I am so ready at this point. Santiago is wearing on me. Don't ask right now if Santiago is worth visiting, because my answer would be a resounding H*&% NO! Winters in Santiago are the worst. The gross, polluted air is stagnant. Let me give you an example.
After a pollution-clearing rain, this is the view from our roof:
But most days (since rain is not too commonplace), THE SAME VIEW looks like this:
No joke. Let's just go ahead and make this picture black and white for dramatic effect:
The air stinks like burning oil and my eyes are puffy. It's a smothering blanket of smog. It's a diesel cigarette I'm being forced to smoke. Yuck.
Here's a picture Matt took a couple days ago facing Santiago after an work-related meeting that was on the outskirts:
Ew.
Santiaguinos and I don't mix. They're generally grouchy. I'm sick of getting the evil eye from elderly people on the metro because of something I apparently did to them. Evidently, people here are forced to work 50-60 hour work weeks to make ends meet. In addition, they often work well into their old age. I don't blame them; I'd be grouchy, too. But that doesn't make it easier to deal with.
My open-statement to Santiaguinos:
I'm sorry if I'm somehow adding to your crappy day, but when I smile reflexively at you when you stare [read: glare] at me, could you please not take it as an insult?! It's a peace offering, for goodness sake!
Whew, that felt good.
The other day, when I was walking around with a blind student where I volunteered, she took me to this little patch of grass to walk on. It felt like I was walking on Dr. Scholl's-approved marshmallows; it was heavenly. It was then I realized that I am constantly trudging my way through a super-hard concrete jungle, and I barely recall what the color green looks like. I'm so ready to be home!
Speaking of my volunteer position, I spent the last several weeks working at a school for the blind. It was a pretty good experience. Chilean Spanish and I don't mix either. I felt like my comprehension skills actually got worse with time! A discouraging blow to my perfectionism! Oh Mexican Spanish, I miss you so!
The coolest part of working at the school was when the children taught me about braille and math on their abacuses (abaci?). One student helped me type the alphabet on a brailler! It was awesome. Those kids are so smart!
Cute story #1: Yesterday, my last day, when the kids in my class were saying goodbye to me, they all told me to be careful with tornadoes in the United States. Apparently, the 90s movie Twister was on t.v. recently, and they were very worried that it would be very easy for me to fall victim to one! In my head, I was just thinking, "Dudes, remember that 8.8 earthquake a few months ago?! Yeah, thanks for the concern, but don't worry about me!"
Kids typing with their braillers:
Re-reading what they typed, checking for mistakes:
Cute story #2: Schoolkids in Chile call their teachers tias and tios (aunties and uncles)! Isn't that adorable? A student in my class with limited sight wrote this on the white board for me:
It reads, "Beautiful Auntie Christine of Cony (that's her name). I love you so much, like an aunt." Awww. Okay, so not all Chileans are sticks-in-the-mud.
Beautiful Braille:
