Why Are We Here Anyway?
Thursday, August 14
I thought I'd be clever and write regularly and perhaps start each post with a Rumi quote. That's not been my morning or evening ritual and so no posts, no notes, no reflections, no nada. Just figuring out how to blog is a challenge. Perhaps in time, I'll figure out how to upload photos or change the color of the type...guess I figured that out...
Here are two reasons we are in Chile...Aayan and Amaya...sweet, lovely nietos. We wanted to be more a part of their lives...helping to make those grandparent memories that I hold so fondly in my own mind. Grandma Louise and Grandpa Moe, taking me to Radio City during the Christmas holiday, watching the skaters, getting to the NBC window early so we could see Dave Garroway and J. P Muggs of the Today Show. We'd travel down there in Grandpa's own yellow checker cab. He always said we were his "precious cargo." He was very proud of his cab and it was always impeccable inside. Grandma never sat in front. She hated to drive in cars, worse for her was flying in a plane, so if I ever traveled with them, we went by train. I loved traveling on the trains with them. The porters always made me a bed between the seats on soft pillows. The wool blankets were soft and sweet smelling. Grandma and Grandpa sat on the seats...their legs offered me protection, while the clicking of the wheels and the distant sound of the whistle blowing lulled me to sleep. Dinners in the dining car were always a treat. I felt like a special guest, like a princess. As I think about it now, I'm not even sure where we traveled from, but imagine that I traveled with them from Cincinnati OH, where my parents moved when I was just turning 9 years old, to their home back in NYC. Maybe even my sister was with us, but I have no memory of her there...just me on the pillows...the train, the whirring of the wheels and wonderful meals in the dining car. I hated being in Cinti. I always wanted to go back home to NY. The memories of that time are hazy and dim, but the sensation of being with my grandparents remains strong and sweet. I am hoping that Aayan and Amaya will have sweet memories of us as well and carry that into their adult lives.
Our schedule now is to pick them up at school on Mondays and Wednesdays. They attend a private school in the foothills of the Andes. it's a beautiful school campus. There are multiple buildings, most are hexagonal two story structures, while the cafeteria, gym, art studio, and some of the other classroom groups are rectangular. All the buildings are adobe. Tibetan prayer flags greet everyone at the entrance, along the entrance trail to classrooms, 3 beautiful prayer wheels sit opposite the small office building. Every classroom has meditation cushions, singing bowl, and more prayer flags. The philosophy is a combination of Montessori, Waldorf and Buddhist principles.
This is just a taste of the campus...they have a community garden, composting, recycling, and their sensibility about the world and peace and being conscious of the planet and what we do on the planet is evident everywhere. I'm happy they are in this school and they seem to thrive there. I'll take more photos at another time,but how many schools do you know that offer meditation in each classroom and have a community garden, and beautiful adobe stone buildings with mosaic pathways...not too many I would imagine?
Some say that a trip starts the moment you decide to go, so I suppose our moving to Santiago Chile began a year ago this past February 2013 after attending our second memorial for friends who had both died suddenly of heart failure. Their deaths were shocking and sobering. Both were actually younger than Michael or I. While we somberly sat at the second memorial listening to Katy's children eulogizing their mother and her grandchildren, the exact same ages as ours appearing lost and confused, we looked at one another and Michael said, "it's time! We need to go now and be with our grandchildren while we can. We're healthy...let's go." There was absolutely no hesitation for either of us. We started talking about how we could do it and what would make it possible.
Michael was already semi retired. He was no longer accepting big jobs or looking for company positions. I was and still am not ready for retirement and wasn't sure how I could leave my practice for a whole year. The universe in its great wisdom listened to my concerns and in a matter of weeks I began meeting therapists who had for years been offering long distance therapy sessions over Skype. My concerns evaporated quickly and plans began in earnest.
It's now May 29th, 2014 a month before we leave NH. We have renters who we feel will take good care of our house and gardens, a renter who will use my office well and hopefully build her practice, and a condo waiting for us in Nuñoa Santiago not far from Elijah and Gaby's condo....so all systems seem to be a go!
June 4, 2014 Wednesday.
It's a grey and dreary day here in NH. I am imagining that this is the weather I will be encounter when we first move to Santiago. it is fall turning to winter when we actually arrive. The good news is that there will be no snow and if the temperature hovers around 50 degrees I'll be happy. Our winter here barely feels over. Yesterday I was wearing summer wear and today back in fall gear. It has been a bitter winter....a harbinger of things to come? perhaps. I think about climate disruption and all the havoc fossil fuels wreak upon the atmosphere. That conversation is for sometime later. In the meanwhile, I'm still cleaning and packing and chucking. We are however closing in. all the desks are clear of our debris. Our antique desk is now at the storage unit.
July 6 Sunday Santiago
I no longer had any time to just sit and write as we prepared for departure. We worked tirelessly until we left on the 27th. I still worked 3 days a week and then came home ate dinner and began working again until the house was as spotless as we could get it, all our personal affects were stored either in our storage unit or in our basement storage room, or were tossed.
Moving is no small task. We hadn't moved in 17 years...our collection of things is ridiculous. I'm hopeful we will be more mindful of all of that when we return home, but that's already 12 months from now. We are now in Santiago in our apt.
We left Friday, June 27th for Brewster Mass to visit friends, Mitch and Yvonne. The weather leaving NH and while at the Cape was fabulous...warm, sunny....amazing clear skies. We had a delicious weather send off until of course we needed to get on our plane in NY. We left Brewster, MA on Sunday for Brewster, NY to spend the rest of our time in the US with Samantha, our daughter. We spent time together visiting small towns around Brewster, drinking coffee, walking in the woods and appreciating the weather and eventually going into the city. July 2nd, we were Astoria with our blankets to listen to a symphony orchestra while watching fireworks. The fireworks show went on for what felt like forever. The view into the city and the walk along the Hudson terrific. In probably a 5 foot span around us, we saw more diversity than is in the entire state of NH. That part of NH living is difficult. I love watching all the different looking types of people, listening to the the multiple languages, and seeing all the multicultural children playing together and enjoying one another without noticing that one is this or that color, speaking one language and then easily switching to another...
We left Brewster for LaGuardia airport on July 4th, a rainy day with hurricane Herbert moving fast towards the Carolinas. American Airlines texted me several times with the positive message, your flight is on time...We got through all the check lines and in fact were given VIP treatment...We were told we were already pre-checked...I guess my on line work got us through easily...but for naught. As soon as we arrived at the gate, we were told all flights out of LaGuardia were canceled and there would be no more flights out of there for probably 3 days...oy! We called the number they handed us on the little white square of paper and were told we could be rerouted directly to Santiago the next day, but no stopping in Columbus to see my brother and family...phftttt! bummer! and thank goodness we could get out of dodge, but now what? I called Samantha, who thankfully had a premonition that we weren't going anywhere. She slowly drove herself to Jackson Heights to get some good food to eat along the hour long drive back home and was just then being handed her empanada's from Mama Empanadas...she was 10 minutes away...thank goodness. She stored her empanadas in the back of her car, for another day and came back to get us. By the time she arrived, the heavens opened and the effects of Herbert felt with a vengence. Driving visibility was impaired and I was grateful that Samantha was with us, that she wasn't on the highway driving on her own, and that we were together and we'd figure out dinner and a place for us to stay for the night. She found the Thai restaurant we ate at when Elijah and Aayan left for Santiago the month before....it was an amazing gastronomic event then, so we eagerly got out of our dry car into the very wet night and made our way into the restaurant, now about 9:30 pm. Thank you NY for never going to sleep....we were hungrier than we thought and the place packed. We luckily had packed our raincoats in anticipation of a wet Santiago, so they were in our carry-on bags. The rest of the bags, five to be exact, were being transferred to LAN for our next day trip...NOT! but that saga is for a bit later.
Our Arrival
So today, Sunday was the beginning of our emersion experience. After a leisurely getting up and figuring out the water situation for showers, we ate breakfast and left to walk to Elijah's apt. But first maybe I'll discuss the water situation. We need to turn on the gas to heat the hot water so we can have a shower...Michael tried first...F for frio and C for Calor were reversed...so eventually he figured that out and he got a scalding shower...by the time I took a shower maybe 20 minutes or so later, the water was tepid...so we need more time for tweeking and figuring out the system here.
Our walk to Avenida Grecia was a pleasant one. By the time we got outside, the sun was shining, the sky very clear and we could see the snow cover Andes looming in the distance. it was surprising not to have the smog and bad air conditions we'd been reading about. it was a wonderful day. Our path took us through a familiar park which used to be land attached to a mansion now library. The park is lovely...a huge semi circular arched arbor goes on for at least a block and by summer the vines will cover the structure and shade the pathway, There are huge trees and playground and exercise equipment throughout the park. Today families walked, played and added laughter and color to our walk. We live about a block from plaza Nunoa...a square and on the other side are restaurants and cafes. We will check all that out tomorrow on our early morning walk.
Elijah and Gaby were already outside ready for the feria. They had 2 carts, one for each of us. The feria in their neighborhood is a few blocks away and several blocks long filled with fruits, vegetable of all sorts, and booths of this and that. We walked through most of it. Gaby and Elijah helped us figure out all the details of paying and asking for the various vegetables and fruits...I had found a small purse with about 8000 pesos before leaving the States, so we used all that...and then some. Gaby and Elijah bought some things and shared them with us. Tomorrow we will figure out about getting some more cash, so we can do what we need to do.
Gerardo and Lena met us at the apt. before leaving for the feria so they watched all the kids so we were there kidless which made the experience manageable. We were gone quite some time, but Gaby and Elijah went into action making a salad and a chicken stew. Lena and Gerardo and the kids already ate something before we arrived...so there was plenty to go around and I'm hoping plenty left so Elijah has some to take for lunch tomorrow.
We walked back with all our loot...we walked past Jumbo's instead of back through the park to get a feel for where we are. It's of course much more pleasant through the park, but I would imagine, not at all safe after dark anyway...There's a small shop at the end of our street, right beyond our condo complex. looks like breads and cheeses and very close by a vegetarian restaurant owned by one of Gaby's friends. We actually met her at the feria. no doubt we will need to check it out and eat there.
So the bag saga continues. I called American early this morning and was told the bags were flown to Santiago and arrived this morning at 7:39...same time we would have landed had we taken the original plane route...but later I was told by LAN I had to fill out all this complicated paperwork on line before they would release them. Those forms were maddening and in the end, I abandoned the task so we could be at Elijah's at a reasonable hour. While eating dinner, some woman called to say they had 4 of our 5 bags and they would drop them off at our apt. between 6 and 10 tonight. It is now 7:36 and no doubt we will see them at around 10...but why only 4 who the hell knows. It's maddening. In the meanwhile, I do not have anything really warm, all my warm nighties are in my bag and who knows which bag is missing...and why...We also don't know if the things we packed are still in it because of course we are no longer allowed to lock the bags...so it will be interesting to see if they arrive at all and which bag is missing. As it happens I took several shots of the bags before we left, so I will show them to whomever if they ever do arrive. To be continued.
I didn't take any photos today. I thought about it while walking towards the picturesque Andes and while at the feria, but figure I have plenty of time to do that and today was just an opportunity to figure out where we are, and how to get from here to there.
Saturday July 11 5:30 pm
Getting used to Chile and the 20 degree change in temperature from morning to afternoon and back to evening lows is not so easy. it is by far chillier in the apt. than outside. it just doesn't heat up during the day. We don't have any direct sun on our apt. which in the winter is not good. it will be interesting to experience the arc of the sun's rays in the summer. Perhaps it will be the reverse and we will be overheated. No way to know now.
We still do not have the water situation worked out, although eventually after being scalded, then frozen...managed to get enough hot water to get the conditioner out of my hair this morning. Michael just got scalded. Turning on the water is an art. Apparently we cannot turn the faucet on full blast or else the water is scalding...not enough and the water is cold...it has to be just barely beyond not too much, for the water to be a good temperature...no cold or else the whole balance is lost. The heater in the bedroom barely warms the bone chilling cold. We don't have a heater in the back room yet, so it will be way too cold for the kids to sleep there. Supposedly, Tanya, the owner's daughter mentioned to Elijah that if we felt we needed another heater, she would supply it...she just doesn't answer her phone at all. Ah texting worked! I don't think of texting first...yes she will have her husband install 2 new units...great...maybe warmth is on it's way.
So the bags...the damn bags. 4 out of 5 isn't so bad, but would like that 5th one since it has my boots and in the morning, I sure could use those boots. Michael has his super warm Chilean sweater in it as well along with his new shoes. It appears the bag never left LaGuardia and has been sitting there all this time. They've sent it on to Dallas and when we will receive it is an unknown. We've had a different person each time we've called with new and different information. it has been maddening, especially since I'm using all my skype phone minutes to call LAN, it's not how I expected to use the minutes, but I should be grateful really that I've had that available. I now however have a chilean phone, which comes in handy when we have to reach the kids or anyone else here in Santiago.
We've made arrangements to start language classes with a young man named Ivan in a week and a half. he is a friend of Gaby's and speaks several different languages and is a professional musician and language teacher. We will travel to his home in Las Condas or near there twice a week. We'll see how it goes. We have to photocopy the workbook he left for us so we both have a copy and give that one back to him. I think it's going to cost us around $60 per week, but if is successful and we understand what people are saying to us...halleluah.
Last night at around 11:00 one of the men in the guard house called here and I didn't understand anything he said, I told him that and he said, ok and said it again at the same super speed...totally ridiculous. These Chilenos eat their words, speak more rapidly than most latinos and on top of it they mumble...BUT I'm up for the challenge. Ivan will teach us Chilean idioms and words particular to Chile...so we will fit in. Maybe. We'll see.
The day today was crisp and sunny. We went into the foothills today to view the Bahai Temple. What a place...wow. When it's done it will be spectacular. Elijah is supervising all the pathways and I can see now the conceptualization of the landscape as the pathways meander up to the Temple. This is a spectacular project. Steel from Germany, marble from Portugal, glass from some other place I can't now remember...it's designed to absorb light from the sun and to emanate light from within. It's an architectural wonder I have to say. We are not allowed to take photos of the construction site, however the official website is contantly photographing the progress. The last time I was there, it was just a hole in the ground. The steel structure is now up. The marble is on the grounds. The crew was working today and probably will be working tomorrow to stay on schedule. They expect the Temple to be finished sometime early 2016. Then they are going to be building out buildings and have plans for a college and hospital and senior housing. It's a complete spiritual community they are planning. How soon the rest will unfold is hard to tell. they have begun retrofitting the clubhouse originally on the grounds and it is quite large...they have a large hall where they can have gatherings and meals together. They are expecting thousands when they officially open the Temple here. it should be quite the event.
The people on the tour with us were all lovely. One woman Trini from Bolivia is a psychologist and systemic therapist. She is hoping to move back to Chile...she'd love to stay connected with me...so that would be nice. Mehernas, Elijah's boss, Said's, wife, also was there. She only speaks Farsi and English, has never learned Spanish...I'd like to connect with her as well. they live in Providencia. it will be nice to develop friends here, otherwise it will feel very lonely. I'm looking forward to also finding a chorus. Soon coming I think!
Tuesday, July 16, 8:30
"Respond to every call that excites your spirit." Rumi
