Lago Titicaca on a beautiful day



Fort Atkinson Twilight--Polka concert Summer '07

My own little flood and crazy Chileans

I washed my clothes today. No biggie. Well I put the first load in and went upstairs to finishing cleaning my room. When I went downstairs again to change the load I noticed the floor was all wet. As I was investigating, I noticed the sink where the washer drains into had gotten clogged by a plastic bag that had been in the sink. Uh oh. Not only did it get the laundry room floor wet, the water went into the maid's room. We don't have a maid right now but there is stuff everywhere in that room. Samantha had managed to create some work for herself. I had to clean out the room in which I found about 5 different kitchen machinery items, from a George Foreman all the way to an ancient-looking food processor. Then there were clothes upon clothes upon clothes. Who seriously needs that much stuff? I know my mother is a packrat but my host mom is to the extreme. I really think she needs to get checked out. There were like 7 pillows just lying on the floor gathering dust and dirt. Who really needs that many pillows lying around. She already has ten on her bed. I am by no means a neat freak, my mother and roommates can attest to that. So when someone else's clutter starts to bother me, you know it's bad. I got everything out of the room and put it all to one side of the garage where it was dry. I then proceeded to sweep out the water. It was quite interesting what I found while I was sweeping. Years of dirt and grime and I think what was the remains of a dead mouse. Now I just have to wait for it to dry properly and attempt to put the mess back in. How can these people live like this??? ahhhhhh!

I also went to class this afternoon. As I entered the common area of the building I saw my classmates standing, watching something going on out front of the building. Here were some crazy Chileans throwing rocks at an armored truck of the Arican police. The armored truck would spray them with an intense beam of water. They were breaking the walls with rocks, to get other rocks. One person actually chucked a chair. They were yelling profanities, all the while I was thinking the cops in there are pry just kickin back, havin a snack, thinking you idiots, "You can throw as many rocks as you want. But at the end of the day, we've still got the armored truck." The students want the strike to continue. Unless something major happens, I don't see that flying at all.

Today was one of those days where you wake up and you're not in a very good mood. I can't really say what the reason is, it could be because I actually had to wake up before noon today, but whatever the case, something just wasn't sitting right. I was supposed to march in an anniversary parade with the kindergarten class that I teach. I walk to the school and on my way peoples stares and whistles were really getting to me. Most days I can blow them off as if they weren't there, but days like today I'm more sensitive to them. I don't feel like being the object of someone's whistle or suggestive gesture. I don't want to be stared at just because I'm obviously not Latina. It's days like this that really make me miss home. I showered before I went to the school and I realized I shouldn't have. Arica is so dirty. Every passing car seems to shower you with some sort of dirt or exhaust. Your shoes are never clean because everything is dirt or sand. What's more is that the city itself is like one big garbage dump. There's this huge, I guess you could call it a hole, where kids play soccer. I've seen people actually put their garbage bags next to it. The city workers go around with their brooms and sweep the dirt. Sweep the dirt? You know you're just moving it around right, you're not actually cleaning it. The idea of someone sweeping dirt or picking up any type of garbage in this city is ridiculous. I just miss Iowa's greeness and fresh air! I realize I am pretty much just complaining right now, I have to do it somewhere I guess. Well I need to go release some stress and go on a run. I'll just turn my music up really loud and keep my eyes forward to avoid the strange looks.

P.S. HOME IN T-31 DAYYYYSSS!!

Living with the Morales'

Today I was reminded of how lucky I am to be staying with such an amazing family. I told my host sister Yuli (the one in the middle of the picture) that I had never had a completo. A completo is the thing that looks like a hot dog, which it basically is. It's a hot dog, diced tomatoes, avocado, mayo and ketchup all in an oversized bun. It's a staple Chilean food. The subject came up at lunch and she made them for dinner. I was resting in my bed because I went out last night and my younger host sister and her friend Alessandra (the girl on the left) came up to my room and said they had a surprise for me and that I had to wait in my room until they told me to come out. Ok, that's fine, continuing to lay down doesn't require much effort. Well they came and got me and they were all dressed up in crazy clothes and they told me I had to close my eyes until they told me to open them. They lead me downstairs and into the kitchen. There I opened my eyes and there on the table were completos all set out nicely, some other goodies and a cake! They were calling it my pre-going away party. It was totally unexpected, and for them to do that for me really means something.

I truly feel at home here. I don't have a younger sister and my 8 year old Chilean sister Catalina is like my pseudo-sister. We goof around together, watch cartoons together, eat together and go places together. That little girl has touched my life more than she will ever know. My other Chilean sister Yuli has a heart of gold and is an amazing cook. She is always willing to help me with any little thing I want. She had Cata when she was 18 and I don't know the story but I can't help but think it wasn't planned. She is a great mom. And then there's my host mom Fatima. She's something else. A little crazy, thinks she knows everything and loves sweets just about as much as I do. When I got my wallet stolen in the first few weeks I was here we went all around the city going to the taxi stations because I thought I could have possibly left it in a taxi. We went around the campus asking people if they saw anything, she alerted the campus police. She did everything in her power to help me. I don't know where Yuli's or Cata's father is, but living in this house has really taught me something that I thought I already knew. It has shown me what it means to be a strong woman. You don't need a man to define who you are. I knew the concept, but I didn't fully understand it until now. I am truly blessed to have met and lived with this family.

I am missing my life in Iowa, but at the same time I don't want to leave! Of course I don't. It's like a vacation for me right now. I get to explore another part of the world which in turn, allows me to explore another part of myself. I get to meet so many new people that would have otherwise been just an aspiration. Part of me doesn't want to go back to my life in Iowa because I know what the next year, year and a half holds. It's my senior year. I'm going to graduate from college? Well, depending on what happens with my credits here, I should be able to get done with my classes and then have student teaching left, so about a year and a half. I really don't have many responsibilities here. The end of college?? What? I didn't think college would ever end. Ugh, I don't even want to think about getting out into the 'real world'. That can stay away for quite some time yet. Samantha's not ready for that transition. But are we ever really 'ready' for any big transition like that? I don't really think so. How could be? We can be ready for the mental scenarios we have in our head about how it's going to be, but no one actually knows what's going to happen. It's like that saying that goes:

At the end of the day faith is a funny thing. It turns up when
you don't really expect it. Its like one day you realize that the fairy tale
may be slightly different than you dreamed. The castle, well, it may not be
a castle. And its not so important happy ever after, just that its happy
right now. See once in a while, once in a blue moon, people will surprise
you , and once in a while people may even take your breath away.