October wins the award for the fastest month here! Seriously,where did it go?Wednesday, the 24th officially marked 4 months in Chile.One third of my experience is done!Fittingly,this was also the day I finally received my student BIP(bus and metro) card.Only the foreign students who stay here for a year get them,because the whole process takes 3-4 months to get one. The Transantiago system, nor the international student program would be helping themselves going through the process with semester students, if they only use the card for less than 2 months. I have the benefit of using it eight more months, hooray! Basically with the BIP card, one "swipe" gets you a bus+metro+bus ride or other similar combinations as long as you're heading in the same direction within a two hour window. So I swipe onto the bus in the morning, take it to the metro and swipe into the metro, and it doesn't charge me for both. Before it cost 560 to 670 pesos(about $1.20-$1.30), depending on whether it is "Bajo,Punto,o Valle"(Low,Normal, or Rush Hour). Now, it's only 190 pesos,less than 50 cents, all the time! This is a huge relief,because transportation costs can really add up quickly here. Plus, this is just another reaffirmation that I am truly in Chile. My friends who are staying for the semester are talking are counting down the days and I can't help thinking I could not imagine leaving at this point. I am sure that I will need this year to be here, to really focus on improving my spanish and just, well...living here! The new has worn off for me, but not the shininess. I don't think it ever will. Maybe I'm easily amused by everyday life. Sure there are frustrating days when tengo ganas de dar una patada a algo(I really want to kick something!). But there is something special about starting to go through day-to-day life here,if I open my eyes to my surroundings a bit. I see the same singers on my morning and afternoon commutes to and from school.Right as I type this I can hear the man that always comes down my street in his cart bike blowing his little,musical whistle. I can trace certain bus routes in my sleep. Heck I've been even been asked for a directions, and gotten it right more times than not. (Do I look...no not look,maybe seem Chilean enough to know my way around here? Or maybe, people just figure you don't have to be Chilean to know the lay of the land. Either way it's somewhat of a compliment.)
Then of course there are out of the everyday life events that make me appreciate being here,knowing some experiences are location specific. I went to a Fulbright scholarship info session hosted by my program, and one of the Chilean Fulbrighters I met is doing her dissertation here on migration to Chile. After chatting a bit,she told me about a Peruvian celebration that was happening that Saturday, called Señor de los Milagros(Lord of Miracles). I had never heard anything about this celebration,so naturally I went!Turns out it's a pretty neat story.In the 18th century Lima, Peru suffered a massive earthquake, and it was said the only thing left standing was a mural of Jesus Christ. So now they decorate an elaborate altar and march through the streets with this mural after the celebratory mass. The biggest celebration of this holy day is obviously in Lima,but Santiago's large Peruvian population makes it quite a big deal here too.My EAP buddy Emmanuel tagged along and, wow, we were in for a surprise! The mass, which was in the giant church in Plaza de Armas, was packed,so we stood the whole time. They sang the Chilean and Peruvian national anthems. Afterwards, we met up with Megan(the Fulbright student) and joined in on the procession through Santiago, where they carried basically a giant altar decorated with flowers. I didn't realize it would be so long, but two hours later we were still marching along. The best part was when people standing on a bridge above the procession released tons of balloons and glitter upon the crowds.
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| The video wasn't working :( Imagine sounds of drums,popping balloons, and singing! |
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