July 2011
3 posts
Since I started writing that last post, the one...
there was an earthquake here in chile! 6.0 off the coast of Valparaíso. I felt it as I was sitting here writing my post. Not extreme, just enough to make you notice that the curtains and the lamp and the mardi gras beads hanging on your wall are all shaking.
Still apparently made the american news though. Don’t worry we still have power.
I send my love from Santiago!
I am in love
Some day, I will live in Buenos Aires.
After only 4 days, I fell in love. So quickly? Some might ask? Other might comment that I should not be making any brash decisions, but those some people have not seen the city of dilapidated elegance, south american luxury, that oozes the personality of the One That Got Away. The city, by day reminiscent of all the great europeans, Paris, Rome, London,...
June 2011
6 posts
"No measurable amount of precipitation ever...
Is National Geographic’s succinct description of the desert in the north of Chile.
The ATACAMAAAAAAA.
NASA and NatGeo claim it is the driest region in the world and studies have shown that the soils in the Atacama are so dry and antimicrobial, that they resemble the soils on the surface of Mars.
So, of course, it would come as no surprise to anyone that the Atacama was one of my top...
for jenna, a haiku.
Big red hair, tease-rare,
Jenna won’t let me touch her
bonny big red hair.
My Kryptonite is..
Santa Cruz de Chile. Surprised? You would have guessed Moe’s Burritos or Chick-fil-A sweet tea? Well, then you will not be surprised by this Fun Fact: Santa Cruz de Chile is commonly referred to as Wine Country. And believe you me, it is wiiiiineee cooountry. (Imagine me cheesily winking at you after saying that).
Onwards. For Marvelous Maggie’s first weekend in Chile, my good friend...
SantaCruz, Maggie, Atacama, Maggie, BuenosAires,...
equals BIG NEW post soon, like beginning of next week soon! start the drumroll please.
We are from Canada, eh?
No, silly, we are actually from los Estados Unidos, but we tell all the taxi drivers we’re from Canada. And creepy men at clubs.
There’s just something about Canada. Nobody hates Canadians. No one assumes all Canadians are like the cast of Jersey Shore. And nobody expects Canadians to dance. Obviously.
My biffle (bffl) and Self Appointed Wingwoman, the Illustrious and Strikingly...
May 2011
4 posts
Spanish FAIL
Rachel’s coworkers were asking her about all the great “casinos” in the States. Rachel repeatedly told them (in spanish) that they are mostly illegal, and there are none in Atlanta.
Obviously.
She did mention that some states have lax-er rules on “casinos” and that usually they are owned by native americans. Her coworkers seemed very surprised and disbelieving of...
Gringos in Santiago
This is the only shot any paparazzi scored of the famed Family Livingston during their long weekend in Santiago, Chile. #toughlife
Since no pictures exist, I’ll just have to fill you all in myself. CelebrityBuzz/ EntertainmentTonight Style.
Russ, Pat, and their son Chris Livingston (21) arrived at the Santiago International Airport at 7:35am and stealthily avoided all crowds by taking...
Christina y los Subterraneos
are a rock band from Spain. They are eating breakfast at the table next to me and my family.TCM.
Total Chile Move.
"No Pants Patagonia!"
This was our mantra during our 10 day trek through Chilean Patagonia, aka the most beautiful nature I have ever had the privilege to walk over. Let me just clarify, that we were never actually without pants (tights + leggings + waterproof ski pants), just that occasionally we would drop our water/wind proof subzero ski pants and stand in our leggings, for pictures or whatever. And since society...
April 2011
3 posts
Lo-yah-pal-u-sta or Lollapalooza (Chile)
Like all good foreigners, we bought our tickets through Paypal online. Safest bet, right? Most (smart, or at least in the know) Chileans bought them at ticket stands located around the city the few weeks leading up to the festival.
Saturday, or day 1, find us on the metro towards Parque Bernado O’Higgins in the southern part of Santiago. The instructions in our confirmation emails tell us...
The ENTIRE Chilean National Futbol Team
just gawked at me from their bus.
I kid you not! The bus was making a like 5 point left turn because it was too big for the street, with a police car in the front and in the back (lights on). I look up into the windows and see that all bus passengers (in matching red jerseys) are on the driver side of the bus, pressed against the glass, looking at me. I’m the only person on the corner...
March 2011
5 posts
Like any real Chilean...
… I think “hmm, a tremor” and roll over and go back to sleep. Woke up to a shaking bed at 3:10 am last night. Cause: 5.4 tremor 40 miles south of Santiago. I mean, no big deal.
Obama Mania
On Monday, the 21st day of March in the year two thousand and eleven, President Barack Obama and family spent 21 hours and 34 minutes in Santiago, Chile.
The whole city was buzzing. A sort of tense, strained simmering of adrenaline. Not a pot boiling over, per say, but to me it seemed that everyone was very excited, but no one was smiling.
In hyped up good ‘ole Amurican enthusiasm,...
Prognosis: Homesickness. Prescription: Wine.
I’m not usually a homesick type person. Typically I’m too busy thinking about how cool my life is and how bizarre chilean fashion trends are.
Today’s different. Santiago really put all of her effort into hammering it in today for me.
I wake up at 7:00 for my 3 hour long History of Design class at 8:30. That sucks, but it’s not Santiago’s fault, so don’t...
"If you see a Tsunami, walk away."
This was the English warning on the tsunami advisories before we left for the beach this weekend. The Spanish warning said something to the effect of, “in the event of a Tsunami, evacuate on foot to higher elevation.” Poor english translation número 3,001.
With the entire Chilean coast under (a dramatically) high Tsunami alert, my friends and I decided to take a quick weekend trip to...
The Mother of All Bureaucracies
A Detailed Semi-Chronological Account of my Dealings with the Chilean Government.
or
The Bane of My Existence.
To simplify my adventures (aka hours wasted in waiting rooms) we’re going to give shorter names to all of the Chilean Government Offices I’ve visited in the past month. (In a vain attempt to save my wrists from inevitable Carpal Tunnel in my distance future.)
1....
February 2011
10 posts
I live with Edna Mode.
The Chilean Version.
Her name is Maria Ayako Miyaki Flores. She is Japanese Chilean and lives in Sweden with her family for most of the year. And she is my landlady.
She has been gracious (insistent) enough to allow my roommate, Jenna, and I to live in her apartment while she’s still living here. It actually works out perfectly, that when she leaves for Sweden is about the exact time...
Just call me Miss Livingston
I could be a school teacher. Seriously. I led my first field trip this past weekend.
(Before I get started, to my loyal tumblr followers, I’m sorry for not writing sooner, my computer charger has ceased working. Just my luck, right? It doesn’t help that mac chargers cost double here than what they do in the states. I’m making do for now borrowing Jenna’s.)
Where was I?...
I rep the dirty south, and I make it rain.
I got some serious street cred in Santiago, for realz yo.
A few of my classmates had heard about a big party on Wednesday nights in Santiago called AfterOffice (that’s the name, not the translation). Supposedly it was on a helicopter pad on top of a hotel. Supposedly it was the swankiest party in Santiago. And supposedly it was difficult to get in.
One of my classmates, Jenna, had a...
I should probably just get used to it
(in semi-chronological order since my last post on Thursday night).
I am doing much better, mil gracias (a thousand thank you’s) for all of the empathy. In my highly strung out and emotional state, reading all of your notes, facebook messages, and emails, just made me cry more, in embarrassing places (like the hostel lobby, and at Paris, the chilean Target), but it was a stress reliever,...
Like any good Law & Order SVU episode..
..I’m going to give you the ending first, just to keep you interested (or in the case of SVU, so you get hopelessly trapped in one of their day-long marathons).
Ok here’s the hook: right now it’s 9:00 pm, and I’m sitting in my single room at the hostel. I’m exhausted, my feet hurt, my eyes are almost swollen shut from crying, and I’m so sunburned that I...
