Manquehue

Well, it's been a solid two weeks since I've been in Chile. Let's look at what I have found to be different about this Southern Cone country than Richmond, Virginia (lowkey miss you, baby)

1. Money conversion: Chile uses the Chilean Peso for their currency. $674.22 pesos equals one USD. The dollar can be stretched further here when it comes to local food (el completo, empanadas). Most street vendors will only charge you one luca ($1,000 pesos, about $1.50 USD) for their goods. But when it comes to eating at a restaurant, the similarity with US prices begin to show. Beer costs a solid $4-$5, entrees going for about $10-$15. So it's not deathly expensive, and if you can work around eating out everyday and trying out one of the street vendors instead you can definitely see the strength of the USD over here.

2. The Metro: Fairly easy to use. Costs about $1 to use for each trip, but is free every other trip if you can get to your next metro stop within an hour of the first trip.

3. Stray dogs: In the United States (at least I would think) if someone were to see a stray dog galvanizing through their neighborhood they would call the authorities ASAP. Here there are dogs who occupy the same spot for months at a time. There are two dogs that sit and cool it outside of my building and have passerbys leave them berries. Also none of these dogs are skinny, at least the ones that I've seen. Which has led me to think that they are being fed pretty darn well.

4. Weed: It's legal and illegal at the same time. You can have up to 2 grams on your person as long as you're not smoking it. But that has not stopped la gente from indulging in the devil's lettuce. Students and individuals are smoking at local parks next to campus on the reg. Very interesting sight to see.

5. English: Obviously I am here to refine and make my Spanish speaking skills and comprehension the best that it can be in the 4 months that I am here. What's funny about that is when I am speaking in Spanish to employees in some places, let's say at the grocery store (because it happened to me there yesterday) they will reply back to me in English. I understand it's because they want to make their English better and see it as an opportunity para mejorarse la lingua. I also understand it's kinda obvious that I am not from here and might look/sound like a typical American extranjero.

6. PDA: Dawg... people are making out at every single corner, metro, bus stop, market, pool, you name it. We learned some lingo prior to classes beginning last week and one of the phrases was "comerse". "Comer" means "to eat" and when you add the "se" at the end it makes the verb reflexive. So when using that phrase it means that they are literally eating each other And from the looks of it, they are.

7. Dinner times: I literally just finished eating dinner 20 minutes ago. It's 13 minutes before 11pm.

These are just some things that I have picked up on in the couple weeks that I've been here. I've yet to be hit with the "culture shock" that my advisers and other professionals have told me that would be experiencing, but I am very excited to be subjected to that moment whenever it does happen!

when in doubt, pinky out

My friends decided to have a game night right before I left, a soft sentiment that reflects the relationship that has grown between all like 100 of us in the group chat. The goodbyes were not as sorrowful as one would think, but I lowkey shed a tear as I was walking to my car. The break pads need to be replaced along with the caliper, an oil change, and probably some transmission fluid just for the hell of it. I'll worry about that later.

I woke up at 5 this morning after waking up at 2 because 1. I couldn't sleep and 2. My phone's battery was busted and was not charging. How do you think I felt about my phone acting stupid the DAY OF MY FLIGHT TO CHILE????? THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A SECOND.

Whatever. My stepmom gave me a wholesome goodbye, which is always nice. Brother and sister gave me several going away messages, friends sent me snaps, DM's, the whole sha-bang. It was a nice way to go out. The drive up to DC was not that bad, either. Big shout-out to my dad for caving and putting more money on his Easy Pass (not sure if I spelled that right, but I'm going to roll with it)

With my phone being broken, we go to Smart Fix in Pentagon City Mall to alleviate the issue at hand. $40 is not that bad to get your phone fixed up in a solid hour. Shortly after, mom bought me a nice Philly steak and my dad spilled honey all over his blueberry Panera bagel.

Soon after I gave my final goodbyes for a while to my parents, who eagerly and selflessly assisted me in the hectic trials and tribulations up to this point for this trip to happen. I can't thank them enough for the amount of financial/legal/emotional support that they have rendered on my behalf. 

As for now, I am on my way to Miami and from there Santiago de Chile. 

SS 490

Well, that's the end of that.

Fall semester is over. What felt like the longest, most brutal time span has come to a close and all of a sudden I can breathe again. I mean, what else can you expect out of senior year?

Highlights from this semester? Hmmm....

- Scholarship
- Visual Evidence
- Study Abroad finalized
- I didn't fail my senior seminar

One crazy thing that happened on this fine day (yesterday, technically)? A girl cheated on our dag on Spanish exam. No hate or anything, but like..... how do you think you can get away with cheating on the final exam for a class???? I...I just don't....It's beyond me. We'll leave it at that.

In other news, my study abroad application process is officially done. I got my passport after USPS lost it, was granted my VISA by the Chilean Consulate, have managed to annoy the staff at USAC with a myriad of emails and phone calls, convince my parents that this trip is not a scam, and proved to myself that if I put my mind to something that may seem completely out of pocket (originally, this trip), then maybe, JUST maybe, it will all workout.

Lastly, went on my first hike in a year! Crabtree Falls, 4 miles. And I did it all in a pair of Air Max. Bet.

Yours Truly

SO...

Senior year is about 45% of the way over and my grades are on par to be the same or maybe even better than last semester. Besides school, lots of other things have been going on. Such as...

1. Securing an interview for a possible year long, full time internship starting this summer
2. Dropping my first video part at the Byrd Theatre
3. Finalizing my Study Abroad application

Just a couple of things that have been rattling in my head for the last couple of weeks. Oh, and Midlo Boy's veeb is having their senior night tomorrow. You know I gotta support the gang one last time...

Halloween is almost here! Ohio here we (the gang) come!!!

Today a dude from DC who owns a small skateboard company named Yours Truly came down to Richmond to give me a board and a few t-shirts just from watching an old (well, like a year and a half) YouTube video I put out. You know what they say, if you keep showing your face around the barber shop, you'll eventually get a cut.

MAYBE it doesn't go like that, but the gist is there.

10:01 left

It's 4th quarter and we're down by 2... do you pass or shoot?

CC: Kodak Black (4th Quarter)

Midway-ish point of senior year and I am....making it...

All jokes aside, it's been going pretty well. One of my professors this semester is the same professor I've had at least once a semester since I transferred to VCU, and she openly bags on me during class. This just gives me more leverage to ask her for a reference when the time comes for it.

So, yeah. School is good.

Utmost got the boys some new kicks, which is very VERY hype. You could say it was "lit".

My dad bought my brother and I silver chains, which is also cool. It's funny only because at work the other day my boss took a picture of me with some necklace on and I immediately thought "I NEED A CHAIN". Diefes has one, Brad has one, it's my time to shine.

Colleen's birthday was last night, and we celebrated by going to Ipanema to do karaoke and leaving before it actually happened, so I would say it was a good way to celebrate.

Lastly,

OCTOBER 5TH, BYRD THEATER. VISUAL EVIDENCE BY AUSTIN KING (A RICHMOND SKATE VIDEO) IS COMING OUT, FEATURING MYSELF AND MANY OTHER TALENTED INDIVIDUALS. I AM VERY EXCITED.

Senior Season Mode Activated

Welp, I am a senior in college now... Let that sink in for a second

I AM A SENIOR IN COLLEGE. I MADE IT. WELL, KIND OF. I AM ALMOST THERE.

Whew...

From falling asleep after drinking my first beer at Marymount freshman year, to being the same goof as I was then but just a tad bit smarter. It's been a hell of a ride.

What's going through my head right now? Well, if you keep up with the news, specifically politics inside the United States (which also means keeping up with politics inside Russia (wait, did I just say that? Oops.) ) you would also have your jaw wide open for all of the flies to get into it after hearing Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort pleading guilty to a plethora of charges. But that is something to be discussed for another day. Obviously I am excited for the journey I am about to begin after school. Moving out of the house to somewhere that may or may not be Richmond (hehe), paying back student loans, beginning an actual career, and actually having a salary instead of working these boo-boo part-time jobs that sometimes make me want to call 911 for help. I am excited to show my parents that my college experience was worth the while so they can stop insinuating that all I do is get drunk on the weekends and smoke weed with my friends. I am scared because I am going to be dumped out into dog-eat-dog world where the next man might be the best man. Nevertheless, I feel like all of these emotions are necessary and proper for a soon-to-be college graduate.

I've been applying to jobs since the end of Spring 2018. I've gotten a few callbacks, several interviews, and "offers" that were dished out to me and several of my friends by companies that are pyramid schemes and do not deserve myself or my comrades time. But, I am still confident that with all the time that I have and will continue to put in to finding a job that one will come my way and then my journey from young adult laflame to young adult and employed laflame will commence.

What would be some of my favorite moments from my tenure in university? Here's a list:

1. Watching Mo Bamba dunk on Khris Lane at the Siegel Center. Embarassing for VCU, yes. But damn, Mo Bamba has a whole song in his name.

2. Sully's. One time Monte and I got kicked out of there for allegedly throwing a stink bomb in the bathroom. Good times, good times.

3. Early morning to late night to early morning lib sessions. There were times where squad would pull up to the lib for hours, take a break, get coffee, and then come back. Some of the most trying times to focus only because it's hard to focus when your friends are all trolling each other.

4. Transferring to VCU What I thought would be the worst thing to happen on the entire planet AKA transferring from the black hole that is Marymount University turned out to be the best decision of my life so far. I've made friends that have turned into family here at VCU and nothing can compare to the experiences that I have made with them here. Not to mention all of the bragging rights that come from one of the best public universities in Virginia like our arts school, our shitty sidewalks, the smog from all of the cigs... ya gotta love it.

5. Miller High Life. No caption needed.

6. Club Volleyball. Club volleyball was fun until it wasn't. Lots of people always showed out, and practices were always intense. But man oh man, some of those guys took it to the extreme. Like, look at the name of the organization you're affiliated with. It's club volleyball bro. 

7. House Shows. One of the perks about going to school in a city that is so diverse and has a thriving art scene is that you probably know a few folks in a band that play shows at someone's house. Mosh pits, beer spilling everywhere, the occasional fight between a couple really drunk people, and getting your shoes that are already in pretty bad shape into even worse shape. Classic.

8. A healthy ODU rivalry. A few of my really good friends go to the university that I am supposed to hate, but every time I visit it's a good time. Some people say that ODU is the next best thing to VCU... NEXT! (queue Rich the Kid voice)

9. Jam-packed Uber rides. Uber rides are fun because you try to create conversation with the driver, and they are either having it or they are not having it. They are already pissed that you have 7 people in a 5-seat sedan since nobody wanted to order an XL, so even trying to make small talk often pisses them off.

10. Relationships, good and bad. And I am not just talking about girlfriends, I am talking about good and bad relationships with friends, acquaintances, family, everything. College is a trying time. You're finding out who you are, and in that process you have to make some adjustments. It could be cutting off some people you didn't think you ever would, or dating that girl you always had the hots for and having it end weird, or it could be becoming best friends with someone you thought was your enemy. The pro of college is that it is a prime time to make all of these changes with little to no repercussion (and by that I mean a ramification that is going to alter your life in a huge, expedient way). It also shows you more about yourself and how you are developing as a person, student, and intellectual.

College, college, college. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I am glad I've went through all three and wouldn't want to change it for the world.

Senior Season Mode: Activated

Foreign

This really great job that could have turned full-time that I was in candidacy for turned into a bust. But, once I talked to my parents about it, they told me that failure is a part of life.

But, think about it this way.

Since I won't be working at my internship for much longer, that allows for more hours to be worked at my part time right now. This also means that there is more time for shenanigans once the school year comes around. Balance. I can't grow up too fast, right? Yes, I am a young adult. But, I am a college senior. And on the website that I looked at that gave tricks and tips for college seniors, it said be a "crazy" college student. Maybe I am just fulfilling the prophecy, perhaps.

You know that episode of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" when the gang tries out for the Philadelphia Eagles and Charlie gets tricked into doing acid? Such a quality, wholesome episode.