Making memories of every moment.
These moments that seem to be flying by,
yet at the same time, gracefully float down the stream of time.
It has been almost eight months (which is very difficult for me to grasp) and it has been a time of new surroundings, new culture, new food… experiences that really do not seem all that new to me anymore. My life here in Chile, is my life, at this point in my life.
These past couple of weeks have been very eventful and full of memories. Little moments that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Moments…
La Maratón de Santiago. It was very long. It was very difficult. But, I am so happy I did it! It took me a very long time, but it was worth every back-breaking, leg-aching moment. The best part of race was being cheered on by people along the streets as being a strong woman, for being a woman of power and strength. It was also entertaining to be cheered on as a Chilena, which I responded to with a laugh and a wave, wishing I could be mistaken as a Chilena any other day, instead of always sticking out like a sore thumb. Though these moments were great, I did not however, have a momentous finish by any means, especially considering that upon crossing the finish line, finally, the stands were empty and the the stages were already being taken down by the crew, ha! At least there was music playing still.
Gretchen and I after the race. Congratulations to her, again, she had a great finish!
Visit to Chillán. It was a visit I didn’t realize I needed so much until I was actually there. It was a beautiful weekend spent with Mimi and Ruth; simply reading (Mimi has lent me the final two installments of Harry Potter!), eating way to much food, and having lovely conversation. Saturday night we went to a family’s home where we indulged in the most amazing tacos (tacos with a slight Chilean twist with the addition of avocado and pevre, which is a very delicious “salsa-like” goodness) and played Bananagrams until late into the night. The entire weekend was joyous; Gretchen and I plan on making our visits to Chillán more frequent, not only because we love to see Mimi and Ruth, but also because it is so nice to escape the city. There are many and will be many more fond memories in Chillán.
Teaching English. Monday and Friday mornings, Gretchen and I teach English to little kids. It has been so great to witness the progress of them learning these words! So far, we have only covered the basic colors and body parts, but they are learning nonetheless. The children are so hilarious, too. My favorite moments include: their response to “how are you?” being “how are you?” and asking them what this color is (which is brown) and they tell you café, so you tell them that is correct, but that you want to know what the color is in English, to which they respond, “CAFE OSCURO,” or dark brown. Oh boy. Also, we are slowly learning different songs and games the tías do with them, so that has been fun too. And, of course, there is nothing like getting stampeded with hugs from a group of the most adorable little kids upon arrival and as you leave. It makes me happy.
This little girl, Natalia, is one of the quieter children in our first class, she is precious— I am not naming a favorite though, really.
Peñalolen. This is the part of the city where I have been involved in community work with a group of teenagers and a group of women. Both have been great experiences. The jardín where I work is located in a neighborhood that was constructed after a group of about 1,000 families took over that land back in 2000. It is interesting to hear recounts of these times from some of the women, to learn more about their experiences and struggles. These women are strong, and eager to learn, eager to make things work for themselves and other women of the community. They have also been very welcoming to Gretchen and I, and that has been the best part.
The group of teenagers is an interesting experience. They are crazy kids, but super entertaining. Right now we are watching Johnny Mad Dog, which is a movie about the children soldiers in Africa, and they are very receptive not only to the film, but also the ideas surrounding the issues portrayed. We discussed human rights and violence and the importance of education this week and I think it was taken very well by all of them. It’s very interesting to observe how they analyze the situations and interact with one another throughout discussion.
The simple housing in Peñalolen.
Throughout these past couple of weeks there have been good moments at EPES and SERNAM as well. Working with SERNAM, Gretchen and I are getting to know Renca (the comuna in the north) very well, we have been venturing everywhere to put of posters and hand out flyers in ferías, which is part of the diffusion project to increase participation of women. The people have been very responsive, in general, and its nice to have seen so many take interest. At EPES, this Tuesday, we participated in a workshop with the theme, violence against women, which was a good experience. It will continue every Tuesday for a month and, I must say, I am looking forward to it. I love to be part of something that is a learning experience, but where much of the learning is coming simply from hearing the experiences of the women and how different topics are approached in a different country. It’s very interesting.
Little moments. Many moments. Laughter. Love. Understanding. Sleepiness. Annoyances. Compassion. Learning. Patience. Hugs. Letting go. Strength. All of this is part of my Chilean experience, in the little moments I live down here.
