Day Off!

Ahhh.....I just love waking up early in the morning on a day off!

Yesterday, at school we had the first two hours of class, then activities for Independence Day, Las Fiestas Patrias. We were supposed to return to classes in the afternoon and have classes today, but we received a surprise announcement during the assembly that we didn't have to come back in the afternoon and that today we wouldn't have classes! Yahoo! I am so happy! It is days like this that I realize the stress of my job is what weighs on me the most right now and the fact that I am working all the time. It was so nice to wake up early this morning to enjoy coffee and conversation. I am still in my pj's right now. I love it! Normally, I only have one day to sit around in my pj's and that is Sunday.

I was just watching the cats outside, thinking about all the cartoons where you see the pictures of the cats with fishbones. I only had that association through comics, but now, as I look at the ground outside and see all the very well cleaned fish bones, I have to laugh to myself. I have a real life experience. Then, I have to laugh at the pig leg that has been nawed on next to it....mmm....pork. It is interesting how at home we have the comfort of being far removed from the processes of our packaged meats, unless of course you are a farmer, a butcher, a hunter, then you are very aware....but, the rest of us aren't buying pig legs, pig heads, stomachs, tongues, etc from the meat counter...at least I don't. I still don't. I haven't bought meat in ages because I still don't know how to select good meat from bad..and sometimes my stomach just turns when I walk into the butcher shop or walk by the meat counter at the super market....there is a smell I am still not accustomed to. Someday I am going to go with Tania to the store and have a lesson on selecting meat.

Well, because I have the day off today, I have decided to tackle a few Visa things. I recently received a letter from the ministry of the interior, department of foreign and immigration affairs, stating that my application was incomplete. So, it is back to the civil registry for an original copy of a document stating that I have still not committed any crimes in this country (I sent a copy of the now expired document before instead of the original). Then, I need to send a notorized photocopy of my work contract, as I only sent a copy before. Then, I need to send some sort of proof of work over the past year, showing income. I am hoping a bank statement will be sufficient. Then, I have to stop at the bank to pay the fee for my Visa, which is about $100US.

Then, after I finish this, I still have yet to travel to Santiago to get my ever-so-fucking-annoying (excuse my french) legalized transcript and teaching license validated by the US embassy, at which time, I learned, they will give me a 5 year period to take an exam to prove I know and understand the English language and have the instruction to teach it. THEN, I think I am done. Gosh, it might have been easier just to get married to a Chilean.

So, I am off to do that today. I have the urge to take some photos today, as I have been slacking terribly on photo documentation. But, I will make it my goal on my day off to post some photos to share. :)

With that being said, I think I will change my clothes and get moving....hasta luego!

jami