from now on, two alarm clocks

So my alarm clock definitely failed me this morning, and I'm not sure why. I'm positive I did everything right last night because it worked perfectly yesterday morning and all I did was change the wakeup time from 11 to 8. In any case, I woke up a little before 10, flipped out, then calmed down, got my shit together and hustled down to the COPA office, where there was yet another workshop on how to register (you'd really think they'd have figured out how to make this less complicated, and if this IS the less complicated version...oh god, I don't even want to think about it). So I missed that altogether, but I got the materials and the rundown from Rosie, which was faster and probably almost as informative as the hour-plus Katty version. Then a bunch of people went to the "seminar" on the world through Chilean eyes at la Catolica, which turned out to be a bunch of lectures by some REALLY dry professors on basic world politics, but with a decidedly Catholic bent. This shocked me for some reason. I mean, I know the university is called "La Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile," but somehow I was expecting it to be like Georgetown or CUA or something, where there's a Catholic influence but the religion isn't totally pervasive. One of the lecturers actually wrapped up his speech by saying something to the effect of, "The ultimate question in the coming years is, can the Church receive all the people who have been marginalized and reacted by joining other religious groups? I say, yes." Come ON! Oh well, I'll be taking my poli sci classes elsewhere. So that was disappointing, but we left early and I ended up going to lunch with Sara, Alex, Katie, Esther, Charlie and Valeria (from COPA) at a really good, convenient, cheap place with fast service. I was floored by this place. A good salad, meat dish (my chicked was dry, but other people got good beef, so when I go back I'll just get that), dessert and drink for less than 4 dollars. THAT'S what I'm talking about. A picture of the joint is below. Also, it was right across from Cerro Santa Lucía, so after we finished lunch we climbed to the top of that. It's a really pretty park with lots of trees and a neat fountain and the view from the top is glorious. A few pictures of that are below, too, including one I took just of the sky, so you can get some kind of idea of the smog here. It was nice to be above it, or at least high up in it where it's thinner. Looking at it is just gross.

Anyhow, after that I met up with Rosie, Adam, Justin and Juli in Plaza de Armas, and I finally got my first Chilean milkshake (verdict: good but small, and odd-tasting whipped cream. But good). We went to a little cake place and got a few slices of cake to share and then headed back to Adam's house in Ñuñoa to pore over classes with a bottle of wine. His house is super nice, on a little gated street, and his host mom was very cute. She and his host dad came out to have a glass with us and we talked for a while. Then Rosie and I came back here for dinner, because she didn't want to go home, and we ate and chatted with Luz María. Dinner was good tonight, too. Salad and soup with parmesan cheese and then pizza and then bananas with raspberry sauce. And then queque (pound cake, but smaller) with Luz María's homemade raspberry marmelade. Delicious. But then a friend of LM's came over and she was VERRRRRRRY chatty and I got antsy (I think Rosie did, too, but she could read this blog if she wanted, so I won't put thoughts in her head). Finally I saw my chance and cleared mine and Rosie's places (LM hadn't eaten and her friend was still eating...meals other than lunch here are very fluid affairs), and the hint was caught and I walked Rosie back to the metro so she could head home and now I'm writing this and need to take a deep breath or this sentence will become the run-on to beat all run-ons. Whew.

Classes start tomorrow, and I'm going first to a class at PUC called "Globalización, Mundialización y Desarrollo." Exactly what the difference between globalization and worldization is I suppose would be a subject of study in the class. Then I'll have a break and head to either Modern Chilean Literature at la Chile or Simbology in Cinema at PUC. Probably the former, and if that, then another la Chile class called Social Theory and Structure of Chile. The movie class is too long to incorporate both. I'll report on those tomorrow. Also, Elan, Pimp of the Nation (as I have come to call him) came through today with probably the funniest joke anyone has ever played on me. I still laugh out loud every time I think about it. Picture below...click on it to see the bigger version. Next time I'm at COPA, I'll take a close-up so you can read it. ANYhow, I really need to shave, so I'm going to do that. Here are the pics.


Elan and Valeria and their joke. This is what I get for having 21 photos of myself because it was the smallest amount I could order.


The smog. Cute.


My new favorite restaurant


Big fountain on Cerro Santa Lucía (cerro=hill, by the way)


La cordillera desde Cerro Santa Lucía; at the bottom of the frame is the main building of la Catolica

buen dia

It was glorious outside today, which would have made even the most boring or crappy day great. And my day was not boring or crappy. I woke up late, around 11, showered, made myself some breakfast (this made me feel really great for some reason). Then Luz Maria, David and I went to la feria, which is this enormous open-air market where people are selling all kinds of food and toiletries and clothes and toys and basically whatever you can think of. The best part of is, by US standards, it's insanely cheap. Like, 200 pesos for a kilo of oranges. That's right, 2.5 pounds of oranges for around 40 cents. So cool. We walked around for a while and I took some nice pics of la feria con la cordillera atras (below), and Luz Maria bought lettuce and little tiny oranges and potatoes and tomatoes and a bunch of other stuff. La feria was really fun, chock-full of all kinds of people and all the vendors were shouting and there were a couple of guys walking up and down playing guitars and singing. I'll definitely be back with a luca to buy a ton of cheap produce (a luca is mil pesos, or a little less than 2 bucks).

We came back and ate a huge lunch of chicken and rice and fresh veggies and empanadas (not in that order) and then I cleaned up my room a little and called Izaak. We met up at 5 and took the metro into Santiago Centro, where we walked around the pedestrian streets near la Plaza de Armas (the oldest and most central plaza here). A friend of his from Wesleyan who also happens to be on his program met us after much confusion and we went in the Cathedral and then walked to la Moneda (the main historical government building that Pinochet bombed the living daylights out of during his coup--interesting conspiracy theory about American involvement in that, I'll elaborate sometime). She took us to an exhibit underneath la Moneda of Mesoamerican Precolombian art. It was really neat and some of the pieces were really staggering, particularly one of a conch shell. I wish I could have taken pictures. Anyhow then Izaak got nervous about his family worrying about him--oh Izaak--so I took the metro back with him (we have the same stop) came back here and ate dos completos (hot dogs with avocado, tomato and mayo--very popular here) and now I'm writing this. Gotta choose courses tonight, I'll post the lists as they narrow. Tomorrow there's a thing at the COPA office at 9 and then a cool-sounding seminar at PUC que se llama "Miremos al mundo desde Chile" (looking at the world from Chile). The aforementioned pics are below. The cordillera was a lot clearer today but doesn't photograph well from the city, apparently. It is stunning and you will get sick of me talking about it.

reading play-by-plays of other people's lives is interesting

I think it's wonderful how much you can tell about a person just based on how they talk about themselves and things that are going on around them For example, I just started reading a girl on my program's blog (you don't know whether it's yours, Rosie, so don't give me no guff), and it's so cool to me to see this experience that we're having partially together through her eyes. My view has been kind of pessimistic and down a lot of the time but she's bursting with excitement and openness and I immediately want to try to be more like her in that way.

Today wasn't very interesting. I slept most of the day away (I have not been getting enough sleep here, also I was badly hung over this morning and into the early afternoon). Luz Maria mothered over me while I was in bed and I can't help but think how generous a person she is, to take a new person into her house over and over (I'm far from her first American student) and feed and take care of them and laugh with them and talk to them and expect nothing in return. I really lucked out with her. Also, she cooked a really good lunch/dinner (when lunch is at home Luz Maria usually makes a big meal and then heats up the leftovers for dinner) tonight: grilled chicken, rice with vegetables and salad with quesillo, and of course, as always, tea.

On a super bright note, MDLJ called! It was so wonderful to hear their voices and check in, I only wish I hadn't been so tired so I could have made more interesting conversation that writing can't touch. I hope they get Skype soon so we can talk more. Email is fine but something is added when you can hear a person's voice. Glad to know they're all well and keeping busy, and especially that the dogs are their normal selves. One or the other was sick for a month up until the week before I left, but they got better and stayed better and I could hear them trying to scare off an evil doorbell-ringer while I was talking to Mom. Also I'm trying to make a mix that gives an overview of the music I like, because that's such a common question when you're getting to know someone and it would help to at least have a list in my head that represents what I like. If I ever figure that out, I'll post the track list.

Tomorrow I plan to get up earlyish (other people are going out tonight but I have elected to take it easy given the level of last night's...excitement), shower and then explore my neighborhood, because I haven't really done that yet. I've driven through most of it and walked to the metro and back a ton of times, but it's time to figure out just where the supermarket, pharmacy, cafes, cheap places to eat, etc. are. I'm kind of excited about that and I promise to take lots of pictures. Also I have to put together a list of classes I want to take so I can meet with Isabel on Monday and figure out my schedule. It'll be nice to have a set schedule. I think part of what's been hard for me has been the chaotic nature of getting used to a new city: not waking up at the same time every day, not knowing exactly where I'm going, not knowing anyone, seeing something huge and new everyday. I've loved it so far, despite finding some things hard or disappointing (¿cachai, horrible overpriced italian restaurant in providencia?). It's so exciting to be here and I can't wait to keep exploring. That's enough for now, I meant to just write the first paragraph of this post but, to paraphrase Mark Twain (I think it's him), I'm sorry I wrote such a long post, I didn't have time to write a shorter one. And now, I return to East of Eden and bed. Sweet dreams.

a thought

I have been thinking about this for a couple of days and been meaning to share it (assuming, of course, that it's worth sharing). In English, adjectives come before nouns and in Spanish it's the other way around. Seems to me that this lends English a note of surprise or tension that can't exist in Spanish because you can say, "I saw an enormous black dog" and until you give a noun the dog could be any number of things. But in Spanish you give it up right away, "Ví a un perro enorme y negro." There's no tension in that sentence. The English way is so much more fun. I'm not really sure why I think that's so interesting and it sounds a lot deeper in my head than I am apparently capable of making it sound in writing, but there you have it.

Registration and a couple more pics

Because Dad asked, here's the very convoluted way we register for classes:

IFSA-Butler, aka COPA enables us to take classes in la Pontificia Universidad Catolica (PUC or la Catolica), la Universidad de Chile (la U) and la Universidad de Diego Portales (UDP). We can take all in on or one in each, it doesn't matter. We also automatically take a Spanish language class with just the COPA kids. So that leaves three. We look through our course catalogs and select at least ten we find interesting. On Monday, we're going to meet with Isabel, the COPA woman who takes care of all things scholastic, to look over the classes and get her input on which we should take (that is, which we're capable of passing). Then we spend the next week or so window shopping, visiting each class, talking to the profs, Chilean kids, the COPA people, each other, etc. By August 11 we have to have our schedules finalized so we can enroll for real. That process is different at each school. At la U we just fill out a form online. At PUC we have to fill out paper forms for each faculty we want to enroll in (they're a lot more distinct and autonomous here than in the States). At UDP we have to fill out a general form. Then we have to register them all with COPA with a different form. Then we have to take a nap.

Anyhow, here are a couple more pics of things I thought y'all might like to see.


La casa Ilabaca


El Item y La Niebla


The little river I walk along to get to the metro


My metro stop, Principe de Gales; it's a year old

Pictures!

Toured la Pontificia Universidad Catolica today, after getting their intro talk and then talking to a bunch of students about what classes to take, which professors are easy, etc. (it's important to have decently easy profs here because, well, because I don't speak Spanish, much less Castellano, which is what Chileans call their dialect). The campus we went to (there are four, this one has all the social sciences and also engineering so it's probably where I'd be going) is beautiful and new and shiny and has really interesting buildings and a great cafeteria that wasn't horribly expensive and would have been cheap if I wasn't a dumbass and had looked at the combo specials (hamburger, a drink and desert for 1000 pesos, which is less than 2 bucks). Anyhow then I came home and here I am. Here are some select pictures of things I think are cool/things people might want to see. Too bad the mountains didn't come out as awesome as they look in real life, I'll try to get a better picture on a less hazy day. That might have to wait a couple of months.


Some cool graffiti on Loreley, the street my street (President Ovalle) ends at


Las micros, the insane yellow buses that are super fun to ride but really not fun to get nearly run over by


The courtyard of la casa central de la PUC


A pair of really cute little girls who were playing in the courtyard at the San Joaquin campus of la PUC, the statue I also liked; Chileans really seem to like statuary


The COPA crew on our tour of la PUC...check out the Andes (sorry bout the quality)

The past three days...

...Have been pretty good. Making better friends with some of the kids here, which is cool in a way but also bad because it means I'm speaking a lot of English. That'll change as soon as all the Chilean kids get back from vacation and classes start again (for them, I mean...obviously). Anyhow we toured la U de Chile on Tuesday and the buildings were kind of shabby (in places actually looked like an old chop shop). But the people were super nice and apparently the classes are great despite the facilities' appearance. Also, there was an insane painting on a wall of the Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades that made me feel SUPER welcome as an American, and by super welcome I mean...well, I'll take a picture of it when I go back and then you'll see what I mean.

Yesterday we went to la Universidad de Diego Portales, which is very young but already very good and has GORGEOUS buildings and "infraestructura." People were really cool there, too, and some students even came and talked to us after the intro speech. The speech was a little annoying because we had to get up early and go to the COPA (what they call the program I'm on down here) office to hear Valeria give, practically word for word, the same speech, then chill for a while, eat lunch and go to UDP to hear it all again. We should have just met at 2 and damn the COPA office. Oh well. After that some people went home and some went to Tim(Wilkins...there are two, the other's name is Becker)'s house, which is next to UDP and then Tim and Rosie and Amalia and I went back to Amalia's with a bottle of wine and some kind of pisco drink and played spades for hours. Fun times. In further fun news, Elan and I have pretty much come to the point where either of us can just look at the other one and burst out laughing. I'm not exactly sure how this happened, but there you go. So basically I've been laughing a lot today and my cheeks kind of hurt.

Speaking of today, we had to wake up reeeeeally early to go the International Police office to register our visas. It was far away but in a cool part of Santiago that I hadn't seen before, and the main boulevard there has an absolute knockout view of the Andes, which we could see today for the first time in a few days due to lots and lots of rain. But today was nice and after we were done with the po-po the spades crew (that being those kids mentioned above in relation to spades) went out for some breakfast. Then we went to another office, in Providencia, to get our Chilean IDs. That place is supposed to be like the DMV but worse, but it wasn't actually so bad. We do have to go back to actually pick up the cards, though, which is really annoying. All in all, though, my most bureaucracy-heavy day so far wasn't that bad. Also we had lunch in a good restaurant, which was a great find because the food here (except in my house and at la Naturista) has been pretty bad. Anyhow my eyes are closing, so the specifics of how to register and whatnot that Dad requested on the last post will have to wait. Time for a siestita. More later, I'm sorry about how boring this post was. Play-by-play without color commentary really sucks. ¡Chao!

Santiago Centro

Had lunch today with my RC prof Cristhian in a good vegetarian restaurant in central Santiago. I wouldn't go there a lot cause it was kind of pricey (although cheap by US standards), but it was tasty and packed full of interesting looking people. It was nice to see him and least get to speak Spanglish. We started all in Spanish and then it degenerated into a kind of awkward mix that might be called Spanglish, or maybe not. Whatever. Anyhow, the old part of Santiago is nice, there are some pretty old buildings and the cathedral is very interesting, I'm going to have to go back there on a sunny day when I have lots of time. Then I finally got a plug adapter and some batteries so I can use this baby whenever I want and also set my alarm clock (important because tomorrow I've got an earrrrrly wakeup). Mabel (who was my RCLANG 294 grammar teacher) is coming tomorrow and I might meet up with her and Cristhian later in the week. Vamos a ver. Talked to Cristhian a little about the idyll that Katy found as a possible travel destination next summer (Ilha Grande, off Rio), and he told me that a former RC student owns a B&B type place there. Unreal.

Last night I went to the place where Kellyanne is living, and I was immediately glad that I got started with a program. She's had to speak more Spanish because no one else around her is American, but she's been lonely and has had to cook for herself in this weird group house of international students. She's definitely having more of an adventure than I am, but that's okay, I'm uncomfortable enough here so far without having to do everything for myself. Call me a wuss if you want, but my Spanish isn't good enough to get by without help. So fuck you, YOU try it. What, me defensive? How dare you say something like that. I'll have you know I am NEVER defensive. Ever.

Anyhow, not sure what the plans are for the rest of the day. Onces will be in an hour or so and then dinner much later, but after dinner, who knows? I'd kind of like to chill with people from the program but we have to get up damn early and the cabs really aren't that cheap here (they're the only way to get around late at night). Last night a 15 or 20-minute ride cost me like 5 bucks, maybe a little more. The driver also ripped me off a little by taking a roundabout route, but I wasn't TOTALLY sure where I was and I was too tired to protest anyway. He probably needs the extra 80 cents or a dollar more than I do in any case. It also sucks that I'm the only kid I know in my neighborhood because I can't share like all the kids who live in Providencia and Ñuñoa. I haven't had a chance to take my camera around yet and get some more photos, but I'll be taking my bag around this week because I have to carry papers and things, so I'll post pics soon. Also for all you facebook sluts, I'll have some up there as soon as I get an album's worth of photos worth posting. Chao chao.

moving in

So I moved in with my family, Luz Maria, David and Francisco and their dogs Item and Niebla. The house is nice and so are they, and the yard (which I will take pictures of today for later posting) is really cool. Orange and lemon trees dripping with fruit and also a big flowering tree the name of which escapes me at the moment. I'll ask Luz Maria again today. Got my first real wave of homesickness yesterday when I was unpacking and discovered a little note and framed pics from Mom and Dad hidden amongst my luggage. It's hard to be away at this point and know that I'm really just at the beginning of a very long period of time away from everything that I know and love (and hate--at least I know those things!). I have to go shopping today for an adapter and some AAA batteries for my alarm clock and a cell phone and a phone card, but right now all I feel like doing is sitting and reading East of Eden. I also need to call Cristhian and KellyAnne and see what's up with them. Annnnd for my final bit of news before I let my computer rest, I think Izaak gets in today. Should email him. Merciful God, I am far from home. And I will be for another, oh, 356 days. Okay, time to go explore. Wait! One more thing: I came to an amazing realization yesterday while on the metro (which is amazing, I'll put pictures up at some point). In this country, I am blond. I might as well be towheaded. Everyone, but everyone here has black or nearly black hair, unless it's died pink like the kid with the 15-inch mohawk we saw last night in Bellavista. Vale, chao amigos y familia.

Bali Hai

Today, we split into groups and went on quests around Santiago. My group's was to find a post office in the neighborhood called Providencia. Easy, right? WRONG. First of all, there's only one. Second of all, we took about 65 wrong turns in the first half an hour of walking and ended up in a different neighborhood. We finally got on a bus headed the right direction, but once we got off and started asking people, no one knew where it was. Everyone gave us some kind of direction or tried to help, but we ended up walking around a very small area for another 45 minutes until we finally found the tiny little storefront with the blessed sign, "Oficina de Correos." Then we ate lunch and came home.

In the afternoon we had oral evaluations and presented our findings to one another. For dinner tonight we went to a restaurant called Bali Hai, which is a LOT more about the presentation (performances of traditional Chilean and Easter Island dances and music) than the food (which was pretty terrible). But there was a lot of audience participation in the dances, one at a time, and then at the end we all got up and danced. I realized that I desperately need to take lessons in something. Probably salsa, it seems like the easiest. But seriously, it's pathetic that I can't dance. One of the guys in our group, Justin, was amazing and would have made everyone else feel bad if he wasn't so enthusiastic about us all cutting loose. It was fun. Tomorrow we're going to Isla Negra, where Pablo Neruda lived, and I'll be able to bring my camera and take loads of pictures. Que bueno. O como se dicen in Chile, ¡bacán! Y ahorita, voy a buscar alguien para jugar spades. Buenas noches.

Hotel Bidasoa

So here I am in Santiago. I'm tired because the flight last night was long and uncomfortable, and my shoulders are angry at me for having such heavy luggage, and I miss home a lot more than I did yesterday, but I'm so excited to be here I didn't notice any of those things until the IFSA people (Katty and Valeria) asked us to sit down and write a letter to our future selves, to be opened when we leave. I realized that this really IS a long time to be away and I'm really NOT going to see a lot of the people I care about for a long time. But, I wrote to 12-months-from-now self, I hope that I can get over those bad feelings and really get out there, really immerse, get away from las areas norteamericanas, aprender el castellano chileno, viajar en lugares fueras de las calles turisticas, and so on. In about 15 minutes we're going to meet our Spanish professor and talk to her for a little bit about why Chilean Spanish is so wierd (which it really isn't so far, just fast--then again, I've only really talked to people who interact with Americans all the time). It's interesting, they don't use "gringo" to mean American here. A gringo is anyone with blond hair or blue eyes or pale skin, or some combination of those. That kind of surprised me. Anyhow, to go back to the timeline I started a sentence or two ago, at 7 our families are coming and we're going to have dinner with them in their houses! Hokey smoke! I'm the only kid living in my particular neighborhood (que se llama La Reina). Everyone else lives in Providencia or Ñuñoa. I'm excited to get out into Santiago a little more, all I've seen so far is the road from the airport to this hotel, and the hotel. Which, incidentally, is very nice.

These pictures are of my travels (the one of me was taken sometime in the middle of my 11-hour layover in MIA...don't I look happy?). The ony with the truck in the foreground is up there because I literally burst out laughing when I saw that the first sight you get upon leaving the airport in Santiago is a colossal billboard for Chevy with "An American Revolution" plastered on it...in English. No song lyric today, I think that's a bad plan because it takes too much time. Oh well, it seemed like fun at the time. Chao!

M.I.A.

So now I'm back in Miami International Airport. The air is better than outside, though that's not saying much, and at least my shoulder and forearm aren't on fire from lugging my duffel bag. Having a layover this long was a mistake. I can't even check my bags for another hour. But it's all right, I'm all in one piece, got some headphones, gonna start looking for some sustenance in a bit. I think I should qualify my earlier post. Miami does not fucking blow. My experience of it was extremely unfortunate, due to my lack of knowledge of the city and also 60 pounds or so of luggage that I had to carry because of course Osama bin Laden has rendered airport lockers a thing of the past. Bastard. Also, the part I saw of it was, in fact, pretty shabby. Unless you're in the market for some wholesale gold. In which case, it's shabby but useful.

It was hard to say bye to Mom, Dad and Linc today (and the dogs, obviously). It's funny, though, I can't really tell how hard it was. I thought it had hit me how long I'm going to be gone, but now I'm not sure. It might be that I actually believe that 12 months isn't really THAT long, and it could be that I still have no idea what's going on and in two days I'm going to have a breakdown. As I am very fond of saying, only one way to find out, and that's to not die.

I think I might try ending all my posts with a song lyric that's on my mind. No clear connection the post necessary. Here's a bit from "What's Up Fatlip?" by Fatlip, which I was listening to a minute ago and which, despite its obvious lack of greatness, is my favorite rap song, period.

Over the years seems like I'm gettin dumber
Remeniscin to a time when I was younger with a hunger
Full of dreams, determination, self-esteem
But now it seems they hesitate to be on my team
You know the routine, when you winnin they grinnin
All up in your face like they was wit you from the beginnin
But on the flip side, when you washed up like a rip tide
Fools clown bout how you slipped and let shit slide

in miami

Verdict: This city fucking blows. Of course, that's based on just a couple of hours here, but so far it's all been dirty, shadeless and humid. The bus that I thought was going to take me downtown instead dropped me off in the middle of the biggest cheap jewelry neighborhood I have ever seen. Literally blocks in every direction of nothing but joyeria after joyeria. Apparently, this is downtown. All I wanted was a cafe and a place to buy some headphones. Too much to ask, apparently. The bright spot was the American Express office I happened on accidentally, where I bought some travellers' checks from a very nice Venezuelan lady whose name I forget, but who nevertheless got me my checks, and then, of her own volition, the information for all the AmEx offices in Santiago and a glass of water. The water was fantastic, because it's beastly here and I'm sweating like a pig schlepping my duffel and backpacks around. Writing this from a crappy little I don't even know what, when I finish I'm going back to the bus and back to the airport. It might be boring as hell, but at least it's air conditioned and has cushioned seats. And maybe even a store where I can get a decent pair of headphones. Stupid to leave those at home. Ugh. Can't wait to check in for my flight tonight, I think it'll be a relief. I'll write more about more interesting things (like feelings) later on or maybe tomorrow. Right now, I'm out.

Mom Dad Linc Jack

Self-explanatory.

the fam, part 1

Well, I actually have to buckle down and get ready to leave now or tomorrow will be totally insane, but I thought I'd throw some pics of my family up because I FINALLY got this damn camera to work. but blogger is sluggish and won't let me do as many pictures as I want at once. So here are the dogs. Sherlock is the one peeking out from the doorframe and Izzie is in her favorite spot on the rug in front of our kitchen sink.

and now for something completely different

I've decided to post a picture because I have one in mind and TGGSIITW, Sarah Croco (figure out the acronym and win a prize), requested some pics of Sherlock "Mister Suss" Bostian and Izzy "Miss Priss" Allen. Well, and Lincoln and Jack, too. More to come later, especially after I get this damn camera to work.

closing in

Went to see Patel the kidney doctor again this morning, turns out all is well. False alarm. Everyone freaked out because I'm leaving so soon, but really there doesn't seem to be a problem. That being said, I'm still going to monitor my BP once a week while down there. Just realized that Mom and Dad read this, too, so I'm going to have to be a little more careful about how I word things. For example, I was going to add "or so" after "once a week" above, but decided not to because I knew they'd ask about it. Funny how that works out. Part of the point of this blog for me is to have a place where I can write in a generally careless, freeform, uncensored way about what's going on in my head or in my life. But here I am, self-editing. Going to have to make a choice in the near future about whether to fight that urge (to self-edit) or submit to it.

The stress of leaving is starting to build, and on top of it I'm not getting any sleep because I've got people to see at night and Jenna's here and I have appointments in the morning so I can't sleep in. It's actually a miracle that my reading was 115/84 at Patel's today. That's the lowest reading I've had since this whole ordeal started. Hurray, red herrings! Okay, gotta call Jenna and then figure out how the fuck I'm going to work all this stuff out and get everything I need to get done, done before Tuesday. Time to send up a prayer to the god of errands, whomever he or she might be. Two very interesting theological debates brought up in that last sentence, but I won't get into them now because, well, just because. Power to Jon Stewart, partisanship forever, and down with the radical right. GORE IN 08!!!

RAH RAH RAH RAH naptime

tuesday night

Well I'm sitting here, not exactly sure why, writing here. I should be in bed, because I'm tired and have to get up early. Kellyanne is now in Santiago. I will be in Santiago in a week. Cori is going to California in the morning, Jack is in Massachusetts...the list goes on. I won't see most anyone again for a damn year. Holy shit. This is stupid, I need to be in bed. Good night.

Chilean family!

So I finally found out who I'm going to be living with in Santiago. It's a professor of what I guess would translate to early education and her two grown sons (early 30s), in a neighborhood called La Reina. They also have two dogs, a cocker and a golden retriever, which is great. Not really sure what to think at the moment, but glad to know at last who my family will be. I was kind of hoping for someone my age, but maybe it's for the best. Must...keep...open...mind...

Hard, though, I have to admit? Especially now that I know that what Jenna did in Quito--dropping out of the program, directly enrolling and renting an apartment on her own--worked out really well for her. But...must...keep...open.......mind...Okay after all that struggle it's time for a nap. Or maybe a run. A run! Time to run. It's gorgeous outside. Peace out mothafuckas, I'm going to run.

gospel

YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY!!!! I don't have to have a renal arteriogram and spend all day in the hospital with a wire in my leg!!! The doctor I saw today was very nice and seemed a whole lot less worried about me than my internist was. That being said, I'm on a 24-hour blood pressure sample, which means I have the rare privilege of wearing a cuff around my left arm, attached to a clunky machine thing on my belt. Every 20 minutes it beeps, inflates and takes my blood pressure and heart rate. 24 hours. Dr. Patel, the nephrologist (kidney doctor) I saw today, was very clear and calm and reassuring. So either he's a better actor than my regular doctor or (more likely) he knows more and so knows not to be too worried. So that's nice. Anyhow, now I'm home alone with the dogs, gonna do some laundry from the trip and make lunch. Or maybe I'll order in. Congratulate myself for the good news (see? gospel? I know Greek! just kidding). Okay time to go. I should come up with some consistent sign off for these things.

home early

Well, turns out I'm home a little earlier than expected. Seems I have to have some more tests and maybe surgery for my high blood pressure. I am nervous and don't really know what to think. I hate it when doctors tell you that you have a little problem...and it's not too serious...but they want you to come back for some more tests...then they want you to see a specialist...and it's not too serious...It's so nerve-wracking to think that they're being disingenuous, but not really knowing. Maybe it's not serious, the surgery I might have is outpatient, but then again my doctor was very firm about me getting this dealt with before I leave, so it's serious enough that it can't just go away on its own or wait around for a year. Oh well, there's nothing I can do but do what she tells me to do. So instead of driving around New England with Mom and Jack for a few days we bought a gajillion-dollar flight home from Portland and Linc and Dad met me at Dulles and we drove home tonight. Said goodbye to Jack for the last time until December!

In much happier news, our trip in the White Mountains was incredible. We had amazing weather the whole time. The second day we were in a cloud most of the time (literally, visibility was 20-25 feet) and there was a thunderstorm/hail warning, but that never materialized and the super low visibility was really cool. Like in the movies, people would come in and out of the mists, first as silhouettes and then as full people and then they'd disappear again behind us. Eerie. Then for the third and fourth days it was clear clear clear, even on Mt. Washington! We could see the ocean from up there! We were all a little sore after, but it was really fun. Now we're home with the dogs, who, in another bit of great news, are both healthy and running around and wrestling each other again, which they haven't been able to do for more than a month! Mom and Jack are still in Maine with John and Chris and Charlotte, then tomorrow will drive down to Boston and then Conway, MA, where Mom will drop Jack off for his bike trip and then come on home via NYC. And I'll see Jenna either Friday (if this surgery doesn't completely obliterate me for the day) or Saturday (if it does). And in two weeks from today, I'll be in Santiago! Whoa. Okay time to put some sheets back on my bed and then fall asleep in it, I'm exhausted.