Epoca Nueva

I love how in a blink of an eye your whole world can change! As of recent my world has begun to move and I am quite content running along with it. Despedida La Nathalie as of Tuesday, fue quite an emotional event however it passed well. Nathalie's last week here was quite amazing, we went surfing in Pichilemu, we hiked Provencia (2750 metros), had amazing dinners and did lots of packing. She's bounding off to be a lanky snow bunny in CA and CO. I still feel as if I just arrived--its amazing how fast time flies! I'm going to miss sleepovers and I am looking forward to hiking the mountains and surfing the seas solita. My other gringos, Andy and Alex are also heading back to the homeland--I cant wait to see where the wind takes them. My Chilean life has really begun to solidify and if all goes to plan I will have my work visa by the end of the week (if not I'm hopping off to Argentina for a bit).
This last week I became staff for Revolver Santiago Online Magazine, I am overjoyed in every sense of the way! I am delighted to say that I was published for the first time yesterday http://www.santiagomagazine.cl/index.php/en/agenda/featured-events/23-agenda/542-preview-javiera-mena-at-el-clan.html! Tonight with much wind under my wings I head out to cover the event and the article will hopefully be published within the week.
Here at Casa Mujica we are preparing for our international Christmas dinner. We have over 16 people that will be joining us on Christmas eve, including our Cuban friends that are not allowed to return to visit their families (the consequences of certain political decisions). We are each preparing a dish that represents our cultural background, I will be making pumpkin pies, one with sugar and one with sacarina, due to the recent discovery of abnormally high amounts of sugar in my blood. With some small changes of diet I should be able to prevent full blown diabetes. I will also be making Mama Carmen's Mexican rice to accompany the Cuban black beans our Cuban friends will be making and the cerdo costiallar that Laura, my Bolivan housemate will be preparing. We also have a Spanish gaspacho, Chilean salad and Chilean pollo asado on the menu. I'm hoping to add homemade tortillas to our cena but first I need to locate a tortilla squisher.
Although family is on the mind often during this time of year, I am super thankful for the people surrounding me, I am being very well taken care of. Sending lots of love and cariño to all my family and friends! Besitos!!

La Ciudad

Santiago is a city where many walks of life come together, where history is living, it is in the faces of the old women on the subways and whispered in slang at the central market. I have come to love this city, the people, and my projects.
As of recent, I will begin writing, translating, and possibly editing for Revolver, a Santiago online magazine, http://www.santiagomagazine.cl/. It has been a dream of mine to write and be published, I'm so stoked I can hardly breath! Apart from that project, working at the restaurant has been great and I get along tremendously well with all of my coworkers and friends.

Somebody asked me the other day, “What do you study?”
I told them, “Life.”

Life collects
in piles
in stacks of smells
in stains of memory
and crinkled photos
It collects
on the spine between the bones
like spiderwebs
It folds
catching sand in the creases
peeling up and leaving sticky
residue behind
It softens
your ice cream
stretches your jeans
and breaks in your shoes
It builds
in scraps of paper
collected shells
and textured walls

And every once in a while
the river takes a detour
and you trickle down the rocks
and settle into a little pond
You watch the butterflies kiss
the water
the elegant skidders stride
on their magnificent little paws
You talk to the wind
and listen
meditating on the bliss
that resides in the tadpole

Life is grown
life is in everything
in the trees
and the wind
in the water
Life trickles in
and gushes out
in the full moon surges
in the taste of blood
the ceremonial dance and burning

It needs oiled and waxed
plucked, groomed, and lotioned
it needs communication, projects
love
it needs the touch of the sun's
hand upon your shoulder
the red kiss upon your cheeks

It sleeps in tears of solitude
and naps in pains from laughter
It is in scrapes and burns and chipped paint
It is in leftovers and memorized recipes
old keys and tattered towels
It is carried in the body
in the pores of physical memories
It is woken in the sleep of a child
in morning lips and swollen eyes
It comes in cycles
it rejuvenates
it dies
It pulses and vibrates
to a specific tone
it's precision is mathematical
procession lyrical
connections undeniable
It tans and leathers
then returns back to the dust
back to La Pachamama