In an interstellar burst, I'm back to save the universe.

Not really. But, I guess I'm back to blogging.

So, yeah, I've been doing a lot of stuff. So much stuff that I couldn't find time to blog about it, which I suppose is a good thing, because I originally started this blog to keep from going bored out of my mind.

I've been in Chile for about a year and two months now, and things seem to be going pretty well. My Spanish isn't as good as I hoped it would be, but after a year of language teaching I have learned that a person's performance in a second language is rarely at their desired level. You know that famous study where people are asked how much money they would need to really feel secure and happy and nearly everyone, regardless of current income or background, responds that they would need 25% more that what they currently have? It's like that. You'll never be satisfied. I won't be at least. That, at least for language learning, is a healthy thing. The most important thing I've learned from teaching English is that there is so much that I don't know. That, and I that I love teaching, and want to continue doing it for a long time.

Today has been a great day. It's only 2:13, and I already feel confident saying that. I woke up early and it wasn't too cold, wasn't too warm. I started a new class at the port management company, only a 15 minute walk from my house. Small class of beginning level students, my favorite. I came home to my fantastic boyfriend cooking us a full English breakfast, complete with meat products illegally smuggled into the country from England. (I never thought that bacon could bring me so much happiness... or be so addictive.) Then, I found to my delight, that I had absolutely nothing to do for the rest of the day. It's been so long since I've had that feeling, and wow, it was spectacular. I got right down to one of my all time favorite activities, baking while listening to This American Life. (I'm probably the oldest 24 year old on earth.) I still have the rest of the day to do whatever I want, so so so so nice. I think I'll read, maybe get some exercise, maybe get some sun....

I'm probably relishing in this to such an excessive degree because last night I finished a semester of on-line classes that had been looming over my head since January. I hate on-line classes, which unfortunately I didn't realize until about 3 days into the courses. Regardless, I'm now a few steps closer to that Advanced Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and the ESL Endorsement needed to teach ESL in Washington State schools. I'm getting there, and it feels quite good. Now all I need are two more classes and that pesky Masters in Education....

I love how summers here slowly fade out. It seems like no one does any work over the summer, except for those who work in tourism. As a teacher, my class schedule basically fell to nothing at the end of December and stayed that way until last week. Summer theoretically ends on the first day of March when all the kids go back to school, but the weather is still nice, and the business culture is pretty strange and disorganized, so business as usual doesn't really get going again until now, the end of April. Things will start to fade out again in September, springtime, leading up to Chile's Independence Day on September 18th. The whole month of September is a great excuse to eat nothing but meat, bread, and pebre, all using only your hands, if you are into that sort of thing. I was for the first few weeks of the celebration, as a show of solidarity, trying to be a true participant in the cultural experience. By the actual day of the holiday, three weeks into September, I couldn't even bare to look at any food besides steamed broccoli. I don't know why I am writing about this. I guess it says something about my experience here. Gringas really are funny to watch. I guess I now understand why everyone thinks it's so cute when I say "mish!," or when I argue in bad Spanish with the colectivo driver for being over charged by 50 pesos (a few cents).

Being away from the United States has made me miss it tremendously. Mostly, I miss blending in. I miss being boring and normal. I miss having the option to leave my home and talk to new people without them asking why I am living in their country, what I am doing, and what I think of it. I miss being able to speak without being concerned about my grammar. I miss being able to make jokes. I miss being able to buy any kind of tea from any place in the world and lots of other silly little things like Chinese food delivery, the “free stuff” section on Craigslist, and the Weather Channel.

Still, my life here is pretty good, and I'm finally not so overcome with desire for cheap, well made socks to realize that. I'm not making very much money, partially because I'm a push over, but I make enough to get by. I absolutely love the Central Market, a grimy produce market with screaming vendors that most people I know can't stand. I love the public transportation system. Buses are incredibly frequent and cheap. They even run from the bus station to Santiago every 15 minutes during peak hours. The fare for local buses, or "micros” also frequently comes with a complementary adrenalin rush, either from a death defying overtake (my god, British English), an elbow in the face, or a near death incident with a pedestrian. They also provide me with my daily dose of reggaeton and an update on the latest pokemon fashion trends. I use them to perfect my disguise. At this point I think I could completely pass for a disenfranchised 16 year old, only if I didn't have to speak, though.

I really do love the micros. They remind me that I am alive. They remind me that I am living someplace very different than where I came from. Although sometimes I miss having a car, I definitely prefer micros as my main mode of transport.

Another thing, I also love that I can eat manjar (dulce de leche) for breakfast if I want to, and it's not even considered excessively decedent. I've only done it a few times, but it is nice to have the option. I love the beaches. I love the view from nearly every spot in Valparaiso. I love Chilean Spanish with all its weird eccentricities, and I love how much Chileans love it too (po).

So yeah. My life here is good.

Chile, I'm not done with you yet.

Besos,
Allicita