Oh pretty sirens don't go flat, it's not supposed to happen like that

Still studying.  My life is full of pathogenicity and prokaryotic stuff, with some econ and gross videos about eating disorders thrown in.

Postmenstrual syndrome should be official if it isn't already.  Generally felt lazy and bitchy today.  Laundry still not done.

But Of Montreal was good.  I need to upload the videos I took with my phone.  It sucks being the short one at a concert though.  Always jumping or going off to the side to take pictures or videos.

Busy October, but going to do the underwear run and see H2$ at home, so excited about those.  My two cousins seem levelheaded about their wedding preparations, though I can't say the same for their aai's.

Gotta do an econ quiz and keep on studying.  Then drive back home in the deep of night.  ;sldkfnms.

Sing your favorite songs at the top of your lungs and keep moving.  Stay positive.  :)

Just because I was surprised I didn't have to teach them this in Chile

I did have to teach the Hail Mary and the Our Father, in English, to the children.  I was basically translating the former on the spot, since I had completely forgotten the translation I did of it back in middle school.

But I was very surprised I didn't have to tell them Psalm 23.  Also surprised that, try as I might, I can't find any of the aforementioned in Hindi, though I know for a fact there are Catholics in India.

So, in case anyone was wondering, here is a rough translation of the Psalm in Spanish.


El Señor es mi Pastor
Nada me faltará
Me hace descansar en verdes pastos
Él me guía a arroyos de tranquilas aguas
Confortará mi alma
Me guiará por sendas de justicia por amor de su nombre
Sí, aunque ande en valle de sombra de muerte,
Yo no temeré mal alguno
Porque tú eres conmigo.
Tu vara y tu cayado me infundirán aliento.
Tú preparas mesa delante de mí en presencia de mis enemigos.
Tú unges mi cabeza con aceite
Mi copa está rebosando
Ciertamente el bien y la misericordia me seguirán todos los días de mi vida
Y habitaré en la casa del Señor por siempre.

Applying myself/Globus

So.  I am trimming down my list.  It looks like UW-Madison might be on the list of schools that I'm actually applying to.  We'll see.  If their department actually says something more than "I don't know," that is.

I say this truthfully: I am quite the globetrotter.  Granted, most of my travels have been to visit family members, immediate or extended or distantly extended that are flung far and wide across the world, or else conferences that my dad has gone to that have taken him across the Atlantic.  But I've been to five continents and ten countries, counting the US.  And I'm not done either.

Nor am I particularly proud of being a US citizen by birth.  I know I should be.  I know every country has its own things to be proud of and be embarrassed about.  And I know that, given the circumstances right now, this citizenship is one of the best ones to have.

But the more I've traveled, the more I've realized that Americans, naturalized or born, become spoiled or think they're entitled.  The rest of the world does not have nice giant supermarkets.  The rest of the world does not always have central heating or cooling in their homes.  The rest of the world can't always buy everything for cheap.  The rest of the world has a much more rigorous education system.  Well, at least in Asia and in a large part of Europe.  I can tell you for a fact that the South American education system is horrible in just about all the disciplines, and I'm willing to bet quite a bit of Africa is the same.

The ones who are born/mostly raised here grow up American, and in general, end up getting less education than their parents wish them to have.  My two cousins are prime examples; neither of them went on to graduate school when they clearly could have.  Those who are not born here will forever encounter some kind of obstacle that doesn't happen to people who are born here.  Then they get angry when it takes them longer to do the same things.  At least, most of the men I've seen do.  And I've always thought I'm kinda manly.  They think they're entitled.  Usually, they are.  But sometimes, they're not, and they don't get it.  And then their kid points that out, and then both parents get mad, and then it's bad.

But yeah.  People outside need to realize that the good ol' US of A is not the kingdom they think it is.  People inside the US need to realize that they'd probably be a lot smarter and more humble if they lived elsewhere for an extended period of time.

And I've decided that I am working at least two schools in Boston into my list.  And I'll go to a school in Boston.  Even if I haven't opened the application yet.  It's decided.

Places I saw today.

In Viña: La Quinta Vergara, Plaza del Reloj, Castillo del Mar y Wulf, the beach.

In Valparaiso: one of Pablo Neruda's houses, a very old ascensor, Museo Naval, top view of the city and a LOT of stairs.  Also Plaza Sotomayor (has the museum and monument to copper).

Went by Casablanca valle and Curacaví valley, valleys of wine and agriculture respectively.

Lots.  Of.  Pictures.

Irony.

I still am a little amazed as to why my cousin is a midwife, due to her own birth being a forceps delivery.  Not like I could have a homebirth anyway, because last I checked, no midwife would be able to tell me right away if my kid had my problem.  They simply don't have that sort of training, nor can they give Caesareans in emergencies.
Today I helped with the seven year olds.  One of them wanted me to tell her my phone number.  That was funny.  There was one girl that seriously doesn't understand the concept of chairs.
But overall, fine.

Mi día.

I just realized that the girl who died in Gville in the hit and run was on a freaking bicycle.  What.  A.  Horrible.  Way to die.

I went to the school today, to help teach.  According to the host mom, only the bad schools permit talking while the teacher is talking: her husband and her daughter are both teachers and don´t allow it.  This school, at all the levels of English (and everything else) allow talking when the teacher is talking, or at least, the teacher isn't that effective in getting them to shut up. Last time I checked, there was no country that allowed talking while the teacher was talking. Especially not in Asia, or even in parts of Europe. But some of the older ones speak English quite well.  The younger ones, naturally, have more difficulty.

Granted, this wasn't my original project.  And frankly, I knew I wasn't going to enjoy it as much as I would have enjoyed the original, which was giving medical care to kids at the Don Francisco house.  But since there was something going on this week, and I'd already paid for the trip, there was no point in not going.  At least I can see the center.  And the surrounding areas of Chile.  Valparaiso, Viña del Mar, etc.
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I officially think during my trip to the Viña I will ask for navegado sin naranjas.  Hot mulled wine sounds great.  That and yerba mate.
If it´s warm, I´ll ask for cerveza Cristal.

Because I do need to have some drinks, even if I can´t have pisco.

¡Qué maravilla es Santiago!

I am officially in Santiago.  Because there are teacher conferences all day today, I don´t start volunteering until tomorrow.
Yesterday I came in at 8 am, dropped my stuff, and then toured the city a little bit with the country coordinator.  I saw La Moneda, where the president works, and the old place where people used to work if they were president.  I also saw one of the old cathedrals, the Plaza del Centro, and the Teletón, where I was originally going to work. I also passed by one of the oldest historical museums that I plan on going to after my thing is done.
My host family is very nice, barring one extremely strange older boy that thankfully doesn´t live in the house. I think he wants a chica.  I made it clear that there are certain characteristics that define man, and that boys were the same everywhere.  I didn{t say what they were though.
The two main gripes I have are the food consumption, which I knew in advance my options were limited: nothing that hasn´t been cooked, and nothing like juice or yogurt or other stuff like that....... and the fact that the other volunteers are going next week, not this week, so I´m pretty much on my own.  I´m sticking with breads, dried things, and tea right now.  Which is fine since it´s so cold anyway.