Skiing!

Something I’ve always wanted to do, but never have. Well today I did and it was F***ING AWESOME!

In a stroke of luck, classes at university were suspended which meant a long weekend. Ever since I arrived here in Chile I’ve always been at Estefania saying I want to go skiing. So on Thursday night we decided we would drive to Nevados de Chillan – a popular skiing resort which also consists of volcanoes in close proximity to the Andes!

We left early on Friday morning and it took us around 2.5 hours to get there. Seeing snow capped mountains for the first time since my trip to Torres del Paine ( see previous post) was exciting enough, but the thought of skiing on/near them was unreal.

In another stroke of luck the entrance tickets to go inside were cheap – don’t you just love those two for one offers! The cost of the equipment was about 17,000 CHP which is around £17. So,   tickets, check – equipment, check! snow, check!… er, how do you ski again????

The only thing going through my mind when I put on the skiing boots was “don’t break a leg, don’t break a leg, please god I don’t want a broken leg….please!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

After the gear was on, and prayers were said and my last rites read out to me, we hit the snow road! The snow road by the way was one tough sonofabitch at first, and it took a while to get the hang of things.

At first, I was made to fall over on my arse, my knees, my face, my elbows, just about every part of my god damn body! It was harsh. I remember at one point I fell over and couldn’t get up, so I just lay there in the snow looking up at the beaming blue sky above. I would’ve stayed down longer if it hadn’t been for the numerous children, yes children!, looking at me and giggling as they sped past. I tried getting up but only managed to get my legs in the air which I began flapping around like a two year old who’d dropped his milk bottle…what a baby I was…

Fall after fall, all I could do was keep repeating a famous quote from Confucius to myself in the hope of not giving up - “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall”. I don’t think Confucius had this in mind when he came up with that nugget though, because my legs were taking a battering…

There were moments of sheer exhilaration coupled with sheer terror, as I whisked past people and couldn’t for the life of me slow down. Skiing past all these people was the most eye-popping, thrilling and stimulated I’d ever felt. It sounds strange but I likened the feeling to as if I was flying like a bird - the wind whistling in my ears, focusing ahead, adjusting my elbows to balance me out, shifting my body along the contours of the slope. It really did feel like I was flying! That was until I went “flying” into a rep at the resort. Who kindly helped me up. In the distance I could see Estefania laughing her ass off!

I learnt that the hardest thing to skiing was turning different directions and after several hours I managed to get the slight hang of it. What little I did ski was mind blowing! I was sad to see the end of the day come closer and closer. Alas we had to hang our boots up and hit the road back home.

“I may have been shattered, and I may have been bruised but I was the happiest kid on the block when left them ol skiing shoes”.

 

 

 

 

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Pay it forward…or random acts of kindness

When was the last time you did a random act of kindness? Ever carry the bags for someone you saw who was struggling with them? Ever walk an old man or lady across the street to safety? The other week I witnessed not one but three acts of kindness and it got me thinking about things. Why are some people more helpful than others?

So there I was on a packed bus on the Chiguyante Express coming back from work one day. All seats had been taken and the people standing were left with little room to maneuver their bodies. I shuffled towards the end of the bus and squeezed myself past a fellow passenger. I stood above a woman who looked fairly comfortable despite her proximity to my forward leaning frame. I noticed she had a large cake sat on her laps. As the bus sped off I noticed she clutched onto the cake dearly, making sure it didn’t slide off her legs. As the journey wore on the bus began to lighten it’s load. Seats became available and the bumps and bashes into others ceased. I noticed a woman eyeing up an empty seat and figured she was going to take it. However instead of going straight for it, she paused at the woman still holding onto the cake. It turned out that the cake belonged to the woman standing up and not the woman holding it. I watched keenly as the woman in the seat carefully handed over the cake. She was thanked and both carried on as if nothing happened. At the time I was a little surprised by it all really. I instantly thought about the Central Line on the London Underground. Would that ever happen in London?

I tried to imagine the same scenario on a packed tube in London…

Me: “Er excuse me, would you mind putting my cake on your lap as it’s rather busy here”

Passenger: “what…piss off!

Can you see why I was surprised by it. That just doesn’t happen in London. To top it off, I witnessed act of kindness number two – on the same bus! Just as I was about to sit down I saw another passenger pass some bags and a rucksack to a man standing. Had everyone gone completely mad! Was everyone secretly doing good deeds and I was the only one not told about it? I was starting to feel left out. For the rest of the journey back home I couldn’t help but smile and feel good about things. It’s was good to know that even in today’s climate with war and crime and general chaos abound, that I would find a little bit of humanity on my local bus…

Act of kindness number three…

Finally the cable guy was coming round to set up and fix the cable. He was a nice enough bloke. Took his time and made sure things were explained. Well, the explanations were to Estefania’s mum who was at hand to take care of things. I mainly sat around just watching him work. And meanwhile, lunch was being made…

I noticed three plates on the table. “Who’s the plate for”? I asked inquisitively to Estefania’s mum. “Oh that’s for the cable guy”. She said nonchalantly. The cable guy I thought to myself…

So there we were sitting down at the dinner table. Estefania’s mum, me and the cable guy. All having lunch like it we had been doing it for years. It was strange. Again, this has never happened to me in England. I don’t remember having breakfast with the rubbish cleaners when they come round to take it all away. Imagine that conversation…

Me: Er, would you like some scrambled eggs and tea after you’ve finished taking out our rubbish”?

Rubbish Cleaner: “What…piss off”!

You see, it just doesn’t happen.

So there you have it, three acts of kindness that prove humanity is not lost! So my question to you is, not when was the last time you carried out an act of kindness, it’s, what act of kindness will you carry out?

“Don’t listen if you’ve had enough”

So here’s how it goes. It’s your birthday. You have your friends around you, you drink alcohol and you laugh, you tell stories, tell jokes, eat, have more alcohol and things sound more funnier, you laugh more and eventually drink more. Then suddenly, someone says a couple of words which on a normal, drunken free night would have you grimace at the thought of even holding a microphone.

Yeah you know what I’m talking about. Those words which, should someone dare utter them to you, and you happen to be so inebriated that you think you can sing Tom Jones to bed, then my friend you have just made the biggest mistake of your life!!!!

OK, it may not be the biggest mistake of your life but it will make you wonder why you would do such a thing, especially if listening to a washing machine sounds better than your voice! My story goes a little something like this:

Having drinks in a bar in Barrio Estacion, Concepcion. Everyone’s around. I’m having a great time, laughing and getting pissed basically! Then someone shouts “Lets sing”. “Yeah lets sing! I shout back. So I walk over to the DJ and request “Don’t stop till you get enough” by the late MJ (who I’m pretty sure was turning in his grave). So I have a few more drinks and wait for my turn. Some time later I have a microphone shoved in my hand. My supposed duet with Estefania quickly dissipated when she hid behind a chair and thus I was left standing alone in front of the patrons of this fine establishment.

I cannot help but cringe every single time I hear this. I listen to it repeatedly to remind myself to never ever do this sort of thing again! I’ve put this up on the blog so that you can see just how bad it is! Apart from that, it was a fantastic night and we ended it off with some dancing!

 

Technorati Tags: Kareoke,bad voice,Concepcion,Chile

“Age ain’t nothing but a number”

The question is, is it a high number or a low one? Not sure, but 31 doesn’t sound like a high number. It doesn’t feel like a high number. Regardless, I better get used to it, coz I’m stuck with it for a whole year! And so it begins.

“This one kinda crept up on me” I said to someone at work. “Err, how did the others come to you”? came the reply. Good question I thought.

You see, birthday’s are by nature there to remind you that the clock is ticking. We don’t know when the clock will stop( see my allegory to death there!), but we know that as time passes by we’re growing older. The thing is I stopped worrying about time years ago. (Hence my arrival to most things being late!) So when the day does come I don’t even realise or I don’t spend too much time thinking about what I’m going to do. I’m rather spontaneous like that!

So what did I do on my birthday? Well, what every other 31 year old on 2nd of July was doing. I was enjoying the moment. Enjoying it from a different place, a different environment, with different people around me, in a different city, in a different culture, in a different world maybe?

It was unique as it was my first birthday in Chile. Not that unique you might think, considering I came here in Dec and was planning to stay a while so naturally I’d be spending my B-Day here. But unique in a different sense of the word. Just being here was a great thing and going about my daily routine in a different place was gift to me. The best gift I’ve had so far to be honest.

So there I was, looking at It all with my 31 year old eyes. The day’s events were pretty interesting too I might add. The students at uni had their final end of semester exam. I had been preparing it along with my colleague, David, days before. I was excited and eager to end the day positively. I’ll admit that it didn’t quite turn out that way in the morning (a post for another day!), but this is me you’re talking about. Things have never been so cut and dry. But I guess that adds to the lasting memory of my 31st B-Day. It’ll be one, I will never forget.

So thank you!

Ps: I’ll also remember it for being gifted with a beautiful red acoustic guitar from Estefania which I have to say has been the most amazing “physical” gift I have received!!!! xxx

Better start practising!

LiveJournal Tags: 31st Birthday

Day 183 or Should I say 6 Months?… and Earthquakes!

“There’s going to be an earthquake some time this week”. Said Estefania.

“What”? I said.

“My mum said there’s going to be an earthquake this week at some point”.

“Yeah sure Estefania”. I said so knowingly. “I would’ve heard something at work or read about it on the news. I don’t think so”…

Fast forward to 24th June AKA Today, 23:55…

“What the fuck was that…Estefania was that an earthquake”?

I have to admit that I was a little excited. I mean it was my first Earthquake after all! Yes I understand the very nature of earthquakes are to wreak havoc and destroy stuff, but this was a small one.

Estefania was less than excited I have to say. Suddenly there was an after shock and we were silent.

The silence was broken when the phone rang. It was Estefania’s mother checking to see if we were alright.  Which we were but it got me thinking…

Moral of the story, listen to your mum.

“What have your six months in Chile been like” someone asked me. Well, lets see. I’ve been working as a teacher of English. I’ve been learning Spanish. I’ve done some travelling. I’ve met some great people. I’ve learnt a great deal about myself and I’ve witnessed my first earthquake!

Not bad if I may say so. Here’s to another six.

Legal!

After months and months of waiting, I have finally got my hands on a brand new spanking… ID CARD!

Yes, I finally achieved what seemed like the impossible. I waited and I waited a bit more. I queued, and I queued a bit more. I came, I saw and I filled out forms. And only now can I sleep well at night knowing I’m in the System!

OK, so it’s a little over dramatic but I shit you not, the amount of work involved is laughable. I don’t mind the fact that they make it difficult it’s just that I wish they could make it all “in house”. For example, you literally have to go around the city to fill out forms, pay for things, register, go back, pick up docs, fill out forms, scratch your arse…

I’m considering spending half a day writing out what’s involved, so watch this space!

 

LiveJournal Tags: Chile,ID Card

Concepcion

One day whilst enjoying the peace and tranquility of the Plaza in downtown Concepcion I began to hear a scraping noise coming from behind me. I didn’t bother to look at first because I was too busy thinking what a brilliant summers day it was. Finally the scraping noise got really annoying and I had to turn around on the bench I was sitting on to inspect.

Now, I’ve never skated properly in my life. I’ve not really been a huge fan of skating to be honest. I mean, it looks good don’t get me wrong, but I just didn’t get the whole skater boy thing. Perhaps maybe growing up in Southall which never really had a sizeable skating fraternity played a part in that????

Anyway, so I turned around and I noticed boys and girls skating or scraping should I say, across the concrete that was Plaza de Independencia. There were tall guys, old guys, short guys, skinny guys, blonde girls, punk girls you name it there they all were. Going round and round and round and round and round and…ok you get the idea. I saw some really ingenious flips. Some were more elaborate than others but interesting and fascinating nonetheless.

I noticed how some took it really seriously and how others joked and laughed. Some went crashing to the ground only to pick themselves up again and carry on. The “action” moved to another part of the Plaza. There, skaters attempted to jump off a raised platform and perform a trick whilst doing so. Even though I wasn’t part of the skater crowd, I wasn’t the only “outsider” observing the antics. Others had gathered around to see what was going on. I watched how a young boy leaped off the platform and attempted a flip on his board only to come crashing down to the floor! Thud! Did I mention it was concrete he was landing on! The crowd cheered and laughed in equal measure. Leap after leap, jump after jump skaters came flying across the air to either fall on their asses or glide confidently through the crowd. No one was making a successful leap. Until I decided to grab a skate board that is, and pulled off a Nosehook Impossible. The crowd cheered and came running to me and the girls flocked to me for my autograph…

Sorry I think I nodded off there for a moment now where was I…

 

I managed to get some footage of the skaters from my mobile phone, so check it out!