I had a great discussion with one of my classes today, but first I should explain the context of where the conversation came from. We are on a unit about making ethical decisions, and frankly some of the examples in the book are kind of dumb and nobody would want to have any prolonged discussion about the ethical calculus they use to make decisions in those situations.
So today we did a telephone activity, where I got into another room and call each student and have a conversation with them. This is a challenge for both them and me because you can't see each other and there is interference from the phone. One of my students said that she was kind of sick today because she went to a party last night. We all chuckle and discuss the dangers of too much pisco, but when I got back into the classroom is when things got interesting.
We continued talking about the party- she told us a dancer was ordered that also took her clothes off. All of her clothes. I think it is important to note here that some/all of the males in the class were very excited about this. This party sounded pretty bitchin' to them. I was also informed that you could only look and touch- it was not, as we would say in English, "full service". This is where things started to get really interesting, and I only want to highlight a few things I found interesting.
First, you can legally get "full service" here. Prostitution is essentially legal, but you have to go through a company and not a pimp. Pimping is illegal. (The students did not know the word for pimp, but after asking what to call the person that administers over the "bitches", I figured it was just best to have them say pimp.)
After learning about the legal status of prostitution in Santiago, my students told me that a politician (or group of politicians) are pushing to create a "red light district" (I forgot the phrase they used in Spanish, but it was not red light district) here in Santiago. I am curious to learn more about this and how the Catholic church, ever present in this city, feels about it.
At one point, a clear line was drawn to distinguished what was considered the objectification of women and what was not. Looking at them and touching them while they dance naked is not objectification, but once you cross the line of actually having sex with them, you have crossed the line and objectified the woman. I thought it was an interesting line to draw, especially considering it was ok to touch.
I really enjoy when students ask me if I "know" a place. More often than not, they are asking if I have been there. When I was asked, "Teacher, you know cafe con piernas?" I had to smile and say I know of cafe on piernas, but I have never been to one. They are coffee shops with waitresses that wear very little clothing. It's like Hooters, only less clothes (from what I understand). It was also brought to my attention that there are cafe con piernas, and then there are cafe con piernas where they wear even less clothing and you have to know the right places to go to really get the full experience. Since I have this blog marked as not containing adult content, I am not going to post any photos of what cafe con piernas looks like. When I asked if these places should be consolidated into a red light district, it was decided that they should not be because now, spread throughout the city, they "keep a low profile". Like I said, you have to know the right places to go to get the full experience.
Students also talked about how there is a strange sort of dichotomy between the naughty side of Santiago and the conservative Catholic side of Santiago. Students thought the church seemed to "put their hands over their eyes" and ignore what was going on. And then there is the naughty side that will always be around...being naughty and whatnot. It was interesting to see the students themselves recognize a strange dichotomy existing in the Chilean ethical psyche when it comes to sex and sex related things.
All in all, I would say that today was a much more stimulating discussion than talking about what you would do if you got undercharged for your dessert or what you would do if the cashier gave you too much change. I even learned a few things, and I got to see into the minds of Chileans and their views on many a sex-related topic.
PS- Don't worry. I asked if there are male strippers like Chippendale's, and there are.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
I Couldn't Resist Making This Short List
I always miss things when I have to leave a place. I miss my car in Iowa, the olives and fresh orange juice in Spain, the requests to sing Yankee Doodle in the UK, and the tacos in Mexico. I miss things from everywhere I have been, and Santiago will be no different. As the date of my departure creeps up on me, I have been thinking about all of the things I will miss. Here is that list.
1. The steady drone of reggae-ton: Every day I hear reggae-ton when I am walking down the streets. Sometimes it is blaring from someone's car, other times it is coming from someone's phone. But wherever it's coming from, it's always there. I was never really into reggae-ton. I listened to it, but it was never something I would regularly seek out. Since being here, I have accumulated a reasonable collection of this über-popular dance music to listen to as an audio reminder of Santiago. And besides the reggae-ton, the song "We No Speak Americano" will also hold a special place in my heart.
2. "¡Los ojos! ¡Qué lindos!": I get comments quite a bit about my eyes wherever I am in the world, but I get comments about thirty thousand times as much here. My light color eyes subject me to lots of stares and comments about what beautiful eyes I have. Of course some of these comments come from dudes at the club, but lots of old women also make comments. Honestly, it's a bit of a self-esteem booster when old women can't stop staring and tell me how beautiful my eyes are. I will be kind of sad when I go back to Iowa were nobody cares nearly as much about my eyes.
3. Street food: One thing I don't like about my job is that it never takes me to where the street food is, but even though I am not around it a lot, I will miss being able to grab a sopaipilla or empanada on the run. And having the ice cream man jump on the bus peddling his frozen goods to the hot bus riders. At times, the abundance of food readily available can be bad for your budget. It is very easy to grab food here and there, and you could easily spend more than you realize. Thankfully, I don't make it to the street food infested parts of town often enough to worry about breaking my budget with empanadas and sopaipillas.
4. My students: I think after spending so much time with a group of people, you are going to miss them a bit. They are all fantastic people. I have loved getting to know them and watch them learn English. And of course I love some of the mistakes they make along the way. Of course they say dirty things without meaning to, but one of my favorite mix-ups will always be switching kitchen and chicken. It happens a lot. And it is especially funny when they can't decide which one to use, so they just keep saying, "Chicken. Kitchen. Chicken. Kitchen." until they finally look at me for an answer.
5. Every day being 80-85 degrees and sunny: Very rarely is there a day in this city that it is not in the 80s and sunny out. It has rained only twice (maybe three times) since my arrival in mid-August, and there has not been a day where it was cloudy all day. I like that I never have to guess what the weather is going to be like here. I am sad that I missed out on fall in Iowa, and I really hope there will be snow back home when I get there in February. But overall, it's kind of cool living someplace with pretty mild weather. It means bad weather won't stop you from spending all of your afternoons like this:
6. Amazing free entertainment: At times, the free entertainment is not that great. Take for example the holiday parade put on by Paris. After Barney was stuck in front of us for about 15 minutes, we deicided to give up and leave. (We later found out that Popeye had deflated and the crowd had stormed the Sesame Street float, creating the hold up.) And then there are the changes to see the national ballet beautifully perform The Nutcracker. And let's not even start on the fantsticness of Santiago a Mil. (But if you do want to start on it, you can read my previous entry Santiago a Mil is a Win. There is even a video of part of the performance!) I got to go to the opening ceremony, and I am excited to get to go to more performances my last month here.
I could go on and make this list really long. But I figure I should be reasonable because nobody wants to read that much about things I will miss when I leave Santiago. I am also going to miss the people I have met while I have been here, but most of them are leaving or have already left. But that just means I will have to make plans to visit them wherever they may be in the future :)
1. The steady drone of reggae-ton: Every day I hear reggae-ton when I am walking down the streets. Sometimes it is blaring from someone's car, other times it is coming from someone's phone. But wherever it's coming from, it's always there. I was never really into reggae-ton. I listened to it, but it was never something I would regularly seek out. Since being here, I have accumulated a reasonable collection of this über-popular dance music to listen to as an audio reminder of Santiago. And besides the reggae-ton, the song "We No Speak Americano" will also hold a special place in my heart.
2. "¡Los ojos! ¡Qué lindos!": I get comments quite a bit about my eyes wherever I am in the world, but I get comments about thirty thousand times as much here. My light color eyes subject me to lots of stares and comments about what beautiful eyes I have. Of course some of these comments come from dudes at the club, but lots of old women also make comments. Honestly, it's a bit of a self-esteem booster when old women can't stop staring and tell me how beautiful my eyes are. I will be kind of sad when I go back to Iowa were nobody cares nearly as much about my eyes.
3. Street food: One thing I don't like about my job is that it never takes me to where the street food is, but even though I am not around it a lot, I will miss being able to grab a sopaipilla or empanada on the run. And having the ice cream man jump on the bus peddling his frozen goods to the hot bus riders. At times, the abundance of food readily available can be bad for your budget. It is very easy to grab food here and there, and you could easily spend more than you realize. Thankfully, I don't make it to the street food infested parts of town often enough to worry about breaking my budget with empanadas and sopaipillas.
4. My students: I think after spending so much time with a group of people, you are going to miss them a bit. They are all fantastic people. I have loved getting to know them and watch them learn English. And of course I love some of the mistakes they make along the way. Of course they say dirty things without meaning to, but one of my favorite mix-ups will always be switching kitchen and chicken. It happens a lot. And it is especially funny when they can't decide which one to use, so they just keep saying, "Chicken. Kitchen. Chicken. Kitchen." until they finally look at me for an answer.
5. Every day being 80-85 degrees and sunny: Very rarely is there a day in this city that it is not in the 80s and sunny out. It has rained only twice (maybe three times) since my arrival in mid-August, and there has not been a day where it was cloudy all day. I like that I never have to guess what the weather is going to be like here. I am sad that I missed out on fall in Iowa, and I really hope there will be snow back home when I get there in February. But overall, it's kind of cool living someplace with pretty mild weather. It means bad weather won't stop you from spending all of your afternoons like this:
6. Amazing free entertainment: At times, the free entertainment is not that great. Take for example the holiday parade put on by Paris. After Barney was stuck in front of us for about 15 minutes, we deicided to give up and leave. (We later found out that Popeye had deflated and the crowd had stormed the Sesame Street float, creating the hold up.) And then there are the changes to see the national ballet beautifully perform The Nutcracker. And let's not even start on the fantsticness of Santiago a Mil. (But if you do want to start on it, you can read my previous entry Santiago a Mil is a Win. There is even a video of part of the performance!) I got to go to the opening ceremony, and I am excited to get to go to more performances my last month here.
I could go on and make this list really long. But I figure I should be reasonable because nobody wants to read that much about things I will miss when I leave Santiago. I am also going to miss the people I have met while I have been here, but most of them are leaving or have already left. But that just means I will have to make plans to visit them wherever they may be in the future :)
Santiago a Mil is a Win
Being a poor teacher (after years of being a poor student), I am always looking for free things to do. Luckily, Santiago has some cool things to offer, especially now that it is summer. I went to the first performance of Santiago a Mil, and I was blown away at its amazingness. There was a parade that ended at La Moneda, and then the performance started. It was called Lluvia de Violines (literally Rain of Violins) and was put on by a French company. People were performing while suspended in the air like mobiles. That alone makes this a great performance. Here is a video of the finale when all the groups joined together in song:
I wish the video could do it justice. I am excited to go to more of the free performances put on by Santiago a Mil.
I wish the video could do it justice. I am excited to go to more of the free performances put on by Santiago a Mil.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Chillin' With Pablo at Isla Negra
Pablo Neruda was kind of awesome. I did not have the opportunity to visit his house in Valparaiso either time I was there, but it is on my list of things to do before I die. I also have not been to his home here in Santiago (yet). I have had the pleasure of visiting his house in Isla Negra, which is said to have been his favorite. And it was beautiful.
The house sits on top of a hill that overlooks the ocean. In his bedroom, the bed looks out a huge window with a remarkable view of the sea. I couldn't imagine waking up to that view. Unfortunately, you can't take pictures when you tour the house, so I couldn't get a picture of the view from his bedroom, but I can show you a picture from right outside of bedroom.
Pablo (yes, I am on a first name basis with him now) was known to be a rather eclectic man, and he had collections of the most random things you can imagine. He had a collection of antique maps and a collection of sea shells. The most inspiring collection for Jemma and I was by far the collection of giant colored wine goblets- because wine tastes better when you drink it out of a colored goblet. We also found the unicorn horn he had entertaining, but the guide kept trying to tell us it was a narwhal horn. She didn't know what she was talking about.
He also bought a little boat. He was afraid to actually go out on the sea in a boat, but he got a lot of inspiration from the ocean and liked to admire it from the safety of the land. Sometimes, he would sit in his boat and look at the ocean. And with this view, I think I would do the same.
Our adventure in Isla Negra was supposed to be topped off with an adventure to some statue of a head and an old pirate's cave, but either the map lies, or we are terrible at finding giant things on a beach because we never found either. We also did not see a penguin on a rock.
All in all, it was a really nice trip. Despite the fact that we did not find the pirate's cave, I decided I most definately would hang out with Pablo Neruda. And I am even more excited to visit his house here in Santiago.
The house sits on top of a hill that overlooks the ocean. In his bedroom, the bed looks out a huge window with a remarkable view of the sea. I couldn't imagine waking up to that view. Unfortunately, you can't take pictures when you tour the house, so I couldn't get a picture of the view from his bedroom, but I can show you a picture from right outside of bedroom.
 |
| What a view! |
He also bought a little boat. He was afraid to actually go out on the sea in a boat, but he got a lot of inspiration from the ocean and liked to admire it from the safety of the land. Sometimes, he would sit in his boat and look at the ocean. And with this view, I think I would do the same.
 |
| I'm on a boat! |
Our adventure in Isla Negra was supposed to be topped off with an adventure to some statue of a head and an old pirate's cave, but either the map lies, or we are terrible at finding giant things on a beach because we never found either. We also did not see a penguin on a rock.
 | |
| Not a Pirate's Cave |
American Football vs. Soccer
I am sitting here eating a grilled cheese for dinner, thinking about what an amazing view I have from my apartment, and watching the Rose Bowl on ESPN Vivo (and yes, the commentary is dubbed in Spanish). I didn't plan on watching the Rose Bowl, mostly because I didn't think it would be braodcast on any of the channels I have in my apartment. I stumbled upon it, and as I watched, I started thinking about how some of my students describe bigger and more important soccer games here. At some point, they usually tell me, "It's like American football." I beg to differ.
First of all, even though many people like American football in the US, there is still the division between NFL and college. I watch college games, but I don't really care about the NFL. I will watch a game if it is on, but I don't pay any attention to who is playing when and what the scores are. There is not a game that everybody in the country watches and pays attention to. And there are tons of people that don't like any football at all.
Soccer here is different. When the national team plays, everybody watches. Everybody also watches if Universidad Catolica and Colo-Colo play. I almost always have my window open, and I know when to check the scores of these games because the city explodes with noise when something really good or really bad happens. And the next day when I go to class, everybody knows the score.
Don't get me wrong- I am not saying there aren't big games played in American football. I am watching one right now. But there are also tons of people in the US not watching or caring at all about this game. Even though it seems like everybody and their mother watches the Super Bowl, tons of people only watch for the commercials. And you wouldn't be able to judge when to check score updates based on when you hear tons of noise coming from your neighbors.
The entire country also gets behind the national team. I had my interview for my job during the FIFA World Cup, and during the interview, Carlos (my former boss who has since moved on to a new position in Argentina) said that pretty much everything would be shutting down that afternoon because everybody would be watching the World Cup match that Chile was in. A lot of people in the US didn't even know that the US was in the World Cup, let alone set time aside to watch the matches they were in. (I will admit that more people were more involved in the World Cup this year than in previous years, but that doesn't change the fact that it was still relatively few people that were involved.)
There is definite excitement for American football in the States, but it is not the same as the excitement over certain soccer teams/games here. The difference is hard to explain, but it is there.
First of all, even though many people like American football in the US, there is still the division between NFL and college. I watch college games, but I don't really care about the NFL. I will watch a game if it is on, but I don't pay any attention to who is playing when and what the scores are. There is not a game that everybody in the country watches and pays attention to. And there are tons of people that don't like any football at all.
Soccer here is different. When the national team plays, everybody watches. Everybody also watches if Universidad Catolica and Colo-Colo play. I almost always have my window open, and I know when to check the scores of these games because the city explodes with noise when something really good or really bad happens. And the next day when I go to class, everybody knows the score.
Don't get me wrong- I am not saying there aren't big games played in American football. I am watching one right now. But there are also tons of people in the US not watching or caring at all about this game. Even though it seems like everybody and their mother watches the Super Bowl, tons of people only watch for the commercials. And you wouldn't be able to judge when to check score updates based on when you hear tons of noise coming from your neighbors.
The entire country also gets behind the national team. I had my interview for my job during the FIFA World Cup, and during the interview, Carlos (my former boss who has since moved on to a new position in Argentina) said that pretty much everything would be shutting down that afternoon because everybody would be watching the World Cup match that Chile was in. A lot of people in the US didn't even know that the US was in the World Cup, let alone set time aside to watch the matches they were in. (I will admit that more people were more involved in the World Cup this year than in previous years, but that doesn't change the fact that it was still relatively few people that were involved.)
There is definite excitement for American football in the States, but it is not the same as the excitement over certain soccer teams/games here. The difference is hard to explain, but it is there.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Por Favor, Espere
Latin America is known for having long lines, and it is very true. I noticed I had to wait longer for everything when I was in Ciudad de México years ago, and I really notice it here in Chile. It really makes you realize that patience is a virture.
I have to call work every night to find out if any of my classes have canceled. (I think this is a really stupid system, but I find that procedures that could be relatively simple are made to be as complex as possible in this country.) When I call, there is this big shpeel (in both Spanish and English) about if you know your party's extension you can dial it. Then, if you don't know your party's extension, you are asked to please wait (por favor, espere) and you will be connected to the operator (the night secretary that tells you which of your classes you actually get to teach tomorrow). Everytime I hear the recording tell me "por favor, espere" I wonder how much of my time here is spent waiting.
I wait for buses and metros occasionally. They come fairly regularly, but those moments of waiting surely add up. I was really glad that the metro strike didn't effect me much, and I didn't have to wait longer or ride in a more crowded metro to get out to Manquehue in the mornings.
Planning a trip to the grocery store must be strategic at times if I don't want to wait in the check out line for a half an hour. Going to the grocery store at the wrong time is (generally) when everybody is on their way home from work and trying to buy things for dinner. Sometimes you can't guess that the lines will be long, and you just get stuck. This happens to me occasionally. I feel like it is Latin America's way of telling my gringa ass to suck it; there is no way around the esperando (waiting).
I have to call work every night to find out if any of my classes have canceled. (I think this is a really stupid system, but I find that procedures that could be relatively simple are made to be as complex as possible in this country.) When I call, there is this big shpeel (in both Spanish and English) about if you know your party's extension you can dial it. Then, if you don't know your party's extension, you are asked to please wait (por favor, espere) and you will be connected to the operator (the night secretary that tells you which of your classes you actually get to teach tomorrow). Everytime I hear the recording tell me "por favor, espere" I wonder how much of my time here is spent waiting.
I wait for buses and metros occasionally. They come fairly regularly, but those moments of waiting surely add up. I was really glad that the metro strike didn't effect me much, and I didn't have to wait longer or ride in a more crowded metro to get out to Manquehue in the mornings.
Planning a trip to the grocery store must be strategic at times if I don't want to wait in the check out line for a half an hour. Going to the grocery store at the wrong time is (generally) when everybody is on their way home from work and trying to buy things for dinner. Sometimes you can't guess that the lines will be long, and you just get stuck. This happens to me occasionally. I feel like it is Latin America's way of telling my gringa ass to suck it; there is no way around the esperando (waiting).
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Putzy Cat: Update
I thought about starting off my showing you a picture of my foot, but after the reaction I got from showing someone, I thought maybe I should just keep it to myself and let your imaginations soar.
Clearly, I am not a putzy cat. And my feet clearly reflect this. Since originally writing about Putzy Cat, my feet have acquired very large blisters on top of blisters under callouses. There has been two levels of excitement with these blisters:
First, the popping of the blisters. The first one just oozed. It was so disgustingly intriguing. The second one was a squirter. I think I let out a bit of a yell when I poked the hole and it started squirting- it was a bit of a suprise. After yelling, I laughed. A lot. A blister squirting liquid across the bathroom is kind of hilarious. The last one was a bubbler. I couldn't help but stare and watch. This whole process was amazing. Feeling the relief of the blisters being popped was beyond words. I was having serious issues walking for any length (and putting shoes and socks on) before popping the blisters.
Since the blisters have dried up and started to callous, I have started to cut off the dead skin, which is kind of awesome, both literally and metaphorically. It is literally awesome because I don't walk around feeling dead skin re-arranging itself on the bottom of my foot anymore. It is metaphoraclly awesome because it is like I am peeling away a layer of myself that is gross and ready to go away. Something rather disgusting and alarming has been left in place of the dead skin, but someday (when I don't have to walk 8+ kilometers everyday) something beautiful will be left in its place (hopefully).
Clearly, I am not a putzy cat. And my feet clearly reflect this. Since originally writing about Putzy Cat, my feet have acquired very large blisters on top of blisters under callouses. There has been two levels of excitement with these blisters:
First, the popping of the blisters. The first one just oozed. It was so disgustingly intriguing. The second one was a squirter. I think I let out a bit of a yell when I poked the hole and it started squirting- it was a bit of a suprise. After yelling, I laughed. A lot. A blister squirting liquid across the bathroom is kind of hilarious. The last one was a bubbler. I couldn't help but stare and watch. This whole process was amazing. Feeling the relief of the blisters being popped was beyond words. I was having serious issues walking for any length (and putting shoes and socks on) before popping the blisters.
Since the blisters have dried up and started to callous, I have started to cut off the dead skin, which is kind of awesome, both literally and metaphorically. It is literally awesome because I don't walk around feeling dead skin re-arranging itself on the bottom of my foot anymore. It is metaphoraclly awesome because it is like I am peeling away a layer of myself that is gross and ready to go away. Something rather disgusting and alarming has been left in place of the dead skin, but someday (when I don't have to walk 8+ kilometers everyday) something beautiful will be left in its place (hopefully).
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