Temblor

Huh? yah, that means Tremor in Spanish, and that what happened at about 3 a.m. this morning. A strong tremor. The whole building was rocking and shaking.

It wasn't the first tremor that I have experienced here, but definitely the strongest. The first time it was much more tame. I was standing in the bedroom folding towels and suddenly I noticed that the laundry wrack was shaking from side to side, the wind, I thought... but wait... I'm moving... wait, the building's moving... "EARTHQUAKE!" I ran to a door frame (that is what your supposed to do, right?) "Eliana! An earth quake is happening!" By this time the tremor had stopped, I was standing in the doorway, and Eliana was saying to me, "I thought it was my stomach grumbling."

"!Es un baile!"

Today, I took a micro (pronounce "me-crow" and translate as bus) home from Spanish class. I love micros! I don't really know if there's a system to taking micros, but what I do is look for street names I recognize, and hope for the best. I think of it as my afternoon adventure.

Here's the deal: Sometimes when you get on a micro, it leaves before you're all the way up the steps. Sometimes you get a seat. Always, you weave in and out of traffic, stopping at red lights in front of street performers,  with a constant flow of street vendors selling everything from ice cream (I highly recommend the pineapple popsicle) to bandaids, passengers get on and off at specified stops--or in the middle of traffic--and the bus driver manages all of this while counting fares and handing out tickets, made more complicated by the fact that there are multiple fares depending on how far you're going (within the city, to the neighbour city, or a couple of cities over) and whether you're a student.

Today I tried to pay attention to the people who check in with the driver to try and figure out what they do. Checkeriner 1 yelled "five!" and the driver gave him some change. Then, the driver outmaneuvered the micro in front of us, impressively without crashing, and the next Checkeriner yelled "four!" and also received some change. The driver looked at his friend and said "!Es un baile!" In English: It's a dance!

I love it.

Love,
Eli

Cursed

Today, a woman cursed me because I wouldn't let her read my palm and give her a couple hundred pesos (less than fifty cents). I don't know why I didn't just give her the money. It was stupid. I mean, it's not like I'm really poor and need to hang on to change. But, once I said no, I really meant no, and I don't like being bullied. So, I took the curse. This is just one moment out of lots of moments in which I feel a bit like a cultural idiot. Is there protocol for how to interact with palm readers? Because when I give a little bit of change to one palm reader, I feel like I'm surrounded by other palm readers who also want to tell me what a lovely couple Greg and I are for some more change, and I don't see others swarmed like this, and I secretly just want to enjoy my afternoon without being approached by so many people, but then I feel like a selfish, petty person because it really is less than fifty cents and only a couple of minutes, and I think that maybe I'm over-thinking what should be a really simple interaction between two people, but then I change my mind and decide it's not so simple and I just don't get it. Inhale. Exhale. The end.

I don't know what to call this post.

Hi family and friends,

The weather today was and is still beautiful. It's 7:30pm and the sun is about half an hour from setting. Sunsets here are amazing. From orange to pink and purple, and reflected by the Pacific Ocean. That is even more beautiful. Countless waves, shimmering and reflecting the light of each other wave and ripple of water... its like a sheet of diamonds.

Tomorrow we are going to have almuerzo (lunch) with Eli Uncle and Aunt, Lalo and Nana. They live in a town called Via Alemana, about half an hour away by train. It is a really nice train ride through the hills with a couple of valley crossing bridges.

Eliana and I have had a lot of free time on our hands, which we have used to explore Vina, Valpo and the surrounding area. Now that I am in Spanish classes... I have the same amount of free time, I just have to get up earlier : ) . I have also been using my time reinvigorate my meditation practice and study of Buddhism. It has been a great experience and helped me to remember why I made the choice to take my Refuge Vows.

Now for some shout outs!

Congrats to Marissa and Tyler on their marriage!
Congrats to my little brother, Gareth, and his girlfriend, Damara, on their purchase of a new home together!
Congrats to Richard on your new program and and new found passion! (and having a wicked wife!)

Well friends and family, I am thinking of you lots and cant wait to see you all.

Love,
Greg

A Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Atheist walk into a classroom...

Well I am officially enrolled in spanish classes! Today was my first day and it was great (other than getting up at 7:15 only to discover that the hot water wasnt working). I learned a few things, but i think it will be a week until i encounter material that i dont know. It turns out that I have learned some spanish in my first month-and-a-bit of the Chilean adventure. The class is very diverse. one canadian (thats me), an american, two swiss, and a german... one buddhist (me again), an atheist, a couple of christians, and a hindu (not in order). anyway, it should lead to some interesting conversations. My classes are from monday to friday, 9:00-12:15.

It is a cloudy and cool day in Viña, a good day to rest. Eliana has recovered most of her strength from the weekend. I think i will wath cartoons and practice spanish...

much love,

Greg

Why you shouldn't eat a salad just anywhere in Santiago

Because you almost die. Well... I'm almost sure it was the salad. I am now covered in burst blood vessel freckles and am recovering nicely on a diet of mashed potatoes with oil and salt and jello with lots of people taking care of me. With love, Eliana

Going to have a cortado! Yum!

Eli and I are heading down to the ocean to have a cortado. whats a cortado? It´s a shot of expresso with milk and milky foam on top! delicious... thats right pop´s i am enjoying more than just Nescafe! I would actually also love an ice cream... however if you hadnt noticed in the photos, i am getting a little chunk.

Free time...

...is making me crazy!!!

Really, I don´t remember the last time that I´ve woken up and been able to go back to bed without a sinking sense of guilt or scan and balance of my mental todo list. A normal wake-up thought process used to sound something like this: ¨hmm... if I sleep for half an hour more, I can just study while cooking while doing laundry and still get everything done!¨ Of course, I´m enjoying our vacation, but when we´re sedentary with nothing that we NEED to do, I just feel, well, lazy!!!

My research is a bit slower getting started than I had anticipated, but I think it´s finally going to come together this week or next week, and Greg starts Spanish school next week, so our days should be a little more structured soon. I´m getting really anxious to get started, partly for my mental health, and partly because I´m really stoked about the research process.

Miss everyone lots. With love,
Eli

PS

you can click on the photos for a larger image.

A Funny Story

So I am sure that you are all wondering why I have added a picture of a scandalouos looking nurse. Heres the story: on one of our first days in Viña, Eliana, Fernando, Chabe and I (Goyo, who else!) where walking down the street and saw this giant poster of a sexy nurse. Tio Fernando turned to me and in a blur of spanish asked me a question. I had no idea what he was saying and, in the Gringo fashion, said "si" ("yes"). suddenly Tio Fernando and Tia Chabe burst out in laughter and Eliana gave me a shocked look and punched me in the arm. "What was that for and what did I miss?". Well Eliana, in laughter, told me that her Tio had asked if I wanted to get sick again so she (the sexy nurse) could take care of me.

Picture Time!

A beautiful vista of the pacific ocean from one of the hills in Valparaiso.

looking in the opposite direction from the picture above... just a taste of the view. remember all of the winding streets that connect these houses and buildings.

Some cool grafiti from the streets of Valparaiso.

Goyo (nick-name for gregory in Argetina... no i`m not in Argentina, but the Chileans have never heard of it, though Elianas cousins do tell me that it sounds like the word for the Marijuana Bud, "Cogoyo"... go figure!)

Same vista: minus Fernando, plus Goyo.