Los Pacos

Hello all,
Many fences have been jumped, and many windows jumped out of while trying to avoid the people you do NOT want at a party- The POLICE. Although the band by the same name is really great (Sting is still so sexy!) the actual POLICE force is something, when you are 17 and drinking underage at a party, that you want nothing to do with. Trust me, I know.
So, fast forward a few years... I am now of legal drinking age, blah blah blah and those little flashlights the pacos use to point out your parafanalia still put rocks in my stomach. Here we are in Valpo, en route to a friend´s house after a long while of not doing much and trying to leave Peter´s. We decided to go one way instead of the other and ended up running into some fellow gringos along the path in this somewhat sketchy stairwell near one of the ascensores here. We chit chatted, and somewhere along the way a beer was opened and began to be amiably passed as we all played catch up for a bit. Then, ALL OF A SUDDEN we were Surrounded by lights and uniformed officers coming in from all sides! They marched from up, down and around the stairwell and had us traped like tuna from a fishing boat. (note: Dramatized a little...) Anyways, there were some Chilenos drinking as well, and once they got us all together, the realized we were surely foreigners. We spoke a mix of English and Spanish, as we thought English would be better to soften the blow or something(?). And, well, it worked. They brought our gringo squad to the other side of the stairs and told us that since we were foreigners that we were allowed to be let go and to please not drink openly in the streets again or we Would be fined.
huh, thats all??? Yup. Chile is known and respected for their upstanding and honest service people. (A Bolivian friend told me the only people in his country he does Not trust are the Cops)
I think my high-school mentality of "o shit the cops are here, we´re all ·/&$"%·("/ed!!!!!" may be coming to an end. And maybe thats why I got so many drinking tickets in the first place... I ran. I ran away (well, tried...) instead of facing the reality of my situation. Now that I am immune from any Underage drinking tickets, I actually see some value in at least trying to deterr kids from getting drunk in the streets, at parties with questionable older men, etc... But, at the same time it will still happen.People, kids especially, will experiment with drugs, alcohol, sports, food, hobbies, trends, whatever. Adolescent human nature allows this. At least on this end of the world it may be more acceptable or common. I fondly (and painfully) remember my host mom nursing a hangover for me when I first got here, and telling me that she has had a lot of practice both with herself and Christian- my younger host brother. I also remember talking about it the next day, and making fun of how drunk everyone was the night before... I think to be able to get into the discos her you have to be at least 15. Or hot. And thats all. And to "drink" its 18. or not. whatever. The whole alcohol culture down here is so different anyways. Its like everything else where it just doesn´t really matter. My host mom would be surprised if I came home anytime before 4 AM last semester. ¿Did I not have a good time??? ha, well I DID. time, space, alcohol, whatever... It is all relative and all invented.
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Well, in other thoughts... Ive got about a month left here. And.... wow, am kind of freaking out. Not for any particular reason, just excitement, happiness, joy, being anxious. Waiting and wondering while walking waterly through the rest of the days... I guess Im still waiting for that big break or something. Like someone holding that piece of ribbon at the end for me to break through. Like Yes! You did it, congrats. Here´s some gatorade and the rest of your life- don´t tire yet! go, go go!!! wow. All the resting and lazyness here is tiring! hm. well, yea. This is home. Me. this. is. home.
see you all soon, take care!
Chau chau!