Respiracion Artificial

No poem this week. I've been reading mostly novels lately for my classes. that's right. novels. in. spanish. -insane, anyways. Just read this amazing book called "Respiracion Artificial" (Artificial Respiration). I'm sure there is an English version, and you should find it and read it. Here's a few more from my "been reading lately and recommend" list (these are mostly latin american or chilean classics):

-El Lugar sin limites by Jose Donoso
super interesting chilean novel about gender and sexuality and so much more
-Sab by Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda
first cuban anti-abolitionist novel
-El Periquillo Saniento by Fernandez de Lizardi
epic picaresque novel
-Luna Caliente by Mempo Giardinelli
slightly scandalous and pretty short novel from argentina
-Martin Rivas by Alberto Blest Gana
classic chilean love story
-Maria by Jorge Isaacs
another fundamental latin american love story
-Hijo de Ladron by Manuel Rojas

Life goes by so quickly here. I've been reading and studying around the clock. I moved! I moved into a new apartment a little over a week ago, and I'm really happy with the change. My new address is:

1047 San Martin Dept. 32
Concepcion, Chile

I have the most amazing roommate (we're going to start a band called Cookie Dough girls or something because we both just run around the apartment singing) Sally Dodge from a little village in England called Beer. She is a non-stop hoot. Meet Sally: All we do is laugh and sing when we are in the apartment at the same time. I finally feel as though I am settled.
Check out my room:

This is my gorgeous wall window. The curtains came with the room. One of the reasons I knew it was meant for me. Also, I had three different signs that were guiding me here. seriously. First about a month ago I told me students that I was looking for a place to live, and one of them (who happens to be extremely tall and attractive) told me his brother rented rooms and wrote down the website for me. I stuck the small piece of paper in my pocket and promptly forgot about it. A few weeks later I found an ad online for a furnished room, so I sent an email. The next day my British friend Chris told me that our mutual friend Sally had open rooms in her apartment. So I called Sally up and planned to go and see the apartment the next day. That morning I received an email back about the other room, and I decided to check out Sally's place first. Once I got here and checked the address again I realized that Sally's place was the same place from the email!!! So I called the fellow and wheeled and dealed myself into my room. Then as I was moving in and unpacking I found this little slip of paper in my pocket which said www.lamorada.cl or something, which was the link to my apartment!!! Turns out my tall attractive student is the younger brother of my tall attractive landlord!!! Isn't that insane!! They look just alike too. anyways, the moral of that story is I feel like I am in the right place.

This is my desk and cork board one that I put up, along with my computer and printer and my lunch. ha.

My bed.
cork board number 2
Speaking of that, see the little picture of me and Ryan at her wedding. Yesterday I received the most amazing surprise package from Ryan filled with books, pictures, a magnificent mixed CD, and the best PJ pants I have ever had (I'm wearing them now)! Thanks so much Ryan!!!!
My bookshelf I bought for 30 bucks.
my two closets and all the sweet animals my mom has sent me. the bears shirts say smile, kisses, and love ya.
This is Sally's room.
the living room
and the kitchen. nice huh?
The apartment is in a perfect location right across from the grocery store and about four or five blocks from campus. I have soooo much more independence, and I have been cooking!!!
So far I have made:
-two batches of chocolate chip cookies (both gifts to other folks)
-fried chicken (my british friends we're amazed with this meal)
-zucchini casserole
-lentil soup (smashingly good)
-lots of eggs
-no-bake cookies (or chocolate biscuits in Sally's land)
-a variety of wheat pasta dishes

Aren't you proud??? It's been great fun. My room is the perfect size and sits at the back of the apartment. I have one wall that is completely window, and I took upon myself to purchase a 30$ bookshelf and two cork boards to liven the place up a bit. There are a few semi-negatives about the place, but not really even negatives at all, just eccentricities, which are:

1. no heat (umm. . . well, maybe this is a negative)
2. no laundry (we have to go around the corner and use our neighbors' washing machine and then we hang dry out side my window. Unfortunately this process only works when it isn't raining. I'm not really sure what we will do then. anyways. . .


I think that's it. There aren't any variety of insects or scary neighbors. Our landlord brought us a tv last week and we have cable and internet (he is, by the way, extremely tall and attractive but has a girlfriend, sad). A lovely little lady comes around and tidies for us during the week.

and the heat isn't even that big of a deal any more because my lovely unitedstatesian family away from home (George and Nancy Saunders:two wonderful professors from Indiana who are here as Fulbright Scholars. Check it out:http://george-chile-adventure.blogspot.com/) bought me an electric heater as a gift!!!!!! It is so wonderful, and I am unbelievably thankful to them for such a thoughtful gift. I'm not sure how much I have told you about George and Nancy, but they are really a godsend for Akshai and I and others. They have invited us over a dinner almost every week--which is always amazing. Last week I had to have a root canal, so they not only let me stay over one night when I was in extreme pain, but they also went with me to the dentist!!! and Nancy made me custard!!! It was amazing. So they are sort of like my Guardian angels here.

Yeah. Root Canal. I've been having throbbing, wake you out of your sleep pain that had been getting worse. So, a chilean friend I work with named Patricia finally just told me she was calling her dentist for me last week and took me over to see her. I could barely talk at that point when the waves of pain would hit. anyways, the dentist was lovely and removed my nerves so I wouldn't have anymore pain and gave me lots of medication. and then I had to go back to actually have the root canal done on Friday, with George and Nancy, which was a pretty intense experience. I have to go back one more time on Wednesday to finish the thing. and it all went well, but it was hard knowing that Dad was so far away, since he is my dentist and all.

The weekend before last I went to Santiago to hang out with my friends from San Francisco Viet and Steve who were traveling in Buenos Aires and hopped over to hang out. We had an amazing time and even went on a "Legendary Tour Etilico." This is Viet attempting to eat his massive sandwich at this cool cafe we found. It vanquished him and basically took his honor.

This is the suit of armor at Viet and Steve's apartment. My lovely family that I lived with in Santiago let me stay at there house. stupendous. i love them.

our first stop on tour etilico
I had a Blast hanging out with them, and I'm so glad they came. We laughed a lot. We also went to this little fruit market that had the melon tuna that I love (that is now out of season) and so I bought one (or two) and then we had no way to open it, so I asked the cheese man if he would open it for me and he did (without smiling) and I poured melon juice all over myself accidentally. it was fun.

I have also been improving my musical tastes: thanks to chile and was able to go to two concerts!

The first was inti-illimani, who I'm sorta obsessed with. They are amazing. Here's the gang at the concert:That's Kristin, Nick, Akshai, and Sally. This is a dark picture of inti:

My recommendations for this week would be Inti-Illimani, Victor Jara, and Violeta Parra.


I'm not even going to mention grey's anatomy. well, other than that. I'm still brooding.

Other than that. I've been reading folks. Reading, Reading, Reading. I should be reading now! I gave a two hour presentation in my Master's Class on the book Sab which was super scary, but amazing. I am so happy that I am here and feel like I am really learning, changing, growing so much. Every day there is so much possibility--so much can change--and so many new things to see and experience. Night before last we had a surprise party for our friend Kazu (who is a complete doll and helped me move with his car). Yesterday Sally and I went on a three hourish walk around the city and up through the mountains on some random trails. We ended up at the Natural History Museum, which was really cool and then last night I had a pancake party and made chocolate chip, banana, and choc chip and banana pancakes. George, Nancy, Nicole, Raul, Akshai, and Sally and I had a super fun time--we even played phase 10.

My tooth is bothering me a bit, but it is so much better now than it was. I miss you all so much. Please come and visit me. soon. I have so much to show you.

I have probably forgotten something.

Hope you and your are happy and safe,

una aurora,
Mere

This is the opening of my great book Respiracion Artificial, a quotation from T.S. Elliot:

"We had the experience but missed the meaning. an approach to the meaning restores the experience." (Kristin and Sara: sounds like a SL t-shirt quotation to me!!!)

Happy Mother´s Day Mom!!

I´m in Santiago. My computer is broken, and I had this great plan to do this Mother´s Day blog with pictures to let you all know how amazing my mom is and how crazy lucky I am to have her. But, since I am without a computer, I can only write this short message from an internet cafe. and I tried to buy a phone card but it didnt work : ( so I couldnt call her!

But all I really wanted to say was that my Mom-- the woman who lights up a room with her presence- makes friends in an instant, who commands respect and attention, who keeps me laughing and seeing the positive side of life, who is always encouraging, and who has raised me to believe that I can do and be anything, who has sacrificed so much throughout her life for her children and continues to do so in order to keep us safe and happy--Mom, I just want you to know how much I appreciate you, I am sitting here in Chile, with a scholarship, seeing and experiencing the world because of your love, sacrifice, and support- and I am so thankful to have always had you by my side (I´m beginning to tear up and the old man next to me is looking at me funny-silly gringas right?) anyways, since I have been here your voice and your packages and hearing you laugh have kept me grounded and content. I love you sooo much and am who I am because of you. I hope that some day I come near to being a woman as accomplished, confident, and happy as you are. You are an amazing role model, and I miss you so much. Wish I could be there to hug you today. . . Hope you know how much you are appreciated and hope you have an amazing Mother´s Day.

I hear myself talking sometimes or laughing or thinking. . . in your voice, and I am thankful and proud to be your daughter. love you,
mere

To all those amazing mothers I know-cheers to you, you make the world a better place and we love you for it.

"in the midst of rain"

Ok-this is the last mini-entry in my mega-blog.

Considering how it rains almost every day in Concepcion-it was a quite a change to head to the desert. So much sand. Looking down through my tiny plane window I felt like I was watching a movie, that the giant stegosaurus like sand sculptures-it was so surreal--no green, no blue, just sand-lots of sand.










[I took like 360 pictures or something in San Pedro. I want to show some of them to you on the blog, but you should really check out the whole album if you have a chance. I will put the picture link to the album at the bottom of the blog.}

Several times throughout the weekend I felt like I was surrounded by surreal images. . . looming sand dunes sprinkled with foot prints, full moons beneath rainbow sunsets, geysers, salt formations, dirt roads and clay huts---the desert. Taking the hour bus ride from the airport to San Pedro de Atacama, I began to feel engulfed by the sublime beauty of the desert sand surrounding me. Who knew that there were places like this in the world? I have never been to a desert. Bama is pretty green for all of you who are wondering, like 65% forests or something crazy like that, so this was quite an experience for me. Akshai was running around doing little sand dances because he felt like he had stepped right back into Arizona, but I was mystified by this thing, the desert.

In many ways it has a calming effect-that sand--sorta like laying on the beach surrounded by the sound of waves--except this time it was always the whipping of the wind, the sand swirling around, dancing into your ears or onto your eyelashes.

Sometimes I felt very lost, as if at any moment I would take one more step into the sand and fall in. . . just fold myself into the huge mound and sleep. (I mostly had these feelings when I was hiking up large sand dunes and thought I might not make it to the top).

I had the same sorta feeling I had when we hiked in Torres del Paine--very small-a speck in the grand scheme of nature--a grain of sand--and although that feeling can be overwhelming and a little scary, it's also cool--to feel small and simultaneously significant and insignificant.

wait til you see the pictures.

I studied all week last week because I thought I had two tests on the friday before our holiday weekend. All my friends left a day early, so I was left studying. I arrived at both of my classes to discover that the tests had been delayed--and that of course everyone else knew--except me. bummer.

I took an overnight bus to Santiago--I almost missed my bus because I was confused by the signs on the buses and thought my bus hadn't arrived when really it had been there all along but had a sign for a different end destination. But--I finally asked and made it on to the bus (the last passenger) and as my bus-luck usually goes was seated next to an extremely large man. [I know that I say this every time--but I am not exaggerating.] They may have less obesity in Chile than in the states, but I have met the majority of the chileans that fall into that Category. They ALWays are seated next to me on the bus. The three times I have taken an overnight bus I have been seated next to unusually large folks. Which isn't a big deal (I mean I'm not a small person, and I come from a family of what they would call Giants here in Chile-I miss feeling short) except that I was a little uncomfortable, and he snored loudly the entire time,so I didn't get much sleep. I arrived to Santiago about 5am, took a taxi to the airport and was safely waiting for my plane to arrive in the gate about thirty minutes early and snacking on an apple.

The three hour plane ride was spectacular as if for Karma's sake I had an open seat next to me on a booked flight-so I had space to stretch and enjoy the view. They gave us these great snack packs that had peanuts, a brownie, and the manjar filled cookie thing. Remember manjar? It's awesome.

anyways, I landed about 10:30ish and then got on an hour and a half bus from Calama to San Pedro which was gorgeous. We were driving through the desert, and I couldn't unglue my eyes from the windows. The thing that I think surprised me most is how diverse desert landscape really is. It's not just a big pile of sand. There are mountains and valleys and crevices and all sorts of random formations.

We arrived to this San Pedro:

This is just one picture of the town.

We grabbed some lunch at this neat little restaurant that had a folk band:



Our new friend Christina that they met on the bus.

Then, we decided to go SAND BOARDING. I can't even begin to tell you guys how exciting this was. I, as you know, am only semi-athletic. And since I have spent most of my time here studying, reading, and eating--I'm not in my most tip-top shape even though I walk a lot. So. . . we basically get in our guide's pick-up truck and he drives us down through this valley called "Valley of death." We park and look up at this Gigantic sand dune. This is us preparing to sand board:


That's Tim (another fullbrighter), Kathleen (our german friend), Christina (random cool girl we met from Michigan), Akshai, Olivia (random cool girl we met from Texas), and TJ (another random cool kid we met from Michigan who randomly went to elementary school with Christina and just happened to run into her in the Chilean desert).


This is me when I was still clean and sand free.

Christina


Ok. . . so Christina took this next photo of me with my board before we began our adventure, and then she thought my pose was cool so I took one of her. Look closely and you will see which one of us is a real sand-boarder and which was of us was just posing.

REAL SAND BOARDER
WANNA BE-- Am i holding that thing like more like a musical instrument or a clutch purse?

me and akshai:
The gang.

Now remember, to see larger versions of these pictures just click on the link at the bottom of the blog and then click on the slideshow button.


Sand boarding is basically like snow boarding on sand. the board looks the same, you stand and move the same ways. I have never been snow boarding-I've never really done any type of boarding, unless knee boarding counts. As you can imagine, as I stared up at that huge dune my first thought was:

How am I going to make it up to the top in the first place?

and my second thought was:

I'm going to die. ha

anyways, we slowly hiked up the sand dune with our boards.
on our way up

Once we made it to the top , we saw that the bottom of the other side of the dune was much higher--so we could practice on that side while we learned until we moved up to the mac daddy dune. This is what the scenery was like from the top:

By the way, this was my board:


Our super cool instructor:

Akshai surfing the dune:

me looking like I know what I'm doing:


christina-non-stop entertainment:

This is how I spent the majority of my boarding experience:

just kidding--but it was exhausting to have to climb up the dune each time after you went down. by the end, I was like. . . umm you guys just tell me when you're ready to leave, and then I will make one last marvelous run down to the truck.

It was breathtaking:


Me right before I crashed and burned:


Look at me go!


I totally know how to sand board now, and let me tell you-I feel about ten percent cooler over all:


After conquering the dune:
. Whew.

We were out there for two hours, but it seemed like five. We had an absolute blast--most of us started out our boarding runs pretty well but the majority of the runs ended with either a face or a rear-end in the sand. I wasn't so lucky. I always started out all right, but when I fell-I fell hard-like rolling, flipping, swimming in the sand. If you can imagine--I had sand EVERYWHERE-in my ears, my face, down my shirt and pants. (we sand boarded in our bare feet). and I laughing commented that you could probably judge how good a sand boarder was based on the amount of sand they had on them-the less sand, the better-obviously.

I looked like the little four year old in the sand box who sits down, begins grabbing hand fulls of sand and throwing it on her head and down her pants-covering herself completely before she begins to eat the sand.

that was me.

I wasn't the worst in the group, but I was close. I still had a blast though. Akshai was a master sand boarder, but the best in our group was definitely Christina--she sand boards and was super amazing. She was also just a general treat to have around because she was always happy and optimistic. Random friends are the best kind.


So, that ends day one. We ate at amazing restaurants all weekend. Unfortunately, the town definitely charged tourist prices, but it was worth it.

I bought a hat, scarf, and gloves because we heard that our day 2 tour was supposed to be freezing cold:
that's color coordination at its best friends.

Day 2 began at 4am!!! We were picked up outside our hostels and began the two hourish bus ride to the geysers (I slept most of the ride). Here's Tim at 4:


It was just daylight when we got to the geysers, and I don't even know how to summarize the experience. They were amazing, but it wasn't just the geysers. It was the way the light played with the smoke as the sun rose and the way the shadows bounced off the water with the blue sky and bright landscape in the background. It was so cold that our fingers and toes were actually seriously numb for at least two hours:



Check it out (here's just a few of the many I took):






I was just standing around when I saw the light hit just right and starting snapping shots of Tim. I'm really proud of these pictures. They make me feel like a real photographer:



Especially this one:

Isn't that cool???

Tim:


In front of the biggest geyser called the assassin:


We saw some cactus. This is me looking like I'm grabbing the cactus-


We were worn out when we got back. We bought some supplies and had a barbecue in the hostel:

I bought that sweater there, sweet huh?

Day 3 We went to the Valley of the moon or Valley de la luna. SUPER COOL

These tours were all really cool. This one started at a neat cliff overlooking another valley. Tim, Elizabeth, Rachyl (all fullbrighters) and me went on this tour. Here we are posing on the cliff:




walking down into Valley of the Death:

our guide:

group shot:

then we went through a cave, spelunking if you will:




Then we headed to the Valley of the Moon. And in order to see the sunset from the best place we had to hike up this HUGE dune. I hate sand hiking because it's like step, swoosh, slide, step, swoosh, slide. But it was totally worth it once we got up:
The valley of the moon on our way up to the top of the dune. See why they call it that?
and WE made it! almost died but we made it:

view from the top:


sorry this one is sideways:



and on the way back down:







and our last night at a great restaurant with an open ceiling with a bonfire in the middle of the floor:
Akshai mid-sentence:


So--I guess that's about it. Well, a couple of other things happened. Two chilean guys told me they thought I was European.

I had this long intense conversation about Alabama and the south with some folks who made the statement that people from Alabama "don't leave Alabama" implying we were all too stupid to leave. Some kid was even like I mean Meredith you're the first person I have ever met from Alabama, has anyone else Ever met anyone from Alabama??" I am finding more and more that people have an extremely skewed and generalized view of Alabama and the south as a whole. People are mystified that I am from Alabama, and I hope that I help to re-adjust people's negative images of Alabama and the South, by people I mean Chileans and other US citizens. I realize that Alabama has its issues, but there are brighter and duller people in Alabama, just like there are in EVERY state.

Don't we always come back to the place where we realize that all-encompassing generalizations never completely hold up. I mean seriously.

seriously. When people ask me where I'm from here--I usually don't say the US first, I say Alabama. I am proud to be from Alabama, proud of where we are and how far we are from where we've been, proud of where we hope to go--

somos lo que somos. We are who we are. and all we can do is try to be true and honest to ourselves.

I've been swamped lately with tests every week and apartment searching. I have two more tests this friday on four different books, so I'll be reading for most of the week. Hopefully, I am headed to Santiago next weekend to visit with some friends from San Francisco who will be flying in.

I am really behind on post-card sending. I promise as soon as I get a chance to breathe I will send out another batch. I miss you guys so much-if you get a chance send me an email and let me know how you are--

now-CLICK on this picture to see the full album:

San Pedro de Atacama

and then make sure you click on slideshow.

I'm adjusting to autumn here--in the midst of rain.

hope you and yours are happy and safe,

una aurora,
Mere

This poem is from my favorite book of Neruda's, Residencia en la tierra

and I'm super tired so I'm only going to type it in English this time, sorry:

Autumn Returns

A day in mourning falls from the bells
like a trembling vague-widow cloth,
it is a color, a dream
of cherries buried in the earth,
it is a tail of smoke that restlessly arrives
to change the color of the water and the kisses.

I do no know if I make myself clear: when from on high
night approaches, when the solitary poet
at the window hears autumn's steed running
and the leaves of trampled fear rustle in his arteries,
there is something over the sky, like the tongue of a thick
ox, something in the doubt of the sky and the atmosphere.

Things return to their places,
the indispensable lawyer, the hands, the olive oil,
the bottles,
all the traces of life: the beds, above all,
are filled with a bloody liquid,
people deposit their confidences in sordid ears,
assassins go down stairs,
it is not this, however, but the old gallop,
the horse of the old autumn that trembles and endures.

The horse of the old autumn has a red beard
and the foam of fear covers its cheeks
and the air that follows it is shaped like an ocean
and a perfume of vague buried putrefaction.

Every day down from the sky comes an ashen color
that doves must spread over the earth:
the cord that forgetfulness and weeping weave,
time that has slept long years within the bells,
everything.
the old tattered suits, the women who see snow coming,
the black poppies that no one can look at without dying,
everything falls into the hands that I lift
in the midst of rain.