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.

Memories of a Younger Time

Traveling back to a familiar place is always a treat.  There are the memories of important events, times with friends, trips around a city, and the daily life that became a part of your routine.  It's interesting to see how some things don't change much over time, but at the same time there are new businesses, new bus lines, and new faces.  Despite that, it bring back a flood of memories (good, bad, and somewhere in the middle) that helped shape the person you are today.

I have currently had this experience in Los Angeles.  I arrived in LAX, which brought back memories of trips home to visit family, but returning to LA to resume my studies or work.  There were also 2 vacations to Mexico sprinkled in there somewhere.

Taking a trip to Occidental (my alma mater) involved taking a bus from West LA to Union Station, then another from Union Station to Eagle Rock.  During my first 5 years in LA I didn't have a car, and so I spent a fair amount of time commuting by bus or bike.  Riding the buses made me remember the times I went by bus to explore downtown LA, the time I had to do a cultural event for a Spanish class and waited over an hour for the bus to go to Olvera Street, and I even passed by the courthouse where I was summoned for jury duty during Spring Break one year in college.  A few people loaded their bikes onto the front of the rapid bus line, which is the same service I used to get around from time to time.

Union Station and Olvera Street are always places I visit when I come to LA.  Union Station is beautiful with its architexture, old design, and it just has a charm about it.  Olvera Street brings back memories of trips with friends, Day of the Dead celebrations, and a field trip with some of my students when I taught in Woodland Hills.  They had never been on public transportation before, and they had a great time exploring, seeing what the area was like, and just being out of the classroom for a day.

After about an hour and a half and two buses I made it to Occidental.  The length of the ride didn't bother me at all, as I was able to listen to my Ipod and watch the scenery to pass the time.  Walking through the neighborhood brought back the memories of living off campus and hanging out at the local coffee shop.  On campus, I felt the nostalgia of eating on campus, walking to and from classes, and living in a world where I didn't have too much to worry about besides classes.

The students on campus seemed so carefree.  Seeing that makes me wish I was back in college, and part of it makes me regret not having been more carefree when I was there.  At the same time, I was in the situation of taking demanding classes and also having to work to make ends meet, so having enough energy for a social life or being carefree didn't seem like much of an option at the time.

Spending time with friends, visiting familiar places, and reconnecting are all deeply fulfilling things that I have been very fortunate to have each time I come back to Los Angeles.  If it weren't for the economy, I would venture to say that it would be something that would bring me back to the City of Angels.

Visiting Home

I've now been home for a week now, and it feels good.

Seeing family and friends and catching up has been a really rejuvenating experience.  It's been such a nice feeling sleeping in my own bed, getting home cooked meals, and being around everything that is familiar to me once again.  My time so far has involved watching TV with my dad, visiting the mall with friends, a few Magic marathons, a birthday breakfast with my brother and sister in law, catching up with the Rotary Youth Exchange folks that sent me to Germany in high school, and going out to eat with friends.

It's a strange albeit nice feeling being back.  I love the cheap prices and seemingly endless variety that I can get when shopping at the food store or at Target, and the same goes for buying clothing here.  A 10 oz bottle of sunblock for 5 bucks?  Dress socks for a dollar a pair?  Binders for a few dollars each?  I'll take it.  All of it.  As long as it all fits in my luggage when I come back.

My time has also been taken up by new technology: a new laptop with an integrated webcam and mic (which is now perfect for catching up with family and friends via Skype) and a Kindle Fire.  Since I won't be able to access the free TVs and movies in Santiago I've been taking full advantage of the streaming content and have been watching The Wonder Years from the first episode.

Over the years I've built up a huge number of books, textbooks, and general resources for teaching.  I've also put off cleaning through them and my personal possessions each time I've been home, but now I'm slowly sorting through things.  It's amazing how much you can accumulate without realizing it, and going through it brings back a flood of memories of all different types of events over the years: middle school and high school awards, yearbooks, pictures and photo albums from trips, journals, books from my childhood, and the list goes on and on.

And of course I've been enjoying the food.  Here are some pictures of what I've had to eat since I've been home:

A pizza steak

Parmasean crusted chicken with some pasta and tomato salad

apple crumb pie a la mode

some food that I've missed

a made to order salad (I wish there were more of these!)

What's a visit to the mall without going to Cinnabon at least once?

A homemade meal of pork chops, mashed potatoes, spaetzle, and corn.  And yes, I'm aware that that's a lot of starch and carbs for one meal!

Chik Fil-A!

A meatball sandwich from Wawa.

Order out Chinese to help with the hunger after a Magic marathon

I wish they had Belgian waffles in Chile.

I'm very fortunate to be able to visit friends in Los Angeles, and I'll be boarding the plane to go there in less than 2 days!  Have a Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Packing Up

My laundry is in the dryer, and I'm sipping on some orange juice and listening to the radio in my apartment as I type this.  This time tomorrow I'll be on the plane from Santiago to Bogota.

This year has absolutely flown by.  I can still remember first coming back, my dad visiting, and moving into my new apartment.  I took some amazing trips, had wonderful work opportunities and students, and shared good times with friends here.

On Friday night Katie and I had a joint celebration for our birthdays (her actual birthday is today).  It was a really nice event, and it brought together some of our friends that didn't know each other before.  Here are some pictures of the night:

I'm going to spend the day finishing my packing and cleaning, buying last minute gifts, and possibly meeting up with friends for a drink.  See you soon everyone!

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.