Eureka, We Found It! (2/28)

Good news! We found an apartment and are ready to sign a contract. Yeah. It was kind of fast, but I start school TOMORROW! Well, an ironic turn of events put us at ease about it. The apartment we are getting was not advertised, we just walked into a building we liked and asked at the front desk. Then, the landlord turns out to be a parent of one of my students. We only knew this because I've been working on memorizing names. Can you believe that? Lincoln is a little private school, and this is a city of almost 6 million! What were the odds?!?! So I will miss the vista from our hotel room (15th floor), but we are moving closer to those lovely mountains. I am sure I will enjoy that too!

Now, I don't wish to bore anybody with you with details about Chilean food I've eaten, but... It's worth mentioning! Chile is well know for it's fruit. And since it is summer here, the fruit is plentiful and tastes great! I had two Chilean dishes worth blogging. One is Congrio (or eel) with a shellfish sauce. This would be only for the fish-lovers. Another is Poroto Granado (a hearty summer stew that has haricot beans, pumpkin, onion, and sweet corn seasoned with basil and topped with chopped tomatoes). Both dishes were fantastic and considered a real Chilean experience. I LOVE trying new foods!!!

Independent together! (2/27)

Deb and I started apartment hunting with earnest today. I only have 2 days to find a place to live before school starts. So instead of waiting for someone to take us around, Deb and I hopped a bus that went to the end of town. We decided that the edge of town was the most logical location for us to live. Saves us both in commute time, still has access to public transportation, and rent is a bit cheaper. It has all the necessities readily available to us. And, we may be making this up, but it seemed to welcome us. We think we found a good place for us to live, but we have to begin negotiations and sign a contract.


We stopped at the Lincoln International Academy while in the area so that Deb could have a tour of the school. Flavia, head of admissions, gave us a tour. Lincoln is a small school that is beautiful in many ways. I look forward to meeting faculty and staff very much.


We found a grocery store called "Lider" that reminded me of a Super Wal-Mart, but (would you believe) its underground. You name it, you can buy it in this store. And guess what, it's right next to the school! Won't that make life a bit simpler.

A Walk in the Pueblo (2/26)

Deb and I decided to test out public transportation today. We wanted to go to the Pueblito Los Dominicos, a folk artisan vending village established by and alongside a Dominican monestary. The association of artists brings folk art from all parts of Chile; metal work, leather crafting, paintings, cloth and hats, jewelry, pottery, and much more. But it was too far to walk and outside the metro's range. It was time to learn to take the bus. The main problem in taking busses is figuring out which bus is which. Different numbered busses go to different places. Fortunately, we found the Pueblito Los Dominicos website (conveniently, www.pueblitolosdominicos.com) and the bus number, so we gave it a shot. We were worried about getting off at the right time, but soon discovered we didn't have to worry. You just push a buzzer when you want the bus to stop. If you see that you passed your stop, just push the button and back track. But we had no need. We did make the mistake of not having enough change for the return trip, and they DON'T take bills. So we stopped at a pharmacy and got suntan lotion and some change. Lesson learned.

I start at Lincoln International Academy in 3 days!

A Bit of Recreation (2/25)

What a luxurious day this was! We didn't hunt for an apartment. We didn't really have any work. We slept in, wrote some snail mail, and enjoyed second cups of coffee. (Actually, Deb had tea.) We did some sight-seeing too. We went downtown to the Mopocho Train Station (named after the Mopocho River that runs right through Santiago next to the station). I thought it had a cultural exhibit, and it did have photography on display. But, as it turns out, the culture is in the form of events that take place there. The current (until 3/15) president, Ricardo Lagos, was inagurated there. And events from book fairs to Israel's Philharmonic Orchestra were hosted in this huge renovated train station. It was immense and quite lovely. The special centennial photo exhibit displayed pictures from as far back as 1905.

After walking around, Deb and I ate ice cream in the Plaza de Armas. Honestly, I could sit there for hours. You see all kinds of people from all walks of Chilean life. People sit and chat, kids chase pigeons or play in the fountain, there are continous chess games in the gazebo, and you shouldn't be surprised if the warm sun and the drone of activity even lulls some to sleep. Roaming entertainers even happen by from time to time. Oh, this park offers a lot of culture to be experienced just sitting there. It's probably my favorite sight in Chile so far.

Together At Last! (2/24)

Well. We haven't given up looking for an apartment. We actually spent the morning exploring a new sector of the city with Patricio, Deb's boss. He recommended Lo Barnechea in the northeastern part of the city. It would be very close to Lincoln (where I teach) and possibly reduce the amount of time Deb spends driving to work. There definitely were apartments available, so it seems we have some more exploring to do.

But Deb and I took some time to go downtown together. We went to the Museo Bellas Artes, sat in the Plaza de Armas, and listened to live music and watched mimes on pedestrian walkways. It was lovely. We had a late dinner at the Phone Box Pub (my favorite restaurant). We weren't apart terribly long, but it's so nice to spend time like this with Deb now that we are together again.

Happy birthday to my niece, Lillyan, in PA!!!

She's Here At Last!!! (2/23)

Deb arrived today!!! I am so happy! I have been wanting to share all my experiences with her, and now I can! (That means we will have to visit all the places I've seen again. Yea!) There was quite a committee to welcome Deb to Chile. Two of Deb's co-workers, Lorena and Marcella, came to welcome her. (Marcella actually passed through security and helped expediated the entrance process.) Priscilla and Benjamin came to welcome Deb and take us back to the hotel. Deb said the flight went well, and now she is here safe and sound!

Priscilla went apartment hunting with us after lunch. Priscilla was able to accomplish a lot with her straightforward manner and her ability to communicate things I couldn't. She got things done!!! Benjamin came with us. He was very entertaining! Priscilla tells Benjamin that Deb and I are Tia and Tio (Aunt and Uncle). He is easy to amuse and his laugh is just hysterical! We are so lucky to have friends like Priscilla and her husband, Andrés!

Wanted: One Apartment (2/22)

One of the things that blows me away no matter how many times I look out the window is the size of the city. With almost 6 million people in Santiago with ever increasing desity, it's no wonder there are so many big buildings. I don't know how well you can see it in this picture, but there are a lot of tall apartment buildings throughout the city. As I look for a place for Deb and I to rent, I am sure to look out the window to consider the view. Here that is a major selling point even if there is only a view of the apartment building in the next lot. Other interesting things are most places have a terrace with a hookup for a washing machine (otherwise, there is a token laundry room in the basement). Oh, and there are always underground floors. That's where everybody parks. Gerenally, there is a fence with a gatekeeper/guard to monitor coming and goings. Every building have a conserje at the front desk. This is not so much to make buildings exclusive as to make them fancy. Most grounds are well taken care of by a gardener too. It certainly has been interesting to see so many different apartments and neighborhoods. But now we are getting to the point were we need to find a place and get settled.

Deb will be here tomorrow at 10 AM!!!

A Trip to School (2/21)

This is the front gate of the school where I will teach. I was able to visit today and get a tour of the buildings, meet some staff, and ask questions. They even gave me a class list and a yearbook so that I may match names and faces. I am so excited, and really curious. Teachers start on March 1, students return on March 7.


Instead of browsing papers and calling about apartments I took to the streets and walked into buildings to ask about apartments for rent. I was surprised at the success I had doing this. Not only did I learn what neighborhoods were like and where there were places for rent, but I also made friends along the way. Many people received me warmly and were understanding of my broken Spanish when speaking in person. I viewed a couple places, made some contacts, and am better able to speak about apartments now that I've had some good practice.

1 more day until Deborah get here!!!

Searching (2/20)

The students in this picture occupied my thoughts for a good part of the day. I miss them. Today I was gathering some things to make a bulletin board at LES, I just needed the map and an envelope. Believe it or not, I was having a lot of trouble finding a map of Chile. Everybody had a little book with maps of local tourist sites. But I wanted a big foldout map of the country. I had to stop at several book stores to get one. Then I had to get an envelope, that was another challenge. Fortunately, I already know where the post office is.

Another challenge of the day ws finding an appartment. I searched advertisements and made a few calls. Inquiring over the phone didn't go so well. It was difficult to inquire about ammenities in Spanish. I think it would be better if I just walked into an apartment building and inquired. I will keep trying.

2 more day until Deb gets here!!!

Feeling at Home (2/19)

When does a new place feel like home? I think today I am began to feel at "home" here in Santiago. I woke up late, exercised, and wrote e-mail. I had lunch with Andrés, Deb's friend, his wife, Priscilla, and their son, Benjamín. We also went to the Cerro San Cristóbal, a lookout over the city of Santiago. Lunch and the vista was nice, but what I really liked was spending time with Andrés. They made me feel so at home. We even went grocery shopping together. It is great to know I have these friends here in Chile already!

Then, to add to my good feelings, I was getting pizza for dinner (Yep, they've got pizza here too!) when someone complimented me on my ability to speak Spanish. I realize that with all the practice I've been getting lately that I am speaking more fluently. Maybe I feel at home here now because I no longer worry about living in this new place.

Three more days until Deb arrives!!!

Sight Seeing in Santiago (2/18)

I went to Cerro Santa Lucia today. There is a beautiful fountain, fort, and an excellent view of Santiago from atop the hill. I actually spent a lot of time looking at souvenirs in an indigenous people's art gallery there. I passed by the National Library because it was closed, but I want to go inside some day to read something by Pablo Nerudo or Gabriela Mistral (Nobel Prize winning writers). I spent time in the Parque Forestal, mostly reading and watching children play. And, lastly, I ate an early dinner at the Caramaño in the Bella Vista district. Tonight I need to get "fiches" (tokens, I'm guessing) to wash clothing.


It's amazing how much people walk here! The sidewalks (and sometimes the streets) are filled with people who are walking where ever they need to go. Granted, they may be walking to the subway station or a bus stop. But, in the U.S. we would jump in a car and drive. There may be busses, but few people use them. Here, it seems, you just don't need a car very much. You can just... walk!

Catching Up (2/15-17)

So, after some time in PA with family and an 11 hour flight to Chile, I am in Santiago acclimating to my new surroundings. I arrived in the morning (2/15) and spent most of the day in my hotel room getting settled and trying to take a nap. But I was too excited and spent the day e-mailing friends and family to let them know I arrived safely.


The second day (2/16) I was ready to explore. I took the local subway, but I didn't go far. I just wanted to see how it worked. From the subway stop, I walked to the hotel. I bought an alarm clock, some bottled water, post cards, and some lunch. It was fun to explore and use (maybe butcher) Spanish with people who clearly recognized that I am a foriegner. There are many patient people here! :o) I ate a very late supper with Patricio (Deb's new boss who has been helping with all our arrangements) and his family. Patricio and Maqui have twin daughters that will be in 1st grade at Lincoln. Because Lincoln is an English immersion school, they are already learning to speak English. They were a little shy, but I can they understood a lot of the English their father and I spoke.


On my third day (2/17) I did some sight-seeing. I rode the subway downtown and explore the Palacio de la Moneda (Chile's Whitehouse), the National Historical Museum, the Plaza de Armas (a central park), the Cathedral of Santiago, and ate congrio (That would be eel!!!) in the Central Market. I was proud of my accomplishments. I went out in the evening with Lorena, another of Deb's co-workers. We had dinner, talked, and had an great time. Lorena will be a good friend, I can tell.

From the beginning!!! (January 2006)

To start at the beginning, my wife and I decided to leave the United States and live for a year in Chile. Deb, my wife, opted for a transfer to a plant in Chile so that she could improve her Castellano and learn about the culture. I was teaching a class of wonderful 2nd graders at the time, and left them to the care of another teacher. (That was hard for all of us, but, fortunately, we still keep in touch. :o) So Deb and I packed our belonging, renting out our house, and prepared to head south.


Because we sent belonging on a boat, we needed a visa that would allow us to import the belonging without paying taxes. So Deb dutifully waited for the appropriate permission and paperwork while I ventured ahead as a tourist. I arrived three days ago and have been learning as much as I can about the big city of Santiago as I can before the Chilean school year starts. Then I will assume a post as a 4th grade teacher at Lincoln International Academy.