So my old site had tons of content that I don’t want to just leave out there somewhere in virtual reality. Therefore, nearly every Monday will be dedicated to a past phlog, hence Monday Memories.
Last night, two grand rivalries played for the national championship title, Universidad de Chile versus Universidad Católica. U de Chile had a major win, 4 to 1, and the streets filled with U de Chile fans, waving flags down the streets, beeping horns, yelling endlessly. It was crazy, and actually a bit dangerous to be out and about.
Chileans love their fútbol, and the madness reminded me of when all of Chile united behind their country during the World Cup games. During the games, the streets were virtually empty, as if time had stopped, and then after the wins, the streets came alive, transforming into a confetti-scattered party. So now, I bring you Monday´s memory, in honor of all those who kept me awake last night with their chanting and screaming and incessant horn blowing.
Well, Fall is falling upon us once again…how time flies. Yesterday we finally had our first rain in months, and alas, the giant Andes are back to their snow-capped glory.
Though it means winter is coming, I absolutely love Fall here in Santiago, and this is why:
I can hardly believe it, but it´s true, I have now lived in Chile for one whole year. I have not been to the US, nor seen most of my friends or family in more than one whole year. Loco.
Much has happened in this year. I´ve gone from an English professor to finally utilizing my degree, I´ve improved my Spanish skills tenfold, made new friends and have really come to love Santiago.
I came here the second time for love, but before I made the move, I asked myself, would I still be able live there without love? Is there more for me there than simply feelings? Well, the answer was and is yes. This year has taught me patience and heartache, along with strength and what it´s truly like to live in the “real world.” Love didn´t work out, but I´m still here, making it, and generally quite content with it all. It´s not always been easy though, and from the bottom of my heart, I thank my parents´ for their continued love and support.
As I said in an earlier phlog, I don´t know exactly what the next step is, the next piece to my puzzle, but I´m sure having a great time figuring it all out.
I chose this phlog for today´s Monday memory, because I´m proud of where I live. I absolutely adore this city and for now, it´s the place that I call home.
Well, it’s not Monday, but it’s surely a day for remembering…
This one is dedicated to my wonderful Aunt Connie, who sadly passed away today, way too young to leave this world. I really had a special place for Connie in my heart, and I’m not going to lie, this one’s a tough one.
I really attribute a lot of my traveling spirit to Connie. With her and my Aunt Peggy I took my first journey abroad to Europe, learned of all her many travels around this big ol’ world and I then knew, that I too would follow in her footsteps. She had the travel bug, and passed that on to me.
And that brings us to now, me in Chile, so far from home, not able to make it back to say goodbye and be with my family. I knew before I moved here that this was inevitable. Death is inevitable. I knew it all, but I’m not going to lie, when it happens, for lack of a better way to say it, it really sucks.
So I go back to a phlog I did not so long ago, which I wrote when two close to me were suffering from loss. Now I find myself in their position…
Life is for living
7/31/10
“Life cannot be cut off quickly. One cannot be dead until the things he changed are dead. His effect is the only evidence of his life. While there remains even a plaintive memory, a person cannot be cut off, dead. And he thought, ‘It’s a long slow process for a human to die. We kill a cow, and it is dead as soon as the meat is eaten, but a man’s life dies as a commotion in a still pool dies, in little waves, spreading and growing back toward stillness.’” -John Steinbeck, To a God Unknown
In light of all the recent Hydro Asyen protests here in Santiago, I thought I would dedicate today’s memory to being tear-gassed. Since last Monday night, there have been wild and violent protests against the new law that passed, giving the go ahead for the government to enter the pristine Patagonia area of Asyen and build dams for energy. I may like marches, but protests are a different thing: my one and only time of covering one ended up with me holding my eyes and screaming in the street that I couldn’t see, and that possibly–dramatic as it now seems–I would never be able to see again.
Tear gas is a horrible thing.
The thing is, I get being angry over something, and I respect whole-heartedly the freedom of speech and demonstration, but once violence is involved, I believe the voice and cause lose a bit. I mean, I’ve witnessed angry youth throwing rocks at policemen, people starting fires in the street and even, as you’ll see below, a squad car destroyed. It just seems so counter productive. Moreover, those who generally participate, are rebellious youth, whom I’m not even sure are as concerned about what their fighting for, as just being a part of it. It’s cool to protest, it’s cool destroy in the wake of your “anger.”
The bottom line though, is that 75 percent of Chilean towns are protesting this law. It’s sad to see the government do something against the majority´s will. They say it´s for the best, which promises lower energy costs. I just hope that what this makes this country so unique—it´s beautiful, untouched, not-yet-destroyed lands, dubbed an “eco-gem”—doesn´t take a blow, which according to the protestors, is exactly what´s going to happen.
Tear Gassed
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Innocent bystanders and protestors sprint down Alameda away from a stream of tear gas during a Mapuche protest.
Santiago wouldn´t be Santiago without the street dogs. Though it´s actually quite out of control, I can´t help but love the hundreds of thousands of four-legged friends roaming about the city.
The Dog Blog
August 15, 2009
It didn’t take me but a day of living here to realize that Santiago has a dog problem. There are random strays literally everywhere–it’s like no other city or place I’ve seen before. So upon further investigation, this is what I’ve found: Continue reading Monday Memories – Dog Blog→
Well, in lieu of Jamiroquai, I had to push back Monday Memories until today…a Tuesday Token?
This phlog is proof that I have to play more with my macro lens!
A phlogisophical to ponder
9/23/10
“Time sometimes flies like a bird, sometimes it crawls like a snail; but a man is happiest when he does not even notice whether it passes swiftly or slowly.” -Ivan Turgenev
Do you think a snail is overly concerned with his end result? Is he really striving to achieve something in the near future? Possibly, how can we ever know? But, maybe he’s just thinking and concentrating on his subsequent step, the very next move.
Progress is a slow process for a snail. But slimy millimeter by slimy millimeter he makes his way; and he often rests, for he’s realistic—it can’t all be done at once. Continue reading Monday Memories – Take it easy…→
This makes me want to hop on a bus and head to the shore immediately!
We are but small fish in a big pond
3 November, 2010
My friend Matias conquers the Pacific!
What on Earth is more fascinating than the ocean? It is this giant body of water, of which 95 percent remains unexplored, that consumes 71 percent of our planet. It has immense power, both in destruction and tranquility; and though we can monitor and study it to no end, we still cannot accurately predict its behavior. Continue reading Monday Memories – Hang ten→
When I think back to this moment, my heart still skips a beat. Skydiving is one-of-a-kind, truly exhilarating and unforgettable. Mom, I’m still sorry about going against my word to not take unnecessary risks.
Free Falling
Thursday, October 29, 2009
The blood has never pumped faster through my veins, yet all the while a true sense of tranquility washed over me as I jumped out of an airplane 12,000 feet in the sky. It was amazing. Continue reading Monday Memories – Skydiving→
So, my old site had tons of content that I don’t want to just leave out there somewhere in virtual reality. And to transfer all of the files at once is virtually impossible. I have three jobs! But I have to get that content back! Therefore, every Monday will be dedicated to a past phlog, hence Monday Memories. Bear with me with the formatting, it´s very hard to get just right! I´m leaving them just how they were, in the original form (unless there´s a typo or something!) Do relish in the past with me.
We start with the very last post I made while in Chile round one. I still view this as one of the coolest things I´ve ever done and seen, an experience of a lifetime. The only thing I would change is the part where I illegally entered the country…hindsight is 20×20.
