Dad's Visit

My Dad came for a visit! I had only been in Scotland for two weeks so it wasn’t like I was able to show him around, that was really Marc’s doing. Dad was stopping in Scotland for a few days on his way back from Afghanistan. He’d been six months without a drink, so he was pretty excited for that first “dram and a pint” with us! The place we were at was doing a polish night so we stayed for that and had a lovely meal. The next day I took dad around to see my Uni and that afternoon we visited the Glengoyne Distillery. I don’t think Dad was that impressed because although he was super excited about all the whisky he was to consume, he didn’t end up leaving the distillery with a bottle. That evening we had a really good meal at a sort of “gastro pub” which had been converted from an old church. The next day was dad’s last full day, and lucky for him it was a beautifully sunny day! So we took that opportunity to visit Loch Lomond, a beautiful lake just a half hour away. We spent the morning walking through cute little towns along the lake, and dad found his favourite scotch that he’d tried since he’d been here. So he decide to take a bottle home “for Karen.”

That afternoon we took him into the city centre and Marc took him to a great whisky bar that I think dad enjoyed very much  I enjoyed the free wifi… Our final meal was at a great little Scottish place called Roastit Bubbly Jocks. It was BYOB so we took some of our favourite Chilean wine. The service and the food were great! But by this point my liver was starting to feel like pate from all the rich food, but I recovered eventually. I was really happy Dad was able to visit. Hopefully we gave him a good impression of Scotland so that he’ll come back for a proper holiday next year! It was really nice seeing my Papa 

Glasgow

I’ve been in Glasgow now for about a week, which is just enough time for me to figure my way to Uni from my flat, and that’s about it... Glasgow is relatively small though, the underground is just one line, or circle rather. But the nice thing about that is you can go either direction in the circle; a plus when comparing it to the loop on the Chicago El. They call it the clockwork orange because it’s completely orange and well, it’s shaped like a clock.

There are two nice bits of Glasgow, the city centre and the west end. Well, I’ve only been to those two areas so far, and since I’m an expert in Scottish cities those are obviously the only nice parts of Glasgow…  I live in the west end where the University of Glasgow is. I really like it! All the housing is “tenement” style, which to me means they are all very old beautiful buildings, four stories tall, with 12 feet high ceilings and huge bay windows; really spacious and really nice. Three main differences would be the radiator style heating, absence of a garbage disposal/dishwasher, and the absence of a clothes dryer. Instead we have this awesome pulley-line system that runs along the ceiling of our kitchen. Knots in the “pulley-rope” hook the rope at different levels. So for example you would let all of the rope go and hook at the last knot to hang your clothes on the line, then pull the rope hooked up to a pulley and hook it on one of the first knots so that your clothes hang over head to dry.

My Uni is seriously Hogwarts, circa 1451 (I know Hogwarts wasn't around in 1451, but if it were, I would imagine it to look like my Uni). I’m not joking, it completely gothic style. But cool! It’s a pretty small campus, and unfortunately I don’t have any of my classes in the Hogwarts bit. But, I am in some old, grand, houses that had been converted into office and lecture buildings. I’m doing my Masters in Public Health or MPH, and I was surprised how small the programme is at Glasgow. It’s good for me because I’m pretty sure I’ll get all the help and guidance I need. There are only four full time students and maybe 10 students in total! I haven’t actually started any classes yet, just been attending a bunch of introductions to the programme and refreshers courses. We’ll see how it goes, it sounds pretty demanding doing the MPH full time in one year, but I’m pretty sure if I keep on top of things and get ahead when I can, I should be fine.

Inverness

Marc picked me up from Edinburgh airport and drove us to our flat in Glasgow where I dropped off my suitcase and packed a weekend bag. We were heading up north that evening to spend the weekend on the Black Isle (actually a peninsula) which is about 20 minutes away from Inverness; the capital of the Scottish Highlands. Also, home to the Loch Ness monster, which I saw! I took a picture with him too.

The drive up was nice; we stopped off in the cutest little town called Pitlochry for a “pit-stop” har har har. I saw lots of heather (a purple plant that covers the Scottish country side) and quite enjoyed the drive up while getting used to the narrower roads on the left and round abouts. Marc’s parents live up on the Black Isle and I was going to meet them for the very first time.

They were very nice folks, it was quite nice spending my first weekend in Scotland with a family being well fed. And I was well fed! Marc’s dad is French so we had French food; which confused me because I didn’t realise you get a salad and cheese AND dessert after the main course. It was so good, but I was stuffed by the end! All in all, a pretty great first weekend.

My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean

Well I’m off to Scotland today! For those of you whom I have not been in touch, I got back from South American in February, looked for a job, applied for grad school and after weighing my options decided to attend the University of Glasgow for a Masters in Global Health. I suppose there weren’t many options to weigh; I couldn’t find a job, and I got a full ride for this programme (not a spelling error, I’m trying out this British English thing). Plus my boyfriend, Marc, is Scottish so I guess I might as well give this rainy (but beautifully green!) country a try.

I realise the name of my blog no longer applies, but I don’t really want to change it…I’m just too lazy I guess. I did meet Marc in Chile and the chances of me going off to Scotland this year without meeting him are probably pretty slim. So I suppose keeping the Chile in the name is appropriate. But now that I have met him and have applied and decided to go, I’m so excited! Even though I generally don’t like being cold or wet or golfing or men in skirts I think this country sounds pretty promising

Apparently they make up for the shit weather by offering lots of indoor entertainment. Have you ever heard of indoor skiing?? You can do that in Scotland! And I supposed it would be a good studying environment; I mean, that is supposed to be my main reason for going over.
Marc and his pops are going to pick me up from the airport and we’re going to spend that first weekend up north in Inverness where his folks live. Maybe I’ll get a glimpse of the loch ness monster because that’s where he lives I guess! Then, it’s back down to Glasgow where I gotta start setting up my life for the next 12 months. Bon Voyage!

Just Living the Dream...

I’M BACK to the good ol’ US of A!!! Just living the American Dream, or so I tell myself. Two weeks back and I’m still trying to throw my toilet paper in the bin, and enthusiastically kiss every person I meet on the cheek (but feel awkward when I am not received in the same manner). Looking at it, we are really cold people with our formal handshakes… Anyhow, I’ve been trying to figure out what to do next…and let me tell you it’s not easy! It’s a tough job market, and when I think about how easy it is to find a job teaching my native language, in an exciting foreign country, I wonder why I would ever leave such a wonderful place to come home to such circumstances.

Well, it’s called the “real world.” But what exactly is the “real world?” Is our world in the US more real than say Buenos Aires, Argentina? I went out into the “real world,” yet somehow it doesn’t count. Was it because I wasn’t making a substantial living? Was it because I wouldn’t be able to settle and raise a family if I’m constantly moving about? All tough questions, but maybe it’s something to ponder over your morning coffee.

It’s pretty obvious I’m still trying to hang on by a thread to my former life in South America. I’m reading Che Guevara’s Motorcycle Diaries and watching foreign films like the Buena Vista Social Club and El Sectreto de Sus Ojos. (The Secret in their Eyes) But I’m sure this will pass. I’ll readjust to what I know best, especially when I get home to Naperville and can start up the life I left before South America.

So I’m not sure what I’ll do. Most definitely take a job, because let’s face it; I can’t live like I did in South America. To be poor in South America is fine; you can at least feed yourself and enjoy a new place! But to be poor in America downright sucks! You are pretty much stuck where you are because you can’t afford to put gas in your car, and you need your car because public transportation is pretty much non-existent in the burbs. So you’re pretty much on house arrest until you start making them dollas. But this is what everyone wants me to do!! Contribute to that greatly diminishing Social Security that the aging baby boomers are gonna need to draw from. Trust me I do want to work, but only if it’s something I deem worthwhile, and now’s not the time to be picky. I know this, so I will probably end up taking the first thing that comes to me instead of hanging out for a better opportunity.

But is that really that bad? I don’t think so. We are simple creatures motivated by what we think will make us happy, and for most that’s a fat paycheck! Hell, I don’t even need the fat paycheck, any paycheck will be make me happy. I’ve been used to living simply and I know I could stretch any paycheck pretty damn FAR. Really, it will be a means to an end. And as of right now the end is looking like graduate school. I’ve got less than two years to use this post 9-11 GI Bill benefit from my dad for higher education. I’ve always known I want to continue my education I just figured I’d do it later.

And here is the point where I bring in my ulterior motive. Yes, hate to admit it, but I’ve fallen in Love (notice the capital “L”). Gahhhh. Well the “Mr.” in question happens to live across the pond in this far away land where Scots reside. Get this! The men wear these funny skirts and blow into these weird looking pipes. Sound gay? To add to that, they speak what might as well be called a foreign language. GAY-lick I think… :P Well it turns out each of our countries aren’t very friendly toward each other, they don’t like to let just anyone work in their country (cause too many people want to immigrate anyway)! But the loophole lies in the form of higher education. If I go over to the UK, I can get a Master’s in HALF the time it takes to do it here and I wouldn’t be paying much more either. Which arguably so, if I’m back in the work force a year earlier I can be paying off my loans a whole year quicker. And after I graduate, instead of chucking me out the country, (like we do here) I’d be graciously given two more years to work in said country.

Well that’s the plan anyhow….but plans can change. I always like to have many options in order to keep my options open.

Homecoming

I’m coming home! I finally booked my flight home to Chicago in March, in order to get home in time for my cousin’s wedding. It’s gonna be quite the journey. I’m planning on staying in Buenos Aires roughly for the month of January and February with some travel inbetween (hopefully). Well, looking at tickets home in March from Buenos Aires was a little rediculous, over a grand! When I paied half that to get down here! I heard Lima was the cheapest place to fly out of in South America, and lucky enough, after three tries, I got a flight to Chicago for about $425. Now, here’s the part that complicates things a litte... naw just makes for more of an adventure! Can any body tell me why flights from Buenos Aires to Lima are over $600?? Because LAN has f**king monopoly over the South American air travel. So instead, what I think is going to happen, is that I will need to book a bus from Buenos Aires to Lima, a bus that will take three days...The bus ticket is about $150, but that still comes out to a trip total of less than $600. $600 vs $1000, I think I can deal with three days on a bus for $400. I’m poor you must remember. I’ve been working full time at a school for the last five months for free basically. But’s it’s been the experience of a life time! I wouldn’t trade it for anything, my time in Chile has become a defining moment in my life. It is now a part of who I am and I will never forget it.

There’s a whole great big world out there. It seems daunting and scary at first, but once you venture out, you’ll find it’s not so big at all. If you are sitting at home reading this, and feeling restless with your life, my advice to you is this; get out! Go to a new place, meet new people who are different than you, try new food, and do something that is completely foreign to you! Anyone can do it, not just the young (although it is a lot easier with less responsibility).

So yah. I made a mistake booking my flight home, I meant to get in a day later because it turns out my mom is flying into the other Chicago airport two hours later from China that day. Any volunteers who wanna come pick us up at 10:30 at night?? You would be my first taste of USA in over 8 months!!!! And you would get a special prize!!!

To end in the words of Kanye West (no wait, it’s actually Chris Martin singing this part), “Do you think about me now and then? Do you think about me now and then? ‘Cause I’m coming home again. Baby do you remember when, fireworks at Lake Michigan, now I’m coming home again….If you don’t know by now, I’m talking ‘bout Chi Town!”

La Serena

Last weekend was a long weekend because we had the first of November off for All Saints Day. I’m not sure if they call it “dia de los muertos“ or not, but the idea behind the Mexican holiday is the same. I asked Gloria and she said they go visit the graves of their family members on this day. Regardless, I decided to take advantage of the four day weekend by traveling to La Serena, which is about five hours south of here.

La Serena is a really nice town. It had been awhile since I’d been out of the desert and I forgot how nice grass was! The town itself is just so pleasant because it’s a strolling town. It reminded me of downtown Naperville because on a nice day you’ll see so many people out taking advantage of the weather and going for leisurly strolls and windowshoping. I liked it! It even had a mall! Anyone who knows me know I love love love ice cream; of all varieties and flavors. Ice cream, soft serve, gelato, frozen yogurt, yumm they are all delightful, just spare me the sorbet. There was this cool frozen yogurt shop in the mall where you could pick your choice of fruit and then they had blocks of different flavored frozen yogurt, and you had the option to add a block of sugar as well. They throw it all into a bowl where this machine mixes it all up and viola! You’ve got frozen yogurt! It was cool and yummy.

Marc was super happy to find a few items we’d been scouring Copiapó. One, a plain gray jumper (hoodie) and two, a squash ball. We´ve made multiple trips to our ¨mall¨ and never had luck finding either, but La Serena had both! He was a happy bear.

We had met up with a few other volunteers Friday night and went out in Coquimbo, the town right next to La Serena. I regrete not having enough time to explore Coquimbo during the day, but maybe next time because the following night we went to Vicuña. There we booked a tour of an observatory where we saw some stars, glaxies and jupiter through a moderately sized telescope. It was a midnight, and it ended around 3 so we were all exhausted by the end. But this town had sooo many stars because it´s rarely every cloudy. If you´ve ever been in the middle of the ocean at night and looked up, you could serriously see just as many stars in this town! You could see three different glaxisies with the naked eye! The milky way and two others that were just forming. Thanks to the tour, I also finally realized why you can´t see the big dipper or the north star...I´d been searching. Also, the Orien I´d been seeing is actually flipped upside down. I never noticed because I´ve always just picked out the seven stars which just so happened to be symetrical.

I think our hostel owner in Vicuña is worth mentioning because he gets a coolest guy award. So we already hasseled him before meeting him by changing our reservation maybe 3 times. But he was so nice about it. Originally from Buenos Aires, his parents were Spanish. And upon meeting me, he immediately tells me I am beautiful and that Marc should be careful because they will steal me away in Buenos Aires. He later makes comments on wanting to kidnap Marc as well, after lovingly kissing him hello and goodbye. Usually, a handshake is the norm between men, but close friends and relatives will kiss on the cheek. El era un buen onda! Also, he wins best hostle award. The beds were so comfortable with actual sheets and comfortors, and the breakfast was the best hostle breakfast I´ve ever had! Real coffee, natural juice, eggs prepaired by request, fruit, cereal, and of course pan, but with a choice of three different jams! Unheard of! And all for about $20 a night, which is a bit pricey for hostles, but this wasn´t your typical hostle.

The next day we explored Vicuña a bit and checked out the Gabriella Mistral Musieum. Gabriella Mistral was the other Nobel prize winning poet from Chile. She was also a teacher in Vicuña, so we saw her tiny little house. Next stop, PISCO ELQUI! Pisco, Chile´s national liqure is like a brandy but made from specific grapes called pisco. Elqui valley is where pretty much all the country´s pisco is grown and produced. So it was only fitting to visit the king of Pisco´s distillery, Mistral. I can´t tell you much about the tour because I was feeling under the weather and not able to concentrate on Spanish that day, but from what I gathered growing the grapes is pretty much the same process as any vineyard, and the distilling process is pretty much the same as any whisky distillation.

We had one more night (Halloween) which was spent pretty laid back in la Serena and the next day we had to catch our bus back to Copiapó. It was really weird to think that it was my last weekend traveling in Chile. I only had three weeks left in Copiapó, then what?

Well, I have travel plans pretty much planned out until January. My program ends November 24th, from there I have 2 weeks to travel the south of Chile with a fellow Chicagoland chica from the program. From there we fly to Lima and meet Marc and his friend to do some hiking! Machu Pichu and Colca canyon. From there we´re flying back to Santiago, spending Christmas with a friend of Mallory´s (my cousin) and then I think I´m going to try and make it to Buenos Aires for NYE and try and find something to do there to stay a little longer. If I can get the visa situation figured out, I may be able to add a trip to Brazil with Marc, but that´s still an if. We´ll see what happens, I´m going to be drifting for awhile, but I think I´m ready for that!