In the arms of the angels?

Dear Sarah McLaughlin,

You sing a sad song to us Americans.  I think there is one for British Columbia, where is Chile's sad song? I see no angels here, guiding, protecting, caring, feeding, loving these poor dogs.  I'm serious, walking from my house to where I go to class, on average I will see 15-20 dogs.  Lyings, shivering, starving.  They will look up at you and stare and kind of whimper.  This is coming from the guy who wanted to do the entire Theatre for Social Change project on animal cruelty.  

I started sneaking food to the stray dogs on the street, which I have been told never to do.  But I can't help it.  The first time I did it, it wasn't very secretive.  And I fed one dog and all of his friends came running and they got in a fight and then they all followed me home.  All in all I had a pact of about 6 dogs chasing after me.  Now you kind of have to let them find the food on their own and hide it in different places.

But seriously ... I get depressed everyday seeing them.

Sarah McLaughlin please help Chile.  And every other country with a dog problem.

Amorrr,

Seth

We Are Many

I arrived.  Arrived to a place distant from where I am.  It's good.  A refreshing dose of difference. 

For the first time I believe, I am a true stranger.  A true gringo in their eyes.  No one knew me.  No knows me either.  Walking the streets with a smile for no reason.  It's frigid and windy but I like it.  Absent of my own culture, yet so heavily influenced by it as well.  Una mezcla (mixture).  I'm truly ignorant.  Truly lost.  Learning, searching, walking aimlessly and it's wonderful.  

Taking public transportation to class is worthy of a blog post each time.  It's kind of expensive and adds up fast.  Visited the beaches, the dunes, the mountains (not the Andes), the new city, the old city, Neruda, the ascensores.  And I still haven't even breached the surface of Chile.  Spanish is so much harder than I expected.  Fairly dangerous at night.  A sense of adventure.  Pretty happy.

I do have some photos ...  www.picasaweb.google.com/carmikle71223

I would like to be able to touch a bell
and call up my real self, the truly me,
because if I really need my proper self,
I must not allow myself to disappear.

- Pablo

Estoy en Chile!

Ayer y hoy fue fantástico y terrible.  Estuve enfermo ayer pero las personas aquí son muy simpáticas.  No come nada hasta la noche.  Ay ... mi español es muy mal.  

Yesterday we arrived in Santiago after a terrifying plain ride.  Sprinting through the Knoxville airport with no shoes on screaming at the terminal to wait for me and then the indescribable turbulence we experienced.  I finally made it ... Chile is breathtaking.  Mornings and nights are cold pero durante el día hace buen tiempo.  Anoche fui a un pub con los estudiantes y alla bebemos y cantamos karaoke. 

Hoy, we went hiking at this place dedicated to Darwin, because it was here where he got that disease that killed him.  The mountains were amazing.  Nothing like the US.  I didn't bring my camera because I am having this hard time reconciling just taking everything what it there for or taking pictures which can never captivate the experience.   But I do regret now not having pictures.  It was one of the most beautiful places I've seen.  Much more to come.  

Oh! Bailamos! Bailamos! Bailamos! Con los Chilenas y las dances Chilenas.  

Bien y mal,

Seth