Adventures In Chile

Welcome to my educational experience!

Monday, July 31, 2006

Pablo Neruda 1904-1973 (7/31)

As I contemplate my exposure to Pablo Neruda, I really can't say that I know him well. But the more I experience, the more I understand why he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Neruda's later life seems to be full of eccentric fancies, very evident in the house museums that we have visited here in Chile. He very profoundly said, "El niño que no juega no es niño, pero el hombre que no juega perdió para siempre al niño que vivía en él u que le hará mucha falta." Neruda (translated) knew that children who don't play aren't being children, and adults who don't play lost the child that lived in them and are missing much. Neruda certainly was connected to his inner-child. Many of his peoms reflect a child's fun-loving, simplistic view of life, as in his poem "Oda A La Abeja" (Ode to the Bee).

...Perfecta /Pefect
desde la cintura, /from the waist
el abdomen rayado /the striped abdomen
por barrotes oscuros, /the dark stripes
la cabecita siempre /the little head always
preocupada y las /preoccupied and the
alas recién hechas /wings recently made
de agua... /of water...

Yet, as a consul for Chile and while in exile for his political beliefs, Neruda lived a less playful life than what we witness here in Chile. He lived in Spain during the 1930's and the Spanish Civil War. He was profoundly effected by this war and the murder of a friend poet at this time. I quote Gustave Andrian, "The poet's cry of anger and horror at the destruction and murder committed by the nationalist forces is heard in the intensely moving and personal poem 'Explico Algunas Cosas' ('I Explain Some Things')."

Preguntaréis: Y donde están las lilas?...
/You ask: Where are [your poems with] lilies?...
Os voy a contar todo lo que me pasa...
/I am going to tell all that happened to me...

Mi casa era llamada /My house was called
la casa de las flores, porque por todas partes
/the house of flowers because it had all around
estallaban gerenios: era /bursting gereniums: it was
una bella casa /a beautiful house
con perros y chiquillos... /with dogs and little chldren...

Y una manana todo estaba ardiendo...
/And one morning all was burning...
Bandidos... venían por el cielo a matar niños...
/Bandits... came from heaven to kill children...

Frente de vosotros he visto la sangre /In front of you I saw the blood
de España leventarse /of Spain raise itself up
para ahogaros en una sola ola /to drown in one single wave
de orgullo y de cuchillos! /of pride and of knives!

Venid a ver la sangre /Come see the blood
por las calles! /in the streets!

It was peoms like this one that helped to wake up the world to the terrible violence of war and to feel the pain that makes war the crime it is. This contributed to Neruda's "outstanding work of an idealistic tendency" earning him the Nobel Prize in 1971. So, with the ability to be deep and the determination to hold on to the fun and simple, Neruda is one of the most famous Chileans in history. He's got some crazy collections, but I have to respect the man!

Sunday, July 30, 2006

In the Val, Po! (7/29-30)

We went to Valparaiso for the weekend. We discovered that hostels here are a lot like bed and breakfasts in the states, but way cheaper! Some are aimed at students or hikers, they frequently fit the vagrant youth stereotype. But others are nicer, more appealing to the older, touring crowd. We discovered El Rincon Marino with its owners Luis and Marisa. They both were super friendly, the rooms were beautiful (maritime theme), and the food was good. We spent the late night hours playing cards with Luis getting to know each other.

While in Valpo. we visited another of Pablo Neruda's houses. I think we've now seen all the ones he had in Chile. He was quite the diplomat, and lived in several different countries, though. And, he had plans to build a fourth house that was spiraled using ramps because in his old age he was having trouble with stairs. But he died before building began. His houses though always have amazing views, colored glass, boat remnants, and unique architecture. I will have to write more about this poet later.

We went to the port to watch ships, and ended up on a boat. At first it was irritating, they sang out the daily special and swarmed you if you walked too close. You wished they would be quiet so you could enjoy the view. (You see this kind of advertisement everywhere. It occurs to me that Chileans are equally hesitant, but willing to inquire about bargains. It seems to me that this means of advertisement could be improved with a sign, display where all could see. But then we wouldn't have the unique cultural experience to take home with us.) After watching for a while and wishing we could see the ships closer, we inquired about the ride around the port on a boat. For $2,000 pesos (less than $2 USD) you would get a guided 30 minute tour of the harbour. It was well worth it! We saw ships up close, enjoyed the humorous comments throughout the tour, saw a sealion up close, and took some great digital camera footage. (I took videos of the sealion and container unloading.) We were immensely glad we investigated.

We also spent a lot of time taking walking tours of Valparaiso. We followed one through historic Valparaiso and one looking at outdoor murals. We rode funicular cars that ascended and decended amidst pink, blue, and green houses. These walking tours took us down winding alleys I wouldn't have known were there, yet alone walked down! There were stairs going up steep banks that had street names!! And, houses were built so close together, on cliffs, and over other buildings that roofs were used for advertising!!! There was definitely a bohemian, artsy quality about it all. Like an urban labyrinth that seemed to be its own micro-community in Valparaiso. Really rather amazing! This city seems so complex we couldn't even explore one of the 42 hills entirely.

It occurred to me that Valparaiso is so close (an hours drive) and spending the night is so cheap (about $20 USD) that we could come back another weekend sometime soon. It sure is nice to get out of Santiago from time to time.

Friday, July 28, 2006

The Day After! (7/27)

Well. Fortunately for Chilean drivers, the snow didn't stick around on the streets Santiago. The day was bright and beautiful! Deb called me on the cell phone from just outside our parking lot, encouraging me to go out and take pictures of the mountains before the sun could change them. So I did.

I met with Claudio (a church friend and photography instructor) for a language lesson exchange. These were rather serious lessons focusing on pronunciation and elements of grammar. I read a Pablo Neruda poem ("Explico Algunas Cosas") aloud and summarized it's meaning. This led to some good discussion about didactic methods and the travesty of war (which seems to be raging all over currently). Then, by his request, Claudio read aloud "The House That Jack Built" and examined some of the phonetic challenges of the English language. I now realize that the location of the accent in a word can make a huge difference.

I also played raquetball with two British fellows today. That was a trip. It tooks us just a little to work out the game with three players, but it was quite fun. Joseph (on the right) teaches Cricket at Lincoln and Harry, his friend, is visiting from Argentina. Harry was teaching English in another school there, but is about to go back to Europe.

Then I went by bus to a mall near Andres and Priscilla's house. Deb was going to pick me up there and take me over. I got a coffee, watched all the people do something I consider to be very American, and then went outside to wait for Deb. While I waited I watched this puppy that appeared to be lost. He followed people to sniff their bags and their legs if they walked slow enough. He was really cute. When he gave up hoping that there was something to eat in the bags and that he might convince someone to give him some, he would come over and almost sit on my toes as I leaned against a light post. I was feeling so sorry for this puppy I was tempted to take it with me when Deb came. (I almost took his picture, but that would have made leaving him all the harder.) Eventually, I saw a maintenance guy and told him about the puppy. He picked up the puppy and saw his collar had a phone number on it. He said he would call the number.

Well. Deb came and we went to Andres and Priscilla's. Priscilla made lasagna and we chatted and played with Benjamin. We always have such a good time with these friends. This is Andres playing with his two favorite toys, a new cell phone/mini-computer and Benjamin.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Snow (7/26)

They said that it rarely snows in Santiago. So I interpretted that to mean that we won't see snow while we are here in Chile. Well, guess what, it's snowing. Lucky us.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

The Great Gatsby (7/24)

One of the things I have been doing on my break is reading. Reading for the fun of it. Not for a class, or to better my Spanish. I am reading in English because I can. (Granted, the books I can chose from are few, but we brought some interesting ones.) So I read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In this classic about the "roaring" 20's, Gatsby, or James Gatz, left home to find his place in the world. As a young man, Gatsby happens to meet and lose the love of his life because he's poor. But, fueling the fire, he becomes the proverbial American "self-made man" and searches out this love again. Unfortunately, he mixes dreams with reality and gets involved in a messy situation. The end result is tragic, leaving one very pensive. I am not sure how reading this has made me a better man, but I am sure it has.

Next, I am reading about The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers.

Monday, July 24, 2006

Museum Mania (7/22-23)

This weekend was a weekend full of museums. There are so many here, and they are free or super cheap. It was such a beautiful weekend and crowds were out in force. But that certainly didn't stop us. (Shoot, that was part of the draw for me!) We went to Las Condes Cultural Center where they had a Leonardo da Vinci exhibit, showing mostly studies of figures before actual paintings , sketches of anatomy, and plans for machines (i.e.. flying machine, tanks, weapons). Very interesting! This man was a genius who's mind was never at rest.

We went to Quinta Normal and the National Museum of Natural History. We saw some of the things I didn't see the first time. We also walked in the park to see what else it had to offer. There is a lagoon for boating, a children's museum, a train museum, and a science museum, all in the same park! We enjoyed the walk and the opportunity to rest our brains a little. Going to a museum is an intense Spanish language workout because we read all the comments to go with each display. You can bet it takes me hours to read everything. So, it's a good thing they are free. I can come back anytime to pick up where I left off.

We also went to an art museum that seemed to be geared mostly towards children. There were lots of activities going on. There were art lessons, a build-a-spaceship craft, hands-on displays about technique, color, shading, foreground, line, form, etc. Then there were replicas of famous works of art to look at and a video/movie to watch that went with the exhibits. An excellent learning experience. But, what interested me most was the building which I understand was built to represent Chile in the World's Fair of 1889 in Paris, France.

You know, I haven't been traveling all over during my break, but I certainly am experiencing Chile. Really, I worry that maybe I am getting spoiled and that returning to little London might be hard after all this.

Friday, July 21, 2006

A New Decoration (7/19)

A trivial matter really, but one that make me very happy! About two weeks ago, Deb and I bought a painting while wondering around the downtown Plaza de Armas. We frequently walk through the band of artists that gather there to paint and sell their works. We had planned the purchase, but were looking for just the right one. When we found one we wanted, we were a little alarmed by the vendor. He announce that with the earning of the day and if his favorite soccer team won the game that evening, he was planning to get "drunk off his -beep!-" (He gave us a deal and he can do what he wants with his money.) So the next step was getting it framed. I took care of that one day when I dropped Deb off at work and I had the car for the day. (Don't get excited, I took it to an auto center to get the windshield wiper fixed.) I went to this framing shop and inquired about the prices. There was no formula or price list, I had to pick a frame style from the samples and she could tell me how much it would cost. Well. The first one I picked was gold and and elegant and was sure to look good with the painting, but the price nearly made me embarrass myself in a public place. I was regretting that I came when I picked a more modestly priced sample that seemed to go well with the painting. Having made my decision and my order we had just to wait until it was made and fitted to the painting. We picked it up last night and it now hangs on our wall. I am quite proud!

It's Valparaiso. Think steep hills like Pittsburgh or San Fransisco, but dirt streets and shanty houses on the coast with an impressive view of the ocean. That's Valparaiso! I'd hate to live there during an earthquake, but it certainly has a bohemian beauty.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Taking It Easy!? (7/18)

So I am on Winter Break. I was wondering what to do around Santiago, when I remembered that there is a musuem of natural history in Quinta Normal. Well, that is my style. So I head into unexplored territory to see if I can find this museum. Well. I did eventually. But I got off the bus in familiar territory because I thought it was just a little walk to the place. Ernt! Wrong! I walked and walked and walked and walked. (Are you getting the idea that I walked pretty far?) I finally asked somebody if they could direct me to this place, and they told me I was only four blocks away. They were "four" very long blocks, but I did find it. Then, I couldn't figure out how to get into the fenced in park. I walked one way, then back again. I found this little, side gate to this big park. I know it wasn't where I was supposed to get in, but after walking all that way, I didn't care. So now I had only to find the building. There was a huge building that I figured had to be it, but I walked around three sides of the building before I found the enterance. After finally getting there, I didn't really want to walk around inside the museum. But I am glad I did. I really enjoyed the displays about the Atacama Desert (since I had just visited it) and mining. The nice thing is I could take a bus from the real park enterance all the way home. It was well worth the walk. Well. Almost!

Monday, July 17, 2006

A Wet Desert?! (7/16)

Deb and I got breakfast and checked out of the hotel. We loaded our stuff in the truck and headed into the desert. Our destination was the Salar de Atacama and the Reservacion Nacional de Flemenco. This translates into another long drive in the desert to see flamingos. The Salar de Atacama is a brine bed created by underground water flow. The desert is so mineral intense that water that reaches the basin from the mountains is contaminated by the salt in the ground. As the water evaporates it carries the minerals to the surface. The end result looks like a freshly plowed feild that sparkles with crystals. In the middle are lagoons that are nesting grounds to flamingos who feed on shrimp that live in the water. We were given quite a relaxed, private tour, we asked all the questions that crossed our minds, and while peering through binoculars we even spotted a fox (that our guide chased away). There are bugs, lizards, rats, and several birds that are also included in the ecosystem here. And we thought it was a barren dessert!!!

We headed back to San Pedro where we had a gasoline scare. We had trouble finding the station, then no one was there to pump the gas. Eventually, someone noticed that we needed attending and came to help. But then, after a bit to eat, we drove to Antafagasta again for our flight back to Santiago. Though the three-gate airport made us laugh, the flight was pleasant. It was a short vacation to an exotic place, and we navigated it without a hitch. Sometimes, I feel so fortunate to travel like this.

Patience Pass San Pedro (7/15)

After a very casual morning, Deb and I took a company truck to San Pedro de Atacama. This 3 and a half hour drive through the Atacama Desert cannot be adequately conveyed in the pictures we took. The amazing expanse of empty, dry desert surrounded by mountains that seemingly don't move gives this drive the name "Patience Pass" because it feels like you aren't getting anywhere despite the movement of the gas gauge needle. In a stoic and solemn way, this barrenness was quite beautiful. Curiosity created by dust and activity in the middle of nowhere kept me scanning the terrain. Ocassionally we saw mining operations attempting to harvest minerals. But, after about 3 and a half hours, we finally arrived in San Pedro.
This isolated pueblo is the epitome of adobe extremism. Streets, fences, houses, our hotel - everything was made out of brown, mud bricks. Fortunately, our hotel was a bit more inviting then the town, but these looks were mostly deceiving. After checking in Deb and I went for some lunch. A short walk away we found the "Etnico" resturaunt. We were given a delicious, four-course meal made by a french man and his wife. Not too surprising when you learn that San Pedro has almost as many "gringos" as native Chieans.

We explored the Museo Arqueologico because we heard there were mummies there. And there were! These ancient bodies buried in the desert were preserved because of the salt and the dry conditions. Besides the cool mummies, we learned about tools, crops, dress, and culture of the pre-Spaniard Atacama. The most bizarre effort though was the shaping babies' heads by tying pillows around them to show status and improve their looks. I think it's attractive!

After walking around San Pedro's square and shops we signed up for an Astronomy tour. We were directed to dress very warmly because though hot during the day the nights were very cold. And, while stargazing, we might get cold. Deb and I bought some llama lana socks and put on so many layers of clothing we began to look like onions. On the tour we became keenly aware of how the Chilean night sky is different than that of Ohio. First, we realized it was amazingly starry, about 100 times more than you can see in Ohio. Out in the empty expanse there is much less light pollution, so the stars are much easier to see. During astronomy lecture in the dark (to let our eyes adjust) by a multilingual guide we learned that the night sky changes and the closer you are to the equator the more the night skies overlap. Then we observed through telescopes. Nebulas, star clusters, gas clouds, and dying stars, all found with amazing speed. Finally, hot chocolate and slides. The perfect ending to an impressive tour!

Friday in Antofagasta (7/14)

After an early taxi ride and flight to Antofagasta, Deb had to work and I got to play! Rough, I know. I keep telling Deb she should be a teacher. We actually rode the plane with someone who works at the ADS Antofagasta plant, and his ride when we landed was our ride. I got dropped at the hotel to wander around while the other two went on to the plant. I didn't get too adventurous. I wandered up the coast and then found a restuarant to eat lunch. But I was amazed at the raw nature I found. Granted, I'm not talking hundreds all in one place - this isn't a coral reef! First, there were shells like crazy. The shore was literally covered with shells (and glass, but no sand). I found a scallop shell that was just about the size of my hand. Then, among the rocks, I saw fish, crabs, snails, anenomes, starfish, various shellfish, sandpipers, seagulls, pelicans, several plant types, and things I can't identify. Hours of undisturbed observation. If you can't tell, I was enjoying myself. When Deb came back we went for a walk to see a silver foundry ruins. This was also very "raw." It was like a construction zone, where people walked through just like it were any other part of town. It turns out that silver ore was brought from Bolivia and 200 tons of silver was extracted during a whopping 10 year period. But the castle appearance of the ruins just can't be overlooked. Really, I think that Antofagasta is only just starting to realize it's tourism attractions.

Some Break! (7/10-13)

I am on Winter Break from school! Sounds great except that it has been raining for the last four days!!! On Monday, I went to get my Chilean ID renewed because I lost my card. On Tuesday, I took the car to get a windsheild wiper fixed. Wednesday and Thursday, I worked on school stuff, cleaned, blogged, laundry, and other immensely interesting things of the sort. At least, Deb and I went to visit Priscilla and Benjamin since Andres is traveling for work. And this weekend will be fun. Deb (and I) is going to Antafagasta on Friday to do some training and we are going to spend the weekend in San Pedro de Atacama. Should be interesting (and dry).

Bummer of a Day! (7/6)

You know that story about the "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day" that makes you want to runaway Australia? Well. Just had one! I went into Lider (the Chilean Kroger) to get a few things and left my wallet at the checkout. Dumb, I know. I returned about 5 minutes later, and it was gone gone! No one knew anything about it. Deb had a stressful day at work and I needed to cancel my credit cards, but we had to go out because we were supposed to meet someone for fundraising Trivia Night at a resturaunt. (And I suck at trivia!!!) Well, while eating and playing, someone snatched Deb's purse! The resturaunt owner, a British gente, was so sympathetic and helped us call necessary places. Upon calling we found that whoever took Deb's purse somehow manage to spend $200 on her credit card in less than an hour. Without my wallet and Deb's purse we didn't even have a way to pay for dinner! I think I'm moving to Australia now. But the story ends better than this. Someone called the next day and claims to have found Deb's purse in the back of his pick-up truck. At least she got ID and licenses back. Mine is gone, but at least I can go and get file the appropriate paperwork next week.

Friday, July 14, 2006

Dinner and Big News! (6/28-29)

Some "big wigs" from Corporate office came to Chile. So we knew something was in the air. They don't just come down here to "inspect" the operation. Of course, Deb knows them and invited them out to eat in the evening when I could come along. I felt great with these guys. I was actually one of the more capable Spanish-speakers in the group. We had a good time chatting about historical fiction to church experiences. These people, especially Paul, head of human services, were so down to earth and easy to get to know. It was fun to go out together.

Well. It didn't take long to learn why these guys came all the way to Chile. They canned the general manager at the Chile office. Yep! Pretty big move considering there's no one to replace him at the moment. So Deb is needed here now more than ever. She's feeling a little stressed about it, but hopes the circumstances will improve some. Our trip to Chile could never be described as dull.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Patricio in Copiapo 6/23-26

Copiapo is a mining town in a slightly green valley in the dry north. The introduction of drip irrigation has also made wine grape growing a profitable business for some people. We were invited to visit Copiapo where a church friend, Patricio, lives. With a long weekend ahead, we thought we would venture out of Santiago on a 10 hour bus ride to see it. Leaving Friday night, we tried to sleep on the bus in Semi-cama class. It was actually quite nice. They provided two meals, provided a blanket and pillow, and tucked you in (literally). So we arrived at 8-something in the morning. With a quick call to Patricio we were exploring and learning all about Copiapo.

Our first stop was a museum of mineralogy. I was particularly fascinated by the variety of rocks found in the Atacama region that contain copper, Chile’s primary export. The green or bluish tint copper gives the rock makes it quite pretty in an earthy sort of way. We met up with some of Patricio’s friends and, after we (some of us) had some excellent seafood, we drove to the coast, Bahia Inglesa (supposedly the best beaches in all of Chile) to go boating. Though the water was too cold to swim in, the three “men” geared up to some water fun. Both of my mates pretended to be experts, but later I learned they had only been sailing since January. Deb, not a bit envious, had collected some pretty (big) shells to add to the collection of memorabilia.

Next we drove to Incan metal mining/furnace ruins. Winding through colorful mountains in a valley entirely covered by irrigated grapevines, the dryness of the landscape became apparent. In what was left of the furnaces and metal works, one could really sense the history of the area. I understand that the Incans used wood to fuel the furnaces that melted the metals that they molded and worked. Where they got the wood I have no idea? Deb is posing in the ruins with Dylan’s Flat Stanley.

Sunday was a day dedicated to church. We didn’t realize how involved Patricio is in the Presbyterian church in Copiapo. He taught an adult Sunday School class and gave a sermon at the evening service. The people at the church were super friendly (and well aware of it) so we spent a long time afterwards talking and they even gave us cake and coffee in the evening.

With a little packing, it was time to head to Santiago on the bus again – this time in coach class. (Scowl.) Not nearly the comfort of the first trip. But we made it back fine (maybe a little stiff) on Monday morning.

Two Earthquakes in 3 days!!! (6/20)

We felt an earthquake Sat night while watching a movie at Andres's house. It was the first we'd felt. Two times one week people I work with said they felt an earthquake and I never felt it. Now I have! It was strange. More movement than standing next to a train as it goes by. I was sitting on a wooden futon and I could really feel my body moving left to right. And the floor move under my feet. We looked for it on the internet when we got home, but couldnt' find it.

Well tonight at home I was on the internet and Chris was talking to me when I suddenly felt the chair beneath me shaking, and the floor too, but it seemed at different speeds. I felt it I think for about 20-30 seconds. Long enough to look at Chris, say something and he confirmed he felt it as it ended. I just looked at www.terra.cl, a local news station and found this article. It says something about subterranean sound. I heard something at the same time I started to feel it, but it sounded like something in the stairwell, I dont know really if it was this sound that they are talking about, but I doubt it.:


******La Terra News writes:
SANTIAGO, junio 19.- Un fuerte sismo se dejó sentir esta noche en la Región Metropolitana a las 22:13 horas.
El movimiento telúrico -que estuvo acompañado por ruido subterráneo-, se extendió durante más de un minuto y se hizo más evidente en los edificios de altura.

El sismo habría tenido una intensidad aproximada de 3 grados de intensidad en la escala de Mercalli en la Región Metropolitana, mientras que tuvo menor intensidad hacia el sur del país.

Mientras que la Oficina Nacional de Emergencias, ONEMI, informó que se trató de un movimiento de regular intensidad.

Otro sismo el sábado pasado (junio 17).- Se trata del segundo sismo de regular intensidad en las últimas 48 horas, ya que el pasado sábado a las 23:45 horas se produjo un movimiento telúrico cuyas intensidades fluctuaron entre los 2 y 3 grados en la Escala de Mercalli.
******

It wasn't strong enough here to even make anything fall down, just enough to make you feel a little vertigo and out of control of your body movements. Weird feeling though. Along with the volcano in Costa Rica, it makes me realize that the earth is a living creature!

I'm going to check the US Geological site (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/)to see how they have it registered.

Packages from the States! (6/?)

The Chilean mail system is a little funny. It isn’t very reliable. Sylvia, Deb’s mom, sent us a package via US Mail/Chile Correo back at the beginning of May. She sent it special delivery and paid big money to get it to us, but… it didn’t come in the 3-5 business days as was promised. Crazy thing is IT ARRIVED!!! And not just one, but two! One was from the London City Schools. Mr. Simmons, my substitute, sent me precious letters and pictures from children in London. And Sylvia’s package arrived. Sylvia’s package carried special cargo too. Hers contained a Flat Stanley from first grader Dylan. We were supposed to do things with Flat Stanley and take pictures, then send him back to Dylan and his class to learn about where Flat Stanley had been. Well, sorry he didn’t arrive before school ended, but we will still give Flat Stanley a good time and send him back to Dylan. Hopefully, Dylan will still remember he sent it to us.