Earthquake

I experienced my first earthquake today and it was kind of fun because it was only little. All of the Tias and I were just sitting around chatting and the ground just started moving it was so crazy. I got all excited which they thought was funny and I explained it was my first earthquake experience ever.

Two of our babies got adopted this week and it was really fun to see the whole process. The Tias are all happy and sad at the same time because they've come attached to these babies but obviously adoption is really what they want for them so they are thrilled. That takes our house down to only nine babies now. One more baby is actually in the process of being adopted and their hoping it will all go through in the next few weeks. Then we'll only have eight!

It was really interesting I talked with the other volunteer that works in the baby house with me and learned about the backgrounds of all the children there yesterday. Most of them are there because their parents have drug problems, but therefore cannot really be adopted because the parents still have to give up the rights to their children and most of them won't. It's a really sad situation for these poor little tikes. The two that were adopted this week were easy adoptions though because they were both abandoned in the streets when only a few days old and therefore have no family connections. Another one of the little boys' grandmother is also in the process of trying to adopt him. His mother is a drug addict, and the court wants to give him to his grandmother but she has been deemed financially unstable. But she recently got a job and is really trying hard which I think is neat - we're hoping they'll let her have him soon. Our ten month old baby that has been really sick and is really small for his age will also hopefully be adopted soon by his father. That story is that the boys mother and father were together, but then broke up - she was pregnant but didn't tell him. She had the baby and then abandoned it, and then proceeded to tell this guy that she had his child and abondoned it in the streets. He actually tracked the little boy down - finally found him - and wants to adopt him but is having to prove he is the father and go through a lot of legal stuff thats taking forever. So anyway - sad stories.

Today I met a guy named Eduardo in the streets and it was completely random. I was just walking to work and I hear really quick footsteps coming up behind me and then this guy leans around me and says 'hola!' I say 'hola' and keep walking as he starts to walk next to me. The first sentence that comes out of his mouth is in english and he says, "I saw you from my window the other day." I didn't really know what to say so I was like, "ooookay." I think he could tell I was a little freaked out because he changed the subject very quickly. We then did the whole get to know you chat. Where are you from - what are you doing here- etc.... half in english, half in spanish - he speaks both. So we were walking and talking for probably five minutes and then he goes back to the window thing.
Eduardo: I saw you from my window the other day
Me: Okay - what was I doing - walking - or was I with the kids - what?
Eduardo: You were walking
Me: Great
Eduardo: And then today I was walking and I saw you walking in front of me and I thought - now is the time to speak to her.
And then we just happen to get to his house and he says 'there - there is the window I saw you from - that is my room - that is where I live - that window - that is the one I saw you from.' And then we said goodbye and I went to work and he went home. It was so random - and it's pretty funny because all of us volunteers have stories like this because these guys try and speak english with us and everything comes out very forward and direct through translation. For example, I don't think he was saying he watches me through his window, but thats kind of what it made it sound like. Really - one day he just happened to see me walking and wanted to know what I am doing here. So funny stuff - plenty of new adventures in Chile

Driving fiasco. Driving here in Chile is completely 100% stressful. Yesterday I drove into the city to a hospital and it was the most stressful event I've had for a very long time. The Tia I was with did not help the situation. Most of the Tias have come to a very easy driving process with me - where they just give me very simple directions. Left - Right - Straight - Here. But this Tia refused to make my life simple. Not once did she say the word left when we needed to turn left, it was a whole slur of words and I have no idea what she was saying. And most adults here, when you tell them you don't understand what they said, will repeat themselves slower or say it in another way. But do you think this Tia could do that for me? Oh no - she would ask me if I understood, I would say no I didn't, and she would repeat the exact same sentence at the exact same speed. It was so unbelievably frustrating. I've decided though that this Tia is just crazy, because there were multiple occassions I think she just wanted us to get run over. For example, every time I checked my blind spot she gave me a whole big lecture on how I should never look back, only use my mirrors, because I will hit the car in front of me if I look back. But it's just habit for me to check my blindspot, and honestly its a good habit and I don't really care what she says, I'm going to keep checking my blindspot. The other way she tried to get us run over is by directing me into the 'bus and taxi only' lane several times. She made me go over into the lane so she could see the street signs, but the buses were honking at me and getting all mad, so I would go back to where I was supposed to be, and then she would get mad, it was just ridiculous. If you can't tell, me and this Tia do not get along well as of right now. She frustrates me, I frustrate her. And the problem is I could pretty well understand her lectures the whole drive, but I can't produce enough spanish to explain to her my side. So I just sat there - minutes after minutes getting chewed out and just having to take it. And towards the end her tone of voice became rather unpleasant as well when she would explain something and then say, 'do you understand ME'. The added emphasis on ME combined with the unpleasant tone came out to be pretty harsh. I really just wanted to pull over and say, 'Do you want to drive, oh wait, you can't, you don't have a license, that's why I'm driving for you, and wait, I'm not even getting paid, so be nice to me!' Needless to say, this was one of those days that I was wondering why I am even volunteering. The idea of quitting and just traveling around for the next two months was sounding awfully appealing.

But then there are moments like today when I picked the kids up from daycare and my dear little Pancho came out of daycare holding his backpack looking at the ground. He then looked up and the second he saw me his eyes just lit up and he said, 'Tia Tiffany!' He then ran to me and gave me a huge hug. That is what makes it worth it.