I love my gym here in Chile. It´s very near two universities, so they get a lot of extranjeras, so I´m not such a novelty. When I went to join, the man was very nice, and very willing to go slowly so I could understand him. And it´s only 18,000 pesos a month, about $36 U.S., which is a lot less than I was planning on paying! I chose not to use the pool, since I don´t think I´ll want to so much. However, there are tons of classes during the day, like Pilates, Aero-Box, and Step, just to name a few. There machines leave quite a bit to be desired, and there are no treadmills or elipticals, only bikes, but it will do.
Saturday, after my climbing of Cerro Santa Lucia, and a little more meandering I decided to take my first class at the gym. I was very nervous, but I assumed I would have to understand little to be able to follow an aerobics class. I was right. I took the Aero-boxing class, and it was great! The music was so loud I doubt I´d be able to hear the leader even if I could understand her, but for the most part it was just her doing a combination and then us following for a number of times. She would say the occasional derecha, isquierda, or arriba, but luckily these are all directions, words I know, lol. And that class was HARD. I mean it was a struggle. It was a great class and so much fun! I´m so glad I braved it out and took it. It was a great stress reliever to, so I was pretty happy when I left.
Monday I went back to the gym and actually used the machines. They were pretty basic, the same as in the U.S., just much older. There were a few differences, but I´m pretty comfortable in most gyms. However, I got a personal trainer for the day. No, I didn´t ask for one, there was just this one guy, who helped out tons of people while I was there, but evertime I moved to a new machine, he´d watch me and then come over and tell me how to do it better. It was actually really nice, lol. I officially like this gym better than any other I´ve used, simply because they are so attentive! He knew I didn´t speak spanish, so he spoke really slowly and used lots of hand motions. I feel very comfortable in that gym, so I can´t wait to go back. And that is exercise life in Santiago! I´ll let you know when I go back again!
Wednesday, June 18
Cerro Santa Lucia
I know, I know, there needs to be an accent on that i, but I can´t for the life of me figure out how to use this keyboard, and everyone is busy, so I´ll have to wait and edit it later, lol.
So, last Saturday I woke up somewhat early, and spent the day wandering around before my wonderful night out. I went to Cerro Santa Lucia first, which is surprisingly close to my apartment and work. Before I went I got some ice cream from Emporio la Rosa. Yes, I am addicted, and yes people stared at me when I got ice cream at 10 in the morning. The ice cream girl thought it was hilarious though. And I´m pretty used to being stared at now. I got cinnamon and moka. The cinnamon was a little too strong for me, but still good, but the moka was absolutely delicious. In the U.S. mochas are often too sweet for me. They taste like hot chocolate with a hint of espresso, which is good in it´s own right, but is not a classic mocha, which should taste like dark chocolate with a big hit of espresso in my opinion. Luckily, they serve perfect moka´s for my taste here, but I wasn´t so sure about the ice cream. I was a little worried the ice cream would be too sweet and lose the real taste of a moka. But of course, Emporio la Rosa did it again. It was delicious and fantastic, and I can´t imagine anything better. And yes I will probably continue saying that about every single ice cream I have from there.
So back to the Cerro, It´s basically a very larg hill, or very small mountain in the middle of the city. I entered from the West side, very close to where I work. There are quite a few buildings, old castles really, that were used as lookouts and also as homes for the very wealthy in older Santiago. Benjamin McKenna, who is considered one of the greatest leaders in Chile, was very passionate about beautifying Santiago, and Cerro Santa Lucia and Cerro San Cristobal were a large part of his focus. Because of this the buildings are well taken care of, and there are beautiful plants all over the place, turning the Cerro into a huge landscape of ivy and flowers.
As you climb up, you continually get to little plateus that you think must be the top, only to find an even narrower (and more dangerous) stairway to continue up in. At the almost top is this little chapel, the burial sight of McKenna, almost hidden away. It´s very pretty, and covered with these red cacti flowers, which I became obsessed with as I walked up. Finally you reach the very top, and you´re in a little turret open to the air with a telescope for those wishing to look very far. I was lucky it was such a clear day, because you could see all the mountains, the entire city, in such clarity. It was so incredibly beautiful. It was just what I needed, because at that point I was having a very hard time with accepting the differences with my life in Chile, as well as having some personal problems with loved ones back home. My time up there was just what I needed, because it reminded me that I came to Chile for new experiences, and while some, like this view of the mountains I was having would be wonderful, some would not, and the difficulties were just as, if not more important in building the kind of character I hope to gain from my trips.
Coming down from the very top, I saw dozens of these beautiful little birds. They look a lot like a hummingbird, but they are a glowing green all around, and they make the most interesting call. They were flitting about, drinking nectar from my favorite flowers, filling the otherwise quiet morning with their song. I got like 6 pictures of one bird, I just loved them so much!
Once you walk down and around from the very top, there is this beatiful oasis almost, with a waterfall, benches, and a statue of Pedro de Valdivia. Again, there were wonderful views and the waterfall made the spot even more calming. There are so many different trails and things to see, I plan on going back again soon, and trying some more out. Hopefully when people come visit me I can take them up my favorite path to the top!
So, last Saturday I woke up somewhat early, and spent the day wandering around before my wonderful night out. I went to Cerro Santa Lucia first, which is surprisingly close to my apartment and work. Before I went I got some ice cream from Emporio la Rosa. Yes, I am addicted, and yes people stared at me when I got ice cream at 10 in the morning. The ice cream girl thought it was hilarious though. And I´m pretty used to being stared at now. I got cinnamon and moka. The cinnamon was a little too strong for me, but still good, but the moka was absolutely delicious. In the U.S. mochas are often too sweet for me. They taste like hot chocolate with a hint of espresso, which is good in it´s own right, but is not a classic mocha, which should taste like dark chocolate with a big hit of espresso in my opinion. Luckily, they serve perfect moka´s for my taste here, but I wasn´t so sure about the ice cream. I was a little worried the ice cream would be too sweet and lose the real taste of a moka. But of course, Emporio la Rosa did it again. It was delicious and fantastic, and I can´t imagine anything better. And yes I will probably continue saying that about every single ice cream I have from there.
So back to the Cerro, It´s basically a very larg hill, or very small mountain in the middle of the city. I entered from the West side, very close to where I work. There are quite a few buildings, old castles really, that were used as lookouts and also as homes for the very wealthy in older Santiago. Benjamin McKenna, who is considered one of the greatest leaders in Chile, was very passionate about beautifying Santiago, and Cerro Santa Lucia and Cerro San Cristobal were a large part of his focus. Because of this the buildings are well taken care of, and there are beautiful plants all over the place, turning the Cerro into a huge landscape of ivy and flowers.
As you climb up, you continually get to little plateus that you think must be the top, only to find an even narrower (and more dangerous) stairway to continue up in. At the almost top is this little chapel, the burial sight of McKenna, almost hidden away. It´s very pretty, and covered with these red cacti flowers, which I became obsessed with as I walked up. Finally you reach the very top, and you´re in a little turret open to the air with a telescope for those wishing to look very far. I was lucky it was such a clear day, because you could see all the mountains, the entire city, in such clarity. It was so incredibly beautiful. It was just what I needed, because at that point I was having a very hard time with accepting the differences with my life in Chile, as well as having some personal problems with loved ones back home. My time up there was just what I needed, because it reminded me that I came to Chile for new experiences, and while some, like this view of the mountains I was having would be wonderful, some would not, and the difficulties were just as, if not more important in building the kind of character I hope to gain from my trips.
Coming down from the very top, I saw dozens of these beautiful little birds. They look a lot like a hummingbird, but they are a glowing green all around, and they make the most interesting call. They were flitting about, drinking nectar from my favorite flowers, filling the otherwise quiet morning with their song. I got like 6 pictures of one bird, I just loved them so much!
Once you walk down and around from the very top, there is this beatiful oasis almost, with a waterfall, benches, and a statue of Pedro de Valdivia. Again, there were wonderful views and the waterfall made the spot even more calming. There are so many different trails and things to see, I plan on going back again soon, and trying some more out. Hopefully when people come visit me I can take them up my favorite path to the top!
Tuesday, June 17
Perros y perros y perros
I LOVE all the stray dogs here. They are adorable, and they are very friendly. They also all have little territories of their own, which means I get to see the same ones everyday and pet them. So far no fleas, so I think I´m ok. They´re very cute, and they look just like any dog you´d see in a pound. I´ve seen a husky, german shepherds, black labs, a lot of absolutely amazingly cute little spaniels, and they all just wander around, looking happy and sleepy in the sun.
There is another side to these dogs. And it comes out with the motorcycles. Motorcycles are pretty common to see in Santiago, which I think is because of the smog levels. People are trying to cut down on pollution, so vespas and harleys abound. Dogs go nuts over these motorcycles. They will run along side those things forever, barking up a storm and nipping at their feet. I mean they are vicious. I am frightened of these dogs when a motorcycle comes around. And then they get tired and go back to being their cute little selves. But it is the funniest thing when these cute little sleeping dogs here a moto, all of sudden get up barring fangs, and start to attack, and then half a block later just stop and come back and go to sleep. Sigh, I love dogs.
There is another side to these dogs. And it comes out with the motorcycles. Motorcycles are pretty common to see in Santiago, which I think is because of the smog levels. People are trying to cut down on pollution, so vespas and harleys abound. Dogs go nuts over these motorcycles. They will run along side those things forever, barking up a storm and nipping at their feet. I mean they are vicious. I am frightened of these dogs when a motorcycle comes around. And then they get tired and go back to being their cute little selves. But it is the funniest thing when these cute little sleeping dogs here a moto, all of sudden get up barring fangs, and start to attack, and then half a block later just stop and come back and go to sleep. Sigh, I love dogs.
Chilean Stoplights
Ok, this is the first of very many many posts about things I´ve noticed but have had no time to post about, since I no longer have a computer. The first of these is Chilean stoplights.
I used to think New York driving was awful and scary. However that was before I´d been to Chile. It brings it all to a whole new level. Good lord! These people are crazy. First of all, you know how in New York when the walk sign starts blinking you get ten blinks to cross? Yeah, not so much here. You see blinking and you run, no matter where you are on the street. Because as soon as it stops, that means the green light is up, and you will die if you are in the street. I have been in the middle of the street and people have actually stepped on the gas full throttle, meaning they were two seconds away from killing me if I didn´t do cardio.
This may be one of the scariest parts of living here so far. You might think no big deal, she´s lived in the city, she knows how to walk. NO, it is completely different. In New York drivers openly hate pedestrians, honk at them, but never run over them. Here it is as if people walking across the street don´t exist. If I don´t burn my hand off with the damn calefecon, I´m going to be killed by a car that thinks red means, hurry, you might run it without getting killed. Just thought I´d share this little tidbit with those who might be thinking of braving the streets of Santiago themselves. Wear a helmet.
I used to think New York driving was awful and scary. However that was before I´d been to Chile. It brings it all to a whole new level. Good lord! These people are crazy. First of all, you know how in New York when the walk sign starts blinking you get ten blinks to cross? Yeah, not so much here. You see blinking and you run, no matter where you are on the street. Because as soon as it stops, that means the green light is up, and you will die if you are in the street. I have been in the middle of the street and people have actually stepped on the gas full throttle, meaning they were two seconds away from killing me if I didn´t do cardio.
This may be one of the scariest parts of living here so far. You might think no big deal, she´s lived in the city, she knows how to walk. NO, it is completely different. In New York drivers openly hate pedestrians, honk at them, but never run over them. Here it is as if people walking across the street don´t exist. If I don´t burn my hand off with the damn calefecon, I´m going to be killed by a car that thinks red means, hurry, you might run it without getting killed. Just thought I´d share this little tidbit with those who might be thinking of braving the streets of Santiago themselves. Wear a helmet.
Monday, June 16
HATE technology
I hate technology! Not having a computer is a huge bummer, and of course today was busier than usual. I have so many things I want to post, but for now I´ll give an overview of my weekend and leave it at that. So, Friday I finally hung out with the roomies, helped make dinner, good times. Of course this ended at 12 a.m. because that´s how Chile rolls, but it was fun nonetheless. So then Saturday I did some major sightseeing, pics of which will be posted as soon as I have some time at work.
Saturday night deserves it´s own post, but I don´t have time. I went to my first Chilean barbeque! Chileans love their barbeques, and they are hard core filled with lots of meat, and lots of pisco, which is equivalent to vodka, but is technically a brandy according to wikipedia. It´s very sweet, and I had my first piscola. Then we went to a disco, and since J is an important guy in Latin America, we of course were in the VIP of the VIP sections, which was amazing. We were there until it closed at 5, and then we went to J´s for some after hours winding down. I got home at 8, and that is a typical Chilean night out. AMAZING. Not so amazing was my latin dancing, which I am terrible at, but luckily most of the music was like what you´d find at a U.S. club. Anyway, after much fun times, I had a good day at work and am headed to dinner with J and J and M in a little while. More posts tomorrow, I promise!
Saturday night deserves it´s own post, but I don´t have time. I went to my first Chilean barbeque! Chileans love their barbeques, and they are hard core filled with lots of meat, and lots of pisco, which is equivalent to vodka, but is technically a brandy according to wikipedia. It´s very sweet, and I had my first piscola. Then we went to a disco, and since J is an important guy in Latin America, we of course were in the VIP of the VIP sections, which was amazing. We were there until it closed at 5, and then we went to J´s for some after hours winding down. I got home at 8, and that is a typical Chilean night out. AMAZING. Not so amazing was my latin dancing, which I am terrible at, but luckily most of the music was like what you´d find at a U.S. club. Anyway, after much fun times, I had a good day at work and am headed to dinner with J and J and M in a little while. More posts tomorrow, I promise!
Saturday, June 14
Thursday, June 12
Trabajando en Santiago
I know I already posted today. But I´m here for such a short time, and I want to document everything, and I just have so many things I notice! I´ve worked in quite a few laboratories in my day. Some were very strict, and some were not, some in between. But to be honest, nothing compares to a foreign country. Everything here is SO lax.
For example, in the U.S., in every single lab I worked at we were required to put anything pointy, as well as anything glass in these special metal containers that we then had to lock, and they were taken out by special cleaning people each week in special biohazard bags. And this was not just something labs did, this is due to a law meant to protect people. Here in Chile, they have a container to collect glass in, but it is an open tub. Gloves go in a normal trash can, gloves can be reused, gloves can be taken off however you please! AND I worked with phenol for the first time. Phenol is a very volitale and dangerous incredibly toxic. There are also experiments where it seems to be a possible carcinogen in lab animals. Good lord! I used this stuff in the most unordered lab environment I´ve ever worked in.
Having said all this and possibly made labs in Chile seem inept, I have forever thought all the regulations in the states were unecessary. I thought it was so stupid, even when I was working with human skin on a regular basis, that I needed to be wary of contamination and being careful to wash my hands every 5 seconds. And for the most part, it really is unecessary. I´m sure the accident rate here in Chile in labs is not any worse than in the states. However, when we went through hours and hours of safety training at P&G, we got to watch a lot of videos about things that can go wrong in a lab. Most of them were based on true stories. They were not kidding around, all this stuff can kill you. It is scary shit on the real. The worst was Remember Charlie, which is an amazing video that made everyone in the audience all three times I had to watch it break out into crocodile tears. I don´t reccomend watching it if you are paranoid or have a weak stomach.
So now, all those things I learned, like how phenol can be absorbed in the skin, and you need to clean your bench with alcohol each day, or even storing glass in a locked container start to make sense. My new awareness has made me extra cautious, and thus brings me to my conclusion. They say before you must know the rules before you can break them. I think my time in the U.S. fully taught me the rules, and I mastered them. Chile makes a little more sense, but I believe I will only avoid an accident because of my intense training in the U.S. I don´t know what training is like here in Chile, but I can´t help but wonder if my two countries need to mingle a bit more to come to a commonality.
For example, in the U.S., in every single lab I worked at we were required to put anything pointy, as well as anything glass in these special metal containers that we then had to lock, and they were taken out by special cleaning people each week in special biohazard bags. And this was not just something labs did, this is due to a law meant to protect people. Here in Chile, they have a container to collect glass in, but it is an open tub. Gloves go in a normal trash can, gloves can be reused, gloves can be taken off however you please! AND I worked with phenol for the first time. Phenol is a very volitale and dangerous incredibly toxic. There are also experiments where it seems to be a possible carcinogen in lab animals. Good lord! I used this stuff in the most unordered lab environment I´ve ever worked in.
Having said all this and possibly made labs in Chile seem inept, I have forever thought all the regulations in the states were unecessary. I thought it was so stupid, even when I was working with human skin on a regular basis, that I needed to be wary of contamination and being careful to wash my hands every 5 seconds. And for the most part, it really is unecessary. I´m sure the accident rate here in Chile in labs is not any worse than in the states. However, when we went through hours and hours of safety training at P&G, we got to watch a lot of videos about things that can go wrong in a lab. Most of them were based on true stories. They were not kidding around, all this stuff can kill you. It is scary shit on the real. The worst was Remember Charlie, which is an amazing video that made everyone in the audience all three times I had to watch it break out into crocodile tears. I don´t reccomend watching it if you are paranoid or have a weak stomach.
So now, all those things I learned, like how phenol can be absorbed in the skin, and you need to clean your bench with alcohol each day, or even storing glass in a locked container start to make sense. My new awareness has made me extra cautious, and thus brings me to my conclusion. They say before you must know the rules before you can break them. I think my time in the U.S. fully taught me the rules, and I mastered them. Chile makes a little more sense, but I believe I will only avoid an accident because of my intense training in the U.S. I don´t know what training is like here in Chile, but I can´t help but wonder if my two countries need to mingle a bit more to come to a commonality.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)