The street where I live

Imagine a picture you've probably seen somewhere. A colorful house, a cobblestone sidewalk, and an older woman sitting on her stoop, squinting from the summer sun- her hand supporting her chin. Now imagine a few more of those women, a dog for each of them. And then me; somewhere in the background. The evenings in this quiet neighborhood are often transformed into a snapshot like this. Somehow I found myself in this surreal experience, talking with older ladies, musing and analyzing domestic pets.
I couldn't tell you where the closest discoteque is, the name of a Chilean pop star, or where the best movie theater is. But if you want to know the eating habits of mutts versus purebreds, which stray cats to avoid, or what exactly the positioning of your dogs ears mean... I've got you covered.
And although my situation here is different from the others in the program, while they are going out on Wednesdays and mingling with the chilean youth... I wouldn't change it. Because now I know Teresa, the woman who walks her dog Perla every day down the same street. Everyday with the same yellow shirt and the same denim skirt. Teresa, who cracks me up every time I see her because besides her dog, her other companion is the rolled up newspaper she doesnt hestitate using to swat street dogs who find their way in her path.
There is something so peaceful about this street, about the things I am learning and picking up on from these woman.
These women who have worked hard all their lives... who have seen and experienced so much here- a dictatorship, social unrest, kindappings, being widowed, some whose children may have even disappeared in the 70s. These women, who all day work as mothers, grandmothers, hairdressers, cleaners, nurses, friends, consultants, aunts... women who have worked all their lives. You need only to look at their feet to see the stories of their lives... strong, proud, and tired feet- feet that undeniably have walked many many miles. So keeping this in mind, I understand the peacefulness they have created here in Providencia. The preoccupation with their dogs, the enjoyment they get out of each others company, the reassurance that we are all, in some way, in the same boat. If for now if the worst of their worries is how many times a day their dog has eaten-thats not too bad at all.

the room, the patio and LA Dominga, my constant companion!