Lola and the colectivos

So when my host mom first called me Lola, I automatically thought she was calling me a whore given the connotations associated with Lolita, the book. However, after asking my second dictionary source, my teachers, I was reassured to know Lola is another way to say joven. Other Chilean sayings: peinarse la muneca (muneca has an enye), patas negras, cucharita (spooning), bacan (cool), que fome or que lata (how boring/what a shame). You also don't want to say caliente when you mean I'm hot because you're telling people that you're sexy in a bad way. "Eat" has the same bad doubling meaning in Spanish as it does in English. Anyway, just a little more of my Spanish learning experience, outside of the classroom.

Colectivos are $400 a ride during the day compared to the micros, which are $370. I'm still amazed at the concept of the colectivo-- taxis that pick up a group of people and have a specific route. Just comparing this economical and environmentally friendlier approach to getting from point A to point B shows the difference between this country and the States.

I tried teaching my students about recycling but as I was teaching, realized that most Chileans reuse a certain amount of material as a natural habit. For example, huge plastic bottles are reused to mix new drinks rather than being thrown out. My professors are always willing to give rides to others who don't have cars, even if it's out of the way for them. Left over food is always saved in my family. So, it was difficult to tell my students how to save energy and material when it was already an unconscious act! Also, water is already a precious commodity in the desert, so people don't waste water here. Also, central heating in houses during the winter isn't used, so they're already saving energy on gas by wearing more layers and using blankets.

Back to my original idea, colectivos will pretty much get you to the same place as a micro with only three others in the car rather than a bus load of people beside you. Plus, 30 pesos extra is worth my time of not having to sit in public transportation for as long (my trip to school is already 50 minutes, divided between a colectivo ride and then a separate bus ride). Plus, I think the 30 pesos is the money you pay for the entertainment of riding a colectivo. One choffeur was so excited when I entered his car, he exclaimed "You're oriental!" He then proceeded to try and say things he knew in other languages. He asked me how I would say "How are you?" in Chinese although I did mention it was my grandparents who were from China, and I was actually from the States (I guess it didn't really matter) Then I was pissed that the one of the few phrases I can say in Mandarin (which, by the way, is NOT the Chinese my family speaks.... Taisan, a form of Cantonese is actual language) slipped my mind. (Ni ho ma) Then, another choffeur was on his was to taking my full car through the city and he randomly ran out of his parked car to buy a lightbulb while we sat there helplessly waiting for him to come back. In the same ride, money was exchanged between him and a young student passing by. Then, last night the colectivo driver let me pay 100 pesos less because I didn't have exact change, and then took me to the correct address after I told him the wrong cross street. He also believed that all Chinese people are beautiful and rarely fat. ja ja ja.

Anyway, these are just ramblings I've thought of while living here.

The pics: door art hanging at the entrances of each classroom at E-88 and the visit to Mejillones as a group