Tautness

May 18, 2010

"I was calling you. I was about to leave the house and sleep in the street today. I didn't do it mainly because of N.  Also, I knew people would worry about me. I just... don't know." - She wrote

"Take it easy. You know I have your back. Call me tomorrow when you wake up. I love you. Don't worry, it's just menopause." - Her friend replied

... 

     I've been thinking about how what seems important in life changes with age. I remember wanting to run away from my house a couple times when I was a teenager. Yet, now that I think about it I had the stupidest reasons to do so. Yes, my mom drove me crazy. But who's mother doesn't drive them crazy from time to time? Life was so simple back then. It still is in many ways. Funny how time passes and priorities change. What seemed important a few years ago now seem so trivial. I guess we've all been here, and it will keep being this way until I no longer live.

Oh! Just remembered I need to send copy of my Chinese L visa to the Au Pair company ... DONE!

     Let's talk about the visa now that we are at it. Can someone explain to me why don't we have a Chinese Embassy or Consulate in Puerto Rico? Getting a Chinese visa here is as expensive as buying your own flight to Washington DC and doing it yourself. I am not lying or exaggerating. The problem is that the F visa (Business/Cultural Exchange) sometimes requires a interview. So in the event that they ask for an interview, I would be paying the expensive visa fees from Puerto Rico plus the flight to Washington DC anyways. So I decided to just go to Chicago, take care of the paperwork, since I am already there, see one of my favourite bands play live and just make the most of whatever happens. 

     As my departure day comes closer I get more and more excited. I want to say I am terrified because I am going to be actually living in a foreign country, not knowing but a few simple words of the language we talk about, in the home of someone else taking care of the thing that's more precious to them, their kids; but in reality as days pass the fear decreases. I am pretty independent and I know moving around and finding new friends and such won't be really hard, it will be like starting from the bottom (I can't help but to sing Drake's song in my head while writing this) and I love the idea. I think it partially has to do with the fact that I have bigger things to worry about now. A bigger fear to say so.

     I have so many schoolwork to do. About 5-6 (or more) essays, a physics homework (more like final test) and work. Add the fact that I have to move out my current apartment by Thursday, and that won't be easy since I have a lot of stuff in my room. At least I have some amazing friends who will help me out. So much stress right now. I like to think that at the end, all this work and effort will be totally worth it.

I still need a place to stay in Chicago though... *sighs* Time to go back to work.

Disposition

“I was thinking it would be easy leaving Africa and coming to the USA. I thought I would learn the language and then get rich! But after five years here, I still can’t even talk good English. I work 10 hours a day as a taxi driver just to pay for the basics. There’s no money left for anything else. But at least it’s not hot here in Seattle. I love this cold weather”

…

            I shouldn’t write feeling like this. I think the whole point of a fun adventurous blog dies when you are at the airport feeling like you left something behind. It’s a weird feeling you get when you have to say goodbye to great experiences, places and, above all, to amazing people. For some of us, heading back home isn’t as exciting as leaving home.

I am biting my nails again…

            This week we saw some wonderful things in both Vancouver and Seattle. Vancouver was the first stop. I threw my first snow ball (at my friend Jean and totally missed), tried to go snow tubing just to find out it was a children’s ride, hiked for 3 hours, went shopping, had a stranger try to kiss me, almost ran over someone, saw some gorgeous young homeless people and was just amazed by the beauty of the city and it’s utterly nice people. I hope I can live in Vancouver one day.

 

A shot of courage…

            Part 2 of the trip was Seattle. It was a more relaxing experience here. The only real big activities we did were The Seattle Great Wheel and the EMP Museum. On the way to the wheel, I saw the first ever Starbucks, not that I care much since I don’t like coffee. The wheel looked terrifying because it was set upon a large dock (for those who don’t know, I am dead afraid of fish). At least I had someone besides me who was as scared as I was, if not more. I want to pause to just give a honor mention to someone who made this day perfect: Salmon BLT; thank you for existing and making the ride worth it. Back to the activities. The museum I fell in love with. It had music, movies, sci-fi and everything pop-culture. I am a big fan of sci-fi, so you can imagine I just fan-girled all the way.

            It was a great week. Every second of it was memorable. But it’s time to head back to reality. A lot of schoolwork is waiting for me back home. Also, a lot of Au Pair papers to sign and send. I took a pause, now it’s time to resume normal life. But to be honest… I just can’t wait for SK to happen.

One last word... MAJESTIC.

Oblige

"You are smart, but soooooooo lazy! If you were more responsible, you would do so much better in school" - Every person I've met since college

...

     Tomorrow I'll be done with the last papers of the medical examination for the Au Pair Program. I need to wake up at 7am, get the different test results, take my Theories of Modern Politics test and then head to the doctor's office to get the papers signed. The nice woman in charge of my case is on holidays and I have a man doing my paperwork now. Feels weird since she and I already had a connection after all these months (or so I feel). I hope she gets back soon so she can answer all of my new questions. Just one more month until I am in Beijing. So excited and scared at the same time.

     It's funny how I love reading science fiction books, yet I can't sit through a chapter of any book for a class without taking ten bathroom breaks. I'm on my last weeks of class, which means there is a lot of pressure on us right now. Tests, essays, bonus point projects and such is what these weeks bring.  Actually, I have a test in less than 24 hours. I have read only the title of the theme, yet here I am writing this blog while I listening to Bach. I just love procrastination. Don't get me wrong, I have average grades (above average in Political Sciences), but I do accept I am irresponsible when it comes to school work. On the other hand, I am surprisingly responsible in my professional life. I always get on time, exceed in what I do and am never absent unless I feel really sick. Why can I be like that in school too?

     Apart from all the school work and Au Pair things, my mind is running crazy with the notion of leaving for Seattle/Vancouver on Wednesday. I haven't made my suitcase yet, or the laundry for that matter. Been procrastinating so much lately. Guess tomorrow will be a long day. I'll just go watch a movie now with a friend...

P.S. If you are reading this Monday April 14th, 2014 remember to watch the lunar eclipse tonight. It will be amazing. 

      

Progression

I'll try to post weekly until I am actually in Beijing.

"This will be hard. Physics is something that I can practice in any part of the planet. Law, on the other hand, has limitations." She said

"We can always come to an agreement. I can take the USA bar exam. We can live there. Be rational. Stop being so whimsical."

"But I want Canada, East Asia, Europe, not just one place! Can you really blame me for that?"

...

     I never thought that going to "work" (Au Pair is considered a cultural exchange) in another country would take so much paperwork. The problem isn't getting the papers, but the fact that Puerto Rican agencies are SO inefficient. Just to get one paper you have to wake up at 05:00, be in line by 06:00 and don't expect to be out before 13:00. A whole day wasted in one thing and I still have 10 more things to get. I guess there won't be much free time this week.

   Even when I don't want to, I have high expectations with my host family. When they made my weekly schedule, they told me I wouldn't have free weekends because they wanted to share their free time with me. They want to take me to famous places in Beijing like The Great Wall, Summer Palace and such. In some way it's really nice of them to want to spend so much time with me, but it will feel so weird for me. I am not really a family person. I like to spend a great amount of time alone, specially on the weekends. It will take some time getting used to. This is what I wanted, there's no turning back now.

     To be honest, as the departure day gets closer and closer, I get more scared. I don't really want to think about it, so let's skip that for now, at least until I get back from Seattle/Vancouver. That trip will be amazing. Knowing I'll be out of the country again with my closest friends makes me feel real fortunate. I'll take that trip as a my farewell party. I know I will just be 3 months in Beijing, but who knows what may happen? What if I find an amazing job in China and decide to stay?

Basic Principles

     For us 90's kids, from birth we were bombarded with tv. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Every step of the day had to some degree a tv involved. I still remember watching Pokémon with my father and brother each morning before class, and Dragon Ball Z after I got home from school. Dinnertime was Star Wars. There were always others, but something about these made them stuck in my mind. A boy who leaves his house to become a Pokémon Master, a man stranded in a alien world, a journey across the universe. Now that I think about it, these are the things that have defined my life until now.

... Forward to that moment.

     Spring Break 2013. That was a big turning point in my life. You see, never do people expect to end up being that person who meets the perfect guy and ends up doing stupid amazing things for him. That Wednesday night I met him. There, at the end of the bar. I can still see him there laughing with his friends. Because of him I got the courage to book a flight with my friends and stay over at his place in New York City. Or to, a month later, book another flight to see him again, this time alone. I won't say it was true love. No. It was more of a international crush. But after those two short trips, I understood that traveling was just a matter of will. But little that I know that was just the beginning of an astounding new phase in my life.

     Just in one year I went from "only been to Florida" to "I've visited New York (2), Florida, Texas, Beijing and Shanghai, soon to visit Seattle/Vancouver". But most importantly, and the reason to this blog, I will be working as an Au Pair in Beijing for 3 months during this summer. Yes, I will be spending 3 months living on someone else's house taking care of their two girls, learning the language and immersing myself in Chinese culture. Language and culture are the main reasons I applied in the first place. The placement confirmation came in last week and I though that a blog would be a great way to share my experience with whoever is interested. The program won't start until May, but the paperwork starts now, so I might as well record the whole process.

Wish me luck!

:)