Tuesdays: The Day of Waiting in Line.

Tuesday tuesday tuesday-you know a day is going to be long when it has to start out so early! The group of gringos had to meet at Los Heroes (the metro station of our school) at 7:45 am. Not fun news. I woke up at 6:45, put on a skirt (small thrills baby!) because the weather today was going to be 75 degrees, grabbed my most important documents declaring I am who I say I am, and headed there. Why? Today, we had to register our visas with the Chilean government and confirm that we were in fact here in Chile and planning on staying for 4 months.  These poor people working though. Imgine working at the DMV all day long, and filing papers and sitting in a closed off room but here is the kicker: these people do not speak your language naturally. Yuck.

First we got something that I really don't know the significance of and then got it photocopied and headed across a few blocks to another place to pay more money and get more things stamped and fingerprinted (I counted, this is my fourth time in a year!). Now, we get to pick up our official Chilean identification cards in 2 weeks. Honestly, I think that’s worth waiting in line: it's going to be pretty phenomenal.  

Afterwards, Lauren, Becca, Charlotte, and I headed out to a sit-down lunch, which my first time sitting down to eat somewhere that wasn't my home since I've been here. Well, without my group has a whole-organized thing, which doesn't count. We also figured out what we are doing for our ten-day break from school during the bicentenario: going to the south of Chile to go horseback riding on a farm! I AM SO EXCITED! I HAVE SO MANY GANAS! (tener ganas: to be excited) Oh my gosh, it is going to be awesome. I will have more details soon. So after lunch we walked across this big plaza with everyone from the lunch-time rush around us.  There were street venders, performers, and lots of people watching us as the four white and English-speaking girls walked around. Just something to get used to while I’m here!  A little window-shopping, then headed home.  There was no way I was using the bus today so I walked home and the weather was perfect and lovely and it was my little moment of joy all over again. And what did I listen to on this gorgeous day? Something a little more hard-core, just like myself. Unfortunately I was not wearing my leather jacket to complete the feeling. But I was wearing my aviators.

Tonight? Becca’s house to hang out with the Chilean locals and make plans for the south of Chile next week!