'The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky...'

EMy fourth day here in Santiago was a very pleasant, chilled one. It’s a Saturday, so everyone slept a bit longer since there was no school or work, we had a nice breakfast with the famous Chilean bread (which actually is pretty amazing), coffee and that sort. What I love about living in a family again is that meals are always, always eaten together. Maybe it’s more characteristic to the Latin culture, but since I've been here there hasn't been one meal that would not have been eaten together. It’s a nice way to gather everyone around the same table and just simply spend time together. I know we attempted this in Finland while I was still living at home, but everyone’s schedule was so different and hectic that there simply wasn't time to have a meal together very often.

Now that I live by myself in Finland I have completely lost the meaning to having meals together because I never have any company. Here I adore the way everyone cooks together, sets the table and participates. Me (embarrassed to admit this, but hey, it’s a blog and I’m going to be honest), I sometimes eat my pasta straight out of the pot! I love these moments we share with the family. And with the hospitality that I have been greeted with, I am starting to feel like a part of it too. I am so very grateful for this family for everything.

Amazed by the colors

Now I have something awesome to tell you about! Today, Freddy and Angela took me to the local Feria, the market to buy fruit and vegetables. It’s kind of similar to what we have in Helsinki, but so much more colorful and in its own way, authentic. It’s exactly what you would imagine a marketplace looking over here with the scent of fresh cilantro and different kinds of spices lingering in the air while your eye rests on the sea of colors made up from the massive selections of fruits and vegetables. I was simply amazed.

And.. again, what makes it even more like straight from a movie is that the setting for this market were the Andes in the background. It’s such a shame I can’t share the scents of the feria with you because ahhh, it was almost magical. I know the locals might think I’m ‘loca’ for going on and on about the scents they live with every day, but coming from Helsinki where scents are limited to well, asphalt, snow and rain, the occasional flowers, for me, this is a new, magical world and I love it! Another thing I loved about the feria, was that I looked like the crowd! I was amongst the tall ones there, didn’t get stomped on by big, tall blondes but actually saw something.I felt like a baby over there in a sense that this truly was a new world to me: I have never felt like a part of the majority, NEVER felt tall and never seen anything like this before.

I think this is another reason why I feel so at home here already. Even though everything is so new and different, it’s in a very peculiar sense so familiar to me. I feel like I belong. Hopefully even more so when I learn the language properly. I was discussing this with mom before I left. I have Colombian roots but am very Finnish in my manners, habits and the way I am. But then inside me there has always been a hint of Latina and I know it’s sad and blablabla talking about my height issues, but if you've never had to deal with degrading comments because of your height, have people think you’re 15 when you actually are 20 and always and constantly been reminded about the fact that you are short, finally being in an environment where I am NORMAL feels so damn good! So my point here was, that my mom and I were wondering if I would feel even more Finnish here in Santiago, if my ‘Finnishness’ would take over and like I felt that I wanted to go back and that I didn’t belong here. Our other option was that I would finally feel like I belonged, finally feel the relief of walking around people who look like me and have, funnily enough, a similar sense of humor that I have. I am so happy to tell you that how I feel, is that I finally, finally belong. I am surprised that I can say this only after four days but the sensation is so overwhelming! It’s like from the movies where I just want to laugh out loud for no apparent reason because I feel so happy, so happy to be here, so happy that I decided to travel here, so happy that I feel the way I do.

Today I understand again a bit more and have had the guts to actually speak more even though I think I might come off as a mute. I told my host family at lunch that it’s so annoying when I understand what they are saying and really want to reply something and even have some of the words ready but I can’t get them out and I can’t speak when I really want to because I finally understand what the conversations are about. But no.. Maybe soon, they said that in two weeks I’d be able to speak already. Can’t wait for that moment to happen where I can finally communicate with people without pausing all the time to think. Patience, patience, patience. Now I’m just happy and proud of myself that I have learnt to understand more and more each day I spend here. I love how patient this family is with me.

Tomorrow we are going to go see an apartment for Jenni and me, hope we could find one soon but there seems to be nothing on the market in the areas that we need to look from.  We also found Student Residencies that have everything in them, studies, computer rooms, kitchens, dining rooms and I loved this idea! They are specifically for students and have Chileans, but also international exchange students from all over the world. Best part is that one is only a 5 minute walk from our University and the other one is next to the mall, three metro stops from the school, awesomeness! I think this would be the best option for us!

Host-mom Angela and I

I can’t believe everything this family is doing for me, and us. They are searching for these apartments, helping me figure out how to get to the University, driving me back from the metro station when it is darks and taking me along in all their daily activities, which I absolutely love because I get to see the normal lives of Chileans. Because they are so nice, helpful and honest in what they do,  I can’t help but sometimes feeling guilty of being here because I don’t know what I could do in return and as a thank you for my host family of having me here! I feel so bad sometimes taking up space and eating their foods, but at the same time am so thankful for them that they have taken me in and given me all this. The hospitality still amazes me. Wish there just was some way other than constantly thanking the, to show how grateful I am. Maybe I’ll invite them to have a Finnish dinner once I have a place and once I learn to cook one... No, I think I might do that J

Anywhoooo, sorry, tired blogger here, today stayed in most of the day, updated Facebook and uploaded some pictures, tomorrow’s the apartment showing and Monday… I start school! Yikes! Found out that they have a girls’ football (or soccer, who knows  :P) team and I really, really would like to join it, hope it’s possible. Looking forward to Monday with nervousness but excitement!

You will be hearing about me again tomorrow, thank you for having the patience to read my long entries, I really appreciate it! Hope I can write in a way that you guys could grasp even a little of how amazing it has been over here!

Tune in again!
Yours,
Maria