Climbing The Andes

June 30, 2013-Starting of Week 3

-Climbing the Andes-

This week was a whirlwind of of ups and downs! I came out of the "Honeymoon" phase of living abroad very quickly. (I attached a quick article about the phases of living abroad: http://twenty-somethingtravel.com/2010/10/stages-living/) and find myself currently in the "Rage/Depression" stage. I keep telling myself, "Ciara, this is NOT a vacation, what did you expect?"
 This week was tough for several reasons...not only do I miss my family and friends, but the comfort of living...like being warm for example. Due to no central heating, our apartment is freezing, especially my room, where I can see my breath a few nights a week when it is really cold. I feel like I just can't get warm, and I officially banned myself from looking at Facebook at night when I look at peoples' summer pictures by the lake in bikinis because I get into that "Rage/Depression" stage. The other hard part is that I am actually working and struggling to pay rent. (Wow, like a grown-up!)  I came to the blunt realization, that I have been fortunate enough in my life to never have truly struggled with anything financially.  Being in a new country, where the language is almost impossible to understand because it is so fast and there is so much slang, and working at all hours of the day (basically 6am-8pm with a few short breaks in-between) and barely making enough money to pay for rent and food, sent me into a panic and into depression-mode. I kept thinking, "Am I just here to work my butt off in a new country? This is NOT fun! What the heck?" Thankfully, I got some awesome pep-talks by friends, family, and my wonderful, supportive fiancé. All the struggle so far, has only made me realize how lucky I am to have the life I have, with people that love and support me at home.  I am here to broaden my horizons and experiences. I know that at times I'll want to quit, give up, and go home-because that would be the easy thing to do. But, I know when I look back at this short  time in my life, (seems reeeeallly long right now) I know I will appreciate the life lessons and struggles I had while living abroad. They will make me a better person. I already feel incredibly lucky to have so many people cheering me on and supporting me in so many ways.

Besides teaching, this week did have some positives and some interesting things happen. For one, there was a huge student protest on Wednesday in downtown Santiago.  Check out the article in the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/27/world/americas/helmeted-volunteers-monitor-student-protests-in-chile.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Also, here is the first part of an email from my teaching company:
Dear teachers,

There is a massive student protest happening today, affecting essentially the downtown area, but it may also affect buses and access to particular metro stations (particularly Bacquedano).

Below is a message from the US Embassy on the matter.  Please exercise caution and avoid the downtown area if possible!

Security Message for U.S. Citizens
U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Chile
chile.usembassy.gov
June 26, 2013

The U.S. Embassy in Santiago advises U.S. citizens living in or visiting Santiago that there will be several large protests involving students and workers’ unions across the city on Wednesday, June 26. There are reports that unannounced protests are beginning this morning across the city. Protesters are burning tires in several intersections, and some schools have been taken over by protestors.

Protests are also scheduled to begin at 13:00 at Universidad de Chile (Metro Estacion Central) and end at Plaza Los Heroes (Metro Los Heroes).  A second protest will begin at Metro Franklin and end at Plaza los Heroes. A third group will also be protesting in the area, but their route is currently unknown. In addition, another protest may occur around 19:00, beginning in Plaza Italia.  Traffic throughout the downtown area will be disrupted throughout the day due to police barricades. Please avoid the downtown area completely if at all possible, as protest routes are subject to change without notice.

Luckily, I live in Providencia (a suburb of Santiago) so my roommates and I were not directly affected.

After a long week, Erin and I had a fun-filled Saturday. We explored a little more of Santiago and went to Plaza De Armas and Mercado Central. There was lots of shopping, street performers including clowns, comedians and a rock band! In Mercado Central there was a lot of little shops and authentic Chilean food. Later at the super market, called Jumbo, Erin and I heard some people speaking English. We were drawn to them of course and got to chatting with them. They have been here since last October and they invited us to their house for a Fourth of July American party! It was a blast. Erin and I brought "homemade" (from the package) American cookies.  Their apartment was decorated with American flags and pictures of famous Americans. We had hot dogs and hamburgers and listened to the National Anthem a million times. It was fun to get to know some people who know a lot about Chile.

After a fun and relaxing weekend, I am looking forward to what this week will bring. I know that there will be ups and downs, but I will look at each "down" as a challenge to overcome and a lesson to learn.