I am no longer in Chile.

I wish I was. Part of me wishes I was Chilena and I lived in Chile. I am attached I want to go back. Just for a moment. Just to breathe the air. Just to glimpse the city and the people. For a moment........

haha i am a very nostalgic person.. it probably doesn't help that I am watching TV Chile right now, and there is a special program, probably for independence weekend, that sings chilean music and shows traditional chilean dancing (cueca). i am very excited to watch this program and sitting at the edge of my seat looking at this.

i have yet to finish my vacation... i am in costa rica and doing much exploring and adventure travel, but i guess because i have been away from home so long and doing much traveling.. i am tired and a little numb to the fact that i am in a new country. i am more passive and just let the days go by now, just trying to live and survive. maybe i would be more excited about costa rica if it was my first country, but it is at the end of my trip and i am tired. i need to rest. however today was nice. it is the independence day for costa rica and i saw a parade and everyone of the locals out in the streets watching the parade. i had a good time hanging out with my Dutch roommate Wendela.

tomorrow i must wake up early to rapel down 8 waterfalls and raft down a rapids.. so i go to sleep now. goodnight :P

So mystery person who commented on my last blog wants to know more about my life in Chile..

I avoided details in the last blog for fear of boring you guys.... because my list is by now VERY long. So, below I will include some of my favorite memories in Chile.

--Riding a horse along the beach next to the glittering ocean in La Serena (colonial town 6 hrs north of Santiago)
--Visiting an observatory and learning about as well as viewing many stars, star clusters, and planets through the telescope. I also observed several constellations like the Southern Cross, the Scorpio and Capricorn zodiac sign.
--Going to a fiesta where there was traditional Chilean music, many dancing, good food, good wine, and nice scenery with my whole laboratory and the adjacent laboratory. I had a very good time and felt very loved
--One very cold night, I peeked outside the door of my residencia, and to my surprise found it snowing!! A rare night that I enjoyed with many other panamanians. we frolicked like little kids hahaha :)
--Exploring downtown Santiago at night and having a nice talk with Mario as well as a tour of many areas
--Eating sweet popcorn at the beautiful Cerro Santa Lucia with Shannon
--Eating chupe de jaiba (a pastel dish with cheese and crab and maybe potatoes) in the central market (mercado) with girls from my laboratory (Karla, Paulina, and Carolina)
--Snowboarding in the Andes mountains!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
--Eating Congrio in San Antonio and seeing Pablo Neruda's house in Isla Negra (Humberto, Mario Pelado, and Paula)
--Dancing at a great club in Valparaiso... also salsa dancing in a Cuban club here in Suecia

Plus many other memories in my laboratory, plus the Catolica laboratory, as well as in my residencia with the Panamanians...

I will miss so many people!!! o... i am very happy, but its hard not to think the sad thought about my impending departure. i want to cry...
:'(

Okay... no... I have no updated this diligently like I meant to... but that does not mean that I have not kept a record of my travels. Pictures say all, plus I have many handwritten entries.. which are a bit more private (and not for you to read.. haha).

I am now nearing the end of my stay here in Chile. I have less than 2 weeks. I have built many relationships... with Chileans, with Panamanians, with Trinidadians, and many other Latin Americans. The temperature is warming up, and it is nearing Spring. Like this, the change in the weather, I feel like also signifies a change in my life and my stay. I cannot believe it. I am so very very happy here and so at peace. All things come to an end though. I must move on with life and take on new challenges and new opportunities. I cannot cling to the past. For that only sickens the soul and and the same time wastes my precious youth.

I feel older. Wiser.

I think I look older and wiser too. When I go home, I expect my family and friends to perceive me differently. I have also gained some weight.. haha Chilean food is not good! Too many sweets (manjar on everything! but i love alfajors... and super 8s and golpes...), too much mayo, and palta too.

I am so thankful for this experience here. Really I am a happy girl and I know I have lived a good life thus far. Thank you to everyone who has made this possible for me.

I just had a very long and very oddly timed sleep. I had a nightmare that I was back home after my summer vacation but could not remember anything that happened in most of my time in Chile, nor Peru, nor Costa Rica. I was frustrated with myself and was mad that I had such a poor memory. I was also mad that I only wrote a few entries at the beginning of my trip. When I woke up I realized why... it hasn't happened yet!

So here I am, continuing on with my entries.

This weekend we decided to do a trip to Valparaiso, which is about 1 hr and 40 minutes away. However, the girls only wanted to see the nightlife, which definitely is not a complete enough trip for me. I would really like to see the daytime scenery as well... which I think is what the beach cities are for! To see the ocean, the view from the hills, all the colorful houses on the hill. However we arrived in Valparaiso at 6pm (after sunset), and left at 8 in the morning the next day. I didn't get to walk along the beach either :(

Instead of renting a hotel room or a hostel, the plan was to stay up all night dancing.

When Shannon and I first arrived in Valparaiso a rather handsome but older man noticed us at the bus terminal. He came up and talked to me and asked if I spoke English. He told me to be careful and watch my bags because it is dangerous in Valparaiso. Then he discovered that Shannon spoke Spanish and continued talking to her. Eventually he turned out to be a very valuable tour guide and showed us all around Valparaiso, some "classic" restaurant and bars, and escort us to Vina, as well as even give us some history lessons. We definitely lucked out, especially because of how suspicious he seemed at first.

In Vina we met up with the girls and had mediocre overpriced food. We also watched Brazil win 3 goals against Chile. The waiters were so angry I could see steam coming out of their ears.

We went to a completely empty bar. It was nice looking but no one was there except a cute bartender and a hostess. We tried some drinks, to which I decided to order my favorite drink from last summer - amaretto plus lemonade. We munched on chips and breadsticks for a few hours at the bar while watching a crushing defeat for Chile.. 1-6... how embarassing.

Next we stopped at McDonalds, and finally we decided to head back to Valparaiso. The reason we were in Vina was because 2 different Chileans told us that Vina was way better than Valparaiso. That it's just nicer and has a better nightlife and that Valparaiso is just dangerous. Raquel explained that it's because Chileans are so classist, and that the people who told us this were "quicos" -- from the upper class. Vina was just too quiet, and it did have some clubs but it wasn't the in "scene" at all. So we took a bus back to Valparaiso and finally went to a good club with tons of people our age and music we wanted. It was cheap too, only 2000 pesos (~$4USD). I didn't bring my ID however (I only thought they checked in the US!) and I was pretty worried that I wouldn't be able to get in. We did some covert moves and Diana had to slip me her ID when I bought my ticket. However there was a doorman also who was checking IDs and he was looking a bit more closely. Diana was about to slip me her ID again, but she changed her mind and kept it. So I just pretended that I dropped it and began scanning the floor for something that didn't exist. After a few seconds the doorman got impatient and just took my ticket anyway and let me inside. YES! it worked!

I danced the night away and had a wonderful time. We left Valparaiso in the morning, and I left behind me a beautiful view of the ocean and hills... I was sad to go. I must go back.

And oh how I missed the ocean. So very much. It was beautiful and I yearn for it. I've never been this long so far away from the ocean. The most was when I was in Illinois for 1 week. I have been in Santiago for 2 weeks now. Admittedly, I am looking forward to returning to work tomorrow.

Updates and Thoughts

HELLO!! Sorry I haven't updated in a while... I've been rather sick... nothing too bad but it escalated to its worst yesterday (ayer) when I had a headache and nauseousness and didnt want to do anything except sleep. On my way home from work I kept wondering whether I would make it to the next station or not, or whether or not i'd be able to walk home from the metro. I didn't have the strength to be alert and vigilant as usual.. I felt like anyone could simply just take my stuff, steal it rather easily without me putting up any effort to keep it. I went to bed at 8pm, and woke up at 8am. It was one of the best sleeps of my life.

So much has happened, and I'm not sure whether I should update you. Ok I will.. really briefly

--Friday I went to a nightclub and danced the night away.. literally till 5am.
--Saturday I went to a town 1 hr away from Santiago. It was cute but seemed only touristy. It sold pottery and had restaurants con Umberto Paula y Mario.
--Saturday night I went out with Shannon and the boys and drank cerveza and ate pizza. We took many photos.
--Sunday I went to a baseball game, and Sunday night I hung out w/ Raquel, Felipe, and company. I learned a word. We were all quico (slang for rich people). We went bowling and played cards till 5 in the morning. Thats when I started feeling sick.
--Monday Shannon and I went to Bellavista, but it was a horrible day for it. Very mucky and smoggy. It was nice to see nature again.
--Tuesday, went to work, felt so-so. Had Chinese food, which wasn't half bad!
--Wednesday, went to work, felt pretty sick... and it all went downhill...

Until this morning :)

My first rainy day in Chile.

I went to work, and timed myself.

It is a 45 minute commute including walking. But yet, it doesn't seem too bad. Heck, I complain about the 5 minute bike ride that it took me to get to engineering buildings... a lot of these people have to commute an hours worth time! Geez..

I love taking the metro. I love being in a big city. I love seeing people, and lots of new people everyday. I want to take pictures of them but I don't want to be creepy.

I also came to an epiphany today. You know what I love best about my situation right now?

My life is simple. I don't have to worry about anything. School, studying, friends, family, and no drama. It's wonderful! I feel like I am reborn, like I shed all my worries and troubles away and I'm starting afresh in a new country. I get to build my reputation from scratch, I get to make new friends from scratch, I get to learn so many new things. I love this very much :) Now, only 10 weeks here seems more and more like a short time.. Now actually coming close to just 8 weeks left! too short!

A clean slate, but I still must tread carefully

Another very good day!!

It was beautiful, warm, and welcoming.

I feel like I made a good impression on everyone in the lab today despite the language barrier. I watched only the synthesis of polypropylene with Lorena and Maria.. however I also talked to Mario and Vivian.

I was brave enough to ask Vivian out to lunch.. of course she chose the place because she knew the area, but I paid. It was very good, we had Charquican (likely spelling error) which is a Chilean dish which is a puree of potatoes, squash, meat, and corn. VERY yummy. I couldn't finish it all. Vivian and I talked and laughed.. she actually knows more English than I thought. She understood everything I said very well.

Anyway, I won't be in that lab again for over a week. Tomorrow I am working with Renee at the Catholic University. Admittedly, however, I really will miss everyone.

I feel like I got really close with Kathy today. We went shopping at this HUGE mall, the biggest I've ever seen!! And despite her barely knowing English, and me barely knowing Spanish, I feel like we had a lot of fun. It was a really productive shopping day. I bought a cute black jacket, courderoy brown jeans, 2 thinner jackets, and a black shoulder bag.. also cute :) She also told me she thought the person mentioned above is strange and noted that he tried to talk to me.

I really want to hang out with them sometime. Maybe tomorrow night we will go to a club. We will see.

Anyway, I should get to bed!! Goodnight :)

I am tired so I will just make this quick. I just wanted to say that I love my lab experience today. The days just seem to be getting better and better. I worked with Renee Rojas at La Universidad de Catolica, which I loved. It was definitely more like a real campus. More people who seemed to know each other and who were close with the faculty. More students who were more my age. It was also a rather pretty campus with statues, trees, and a beautiful backdrop of the mountains. Renee Rojas was also really fun and spoke good english. He had lots of interesting things to say and he seemed pretty energetic. He also gave me a nice lecture on catalysts and why they are trying to use non-metallocenic catalysts and just the basic mechanism. His lab was really fun and today we tried to make capillaries. He also took me and Carolina out to lunch which was nice :)

I'm tired so I'm going to bed.

I just had a good experience at the catholic university... so I'm feeling good.