My New Home

I’ve been living in Antofagasta for four days now and, don’t worry blog followers, I have not forgotten about you! Four days isn’t long, but sometimes days can seem more like weeks when adjusting to a new place. My emotions have been on a roller coaster for the past four days, but now I am finally starting to feel a little bit more at home here. I have seen much more of Antofagasta than the beautiful coastal town that I was dropped off at on Wednesday afternoon. And, although I am miles away from the beauty of the Pacific, I am slowly finding the beauty that God has placed everywhere in the desert hills of Antofagasta. I am learning more and more about our world each day. Homeward Bound… With a huge suit case and backpack in hand(s), I got picked up by a father and daughter. I would be living with a co-teacher named Jeanina for the next four months along with my new host family. Both our bags and the four of us could not fit in the tiny family car so it took two trips to get there. I sat in the grass speaking the best Spanglish I knew to my new sister Niko. She also spoke some English so we were able to have somewhat of a conversation. Jeanina and I had gotten along extremely well at orientation so we were thrilled to have the opportunity to live together. Little did we know how much of a blessing it would truly be to have one another in the same home. The car that the father picked us up in was brand new. The plastic was still on the seats in order to preserve it. You could tell that this new vehicle was very treasured by the family. It was the first one that they had in many years. In Antofagasta people do have their own cars, but there is also an abundance of public transportation in three forms: the bus (Micro), the collectivo (a taxi that runs a specific route), and taxis. As we drove off, we climbed into the desert hills of Antofagasta leaving the beautiful coastline, hotels and restaurants behind. The streets became dirtier, and stone was replaced with cement. Eventually dirt replaced the cement. Suddenly stray dogs, trash and a particular odor began to permeate the streets. We inched onward and finally came to what we would be calling home for the next four months. Last year in Antofagasta, in order to beautify the city, an order was placed that all residents must paint their homes. Our home had a fresh coat of vibrant red and yellow paint on the outside. We were told that before this order was placed all homes in Antofagasta were left gray. I am really thankful for the color that is now on a majority of the homes. It’s amazing how color can bring a bit of happiness to any situation. I could only imagine how dreary the streets would appear in gray. The homes in the central area of Antofagasta are built touching one another to conserve building material and space. For this reason there are no windows except at the front and the back of homes. As I walked inside the family home my eyes widened. The house was very narrow as I walked in. The living room was the first room in the house. Next to it was a garage separated from the living room simply by a partition that went about a quarter way up from the floor. Placed on this partition was the family's TV and various knickknacks. The family’s new car can be seen at all times when you are in the living room! Behind the garage were Jeanina and my new bedrooms. The only windows in the bedrooms looked out into the living room. The material that the walls are made out of is very similar to plywood. Beyond our bedroom, the roof ends and the area between the kitchen and bathroom is exposed. After that is an open “patio” area where the family’s four cats reside. There is a ladder in the outdoor “patio ” that leads to the upstairs where the family’s bedrooms are located. In Chile there is no central heat in almost any of the homes. At the heart of winter, families layer up to keep warm. With an absence of windows, the home stays pretty cold throughout the day. Even in Southern Chile, where temperatures easily reach below freezing in the winter time, this is the case. Water is only heated when needed. To take a shower or wash dishes, you must open the gas and light a match, then wait for the water to heat. (A similar process to lighting a grill) I have to be honest, when I got to my new home, I was WAY out of my comfort zone. Upon initially meeting the family, they were very cold to us. The family is made up of five people: a mother, father, daughter and two sons. The three children attend college in Santiago and share an apartment there. When we arrived they were home for their winter break. Jamie, the older brother, was in charge of showing us around. He spoke good English, and quickly told us that he did not really like or trust people. He said his father had a temper and liked to be left alone. He asked us if we were good girls, and, when we said yes, he said not to say that because it seemed as though we were lying. What a welcome! The sister Niko and mother were kind to us, but their presence was only for meals and after dinner. Upon arrival there was no tour of the home. We were just shown our bedrooms and told to get settled. This behavior went on for the first two days. Jeanina and I ran into each other’s bedrooms late at night asking each other what we had gotten ourselves into, and trying to laugh through a very strange situation. It was really hard to feel at home here. Chilean families spend the majority of their time together. If a person is in their room alone, they have a hard time understanding this behavior. Jeanina and I tried our best to initially spend our time in the living room with the family. Speaking very little Spanish, I spent the majority of my time trying to comprehend what was being said and participating little in the conversation. The family was a bit confused by this. This led to them asking me about 75 times a day if I was okay. Finally on day three the mood changed and we began to understand what was going on. Jamie had been testing us, and we had finally gained his trust. In the morning we were greeted by what seemed to be a new family. Smiles appeared on everyone’s faces, and stories and laughter filled the house. We all sat in the living room/garage laughing with one another. Jamie was still a bit reserved and skeptical, but he would have to return to Santiago in a few hours, and felt comfortable leaving us alone with his parents. With this new feeling in the household, a weight seemed to suddenly be lifted off my shoulders. I could now begin to focus on getting used to a new culture, and very new way of living. Once the children left for school, the home was quiet and Jeanina and I were left to mostly take care of ourselves. The mother spoke of how much she missed her kids when they were away. In the previous year she had taken the 20 hour (one way) trip to Santiago six times to visit her children. Jeanina and I told her that we hoped to try and fill the void of missing her children in any way possible. Life is a challenge here, but also very new and exciting. Each day I learn more and more about who I am and the world I live in, and I am so thankful for that. First off I have to say that I am so spoiled. I can confidently say that most everyone of you reading this blog is spoiled as well, so feel blessed! I am truly grateful for the home that I am living in, and to have this experience. But the smallest of apartments in America would truly be a luxury here in the hills of Antofagasta. Families work hard here, and many fathers are away for seven days at a time working in the mines just to support their family. The mother is left at home to raise their children. I feel that in America I have been raised in a humble home, and taught the meaning of a dollar. Now, being here, I know even more than I did before that I have so much more than I could ever need. I am so blessed. I find my host mother to be an extremely admirable person. Both my host father and mother are teachers. My host father is the music director at a school, and my host mother is a first grade teacher. Schools in Chile run from 8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. in many places. In the middle of the day everyone returns home to eat the largest meal. My host mother prepares this meal the night before so we can all eat it at our leisure when we arrive in the afternoon. Although she works all day, her meals are always made 100 percent from scratch in a kitchen in which I have a hard time simply lighting the stove. The pan that she does the majority of her cooking in resembles a flat piece of metal. It is truly amazing what she can whip up! Beyond cooking wonderful meals, she also cleans the entire home and does the laundry. Living in the desert sand storms are frequent. Sweeping and dusting regularly is a must. In our home, with the absence of part of the roof, it makes keeping things sand free even more of a challenge. My host family is very proud of where they live. Jamie reassured us of how safe the family home would be if there was an earthquake. He proudly showed us his childhood bedroom. Although it was hard to understand and deal with his lack of trust for us initially, I admire the care he has for his family and need to make sure that his parents would be safe after he left. The family is able to understand that everything in their town is not perfect, but they are still proud. This pride is contagious and, because of it, it is almost impossible not to begin to notice the positive things that surround us as we adjust to our new home. It is obvious here that many Chileans are unsure of American’s character. Here on the streets, there is no escaping that we are different. We are called the white people, and looked at curiously as we walk down the streets. I am so happy to be an American. I hope that, as I submerge myself in this new culture, I can positively represent where I am from. Jamie told me that many stereotypes that Chileans hold are not the best in regard to Americans. For many of my students and their families, I will be the first American they will meet, and possibly the only one. I hope that I will leave them with a positive impression of Americans, and that I represent our country well. I have a long way to go on my journey here. In just four days I feel like I have experienced so much. I still have a lot more that I want to share. As I continue to experience my school and teaching more, I will work on my next entry! Stay posted and God Bless!