Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Notes on a Sunday

Sunday, September 28, 2008

“…for people whose farthest horizon has always been tomorrow” – Ernesto Che Guevara, The Motorcycle Diaries

I've received some feedback that this post was negative, which is not what I intended...I will redraft and post again!

Monday, September 29, 2008

Chris' school

We toured Chris' school on Saturday! Hope you enjoy a few photos!

http://picasaweb.google.com/mcatherinelambert/CalamaInSeptAndOct#

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Pictures

Here a few pictures from my post below (San Pedro, Antofagasta, Iquique). I did not take many pictures because I had already seen the towns and the days I had hoped to see new sites...I was sick...Enjoy!

http://picasaweb.google.com/mcatherinelambert/NationalIndepDayWeek#

Cultural Thursday

Thursday…my favorite day of the week. My classes on Wednesday contain only bliss – the students listen, pay attention, and (overall) like me. This does not hold true for other days. Somehow, every Wednesday the universe knows I need a hug followed by a Thursday of reflection. I only teach one class on Thursdays at 8 am. Now that my schedule seems to be a bit more set, I’m relishing the time to absorb, prepare, and relax.

It’s now 11:11 am…time to break out a Quaker Sabor a Mousse de Chocolate bar (a treat Kat gave me yesterday). Imagine a Quaker Chewy Granola bar…but even more coated in sugar. I take a minute to read the label…it must be a foreign company because there is a %VD – Valores Diarios. I never realized how much I rely on the marketing teams of each food company to inform me of what percent of fat, protein, etc I need each day. Clearly, I’m incapable of doing to the math myself. I never look at actual fat count – I only look at the percent. In Chile, they do not include such percents. I’ve been trying to flex my nutritional knowledge to judge just how much saturated fat I should consume each day. I’m happy to read “sin grasas trans” on the label. Speaking of gras, Bob would be pleased to know they call calories here: energia. Every time I see the word, I can hear his voice saying: a calorie is only a measure of energy…isn’t more energy good?

My class finished at 9:30 this morning. I spent an extra hour guarding two cell phones for my students (they were in gym class, saw me, and asked me to watch them) and chatting with Meri on Gmail. Meri introduced me to the program in Chile and just returned to the corporate life in DC.

After my computer time, I walked a few blocks from school to pick up the D bus. I can take the D and X buses home. I usually take the X, but the D arrived first. I tried to take every part of the bus into my memories. I sometimes fear that I won’t remember my daily routines here. With the sudden need to record more, I took out my notebook and jotted a few things down…

My two bus rides each day occupy about 40 minutes (20 minutes each way), depending on how many stops. In the morning, I take the time to talk with Rodrigo. In the afternoon, I people watch. The buses are old, but neat…not clean. Trash seems to escape the interior cavities. This particular bus has green vinyl seats, which are mostly ripped and tattered. All of the buses have cloth curtains to block the sun. The windows remain shut – I assume to keep out the dust. The cost is 400 pesos during the day and only 100 pesos for students. 500 pesos = 1 US dollar. The drivers are all Chileans and usually friendly. Bus stops do not exist – you simply wait along side of the road (on one of the routes) to get on the bus and stand to alert the driver when you want to get off. The buses jerk and sway with each change of gear and bump in the road. The roads are mostly paved in Calama. Drivers easily make new roads though in certain areas where the ground is flat. Pot holes are enormous here. More dangerous for bikers than cars. Drivers often swerve to the opposing lane of traffic to avoid the large divots in the road. As I approach my house, I realize that I’ve finally learned the roads and know exactly where I live. For the first month, it was always a gamble knowing when and where to get off the bus.

Now that I’m at my computer, my thoughts drift back to my conversation with Meri. She enjoys her return to 8 hours of computer work, Starbucks…a paycheck, etc; however, she also misses the life here. Routine and customs truly are different in Chile. At first glance, I saw many similarities. With extra time to observe and live the culture, I see more variations in lifestyles. Here are a few…

Littering – putting trash in a can is not common. It’s more common to eat a candy and toss the wrapper, wherever you may be. When my students leave my classroom – it looks like I haven’t swept in weeks. Papers, pen pieces, wrappers, tissues cover the floor. The same applies for the streets and public areas.

Coffee and Milk - both are powdered/instant here.

Time and Scheduling – time really does not have much weight here. Most meetings, classes, and functions start late. For example, students won’t come to class until 10 or 15 minutes after the bell…the same applies for teachers. No one seems to keep a planner or schedule…its simply unnecessary. Plans change too often and seem to occur only days or minutes in advance. This has its positives and negatives – it’s nice not to have every minute devoted to some sort of task planned weeks in advance. It only becomes an issue when trying to plan something such as a vacation or event that requires more preparation. All of the volunteers are learning to let go of their sense of urgency. Set dates and times are a thing of the past...for now.

Celebrations – building from the idea of scheduling, celebrations seem to be much more relaxed here. While we would spend days preparing for an event (Christmas, July 4th), Chileans do not. On September 18th (their equivalent to July 4th), the volunteers woke up and burst onto the streets to find…not much. Barbeques, a community party, and sporadic parades during the days following the holiday summed up the celebration. It was enjoyable experiencing a holiday without the stress. Celebrations seem to be much more low-key here. I assume that it ties into not having a culture of planning ahead of time.

Food Diversity – in the States, each month seems to have a different food focus. In October, we eat/drink spiced cakes, pumpkins, cider, and German beers. In July, we dine on watermelon, corn, lemonade, and hamburgers. In January, we curl up with hot chocolate, stews, and mashed potatoes. Different regions of the US have their own specialties – in Arizona and California, Mexican food dominates – New England feeds us fresh seafood and clam chowder – the South dishes up fried chicken, corn bread, and sweet tea. For as large and diverse as Chile’s landscapes are…its food is not. Empanadas (pino and queso), pressured cooked chicken and rice, cazuela (a beef soup with large pieces of vegetables), a bean soup with spaghetti noodles (I forget the name…), churrasco (thinly sliced beef), pan (three types of white bread – round, square, and French), manjar (the most popular spread here – dulce de leche – used on everything from crackers to cakes), and berlins (cream filled pastry) can be found in any city during any season. I’ve learned how to make pastel de choclo (a corn dish with the Pino empanada filling) and hope to learn how to make empanadas soon. I plan on having a Chilean feast once I get back – you will be able to try all of the favorites here in one sitting! I enjoy the food here…it just surprises me that there isn’t more variation.

I started to miss home a little bit during the last two weeks…food poisoning and busted toes will do that to people. This week, I’ve returned to cherishing the moments I have here living an entirely different life. I will see so much in a new light when I return…and will long for the moments surrounded by a life completely foreign.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Lack of Blog

Hello! Sorry its been days since I've updated this page...I spent a week without my computer (I know - I can barely believe it myself). I've learned that I'm quite addicted...I get a bit edgy without computers, phones, music, etc.
For the National Independence Day (Sept 18th) - I had almost a week to explore the North of Chile: Antofagasta for one day and Iquique for five. Antofagasta proved to be...not as nice as Iquique. The best part was an amazingly new, modern mall in the middle of an otherwise dirty city. I felt like a homeless person washing my filthy hands and face in the neat bathrooms (equipped with toilet paper, soap, AND hand dryers - not something you see everyday here). I have about three pictures from the town. Not much to see. Iquique is a great beach town (you've already seen photos from my first trip)...but I acquired some type of stomach bug or food poisoning while I was there. Three days of feeling gross did not permit any adventures.
Volunteers from around the country joined us up North to enjoy the warmth. The hostel was more like an English Opens Doors reunion! Our best moments were spent in the hostel - eating, playing games, watching Chile vs Australia in the Davis Cup, gathering at the beach across the street, etc. While our favorite Australian was not happy to see Chile win, he did entertain all of us with his classic guitar skills. Who knew one person could know about so many subjects...my favorite quote of his: "want to hear a Russian song or Brazilian?"

This week, I've settled back into classes and have taken on a new project: helping one of my students apply to colleges in the United States. He loves the idea of Princeton - but money, competition, and time probably won't allow that to be a reality. I've included a picture of my classroom here - sans students. I will need to take more pictures with my students. Kim, mom, and dad have been able to chat with a few of my students. They love hearing new American voices and hearing more about the States. Skype could not be more helpful! I will be home this weekend and hope to write something a bit more interesting!

Friday, September 12, 2008

Photos of Ayquina and Rural Towns!

Ayquina - about 60 miles of walking across the desert! I still need to add captions....In the photos, you will the Atacama desert - Kat - John - and the many faces of Ayquina.
http://picasaweb.google.com/mcatherinelambert/20080907Ayquina2008#

Rural Towns - 3 rural towns outside of San Pedro. The volunteers visited them on Thursday, Sept 11th.
http://picasaweb.google.com/mcatherinelambert/20080911RuralTowns#

Today - I'm off to experience the Chilean health care system again - never a dull moment! I will not be online much over the next week due to the National Holiday on September 18th.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Mountains to Climb

I type and listen to Tracey Chapman…her voice immediately brings me to a place from long ago. Kairos. I lay in my bed listening to “At This Point in My Life.” I don’t think about Kairos very often. Honestly, I don’t remember much of it, but right now, I crave that time.

The desire to retreat grew stronger after the last two weeks. It’s incredibly easy to get caught in daily routines, occurrences, and doldrums – no matter where you are.

On Sunday, Rodrigo asked me, “Do you like your life?” I wasn’t immediately sure how to answer that powerful question. “I love so many parts of my life – my family, my travels, my introduction to a new culture and people…” I then flipped the question back at him. He quickly answered, “No. I like to ask other people to see why they enjoy life.” I then climbed onto my soap box and explained how lucky he was – what an amazing life he possesses – and with that, what potential. He wakes up every day in a democratic society where he has the privilege of going to school and creating his own path. This conversation will continue I’m sure…hopefully, I will have something more inspiring and less prefabricated to say.

His question fit into the many subjects drifting through my mind this week. Enjoying life and learning from others who have lived in the moment – the many facets of this idea have spread to every corner of my brain.

Separate from the reasons at home, it’s difficult not to reflect on life when living in a city where depression and suicide are growing problems among all ages. What blinds a community from seeing all that life can offer?

I plan on investigating that question this weekend. John, Kat, and I will join the community and walk to the neighboring town Ayquina for a religious festival. The festival of Our Lady of Guadalupe of Ayquina is one of the most important religious festivals in the area. We will walk for two days (Friday and Saturday) and celebrate on Sunday. We look forward to our pilgrimage and the opportunity to experience the desert, absorb moments of solitude, and jump entirely into the culture of Calama.

Stay tuned for photos and stories...“At this point in my life...I’ve gone through hills, but I still have mountains to climb…” – Tracey Chapman

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Cueca!

Cueca is the national dance in Chile. I've seen it performed a few times...by professionals. As these pictures and videos will show you - its not as easy as it looks! Javier, the music teacher at my school, visited the house tonight to teach me Cueca. He is an incredibly patient person...as most of you know, I have zero grace.

This link has photos from Valley Forge (my parents included a few before sending my camera), our house in Calama, and of course - Cueca!

ENJOY!

http://picasaweb.google.com/mcatherinelambert/NewCameraAndCuecaDancing20080902#

(PS - I've moved from Pimp My Ride to Guns N'Roses, Lenny Kravitz, and Bon Jovi...I plan to keep the pop culture flowing in my classes!)