Día del joven combatiente

My intentions upon creating this blog were to post a new entry every day whilst travelling, and every other day otherwise. Well, I have not been keeping to that very well, have I? This can mostly be blamed on my string of bad luck with technology in Chile. On Sunday, while writing an essay due Monday on my semi-functioning laptop, the thing finally really bit the dust. Luckily I had my work saved on a disk. Nora got an ancient machine running Windows 98 out of the closet and I hooked it up. I finished my essay and went to bed.

The next morning, I woke up and turned on Nora's computer only to find that.....yes, it froze. I was incredulous. TWO computers have now died on me. Either I have the touch of death, or there's something in the air here. Luckily I had saved my essay on a disk. So off I went downstairs to the internet cafe. I inserted my disk, and POW! That computer froze as well! Whatever was bad on my computer or Nora's must have screwed the disk up, which in turn caused the internet cafe's computer to freeze! Grrrrrrrrr!

I called the person to whom I was to turn in the essay and quickly explained the situation. "Don't worry, you can turn it in on Thursday," he said. I breathed a sigh of relief, but quickly turned angry. I would have to start to write the whole darn thing over again.

Later that afternoon, I turned Nora's computer back on again. I figured out that whenever it locked up, all I had to do was unplug it then plug it back in. It started up all right and I accessed my essay on the hard drive. So in the end, I didn't have to write it all over again. I think I might turn into my father after this trip and despise computer technology for the rest of my life (joke!).

Autumn is definitely upon us in the Southern Hemisphere. This week the weather turned cool and cloudy, and it rained a lot on Tuesday. I discovered a delightful surprise: Santiago's streets do not have storm drains. When it rains, the roads turn into lakes. This could be very dangerous for pedestrians, who run the risk of getting splashed by cars.

This weekend, the program is taking us camping for three days. I hope we don't sit around a campfire singing "Koombaya" in Spanish. I will take pictures and post them at a later date, when my laptop is fixed and technology in general decides to co-operate with me.

The best for last: today is "Day of the Youth Combatant" in Chile. Only in Latin America would you have a day called that. In the days of the Pinochet dictatorship, two youth protestors were murdered. Today is supposed to be a day of rememberance, but it usually turns out to be a day of protests, some of which turn violent. Apparently the opposition in the government pays kids to wreak havoc, which is ironic because the kids who were killed by Pinochet's henchmen would have been protesting against the people who are today paying people to protest. It's all a big show to point blame on the current government. What do these people say, "Excuse me; I represent the right-wing of Chilean politics and I will pay you 5000 pesos to hurl a Molotov cocktail at that building."?

The news today was full of images of people getting sprayed by the guanacos (trucks with water-cannons mounted on them) and of the weaponry confiscated by police at the Universidad de Santiago. One group of punks claimed that the machetes the police found on them were for an "African dance troupe". Give me a break! Especially considering that there are no people of or events celebrating African heritage here.

The Universidad de Chile and the Universidad de Santiago suspended classes for the rest of the week to quell violence on campus, but I still had class at the Universidad Católica. The commute was interesting, to say the least. Half of the doors to my local Metro station had been locked, and the interior of the station was bedlam. It appeared that the area schools had decided to release the students early (why? so they could go turn cars over and light petrol bombs? keep the brats in school!) and everyone was trying to go home. Everyone was jumping the turnstiles and yelling. I finally got on a train. At the Universidad de Chile stop, a couple of people with really watery eyes got on. I thought that was weird until it hit me: "They've been tear-gassed!" The train suddenly stopped in the tunnel between stations. The driver came on the intercom. "It is recommended that all the windows be closed at this point," he said. There were scattered groans and laughs and I reached up to close a window. The train continued on and soon my throat began burning ever so slightly. I suppose that there had been a tear-gassing on the street above and that some of the gas had entered the tunnels through the air intakes. We avoided the worst of it by closing the windows, but I still started sneezing and people were coughing everywhere. I arrived at school without further incident, and the campus of U. Católica was thankfully sedate.

Out of fear of vandalism, the city bus operators chose to suspend services tonight after 7.00pm. The streets are deserted now, and it feels as though I'm in some sort of wartime curfew. I am excited to leave the city for a few days this weekend!

Two days ago, the BBC ran a story about the Transantiago fiasco. You can read it here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6498445.stm

un vaso de AGUA, por favor

My computer has decided to bite the dust. That is why I have not updated in a week. I have spent the last few days trying to remedy the situation myself, but without much success. I spent the morning on the phone to some computer repair places trying to get an estimate while explaining that the brand of computer I own is not sold in Chile. I found one place that said they could fix it. When I explained the problem, the guy said "Aha!" in such a way that I believe he knows exactly what's up with the thing. It is so annoying not having a computer! I am typing this from a lab at school.

This whole Chilean aversion to drinking water thing is starting to get old. Even Nora is hassling me about it. I mean, seriously, what is wrong with drinking water? I am shocked that type-2 diabetes is not rampant here, what with all the sugary juices and sodas Chileans guzzle. Apparently, only people who are trying to lose weight drink water here. This afternoon at lunch when I brought a glass of water into the dining room, Nora made a comment about my "agüita", which literally translates to "little water" (sounds a little sarcastic to me!) Every time I pour a glass of water she asks me "Are you trying to lose weight? Why do you drink so much water?" I try to politely explain that I neither enjoy nor find it healthy to constantly consume soda after soda (especially on a hot sweaty day like today) but she doesn't seem to understand. I know that an important part of living in another country is to adopt the local customs, but I refuse to become Chilean in my drinking habits.

clases y el horroroso Transantiago

I think I have finally gotten my school schedule sorted out. Classes began last week, but I have been "shopping for classes" since then. Here's what my schedule looks like:

Monday - Latin American Geography; Chilean Art 1950-2000 (the professor is the director of the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes - remember, it's the museum I visited that I wasn't really impressed with? - anyway, he says we will get special access to the museum. Maybe it will be more interesting with him to show us around.)

Tuesday - Chilean & Latin American Poetry (Anita, this is where I will gain the knowledge neccessary to comment later on the famous poets Chile has produced - stay tuned!)

Wednesday - Latin American Geography again

Thursday - Chilean & Latin American Poetry again; Historical Perspectives (a class offered by the program of student exchange; it covers important people and events in Chilean history)

Friday - Spanish of America (I might drop this class, because it seems like it is going to be very hard and I am lazy and don't want to take a class on Fridays so I can travel. However, it is about the different dialects of Spanish in the Americas and thus has great appeal to me.)

Although we have the option of taking classes at both the University of Chile and the Catholic University of Chile, all of the classes I've picked are at the Catholic University. No particular reason; it just worked out that way. A bonus is that getting to the Catholic University is much easier, which brings me to my second topic for today:

TRANSANTIAGO. Is a disaster.

One month ago, while I was in the lovely city of Valdivia, the mass transportation systems in Santiago underwent a major reorganization. Basically, one had two options to get around the city under the old system: 1) the Metro (which, despite being a large system, was relatively underused); and 2) the micros (buses operated by sundry independent operators that literally covered the entire city-one could get on a micro on one side of the city and ride it to the other side). There was hardly a street that was not served by at least one micro route, and, in the words of Nora, "Chileans are lazy. They would rather not walk even two blocks to catch a bus." Because of this, there were thousands of micros and it got to the point that the air contamination in Santiago was the worst in the world. (I read somewhere that one research study estimated that walking outside during the winter [when the pollution is at its worst] was equivalent to smoking 60-70 cigarettes a day!)

In order to cut back on the number of vehicles on the road and to improve the air quality, the Ministry of Transportation decided to create the "Transantiago". It completely did away with the micro system. The city was split into zones, and now people were expected to use either the Metro or 'trunk buses' to cross the city, and 'feeder buses' to travel within one zone. Sounds logical, right? I think so. But the program was not thought through very well. The buses do not run on timetables, and the Metro is only open from 6.30am-10.30pm. Sometimes I see three buses of the same route following each other, and then have to wait half an hour or more for the next one to show up.

Basically, the city is gridlocked for several reasons. There are not enough buses to haul everyone wanting to ride (Remember, the micros in the old system went down virtually every street in the city. Now there are buses only on main thoroughfares, meaning more people concentrated at one bus stop waiting for one bus.) The Metro, previously underused, is now a sardine can. Monday saw the most riders ever in one day (over two million). The system cannot handle any more riders. Sometimes when I try to get on a train, it is so full that I either have to wait for another one (sometimes two or three pass before I can board because the others are so full) or I manage to squeeze on board only to be squished under someone's armpit against the glass of the door. Add this discomfort to the fact that it is around 30 degrees Celsius here everyday and the trains are not really airconditioned (the windows open, thank god) and you arrive at your destination very hot and sweaty. Yesterday, 15 people fainted when they were caught in a sea of people at one Metro station for over 30 minutes. They were trying to shove their way through the crowd to get on a train.

Here's a brilliant idea: let's close a couple of lanes in Santiago's main thoroughfares to private cars! Let's make them accessible only to buses! That way, when horrible traffic jams (tacos in Chilean Spanish) snarl traffic because of the reduction of lanes, the drivers will see the buses scooting along at a fast pace and then decide to ride the buses! Never mind that there are not enough buses to move everyone already wanting to use them! Never mind that people are having to hang out of the doors while going down the road because there isn't enough space actually inside the bus! Normally I would say that private lanes for buses is a good idea, but not when the system already in place cannot possibly handle more riders.

All I can say is, at least all of my classes are in the afternoon. The buses and Metro are a little less crowded then, but it is still very uncomfortable. I hope a solution is found to this fiasco soon.

la casa

pictures, from top to bottom:

the dining-room: As you can see, the emphasis is on fabrics - heavy fabrics. Draperies, tablecloths, slipcovers and persian rugs along with the heavy wooden furniture make this bedroom-turned-dining-room feel like a miniature version of where Queen Elizabeth II must take her meals.

the view from the living-room window: The street is a side street with a mix of apartment buildings, corner stores, and private university buildings. Traffic noise is not a problem despite being less than two blocks from Santiago's main street.

the view from my bedroom window: This view faces west, and despite being an interior courtyard, I get lots of natural light during the day. One can usually hear conversations or music from other apartments, although this can easily be drowned out by closing the window.

my bedroom: Not the most masculine room, I have to admit. I don't know if you can see the fabric pom-pom fringe on the pink curtains. Under the floral duvet is a sheet set which is much more masculine.

the living-room: Ceramic figurines, velvet upholstery, fake flowers, and a gas fireplace (the only source of heat in the apartment) are part of the theme in this room. Too bad the oil paintings aren't really visible. A friend of Nora's painted them for her, and they really are quite good.

yours truly, preparing to light the calefont: The calefont is a much more economical alternative to a hot-water heater. In order to use it, you must turn a dial and then light a match. The lit match is then placed in the hole, lighting the pilot. Only when the pilot is lit will you have hot water, as the calefont heats water only as it is needed. When you are finished, you simply turn to dial to the "off" position, and the pilot goes out. The system is a bit finicky, however: when taking a shower, about three minutes after the water is turned on, it suddenly goes cold again. One must simply redirect the shower head (from which ice-cold water is now flowing) and wait 30 seconds before the water suddenly turns scalding hot. Needless to say, there is no worry here about falling asleep in the shower.

the kitchen: In New York City real estate, the term "pullman kitchen" signifies something slightly different than the layout of this kitchen, but I like the term so much that I will use it anyway. The name comes from the likeness of the layout to a Pullman train car. There are two counters on either side of a narrow corridor. The gas stove features a fold-down cover which provides extra counter space when the stove is not in use.

Hurry to your nearest Century 21 office now! This offer won't last long!

reserva nacional Río Clarillo

This weekend I decided I needed to get out of the city and so, accompanied by two friends from the program, I went to the Río Clarillo national reserve. It is in the foothills of the Andes mountains about two hours from the city center. The reserve is home to hiking trails and some rare plant and animal species, including the Chilean palm and the Chilean iguana. Apparently most people take private cars to the reserve, because when the bus let us off at the entrance, the rangers looked surprised. "It's 4km to the actual park," they told us. I was already aware of this as the guide book had made note of it. We went our way along the dirt road for awhile when suddenly a truck pulled up. It was a ranger. "Do you want a lift?" he asked us. I think maybe they sent him after us because they were worried about us walking in the heat. On the other hand, we had come there to hike, so regardless of whether or not we were given a lift to the actual reserve, we would have been walking in the heat anyway.

I saw the Chilean palm, and a tarantula-like spider which was actually not a tarantula at all, but rather some other arachnid, the name of which I soon forgot. I caught a very brief glimpse of a Chilean iguana, but it did not stay in sight long enough for a photo. The reserve was almost deserted, which was surprising since it was a Saturday and the weather was perfect as usual. While walking along a river, I slipped on a mossy rock and got my pants wet and muddy. They soon dried in the intense sun. We ended up having to walk the 4km back to the bus stop, and choked everytime a car came along the road as it threw up clouds of dust. It was nice to dust off the old hiking boots again. Next time I want to actually go up into the Andes.

Classes start this week at La Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Catholic University) and at La Universidad de Chile. We have until the 28th to attend whichever classes we like; after that date we have to register. I am kind of nervous about starting school here. I don't really know what to expect; only that everything will be different.

In response to a comment made by my aunt Shelia, I will comment on the status of my Chilean Spanish. Someone with a knowledge of standard Spanish could make themselves understood here, but understanding the response given by a Chilean is a different story. The first week here I bought a book called "How to Survive in the Chilean Jungle". It contains almost 200 pages worth of Chilean slang and the translation into English. The most popular 200 words are helpfully starred in the book, and I have tried to learn them all, but it is an overwhelming task. To make matters worse, Chileans speak at least twice as quickly as any other speakers of Spanish. At times it is very frustrating, but when I catch a new phrase or slang word being used I have to pat myself on the back.

el primer mes

I have been in Chile for exactly one month now, and I thought I should provide a list of things that Chilean society has taught me so far:

1) Flushing toilet paper is a cardinal sin. Instead you throw it in the wastebasket next to the toilet.

2) Nescafé is a perfectly acceptable substitute for real coffee. This is something I will never understand. South America is a huge producer of coffee; why isn't real coffee more popular than the disgusting cup of boiling water that is chock full of instant coffee particulate?

3) Boxed wine is just as good as wine in a bottle.

4) Chile really does control a part of Antarctica, no matter what that silly Antarctic Treaty says about no country owning any part of the continent.

5) Public displays of affection including anything short of actual intercourse are perfectly normal ways of sharing how you feel about the other person with the rest of the world.

6) Chileans do not speak Spanish, they speak Chilean. This only superficially resembles the language of the rest of Latin America and Spain.

7) No matter how hot, sweaty, or dehydrated you might be, Coca-Cola is better for you than water. Again, I will never get used to this idea.

8) Identity crises are highly desireable. Chile as a nation could give seminars on how to develop one.

9) Any kind of food that is not heavily salted and starchy is "too spicy". Spiciness in general is not a desireable characteristic in cuisine.

10) Women in bikinis are an effective way of advertising anything from Doritos to telephone services. Women in bikinis are also good co-hosts of morning television shows.