Anyway, what I meant to say without digression was that I was here last year for September 11th and it was a very uneventful day. I think I went to my morning class in San Joaquin and then stayed on my little block in Providencia eating sushi, studying at starbucks, and then going to the gym. After all of the hype and warnings, it ended being such a tranquil day that I was almost bored. This year has not been much different except that I'm not bored because now I absolutely love being at home with Olive and playing blogger. I also went on 3 enormous walks, the best one being with Olive and Italo in Parque Forrestal. And to top off, I ate yummy chocolate and bought delicious and cheap bottle of wine. Now, I cannot say that it is a tranquil day for everyone. I know in the past policeman have been killed and stores broken into and everything. I'm just saying that it hasn't affected my day at all; aside from my not being paid, that is.
Originally, I was told that the worst of today would be in the center of the city (I live right there. Seriously, I'm practically live on la Alameda). After having made several "it's not that bad" comments, I was then told the action is more towards the outskirts of Santiago and it has to be late at night. Ok. I'll accept that. But I do have my doubts about the severity of the situation here today mainly because I have my doubts about what most Chileans (especially older Chilean women of a certain class) think is dangerous. Here's why:
While I was studying here last year, my host mother repeatedly told me how dangerous everything was. On September 11, 2007, it would have been too risky to go to the Baquedano metro to go to my class that day. I ended up going; not out of rebellion, but out of fear of not meeting the attendance percentages of my class. Everything was fine through Baquedano. Now, I'm not much for tear gas nor am I interested in placing myself in the middle of the action for the sake of experience or good pictures, but I also have a bucket full of anecdotes to back up my skepticism. I did not come here this way, but I quickly learned that most of the things my host family and other people warned me against had next to no possibility of happening.
If I were to follow their advice, I would never leave the apartment with more than 300 pesos because otherwise I'd be robbed of all my money (the 300 pesos would be to give to the person that would still rob me anyway so I'd be screwed either way). I would also never walk from the metro to my apartment without my boyfriend there to pick me up and defend me from potential robbers or anything else bad there is. Talking on my cell phone outside of my apartment would never be an option because I would be knifed and then robbed. And I could never wear any jewelry, no matter how inexpensive, unless I were going from my building to a car (obviously driven by a man) and directly into the restaurant, bar, what have you.
Now, this certainly doesn't mean that I walk around thinking nothing will ever happen to me. In fact, I'm quite the opposite. I am overly cautious when it comes to walking around alone. My friends from college always made fun of me because I walked around with my purple mace in my purse and always had my key wedged in between my knuckles incase someone attacked me from behind. I think I was just being cautious, but perhaps they would write about me in the same way I write about Chilean women of a certain age and class (if they had that much free time on their hands, that is). But unfortunately to my defense, I went to a school where there was at least one known and yet to be caught serial rapist and on average, one rape and murder a year. That is plenty to scare me into being careful and will most likely continue to do so.
I guess my point is that if I, Isabel the one who's afraid of everything, don't walk around sans rings, cell phone, and mil pesos or so, then things must be okay. I am the wimp of the bunch. The one who says "maybe we shouldn't" or "I'd rather not" yet I still do not see where these ladies are getting it. I feel so much safer here in Chile than I ever have in the United States and I think plenty of statistics will validate those feelings.
And I definitely wish I had worked and been paid for today!
(and I did just see the news with all of the stuff that has happened in the past on September 11th so I know there definitely is at least some raucous going on)
*After Italo read this, he pointed out that when i said, "I know it's not OUR September 11th" it comes off as my thinking ours is more important or historically significant and that's not what I meant to say. I meant that despite common assumptions that all Americans are ignorant of things going on outside of, or even within, the United States, some of them do know at least a little bit. In my mind, it would read as more of a jab to my fellow Americans (as in estadounidenses) than to Chileans. I think almost every American friend or family member I can think of right now would, without thinking twice, only think of the United States 9/11 and certainly not the Chilean one.
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