Un día típico

How to spend the last day of the first full week in Viña: 

Start off by filling the best coffee mug ever. It comes with a filter (which works) meaning it is possible to brew coffee in the mug. This is important if Nescafé isn't your thing. (Instant coffee is much better here than in the states, but it's not my thing first thing in the morning). 

Decide not to take the colectivo to work, even though you know where they do and do not stop now. 

Walk to the metro instead, and enjoy the cloudy morning view. Also, be happy that the walk back up this hill comes at the end if the day. Los cerros! 

Hop on the metro. Hop off two stops later. Walk the rest of the way - a little over a mile and a half in total. 

Watch the preschool assistants make 16 worksheets each for the number 3 and another 16 for the letter A - entirely by hand. Suddenly wonder if part of the reason worksheets seem to be a big deal (the kids erased just as much as they wrote yesterday) is because they take so long to make. Offer to help, and discover that your work-sheet making skills are not up to par. 

Help a little girl become a 20s-era vampire diva. 

Find the public library after work. Get all excited to browse! Walk in to discover there are three bookshelves and two librarians who want to know what you want. Feel abruptly put on the spot. Decide to ask for...something...

Me: Hay un diccionario? 

Bibliotecaria: Qué? 

Me: Hay un diccionario? 

Bibliotecaria: Qué? 

Bibliotecaria 2: Un diccionario. 

Bibliotecaria: [points to the dictionary]

Bibliotecaria 2: No me entiendes nada. Then she walked out.  

 

I sat on the one chair for a minute, which was kind of awkward because the librarian seemed really uncomfortable about my presence. Maybe I wasn't doing it right? Oh well. 

Go to a cafe instead - for empanadas, coffee, writing, and wifi. (Alternatively, you could walk around or buy groceries. You did that yesterday). 

Head for "home." Take a picture of the metro station sign because you want to. 

While you're at it, take a picture of the metro signage showing that pregnant women are included in the "give your seat up for" category. (Pregnant women also get preferential treatment when it comes to parking and lines in the grocery store. Families? No. Just during pregnancy). 

Get home and notice the weather has changed again, and remember that the concept of "layering" in Viña (maybe all of Chile?) means at least 3 layers. 

Also, sit and enjoy the sounds of traffic and ocean and seagulls as you let your brain hurt a little bit less after a day of mostly understanding what is being said but not being able to come close to repeating the majority of it. 

And love it.