Time Out

I'm taking a short break in my frantic working because I need to check in.


It has been a week, y'all. The first 3 weeks here were busy but not stressful too much but this week was crazy. When last I checked in (Monday night?)

OK. So that you get a sense of what I'm doing here the above was written this morning when I knew I had to do some work but had my bathing suit on and my stuff ready for the pool. Never got to the pool because I had to do the most insane conference call ever in the history of the universe and my brains are now splattered on the walls. The call was half english half spanish.

So anyway. I still love Chile. In Chile there is a lot of slang and so since I am learning Spanish as I am here I am learning Chilean Spanish - and I like that. I like saying things like "cachai" which means "you know?" I try to use it whenever possible. When I use it it makes people laugh because I am a gringa. And y'all know I like to make people laugh.

I am still kind of amazed at how much I understand - I can follow most simple conversations and can follow the gist of higher level conversations. This is entirely due to my high school French. God I love languages. I only wish I was more comfortable speaking. I want to speak at least 4 languages.

I have a couple of friends now at the OK Market. They speak english to me and I speak spanish to them. We are at about the same level but my plan is to go in one day and knock them off their feet with my Spanish. One of them tonight told me he thinks I am always smiling. I wish I could have told him I think he needs to see me in the office!

My apartment washer is on the fritz. Last weekend the dryer part broke down and I called to report it and Wednesday someone came to fix and I had a wet pool towel and it dried successfully. Thursday night I put in a load of wash and flooded the apartment. Evidently when they fixed the dryer they fucked up the washer. Fun stuff. I had to partially say "tengo una problema with mi machina lavenderia" and then I had to act out agua all over the floor which was really pretty. I find that most people are wiling to work with me though and I continue to believe that basic communication is easy because we are all human and we want to understand each other. Today I was on the elevator with one of the housekeeping ladies and I was looking at a flyer for a sushi place and she told me she didn't like sushi and I said "no?" and she told me she liked food cooked and not raw. And I understood her. And shit like that makes me want to cry with happiness. Because I am very very sleep deprived. Also I am a total sap.

Sam as we speak is getting on a flight to the middle east to see his wife and gorgeous daughter and I am already missing my dinner buddy. He came on board as my boss again about 8 months ago and in that time before I came to Santiago we had about 14 hours total of face time. Since I have been here we get together every night for dinner and conversation and when he leaves I really miss that.

I totally have to sleep now.

I am delirious.