Las Maletas – Suitcases

How do you fit 2 people (dos personas) into 4 suitcases (cuatro maletas), 2 carry-on bags and 2 backpacks (dos mochilas) who have been out of the country for over 5 months?  I have no idea, but that is the task (la tarea) of the day.  This is the same amount of luggage (el equipaje) that we came with when we arrived in Santiago, and the plan is to leave (salir) with the same amount of luggage, albeit with some of the same things as well as a large number of completely different materials (las materiales diferentes). 

When you travel by air these days, you not only have a limit (un limite) to the number of bags, you also have a weight limit (un limite de peso). There are different rules for international and domestic flights, with domestic flights (los vuelos domésticos) being stricter in terms of costs for additional bags as well as having a lower weight limit. I believe this is done in part because (porque) there are more domestic flights than international flights, and the airlines (las aerolíneas) can stick it to you easier and make more money (más dinero) on flights that are shorter and in effect cost less for passengers. 

We have a limit of 2 checked bags, and each bag (cada maleta) has a limit of around 50 pounds each.  If you have a bag between 50-70 pounds, you are charged a fee (una cuota) of $50 US for each one, and it you have a bag over 70 pounds, it is a fee of $100 US.  If you have more than 2 checked bags, there is an additional fee (una cuota adicional) of $100 US for each checked bag.  So, the game (el juego) if you will is to try and stay under the limits where you can and know exactly what the weights are of your bags before you get to the airport (al aeropuerto).

We are in this process (este proceso) in a big way today, trying to fit in all our gifts (nuestros regalos) for Christmas along with all our clothes and personal items.  On the flight (el vuelo) over, we had 2 bags overweight and 2 bags right on weight, and we are trying to keep this same ratio (la misma proporción) intact, as it will result in a fee of $100 additional for our luggage, but this is a fee I am clearly willing to pay (pagar).  You also have to be savvy about your carry-on baggage, as they also have to fit size (tamaño) and weight requirements, which is usually much easier to navigate (navigar) when you are already paying additional fees.

When you begin an effort like this, you also have to begin (empezar) to plan (planear) weeks before you pack, as you have to liberate (liberar) many things, and we have gifted a number of personal items, such as clothes (la ropa), athletic equipment, household items and personal hygiene products to our friends as parting gifts for their hospitality and support (la hospitalidad y apoyo).  We have also been the recipients of an equal amount of good-bye gifts and have also purchased a number of items for friends and family for the holidays (las vacaciones). 

As we sit with our bulging suitcases before us, we continue to remind ourselves (recordarnos) that it is not what you bring home, but that you make it home safely (con seguridad).  We also hope that our things make it intact, but we also understand that things can be replaced and that the most important things on the plane (el avión) are, in effect, the passengers (los pasajeros), of which we are two.

Una Colección de Memorias – A Collection of Memories

I have always enjoyed traveling, and also collecting memories (las memorias) of my travels and sharing them with my friends and family.  Over the years, this has taken many forms, in the old days (en los días pasadas), I would take pictures with an instamatic camera and then go and have all the pictures (todas las fotos) developed.  Next, I would go through the pictures, select the best ones (los mejores) and eliminate others and put the pictures in a photo album that I would often enhance with small reminders (unos recuerdos pequeños) from the trip, such as ticket stubs, flyers from events or information from restaurants and city sites.

As I got older and the technology (la tecnología) got better, I would take photos on my digital camera, which could hold some 200 (doscientos) pictures and I could review the shots almost instantaneously, selecting the best ones and removing the mistakes to the trash (a la basura).  For a while, I would select the very best, and go to the local pharmacy (la farmacia local) and print out copies from the electronic formats and put them into other photos albums, again with memorabilia (los objetos de interés) from the travels.  There was always something fun (divertida) about assembling such a scrapbook, a living memory from a wonderful time, to share (compartir) with others in a familiar setting and to explain (explicar) the trip in detail, information that was enhanced by a personal touch.

Today, I don’t really even print (imprimir) out pictures anymore, except perhaps a nice photo of my wife (mi esposa) and I on some romantic spot or some extra cool place that we can then put in a frame (un marco) and place on a mantel in our home, or on my desk (mi pupitre) at work.  I have been slow to assemble (montar) any new photo albums that sit on my shelves at home, the events in these volumes, which in reality (en realidad) number around 15, sit stuck in time, reflecting many years effectively, but seemingly mired in the past (en el pasado), without some news from the recent events of our lives. 

The current times are reflected completely (completamente) electronically, as the photo album of old has given way to the online (en línea) version, where albums can be assembled with great ease and all the photos can be shared with friends and family merely by sending them a link (un enlace) to click on in order to view all the pictures.  Although you can add captions (las leyendas) and even share video along with the photos, and you can add (añadir) detailed text in the form of an online journal or blog, the intimacy (la intimidad) of sharing in person has given way to the convenience of sharing online.  Yet, the memorabilia of a trip (un viaje), the things you encounter and hold as souvenirs (los recuerdos) or special reminders of actual events, seem to be left out of the loop (la lazada).

When I came to Santiago, I decided that I wanted to have a way to chronicle (mostrar) my memoires in many forms, most of which were online in order to share with friends and family back in the US. Yet, I also felt the need (la necesidad) to have a physical reminder in my apartment, a place where I could collect odds and ends (cosas distintas) and post them bulletin-board style, so that I could see where I had been and remember the events (los eventos) I had done in a nonlinear and free flowing manner.  The resulting collage of ticket stubs (billetes), information from newspapers (los diarios) and magazines (las revistas), pamphlets (los folletos), flyers, restaurant napkins (las servilletas) and the like, all were taped to a shower curtain (una Cortina de la ducha) that hung taped to a door in the apartment. 

The resulting collage became a tactical reminder, a work of art, eclectic (ecléctico) in nature, but practical in its presentation.  It is important (importante) to share things you experience with others, but it is also just as important to make sure that you take the time to reflect (reflexionar) and to enjoy (disfrutar) the journey all along the way.

Un Horario Distinto – A Distinct Schedule

I am a person who likes to set up and to follow (seguir) a schedule, sometimes it is really beneficial, some times it leads to selfish compulsion, but most times, it helps me to organize (organizar) myself and to add basic structure to my days and weeks, both at home and at work.  As a professor, you have a lot of self-directed time, and I find that if I set a schedule (un horario) for myself each semester, I have a better balance in my life, both personal and professional.  I have to make sure that I set aside specific time to exercise (hacer ejercicio), to learn (aprender) new things, to write (escribir) papers and to teach (ensenar) my classes.  Sometimes, I even set up meetings with myself, so that I won’t give away the time that I might need to accomplish (lograr) my tasks, objectives and goals.

Yet, this fascination with order (la orden) and schedules can also lead to some interesting world views, in that at times, I am a bit too specific (bastante especifico) and schedule driven. As an educator, I make a big deal to my students that I start (empiezo) on time and end (termino) on time.  In meetings (en las reuniones) that I lead, I am sure to set a specific agenda with a defined time limit (un limite del tiempo) that I send it out ahead of time.   I often see this as a management strength (una esfuerza); something that is often echoed by my fellow North American colleagues, whom share my habits (mis hábitos) as well.  We are taught in the US to value time and to do things quickly (rápido) and efficiently, which often translates to other cultures and uptight (tenso) and limiting.

For example, I live on the border of the US and Mexico and a number of our friends have roots (las raíces) in the Mexican culture, and when we are invited to their houses for a gathering, we will often ask them at what time we should arrive and how long the party (la fiesta) will take place. They often stare back in disbelief (la incredulidad) that we even consider both the beginning (la comienza) and the end (el fin) of a party, something that is defined more by the day than by the hour in the Mexican culture.  It has even gotten so bad that we will ask that if a party is set to start at 7 PM, we will ask if it is gringo time, which means 7 PM on the dot (en punto), or Mexican time, which means about 9 PM, and we will adjust ourselves depending upon their response and direction.

In Santiago, this “gringo time” concept (concepto) has also caused us to demonstrate (demostrar) our differences with our Chilean friends, who like our Mexican friends, define events relatively, taking the time to enjoy (disfrutar) the moment, but also to extend (extender) it for a long period of time.  A lunch in Chile can last 8 hours, and a party even more, and the idea is to set (emprender) a starting time, but the end is never scheduled and rarely discussed, it is something that just happens when everyone is ready to call (llamar) it quits.  This is something that we have learned and have tried to be more flexible with throughout our time here in Santiago, but some times, our North American roots and love (el amor) of precision, even in public gatherings, comes out in public.

Recently, we had a gathering in our small apartment (nuestro chico departamento) here in Ñuñoa for our friends here and we set it up to be a 2-hour event from 7 to 9 PM that would be after work (después del trabajo) and before dinner. This is very common in the US, but it had our friends (nuestros amigos) here in stitches, unsure if we would make people leave at 9 PM, or just give each set of guests (los invitados) a 2 hour limit that we would somehow enforce with a list on a clipboard.  Between snort laughs and of course, only in Spanish, we tried to say (decir) that we were flexible, while we desperately tried to cling (pegarse) to some type of schedule for the evening.

Our friends here got the last laugh (la risa final), as the 2 hour gathering was no less than 5 hours, and the lesson to be learned is that while it is good (bueno) to have a schedule, it is also best (mejor) not to limit those you really care about, and to enjoy all the time (todo el tiempo) you can together, regardless of the plan.

Una Vida Refresca – A Refreshing Life

Everyone likes a cold drink (una bebida refresca), especially as the temperatures begin to heat up as spring (la primavera) sets in and begins to offer a glimpse of the summer (el verano) to come.  In the southern United States, there is a tradition of serving of iced tea, a concoction that is very sweet (muy dulce), served with care over ice with lots of lemon.  The secret (el secreto) to making the sweet tea is to boil (hervir) the tea first and add lots of sugar to the heated mixture and then allow it to cool (enfriar), so that the sweetness of the sugar is fused into the taste (el sabor) of the tea.  It is certainly an acquired taste, but one that all southerners know and love.

In Chile, as the temperatures start to rise (subir) now in the month of December, and everyone begins to have (tener) thoughts of the end of the school year, which brings rise to plans for the summer, to vacations to the beach or to the mountains, to the north (al norte) and to the south (al sur), to places near and to places far away (muy lejos).  It also signals the time for foods (las comidas) of the spring and summer, especially the fruits and vegetables that appear with great abundance (con grande abundancia).  The fresh strawberries (las frutillas frescas), the wonderful cherries, the uniquely flavorful Custard apple (la chirimoya), the ripe melon and the luscious watermelon all make their appearances at the dinner table (la mesa) and at the picnics throughout the country.

It also brings a special drink that I liken to the sweet tea of the south, a drink that is like tea, but has a grain (un grano) at the bottom and also a pealed peach complete with pit in each glass.  This drink, Mote con Huesillo, is a seasonal and wonderful cool drink, one that refreshes not only the thirst (el sed) but also the body (el cuerpo), as it is more like a full days meal all in one. Served best in a large glass (un vaso grande), the mote or husked wheat, sits at the bottom (al fondo) of the glass and has more than likely been soaking in the juice of the tea to which is added a dried peach, the huesillo.

The peach also adds its sweet and refreshing flavor to the mix (la mezcla), and as you cut off bits of it with your spoon (su cuchara), the pulp adds more taste to the tea.  You alternate between sips of tea with the peach and scoops (las palas) of mote with your spoon. By the time you finish the drink, you are both refreshed and full (satisfecho), it’s almost like a carnation instant breakfast drink, without the chocolate aftertaste, but complete with all the nutrients (los nutrientes) for a full day of fun.

It is a signal (una señal) of summer, a time to get ready for the relaxation of vacations to come (venir), and is truly a unique and important part of Chile that I highly recommend.

Yo Soy un Puente – I Am a Bridge

Bridges (los puentes) are something with which I am very familiar and have lots of experience.  Where I grew up in Richmond, Virginia, the James River runs through the center of town (el centro de la ciudad) and divides the city into areas in the north, south, east and west. You transverse the city by continually crossing bridges to get (viajar) from one side to the other, to cover (ir) a distance over impassable terrain, in this case, rushing river water.   Without the bridges, you would have a smaller world (un mundo más pequeño), a more local existence that would be mitigated and influenced by what was directly around you, not what you might see on the other side (al otro lado).

Where I currently in El Paso, Texas, there are a number (un numero) of bridges that link the border (la frontera) of the US and Mexico, in some ways covering the gap between two different cultures, two different countries (dos países diferentes) and two different cities.  The bridges serve as lifelines of commerce (de comercio), where goods and services pass back and forth, from Juarez to El Paso and from many points throughout the US to many points (a muchos puntos) throughout Mexico.  The bridges also serve as links (las enlaces) for people to move back and forth between two different places, some in cars, some on buses (los micros), some on foot (en pie), whatever the mode of transportation, people stream back and forth at every hour of the day, for every day of the year.

When I set out to come to Chile, I knew I would have an opportunity to learn (aprender) about a new culture and to share my own experiences as a citizen (un ciudadano) of the United States of America.  The Fulbright Commission sent out information that talked about the role of the individuals for the US as cultural ambassadors (los embajadores culturales), in effect representing the US to the citizens of the host country, in my case, here in Santiago and throughout Chile.  I knew this was something (algo) that was to be taken seriously, and something I certainly felt completely unprepared to do (hacer), I mean, I am a professor, not a member of Congress or the State department, I have no official training (no entrenamiento oficial) in being a liaison or a representative of any shape or form.  But in some ways, that lack of training qualified me completely, to be able (poder) to present a true picture of a real person and to search (buscar) for that in others in my life in Chile.

I am a bridge (yo soy un puente), in that I represent my country here in Chile, and I am a face (una cara) of the US for many of the people I encounter, both academics, students and regular citizens, and I have a great chance to make this a truly positive experience, a real experience to remove (remover) misconceptions and to build (construir) relationships and cover new ground.  I am also a bridge in that when I go back home to the US, I will now be an advocate (un defensor) for Chile, a person who understands the people, who knows the ways things are done, and how the culture in manifested into people’s daily lives (las vidas diarias de la gente).  I am a bridge, in the same way that bridges span distances between two solid points of ground (la tierra), I span the distance between two countries and between two cultures.

I recently had a colleague (un colega) tell me that he enjoyed my academic contributions, but one thing that stood out to him, was that as a North American, I was able to have (tener) a positive impact on the students at UMCE.  He mentioned that their experiences with me helped to shed some light (la luz) on the reality of the US, and that maybe we all have more in common than we are lead to believe (creer).  I guess that is the best part of being a bridge, in that your real purpose is to allow others to cross the path (un camino) that you are upholding.