
Actual Person: OK.  What neighborhood would you like the hospital to be in?
Me: Um, well.... I live in Nunoa.
Actual Person: OK, so we have Clinica X that you can go to, but first you have to buy the bono (like a copay) for 24.000 pesos.
Me:  Well, I don't have the money on me and it's an emergency.  Is there a hospital near me in Providencia.
Acutal Person: Yes, there's Clinica Y.  The address is.... and the cost is 11.000 pesos.
Me: OK.  Thank you.

I told the police officer and camera man (who was back in the car now) the name of the hospital and the address, and they told me we'd leave in a few minutes.  In the meantime I called my friend Chris to see if he'd be able to visit me there.  He told me that he'd be able to make it.

So the police got me to the clinica, and then they checked me in.  They brought me via wheelchair to the waiting room, and I had to give them my information.  I asked them to hurry up because the pain was getting worse, and so they did.

After talking with the doctor, some X rays, and getting an IV for the pain, the doctor concluded it wasn't a fracture.  This was really good news, becuase he told me I wouldn't be able to fly with a fracture.  He gave me a prescription for medication as well as some advice on how to take care of myself for the next 2 weeks.  Shortly after he finished Chris and his Chilean girlfriend Grace arrived.  They kept me company while the IV finished, and we caught up for the first time since September or October.  I didn't even think about it when I first called Chris, but Grace is a doctor and so she was able to talk to the doctor and give me advice on the situation too.

So meet my best friend for the next 10 to 14 days:

It's a soft boot, but the bottom of it is solid plastic, and it's a boot that was made for walking.  It holds my foot in a locked position, and when I've walked in it I haven't had any pain so far.

Chris and Grace helped me get checked out and get the meds that I need, and then they took me out to dinner.  I went back to the Italian restaurant that I went to a few weekends ago.  The food was delicious, and they surprised me by turning off the lights and having everyone in the restaurant sing Happy Birthday to me while the violinist and accordian player played. 

Obviously an accident and going to the hospital isn't a good thing, but it was a really nice feeling knowing that I have great friends that I can depend on in an emergency (and I know I have many more besides Chris and Grace for those of you reading!)  They really saved the day and made my brithday one that I certainly will never forget.

What's the downside to the boot?  Well the obvious is dealing with the pain and limited mobility.  I'm hoping that I can get a seat on the place with extra leg space due to the boot, so we'll see.  Then there's the more practical things that you don't think about.  One is driving, which I won't be able to do for the first week that I'm home (it's my right foot that is injured).  Another is sleeping, which I wasn't able to do successfully with the boot on.  After trying to find comfortable positions for a few hours I resorted to taking it off for when I sleep but being very careful.  The good thing is that I have most of my packing, errands, and cleaning done before I fly home on Monday.  I also have enough food in so that I don't have to make a trip to the food store before my flight.

The last (and probably most practical problem) is the following:  I don't know if I can wear long pants while I'm wearing my boot at the same time.  It's summer here and I've been wearing shorts, but I'm going back to winter (or what is supposed to be winter) weather.  I'll have to try putting on a pair of jeans while having on my boot as an experiment later today.

Well, tonight I'm looking forward to a joint birthday celebration with Katie (her birthday is on Sunday) and seeing some friends I haven't seen in a while.

Reflections on the Next (and Past) Years of Life

Today is my birthday.  It's also my first day of vacation and my first day of getting to sleep in without having any responsibilities in a long time, and of course my body woke me up bright and early at 6:00.  After realizing that I wasn't getting back to sleep, I decided to make a cup of tea and reflect on entering a new decade of my life.

Up until now, I feel pretty satisfied with what I've accomplished in my life.  I've developed my musical skills with bass to the point of being able to perform in community orchestras (and at one point NJ All State Orchestra and Philadelphia Youth Orchestra), and I've written an award winning musical composition.  I've gotten my undergraduate degree in Spanish and German as well as my teaching credentials and Masters in Teaching.  I've lived in Germany, Mexico, Spain, and Chile, and I've gotten to travel around Europe, the States, Mexico, and South America.  I've taught kindergarten, high school Spanish and German, and most recently English to business professionals in Santiago.  In California I presented workshops about effective teaching methods in the world language classroom at the school, state, and national level.

Beyond these tangible accomplishments, I feel very fortunate to have wonderful friendships and relationships with family.  I'm really looking forward to going home and getting to spend time with the people that know me best and to reconnect.  As I'm writing this, I'm seeing my Facebook wall being filled up with birthday wishes from friends all over.  It's a nice reminder that even though I'm not very good about keeping in contact with people that there's still a connection between us.

The travel opportunites are another thing that cannot be measured.  I have seen some amazing sights and have met some really amazing people, but I cannot pinpoint the most beautiful sight or most exciting travel experience.  While a picture or description on a blog can show a lot, it doesn't encompass the entire experience and how it changes you as a person.

In the same sense, I have grown a lot but am far from perfect.  I am a pretty sensitive person (which can be a good thing when working with students) and I still tend to take things personally.  Although I don't show it a lot, I can get downtrodden easily, focus on the negative, and have a hard time letting things go.  I also feel that I want to become more social and outgoing, less anxious and uptight, more assertive, and a better friend to my true friends in life.  Eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise is also a struggle for me.

So, what are the next years of my life going to look like?

I've made great gains in regards to my confidence and English teaching abilities, but there's always new ideas to try out and more to explore.  I am fortunate to have some colleagues (and a boss) who take teaching as seriously as I do, and seeing their dedication to teaching is downright inspiring.  I want to continue to have a professonal dialogue and exchange of teaching ideas with them to keep improving my skills.

I know that I'm capable of eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise, as I've kept gym routines before and have also incorporated waking into my daily routine during the nice weather.  It's a matter of finding the exercise that is going to work with my schedule and having the self discipline to make healthy food choices.  This is something that I'm going to conciously make a part of my life.

And obviously I want to continue traveling.  There's so much of the world to see and so many amazing people I have yet to meet.  One day I'd like to travel for a period of 4 months or longer, without any day to day plan or travel itinerary.  I always admired the people that I met that traveled around the world for months at a time, not knowing what day of the week it was and not having a care in the world.  I'm hoping that I can save up money and take a trip like this, and also let myself be ok with traveling without having a set plan.

Another competing thought about my future has to do with my finances.  I still have my college loans to pay back.  I've been out of school for 5 years now and have paid back a considerable amount of my loans, but I still have a long way to go.  Add to this the fact that one of my loans is unsubsidized and accruing interest every day and living in a place where wages are much lower than in the States, and paying them back does not become an easy task.  I'm also not expecting to receive any type of Social Security from the States (or any government for that matter), and so I've started saving money to have a stable financial future.

They say that you should always try to learn something new, and I've given thought to continuing with music down here.  As much as I'd love to play the bass, I think the size of the instrument and not having a car would make it difficult to contine my studies down here.  What I have considered, however, is taking up the viola.  I played the cello in high school in orchestra and a bit after college, but I find myself wanting to try something completely new.  Hopefully my neighbors will be able to tolerate my practicing here.

Last but not least, I want to keep growing.  I'm happy with the progress I've made in life, but I know that there's a lot more to learn, a lot more to see, and great new friends that I'll meet in my future.

And so I set out on the same adventure I started when I came to Chile, but now one year older, one year wiser, and starting a new decade on this crazy roller coaster ride we call life.

Counting down the days

In 9 days I'll be back home.

It's a strange feeling.  I know that it's coming up, but it doesn't quite seem real.  Realizing that it is coming up coupled with having a lot of free time with classes winding down (but not enough free time to do much traveling since I still have morning classes) has left me feeling a bit anxious and not quite sure what to do with myself.  So in order to cope with that I've found myself doing everything I can to come home.

My preparations have included a variety of activities.  I took advantage of my health benefits here and got an eye exam done.  And once again I found out that the phrase "costo cero" (zero cost) does not mean zero cost.  My eye appointment that I scheduled was supposed to be free, but I ended up having to pay about 12.000 pesos (about 24 dollars).  This wouldn't have bothered me too much, but I didn't have the money on me at the time and so I had to reschedule the appointment.  When I went back it was like a typical appointment in the States: The eye doctor's assistant trying to unsuccessfully shoot a puff of air into my eye due to my excessive blinking and sensitivity to light and touch, reading letters off of a chart with one eye covered at a time, and the doctor shining lights into my eyes to check them out.  An interesting difference was that in addition to reading letters off of the chart they also had objects at the end of each line, such as a shoe, a ball, a duck, etc. 

In the end I found out that my prescription hasn't changed at all.  I also found out that sadly I'm not eligible for laser eye surgery becuase my eyes are so bad to qualify.  I was pretty much expecting that response.  I would be lying if I didn't say I was disappointed, but there are much worse things that could happen in life.

I've also been cleaning through my apartment and am getting rid of old things I don't need.  I filled up 4 medium-sized bags with clothing that are a bit worn out or that I don't wear any more.  After a few unsuccessful attempts at getting a donation pick-up company to take the things away, a Chilean friend was over and was able to take the things to share with his family and friends.  I'm also getting rid of a bookcase that is too big for the apartment and will hopefully be getting a smaller one once I get back.

Perhaps the most exciting part of preparing to come home is contacting family and friends and making plans.  It's going to be so great to see everyone I know and be back home around what is familiar to me.  Another part of returning home is going to be shopping for clothing and things at cheap prices and one-stop shopping at places like Target as well as enjoying the food.  I'll also leave the Stone Age with my computer that is dying a slow and painful death (it's 6 years old) and enter modern society with a laptop that has an integrated webcam and microphone.  This will let me Skype with people and be able to see each other while we talk, and it will be awesome to be able to catch up with people.

I'm expecting (and hoping) that these next 9 days will go by quickly.  My bosses are having an office celebration for 3 of us that have February birthdays on Tuesday, and one of my friends and I are having a joint birthday party Saturday night.  A few of my friends aren't able to make it on Saturday, so they suggested going out for drinks on my actual birthday (which is Thursday).

A Visitor, Some Realizations, Finishing Classes, Live Music, and Italian Food

Last weekend I had a visitor for the weekend.  Stefani (who I met in Pichilemu) was finishing up some traveling around South America, and she was going to be in Santiago for the weekend without a place to stay before her flight back to Denmark.  Rather than staying at a hostel I told her we should hang out and she could crash on my couch.

The weekend included a trip to downtown for some shopping, a fruitless attempt at finding chocolate chips to bake cookies (the store I went to before was closed and Lider was sold out of chocolate chips since they were on sale), making M&M cookies instead, lunch at El Aji Seco (a Peruvian restaurant), watching youtube clips (we are both very amused and a bit scared by the honey boo boo child from Toddlers and Tiaras), tanning by the pool, video games, and of course Papa John's.  (Stefani had never had it before).   It was a lot of fun, and I hope to stay in contact and that I can one day visit her in Denmark.

I don't like to talk about negative things on here, but I've come to some realizations in the past few weeks.  I'm not really much for going out late, but it seems the Chileans I know really enjoy partying and going out to discos and bars.  When I first got here I enjoyed going out to get to know people and since it was new, but since then the novelty has worn off.  I've tried extending invitations of lunches, dinners, or coming over to my apartment for drinks, but unfortunately those invitations have gone unacknowledged or  declined over and over again.  I'm realizing that I don't really have too much in common with these people, and so I've decided to try and get to know people that enjoy things other than going out to party.  I've also realized that some people here have had the same friends since elementary school, and so entering a social circle like that isn't always easy.

With being here for almost two years now, I've gotten to meet a good amount of people.  Some people are staying long term like me, while others have come here to study for a semester or year.  Yet others come here traveling through South America or trying their hand at living in another culture while teaching English.  It has become pretty commonplace to meet someone, get to know them, and then find out that they're leaving Santiago.  My first thought is, "But he/she was only here for.....".  Then I realize that for some people a period of 3, 6, or 10 months away from your family and the comforts of home can feel like an eternity.  Some people also are turning the page to end one chapter of their life and are looking forward to starting a new one, whether it be returning to their home country to start a career, go to grad school, or travel to see another part of the world.

I've met some really cool people that have left Santiago, and I'm really enjoying keeping in contact with them.  Although some of them I may not ever see again, it was a cool experience getting to share this experience of living in Santiago.

I'm also realizing that unfortunate situations happen and people have falling outs.  It's a shame that misunderstandings between people sometimes can't be worked out.  I've realized I can't change people's minds and while they may not want to keep in contact, I feel grateful for the relationship we had before then and dediced to end things on a positive note.  It wasn't easy at first, but I realized I feel a lot better reacting in that way and in my opinion being the bigger person.

Talking about relationships ending, I am also finishing a good amount of my classes with my students at Grants English.  I have truly grown to look forward to classes, as we talk about our weekends, traveling around Chile, our families and friends, and our opinions about things happening in the world.  I've debated the student protests and compared private versus public schooling in Chile and the States in one class, and in another class a student told us about the challenges of buying a house and finally buying one and making the move.  I've helped students prepare for presentations in English and prepare for trips to the United States.  Traveling to these classes and chatting with the secretaries and having classes has become a part of my routine, and so not seeing these people is going to be an adjustment for me.  I'm truly thankful for having had such wonderful students, and I'm hoping to stay in contact with them and possibly have future courses with them next year.

On the other side of things, I've been able to reconnect with people after not having had contact for a long time.  With the distance between me and family and friends it's easy to put off staying in contact.  But one thing I've found with true friends and family is that no matter how much time goes by you can always pick up where you left off.

Those of you that know me well know I love classical music, and I was lucky enough to see an impromptu concert on Friday afternoon.  I fnished at class at 6:00 and didn't want to fight the traffic home, so I walked part of the way.  Near the Paris at metro Los Leones I came across a musical group with a handful of violins and violas, a few cellos, a few flutes, and a French horn.  They plaed a classical arrangement of some popular Chilean music, some music from the Nutcracker Suite, the March from Carmen, and the Can Can Dance song (I can't remember the exact title, I think it's Orpheous or something like that).  There was a large crowd surrounding them, and the music was so energizing that the crowd grew bigger and bigger.  A few of the violinists were dancing while they played.  It was a really cool thing to see and made the walk home enjoyable.  I recorded video of it but it wasn't uploading, so I'll try to upload it later.

On the weekend a few of my good friends that I haven't seen in a while came over to visit.  We relaxed by the pool and caught up, and afterwards we went to an Italian restaurant near where I live.  The portions were large, and the service was amazing for Chile.  During our meal a musical group comprised of a violinist, accordian player, and bassist came in and played a few pieces for us.  It was a really nice experience, but unfortunately I forgot my camera.  I'm considering going back there for my birthday next week for dinner.

The next two weeks will include tying up loose ends with paying bills and such while I'm back home, celebrating my 30th birthday, buying gifts to bring back with me, arranging my classes for when I return in March, and enjoying a bit of free time and the summer before returning home to the winter weather.

I'll be landing in New York at about this time in exactly 2 weeks.

A quote and the sunset from my apartment

Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to

you; not because they are nice, but because you are.

Unknown

Karaoke in the Park, Online Bill Pay, and Counting Down the Days

While people back home are enjoying an usually mild winter, I am in the middle of summer in Santiago.  The summer weather has afforded opportunities for barbeques and parties in the sun, and I went to an event last weekend.

At first it was only for the Spanish/German language exchange, but then the other language groups got in on it too.  It was at a park near the Estacion Central area of Santiago, and I had a great time.  There was plenty of food and drinks, warm weather, plenty of shade sitting under the sun, good company, and karaoke.  I'm not known for having good singing skills, but I sang 99 Luftballoons in German and then Otherside by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  It was great chatting with new people and getting to speak a mix of Spanish, German, and English.

Since I'll be home in 23 days, I've started doing the little things to preapre for the trip.  One of those things is figuring out how I'll pay my bills while I'm gone.  Living on my own no one will be there to get my bills.  I considered leaving a statement with the doormen and finding a friend to pay the bills while I'm gone, but then I found out that I can pay bills online here!

While this certainly doesn't sound like a big deal to most of you, it's something really nice here.  Usually you have to do one of two things to pay your bills here:
1. take your bills to a grocery store, input the information into a computer that then gives you a ticket that verifies the account and amount, and then pay when you check out.
2. take your bills to a bill pay center (here most are called ServiPag) and wait in line from 5 to 25 minutes to pay your bills.

I've gotten used to doing one of the two things listed above, but after poking around on my bank account online I figured out how to pay online.  It's pretty similar to back in the States: create a new payee and indicate the company, account number, etc.  (but here you don't indicate the name on the account or address).  Then verify the amount and pay the bill.

There is one striking difference in regards to security.  In order to pay bills or transfer money out of your account, you need a clave de transferencia or a transfer key.  Here's what it looks like:

For each letter and number combination, there's a 2 digit number in each box.  I've covered up all but the top half for security reasons ;-)  In order to finalize any transfer of money out of your account, the website will ask you for 3 random codes, for example J1 C3 A5.  You then input the matching numbes and your transfer is complete!

From the looks of it, the only bill I can't pay online is my internet, but being able to pay 3 out of 4 isn't bad at all.

Now that it's 2012 and less than a month til I return home, I find that I'm counting down the days.  There's actually 22 days left until I land in the JFK airport in New York.  I just looked at my passport, and I arrived back in Santiago February 4th of last year.  This means that by the time I will arrive back home I will have been outside the United States for a year and 2 days.

That will have been (future perfect for those English teachers out there reading this!) the longest I will have been outside the States.  Prior to this it has been between 7 and 11 months at a time, but never an entire year. 

Each day I find myself looking forward to the visit home: relaxing with my dad watching TV, catching up with my brother and sister in law while their cats wander around and vie for affection, visiting my aunts and uncles, spending time with friends playing video games or Magic.  Then there's the things I miss from home: the one stop shopping and seemingly endless variety of products with cheap prices at Target, having a car to get around, good customer service, clean air, TV with clear reception, Panera Bread, In n Out Burger, Philly pretzels, pizza steaks, good clothing at affordable prices.  I'm sure there's more, but I think you get the idea.

On Wednesday I decided to treat myself since I was hungry and craving a hamburger and free refills.  There's a chain restaurant called Mamut that's very Americanized, with burgers, fries, and free refills.  I've eaten here a few times before. 

And here are a few random pictures I forgot to post earlier:

Christmas gifts from some of my students: Bailey's Irish Cream, chocolates from Valdivia, and tea



Metro Tobalaba.  The blue lights and modern appearance makes me feel like I'm in an episode of StarTrek.

 That's all for now.  I hope everyone's 2012 is off to a good start!

Student Protests Documentary

Well, the student protests are over.  For now. 

I came across this on a friend's Facebook page, and it gives insight and first-hand footage about the student protests.  It's intriguing, and so anyone interested in issues of education, politics, and social justice will enjoy it.  It's only about 24 minutes long, so if you have the time to spare I think you'll enjoy it.

And without futher adeiu, Chile Rising: