Things that I didn't know would be different but are different than they were eleven months ago:
-Tualatin has a Jimmy Johns?! Awesome.
-New Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants book...not reading it is not an option.
-I had to update the information on my library card.
-Everyone thinks I smell different. Combination of campfire (wood burning stoves) and old people (average age of people in my Chilean home including me: 57.5).
-...that's about it.
I read the Returning Home section of my study abroad info packet and am happy to report that I'm not yet experiencing reverse culture shock (although being happy is stage one...uh oh). However, Bridgeport Village seemed...more sinister somehow. Other side note, I keep practicing what I'll have to say to strangers in my head before I talk to them before I realize that they speak English so I can just wing it.
I am very happy to be home.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Final Days
So I've been thinking a lot about the great USA and how much I miss it and how surreal it will be to be back. I think that after driving down I5 again, Chile will seem like a distant dream. Like in that episode of Even Stevens when Louis dreams about getting abducted by aliens but later that day finds the tattoo they left him (I didn't get a tattoo). I do have just a few reservations about returning home and I shall list them here.
1. I'm going from mid-January to mid-July in 24 hours. My legs are doing that so-white-they're-blue thing and I actually haven't seen my bare knees in weeks because I'm constantly wearing pants to fend off the frostbite. I swear there was once at time when I didn't rotate between three wool sweaters and two pairs of pants, but Lord knows I don't remember it now.
2. Michelle Bachmann. America, I want to love you, and I do. But only you could spawn this lady and have enough people care about her that I have to know who she is.
3. I left my phone in Buenos Aires. I'm sort of looking forward to getting a new phone (it will be the cheapest one offered) but I have zero contacts and don't want to do a fbook group about it. So for some time I will be texting everyone back with, 'sorry, who are you?'
4. Spanish. I'm afraid that I will lose everything within the first ten minutes of being back in the US. Must find a way to keep speaking it. Sorry family, but I'm going to be watching Telemundo and renting Spanish movies without subtitles. Also, I think there is way more pressure to be good at Spanish there than here, because here everyone assumes I know nothing, but at home...everyone will assume I know everything (which I don't). Plus, Mexico is actually a different country than Chile (who knew?) and that makes me a little nervous about the Spanish that I'll be hearing.
5. Do I still know how to drive? Is it like riding a bike?
6. That annoying person that never stops talking about their study abroad experience and accidentally drops Spanish phrases obnoxiously because she is so used to it and compares everything to Chile and who not infrequently uses the phrase, "well while I was backpacking through Patagonia..." or, "the Spanish translation of that is really funny because..." And NOBODY likes that person. This, this is my greatest fear and I'm going to try so hard not to be that person.
1. I'm going from mid-January to mid-July in 24 hours. My legs are doing that so-white-they're-blue thing and I actually haven't seen my bare knees in weeks because I'm constantly wearing pants to fend off the frostbite. I swear there was once at time when I didn't rotate between three wool sweaters and two pairs of pants, but Lord knows I don't remember it now.
2. Michelle Bachmann. America, I want to love you, and I do. But only you could spawn this lady and have enough people care about her that I have to know who she is.
3. I left my phone in Buenos Aires. I'm sort of looking forward to getting a new phone (it will be the cheapest one offered) but I have zero contacts and don't want to do a fbook group about it. So for some time I will be texting everyone back with, 'sorry, who are you?'
4. Spanish. I'm afraid that I will lose everything within the first ten minutes of being back in the US. Must find a way to keep speaking it. Sorry family, but I'm going to be watching Telemundo and renting Spanish movies without subtitles. Also, I think there is way more pressure to be good at Spanish there than here, because here everyone assumes I know nothing, but at home...everyone will assume I know everything (which I don't). Plus, Mexico is actually a different country than Chile (who knew?) and that makes me a little nervous about the Spanish that I'll be hearing.
5. Do I still know how to drive? Is it like riding a bike?
6. That annoying person that never stops talking about their study abroad experience and accidentally drops Spanish phrases obnoxiously because she is so used to it and compares everything to Chile and who not infrequently uses the phrase, "well while I was backpacking through Patagonia..." or, "the Spanish translation of that is really funny because..." And NOBODY likes that person. This, this is my greatest fear and I'm going to try so hard not to be that person.
I mean, if you want to hear about this experience, I'll tell you! But if not, I swear I won't mention it.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
So Close/Far
Blogging as a method of procrastination is an entirely new option for me, but here I am, avoiding my final projects in lieu of updating my four readers (hello, China!) about the last days of my Chilean life on the internet.
Well, I am two papers and a presentation away from winter break (and summer, WEIRD), but the date and place on that presentation is still TBD (most annoying thing) because guess what, the school has been taken. Yes, la U está en toma, meaning that all the students are on strike, they have barricaded the entrances, lit bonfires and are preventing anyone from entering the school. This is part of a national movement for "better education" which from what I understand just means "free education." I haven't actually gotten a satisfactory answer about what their goals are but I am not at all impressed by the strike because from my experience with Chilean classes, attendance is optional, due dates are more like suggestions and class is not expected to start until a solid ten minutes after the scheduled time. I hate it. Strong words, I know, but I always attend class, ALWAYS. I think I have skipped maybe twice in my college career and one of those times was so I could go skiing in Utah. And when I'm one of four that regularly shows up to a class of twenty that only meets once a week, well I feel sort of foolish. Luckily, I am so over trying to fit in in my Chilean classes, so through incessant badgering of my professors via email, I'm doing my finals, national movements be damned. Oh, how I cannot wait for real classes again! Books! Professors that show up on time! Academic standards! Do I sound like Hermione? Maybe, but that is so fine with me.
Well, I am two papers and a presentation away from winter break (and summer, WEIRD), but the date and place on that presentation is still TBD (most annoying thing) because guess what, the school has been taken. Yes, la U está en toma, meaning that all the students are on strike, they have barricaded the entrances, lit bonfires and are preventing anyone from entering the school. This is part of a national movement for "better education" which from what I understand just means "free education." I haven't actually gotten a satisfactory answer about what their goals are but I am not at all impressed by the strike because from my experience with Chilean classes, attendance is optional, due dates are more like suggestions and class is not expected to start until a solid ten minutes after the scheduled time. I hate it. Strong words, I know, but I always attend class, ALWAYS. I think I have skipped maybe twice in my college career and one of those times was so I could go skiing in Utah. And when I'm one of four that regularly shows up to a class of twenty that only meets once a week, well I feel sort of foolish. Luckily, I am so over trying to fit in in my Chilean classes, so through incessant badgering of my professors via email, I'm doing my finals, national movements be damned. Oh, how I cannot wait for real classes again! Books! Professors that show up on time! Academic standards! Do I sound like Hermione? Maybe, but that is so fine with me.
Best part of the strike: someone drew frowny faces on every light on campus.
In other news, ten days! Which means I can start putting stuff on hold at the good old Tigard library in a few days. Big, big plans, I know. Watch out, Tigard.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Holy Smokes!
Two weeks out! Two weeks from today I will be driving down Bedford St, drinking a cup of my Dad's french press, applying sunscreen. Two weeks is a weird time before a big trip because it's too early to start packing but you can't stop thinking about how little time you have left to do everything. I'll probably write more about this later but I do not have any lingering things to do or places to see in Valdivia. I have taken advantage of this city and really feel that I have done it justice. I can almost guarantee that I will never live here again (never say never) but it's been good to me and I will look back on my time here very fondly.
Okay, couple more things:
The ash has arrived! A month ago, Vulcan Puyehue erupted, big deal, ash cloud, evacuations, blah blah blah and yesterday, the city finally got it's first taste of the ash cloud that traveled around the world and closed almost every major airport in the Southern Hemisphere. Yes, the ash that lightly covered Valdivia last night traveled from 70 miles away around the entire world and now it's back. Weird stuff.
Also, I stopped to wish the neighborhood Mormons a feliz cuatro de Julio when I ran into them on my walk today and I am proud to say that they totally thought I was Chilean for a full few minutes of conversation before I told them where I was from. Although, they hadn't been here too long. Mom and Nana and Papa, do you guys remember that Mormon dad in Buenos Aires that thought we looked super clueless so he offered his son's translating abilities? I'm sort of comforted by the thought that no matter where I will go in the world, there are some very friendly Americans right around the corner at the local Mormon church.
Speaking of 4th of July, we're celebrating by watching the America Cup (Chile vs. Mexico) at a local bar which sounds like the least American way I can think of. Sorry, South America (and Portland) but I still don't really give a flip about soccer. Although it'll be fun to be around rowdy Chilean fans. OH and I am further biased against la copa because they are showing the games instead of Tempano! I am never going to find out how it ends! Is Susana really going to marry Damien? Where is all Ampáro's money coming from? Can Teresa ever forgive Javier? Is Luciano the father? Does Monica love Silvio? Will Alvaro ever get justice? Does Loretto still want the divorce? I WILL NEVER KNOW.
So happy 4th, America, see you soon!
Okay, couple more things:
The ash has arrived! A month ago, Vulcan Puyehue erupted, big deal, ash cloud, evacuations, blah blah blah and yesterday, the city finally got it's first taste of the ash cloud that traveled around the world and closed almost every major airport in the Southern Hemisphere. Yes, the ash that lightly covered Valdivia last night traveled from 70 miles away around the entire world and now it's back. Weird stuff.
Dog print in the ash.
Also, I stopped to wish the neighborhood Mormons a feliz cuatro de Julio when I ran into them on my walk today and I am proud to say that they totally thought I was Chilean for a full few minutes of conversation before I told them where I was from. Although, they hadn't been here too long. Mom and Nana and Papa, do you guys remember that Mormon dad in Buenos Aires that thought we looked super clueless so he offered his son's translating abilities? I'm sort of comforted by the thought that no matter where I will go in the world, there are some very friendly Americans right around the corner at the local Mormon church.
Speaking of 4th of July, we're celebrating by watching the America Cup (Chile vs. Mexico) at a local bar which sounds like the least American way I can think of. Sorry, South America (and Portland) but I still don't really give a flip about soccer. Although it'll be fun to be around rowdy Chilean fans. OH and I am further biased against la copa because they are showing the games instead of Tempano! I am never going to find out how it ends! Is Susana really going to marry Damien? Where is all Ampáro's money coming from? Can Teresa ever forgive Javier? Is Luciano the father? Does Monica love Silvio? Will Alvaro ever get justice? Does Loretto still want the divorce? I WILL NEVER KNOW.
So happy 4th, America, see you soon!
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