espero… espero… espero…

Spanish Word of the Day

esperar, verb
(1) to wait, to wait for; (2) to hope; (3) to expect

Is there something more I should understand from this little vocabulary lesson? I wonder – are all Spanish speakers optimists? Are they Faith-filled? Masters in the art of patience and positivity?!

Before I left to come to Chile, I heard all about the laid back nature of South Americans. “Time is just different down there, you’ll see...” And seeing I am!

Oh don’t get me wrong – I love the slow, relaxed pace of life here. It’s like France times a thousand! When I live in the States, I long for stores to be closed on Sunday, for long lunch breaks and long Sunday walks in the park to be encouraged, for dinner parties where one sits for no less than 5 hours at the table, for restaurant servers to just leave my table be so we can talk, peruse the menu and enjoy ourselves. I know once I have a job here I’ll be experiencing time a bit differently. Now I can sleep in, enjoy chatting with Xime while we have a standard multi-course lunch (appetizer of sorts, main dish, salad, tea/coffee), wander around the city looking, smelling, listening. I wake up in the morning with little more on my To Do List than 1. Peddle Resume around Viña/Valparaiso, 2. Play with Bea and Max, 3. Find more schools in Viña/Valparaiso & resume peddling. Not bad! And if it’s a weekend day I can add: 4. Cultural Event or Unique Nightlife Experience. No no, Dear Readers, not bad at all!

But, in the midst of this slow, joyful vida I’m living, my internal North American clock keeps sounding. “When will you start working?!” it shrieks. “When will you move out of Ximena’s? You can’t stay there forever you know! No matter how gracious and welcoming they are,” it trills. “Will they pay you enough in Viña? Maybe you should start preparing to move to Calama to work. It’s the driest desert in the world for goodness sake!” “And what about Spanish classes? When you gonna start those missy?!” BRRRRRRIIIIIIIIING! BRRRRRRIIIIIIIIING! BRRRRRRIIIIIIIIING!!! Trust me, if I could smash that clock to bits, I would.

I’m breathing deeply these days and practicing the delicate art of patience. I’m waiting… I’m waiting… I’m waiting… I’m trying to train my mind and my body and my clock to run on Chile time. Every day, I inch the minute hand of my clock a little bit closer to Chile’s. I pass out more resumes and hear more receptionists say, “Yes, we ALWAYS need new teachers! We’ll be starting a new class in October. Someone will call you. Someone will email you. We’ll know more soon.” (‘Email me! Fat chance!’ I think to myself.)

I’m expecting… to hear from someone someday soon. (Maybe I should be looking up the Spanish word for “soon”!) I’m expecting… that if I’m as persistent in peddling my resume as a Chilean street vendedor is peddling his ice cream, empanadas, olives, candied nuts, etc… eventually somebody will bite. I’m expecting… that if I’m patient enough and positive enough that good energy is going to come back to me in the form of a livable salary, peppy students and a cute kitschy apartment somewhere near my amigos.

I’m trying to take a note from the Spanish speakers of the world so….

I’m hoping… I’m hoping… I’m hoping…

(Photo above of the beach in Viña del mar)