Six figures

I just realized that I'm going to be earning six figures in Chile.  (This is likely to be the only time in my life I will be able to say that, given that my life's work is in public library service.)

I've been casually working on (er...meaning to work on) being able to say numbers in the hundreds and thousands in Spanish as most prices in Chile are in the hundred thousands.  Chile has the highest cost of living in South America (also one of the most stable economies), and the prices of some goods are equivalent to what they are in the US.  The exchange rate (one US Dollar is equal to 543 Chilean Pesos), though, means that while I might pay $2.50 for a dozen eggs in the US, I would pay $1,420 in Chile. I'm looking at rent prices of 120,000 (if I'm lucky).

Before giving a green light to this project, I did a lot of calculations to determine whether we could forgo my salary for five months, researched what a leave of absence would mean in terms of suspending employer benefits (insurance, vacation/sick time, flex spending account, PERA contribution, etc.), and created a few scenarios in which I would be able to make ends meet in Chile without having to draw (too much) on savings.  Oh, how I do love a good spreadsheet.

Making my own way in another country has been a goal of mine for a long time, but I couldn't go into it without considering security, backup options and insurance.  There's no guarantee to complete financial security, but since I wanted to get a credit card with no foreign transaction fees, I also looked into extra security measures such as EMV chips (turns out it is a bigger deal for travel through Europe) and took care to look for zero liability.  Consumer Reports rates some of the best ways to send money abroad (some will work, others -like PayPal- aren't used in Chile).  Insure My Trip is a very helpful starting point for comparing medical travel insurance plans or packages, and in explaining what is and is not covered.

I thought about writing a how-to-finance-your-sabbatical type post, but realize that this post is more a reminder to my future self that I did some work to figure out how to afford this adventure if something happens.  I won't know how the planning will or will not pay off until I actually do it, and may not know how well my plans work until well after I return.

Oh, and I stumbled upon this tip, don't flash your cash, from the state department. Very helpful! (But really, I should give a thought to how I prefer to carry cash, since it has been a long time since I've carried anything more than a twenty dollar bill.)

Are sheep going blind in Chile?

During my trip to Australia last year I got a terrible heat rash on my arms and neck - probably due to the fact that the ozone layer is thinner over Tasmania (and most of the southern hemisphere), and (although I wore sunscreen) my skin didn't quite adjust to the extra ultraviolet rays as well as my travel companions.

In both hemispheres, stratospheric ozone (the good stuff, not on the ground) drops in the spring, but  ozone loss is more rapid throughout the southern hemisphere. The ozone hole over Antarctica has to do with ice clouds (containing the ozone-eating chlorine and bromine chemicals) that form during the winters, and then deplete the ozone layer when the sunlight returns in the spring and activates the chemicals.

The ozone layer is thinner over Chile, too, and looks to be thinner the further south one goes.  There's not much to do about it beyond bringing a better sunscreen and the UV-protective shirt I picked up at REI a few years ago.  I will also pack my remaining supply of "buttocks cream," (the lotion that helped heal my arms in Australia last year) just in case.

p.s. I stumbled across this question of whether sheep are going blind in Chile due to the ozone hole. Sheep are going blind in Chile, but it turned out to be a case of the pink eye.

Important destination research

I have a working theory that the closer to the equator the hotter the food, and the further you go from the equator the food gets milder and milder.  When I think of Thai, Indian, Moroccan, or Mexican food (countries that are close to the equator) I think of "full spice," "curry," "pepper," and being asked "how hot do you want it?" in restaurants. When I think of Australian, Russian, Scandinavian, or Minnesotan food (countries/states further from the equator), I think "butter," "bay leaves," "onion," and "potatoes." (Not that people in these regions only prefer hot or spicy, but that's what the agriculture supports).

I was reminded of this theory when I went to select a meal on Air Canada.

"Bland Meal"

It's been fun to read about Chilean food! I've met a few Chileans in the last few months, and most talk about the seafood first (congrio - a type of eel - and salmon are mentioned most frequently), the barbecues (asados) second, and the pisco and wine third. Everyone I've spoken with has mentioned that the prices of fruits and vegetables are more affordable in Chile than in the United States, and that typical Chilean cuisine (empanadas (meat pie), pastel de choclo (corn pie), curanto (fish soup) is delicious and flavorful, but not spicy.  The Humboldt Current brings a wide array of seafood to Chile; olives (not native, but thrive in the climate) are grown in the northern and central regions, and this may be one of the few times that I could try llama meat.

I'm definitely looking forward to a day trip through the Elqui Valley for a pisco discovery expedition, a jaunt through the Colchagua Valley for a carmeneré tour.

A quick note about propinas (tips).
Tipping in restaurants is generally 10% of the bill (lower than the 15% to 20% of the US). I don't expect to eat out very often, but I do expect to buy groceries. It is customary (expected?) to tip the people who bag your groceries in Chile, as they do not earn a salary and depend entirely on tips.

At any rate, I'm looking forward to a few months of meat and veg.

On going solo*

Frequently asked question: "What about your husband...is he going with you?"

The short answer is no - mainly because he doesn't want to (he has never wanted to travel to South America, much less spend any significant amount of time there), and partly because this is my dream, and a learning experience I want to create for myself.

People are generally excited for me that I'm doing this, but we've both heard mixed reactions from our family and friends when they learn that I am doing this without him.  ("But...you're married."  "It will be nice to have a break from your marriage." "It's healthy for people in relationships to do things on their own." "Are you going to open up your marriage so you can have an affair?" "What are you going to do with your husband while you're gone?" "People do this. It's okay.")  I've gotten half-reactions and non-reactions, too, which may or may not have anything to do with thoughts about our not doing this together. My relationships with family and friends mean a great deal to me, and I really value the endorsements, the resistance, and the reactions in between. I don't live my life in a vacuum, and I love that our people are looking out for me, for him, and for our relationship.

Before I gave a green light to this adventure, Dan and I talked about how/if this would work for our lifestyle (can we afford this?), how/if this would work for our relationship (can we be apart for a few months? what happens to the relationship when one person experiences something totally different?), and how/if this would work for us as individuals (our life goals).  In short, my going to Chile for four months works for us. Dan will say that it's unreasonable for our passions to always be in alignment. I will say that I'm a bit uncomfortable that this adventure is rather Kat-centered, but is a LOT cheaper than my doing something like grad school.  And the only way we're going to find out that this new-ish type of thing does (or doesn't) work for us is to do it.

It is a bit of a paradigm shift for me, though.  It is true that our individual interests haven't always lined up, and we've always embraced that in our relationship. And yet - how we each spend our time on our individual pursuits has never looked anything at all like spending four months on different continents.  (This adventure isn't simply a bike ride to Saint Paul, after all!). Nobody in our circles (our siblings, our parents, our friends) do the "big things" without their partner, if they are partnered, so there isn't exactly a model for us to follow.  Yes, other couples do things like this, but since we don't know them I've had a little bit of a "one of these things is not like the other" thing going on.  In terms of our relationship, we say that four months will either a) fly by, and we will wonder what the fuss was about,

or b) what? Fill in the blank __________.

*Also, I'm not going solo. My friend Alicia and I are going together! How that came together is another story, and one that both of us are a little fuzzy on the details about. 

Getting to Chile

What started with "I am thinking of doing an extended stay in a Spanish-speaking country for six months to learn Spanish," got to "I am going to live and work in Viña del Mar, Chile for four months" fairly quickly.

Chile or Argentina...Chile or Argentina...

Getting to the southern part of
South America was the easy part

Neither country would have been the wrong choice, so I spent a few weeks contemplating this decision. I talked to as many people as I could find, read country profiles and travel books, searched for work and places to live, and kept up with my South American multireddit.

When I thought about increasing vocabulary and developing fluency in Spanish, both countries appealed to me.  When I thought about understanding people so that I could do things (like find work and a place to live, or get a cell phone or a bus ticket), Chile won. The Argentine Spanish accent is beautiful to listen to, as it is heavily influenced by the Italian language.  However, when I watched Nueve Reinas, an Argentine movie, I couldn't make out the words that I knew. When I watched Gigante, a Chilean movie, I could make out the words that I knew, and could at least spell or sound out the words that I didn't know.  I've heard that Chileans speak very quickly, that Chilean Spanish is not necessarily similar to the Spanish I encounter in Minnesota, and that I should be prepared to not understand anything for awhile. I'm hoping that it won't take as long for me to understand the language in Chile as it might have in Argentina. I'll find out!

I didn't have many contacts in either country while I was exploring the options, but once I decided on Chile I have met or been introduced to many people who are either Chilean, have lived/worked in Chile, and who have been willing to put me in touch with the Chilean people in their life.  That has been fun - and helpful!

Beyond the language barrier, I also considered geography, comfort, and where I might stand a better chance of immersing myself.

• Chile is not nearly as big as Argentina, and has well maintained highways, making it easier to see more of the country by bus (which is cheaper than flying everywhere!). 
• Buenos Aires (13.5 million) and Santiago (5.5 million) are too big for me, and while Argentina has more smaller city options, the small cities are still close to or over 1 million people.  The Valparaiso-Viña del Mar region (about the same size as Minneapolis-Saint Paul) appealed to me instantly for its size, relatively central location, and proximity to Santiago. (Also, it translates to "Vineyard of the Sea." That works for me.)
• The cost of living in Chile is higher, but it seems to be more stable (politically and economically). 

Random thoughts that occurred to me along the way, but that didn't really factor into my decision-making:

• Malbec (Argentina) is my favorite wine.  Carmenere (Chile) is quickly catching up.
• Argentina has more opportunities for whale watching. When I'm at an ocean, I look for whales. It's what I do.
• My childhood impression of the counselors at El Lago del Bosque (the Spanish camp I attended). The Argentines were gorgeous. The Chileans were nice. I want nice.

Language learning

A little over one year ago I was speaking with a colleague about language learning, and I mentioned that I was a very good beginner, but always got stuck when I had to make the leap to conjugating verbs and expanding my vocabulary.  He didn't bother with talking about the various ways to learn a language. He just jumped right to the best way of learning a language, which is to live in a country where that language is spoken.

Living in a Spanish-speaking country is not the only way to learn Spanish, just one of the best ways.  I have a decent background in Spanish, and have taken formal Spanish classes throughout my life.  But when I wanted to speak Spanish in my work at a public library in South Minneapolis I got more serious about listening and speaking.

Before this trip came up I began to work on improving my Spanish again in order to talk with patrons.

Active vocabulary
Brainscape Spanish uses confidence-based repetition (you rate your confidence as you plug through the flashcards, which means that flashcards are repeated at a great rate for learning). It does not include a recording option, which I actually prefer since I'm trying to build my vocabulary with this app - not my fluency.

DuoLingo uses more techniques to engage different learning styles. You answer questions using multiple choice, construct sentences, record your voice, and translate between languages. It's really easy to use (and free) but requires a bit more accuracy than I'm interested in right now.

CatAcademy is simply brilliant. It's a British app to learn Castilian Spanish, but you learn language. From cats.

Passive Vocabulary
News in Slow Spanish Latino is a fantastic service. The presenters speak slowly, so I have a chance to hear the language and make out the words.  I can listen for a long enough (and short enough) period of time to get the gist of what is being said without having to know the meaning of every single word.

Español Interactivo. Each lesson includes beginner, intermediate, and advanced - which is great for both building active vocabulary and recognition.

There are many other options for language learning, including books, finding a language swap partner or taking a class in the community. So far, I have learned (and remembered!) the most when I have conversations with friends or library patrons in Spanish. Much as computer programs have improved, nothing beats human interaction.

Naranjas y duraznos

Oranges and Peaches: the South American edition.

I am in the process of creating an opportunity to do a "sabbatical" in South America, with the idea of gaining some fluency in Spanish and experiencing a way of life in another part of the world.  I asked for (and was granted) a leave of absence from my employer, and the plan is to live and work in the Valparaíso Region of Chile for four months (late February to mid- to late-June).  

I kept a blog in 2007-2008 called Oranges and Peaches, and primarily wrote about things that were supposedly common knowledge, and things that would be easy to misunderstand without having prior knowledge.  Because there is a lot to figure out to create an adventure like this (and I will continue to discover things along the way) the spirit of the original Oranges and Peaches seems to correspond nicely with the focus of what I want to write about this year.  

Entonces, bienvenidos a Naranjas y Duraznos.