Reflections

During the 2 ½ years we lived in Chile we experienced a lot - the challenges of a new culture and language; living through natural disasters of earthquakes, aftershocks and erupting volcanoes; getting to know new friends who came and went; learning the beauty of different kind of nature; beginning to love the fruits received from this particular nature; being unprejudiced and trying out new flavours; and adjusting to a different pace and life rhythm.








Of course there were also less joyous moments that planted seeds of skepticism, mistrust, frustration, disappointment, fear and helplessness in us. Sometimes these feelings were called for; other times they may have been unnecessarily born.


Yes, we learned many lessons. Not just from the country we were living in but we learned also about ourselves. It shaped us as who we are and left a permanent print in our souls. It gave a new meaning to the word home - it made us appreciate our home lands and heritage even more than before. And after all this our learning period is not over yet.

Some of you may have come across to a Finnish saying: "New year, new tricks." New beginnings. 2012 means a big change for us - a relocation into a new country.

Adios, Chile! Bienvenidos, Colombia!

The Hunt

... for the perfect office and apartment has started. That was the main goal of our trip to Bogotá, Colombia, which took place in the beginning of September.















During this visit there was no time for sightseeing but at least we got to know the city better.



On Sundays from 7 am to 2 pm many of the streets all over Bogota are blocked for cyclists and joggers. So on the last day, an hour before we had to leave to the airport we wanted to explore the city by bike using the Ciclovia routes. However, it started to rain at same time as we made the decision...

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Only those who risk going
too far can possibly find
out how far they can go.

T.S. Eliot

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Home Improvement

While Lukas was away on business last week, I had time to get creative and do some little improvements in the household. Now our living room's even cosier and has more that home-like feeling to it than before. Or what do you think?

Klemens Burpscher, Liber

One would imagine the many hours in air would be plain torture, yet somehow I found it hard to concentrate on sleeping with all the new movies under my nose. The first 12 hours from Zurich to Sao Paulo just flew by! The next bit from Sao Paolo to Santiago de Chile required more will-power to keep the eye lids open.

And now four days have already passed since the jolly taxi driver picked us up at the airport holding a sign "Klemens Burpscher, Liber". We assumed that's us. Exhausted from jetlag, travelling and the few hours slept we still managed to struggle through the day. Our flat is tiny but very cute within an easy distance from the convenience stores and other practical shopping in our barrio, Providencia.

Lukas had the first day at work on Tuesday. The office is located at Santiago's World Trade Center - in the same building as the Canadian Embassy and Radisson Hotel - all just 15 minutes by foot from home. As Lukas was getting to know the Chilean working ways and his new workmates, I headed to one of my favourite attractions: Parque Arauco, a huge shopping centre complex with a cinema and numerous restaurants.

The three barrios surrounding us, Providencia, Los Condes and Vitacura, are upper-middle classy safe and clean. For a Finnish girl the weather is not winter-like with its +10 to +15 Celsius degrees although the wind can get chilly at times that even poodles wear wool! With some patience the minor difficulties related to disfunctioning electronic appliances (such as Internet which finally works! I didn't know how addicted one can be before the media black out hit me) or communication problems can be rather easily overcome.

Lukas's workmates have shown us how to spend the evening the Chilean way. The restaurants we've visited are wonderful and food so delicious! Yet despite of all the exciting new things to do, I'm really looking forward to the start of the language school next week. I can't wait to get my Spanish back. After all, it would be embarrassing to sit in the taxi again and tell the driver to to "Avenida Suecia fünf-cero-fünf bitte eh por favor".

Flying over the Andes.

Parque Arauco - shopping centre.

The homeless dogs break my heart every time but at least they don't seem to suffer from hunger and they know how to take good care of themselves. One was following me to cross the street. So clever.

One Step Further

Yes,
a decision has been finally made and the near future seems a bit clearer. We will pack our bags and move to Santiago de Chile, Chile in August! Yey! We have now four months to plan what to take with, refresh our Spanish, take care of all the practical matters and prepare ourselves for the life as Chileans! We'll sure be busy. But before the day of departure comes, we have still some time in between to get older, celebrate some birthdays, enjoy the Finnish summer and dream...