The Countdown

October 16, 2010

Cuddling a baby degu!

I'm not sure when I started measuring the time I had left in Santiago in terms of weeks instead of months. And I fear that it will quickly slip into days, then hours, then poof! The five months that seemed like an eternity at the beginning will have passed and all that will be left will be memories. Plus a zillion photos, a handful of new but solid friendships, a much better grasp of the Spanish language (including some very unique vocabulary), and an urgent need for a gym membership as the result of a cafe/gelateria filled existence here.

Mitten Dog was out in all his glory!

At first Santiago seemed like an impersonal, busy city that was somewhat less than inspiring. To be fair, coming from the very charismatic San Francisco has left me with high expectations. But the longer I have spent here, the more immersed I have become in an actual life here, the more I want to stay here. Tina and I have lamented that 5 months is just enough time to establish ourselves but leaves us wanting a lot more- another week, another month... another year.

Recovering from my almost-mullet haircut experience

The turning point was really the Spanish lessons I have been taking with a tutor. As many mistakes as I still make, as many holes as there are in my vocabulary, as impossible as it still is for me to use the subjunctive tense, I can hold a passable conversation and have the confidence to talk to people who don't speak perfect English- or sometimes any English at all.

The days have sped by with degu field work in the morning- early morning- 4:30 in the morning, followed by afternoons in the lab or cafes working on my project and the all-consuming task of applying to PhD programs. Tina and I have indulged our gelato obsession with alarming frequency at our favorite place, maybe on earth, Emporio La Rosa. We have become conosouirs of the cortado- espresso with layers of milk and foam- which has become a staple in my diet and a blessing/curse that allows me to have time for something resembling a social life; dinner or drinks out with my roommates or friends, even the occasional Chilean date! Sleep has become more of a luxury than ice cream.

Juan with a baby degu in his pocket

I'm confident I got what I came here for- international fieldwork experience, an opportunity to do (and hopefully publish) independent research, a network of colleagues and collaborators, a better understanding of Spanish, and a stronger grad school application. But my experience has exceeded my expectations as to how wonderful life can be here, how little victories in daily life can be totally satisfying, and how even with a language barrier we can still find enough in common to build legitimate friendships.

I don't think that Chile is the "bland" Latin American country- I think you just have to give it a chance to warm up to you.
Santiago Gay Pride Parade