Boo!! Wrong Holiday Right??

Well I have succeeded in making my mother cry while jumping out of a giant Christmas present! Merry Christmas!! Here I am back home in good old Holdingford! How does it feel?? Umm cold!!
I am so happy to be home for the holidays. I am so happy that my husband was ok with this. of course I will miss him, but this is only a one month separation and since its during the holidays, the time will go by in the blink of an eye or two!
I also brought Zoe and she is having fun smelling all the new smells and she also loves the snow, is scared of my old poodlemutt and loves to chase the black lab! She did really good on the trip and is happy to see me, but doesn't understand that Ro is not here. Ro talked to her on a video chat this morning and Zoe ran around the house trying to find him!
I am just writing a quick update, but come back for the video of me in a box!!

2008 In the Life of Me of Course

January 2008: I worked my butt off 5 nights a week. I had little time to hang out with friends. I left MN on the 14th, landed here in Chile on the 15th. I thought I was going to die from the heat. We partied and enjoyed Ro's summer vacation. The 21st Ro and I celebrated one year together.
February: We spent most of the time at the beach. We went to Pichilemu which I liked and disliked. The water was freezing and that black sand gets into everything!!
March: We came back to the beach and started the serious part of finding a job for me. I started working at WEUSA at the end of March.
April: I was working full time at WEUSA as the head interviewer in Chile. At this point the job was boring and I had a lot of down time!!
May: Work started picking up. I moved most definitely into the second stage of culture shock and began to hate everything about Chile.
June: I found out that I was going to the US for a vacation in July!! I celebrated my "summer" birthday in the winter with a good ol Chilean asado! Zoe joined our family! Cute little Yorkshire terrier!
July: Work was really busy. The first job fair was coming up and I had interviews like crazy! I went home on the 17th of July and came back on the 29th. I went to Appleriver with Madge for her 21st! Had a great time of course!
August: Back to work. I couldn't take the cold heatless life so I bought a heating blanket. Quite sad that that makes the list of my year huh?
September: I married Rodrigo on the 2nd! We spent the day with his family it was great! Work didn't get as busy for the second job fair. We went to the beach to celebrate the Chilean Independence Day and partied for almost the whole break!
October: My last month at WEUSA at the end I go a little sloppy stayed up late almost everynight and went to work tired as a dog.
November: I was a lazy ass and slept as much as I could. I also learned a few new techniques for crochetting and made Zoe a few sweaters for her future trip to the US. Ro and I also started to plan some minor things for our trip to the US which keeps getting farther and farther away from now.
December: A month full of surprises! The worst of them was that we can't get a visa. Oh, well now. Rodrigo's business is expanding A LOT! To include a giant printer! There are many new possibilities opening up for Agencia UP! I am ready for Christmas and all the festivities! Except the presents...still working on that!

I hope my uneventful life is interesting to you all!! Peace and Happy Holidays!

WHAT?!?!

:D My first Xmas present has arrived!!!! Thanks Seglers, Bergers and Grandma B!!!!
It may be a bit early to open presents, but can you blame me??
Would you seriously be able to set down a package from over 6,000 miles away and wait 3 weeks to open it??? If you really can, good for you. I can't!! By the way I'm drinking the Cherry Kool Aid right now!! mmmmmmmm!!
Rodrigo and I really want to thank you guys for everything!! We loved the gifts! It is really nice to have a treat right now!!! So thank you!!!
Love Shannon and Rodrigo

How I Feel

It is the third day of December, we have ummmmm 21 days til Christmas Eve and me, I feel like the Christmas in July Special on abcFamily. I suppose I should really get my ass moving, presents to buy.....bla.....packages to send.....bla. Can you tell that I am not in the mood for Christmas??
Zoe :D is ready so here are some pics cuz its been awhile!! Enjoy!!

This is Zoe in her Gangster outfit hahah not Christmasy, but I love it!!


This is Zoe's Santa outfit!! I made it myself!! Isn't it UGLY!?!? hahahah


Maybe she doesn't feel like Christmas yet either, that or she hates the hat!


Merry Christmas!?!


I think she prefers her rawhide bone to the Santa outfit. Oh well!

My Thanksgiving

Thursday was Thanksgiving, DUH! But to me it just felt like a normal regular old day. For me Thanksgiving is the start of the holidays. It starts everything. Without the whole giant family meal, I am still sitting here in Chile without the tiniest feeling that Christmas is coming. On Thanksgiving Day Rodrigo and I didn't really do that much, but that night he took me to Applebees because I was really craving some buffalo wings! We decided to eat and not worry about the bill. It was nice, we shared an order of buffalo wings (which later Rodrigo was describing it to his mom, I had to cut in laughing and tell him that it really isn't buffalo, its chicken hahaaha) and I enjoyed a Long Island Iced Tea, mmmmm!! Ro had a bacon cheeseburger and fries and I had the crispy orange chicken, I'm pretty sure in the US its called the orange chicken bowl, but I'm not sure on that. It was really nice. We had a really nice time. It has been a long time since we have gone out and had a nice peaceful time just the two of us! In all we spent 25,000 pesos, about $50. I don't care. But that wasn't enough to get me in the Christmas spirit. I finished a Santa outfit for Zoe today, I surprise myself it turned out great for being a beginner at crocheting and for not following a pattern at all!! She hates the hat and the sweater is a bit warm for Chile Xmas weather, but it will be useful for next Christmas and she really only needs to wear it for a few minutes while we get out first family Christmas cards made!! I am excited!! I will post some pics later of just Zoe in her outfit, she pretty much hates the Santa hat and I took about 15 pics and only one is actually kind of good!
Tomorrow we are having a mini Thanksgiving dinner here at our house. I am kind of excited! Actually I get to cook so I'm a lot excited!! We are going to have chicken instead of turkey because theres not enough of us to eat an entire turkey! I am also going to make an apple pie and maybe buy a thing of vanilla ice cream to go with that. I'm going to make scalloped corn too. It's going to be a small meal, but I think it will be a lot of fun. Jessica and D are coming and Pancho and Romy are also coming! I am excited that it worked out in the end! I should really hit the hay because I have lots of fun stuff to do tomorrow! Grocery shopping, cooking!! and everything else!!!

Finding Peace

The long road that Rodrigo and I have been looking for is harder to find than originally thought. The process for the direct consular filing will not happen, it cannot happen. Everything you find online will not tell you everything you need. Now a new search will begin.
In the beginning I thought that love was strong enough to make everything happen, well love is strong, love may be the strongest thing there is in this life, but it cannot make miracles that you want to happen.
So now I look where I should have looked in the beginning. The answer will come with time. I have learned that patience is something that I don't have. Something that I need to learn to have in life in order for things to happen the way they need to.
My goal is to be in the US with my husband when we walk down the aisle on August 8th, 2009 in the church I have been going to since I was a little girl.
Now, I will look at every other option that we have. There has to be something we can do. I just have to be patient and find it first.
Peace

Update: We Finally Made it to the US Embassy BUT FUCK IT ALL!

UPDATE



SCRATCH EVERYTHING THAT I WROTE PLEASE AND WHAT I SAID ABOUT THE FUCKING SUBSTITUTES IN CHILE, THEY CAN ALL FUCKING DIE AND GO TO HELL. OUR THING WASN'T RIGHT AND I BLAME THAT ON THE FUCKING EXTRANJERIA BECAUSE I FILED FOR A PERMENENT RESIDENCE VISA NOT A FUCKING TEMP VISA. SOOO NOW I HAVE TO FUCKING REAPPLY AND HOPE THE PEOPLE IN THE EXTRANJERIA GET THERE FUCKING HEADS OUT OF THEIR FUCKING ASSES AND DO THIS SHIT THE WAY I FUCKING ASKED IT IN THE FIRST PLACE SO I MIGHT AS WELL CONSIDER ALL THIS SHIT RIGHT BACK AT FUCKING SQUARE ONE! IF I MAKE IT TO MY OWN FUCKING WEDDING I WILL BE LUCKY. FUCK CHILE AND ALL ITS FUCKING "GOVERNMENT ""OFFICIALS"" OFFICIALS MY FUCKING ASS!


All right so since I haven't yet said anything on this topic I will go ahead and tell you that YESS we FINALLLLLY went to the Embassy! Meaning?? Well let's start at the very beginning! Since I haven't worked there in almost a month I don't blame myself for forgetting that Friday November 21st is the day that almost every single student going to the US with a J-1 Visa for the summer was also going to the US Embassy...stupid me! So we went and as soon as we got there there was a crowd of people, inside and outside. But of course like always I shine out my US passport and for some reason they let me in right away, take my electronics, and give me a little plastic 1. I looked at it and thought 1?? NO way! I am first then the man that handed it to me told me I was the only one going to the window for those services, so go right up to the window... NICE!! So we went to the window only to find out that both of the people that take care of that visa were out sick. Umm No sir I don't want to come back on Monday I want to take care of this NOW!! So they brought in a substitute. I talked to her filled out some papers with Ro and paid the $355 fee for the application of the visa. Now I just have to hope that this "substitute" really knew what she was doing. They gave us a packet of papers and we have to wait for a call or an email saying that the application was accepted before we can start the rest of the process. According to the papers a doctor visit is next. A $140 doctor visit and he can only go to one of the only 2 choices there are. I am now seriously in the waiting game and hoping that everything goes how I want it to! So wish me, or I should say us luck!! I will update when I hear what is next!!

About That

I was so ready to write a post about how it sort of just skipped over spring and is super warm here in Santiago, but here I sit in warm fuzzy pj pants and a sweatshirt!! The last few days it has been so hot here! I think this room where I spend most of my life is horrible! The sun beating on the tin roof must be why it gets so hot! Rodrigo and I share a small bed, here its called a 1 and a half plaza bed, but seriously its like an inch wider than a twin bed!! So with this heat, it is very uncomfortable to sleep at night and during the day it is too hot to sleep! So I haven't been getting a lot of sleep! But I have been getting sooo tired that I will randomly fall asleep for hours at a time.
The weather here makes me think of all the delicious summery food that we eat in the US during the summer time. It also makes me wonder, why don't they eat colder food here? In MN we always had bbqs with burgers and brats then lots of different cold salads. Fruit salad, Snickers salad, potato salad, ten or so different bow tie noodle salads, and fresh veggies and dip, watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, grapes!!, they are so refreshing in the heat! But here in Santiago, Rodrigo's mom makes the same things year round, piping hot plates of mashed potatoes, chorkican however that is spelled, soups, soups and more soups! I can't take it! The first day I got here in January, I couldn't even finish my food because 1, it was way too hot in the house and 2, it was too hot of food for me! My face turned bright red and I thought I was going to pass out! When I asked Rodrigo about this he told me that it is always like that. They always eat hot food, year round! Well, he was wrong, one day out of this entire year, Rodrigo's mom made stuffed tomatoes. One day. Another Chilean friend explained this to me by telling me that we can't eat any vegetables raw. When I asked why?, she said because they are bad for you. I told her that I am not dead yet and I have been eating raw veggies since I could chew! And if they are so bad, why can you eat tomatoes, lettuce, and palta raw?? Do they not grow in the same dirt with the same "bad water"?! She then tried to tell me that the vegetables in the US must be safer. I am pretty sure that A LOT of the veggies that we get in the US are from.....CHILE so how can the ones we get be safe and the ones that stay here be "dangerous" if they are from the SAME place! I also once asked why when they cook the veggies they cook them to nothing more than a flavorless lump of mash? Well, do you really want to know the answer to that one? That's how you know they are safe. Ha! Safe!? That's how you know you just boiled all the nutrients out of them and their only purpose now is to tell you that you are a good girl, you are eating your vegetables, you will live a long and healthy life.
Well, I'm tired, its nice and cool here and I have the bed to myself, I am going for a quick little nap before my husband gets home!

Ramdom this and that update!

First I would like to start off with a little bit of this weeks group post, my story is not that complicated. Rodrigo and I speak in English almost all the time. The times where that doesn't happen is when Ro is sleeping and wakes up to tell me something. Then he will usually speak in Spanish then repeat in English. Our dog on the other hand Rodrigo speaks to in both Spanish and English and mostly everything comes out Spanglish. One day I hope we will be able to communicate in both languages. We both get really impatient when speaking Spanish that right now we are just speaking English.

Second! A comparison! Valley Fair compared to Fantasilandia. I went to Fantasilandia today, and yeah ok it was fun, but shit! I went on like 6 or 7 rides and waited in line the rest of the time. I was disappointed though, I thought there would be at least one real roller coaster! but nope! They had something that looked amazing but sadly it won't be finished until January! Now for those who don't know, Valley Fair is in Minnesota and I have to say that I enjoy it a lot! I would like to compare The Extreme Fall here to the Power Tower in MN. Extreme Fall, go to the top don't wait, just drop before your heart and stomach are in your mouth, stop abruptly. About one second of a fall. BORING! Power Tower! This would be the red tower. Go to the top, sit there, sit there, start panicking because you don't know when it's going to fall! Start talking to your friend while admiring the view. Suddenly drop mid sentence and make a grunting noise when being cut off from talking. Fall fall fall. By this time you can't breath, laugh, scream in my case. Come back up a bit and bounce sort of up and down and land gradually. About 5 second or so of a fall! FUNNN!!!

Third!! I have received a paper in the mail telling me to go to the extranjeria to get my visa put into my passport!!! :D :D :D :D :D :D!!!!!!!! If you don't remember in a previous post I said they said it would take about 3 months before I got this paper. And I was looking at January 10th! And it came here on November 8th!!! Which means I may be in MN with the man in February!!! A little happy?? UMMMM YESSSSS!!! We are going to the extranjeria on Monday then hopefully getting ALL paperwork and then going to the US Embassy to file my petition for the spouse visa into the United States for my hubby! This process says that it takes about 2 months so I am going to count on it taking the full 2 months! If it is accepted we will set up an interview at the Embassy then off to that and if he gets the visa off to the States!! Am I a little happy???? UMMM YES!!!!

ZOE!!

Here are a bunch of pics of Zoe including our trip to the beach and the before and after of her first haircut!!
1. Zoe not running away from the wave fast enough!
2. Zoe before the haircut with her hair in a little pony!
3. Just being cute!
4. Having a snack...yes for some reason she loves toilet paper!
5. Looking cool!
6. After her haircut. Yes you can laugh, yes she looks ridiculous and yes I almost cried when I saw what they did to her! Take a little off all over apparently means shave her entirely....
7. This is a flashback so you can see how she has grown!!

Elections on BBC

Sadly I wasn't able to go to the Basic Bar on election day, but at least BBC had election info. About BBC, I have never in my life seen such shitty bullshit as I did on BBC on election night! The reporters and interviewers were HORRIBLE! I mean absolutely rude! They didn't just talk to people, they mostly tried to pick fights ALL night long! The interviewers were not informed in any of the issues they were talking about and asking about!! One guy was in a Republican party when it was clear that Obama was to be the next president. He talked to a man there and didn't know about the things he was asking about and he was being really rude asking so much about what they are going to do now that they lost and how he felt that they lost when they didn't even lose yet! No I am not a republican and yes I am glad that Obama won, but it really is uncalled for to be asking things like that when the counting wasn't over yet and final speeches weren't given yet. Then the host of the show kept asking things too that you just don't ask. He was asking the Americans that were there on the show about Jesse Jackson. Ok, fine ask about him, but don't try to make it look like he was mad because HE wasn't the first black president! This same host also had a video call with this author I can't remember his last name, but I'm pretty sure his first name was Vidal. This man was old old probably late 80s or so and this host who I really wish I would have gotten HIS name!!! Anyways, the host kept asking questions to the man and then turning what he said around the man of course was not stupid and let the host have it! He told the host that he has no idea who he is, but he knows that all that man ever does is try to get people that aren't informed in what he is asking about so that he can try to humiliate them. The host pretty much had to swallow his tongue. All the Americans in the studio with him were just laughing at him. I don't think he learned though! He also asked the Americans what the people in the Middle East are going to do when they wake up and find out that a man named Barack Hussein Obama is now the president of the United States. Umm well he's an American through and through! American blood runs through his veins! His name does not make him a terrorist! I am pretty sure that I will NEVER watch any news on BBC its bullshit!
On another note!! YES WE CAN!!! I am very happy that this new change has come to the wonderful US of A!!! I understand completely that we have a rough and hard climb to get out of this crater that Bush created and I am willing to fight for it too. I know that Barack can't just wave a stick and divide the Red Sea to bring us to the promised land, it will be hard and it won't be and overnight thing. For all of those I have on Facebook threatening to move out of the country because we are "doomed" go ahead! I don't think they really understand that Obama is also what other countries wanted for the US. Ok thats all I have to say about that! Peace!

TOMORROW'S my LAST day of WORK!!!

I am so excited to be done working!!
Tomorrow is my last day here!! Then I have a break! For how long I don't know yet, I guess it depends on Rodrigo and his job/s. Zoe is going to Minnesota either the end of December or early January and she will be staying there until Ro and I get there. I am going to be sooo sad! I'm pretty sure I will miss her like crazy! My family will have fun with her I know that.
MMM What else?? Well I picked out the wedding dress that I LOVE!!!! Check it out here. It is amazing! Now I guess I just have to wait til I can get to the US to try it on and get it fitted!! I hope it looks as good on me as it does on the scrawny model...probably won't, but oh well.

I guess that's all I have to say today.

What do I even have to write about??

My life, well, it's boring.
This is my last week of work and since Friday is a holiday, I just have 3 days left after today!! Thank God, people here really make me want to strangle myself! Seriously! YAH!!! I am super excited to just take a break and relax. I haven't decided yet if I am going to look for another job right away, or wait a little bit. I'm just not that worried about it. Yes, I probably should be, but why?? I have money to last me for now so why work??
Recently I have been doing nothing. No partying, no going out, really nothing. But I have been able to talk to old friends and family that I haven't talked to in a long time so that has been really nice.
I just don't have anything new to really talk about. Zoe is getting a haircut this week, just what you wanted to know right??
Rodrigo went to vote yesterday and they have to put their thumb print on it. Why? I can't even think of a reason why! Does someone honestly go through every single ballot and see that the thumb print is really of the person that voted?? I think its a waste and then everyone has to walk around with a blue thumb because of course it doesn't wash off right away.
News from MN?? Let's see, Lynn has an appointment on the 3rd to see what her baby is. Carl got ANOTHER deer and is going on a hunt at Camp Ripley today. I'm jealous, there really is nothing like fresh venison. Or Grandma's pickled deer heart. Mmmmm!!
Umm it snowed, but nothing stayed on the ground. That really sucks because I love snowmen! And fresh snow looks so pretty!!
Ryan bought some Guitar Hero something around world something that is almost like Rock Band, but better I guess. I can't wait to try it, I loved the Rock Band game so if this is better than that then SWEET!!
I made meatloaf the other day and the house smelled so good AND Rodrigo actually liked it. Good thing too hahah. Zoe liked it too. Then again Zoe likes anything that we are eating, at least she pretends to. I kind of want to make cookies or something, but I haven't decided what. Maybe I can make some sugar cookies. Too bad I left my box of 300 cookie cutters in MN. I probably have a pumpkin, a bat and a witch so I can make cut out cookies and pass time by decorating them! Oh well. I'll have to bring the good cutters the next time I come!
I'm so in the mood for a good Halloween party! Nothing like dressing up in costumes and having a party in a barn filled with hay! I suppose all I really want are all the Reeses peanut butter cups out of the bowl full of candy. Maybe a few Snickers too.
I can't believe October is almost over already! Time is really flying! But of course it will slow down again real soon. Anytime you are looking forward to something it just slows down time. November, I suppose I can't wait to see who will be the next president of the United States. Of course I will miss Thanksgiving. All the roasted animals!! And pumpkin pie. Mostly the whole family gathering I will miss like crazy!
Well, anyways. I ran out of thoughts.

Well, I guess I am ready to buy my new ticket.

Since I have to buy a new ticket, which in a way kind of makes me happy because Rodrigo and I get to travel together!! Before, he was going with spirit air and I was still on for my LAN Chile flight, but now we get to go together!! I am very excited!! We are planning on taking a bus from here to Peru with a stop at Machu Pichu one of Ro's dreams. Although I love history and I have never really been in a place that old! From Lima, we will be flying to Chicago. We haven't decided what to do from there because I have enough Skymiles for a free ticket from Delta, but just for one free ticket. The bus from Chicago to St. Cloud only costs $48 each so we will probably do that. We are still unsure about the dates, but with the buses, we don't need too much of an advance, but if we get our tickets from Greyhound seven days in advance, we will save some money. So we are going to give a guess date and if we end up changing the date we will have to do that. Of course this is like a 3-4 day journey, but I think it will be fun for us to just relax and travel. Maybe we can even stay in Chicago for a night and hang out there. Overall, I hope it will be alright with Zoe, my biggest worry at the moment. I just hope everything with my visa runs smoothly and we can get the heck out of here sooner rather than later. I know by April I will be panicking about time and trying to get everything done for the wedding. We won't be in the US til the end of April so pretty much we have May, June, July and the first week of August!! For a typical wedding, this probably wouldn't be a problem, but for us, we have to coordinate everyone's flights, where they are staying, who's picking them up and how we are going to get them everywhere! Then we will have the final fittings for Romina and Rocio, my two Chilean bridesmaids as well as everything for the tuxes for the FIL, three Chilean groomsmen, and one Chilean usher. I feel like it is too early to start worrying about such things now, but it is so exciting I have a hard time locking all this in a box in my mind!


I would like to add this: Ro and I were going home yesterday, he came to pick me up at work and we were in the subway, we pretty much ran to get into the last doors before they closed, well so did a man and woman behind us. We made it in, the woman made, but the guy got pinched in the doors. So this happens all the time, what I thought was extremely hilarious was that the woman almost started crying because she didn't have enough space to stand and hold one of them poles where she wanted to. Like she should get to hold it right where it feels right to her when there are already 15 hands holding on. Of course when she did that little if I slide my hand close enough to that girl's hand she'll move. Well, I am the wrong girl to pick for hat lady! You can make faces at me and try and push my hand out of the way as much as you want, I am not moving for you. The man started yelling at some boys and telling them it was their fault that he got pinched in the doors. Well, the boys were sitting on the floor, but even if they weren't, the lady still didn't have room to hold onto the pole, and the man still would have been pinched by the door. They were the kind of people that stick there noses in the air while saying "look at me, look at me, get out of my way, I am the fucking shit!" Assholes.

Fine Print.....new advice from Shannon! READ IT!!!

So, apparently Lan Chile has this policy where your trip cannot be longer than a year....good to know. I have to leave the country on January 14th. The latest I can leave. I am thankful that they don't have some stupid 120 day trip maximum like some places, but seriously what gives?? Why does the airline get to decide how long I can be gone before I want to come back?? Grrrr!

F**k it ALL (Adult eyes ONLY!)

I will take back what I said about going to the Embassy. I sent an email asking about it just to make sure, and I guess my paper that says I'm waiting for my real visa isn't good enough. EVEN though it says on it, you can do everything that a permanent Chilean resident can. Obviously I can't!! Because a permanent Chilean resident CAN go to the Embassy and it WILL work for them!! Fucking shit! Now I have to wait at the longest until January 6th before my fucking "real visa" comes!! THEN I have to bring the application for the visa to the Embassy and wait 2 months!!! AFTER that, we have to wait ONE month for our fucking interview and then two weeks after that for the visa to be put into Ro's passport! Raise you hand if you know when I will be home!!! Guess everyone, take a big fat fucking guess!!! April 20th, 2009 and that is an estimate using the longest time it will take to get my residence visa here and the shortest time it will take for the application process. I am never going to get home! Ever! Everything has to be a big long drawn out fucking process! I am a citizen of the United States of America! I have the right to marry whoever I want to! Why can't I get my husband into my country without all of this bullshit!?!? NOW, I will be lucky to be home before my niece/nephew is born! I won't even get to see Lynn waddle around like a duck what a rip off!!! There goes my ONE happy fantastic ENTIRE YEAR in the US before I have to come back to this fucking Chilean HELL hole for 2 ENTIRE YEARS! I am trapped, I have never ever been trapped in my life and now I am and it fucking sucks!!

Finally!!!

Yesterday I got home to a nice big brown envelope addressed to ME!!! I'm always excited to get mail but this mail I have been waiting for! I have the papers for my temporary visa!! I am going to the Embassy hopefully of Friday to see now what I have to do for Rodrigo to get his visa!!! 1 step down, probably a million and a half to go! But I am happy things should go faster from here on out!!

I am pretty sure my next step is supposed to be filling out the application for the visa, but I have that done already. I just need a few more papers from the US and I think I am good to go. Ro will have a medical exam and we have to get all of his papers translated then we can schedule our interview. I can't wait to go home!!!

Group Blog: Hardest Custom to Adjust To

I voted for this topic. I have written and deleted what I have written 3 times now because everything sounds stupid to me. Or maybe I can´t think of only one thing that I had a hard time adjusting to. So I am going to do what I do best, make a list!

1. Let´s see, where to start. I would have to say that one of the customs here in Chile that is still hard for me is the whole family thing. It drives me insane how everyone has to know what everyone is doing and why they are doing it ALL the time. I have been living with Rodrigo´s mom, dad, and little sister since January. Ro and I have our own room which at times I like to think that it is our space, until I get home from work on random days and see that someone went in there and straightened out the closet, washed clothes of mine that weren't even dirty yet, and made the bed. I also enjoy getting together with family, EVERY SINGLE SUNDAY!!! EVERY SINGLE ONE!! When we arrive at Rodrigo's grandma's house for lunch, his aunt comes running out like she hasn't seen us in years and yells "tanto tiempo!" like a week is really that long, like we really need to see her more often! In the US, I saw random members of my family every once in awhile and we were all cool with that. Even when I went home in July after being here in Chile for 6 months, my aunts didn't come out running and yelling "its been so long!" And I thank them for that, thank you for not making me feel guilty for not seeing you at all in the past 6 months. The fact that his entire family needs to know of our comings and goings just drives me insane! Leave us alone!!

2. People always always staring at me. That is something I don't think I will ever be able to get used to. It really bothers me once I notice someone staring I can't just ignore it! I am blond I have green eyes, fine if you want to look at me, but you don't need to stare, I am not going to disappear!

3. Being barefoot is one of my favorite things. Here it is some kind of sin. I love to just let my feet breathe, but here if you don't have slippers on, you will get sick and die. If I walk to the bathroom and back with just socks on, Ro's mom does this sssss sound while sucking in air it drives me insane so I keep my slippers on.

4. Party hour!! In the US, usually you get ready and leave by 9pm. I am not 21 so it's not like I have to get out early so I can be at the bar as long as possible, it is just the way we do things. We, my friends and classmates, usually had to work in the morning so we couldn't stay up til the butt crack of dawn. When I first got here and Ro said hey, we are going out tonight, I started getting ready and was ready by 9:30 and he asked me why I got ready so early. Well, by the time we were supposed to leave I was almost asleep and needed to get rum into me before I really did fall asleep. I am used to it now, but in the beginning it was hard to stay up ALL night partying.

5. Being paid by the month, not the hour. I hate it. I hate it more than anything! I calculate this sort of stuff out just to see what I make an hour. When I first started working I couldn't believe it! I work 176 hours a week. With that, I get paid 1,700 pesos an hour. About 3 bucks!! That was when the dollar was closer to 500 pesos. Now its like $2.75 an hour!! CRIPES!!

6. This will be my last one, it's two combined and it´ll be a bit on the dirty side! Flushing toilet paper after you go to the bathroom is something I was taught when I was 2 maybe 3 years old. It took me forever to remember that I can't flush paper! It grosses me out too! Tampons! The luxury of the US! I never ever in my mind at all thought to ask Ro about this before I came here. Not on something I ever dreamed of asking. I packed a small box thinking oh, they will just take up space and I'm sure I can buy them in Chile. Well, yes, you can buy tampons in Chile. They have about three or so varieties and come in boxes of 8 or 10 and they cost as much as the 20 pack in the US!! Of course my MIL and SIL wonder why in the world I use them all the time, every time and still can't believe that you can buy a box of 100 in the US! Here they are used for special occasions like going to the beach. Now I come prepared. I pack the 100 box along and when I went home, I brought back another box so I wouldn't have to waste my money here on tampons. I am used to all my personal and private things also being shared with the MIL and SIL. Nothing can be kept private. Ro will tell them I have cramps and I don't want to eat. Then his mother will bring in some pills or whatever she thinks I need. THAT'S PERSONAL thank you!!

With the price of the dollar what it is, it's NOT worth it!!

I recently calculated that I am being paid equivalent to $491 this month. Nothing near what I was told that I was going to get paid. I find it absolutely not worth it whatsoever to be working here anymore. Thank God I am finished working the 30th of October. I won't even think about working longer here. The bullshit I have to put up with is worth at least $200 more a month! I have gone all week without a program that I NEED, like need to the point I can't do my job without it, and now it is Friday, and do I have that program?? NO! Will I have it at all today?? NOPE! Will I have it on Monday?? "Maybe" Isn't "MAYBE" just wonderful in Chile?? I am sure that "MAYBE" is just a way of saying no that makes life easier for the one saying it. Of course the computer guy will come and be on my computer for hours. I will walk by my office occasionally and see him leaning back on my office chair with his hands behind his head, talking or texting on his cell phone, or just be sitting there with a stupid I-don't-know-what-I-am-doing face. Wonderful. Wonderful. Wonderful.

On another note, Rodrigo went to work last night and got sent home because they didn't have a uniform for him. How freaking organized that place is! How can they not have a uniform for him? They just opened, do they not know how many people they have working for them??? Oh well, he scared the crap out of me when he came home at 12:30, but in the end I got to sleep with him for one more night :o) Hopefully everything at his job runs smoothly tonight for his first night of work. He said the place was crowded with people last night, I would think that it will be more crowded tonight since its Friday!!!

I´m lonely!!

Ro is off to his first day, or I should say night of work. I hope he does ok I had a hard time adjusting when I had to work overnights, but I hope he does better than I did. I can´t believe he has to work 10 hours!! He has to be there 11! ALL night! But, the casino is a good place for him, I hope he enjoys it because it will be a shitty 3 months or so if he doesn't. As for me, I am freaking lonely! I don´t even know what to do with myself! I guess I could go to bed early, but its a little too early and since I slept most of the day, I know I won´t be able to sleep. Anyways, I guess I will read. Or watch Two and a Half Men. Zoe will drive me insane tonight I know that. Ro always rescues me from her kisses and cuddles right in my face when I am trying to sleep so now I guess I will have to fend for myself, but hopefully since she and I get the bed to ourselves she will stay in her space!

Christmas Trees??

So, I went to Lider last night and THEY HAD CHRISTMAS TREES UP!!! ALREADY!! Someone please tell me that the US does not put up Christmas stuff until November!! I am NOT ready at all to think of Christmas. To think of spending Christmas here. Rodrigo works the night of Christmas day, like I did last year, only difference was he was there to spend Xmas with me. So I will most likely be lonely sitting around wishing those clay animation movies were on while my honey gets some sleep before his 10 hour overnight shift. Christmas without snow can't be good. And Christmas without watching Rudolph, Frosty, and The Elf can't be good either!! Ugh. Christmas trees in the first week of October...soon they'll just keep the Xmas stuff up year round!

October....

Bored. Bored. Bored. I have a lot of stuff to do, but it is quite difficult to do any of it when I don't have what I need on my computer to do it!
SO, I am reading a book online, which I am kind of bored of since I have been reading nonstop since yesterday, and its not as addicting as Twilight, which I have now read for the second time. I can't wait for the movie to be in theaters, maybe I will get lucky and they will have it in English somewhere here in Chile. I hope.
Ahhh...what a boring boring day.....

Zoe!!!

Well, here are some new pictures of our little Zoe! Who by the way is getting bath today!!! Hopefully we will get her a haircut very soon!! The first picture is my favorite! She looks ridiculous!! The second picture you can see the reason for her crabby I want to bite everything attitude! Look close at her teeth, you can see her baby teeth in there, but the big ones are working on shoving those teeth out! The third is her passed out on a rug, she loves sleeping on rugs or any sort of material on the ground...the edge of a blanket hanging off the bed, dirty clothes, and the rug of her choice! The fourth and fifth pics look exactly the same. They aren't the same pic though. The sixth is her snarling with her tongue out, the seventh her just snarling, and the eighth would be "attack mode" Cute little thing!!

It has been easy so far, but that can change.

Well, Rodrigo starts work this week. The real start. The casino opens on Wednesday and Rodrigo works Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 9pm to 8am, 10 hours overnight with a one hour break. I am glad that he is working now, but at the same time what the heck am I gonna do?? He will want to sleep all weekend, he says he won't, but I have worked overnight, I know how it works! The other part that sucks is I won't see him from Thursday morning when I leave for work until Saturday morning! Yes, that is a long time!! Ok, so I spent 3 months without him, but that was different, for one I was not his wife at the time! This will be happening EVERY week. :( Then of course I have a feeling that he will want to sleep on Saturday so I will be very lonely and probably run out of things to do to keep myself busy so that he can rest. I don't want to sleep without him 3 nights a week! That's not going to be fun at all! Zoe will try to cuddle up to me like she does to RO, which he does not mind at all and I mind VERY VERY much! I do not like to breathe in puppy hair all night!! I will go insane! I just really hope he doesn't get so tired that he gives up on this job.

As far as the visa stuff, we are still waiting for a receipt saying that they received my application for a temporary visa. If I don't get it by Thursday, I think I will ask Rodrigo to call them on Friday just to get things going along. I might make him call every Friday, I guess when you keep calling they just want to get your stuff done so they don't have to talk to you anymore. That's what I have heard anyways.

This weekend we took some really effin funny pictures of Zoe and I wish I had them to put on here. Maybe tomorrow. She had this smile on her face, but when we tried to take the pics she looked ridiculous!!! She is now 6 months old!! SO that means she can have a bath and a haircut!! I can't wait! Her hair is getting to shaggy in some spots. I will let the front of her head grow because she looks cute with a bow or butterfly in her hair! But, the rest of it needs to be trimmed, I think she will get to hot in the summer if we don't trim her hair. I can't believe how big she is compared to how she was when we first got her in June. I should have taken a picture of something with her when she was a pup to compare it to now!! Oh well.

In the words of Palin, the debate was "a heck of a lotta" fun!!

Last night was a very nice night! I met Rodrigo in the subway and then went to another station to meet Jessica. We went to the Basic Bar which was full of lively gringos! I had never been to the basic bar, it was great! I had a nice big burger and some really really good fries! Rodrigo helped me out with both!! The debate...well, I have to say that Palin has a nice way of talking about her experience in Alaska. So nice of a way that she pretty much just danced around the questions. I think the Biden is a very good speaker and did a very good job. I tried to pay as much attention as I could to the debate, but I was so distracted by the number of gringos in the place! After the debate, I had a nice talk with Isabel and her mom (she was adorable!) and of course Sara, a fellow Minnesotan. I finally got to meet the people I have been in contact with through this blog. We exchanged numbers and will have to get together often in the future! Rodrigo had a good time too! We decided this was going to be a NON worry about money night. It was nice to just have fun and not worry about how much we were spending. Though in the end, I was shocked to see that we spent about $40. $32 on my burger, 3 Coronas, a jag bomb, and a jack and coke. The rest we spent on the cab ride home. I really liked that bar, I just might have to go there again!! I don't think there was anything disappointing about the bar at all. I had a second of questioning to myself and Rodrigo when they brought me a can of Red Bull, a shot of Jag and an empty glass. Not quite the kind of jag bomb I was expecting. Not that I should know what a Jag bomb is because I am not legal in the US and of course I would never ever ever drink at a bar in the middle of hick filled Pierz even if they let me in.....:o)
Hopefully the weekend is super fun, I made plans to go out to coffee with Sara on Sunday, so that should be fun!!!
I guess I'll send a big good luck out to my brothers who will play their Homecoming football game tonight. And really good luck..Pierz...hahha!

Waiting...is very boring!

The first thing that Rodrigo and I are waiting for is a mailed receipt telling us that they have my temporary visa request. I guess after that is the real long wait.
SO what to do to entertain myself while I am waiting??
First, I am reading. Anne of Green Gables, the whole series. I never ever finished it, but it's nice to go back to something I used to read a long time ago. I would read the Little House on the Prairie, but I think Anne is a bit more interesting to a 20 year old and I read the Little House series at least 10 times. If you are thinking that I have the lamest habits, I won't disagree with you! I am a nerd, I can't help it.
Second, I am putting together a 2000 piece puzzle and to make it challenging, not that a 2000 piece puzzle of Van Gogh's Starry Night isn't hard enough! I have to keep the puzzle in the box while I put it together because it is HUGE and takes up more than half the dining room table. SO when I am home alone i dump out the pieces put together what I can, stick the put together part in the box and the left over pieces in a bag til next time. Of course you think this is also stupid, how am I supposed to ever finish the puzzle?? Well, the family leaves for the beach in December and that leaves Ro, his dad, Zoe and me in the house. SO therefore I can use the table because there only needs to be 2 spots open for Ro and I to eat.
Third, I am working on a few things. First I am trying to stay at this job and do interviews online by a Skype call. Still waiting for the results of that. I am also trying to get a job with elearning where I will be giving English classes to people in Spain via Skype. Both of which I will be able to do while in the US. It'll be nice to have the $1000 or so a month put into a Chilean bank account for Ro and I to come back to after a year :o) Which makes me think we will be stable enough that there could possibly be a cute bundle of joy in the near future, or should I say bundles! I think Zoe can have up to 4 pups in her first litter. That should give me something to do!! Taking care of one Yorkie is a challenge adding 4 new ones ought to be a challenge! I just hope that with the profits of that Ro and I will be able to have a bundle of joy of our own, of the human species!
Fourth, I love to dream. Haha I think I go to dell.com everyday just to pick out what computer I want for the day. Since both of my jobs require internet and a computer, I will be able to or should I say we will be able to purchase my very first laptop/computer ever!! Yes, what kind of world is this where a 20 year old American has never had a computer? Haahaha. Anyways, my current choice is a Spring Green 15.4 inch Dell Studio laptop. I can't wait til I can actually buy it though!!
And lastly, to keep myself from being bored I look for tickets. From random different locations to other randoms. I have almost everything planned out for when I can finally put Rodrigo's tickets on my Amex card! The first part of the trip, which we haven't figured out the details yet, is from Santiago to Lima, Peru. Possibly a bus. Lots of hours! With advice from Lydia, thanks!! I looked into a flight from Lima to Chicago for dirt cheap!! Check out Spirit Airlines!! And for the last leg of his journey I thank myself for signing up for an American Express Delta Skymiles Gold card. Yes, after 2 years I can use my miles for something good! I have about 29,000 skymiles, not much, but all you need for a flight from Chicago to Minneapolis is 25,000! SO I guess I will use it now! SO free ticket, cheap ticket, and an unknown part of the journey! So far the total is about $500! I am amazed with myself. My mom raised me a good bargain hunter!! Thanks mom!
And of course, Rodrigo and I have decided that we will use the Amex card for EVERY purchase we make while we are in the US and pay it off every month. We get 2 skymiles for every dollar we spend on gas. With gas where it is imagine the miles we will rack up in one year!!! :o)
So, for now I am keeping myself busy, Rodrigo too, and Zoe who is working on getting her last four big doggy teeth in and losing her last puppy teeth so we are all working hard! Tonight we will be going to the Basic Bar to watch the debates! I can't wait! There are going to be a few fellow expat in Chile bloggers going and I can't wait to meet the faces that go behind the blogs!! Not to mention the fact that we get drink specials if we can prove we are from the US, which is not that hard, pop out the passport and into the party!!!

I should have thought to put this in, but firsts for us have always been hard to remember! Today Rodrigo and I have been married for one month. I suddenly remembered an hour ago. Of course after our first month of dating, we didn't celebrate because neither of us could remember the exact date. Yes you may find this odd, because usually with girls, they write it down somewhere, I'm not as obsessed as the ones I used to see in high school that actually kept track of the number of DAYS they had been dating so and so. Anywho, after one month of being married I would say that we are very happy. Everything is now falling into place, maybe its the springtime that just makes everything seem so wonderful, but maybe its the fact that we are both saving money now, before when we were only talking about saving money of course it didn't seem like anything. I am glad that I chose to marry Rodrigo, I know I am young, but why can't we have longer to spend the rest of our lives together then apart.

To Book or Not to Book??

I really want to book Rodrigo's ticket to the States now, but since we don't know yet when we are going it's very hard. I'm ready to just throw in an estimate, add two weeks and book the ticket. I can't believe how the price of tickets has gone up, I remember when I bought my ticket just last year. From Minnesota to Chile for only $900 or so! And NOW!! $1500 to $2000 INSANE. Does anyone know any good place to go for cheap tickets???? Rodrigo said he doesn't care if it takes him 2 days to get there as long as the ticket is cheap. I'm thinking about just buying the ticket and if I have to pay a couple hundred $ to change the day, I will.

Also, if any of my family is willing to pitch in some money for the ticket, that would help us out A LOT!!! :D Love lots!!

Group Blogging Post 3: How Chileans Perceive Gring@s

This is a little late because I couldn't think of anything to write. But, last night I was talking to a friend and Rodrigo about the differences they see in people from the US and Chileans. I of course disagree to a point about a one thing they said, but the other I guess makes sense. I only got 3 things out of these two guys so here goes.

1. Gringos aren't as worried about material things because Chileans have to work harder to get nice things, and Gringos already have a lot of money so it isn't as hard.
You can very well guess that this I completely do not agree with. When I asked what they meant by being materialistic they explained it to me like this. Gringos don´t care about hiding Ipods, PSPs, expensive cell phones, and laptops because if they were stolen it isn't that hard for them to buy a new one. Of course after getting that out of them or him rather, (my husband has a better hold on what is and isn't difficult in the US because he at least has been there and seen me struggle a bit) I let him have it. Of course I worked hard to get the things that I want!! I dreamed about getting my Ipod for two years before I actually got it! And Ipods are cheaper in the US! Of course I wanted to put in a snotty comment saying that if Chileans would actually get a job when they are younger it wouldn't be so hard. I think it would be hard to save money that your parents give you EVERYDAY until you have enough for an Ipod, but that's not hardWORK, that's just fighting temptation to spned the money elsewhere!

2. Gringos are more trusting with their belongings.
They didn't quite know why this was so I gave them my theory on it. I think Gringos are more trusting because we use respect (I had to use the song to spell that, how sad!!) more in everyday life. I of course would not get into Kyle´s car when she ran into the gas station because, I would never want anyone to do that to me, not to mention the fact that I am not skilled in grand theft auto! I of course leave my car unlocked, in the US, while I am at work overnight, because I feel safe enough to do so. He in Chile I get the feeling that people just don´t feel safe.

3. Lastly, Gringos don´t have as much problems except in bigger cities with violence because we have a better education.
This was explained that in the US we are taught by our parents and teachers, here a lot of the time the kids have a nanny and the main people they learn about life from is their teachers and they just don´t teach as good. Gringos are taught to use words, this is rarely taught here in Chile so when kids get angry they have no words to use to handle the situation, (I was always taught to use "When you... I feel... because, that lamest thing ever when being taught) I guess in the end it teaches a kid how to handle things without getting physical. Here in Chile they have no words to say and go straight to a fight. I guess I can see the truth in this.
And that's all I have hopefully you all don't think it's too pathetic!

Tomorrow I Mail Away Our Hopes

We have all the papers ready, minus the envelope. The waiting will officially begin tomorrow. I just hope I get my temporary visa a lot faster than people have been saying, for some reason 3 months just sounds WAY too long! Once the packet is in the mail all we have left is to wait and to hope. There is still a very small chance that everything will be ready and we can go home for Christmas, but the window closes more and more as each day passes. Rodrigo seems to be a lot more optimistic than me about this. I have given up on my thoughts and dreaming about making it first to my mom's family Christmas on the 20th of December, as well as Christmas Eve at my dad's parents' house. Oh hell, I might as well throw in New Years at the cabin on Lake of the Woods too. Now use on hoping for what is impossible. And no point of getting my hopes up for the biggest let down of my life! So for right now I plan on calling Lan Chile and changing my flight from October 31st(I never really thought I would follow through with that date, but that was the farthest away we could get from Jan 15.) to January 20th. That would put me in Chile for an entire year! Give or take a few days because I went to the US for a bit in July and that one day where I went to Mendoza to renew my days!! If I have to change it to earlier, I will have no problem paying whatever to change it back! But if I have to change it to later, I'm sure that I will go completely insane and be asking for packages from the US of Cool Ranch Doritos, Koolaid (anything but grape!!), and butterscotch pudding to hold me over!! Actually anyone willing to send me that now, I won't complain!! hahaha! Anyways, I guess if you pray, pray for everything to run smoothly, if you don't pray, hope for us!! Love lots!!

An Update Of the Life of Shannon Kay!

Well, I haven't been writing about me at all lately, so here's an update on me, when I say me, I mean my family of course! And I'll fill you in on our Independence WEEK!!
Let's start with the hubby! Rodrigo has been working a lot lately. He is being trained for his new job in the casino Monticello. He officially starts working in October when the place opens, I guess he gets to serve the first table or something. His boss must really like him! He is going to be a garzon? or something in the prive section. That's not the VIP, I guess it is something higher, where the billionaires go! So he is learning how to be a good waiter, how to make drinks, what wine goes with what food, and whatnot. He has even told me that he likes seafood now, well I told him a million times if he would just try it he would like it! That makes me happy, Red Lobster here we come!

Zoe is so much bigger now than when we first got her. She is full size now and has lost and replaced all but one of her puppy teeth. It was so hot the other day that we gave her an outside shower and let her dry in the sun. She hated it very much. She looked hilarious and next time I am going to take a picture! Her hair is so long that when it is wet, she can't shake it off because is weighs her down, I gave he a little head start with a towel until she could shake herself. She is suck a sweet little thing! She was horribly spoiled by all the family over the weekend with all the asados going on, who would want to eat dry dog food?? Not Zoe! She prefers a nice chunk of meat and some choripan! I am excited because she turns 6 months on the 5 of October and we can finally take her to get her hair cut!!! She is almost ready for us to take to the US!! She just needs a certificate of health! Then she's ready to fly, which makes me nervous.

And of course me, the wifey. I am doing pretty good I suppose. I am tired most of the time and worry the rest of the time. I have 30 days left of work!!! Which gives me something to look forward to. The heat already drives me insane, our bedroom is hot hot hot!! I keep wondering if thermal curtains keep the heat in in the winter will they keep it out in the summer? Our bedroom unlike the rest of the house isn't all brick walls and the window actually are capable of letting sun in, no bars. Married life has been good so far. Nothing has really changed except we are allowed to nap in the same bed at the beach with the door closed. Not that we were doing anything but sleeping!! I can't wait though to be on our own. To have our own place and to pay for our own stuff. I'm not saying that I don't like how we are now, but I think being on our own will be different and a fun thing to experience. Budgeting too will be fun :o) To do, not to follow...but Ro and I will be able to do it. I am very sad at the moment because Christmas in the US which I was sooooo looking forward to as was my family is falling more and more to the not gonna happen side. I can't completely give up on it yet because I want it so much!! I have been getting homesick again, I think not knowing when I will go back makes it harder. I have been worrying about money the most these last few days. Ro tells me not to worry, but how can I not?? After October I won't be working unless I find another job. We won't be able to save much because everything Rodrigo makes goes straight to the plane ticket. The only extra cash we will have will be from his advertising agency. Better stick it in here maybe someone will find it here. www.agenciaup.cl. He hasn't been working there much because he has school and his other job, but hopefully he will learn how to handle all of that together. I don't know what I will do with my time when I am finished working here. I'l have to pick up a hobby! My quilt is in serious need of repairs, Zoe likes to "dig" a hole for herself to sleep it, which is cute and funny, but i have noticed new rips in it. I think I should also make my future neice or nephew a blanket. Of course it will be unsquare, but what's a baby gonna notice?? I have to of course find colors that I like and yarn. I haven't made anything other than blankets crocheting so I'm just gonna stick with that. None of that crazy fast crap that ladies do on the subway with all the loops and what nots. I'll stick with a boring straight, or not so straight blanket and I won't count because I prefer to guess hahahha. I would read, but books to me are like one huge glass of water on a hot day. I know I should save some and pace myself but once I start I can't stop. I received 2 books from the US last monday. Maybe 700 pages each.....yeah I have 4 or so pages left of the second one. I couldn't stop myself they are just sooo good. And now that I have an entire series here I will be regretting ever getting the books when I finally am able to pack my bags for home. I am planning to read all 4 of them again though before I go :o) I haven't found a place to buy books at a reasonable price. I did fall upon a little shop in Providencia one day, but they didn't really have anything I was interested in except a Cosmo Magazine, even though it was from Australia! And the books were kind of expensive for used books. They have a deal that you bring in a book and then you get half of a book that you buy. SO NOT a good deal, why would I bring in a book that I love to get half of some ripped up crappy Danielle Steel---however you spell that book?? NO!

Anyways onto a summary of our Independence Break!! WEEK LONG!
Monday Ro came to the job fair with me and worked there for the day. We went out for pizza after that, it was delicious! Tuesday, we went to do paperwork whatnot at the extranjeria and embassy. His family left that day for the beach, so we had the house to ourselves! Tuesday night we just hung out had dinner together. Wednesday we slept in, but not horribly late, I was surprised! We went grocery shopping, I was going to buy a puzzle, but we didn't have enough money. Our friends came over that night and we played spoons all night, it was a lot of fun. I am really glad that I found a game that they like!! Thursday we woke up and went to the beach. It was a pain in the ass driving there, a lot of traffic! We had a bbq there and ate lots of meat! I also tried my first glass of chicha it makes me think of grape juice with a beer taste to it. It wasn't bad. It must not be very strong though because they kept asking if I was sure I didn't want rum, whiskey or vine with it. Zoe ran around and played all day. She also received a lot of handouts! She loves choripan! Ro and I took a short nap(by short I mean 3 hours!) After that we were going to go to a fonda, but I guess the family decided they were going to a fonda on Saturday night instead so we went home. The drive home was quick! Ro and I talked the whole time, I loved it! That night Pancho, Vivi, and Maca came over for a little bit. Friday we went to the mountains!! It was so nice! We had a nice group of friends, Diego and Jessica came along with their friends. The boys played soccer and made an asado. We all brought choripan so that's what we had all day! Zoe had fun running around enjoying the fresh air! She slept sooo good all week it was great! The drive home from there was horrible!! It took us maybe an hour to get there, but it took over three hours to get home!! We went to sleep right away, I was so tired! Saturday Ro and I cleaned. He washed the car, we gave Zoe and illegal bath. (Our vet said we can't give her a bath til she gets her last vaccine and is 6 months old.) She hated it. She was nice and soft though after that. We hung around the house all day. We fell asleep though. Ro took a shower at like midnight then we went to a party around 1am. We didn't end up leaving that until 8 in the morning when we drove around trying to find a place selling hot dogs that was open!! Thank goodness we found someplace! They had nasty ketchup, but I was hungry enough to not mind at all. We tried to sleep all day Sunday, but it was too hot. We woke up at like noon. And sat around. His family came home at like 2 or 3. Then we watched Star Wars Episodes 5 and 6. I had never seen them in the past. They were pretty good. I still don't understand why they made 4, 5, and 6 before 1, 2, and 3. Oh well. Now its back to work. I'm sure I will be horrible tired for the next week! Love lots!!

Observations of Yesterday

So, you know when someone points something out or you notice something one day and then all you see is that?? Well yesterday I noticed something about the Chileans that box dye their hair blond. First of all it looks like crap! ALWAYS! And second, it has this nasty green tint in it! It reminded me of the summer I spent a lot of time in the school swimming pool. My (way lighter back then) blond hair developed a green tint to it. Which was solved at the end of the summer when I had to put vinegar in my hair for like an hour! But anyways, do Chileans really think that the box blond looks good? The orangy to green shades that come first??

The second thing I noticed was phone cameras. I thought at first that it was just my husband that would take pictures of the most ridiculous things. Like a stretch hummer with some ham company's label on it. And at the time, he wasn't the only one taking pictures with their cells phones of the hummer. Seriously what do you do with a picture like that?? Yesterday when I was in the Tobalaba station at like 6:30 it was packed, I have seen it packed before, but nothing like this, we couldn't even get downstairs to linea 4! So what do I see as I am waiting on a step on my way down, at least 25 people pull out their phones and take a picture, a few people even had cameras. Really, what are they going to do with those pictures??? It drives me insane. I am probably in 25 different pictures and I probably stand out because I was probably the only blond girl there. I looked around to check even. I would like to know what they will do with these lame pointless pictures.....

WHAT?!

I promised pics from the wedding and whatnot, so go here and look, this is my husband's blog, it's cute!!


How things work in the US.
1. You have an interview, you take a test, you fail, no job. You can wait 6 months and try again.
2. You reapply 6 months later, that is if you didn't already find something else. interview, test, fail, no job.


How things work in Chile.
1. You have an interview, take a test, you fail, you get a second chance.
2. Go to second interview, take a test, you fail, boss man comes in and says oh don't worry, you can have you English interview with a Chilean, she will write the paper for you, then you can go to the job fair. At the job fair, you will be fucked in the ass because you couldn't speak good enough for the English interviewer to understand, but sure!! The American ski bums, will not hire you, but then there is always McDonalds, who will probably hire you so they can fire hard working Americans because they can pay you less and therefore save money.

THANK YOU For making MY job absolutely pointless, remember that I WILL be at the job fair, and remember I have NO problem with ratting out my stupid boss and the girl that lied while filling out a report. I have no loyalty to this place whatsoever! WHATSOEVER! I will stay on the right side! I will do what I have been told to do by the American who is the boss of my Argentinian boss, who is the boss of my Chilean boss.

Group Post #2 Chilean Women

Today we are doing the group post on Chilean Women, I haven't read any yet because I don't want any influence, but for a list of everyone participating, go to Kyle's blog!

CHILEAN WOMEN: A Comparison. (ooo, I feel like I'm writing a paper for school or something!)

*Remember, what I have to say about Chilean women ONLY refers to women I have met and know. Please do not leave bitchy comments saying, "All Chilean women are not like that." I know they aren't ALL like that, that is why I am only talking about ones that I have met and that I know. Thank you!

Let's start with a comparison between my mother, and my mother in law.
1. My mom is kind of a clean freak. She likes the living rooms to be clean and the kitchen and bathrooms clean in case people come over. The showers, toilets, and sinks were spotless when company was coming. Our bedrooms did bother her when they were messy, but they did not cause her for completely freak out about it. She vacuumed the carpets often and kept the house in order. My mom made me, my sister, and my brothers do the dishes ONCE a day. Meaning all the dishes from the day stayed on the counter and in the sink until after supper when one of us would wash them. My mother in law, how do I describe it? She likes her house to be "clean" that's how to describe it. But, the shower looks horrible and if black mold starts to appear in the shower she will do absolutely nothing about it for a very long time. After a very long time, she will have her husband just put another layer of paint on it. Problem solved?? :S What's next? The kitchen, my mother in law washes dishes anytime that there is anything in the sink, two glasses? Well, time to wash dishes. The fridge is full of food, as are the cupboards, and the counter has fruit in a bowl on it. Problem?? Well, half the fruit is rotten, and it just sits there. When she notices she throws it away and buys more, only to have that also rot away. The fridge has so much stuff in it you can't even see what's in there. And like the counter, the veggies go bad, get thrown away, and are replaced with new ones only for the same thing to happen. I don't understand how it can be okay to waste this much food, MONTHLY! In MN, fresh fruit was eaten almost instantly, occasionally a bunch of bananas would go bad, but we made banana bread out of it, it rarely got so bad that it was thrown away. As for veggies, back in the day, my parents bought mainly canned veggies, they last almost forever and are gone long before they even think about going bad. Now they buy frozen veggies that they eat also before they go bad. Back to my mom, my mom let me run around year round with wet hair, bare feet, and as much or as little clothes as I wanted. Of course when we were little she bundled us up nice when we went outside to make snowmen or whatever we did back then. The only thing I did to drive her insane was walk outside with just socks on, not because it was too cold for that, but because I would get my socks stained almost black on the bottom. Here, I get the ssss kind of worried noise every time I take a shower because I never ever ever dry my hair, I hate drying my hair, I hate everything about it. I hate the sound of the hair dryer, I hate how it turns my hair into a giant poof, not to mention how it damages my already damaged blond curls :( I hate how it makes my face and ears so warm that I feel sick and have to sit down, I hate it. Also, bare feet. There is nothing in the world that feels better than taking off you socks and shoes and walking around on cool tile floors, or just letting them breath. My feet have never felt so trapped in all my life. They also have never smelled so funky! Not even during basketball!! This is a lot of the stuff Kyle talked about yesterday, but I am putting it out there again.

2. This is a line that I am dangerously taking. Coworkers. I pray to the stars that nobody at work reads this. My coworkers are mainly girls. Yes, I said girls, not women. I am the youngest of anyone working here. 20 years old. Married. The rest of the "women" that I work with are 22, 23, 26, 24, and 28. I will only talk about the 4 that I know the most. The first one, 23 years old. Lives at home with her family. The things she complains about include: her weight. She is now on a diet, the second one since I have been working here. She doesn't go to the gym, she takes pills that make her not hungry. Ok, fine you are on a diet, I don't want to hear about it. I am perfectly happy with how my body is at the moment. Of course I will drop at least 15 pounds before my wedding, but we nothing at all in common about this topic so please stop complaining to me about it. Second, her exes. First she complained about her ex in the US, always whining because he never got online to talk to her. Finally she gave up on him and moved onto the ex from before she went to the US. She repeatedly told me she was still "in love" with this guy. She told me how horrible he was to her when they were dating, but she still loved him, maybe he changed, she is going to give him a second chance. Nope, no change so then another 2 weeks of bitching about this guy, when all of the sudden the guy from the US chats to her for a few hours. HE still loves her and all of the sudden, he is perfect, she is still "in love" with him...I don't care about this at all. I have no advice to give to you. I never ever went back to my ex, and I am married and Rodrigo and i have never had any serious problems. I have no experience in what you are doing, but I suggest you quit trying to be in love and just let it happen. On to the next co-worker. She drives me up the fucking wall! First of all she is the laziest thing on the face of the Earth. I had to go with her to promote WEUSA. And she told me that she always goes out to lunch with friends and family during work hours! And THEN when she gets back to work, she still takes another hour for lunch! Not to mention the fact that she ALWAYS comes back late! She even leaves early if someone comes in asking questions so that she doesn't have to miss any little bit of time for her lunch. She also is obsessed with kissing everyone hello. Yes, it is common to do that in Chile, but my GOD!! She will come into my office coughing up a lung and say, "Ahhh, I am so sick." Then instead of just saying "hello" she comes up to me and has to kiss my cheek. Thank you! I would like to receive all of your germs please so that I can be sick next week like you. ARE YOU STUPID??? That's all I will say about coworkers here. In the US they were all pretty much cool and worked hard for their $. They never tried to get advice from me because after I explained that I have no experience in what they are talking about, they let me be. They also never kissed me and gave me their germs.

3. People I see in the street. In the US people watching isn't as much fun as it is here. They are normal there. Here though the things I see....! First of all old ladies in the US don't usually, key word there, usually, get super dressed up to go shopping. Here on the other hand they apply loads of makeup, more makeup than I wore to my Senior Prom, and get in their fancy pantyhose
that remind me of what hookers wear. They usually have some sort of pattern in them, like fishnet, but with regular hose too. I don't know how to explain it. They also like to spray on lots of perfume, cuz God forbid someone a mile away doesn't smell them. *Side note, my sister in law once sprayed herself with Victoria's Secret Lovespell body spray 33 times. 33 sprays, I kid you not!* Anyways, back to the old ladies. They also wear heals 5 times higher than anything I have ever worn. I wrote in the past about a lady I saw one day with high heals and walking with a cane. Umm. In the US you see old ladies going to Walmart in their 4th of July teeshirt from Old Navy that is 4 years old, a pair of jeans, and tennis shoes. They look fine to me. Ladies with canes wear them old lady shoes with grippy bottoms and Velcro buckles. They may put on a little bit of nasty smelling perfume, but wouldn't want to waste it and conserve themselves to maybe three sprays. And yess, sometimes those 3 sprays are too much, but at least you can walk 5 feet behind the person and not smell it. Now for pregnant ladies and mothers. Pregnant ladies have their own special parking spots, I need to take a picture of the signs someday! The pregnant stick woman signs in the mall and the stork with a baby signs likes at McDonalds. In the US, the pregnant lady will just park her car and walk from however far away from the door she is. Obviously she is going to be walking around the store/mall, the extra 100 yards to the door won't kill her. When a prego lady gets into the subway people will get up and let her sit down. I think this is nice. But I don't think the lady that wasn't even showing yet should have pushed me out of my seat. She could have asked nicely. Another thing I find so weird about being here. Mothers of newborns. They take their babies out right away. I even seen a woman at the mall one time with a baby that looked maybe 2 days old, she was still walking funny from the pain and she went to the mall. Why? What for? If you need diapers or something, I am sure that you have a friend or family member that will be more than willing to go pick them up for you. What is the point of bringing a newborn baby to the mall? Especially in the winter. They all worry to death about the babies and wrap them up in tons of sweaters, hats, scarves, and blankets. Why even bring them out? Is it to show them off?? Also I once saw this couple in the mall sitting on a bench the man was assisting the women on getting the newborn baby to latch on. Umm. Wouldn't you like to learn how to breastfeed your child in the comfort and privacy of your own home?? Honestly?? Also it drives me absolutely insane when a baby is drinking Coke out of their bottle, a five year old is drinking out of a bottle this I saw in my own house, well Ro's house, adn the mother of the kid fed him soup like he was a baby with a spoon and did the whole wipe the stuff that didn't make it in and shove it into the mouth. The mother of the child must have been 50 she was a bitch though. She got mad at me because I took my poor little puppy away from the kid because he kept screaming and scaring her. And children can run around crazy loud and obnoxiously and the mother will do NOTHING. The things I find cool about how mother's are treated here is that fact that if you are in a line and you carry a baby, you get to pass the whole line up. At the civil registry place we went to get married, five or six women and men would walk by with a baby and go straight to the front of the line. I need a baby so I can get my stuff done! Anyone have one I can borrow on Tuesday?? I have to go to Immigration Services and it would be nice to get in and get out quickly!

4. And lastly women/girls I interview. I title them as women/girls because they range in age from 18 to 28 and many different maturities. Seriously in the US, there is a serious difference in an 18 year old, and a 28 year old. Usually the 28 year old is married or engaged. Many times they already have children. The 18 year old would be fresh out of high school on their way to college or out into the world for work and adventure. Here however, 18 year olds are still girls that mostly don't know how to cook anything other than noodles or rice, their moms still make their beds and wash their clothes, and they are not thinking of moving out at all not for at least 10 years. There are exceptions, some of them have moved out because they moved to the city to go to college, but their parents still pay the bills. Others they actually do work and pay their own bills. And some 28 year olds still live with their parents and aren't in a relationship, engaged, or married. They also have such this desire to go to the US, that they are willing to get their very first job in the United States rather than work here in Chile and see what the work life is like. They are mostly thinking of partying, skiing and having fun. They want to make money to buy some fancy computer or ipod or whatever. They don't even check into things such as the drinking age. Most of them have been able to drink for so long that it doesn't even occur to them. It also doesn't occur to them that they will be cooking their own meals, and cleaning their house. I have had more than one person tell me that they aren't going to learn how to cook (I do suggest it to people that tell me they don't know how to) because they are just going to go out to eat everyday. I smile and thats the end. GOOD LUCK!! Spend all of your money and gain 20 pounds while you are at it!!
I guess that is all to my opinion of Chilean women. I can't wait to see where others went with this!!

Our First Step as Husband and Wife

Since we are now married, we have decided that we need to come up with a budget plan, or as Ro calls it a chart. I think the whole sharing money thing is going to be the toughest thing to do. Ro is currently working at a new casino here in Santiago. He hasn't worked yet, but he is gone everyday for "classes" to train him and make him into a barman/waiter. It makes me excited that we will have 2 regular incomes and the agency on the side. With that, we have to start a plan to save up for Ro's plane ticket, the visa application fee, and first months rent in the US. Since we live with Ro's parents, we don't have to pay rent, but somehow we spend ridiculous amounts of money in a very short period of time. Our main goal now is to be able to have fun, but not spend so much money doing it. We also have to think of Zoe, because she needs shots and everything else to get into the US. Suddenly my "high" for Chile salary seems like nothing to me. I wish I would have saved a lot more in the past few months. Since my ticket back to the US is on October 30th, I will also have to change that so that I can leave in December with Rodrigo after we have our interview in the US Embassy. And since I won't be working November and December, things are going to get stressful!
Other than that, married life is very much the same as when we were just boyfriend and girlfriend, I can't wait for that to change because the will mean we have our own place! Plus the real church wedding will make everything feel real. That's all for now, read tomorrow when the blogging group topic is Chilean Women. Check Kyle's blog for a list of everyone participating!!

Yesterday

Well, yesterday was very busy, long, and fun!
Ro and I made it through the day, and we are now husband and wife.
It was very fun, and now I am at work and all I want to do it sleeep!!!!
We are going to upload pics and videos tonight or tomorrow so you'll have to wait until then to see everything.

So Many Words, So Little Time!

I don't really even know where to start! I guess lets start with Friday!
Friday Ro and I went to sleep when he got home and didn't do anything.
Saturday!! I made Ro blueberry pancakes for breakfast, and we went to order our rings, get the right size and the right inscription on them, we get them tonight! I can't wait to see them! Ro went to classes for his new job, and I went to Diego and Jessica's!! It was so much fun!! Thank you Jessica and Diego, and family! I had a really good time. It was a beautiful day and it was good to get out of the house to visit another family!! Diego's family is really awesome!
Sunday, let's see. Ro and I just hung out in the morning and then went with 3 of his friends to a mental institute to visit one of their friends. I was a little bit nervous, but it was actually not horrible. I pretty much stood around while Ro and his friends caught up on each other's lives. We went to Jumbo and the mall to buy me shoes because tomorrow I am getting married!! And, I can't wear my pretty pink flip flops for a reason I don't even understand....
ANYWAYS about the wedding!! I guess a bus will be picking us up, yes!! a bus all for us!! at Ro's house at 9ish. When I say us, I mean, Ro, me, Ro's dad, mom and sis, Ro's 2 grammas, and I think Ro's friend Niko cuz he's going to video tape us signing papers...yeah. We will all be going to Pudahuel, the worst place I have been in the whole city! I would never ever go there by myself ever! It was horrible and dirty and gross! Last time we went there was a dead dog laying on the sidewalk, and NO, it wasn't sleeping, it was swollen in its legs were sticking up and it looked like it was drug around. Anyways we will go there and wait for our turn to be married! Then we are going out to eat!! For seafood!! I LOVE seafood, and I haven't really had it all that much here. I have only had salmon, whatever we had over Easter weekend, and sushi, which was nasty, see OTHER blog for more on that! Anyways I don't have to work at all tomorrow which I am SOOO looking forward to! Ro doesn't have to work we don't have to do anything but be with each other!
I am a little nervous for tomorrow, it is a big step, but I think we are ready for it. I am sure that it will be very fun! Well, that's all for now, maybe Wednesday I will get some pics up, I am mostly interested in taking pictures of the school bus thing!| hahaha. CHAU!!

Turn the radio OFF!!

So last night as I was riding in the colectivo, where I spend about an hour of my life everyday, I was actually paying attention to the radio. Bad move...I should have sat in the back seat!
I was having a very hard time not laughing while the driver drummed his fingers to some seriously OLD songs! They were of course in English and the chorus of one of the songs goes like this: (Yes sadly I remember this!! SORRY!) "When a girl changes from bobby socks to stockings then she's old enough to give her heart away." What the hell are bobby socks?? And of course the song that came us just as we were pulling up to my stop was none other then, "Going to the chapel and we're gonna get maaaried" Kind of weird!! ALso the itsy bitsy teeny weenie yellow polka dot bikini song was on somewhere in there too! I have never actually heard that whole song, its so lame, if she doesn't want anyone to see her in her itsy bitsy teeny weenie yellow polka dot bikini, then why did she even buy it?!?!
I don't understand why people listen to songs that they can't understand. That would be one of the biggest reasons that I don't like listening to anything in Spanish. I don't know what they are talking about. So, I stick to my ipod which seriously needs an update! And listen to songs in English that do not include songs about bobby socks, bikinis, and going to the chapel!