Goodbye Colina

I should have written a post, summing up what I’ve gained from this year/how I’ve found myself now and how I’ve improved/naming names of people who’ve been good to me and thanking them. But I couldn’t. I can’t. The past year was so intense that I still feel a bit shell-shocked by it. So much happened that I can’t imagine how I could compress it down into a little sound bite about the benefits of a gap yah. It’s so fresh and vivid that going back through my memories is a bit painful. So I’ll just take a leaf from the Chileans, who just say what they feel, even though it often makes the English listener cringe/feel very insulted/laugh at them:

My friends and those children will stay in my heart forever, and I miss them so much.

DAY 57: For the Fourth Time

I have now spent quite a significant amount of time in Colina’s medical centre and I can say entirely confidently that, following a delightful afternoon there, I prefer the NHS. I prefer the NHS for one reason only; the NHS generally deals with medical problems without giving someone an injection in their bum. This was the fourth time in ten months that I have had a large needle stuck in my posterior.

DAY 58: Mi Flaitita

DAY 59: CHI CHI CHI LEH LEH LEH VIVAAA CHILEEEH (again)

We went with some adults from the Hogar to watch the match. I lost my voice entirely trying to keep up with the enthusiasm of their cheering.

DAY 60: Firemen or Fiestamen?

#firelads

Throughout this year I have been fascinated by the Bomberos (firemen) of Chile*. They are all unpaid volunteers and are fiercely dedicated to their job and brotherhood (and sisterhood, there are Bomberas). Sunday was ‘Open Firestation Day’ so we jumped at the chance to look around. I was struck by the sacrifices they make (Colina alone has two ‘martyrs’ and the volunteers often have to sleep in the station), but also by how much of the station was dedicated to partying. In Colina’s Firestation they have:

• A swimming pool
• An asado
• A bar
• A flatscreen TV
• A pool table
• No firemen’s pole because “drunk people will fall down it or try and dance on it…”

I left with the impression that the Bomberos know how to live life to its fullest…

*https://isobelinchile.wordpress.com/tag/bomberos/

DAY 61: Bedtime!

We all sleep in the front room now because of body-heat and the fact we’ve got less than two months left together.

DAY 62: Charley Band

This is a dodgy photo (I have proven, repeatedly, through this blog that I desperately lack Grace’s photographic abilities) of the wonderful Charley band.

We know a family that consists of Charley the dad, Charley the son and Charley the cat. They work at Charley Carnicería and they are members of Charley Band. The band consists of various relatives, is really, really cool and plays a mixture of Cumbia and Jazz at the Hippie Commune.

DAY 63: Chi Chi Chi Leh Leh Leh VIVAAA CHILEEEH

6

Chile is currently hosting the Copa Americana, meaning that every male left of the Andes is sporting a red, white and blue football shirt and clutching a vuvuzela. Watching the opening match in Colina’s central plaza was an exhilarating, if terrifying, experience. Whenever the tension of the game got too much someone would relieve it by throwing firecrackers in front of the crowd. I was entranced by the pretty, flickering lights bouncing around, only to nearly wet myself when they exploded. The Chileans celebrated the two goals their team scored like Britain celebrated the end of WW2. We did not expect to celebrate to the extent that we did…

In a post-victory haze we went an after party with some Chilean soldiers (apparently taking a break from bombing next door). They showed us several pictures of themselves with a big gun/helicopter/tank. Then they revealed themselves to be freaky, brain-washed army drones who only desire was to kill the Bolivians who wanted to steal ‘their’, so we ran away.

We fled straight into an after after party taking place in a butcher’s (complete with a very large and impressive asado). This turned into an expedition up into the hills above Colina. Some very dedicated musicians carried a drum, a guitar and some panpipes and we had a performance (including TWO freestyle rappers) that blew any memories I had of painful, festival renditions of ‘Hey Jude’ out of the water.

Then we returned to Colina in an ever growing group for an after after after party at someone’s house.  Unfortunately, the host had forgotten his keys. This did not stop him. He told his neighbour that we were his theatre troupe, arrived for an early morning rehearsal, and all 30 party-goers politely shook the neighbour’s hand and kissed him before scrambling over his wall. It was harder to leave than enter (the neighbour had gone to work), so the party split between the more and less gymnastic guests; those who could climb over the gate, and those who remained trapped…

Who wants Chile to win the most?

DAY 64: Carlos El Tigre

The best thing about my class (apart from the fact that we’ve watched Shrek everyday for three weeks) is the almost unlimited supply of small children for me to play dress up.

DAY 65: More Fridge than House

Today, it was so cold in the shack that I turned on the oven and opened the door to warm it up. Our shower is as warm as relations between the USSR and the USA in 1986. Our neighbours are trying to smoke us out with a bonfire bigger than their house. Also, they won’t stop playing El Taxi*. The only thing to do is eat as much apple crumble as fast as possible.

*