I am slowly learning the Spanish words and the regional terminology related to motherhood here in Chile. The weirdest one I have learned is the word for stroller. Coche is normally the word for car, but here they use "un coche" for stroller and "un auto" for car. Pecho is the word for breast, so dar pecho (give breast) is to breast feed. Everywhere I go with my little man in his stroller, I hear "Aah! Guaguito!" (pronounced wah-we-toe) Some men wave or shake his hand. Many women stop to talk to him, saying how guapo (handsome) or lindo (cute) he is. One woman even got on her knees in front of the stroller to kiss his fingers and toes. Children stare with curiosity at his paler complexion, lighter hair and blue eyes. He is at the age that is the Chilean's favorite. They do not go crazy over newborns. I like when people stop to talk to him or even hold with him while we are eating out, because he is getting a lot of exposure to Spanish.
Breastfeeding in Chile is pretty nice. In the US, people were uncomfortable even if myself and the baby were completely covered by a blanket. Here, I can sit down at a restaurant, park bench, or wherever to nurse. No one cares. I am feeding him solids too, but he prefers breast milk so much that he will only eat solids 2-3 times a day, which means a lot of nursing still. We are on a tight budget now, so I'm fine with him continuing to nurse often. Being in one place has allowed us to have a bed time routine and sleep schedule. Nursing is a lot less stressful when I can sleep without a 24 pound baby on my chest.
I am liking Santiago more and more as I figure things out like where to buy crafting supplies and how much to pay for bananas. This blog format is so limited. Maybe I can get narcednomads.com set up so I can have photo galleries, maps, and articles on different things I've enjoyed in different places. I bought the domain for the chain of hostels I want to build in Pensacola, Hollywood Beach, Monterey Bay, and Isla Mujeres. Some day
Friday, March 30, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Learning Spanish for Free
We have a landline in our apartment. I did not realize how often we would get calls on it, one to three times a day. Because I speak more Spanish than my husband, I am the one that has to answer it. Fumbling through Spanish on a telephone is much more difficult than in person. You cannot gesture or make confused facial expressions over the phone. They're usually looking for someone else when they call, but I was quite proud of myself yesterday. The cable/tv/Internet company called to schedule hooking up our cable. He wanted to come today, but I told him Monday would be better. Telling him to speak slower because I'm from the US and can only speak a little Spanish made things easier. I'm excited about having a tv to watch in Spanish.
Shortly after DuoLingo was on Ted Talks, I added myself to their private beta waitlist. Similar to how re-captcha transcribes images into text on the Internet, DuoLingo translates real articles and websites into languages by using native speakers. It's free for people to learn another language. I have probably been on the list for 2 to 3 months and just got my invite yesterday. It's pretty good.
Another new resource I want to mention is a bit of a self promotion, because my husband is their CTO. Getkoru.com is a skill trading website just released this week. If you want a language partner who speaks German, you can list "speaking German" as a skill you want to learn and "Speaking English" as a skill you can teach. Eventually, Koru will allow selling and buying lessons if you do not want to trade time. There are not very many users yet, so some of the filtering and ranking of compatible trades are not in use yet, but they will be soon. The best way to get it to work is to tell your friends.
Shortly after DuoLingo was on Ted Talks, I added myself to their private beta waitlist. Similar to how re-captcha transcribes images into text on the Internet, DuoLingo translates real articles and websites into languages by using native speakers. It's free for people to learn another language. I have probably been on the list for 2 to 3 months and just got my invite yesterday. It's pretty good.
Another new resource I want to mention is a bit of a self promotion, because my husband is their CTO. Getkoru.com is a skill trading website just released this week. If you want a language partner who speaks German, you can list "speaking German" as a skill you want to learn and "Speaking English" as a skill you can teach. Eventually, Koru will allow selling and buying lessons if you do not want to trade time. There are not very many users yet, so some of the filtering and ranking of compatible trades are not in use yet, but they will be soon. The best way to get it to work is to tell your friends.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Expatriot Adjustments
We have now moved in to our two bedroom apartment in central Santiago. We arrived Sunday morning, withdrew cash from an ATM that was able to read our Wells Fargo debit cards, unpacked our clothes, and had meals with the founders of Koru, the startup my husband has come here to work for. A few days later, I am figuring out how my life is going to be different here in Chile
1. Cooking
Eggplant, avocado, corn, olives and peaches are the most common fruits and vegetables I have observed for sale. Spices are limited and are cheapest when purchased in a plastic sandwich bag from the market for 200 pesos (40 cents USD). I have not figured out what all the spices are, but I have only seen about 6 different kinds. In my kitchen, I have a kettle, coffee maker, stove, oven, toaster, toaster oven, and microwave. I only have one outlet on one wall and my counter top appliances have short chords, which means I have to rearrange all the smaller appliances if I change which one I am using. I'll need to buy a power strip. The outlets here are similar to Europe. To light my stove or oven, I have to turn on the gas, light a match, and hold the lit match close enough to the gas source to light a fire. I was terrified the first time I lit my stove, but I'm getting good at it now.
2. Eating out
The most common options are pizza, hotdogs, sushi, and seafood. Pizzas always have olives (which I hate). The most famous hot dog is green (guacamole), white (mayonaise), and red (ketchup)to resemble the Italian flag. I haven't had one yet, but have been advised to order one without the white. Eating food from restaurants is cheap. The drinks are what kills your budget ($6 for a glass bottle of coke). The tap water is safe, but does not taste good. Most seafood restuarants are located near Mercado Centraal, which is where they sell a lot of raw fish, eel, and octopus. I thought my ceviche was good the other day, but John's fried conger eel was AMAZING. I have not yet tried sushi. I have also seen it in the grocery store, so the people here must love it.
3. Shopping
I normally try to find decent clothes at consignment stores back in the States, but I do not think I will be able to do that here. They literally pile clothes on tables in giant mounds for people to tug on and examine, only to throw back on top if it is not their size or is stained. I suppose if you did not have a stroller to navigate in tiny spaces and had a lot of time to dig to the bottom, you may be able to find good deals. The prices are cheap. I tried on a few shirts, but everything showed my stomach. I then realized I'm about two inches taller and about two cup sizes bustier than most of the women here. I guess the few things I brought in my suitcase are going to be enough until I figure out where to shop.
4. Laundry
My washer is about 1/3 the size I am used to. It also functions as a dryer, but shrinks everything. It only uses cold water to wash, so I'm probably going to have to get a bucket to soak Graham's diapers in hot water before washing them. I thought having two toilets in the house would be nice, but the toilet next to the washer has to be used to drain the washer water. The toilet could be used, but you'd have to remove the washer hose and make sure the washer isn't being used.
5. Hot Water Heater
The hot water heater is in the kitchen. It still creeps me out to wash dishes because I can here the propane fire directly behind me within it's little metal box. phh Click click boom zzzz. It works pretty well for our showers, but is inconsistent in the kitchen. Sometimes the water turns ice cold in the kitchen until I turn the hot water off and back on.
6. Crafts
There are a bunch of fabric stores and yarn stores. I wish I had a sewing machine here. The yarn stores are about half the cost as craft stores in the States and the window displays include clothing items you could crochet. There's an English Speaking Moms knitting group that meets once a week that I am going to try to join, but they usually meet in the glitzier, wealthier, more ex-pat part of town that would require me to take two trains and a bus to get to.
Of course the language is difficult. My spanish is only good enough to ask where something is. Fortunately everyone here is really nice and helpful. I do not feel uncomfortable or that I am in danger if I speak in English to my husband or son. Santiago is a cool city with clean streets, trustworthy police officers, historic architecture, plenty of activities and places to eat, wonderful weather, many museums that are free on Sundays, and really tall palm trees. I am trying to avoid touristy areas. I am also trying to avoid using my iPhone as a map or camera, to avoid it being stolen. I do want to try taking some video with our GoPro. I don't think that would red flag me as a tourist as much as my dslr would.
1. Cooking
Eggplant, avocado, corn, olives and peaches are the most common fruits and vegetables I have observed for sale. Spices are limited and are cheapest when purchased in a plastic sandwich bag from the market for 200 pesos (40 cents USD). I have not figured out what all the spices are, but I have only seen about 6 different kinds. In my kitchen, I have a kettle, coffee maker, stove, oven, toaster, toaster oven, and microwave. I only have one outlet on one wall and my counter top appliances have short chords, which means I have to rearrange all the smaller appliances if I change which one I am using. I'll need to buy a power strip. The outlets here are similar to Europe. To light my stove or oven, I have to turn on the gas, light a match, and hold the lit match close enough to the gas source to light a fire. I was terrified the first time I lit my stove, but I'm getting good at it now.
2. Eating out
The most common options are pizza, hotdogs, sushi, and seafood. Pizzas always have olives (which I hate). The most famous hot dog is green (guacamole), white (mayonaise), and red (ketchup)to resemble the Italian flag. I haven't had one yet, but have been advised to order one without the white. Eating food from restaurants is cheap. The drinks are what kills your budget ($6 for a glass bottle of coke). The tap water is safe, but does not taste good. Most seafood restuarants are located near Mercado Centraal, which is where they sell a lot of raw fish, eel, and octopus. I thought my ceviche was good the other day, but John's fried conger eel was AMAZING. I have not yet tried sushi. I have also seen it in the grocery store, so the people here must love it.
3. Shopping
I normally try to find decent clothes at consignment stores back in the States, but I do not think I will be able to do that here. They literally pile clothes on tables in giant mounds for people to tug on and examine, only to throw back on top if it is not their size or is stained. I suppose if you did not have a stroller to navigate in tiny spaces and had a lot of time to dig to the bottom, you may be able to find good deals. The prices are cheap. I tried on a few shirts, but everything showed my stomach. I then realized I'm about two inches taller and about two cup sizes bustier than most of the women here. I guess the few things I brought in my suitcase are going to be enough until I figure out where to shop.
4. Laundry
My washer is about 1/3 the size I am used to. It also functions as a dryer, but shrinks everything. It only uses cold water to wash, so I'm probably going to have to get a bucket to soak Graham's diapers in hot water before washing them. I thought having two toilets in the house would be nice, but the toilet next to the washer has to be used to drain the washer water. The toilet could be used, but you'd have to remove the washer hose and make sure the washer isn't being used.
5. Hot Water Heater
The hot water heater is in the kitchen. It still creeps me out to wash dishes because I can here the propane fire directly behind me within it's little metal box. phh Click click boom zzzz. It works pretty well for our showers, but is inconsistent in the kitchen. Sometimes the water turns ice cold in the kitchen until I turn the hot water off and back on.
6. Crafts
There are a bunch of fabric stores and yarn stores. I wish I had a sewing machine here. The yarn stores are about half the cost as craft stores in the States and the window displays include clothing items you could crochet. There's an English Speaking Moms knitting group that meets once a week that I am going to try to join, but they usually meet in the glitzier, wealthier, more ex-pat part of town that would require me to take two trains and a bus to get to.
Of course the language is difficult. My spanish is only good enough to ask where something is. Fortunately everyone here is really nice and helpful. I do not feel uncomfortable or that I am in danger if I speak in English to my husband or son. Santiago is a cool city with clean streets, trustworthy police officers, historic architecture, plenty of activities and places to eat, wonderful weather, many museums that are free on Sundays, and really tall palm trees. I am trying to avoid touristy areas. I am also trying to avoid using my iPhone as a map or camera, to avoid it being stolen. I do want to try taking some video with our GoPro. I don't think that would red flag me as a tourist as much as my dslr would.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Selling ALL Of Our Possessions?!
We still haven't decided where we'll be in July. I want us to apply to the startup incubator in Santiago, Chile. John loved Amsterdam and wants to accept the job offer, but I thought Amsterdam was far too cold and grey to stay long term. The architecture was cool, but I actually enjoyed the architecture of Guadalajara in Mexico much more. Regardless of where we go next, we have too many toys to take with us. Our F-350, 33 foot 5th wheel, 2 ocean kayaks, about 70% of my clothes and shoes, my sewing machine and violin etc... There are many things that we cannot take with us.
We have been somewhat nomadic for the past year and a half. Since Graham has been born, we've travelled to Atlanta about five times, Jacksonville twice, once to Cincinatti, and then on to Traverse City. We have also been to Amsterdam, are now in San Francisco, and are going to Santiago, Chile this weekend. After living this nomadic life for so long, you learn which of your belongings you truly need. For example, I need one belt, no more and no less. You learn to have multifunctional items. My Keens are awesome for the beach, hiking, boating, or just wearing with jeans. You also learn to not get attached to things. Sometimes things accidentally get left behind or get damaged, but you keep moving.
What is hard to let go of, is unfullfilled dreams. All of the toys we have invested in for the past year and a half have been to accomplish our RVing through Mexico's SCUBA divesites dream. Pull the 5th wheel with our F-350 from Pensacola, follow I-10 across the US, go down the Baja, follow Mexico's Western coast all the way to Guatemala, dive Belize, then travel up the east coast of Mexico, stopping in Isla Mujeres before coming back to Pensacola. I've had a lot of time to plan out this fantasy, but the timing is not ideal to begin that adventure. First, Graham cannot dive with us. We would need a babysitter or another dive couple willing to take turns watching the children. If we wait ten years, Graham can dive with us. Second, we would need a significant amount of money at our disposal. Internet would be unreliable for John to work. I suppose I could get my TESL certification and teach English as we travel, but then the traveling would be incredibly slow and we would struggle to eat, forget about diving. Third, we need to invest more money and time into our toys for them to be boondocking ready. We would want solar panels on the fifth wheel, to repair water damage, to mount bikes and kayaks on the sides, equip extra batteries and fuses for the slide outs and hitching process, and build a bench kitchen table that folds down to a bed. Maybe if we become millionaires some day, we can have that adventure.
What is more realistic is to take advantage of Graham's growth and development. In less than a year, he will become a language SPONGE. I have observed this with my niece. The toddler language absorption is amazing. I want Graham to be hearing English and Spanish at that stage. I joke to people in airports that I am training my best friend to be a world traveller, but it is somewhat true. I know enough Spanish to survive and get around, but he has the potential to learn Spanish well enough to claim a Latin country is his home. He could overcome stereotypes of the "Ugly American" through his language capabilities and become fully emerged in a culture the way only truly speaking the language can provide. Spanish is spoken in many parts of the world, and is similar to Italian and Portugeuse.
I started writing this post because I was regretting the plan to sell our things. After reflecting on the reasons however, I have become determined that postponing the RV dream is the best decision. Wow, I feel like a gigantic boulder is no longer hanging over my head. When we return to Pensacola in 4 months, I will be able to sell everything with confidence that I am making the right decision. We bought everything at such good prices, maybe we'll make a profit overall ( hope for no hurricanes in the next 4 months). We have a few more days in San Fran before I post about the Bay area. Our gypsy kid is off to Santiago, Chile next!
We have been somewhat nomadic for the past year and a half. Since Graham has been born, we've travelled to Atlanta about five times, Jacksonville twice, once to Cincinatti, and then on to Traverse City. We have also been to Amsterdam, are now in San Francisco, and are going to Santiago, Chile this weekend. After living this nomadic life for so long, you learn which of your belongings you truly need. For example, I need one belt, no more and no less. You learn to have multifunctional items. My Keens are awesome for the beach, hiking, boating, or just wearing with jeans. You also learn to not get attached to things. Sometimes things accidentally get left behind or get damaged, but you keep moving.
What is hard to let go of, is unfullfilled dreams. All of the toys we have invested in for the past year and a half have been to accomplish our RVing through Mexico's SCUBA divesites dream. Pull the 5th wheel with our F-350 from Pensacola, follow I-10 across the US, go down the Baja, follow Mexico's Western coast all the way to Guatemala, dive Belize, then travel up the east coast of Mexico, stopping in Isla Mujeres before coming back to Pensacola. I've had a lot of time to plan out this fantasy, but the timing is not ideal to begin that adventure. First, Graham cannot dive with us. We would need a babysitter or another dive couple willing to take turns watching the children. If we wait ten years, Graham can dive with us. Second, we would need a significant amount of money at our disposal. Internet would be unreliable for John to work. I suppose I could get my TESL certification and teach English as we travel, but then the traveling would be incredibly slow and we would struggle to eat, forget about diving. Third, we need to invest more money and time into our toys for them to be boondocking ready. We would want solar panels on the fifth wheel, to repair water damage, to mount bikes and kayaks on the sides, equip extra batteries and fuses for the slide outs and hitching process, and build a bench kitchen table that folds down to a bed. Maybe if we become millionaires some day, we can have that adventure.
What is more realistic is to take advantage of Graham's growth and development. In less than a year, he will become a language SPONGE. I have observed this with my niece. The toddler language absorption is amazing. I want Graham to be hearing English and Spanish at that stage. I joke to people in airports that I am training my best friend to be a world traveller, but it is somewhat true. I know enough Spanish to survive and get around, but he has the potential to learn Spanish well enough to claim a Latin country is his home. He could overcome stereotypes of the "Ugly American" through his language capabilities and become fully emerged in a culture the way only truly speaking the language can provide. Spanish is spoken in many parts of the world, and is similar to Italian and Portugeuse.
I started writing this post because I was regretting the plan to sell our things. After reflecting on the reasons however, I have become determined that postponing the RV dream is the best decision. Wow, I feel like a gigantic boulder is no longer hanging over my head. When we return to Pensacola in 4 months, I will be able to sell everything with confidence that I am making the right decision. We bought everything at such good prices, maybe we'll make a profit overall ( hope for no hurricanes in the next 4 months). We have a few more days in San Fran before I post about the Bay area. Our gypsy kid is off to Santiago, Chile next!
Friday, March 2, 2012
A Pram in Amsterdam
Amsterdam, the world capital of legalized sex and drugs, is also a wonderful destination for families. With over 50 museums including the annex where Anne Frank hid with 7 other Jews during German takeover of Holland, art galleries displaying work by Van Gogh and Rembrandt, a large zoo, and the largest library in Europe, Amsterdam offers learning opportunities for every age and interest. The dangers of Amsterdam are avoidable, if parents are aware of them. According to UNICEF, Dutch children are the happiest in the developed world. Amsterdam must be doing something right.
Yes, weed and mushrooms are legal in Amsterdam. No, the streets and parks are not always filled with red-eyed zombies with incredible hunger for greasy food. The streets are very different after midnight. Places that allow smoking are "coffee shops", but they are not easily mistaken for standard latte and croissant kid-friendly coffee shops. The brown cafes display signs prohibiting children under 18 from entering. Ocassionaly an opened door to one of these shops will let out the stinch of burning cannabis, but the harm is nothing more than a bad smell that may cause children to ask questions. I personally would prefer to be there when my child first starts asking questions about drugs. I could explain that the legal implications of marijuana are often more dangerous than the physical or medical consequences but that any drug, from the earth or from a laboratory, purchased in a pill box, aluminum can, or or paper bag, can be dangerous and should not be used in excess for recreation or with combinations of other drugs. Ok, off my soapbox...
A bigger danger than the cannabis is the fast paced bicycles and public transportation. Unlike the United States where everything has warning labels and dangers are behind fences and guard rails, the trams in Amsterdam run across streets, bicycle lanes, and sidewalks with only two metal parallel rails running through the brick roads as indication. Following the normal flow of people and watching your surroundings will keep you from colliding with a bicyle, car, train, or walker. Most areas have different paths, tracks, lanes, or sidewalks for the different types of traffic. Only construction areas are a little difficult. We spent the majority of our four days with our 7-month-old in his stroller with only occasional difficulties. Amsterdam is not a place for umbrella strollers or any other stroller with small or less durable wheels. Our Graco Travel System handled itself well enough, though I found myself envious of some higher end strollers that are more capable of handling the bricks, loose stones, curbs, and occasional steps. Just about every hotel, residence, and restaurant in Amsterdam has 2-7 steps up or down to access the ground floor. I may have to consider a lighter stroller with shocks if we move to Amsterdam.
Oh yeah, about that... The reason we were in Amsterdam was my husband's job interview. They said that they want him and are putting together an offer, so we will be discussing our options. Workers in Amsterdam are taxed 40% of their income! However, if you are from another country and have enough industry experience and/or are thirty-years-old, you may qualify for a tax break as a skilled migrant. Individuals that qualify as a skilled migrant worker do not have to pay taxes on the first 30% of their income. Considering a $100,000 salary as an example, a skilled migrant would take home $72,000, while a traditionally taxed employee would take home $60,000. A worker from the United States would also be attracted to working in the Netherlands for the vacations. With 20-25 paid vacation days plus 5-10 paid holiday days and a geographical location that allows easy travel to the rest of Europe, the travel opportunities are attractive. A worker with a family from any country in North or South America may also be attracted to living in Amsterdam for the superior schools.
If we do move to Amsterdam, I plan to find an apartment with one or two extra bedrooms. With so many travelers visiting Amsterdam every week, locals hosting spare bedrooms through travel rental programs like Airbnb.com are able to earn a significant amount of extra income. Cheaper than a hotel but more private and secure than a hostel, short-term travel rental properties are a smart choice for travelers in Amsterdam. We stayed three nights with a couple from Malaysia who were very helpful in answering our questions about the local attractions and restaurants.
Whether or not we will be relocating to Amsterdam in July is to be determined. For now, our gypsy kid's next travels will be San Francisco. Perhaps I will find some money to discover a more practical travel stroller for our little traveler.
Yes, weed and mushrooms are legal in Amsterdam. No, the streets and parks are not always filled with red-eyed zombies with incredible hunger for greasy food. The streets are very different after midnight. Places that allow smoking are "coffee shops", but they are not easily mistaken for standard latte and croissant kid-friendly coffee shops. The brown cafes display signs prohibiting children under 18 from entering. Ocassionaly an opened door to one of these shops will let out the stinch of burning cannabis, but the harm is nothing more than a bad smell that may cause children to ask questions. I personally would prefer to be there when my child first starts asking questions about drugs. I could explain that the legal implications of marijuana are often more dangerous than the physical or medical consequences but that any drug, from the earth or from a laboratory, purchased in a pill box, aluminum can, or or paper bag, can be dangerous and should not be used in excess for recreation or with combinations of other drugs. Ok, off my soapbox...
A bigger danger than the cannabis is the fast paced bicycles and public transportation. Unlike the United States where everything has warning labels and dangers are behind fences and guard rails, the trams in Amsterdam run across streets, bicycle lanes, and sidewalks with only two metal parallel rails running through the brick roads as indication. Following the normal flow of people and watching your surroundings will keep you from colliding with a bicyle, car, train, or walker. Most areas have different paths, tracks, lanes, or sidewalks for the different types of traffic. Only construction areas are a little difficult. We spent the majority of our four days with our 7-month-old in his stroller with only occasional difficulties. Amsterdam is not a place for umbrella strollers or any other stroller with small or less durable wheels. Our Graco Travel System handled itself well enough, though I found myself envious of some higher end strollers that are more capable of handling the bricks, loose stones, curbs, and occasional steps. Just about every hotel, residence, and restaurant in Amsterdam has 2-7 steps up or down to access the ground floor. I may have to consider a lighter stroller with shocks if we move to Amsterdam.
Oh yeah, about that... The reason we were in Amsterdam was my husband's job interview. They said that they want him and are putting together an offer, so we will be discussing our options. Workers in Amsterdam are taxed 40% of their income! However, if you are from another country and have enough industry experience and/or are thirty-years-old, you may qualify for a tax break as a skilled migrant. Individuals that qualify as a skilled migrant worker do not have to pay taxes on the first 30% of their income. Considering a $100,000 salary as an example, a skilled migrant would take home $72,000, while a traditionally taxed employee would take home $60,000. A worker from the United States would also be attracted to working in the Netherlands for the vacations. With 20-25 paid vacation days plus 5-10 paid holiday days and a geographical location that allows easy travel to the rest of Europe, the travel opportunities are attractive. A worker with a family from any country in North or South America may also be attracted to living in Amsterdam for the superior schools.
If we do move to Amsterdam, I plan to find an apartment with one or two extra bedrooms. With so many travelers visiting Amsterdam every week, locals hosting spare bedrooms through travel rental programs like Airbnb.com are able to earn a significant amount of extra income. Cheaper than a hotel but more private and secure than a hostel, short-term travel rental properties are a smart choice for travelers in Amsterdam. We stayed three nights with a couple from Malaysia who were very helpful in answering our questions about the local attractions and restaurants.
Whether or not we will be relocating to Amsterdam in July is to be determined. For now, our gypsy kid's next travels will be San Francisco. Perhaps I will find some money to discover a more practical travel stroller for our little traveler.
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