Off to Santiago, Chile for 3rd teaching job

After spending a rejuvenating, comfortable and relaxing 2+ months with my daughter and her family, and being able to spend so much time with my grandson, I was ready(and I'm sure the Self's were ready too!) to go off on my 3rd teaching adventure. I would leave from Nashville again headed for Miami, then Lima, then Santiago. And once again, tears swelled up in my eyes when I had to leave. Even though I was ready to go, I was sad to be leaving...it was such a wonderful past couple of months for me.

I had arranged to stay for the first 2 weeks in Santiago with a "host" family that was arranged by the school I would be employed by. I stayed with an older woman by the name of Carmen in her 2 bdrm condo. I would have a private room and bathroom and it would include 2 meals/day=breakfast and dinner. She was very nice although she spoke very little English! Breakfast was at 9 AM and dinner at 7PM. Breakfast was usually a piece of fruit, some "pan"(bread or roll), margarine(not butter), marmalade, and coffee. 2 times in the 2 weeks she made eggs. Dinner was mostly good; although her idea of a salad was either sliced radishes(only) or sliced celery(only) and about 1 1/2 cups of it on a plate...?! Salad dressing was oil and vinegar(only) And if I didn't eat it, she would bring it the next night...!

The shower was the tiniest thing I have ever seen; I could hardly turn around and it was absolutely impossible to bend over and pick anything up, like dropped soap! So the 1st thing I had to buy in Chile was soap in a dispenser!

Carmen was very helpful to me. She drove me to the nearest grocery store, to the school, to the Metro, etc. and showed me where Starbuck's was since she did not have internet. I stayed with her for 2 weeks but couldn't afford any more since it was expensive: $200/week. I hired the help of a local company by the name of Contact Chile to help me find another accommodation and after looking at numerous apartments and rooms, etc. I made the choice to live with Gabriela(divorcee and my age!) in her 2 bdrm condo. Contact Chile had their inventory of accommodations coded, so I would be living at Gabriela CP1. On 6/7, all the arrangements were made over the phone since there was no internet were I was living. I was told that all was set for me and Gabriela was expecting me before 12PM.  So with my 2 big suitcases, etc. I arrived by taxi to Gabriela's but it was not CP1. It was another Gabriela that I was confirmed with and the Gabriela(whose door I was at) had idea that I was coming! Just imagine her: in her PJs still, with me standing at her door with all my bags, and she had no idea I was coming! And she spoke next to NO english. In my "Spanglish", I managed to communicate that I had paid Contact Chile for 1st month, had decided to live here with her and would be renting for the next 6 months! She told me to come inside and we rushed to her laptop where we brought up "Google translator"! She finally understood what the problem was and in the meantime, the other Gabriela was calling me to find out where I was! Contact Chile must've given her my phone number! What a mess it was! I'm just glad Gabriela was home when I arrived with all my bags...!

Fuego the cat

Living room with sun room

Life in Chile has been a bit more challenging because the cost of living is so much higher than it was in Peru. My 1st pay check did not even cover my rent, and I'm just renting a room! It doesn't help, though, that 20% of my earnings were taken out for taxes. I had to apply for a work visa which took 1 month, so from now on, only 10% will be taken out! This will barely cover my rent now...

So to survive, us teachers have to hustle "private" lessons...