Category Archives: Phlog

Phlog = photos + words

In memory of Connie

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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

 

Continue reading In memory of Connie →

Monday Memories – A city of protestors

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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
Tear Gassed
Innocent bystanders and protestors sprint down Alameda away from a stream of tear gas during a Mapuche protest.

Continue reading Monday Memories – A city of protestors →

we DO need an education…

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Santiago Education MarchThe topic of public education in Chile is a hard one for a foreigner to grasp. I´ve heard people say it´s absolutely horrible, but I´ve also heard those defending it, or at least saying, “Hey, it´s not that bad.”

Whatever the case is, I can assure you, yesterday´s Education March as my proof, that there is a lot of dissatisfaction among Chileans when it comes to public education. Thursday, 12 May, I photographed more than 25,000 students and professors marching down Alameda, voicing the need for more funding, scholarships and general improvement.

You see, in Chile, it seems that anyone who can, pays for their children to attend a private school. Therefore, public schools become somewhat synonymous with poor people, where you´ll find the once poor students, teaching the now poor students, all lacking a  good education, making a vicious cycle of ignorance. Continue reading we DO need an education… →

Monday Memories – Dog Blog

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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 →

Grow you rights – Cultiva tus derechos

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Marijuana in ChileAs a part of the international movement to legalize marijuana, thousands of Chileans participated in Saturday’s Million Marijuana March. Since 2005, Santiago has been participating in this event, joining more than 300 cities around the world. By marching, sparking public debate and signing a petition, the afternoon was all about having the right to possess Cannabis if one so desired. Their statement: We’re not asking for tolerance, we’re demanding respect.

As I walked toward the starting point, close to Los Heroes Metro, a distinct smell permeating through the air got stronger and stronger. Knowing that just a few years ago, Chile changed their marijuana laws from a slap on the wrist to more stringent repercussions–it’s now classified as a hard drug, equal to cocaine–I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. Continue reading Grow you rights – Cultiva tus derechos →

…there´s a story

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downtown SantiagoDid you like how I kind of kept you hanging with my last post, Behind every door…? I bet those ellipses really had you wondering. Wonder no more; it´s simple, behind every door, there´s a story.

Ok, so I didn´t actually knock on the doors and ask to come in, take photos and learn the story, but rest assure, I did take more photos. The story is historic downtown Santiago, the birthplace of this now booming city. In this phlog, I once more chose to focus on the details, the real life of downtown, therefore you won´t see the presidential palace or any other map marker, no, you´ll see the heart. This is the area that has seen it all, from becoming an independent nation, to massive earthquakes, to dictatorships, to an atheist, single mother president, to more massive earthquakes; and it´s survived it all. This is the area that I call home, whose streets I walk daily, for which my heart has a soft spot. Continue reading …there´s a story →

Behind every door…

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Door #1
The inspiration for it all, the first door that caught my eye.

I’ve passed these doors countless times, never failing to notice their composition, seeing them as photos…

I love to ponder on those who’ve walked through. Did they appreciate the door as much as I do?

Santiago, like any big city, has its new, fancy, modern buildings–all glass, beautifully lit up at night. And while I dearly love that part, I also quite enjoy downtown, where each structure is different, each with its own character. It seems a little more personal to me, a little more mysterious, and always fun to photograph. Continue reading Behind every door… →

Monday Memories – Take it easy…

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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
Snail
“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… →

My third world…

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El Golf area of Santiago.
El Golf area of Santiago through a fish-eye.

I wrote an article about this not too long ago, and I feel the need to share it on my personal site as well.

Too many times have I heard grand misconceptions about the country in which I currently live. The one that gets to me the most is when people ignorantly refer to it as a “third world country.” Chile is booming. In fact, their money has surpassed the dollar since early 2009. I have seen the third world…it looks nothing like this, it´s hopeless, horrendous and something I wish upon no life. I could go on and on, but I feel it´s not even worth the fight. If you really consider Chile a third world country, I kindly invite you to leave my sight. Continue reading My third world… →

Monday Memories – Hang ten

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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
Chile surf
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 →

Monday Memories – Skydiving

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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 →

Wine

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Concha y Toro VinesLong before I ever considered living in Chile, working as a waitress at Paradise Grille in Parkersburg, WV, I knew Chile for one reason: I sold Concha y Toro’s Casillero del Diablo wine to customers. It was a great up-sale story: Back when the winery was first producing, they noticed that barrels were disappearing. You see, the wine was so good that the work-hands would sneak in at night and steal barrels of it. So, the owner moved the cellar underground, swearing it to be possessed by the Devil. The workers, very superstitious, apparently never stole another barrel. So now the wine is known as Casillero del Diablo, the Devil’s Locker. Continue reading Wine →

Monday Memories – Bolivia

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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.

What My Eyes Have Seen…

Bolivia

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Lago Colorado, Bolivia Continue reading Monday Memories – Bolivia →

Family

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Family
Atop Cerro San Cristóbal

Well, even though it has been more than a month ago that my lovely mother and aunt came to visit me here in Chile, better late than never.

We had an amazing time. They were here for eight days, and time flew. The day after they left, I talked to my mother just 12 hours later, and she was already at home in W.Va. How crazy and wonderful travel is. The fact that I can hug my mother with tears in my eyes, watching her go through immigration in Santiago, and then to talk to her at her house more than 5,000 away in such short time…. Continue reading Family →

Setting music to life

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On my way to my lunch-time English class. The metro dies. They made us get out—I got a free pass for the next trip!—and so I headed for the bus stop. Well, the buses were so full they weren´t even stopping, and the line for one that actually would was horrendous. I was uptown, the class was downtown, so I canceled and began my walk up Providencia, back to my other job. Continue reading Setting music to life →

Laugh

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Street stickers

Finding the humor in life is necessary. And I love the people out there who make it easy: from artists, to personal styles, to the just plain randoms. I urge you to keep your eyes open and never close yourself off from what´s out there; and, what I believe to be more important that stopping to smell the roses, never cease laughing.

The random sticker on an electric box I encountered on my way to work put a smile on my face. Also, I see a lot of t-shirts with sayings in English, and two recently made me chuckle. Continue reading Laugh →

It’s HOT!

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Osvaldo Peña sculpture Well it’s February, the dead of summer.

It’s hot, really hot, but I’m not complaining. I’m letting it warm me to the core and taking every chance I can to enjoy “el verano.”

So I’ve been told, and I can already see for myself, that Santiago is wonderful in the summer. It is estimated that more than one million people leave the city during this month for vacations; the city is quieter, the streets less trafficked and the metro a little more bearable during rush hour.

Most professionals get anywhere from 10 days to three weeks solid vacation. All of my students are off somewhere – two in Disney World, one in Brazil, one in the South, one at the beach and the others simply enjoying their break. Vacation is big here in Chile.

True testament to just how much the city slows during February: the entire Civil Justice System takes the entire month as a “holiday,” explaining why my boyfriend can’t get a job and why the system is notoriously behind. The entire month!

Though I don’t have such luxuries, I am still enjoying the month with a lighter schedule and anticipating the arrival my Mom and Aunt Reba, in which I too will more or less have an entire week off. Continue reading It’s HOT! →

Starlight Coffee

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Starlight Coffee House
Chile´s version of Starbucks

Here´s an article I recently wrote for CiuSantiago that I am rather proud of. The day I went to write it, the words just flowed out — sometimes it´s not that easy.

You see Chileans very much adore — and at times downright copy — US culture. From clothes to coffee to television show ideas, they love to mirror what we think is “in.” As someone left in a comment to my article, imitation is the highest form of flattery. So I say this to the US, with power comes responsibility. Much of the world bases their opinion on the US as to what they see on television, in our movies and our music. Therefore you can see why I find shows like Jersey Shore and Real Housewives despicable, because those watching them here in Chile, and the rest of the world, think that that is reality. Shows like that, or the ridiculous Super Sweet 16, are the reasons why everyone thinks anyone from the US is rich. I have news for them, sadly, it´s not true. Yes, in general we are wealthier, but my money was hard earned and never wasted on turning myself into plastic “perfection.” Continue reading Starlight Coffee →

Latin American Look Alikes

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They say that everyone has a twin out there, and this I believe. To this date, I’ve seen the twin of my good friends Travis Hogbin and Ry Rivard, my Pap Montgomery’s twin, George Costanza’s (I did a phlog on this) and now I can add to the list the actor Scott Bakula’s twin.

Ok, so the photos– that may have been taken surreptitiously via iPhone on the metro – truly don’t give this uncanny look-alike justice. But I tell you, despite the tad bit of a smaller forehead, it was Bakula 15 to 20 years from now. Who knows who I’ll see tomorrow… Continue reading Latin American Look Alikes →

To the Glacier!

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Laguna MoralesI wonder how many other major metropolitan regions allow you to think the night before, “Let´s trek to a glacier tomorrow.” And then the next day, you leave the city and in less than two hours, your lacing up your boots and heading up a mountain. Probably not a whole lot.

Well last weekend, Max and I had such a thought, and Sunday we took a 16-kilometer trek (round trip) to the San Francisco Glacier. We actually thought we were going to El Morado Glacier, but turns out that trail was to the right. We went to the left.

Nonetheless, it´s not every day you have the opportunity to see a glacier. In fact, this was my first; and I have to say, it´s pretty cool, figuratively that is. It´s summer here, and aside from a cool breeze, the sun was brilliant and warming. Continue reading To the Glacier! →