En Santiago otra vez

I am back here in Santiago after a nice 10 day visit to the States. I missed the US and it was nice to be back, but I feel like spending a bit more time here would do me good, and I think with the job I have I will gain alot from the experience. It was great to see my family, especially my nephew, who is 7 months old and a completely different person from when I left, not just a crying baby anymore but one with some personality. Also the new family dog is a big success, I will have to pooch sit and baby sit in upcoming months when I return.

I settled into a shared apartment here with a Chilean couple and a Canadian girl. Thus far the arrangement is decent, they are very nice and friendly. The apartment looks nice but not very modern. Apparently central heat does not exist here and it is as cold inside as it is outside. Also there is no closet, which is a problem given that I have to wear suits to work everyday. We'll see how the arrangment works out, it would be a great way to make some new friends but I think I will go effing bananas being cold all day everyday and wearing wrinkled clothes constantly. They invited me to a dinner tonight at the restauraunt that is owned by the guy, which I am sure will be a good time. Only one way to find out, right?

a lazy blogger am I

I have been a very lazy blogger, more than 1 month has passed since I updated this. I just finished my last final exam tonight, and I am quite relieved to not have any more spanish language exams or classes. I am feeling good about the amount of spanish I acquired - in the exams, I was able to understand almost all of the questions, and I think that I will leave here with my academic dignity intact. I'll be leaving Santiago on Friday, which is a sad thought... after 3 months, I am starting to feel comfortable here. The language barrier is still there, but it is not quite as extreme as it was at the beginning. I am glad to say that I will be returning in June for a 3 month job here, after which I should be an absolute ace in castellano.

Tomorrow and Friday will be days of enjoyment I hope. No responsibilities, nothing to accomplish, just have some fun with my classmates, and walk around town to take a few photos of the places where I spent most of my time. The other exchange students, and a few of the full time foreign students, have a going-away dinner tomorrow night at a cool sushi spot, which will be a great time I'm sure. I need to go see an apartment for when I return as well. I plan to share an apartment when I return - it is boring and a bit overpriced to live alone here, and now that I will not be studying, I don't need all the peace and quiet. Something a bit more social would be better.

I am very much looking forward to returning to the States for a little while. It has been 5.5 months since I've been home, and it will be great to see all the familiar places, faces, and also to be able to communicate without any difficulty. In particular, I'm curious to see what my nephew looks like now, he was a tiny thing when I left, and now he is a lot different from what they have told me - he has a distinct personality and doesn't only cry all the time. I want to make the most of my time there, but at the same time I don't want to be rushing around for 10 days. Some R&R is in order.