Happy 1 Year Anniversary Chile!

My various yoga poses throughout Chile in chronological order to commemorate: 1. Centro Cultural first week of my arrival, pre-earthquake; 2. In Patagonia in front a glacier; 3. On the beach of Viña del Mar; 4. On ancient Inca ruins in San Pedro de Atacama; 4. In the Museo Nacional in June when my friends Rachel and Benny visited.

Remember when I celebrated my monthaversaries when I was in Chile? Well now it's been 1 year since arriving and 1 year since the earthquake. Can you believe that? I cannot. You know what this means? Reflection time! 

-1 year since I doubted God's goodness, God's importance and God's plan in my life, I fully understand the chains that were holding me captive to my distrust and disbelief and I am pursuing freedom.

-1 year since I had never experienced even a small shaking of the earth, I now am prepared for the big LA quake that is coming... knock on wood!

-1 year since I searched made my identity into someone that I was not and looked for my identity in things that were not me, I am now more confident and unashamed in who God created me to be. 

-1 year since I first arrived an innocent and trusting young woman, I know when to be direct and stand up for myself with fuerza.

-1 year since I hadn't noticed the magical of everyday life, I am now painting the experiences that revealed this to me.

-1 year since I understood the feeling of entrapment in my own selfish pursuits, I want to put God first, others second and me third in everything I do. 

-1 year since I didn't comprehend the impact those surrounding me on my life, I value more the true fellowship, deep friendships, and genuine people that I love.

-1 year since I didn't realize how important maintaining open and close relationships with my family is on my own well-being, I value our relationships more and take better care to stay connected in distance.

Even thought I left 6 months ago and arrived now 1 year ago, I still have a special place for Chile and the Chilenos in my heart, and God is still teaching me about my experiences there...still! It looks like I'm still not over it ;)

From a flea market in Santiago

from my journal in Chile...

 

 My map was even published online: http://www.handmaps.org/location.php?ID=chile

"God has tested us this year"

President Piñera of Chile said at the ceremonious rescue of the 33 trapped miners, "God has tested us this year." I can attest to that on Chile and my own behalf! I feel the pain and joy and relief and disbelief of the world over the amazing recovery of the men involved in the longest entrapment in history. I felt the same after the earthquake happened in Februrary. And I feel the very same about my own life this past year; God has indeed tested me, and perhaps I have also emerged, like the miners, a little malnourited, a little unaccustomed to the light, with plenty of stories to tell, but safe. I definitely didn't suffer as they did, but my life is changed. That's, in one dramatic metaphor, is how I feel. 

Fuerza Chile!!

So, I never shared with the public the art I created while I was in Chile in my citation-based painting and drawing class. Well then, here ya go. 

The link will lead to my full portfolio from the class, the slideshow just shows the pictures.

http://picasaweb.google.com/kaitlinmarieking/Painting205b?authkey=Gv1sRgCLCbwbnbjMrVWQ&feat=directlink

I can't believe in only 12 weeks I produced 9 paintings all outside of class. Well, to be exact, in my host casa, on the floor, trying not to spill paint on the carpet. 

In my current advanced painting class at USC, we will paint 4 works in 12 weeks, and even that is shooting high. I was so impressed with my fellow students at La Católica; their works were at times detailed and large and almost always thoughtful and well-constructued. I was the slacker in the class, mostly because I would paint in between weekend travels and weekly excursions. 

But still, the Chilean artists I met in my class still inspire me. My current body of work is actually based completely on experiences of magical realism I witnessed in Chile. And athough it will only be 4 paintings large, I hope it will do my friend Chile proud!

El Sur

So, I never got a chance to upload and update you all about my travels to the south of Chile. To put in pocas palabras, it was cold and rainy (however the people were warm and sunny), the towns were small and quiet, and the scenery was abundantly green and forest-y. 


My travel mate Ali and I went to 6 towns in 6 days by bus, van, ferry and car, all with our trusty backpacks and polar fleece long underwear. The architecture and food were very Germanic (think cottage-style hotels and kuchin), so it was a nice change to the Spanish and boxy buildings of Santiago. The landscape was also a nice change, with beautiful snow-capped volcanoes as the backdrop to vast lakes and giant green trees, it was like an Indiana-Irish countryside with an Antarctic twist.


One thing that never fails is that in every single established town in Chile, there exists a Spansh Plaza de Armas, with a center plaza, church, a government building, and sometimes a central market. The varrying sizes and styles of these town centers was interesting to observe and compare, but my favorite was the capital of the island we visited; the central church is an unlikely shape and is made entirely of wood, inside and out. This island itself however, was rather creepy as we were seemingly the only tourists there and the local folkloric tales of evil trolls and witches were a little too real in the pitch black, mysterious noise-filled nights. 


The moral of the story is that the region is surely a different world in the summer time when vacationers and sun abound and outdoor activities and tours are not impossible to do. All I can say is, thank goodness for the cute cafes were found in every stop and the indoor stoves for heating!


Here are some photos of the trip, credit goes to Ali for the first 11!



Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Chau Chile

I'm back from the ends of the earth to the land of the free and home of the brave, and boy have I changed a lot. To organize my ramblings and thoughts since my return, I have categorized them per topic, ish.  

On the Top 3 

When asked on my evaluation form from my study abroad program the top 3 things I've taken away from my experience, I answered:

1. Stay humble.

2. Keep an open mind.

3. If at first you don't succeed...

On Time Travel

I have time traveled. I traveled from the rainy winter of Santiago where the students are just beginning their 2^nd semester, to the hellish summer of Phoenix where people are still in vacation mode, mildly starting to prepare for the back-to-school mindset of a new school year. I skipped the summer blues and pool parties and will be technically entering into my 3^rd first semester in a row in just 22 days. I feel like I missed Christmas. It’s rather difficult to explain. It confuses my mind to think that the vastly different worlds of Santiago and Phoenix—both my own— exist simultaneously and both will continue to move along finely with or without me. I will no longer be able to witness the passage of time, the developments, the day-to-day of Santiago, yet it will flow on normally just as it had before we ever met.

On Relational Cities

The cities I have lived in or visited in my contemporary life seem to appear to me in these sort of personages that relate to me in human terms, in varying person-to-person type connections. Scottsdale and I have a sibling kind of relationship, where I love hanging out with him/her (Scottsdale has no particular gender to me), feel super comfortable, and yet sometimes get annoyed and can be harsh. Sometimes I just have to yell at Scottsdale to grow up and leave me alone, but it’s really only because I love him/her so much since he/she’s family. Los Angeles is my lover, because we have a love/hate relationship where I generally do not rest at a balance but am filled with a passion (mostly of love) on either end that changes frequently and abruptly. I fight with LA but we always make-up with a kiss. Of sorts.

And then there’s Santiago, who is a dear and closer friend of mine. We have our days of short tempers or frustrations, but I have a steady and deep adoration for what the city teaches me, surprises me with, and accommodates me, like an old friend. We are not very hot or cold and I’m not tied by blood to love, but we are just a good and drama-free match. That’s why I truly feel like I could live there for a longer time, because it is just so easy to be with Santiago. Best friends for life.

On Culture Shock

Things I want to keep up that I learned in Chile:

• Greeting people more personally when I enter into a room or see an acquaintance on the street. I loved that Chileans kiss everyone at the party when first arriving and take the time to 
• Saying “chau.” Because it’s fun.
• Eating a bigger lunch and a smaller dinner, plus avoiding eating right before bed. Good habits, although I will take my American breakfast, thanks.
• Taking public transportation and walking when possible instead of driving so much. Oh if only LA or Phoenix were as good as the micros and metros there…
• Photo-copying pages of books, readings, etc. for school or personal use. Quite handy.
• Being very faithful to my good friends and family.
• Speaking Spanish with my random chilenismos and sayings.
• Wearing my poncho and fanny pack forever and ever amen.

I miss you, Chile. I miss you, new friends. I miss you, family. I am ever thankful!

I am 22 today. 

I actually do feel different now. Un pare de patos, a pair of swans, double digit luck. My only birthday I've ever spent in a parka. I think I prefer a sundress.

Recently I have been traveling to enjoy my "summer." I went snowboarding in the Andes, to a beach town up north and its surrounding valley, and now I'm off to la Región de los Lagos down south where I might potentially freeze to death. All of the adventures have been completed with my faithful companion, Ali. She is wonderful.

Waka Waka/Viva Chile/Getting Tear Gased/La Copa Mundial

I have never been in one place at one time with so many people rooting for the same goal (no pun intended...) But the past 4 Chilean games in the world cup have really solidified my Chilean pride. I diversified my viewing experiences, and watched the first game at home with my papá, the second in downtown on the lawn of La Moneda (the equivilent of the White House), the third with some homemade tacos and Chilean amigas at an apartment, and today's at a gringo bar with my gringo friends. All 4 had the same thing in common; the spirit of the Chilean people contagiously humming on the streets, through the television, from the heart, and into the air (cursi cursi). Crazy energy! Everyone in red, Chilean flags waving, cheering, yelling, jumping, paper pieces flying, celebrating!


After the first game at home, I decided to go celebrate super Chileno style and go to Plaza Italia near the center where the victory parties are always held. I went via metro, not expecting too much craziness at 10:30 in the morning, but when I stepped off the metro at my stop, I realized I was wrong (you saw that one coming!). My nose started burning, I realized everyone around with covering their noses and mouths with their jackets and scarves, and the entire station was in disorder. I assumed someone had left some sort of stink bomb in the metro, so I hurried with hundreds of other people to get above ground. But when I got out, the stinging got worse and what I saw was a chaotic amount of people running around, eyes dripping, banners sagging, and looking rather frazzled. The carabineros (the police), were all around with their helmet shields over their eyes and batons in hand, some on horseback, most on foot, attempting to control the crowd. I was all alone in the apocalypse, but I was fascinated. A tank looking vehicle drove about 200 feet from where I was and sprayed a gas something into the air, and that's when I realized: tear gas. I turned to walk the other direction and luckily met up with my friend, and like a good little girl, I went back into the metro and went home. El Fin.


Hm, terrible story. If you are easily made worried, stick with that version.


But here's the real deal: ...like a good little adventurer, I wanted a better look at the source of the excitement. To be honest, even though carabiners were yelling at me to turn around and most people were running away, I wanted a peek at the madness' center. So I crossed the street with my friend to see the comotion first-hand. Luckily/unfortunately, we came too late to see the celebrating or anything substantial, just confetti on the ground and crowds of reporters on the sidewalk. When we walked by them, we saw a man that looked equivalent to a chief of police being interviewed by a civilian reporter. Seemed fairly calm at first, but as we approached more, a group started gathering around the two and the policeman began raising his voice. He got in the reporter's face and kept yelling and yelling as the others around him began yelling back in protest. And they were not nice words from either end. As the policeman stormed away, the people started laying down the real deal insults: "You can't hurt innocent people because we're celebrating!" "We have our freedom now, you can't control us by fear!" "This is no longer Pinochet's government!" Oh yes, they brought the Pinochet accusations, and it got real. From here, my better judgement switch turned on, and my friend and I bolted out of this potential war zone. Our nose and mouths still covered, we headed towards the nearby cafe where we planned on studying away the afternoon. This proved difficult however after we witnessed such madness and our lungs still burned, so we lashed out the situation among ourselves. If everyone was just celebrating, why did the carabineros drop the tear gas? Is it ok to hurt innocent people to control a crowd? Is it ok that the government interfere with a party if no one is getting hurt? Is pre-emptive semi-violent crowd control ok?

What we did conclude and what was confirmed after talking with out Chilean friends and families was that the authoritarian attitude of the Pinochet days in Chile is not dead. The Carabineros are the number 2 employer in all of Chile, that is to say that there are many thousands of policmen payed by national government. Piñera once used their forces to keep curfews and control protest (among other atrocities), President Bachelet used their forces in the south after the earthquake to control the looting and keep control, and now President Piñera used them after the world cup to stop the party. Of course the ties between the three are not necessarily making too deep of a statement as they are all very separate situations, however the carabineros are a widely used resource by the government. And the people accept this as part of life. As my papá said, "If the carabineros didn't do anything, the people would be partying all day, they would never leave! They had to break it up sometime."

Switching back to the mundial, the 2nd and 3rd games I also returned to the infamous Plaza Italia for the celebration, but those times I missed the tear gasing part. So much cheering, so much singing, so much happiness! The big street from downtown's heart all the way to Providencia's center (about 3 miles) was closed for celebration, and it is such an incredible feeling to be surrounded by an entire city cheering for their country. Again, crazy energy!


Today was the last game of the mundial and we lost to Brazil. It was a good fight though, and I mean, Brazil is Brazil, so I am proud we made it this far! You might be saying to yourself, "we?" And I say back yes, we. I am be proud to be an American, but I am also proud to be here when this adopted country of mine has overcome a lot of odds to come as far as they did in the ultimate super bowl.

VIVA CHILE!!

Most Beautiful Day

After the rain on Wednesday came the most beautifully clear day I've experienced in all my time in Santiago. 

I feel a great kinship with the Andes now, as though they are a mountain range of my brothers. That's what I always say. The sun is my mother, the moon my lover, the sea my best friend, and the Andes my brothers.

Happy Five Month Chile

Colorful collages to commemorate my joyous four month anniversary with the country I love! 

Also, as far as the World Cup goes I have a cheer...

"Chi-Chi-Chi! Le-le-le! VIVA CHILE!"

Check out my soul mate Rachel's relfections on her visit to my adopted country! We had an amazing time together, and she shares her insights on things in her fresh way that reflect not only her experience but mine as well. Do take a look at her fabulous photos as well in the post:

http://racheltobias.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/santiago-de-chile/

San Pedro de Atacama

Whenever you come to a new place, encounter a new situation, even meet a new person, there is a natural tendancy to relate what you are seeing to what you have seen in the past. The Andes mountains look similar to my Arizona McDowells, the Providencia barrio reminds me of LA, my favorite bohemian beach town is very San Francisco...


But when I came upon the deserts and sights of San Pedro de Atacama, I was at loss for anything in my past to compare them to. They are absolutely so unique, it is difficult to even begin to find a reference point. The earth is absolutely screaming the beauty of its creator. 


We saw the largest and only outdoor copper mine, biked and hiked to sand dunes, mountains and cliffs, bused through flatlands to see the flamingos and salt deposits of Atacama, and stayed in the quaint pueblo of San Pedro.

Otoño

Fall is in full swing, and I must say, autumn looks good on Santiago.

This time of year in this hemisphere though, can be rough! All the major media coming from the west is advertising, spring cleaning! Summer vacation! Shorts, dresses, sandals! The sign outside of one of our malls right now says, Viva en Invierno! Long live winter. And a winter without Christmas? Boo.

Every pack of cigarettes comes with this dying baby picture and a giant label reading, "HEART ATTACK." True, but and slightly disturbing, but over-the-top to the point that it's kind of amusing... The most amusing part however is that despite these labels, there is still such a huge population of smokers in Santiago it's outrageous. 

Un Techo Para Chile

So I finally had the opportunity to join the large efforts of re-construction

and volunteer with the country’s biggest charity organization in building

temporary housing for earthquake victims. Un Techo Para Chile (“A Roof for

Chile”) is one of the biggest recipients of the telethon funds and government aid

(I finally found out!), and was started by young people to create temporary

solutions for homeless families affected by natural disasters. The group is now

based all around Latin America (Un Techo Para Brazil, etc.), and they exist to

build mediaguas. These are basically one-room wooden shacks that shelter

people from the rain, cold, etc. until they can begin re-building new homes. Thus, to volunteer for them is to build mediaguas, and this is exactly what I did last weekend. The students from my study abroad program and I went to the 6th region to a rural area where the damage was sever. 

Two days + 10 (+/-) people x 4 groups= four mediaguas. Or least, that was the goal.

Turns out Un Techo Para Chile is messy, just like basically every service

organization (or any org) in general. We left Santaigo at 5:30am to arrive in Las

Cabras 2 hours away in time to build on Saturday, yet due to lack of planning and communication, our group didn’t even begin building until 2pm. One site we

were supposed to work at didn’t have the old house completely demolished where the mediagua would go, another family just flat out wasn’t home, our bus got lost, the pre-existing organized groups of 5 people got completely messed up, we didn’t have the right tools and wood for the house… Messy! The thing about nonprofits that I have learned is that it is an almost guarantee that not everything will go as planned, so I understand the “non-success” of the pre-building planning. And who can plan the fact that we finally arrived, we discovered that the site for the mediagua is on top of a thick, 200-year old concrete foundation? Or that there would be another aftershock while we were building that would throw off the foundational posts after we measured tirelessly to get them right? Sometimes the intentions are good but the result is that the original goal is not met. We didn’t finish the roof of our mediagua for our family, and neither did another group in the program. Breaking the layers of concrete, brick and stone took the whole first half of the day, the construction manual we were given had incorrect information about the building process, and as first timers, we just weren’t fast enough to finish the house by Sunday night. The good news is that the family that was receiving the house had many skilled members, so they said they would finish the roof themselves another time. However, it was disappointing to leave them with an unfinished project.

Building mediaguas for Un Techo Para Chile is an interesting relief tactic.

The money and time it will take to build the goal of 40,000 mediaguas before the winter and rainy season just weeks away is hefty, and it’s pretty certain that the overall goal will not be reached. Besides that, the system of receiving a mediagua is highly political; those who are the most needy do not necessarily receive their housing first, but those who know someone in the local government or in the organization are. My family in particular was definitely in need, however they did already have 1 mediagua in the backyard, a large portion of their old house was still standing, and they are planning on receiving 2 more mediaguas in their front yard too. I also notice that they were watching TV with their satellite dish inside their existing house. On the other hand, there are still families living in tents in other parts of the country that, to me as a (potentially ignorant) outsider, seem more desperate than the family I built for. However, I am reminded that poverty looks different everywhere you go and is cannot necessarily be judged from the outside. The family I built for lost the entire front part of their house in the earthquake, plus valuables and household items, and although they were in high spirits when we were there and helped us build, you could tell they seemed absolutely worn out. There was the grandma and grandpa, mom and dad, aunt and uncle and two kids all living under the same roof from what I could tell, and when hearing them describe their experience then night of the earthquake, I cannot imagine the terror of watching your house crumble before your eyes. Of course they deserve and need a mediagua. But how do you prioritize the levels of suffering?

In the end, I am very glad I went and do plan to go again. It will be much

easier now that I know how to put together the mediagua and the work that goes into it. I still keep praying for all those families who are still waiting, and might be waiting for still a lot longer.

On Immigration

Even though I'm so far away from the border of Arizona and Mexico, the debate over this stretch of land and the people that pass through it is still on my mind. With the new law implemented in my home state, I can't help but return to contemplate this issue. I understand that this "issue" is so politically infused, one cannot even mention the words "illegal immigration" without stiring up trouble. And I do not want to do that here. To preface, I am speaking in generalities, I do not wish to accuse or praise any political party, and I realize that this debate goes much deeper than policies. 

What I do find most interesting are the parallels in the US and my new adoptive country. Did you know that Chile also deals with consequences of having thousands of illegal immigrants? Although here, they are mostly from the neighboring countries of Peru and Bolivia. And they have the exact same double-sided debate as the US does concerning the actions that should be taken (or not be taken) against the non-Chileans. They also share the same prejudices and skepticism against the "outsiders;" just as it is becoming difficult to distinguish between racism and patriotism in the US, it is difficult to live as a legal Peruvian immigrant in Chile without people assuming he/she is an undocumented immigrant. For me this notion of dislike towards Peruvians and Bolivians seems silly, because why in the world would I personally have prior bias against these people? But to a Chilean, the same is true for North American sentiments against Mexicans (Note: I'm not saying all United States citizens hate all Mexican citizens, but because of the struggles with illegal immigration from Mexico, as a whole I believe the US' opinions about Mexicans as a whole are tainted).

What it really comes down to, is that it is sad that anyone should feel the only option for a better life for themselves and their family is to risk their life and break the law to work difficult jobs far away from their home. Chile is the wealthiest, most developed country in South America while Peru and Bolivia have much higher poverty rates. So, just as someone from Mexico can work a minumum wage job in the US and still earn more money than working another job in Mexico, someone from Bolivia can work a minimum wage job in Chile and often earn more than working in Bolivia. The core issue is the countries from which the people are moving are so desperate that their own people must flee to survive. And this breaks my heart, this is the real tragedy.