Not Just How to Survive

I turn away from my parents' crying faces and make my way through the airport security line, armed with my passport in one hand and a list of planes, buses, and taxis I will need to catch in the other, I realize I am leaving the deserts of Phoenix for the beaches of Chile. I find myself repeating the idea, "I can do this. I will survive." As I disembark the plane in Santiago the goal of surviving transforms into an ongoing game plan. And as I settle into this new country, the first several months here are a manifestation of this drive to survive.

Nearly nine months after my arrival in Chile, I realize that Chile taught me not just how to survive but how to thrive.

I came here with the overwhelming determination that I would survive. I would pass classes, meet people, improve my language (my roommate reminds me that improving my language was easy considering what I was able to say when I arrived :), be involved with Rotary, learn about Chile, etc.

But what I did not expect, what I did not plan for, or really imagine would happen was that I would thrive in Chile.

I would not only pass classes but I would learn and experience camaraderie with some of my wonderful classmates. I would not only meet people but I would have amazing roommates and new friends. I would not only improve my language but I would also be able to really connect with people. I would not only be involved with Rotary but I would also be involved with other organizations and find a new job for the following year. I would not only learn about Chile but I would also learn about myself.

After months of surviving, somewhere I transitioned to thriving. A transition that I could not have made alone, a transition made possible by many. I realize that I am thriving thanks to my family, my friends in the United States, my Rotary family here and in the Arizona, my friends in Chile, and all the people who contributed and continue to invest in me and in support of my journey. So thank you, thank you, thank you for being a part of my transition. I feel honored, overwhelmed, and undeservingly fortunate to have so many incredible people pour into my life and support me. When I look out over the Chilean landscape and think about preparing for my journey soon back to Arizona, I am grateful that my goal to survive created space where I could thrive.

"Foto" Friday

Pablo Neruda, the beloved Chilean poet, was buried at his house in La Isla Negra. His tomb is shaped like the bow of a ship and points out to the pacific ocean. Before his death in 1973, he wrote- “Companions, bury me in Isla Negra, / in front of the sea I know, to each wrinkled area of stones/ and to the waves that my lost eyes/ won’t go back to see...”

"Foto" Friday

Street Art at Sunset

Triple Confession Thursday

Three confessions for today...

1. I've been slacking on the blogging. Sorry! I will try to be better about this in the future. Life is moving along though. I went to a volunteer day with Rotarians, working on final papers for school, waiting for spring to be in full bloom, etc. Lots of good things to update this blog with later.

2. 60!!!! That is right 60! 60 what you might ask? 60 days til this girl is back in AZ. :)

3. Gandhi is changing my world.

Have a great Thursday!

The World Is Full of Possible Celebrations

While waiting for my class to start, I start rummaging through old papers and a folded up, highlighted interview from Eduardo Galeano came tumbling out of my notebook. I realized that I read this interview long before I came to Chile but now, more than any other period in my life, I have been forced to listen and, while hearing new voices around me, I have experienced worlds that I could not have imagined existed. 

So here's to listening, experiencing, and growing!

And above all, most importantly if you don't want to be mute, you should begin by not being deaf. You have to know how to listen if you want to speak. Listen in order to speak. Then open your eyes if they're closed, uncover your ears if they're blocked. Listen, look, feel the voices of the world...The happy, the merry, the joyous (that's the word I was looking for, joyous) proof that the world neither begins nor ends at the edge of your own skin. That every one is more than just one, and there are colors and voices waiting for you...The world is full of possible celebrations. There's so much to celebrate. And to receive the world is to accept the horrors but also the wonders. It's a constant challenge to leave your shell, your prison. Just remember that in order for that to work you've got to also know how to see what's happening outside. Because other voices will challenge what you think, they'll help make you alive. It's a kind of dialogue, a fecund, living contradiction that allows for growth. 

Eduardo Galeano 

Hello Snow, Goodbye Winter

Winter, snow, and Christmas. 
Ornaments, ho ho ho, hot chocolate, and mistletoe. 
What else is there in the cold months? 

Oh wait! That is winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

Living in the Southern Hemisphere reminds me of the Chronicles of Narnia where Lucy explains, "And the White Witch has made a magic so that it is always winter in Narnia—always winter, but it never gets to Christmas."

Here in Chile we are in a winter...without Christmas. 

Nothing beats the winter blues though like a visit to the Andes. Over the weekend some friends and I climbed into a van and headed to the border region between Chile and Argentina. The day was perfect: snowball fights and snow angels, snowmen and sunshine, hot chocolate and good friends, white mountains and frozen lakes. 

What I realized was that even without Christmas, winters in Chile are still beautiful. 

Hello, My Name Is...Oh Wait, I Am Not Sure

"Beth" never seemed like that hard of a name. The one syllable word was rarely misspelled or mispronounced and, better yet, took me no time to fill out on scantrons for tests. (Seriously, could you imagine having a first name "Mahershalalhashbaz" and being in kindergarden?)

"Beth Anne" sometimes confused people. Two syllables, an "e" at the end, and a space in between was a bit tricky but people usually figured it out. That was, until I came to Chile...

In the last seven months my name evolved to the point now, when people ask me what my name is they are sometimes met with a blank stare.

But I am getting ahead of myself. Let me go back and give you the official name timeline.

Beth Anne- I leave Arizona, name in hand.

Beth- I drop the "Anne" in the airport. I have only been in Chile 5 minutes but both syllables are already causing problems.  

Bet- The "th" sound is almost impossible for most of my friends to say. When I say, "Beth," they ask me how to spell it. B-E-T-H. The response, "Oh I get it- Bet!" Perfect, I always wanted my name to reflect a work related to gambling. But Bet works. I begin to introduce myself as Bet to avoid spelling my name out all the time.

Vet- Let it be known that Chileans love to switch around the "v" and "b" sound when talking. So, the name "Vet" quickly followed "Bet." People start asking me things like, "I was calling your name, didn't you hear me Vet?!" Oops! I forgot my name is Vet. Forgetting one's name causes problems. Forgetting one's name in another country causes hilarious and sometimes awkward situations.

La Bet/La Vet- I actually find the use of pronouns before names in Chile really endearing (with a sprinkle of fancy). However, I feel like I am in a Pavlovian name experiment and suddenly find myself responding to La Beth or La Vet like a conditioned puppy.

Bent- If you are confused by how someone thought my name was Bent, don't worry, I am too. One day I was reading a group email from a friend and they mention "Bent" needed to do x, y, and z. I read the email and thought, "Well that is strange, I thought I was responsible for that but clearly this Bent person is taking care of it." Later realized that I am that Bent person. Luckily, the name Bent did not stick.

Gringuita- When you are the only gringa in your classes or events, people may start calling you gringuita, which literally means "little gringa." Nothing makes going to classes more interesting than being called gringuita and then talking about the history of the word "gringo" in Mexico. Love it.


After all of these names though, nothing really prepared me for the name my professor gave me in class today.

After discussing something in class, my professor looks at me and ask, "Gringuita, what is your name again?"

"Beth or Bet." I am trying to make my name as easy as possible for my 80 year old teacher.

"Beth?"

"Sí."

"Beth is too difficult. I am just going to call you something else."

"Okay..."

"I am going to call you- Panchita. Perfect name for you...Panchita!"

I almost die laughing. Panchita. I am not even sure how that is remotely related to Beth/Bet/Vet. The three syllable name seems less easy to me than Bet but what do I know?

So, the current phase in the name evolution is Panchita! I am thinking about scribbling "Panchita" onto my birth certificate and passport. I may even start signing my emails and introducing myself as Panchita.

Or I might just wait, who knows when my next name will roll around? But until then...

Yours truly,

Panchita

Being Uncomfortable

Changing countries, universities, languages, etc. can be a little uncomfortable (some days more than others). Chile is teaching me how to be at peace and live in an environment that is not necessarily the most immediately comfortable.

I was thinking about that today as I was catching up on some reading. (What else do you do when the forecast is rain with a high of 50?) I ran across a quote from one of my old teachers, Dr. Krauss, who said, “Being uncomfortable is a good thing, because it forces you to reassess your place in the cosmos. Being too comfortable means you’ve become complacent and you stop thinking. And so being uncomfortable should be a spiritually uplifting experience."

So, here's to being uncomfortable, to being a little crazy and taking risks. Here's to reassessing our place in the universe and in our neighborhoods, to thinking and acting, to discovering what exists around us and within us.

Perú!

I wondered if I could ever like Latin America more than I did before winter break but, after spending almost two weeks in Peru, I realized the my fondness for the Americas continues to grow. 

Peru was an incredibly beautiful country. Rich in both Incan and Hispanic history, Peruvian museums, churches, and Incan sites provided the perfect travelling haven for my inner historian. The country's geography provided an outstanding background for the travels. I super thankful for the time I was able to spend there. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I will stop rambling and let the photos speak for themselves...

This was one of the first plants to greet me when I arrived in Arequipa...

While I was there I visited the one of a kind-El Monasterio de Santa Catalina de Siena.

At night, the city lit up and music could be heard in all corners of the streets.

I made it outside the city for a bit and the surrounding areas were stunning. The city also is the home of the "Incan Ice Maiden", who I was able to see. Eek!

 Next, I moved onto Cusco. Below is a picture of the main plaza. This city is a fascinating collision of the Incan and Hispanic histories.

Peruvian kids were adorable.

Incan ruins are everywhere. This site was a storage fortress names Puka Pukara. 

Afterwards, I began the treck towards Machu Picchu...

The scenery was breath taking.

We spent the night camping amongst Incan ruins in the Sacred Valley.

And then finally made it Machu Picchu!!!

My childhood dream was to visit this site. 

I never imagined it would be so huge!

I hiked up Huayna Picchu with a friend. Machu Picchu looked so tiny from up above. (P.S. I did rock the ASU shirt there and saw a fellow Sun Devil. Of course, when I saw my fellow Sun Devil, I screamed, "Arizona State," across the Incan ruins. Once a Sun Devil, always a Sun Devil!)

The llama nobility still lives at Machu Picchu!

Afterwards, I headed to Lake Titicaca. The lake is the highest lake in the world and is enormous!

On the lake, there are many islands including these "floating islands" that are completely human made from straw and dirt.

Along with humans, these pigs live on the floating islands. 

Other islands have regular festivals. 

Amantaní, an island where I did a home stay, was filled with ancient Incan ruins...

including a temple for the sun god. 

I had a great island host and wonderful French travel buddies.

The lake was amazing!

Viva el Peru!

:)

Food: The Delicious Down-Low

Of all the foods that would inspire my to write this post, bacon would be the original inspiration. My roommate was cooking with bacon the other day (see pictures below) and I started thinking about Chilean food. I combed through some of my photos and nabbed a couple related to Chile and my food experience here. 

So starting with bacon, here are some of my Chilean food field notes. 

They sell bacon in little cubes that buyers have to cut themselves. 

This little cube cost about $2 USD (about $10-12 per pound)!

Speaking of meat, here is some typical Chilean BBQ (or asado, as they call it here) food. Notice the chorizo in the fire. The piece of meat in the front of the photo is one big piece of meat that rotates and roasts in the fire. Vegetarian heaven!

The Chileans do not eat that many sweets but they love the pastries once in awhile. Someone bought these pastries for me. The one of on the right is an apple pie/custard pastry and the one on the left is like a seven layered cake. Yum!

Peanut butter and hummus are my food staples in the USA. When I arrived in Chile I realized neither existed here. So, I learned how to make my very own basil hummus (left) and peanut butter (right).

Bakeries are all over this country. Little bakeries dot the street corners and produce some pretty amazing bread. However, this loaf came from the kitchen of yours truly. :) 

Most countries are famous for certain foods. Chile is famous for its empanadas. Empanadas are stuffed in the middle with cheese and other deliciousness (meat, seafood, veggies, etc.). They are sort of a Latin American calzone. The empanada pictured above is HUGE and comes from my favorite empanada restaurant in Chile. You can munch on this while watching the sunset over the Pacific. 

Goodbye First Semester!!!

On Tuesday, I finished my last final! Woohoo! I have not yet received all my grades but I do know that I passed my classes. Thanks to everyone who supported me. This certainly felt like the longest semester of my life (maybe because finals lasted 6 weeks :) and I am glad this one is behind me.

Changes: Around, Within, and Throughout

Over the weekend, I went for a long walk along the coast with some friends. We are currently in the middle of winter here and walking along the cloudy, chilly coast made me realize that I have lived in Chile long enough to watch the seasons change from the middle of summer to the middle of winter. Changes are inevitable in life. Some changes we plan for and others surprise us. Some changes are more challenging and others are subtler.

In many ways, my time leading up to and living in Chile is part of a larger season of change in my life. However in the last few weeks, I have been more aware of the changes in my life. When I pause for long enough, I suddenly become more conscious of the changes happening all around me in many moments. Some of them are more obvious changes, for example: finishing my first semester in Chile, saying goodbye to a roommate and friend, sharing new experiences, etc. And other changes become apparent to me only after siphoning through my everyday experiences and recognizing changes around and within me, for example: realizing my Spanish is improving, letting go of some of my preconceived notions, following through on different dreams, etc.

My walk along the coast reminded me that some changes are like the tides and the seasons, they come and go without seeking my consent or bending to my will. And other changes are like the walk itself, they are changes that exist within my agency and are influenced by actions.

Moving to Chile was a huge change in my life and my time here has forced to reevaluate changes I would like to make in my life and to embrace how to live in a world that is constantly changing all around me. I am learning to see continually changes around me, within me, and throughout my life.

The coast this weekend-

Arizona? Like the Eggs?

Explaining where you are from is part of the "living in another country" experience. Explaining where Arizona is part of the "Beth Anne rambling in Spanish and answering unusual questions" experience.

Since being in Chile, I have explained where I am from many different times and each time I am met with additional questions, some of which are completely unexpected. When I first got here and told someone I was from Arizona, they responded with, "Arizona? Like the eggs (los huevos)?" I was so confused. I thought for sure this was a language barrier, how could Arizona be connected with eggs? And then I saw it-

Now, I understood! Arizona = Name of Chilean brand of eggs. Little did I know that this was the first of many questions about Arizona.

Here is a list of a few of the translated into English, reoccurring dialogues I have had when explaining Arizona.

John Wayne

Chilean: Where are you from in the United States?
Me: Arizona.
Chilean: Arizona! I love Arizona. I have seen all the John Wayne movies. Is living in Arizona like those movies?
Me: Not really, no. That was a long time ago.
Chilean: But you still have cowboys, right?
Me: Not really, no. But there are a couple left.
Chilean: So, did you ever date a cowboy?
Me: No.
Chilean: Have you dated anyone who looked like John Wayne?
Me: No.
Chilean: But you have seen a bank robbery and people riding away on horses, right?
Me (sigh): Only in the movies.

New York

Chilean: What city are you from?
Me: Phoenix. It's in Arizona.
Chilean: Is it like New York City?
Me: No, not at all.
Chilean: So Phoenix, isn't a city?
Me: No, Phoenix is a city. It's just that NYC is unlike any city in the world, including Phoenix. Phoenix is way smaller, more spread out, and in the middle of a desert.
Chilean: So, is it like Las Vegas?
Me: Kind of. But without Ocean's 11 and less casinos.
Chilean: I'd rather go to New York City.


Spanish


Chilean: Where are you from in the United States?
Me: Arizona. It's close to Mexico.
Chilean: Are there a lot of Mexicans in your state?
Me: Yep.
Chilean: Do they speak Spanish or English?
Me: It depends. A lot of times they speak both.
Chilean: If you have so many Spanish speakers in your state, why are you not fluent in Spanish?
Me: ...


Miami 


Chilean: Where are you from in the United States?
Me: Arizona.
Chilean: Is it close to Miami?
Me: No, it's on the other side of the country?
Chilean: I have heard there are a lot of Cubans in Miami. Do you have a lot of Cubans in your state too?
Me: No, a lot of the Cubans go to Miami not Arizona. It's called "Little Havana" in Florida. We don't have that in Arizona.
Chilean: So then, what do Arizonans think of Castro?
Me (diplomatically): What do you think of Castro?

Latinos


Chilean: Where are you from in the United States?
Me: Arizona. It's close to Mexico and California.
Chilean: Which Latinos do you think are better- the Mexicans or us Chileans?
Me (looking for the win-win): Well, you guys have really good bread and wine and they have really good tamales and tequila.
Chilean: But who is better?
Me (last resort): Who usually wins in fútbol?





National Headlines


Chilean: Where are you from in the United States?
Me: Arizona.
Chilean: Arizona! I read about your state all the time in the news.
Me: Uh, oh.
Chilean: You're from the racist state.
Me: Umm. Well not all of us are racist but that is definitely a problem.
Chilean: I know all about Joe Arpaio. Are you racist?
Me: No! That's a problem in my state not with me personally.
Chilean: Is that why you moved to Chile? You don't want to get arrested for not being racist?
Me: Umm. Okay, we will go with that.


Texas

Chilean: Where are you from in the United States?
Me: Arizona. It's in the Western part of the United States.
Chilean: So, are you guys close to Texas?
Me: No, absolutely not. No connection with Texas.



Ocean


Chilean: Where are you from in the United States?
Me: Arizona. It's close to Mexico and California.
Chilean: So, do you have access to the ocean?
Me: No. But we do have some pretty awesome forests and deserts.
Chilean: Well in Chile, we have forests, deserts, AND access to the ocean.
Me (when I am feeling feisty): Well, we have the Grand Canyon, which is one of the seven natural wonders of the world!



Geography Lesson



Chilean: Where are you from in the United States?
Me: Arizona.
Chilean: Arizona! I know where that is, near California and Mexico.
Me: Yeah! How did you know?
Chilean: I learned where all the states and important cities are in your country.
Me: Wow! Right on.
Chilean: Do you think Americans know all the states and important cities in Chile?
Me: Umm, about that...

Classmates

As my classmates and I are sprinting into the last month of classes and finals, I am reminded how fantastic my classmates have been to me. For the whole semester, I have been able to ask them questions, listen to their advise, and smile every time they call me "gringuita" ("little gringa"). Students here are less competitive here amongst each other and are always willing to help each other out and offer suggestions. I really enjoy being around them and studying with them.

A couple days ago, I bumped into one of my fellow students in the library. (You know it's finals time when you bump into every student you know in the library.) I asked her about one of the dates for finals and she looked at me, smiled, and told me to wait a second. She then proceed to make me a complete schedule with the dates for all of our final project and final exams. She color coded it for me and explained the whole thing to me. I couldn't help but smile. After thanking her profusely, she smiled at me and added two more thing to the schedule- a smiley face and the word "Luck!". She already put a smile on my face and now we are all hoping for "Luck!" in the weeks to come.

"Note to Self"

In the last couple months of Chile, whenever something new or unexpected happens I usually think, "note to self," and then inscribe it on a mental sticky note. Some of them are practical and pragmatic while others are more abstract and cultural. Here are a couple from the last few days.

Note to Self:

• Relax. You think you are showing up 30 minutes late somewhere? That means you are still 20 minutes early.
• Drinking maté is not enough to sustain a 12 km run. 
• Chilean students and ASU students have something in common- half of them don't go to class when it's raining. 
• One small spelling error in Spanish is the difference between someone "empowering" women to someone "impaling" women. This could be an interesting essay.
• Streets turn into rivers when it rains, this makes walking to school a wee bit challenging. 
• Small victories are important. Being able to tell a funny story in Spanish in front of a group of people is worth celebrating. 
• Remember everyone you meet is on a journey. They are all in the midst of their own stories. The girl who you are sitting next to on the bus has travelled and worked in over 20 countries. A female friend who seems to be doing fine, breaks down in tears in the kitchen. The man who works in your apartment is also a chef whose first wife died or, as he explained it, "se fue al cielo." 

Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head

Whenever the weather looks like this...

Public transportation seems to drown in the gutter.

It's almost inevitable that when it is raining I wait longer for a bus or collectivo than on any other day of the year. On a good note, I have plenty of time to think about how grateful I am for sunny days while I am waiting.