Weekend pictures

My favorite people: Jaime and Lee Anne.


The California girls. Friday night good times ; )

Housing

Well, updating everyone on this unpleasant and anti-climactic situation doesn't give me much pleasure, but I guess I should anyways. Robyn and I trying to get a room on our own went no where, since Student Affairs seemed to show absolutely no interest in or concern for our situation. It was very disconcerting and since we often felt like we had no advocate at Student Affairs, I lost quite a bit of faith in the college. I realize now that Grinnell is a marvelous place when things are going well. I love the students here, the professors, and even the town. But the college administration can be pretty poorly run and uncaring. I talked with my old advisor, V. Brown (who I adore) and her response was "and you had such a bad experience with Student Affairs just dealing with HOUSING. Imagine if you'd gone in after being assaulted or something much more serious." I think she's completely right and I wonder why they can't find more professional, kinder people to work there.

Anyways, once my mom got on the phone, things started falling into place. It really pisses me off the the administration seems to respect parents but not students. I approached them like an adult, and they should have treated me like one. I feel really thankful that I have a mom who a) cares enough, b) is pushy enough and c) has the time to take care of everything.

In the end, it turned out we couldn't live in Russian house. Our options for other housing were: double in "D", recycling room single in Rawson, tiny double in James, or double in Cleveland Pit. Though Cleveland is famous (or should I say infamous) for its smokers, stoners, and grimy-ness (the computer lab and lounge are filled with ashtrays and old beer bottles, giving the whole dorm a very "special" smell), we decided that it was the best option. Our room is small, dark, and smells awful, but hey, its a room.

Robyn and I have been getting along really well and I'm looking forward to living with her. Plus, living with her I have two extra, built-in friends, Russ and Eric, who I really like. We slept in the room last night ( I had to borrow sheets) and it was ok. This afternoon Akili is taking me to storage and then Emma is taking me to Walmart. With my own stuff plus some cloth to make curtains (the old ones smell like smoke) the room should look a little better.

Update:

Well lots of stressful conversations and crying later, still no room. According to Housing, they officially have no place for me to live. And they are officially being ASSHOLES about it. I can't believe that I get back thinking things are sorted out to find that I have NOWHERE TO LIVE. Classes start tomorrow, and I am living on Jaime's floor, with no clean clothes (I'm unable to get into either my storage or my suitcases, long story), no school supplies, no dining plan, and no food of my own.

As for my official contract guaranteeing me a Russian House double with Robyn, which I signed last April, Housing earlier claimed "they had lost it" but now it turns out "it was somewhere all along." Funny thing is though, that the college has decided it is "no longer valid." The girl living in my room was only signed up to live there for Fall 2005, so its ridiculous that the college has sided with her instead of me.

Oh, and worst of all: she has a sign on her wall that says "I sacrifice kittens." I'm really starting to hate her. I guess I shouldn't though, since this whole situation is the administration's fault, not hers.

Urgh.

So I went to my supposed room in Russian house and there is a scary looking punk black girl living there with a big banner that says "I worship the devil." I'm not really sure what to do now. Kicking her out of my room sounds...scary...but I can't keep hiding out at French House forever, I definitely need some place to live!

Also, the post office is closed which means I have no way to get the key to storage or my registration card.

Today is my only free day to unpack and move in, but I don't have
-a room
-a key to storage
-a ride to storage
-my registration form
-books

I don't really think this whole coming back to Grinnell thing could be any more frustrating. At least I get to see Jaime and LA I guess.

Last day home

So its back to Grinnell tomorrow, and I'm not particularly looking forward to it. While it will be good to see my friends, I don't feel much pulling me back to the snowy cornfields and difficult classes that are Grinnell. A lot of people I know start wanting to go back to Grinnell the day after they get home on break, but I'm not one of them, and I don't really get this mentality. Do these people not like their families or something? Home is so nice. I love my 10 hours of sleep every night, my beloved cats, hanging out with my parents, and eating delicious food.

A lot of progress has been made this past week about sorting things out for Grinnell. I now have a ride to Grinnell (Akili), a place to live (Russian House with Robyn), and, best of all, MY JOB BACK! Yay!

Today I called my host family for the first time since getting back to the US. I feel kind of bad that I didn't call them earlier, but San Francisco and Chile seem like such separate worlds that its honestly hard for me to remember that I can dial 13 numbers and be connected to my old life in Valparaiso. I don't mean to sound like a complete idiot about the international phone call thing, but I find it really magical that I can be sitting in my chilly American house and talking to Erica while she crushes palta (avocado) for onces (tea time), tells me about the newest babies in the family, and complains about the fierce summer heat in Valparaíso.

So I had a great time talking to them. Erica broke a toe, but its almost better now. She finished her hairdressing class, and is planning a trip to Mendoza (Argentina) before she starts work in her friend's hairsalon, probably in March. Christián is working at the auto repair shop, but he had today off. he said that he was at the beach all day and tonight is going out to Irlandés (a favorite bar)...sigh...I wish I were there! Marjorie is doing great at work and might be up for promotion soon.

It snowed all day today in Grinnell. It should be beautiful, but cold, when I get back. Wish me luck moving back in this weekend!

Yay!!!

Bachelet just won the second round with 53.5 %! Chile now has a SOCIALIST WOMAN PRESIDENT! I think she has the potential to be an excellent president for Chile and I'm excited and hopeful to see how she'll pull through. It may be presumptious to have strong political views in a country that's not your own (having spent just a semester in Chile I can't claim to know or argue the issues very well) but from what I've seen, I believe that Bachelet will be a great leader for the left in Latin America!!!
(Read about it)
(Pictures from the election)

I just found out the news a few hours ago. Other than this, its been a quiet homey weekend. Its been really cold out and I've spent hours upon hours sitting by the fire reading or playing with the cats or just thinking. My dad and I went to the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden this morning and had a great time walking around in the cold looking at plants and taking pictures. Another highlight of the weekend was an amazing Czech movie called Zelary...I would highly recommend it.

Today I read the New York Times magazine front to back. As you probably know, I love this magazine. I just have to put in links to a couple of the best articles...
What is a living wage?
"Is how much you pay a worker a moral issue? Some in the Democratic establishment have come to believe that the left, after years of electoral frustration, has finally found in hourly wages its ultimate moral-values issue. 'This is what moves people to the polls now,' one living-wage advocate says. 'This is our gay marriage.' "
The pressure to cover
"Discrimination used to take aim at entire social groups. Now it is directed at the members of those groups who refuse to assimilate to the mainstream."
Generation Pad Thai
On a lighter note, I thought this was hilarious.

Yuma

After the wedding in Prescott we decided to head down to Yuma for a couple of days, since its only about a five hour drive and we hadn't seen the new addition G'ma put on her park model. Yuma's right on the California-Arizona-Mexico border and has lots of nice things about it... mainly the constant sunshine and the 70 degree weather even in January!


St. Thomas Mission, which is on the Quechan Indian reservation, across the Colorado River from Yuma. The building was closed but we walked around the outside, where there was a petrified wood shrine to the Virgin Mary. There were also some statues honoring "beloved" Padres who worked there at the Mission in the late 1700's...it turns out they weren't that beloved after all since most of them were killed in an Indian uprising just a few years after the Mission was built.


A date farm we went to. The spaniards brought date palms to California and they've been here ever since! At this farm you can buy about 5 different varieties of dates, all of which are delicious.


Yuma also has beautiful sunsets. Its strange, but in Pacifica there's only a nice sunset maybe once every couple of weeks, whereas in Yuma basically every night looks like this.


Saguaro and Ocotillo cactus.


An ocotillo against the pretty sky...I like how you can see the spines!


My dad and I went out for a sunset hike, which is how I got all of these cool pictures.

The Wedding!

We just got back from Arizona for my Auntie Shelly and Dave's wedding. It was almost like a family reunion since so many people were there. It was a really pretty wedding, even prettier than I expected, since everything came together nicely and all the kids (my cousins) were in it with huge grins...so cute. We got there Friday in time to stop by the house (which was PACKED) before the rehearsal dinner, then went there and talked to about a million people, then had a midnight-sauna and went to bed. The next day was busy since everything that had been left to the last minute had to be taken care of. Mama, A Uusi and I were in charge of the programs at Kinko's and thank g-d that A. Uusi has good secretarial skills because I never would have been able to figure out all the paper types and margin alignments and so on. After the wedding at 4, we decorated Shelly and Dave's car while in the church the poor photographer tried to get wedding pictures with 5 kids and a baby running in and out of his dumb poses! That night there was a wedding party at the Sheriff's Posse building with tons and tons of jazz (Dave is a jazz musician and carpenter). A fat lady with enormous red hair sang the best blues that I've ever heard, and Dave, Shelly, Lea and Naomi played a family jazz number. Even Lea and Naomi had solos and they did a great job!


Natalie and Lea getting their hair done at the house.


My dad and Auntie Lisa talking while Natalie models her curls (she was the flower girl)


Auntie Uusi, Dave, Auntie Shelly, my mom, me, my dad, G'ma. The beautiful stained glass was one of the reasons Auntie Shelly chose this church for the wedding.


(Most of) the Tanttila side: Auntie Uusi, my mom, Dave, Auntie Shelly, Auntie Lisa, Uncle Loren, Lorena, Uncle Reino, Naomi, Natalie, Caleb


Naomi and Lea as bridesmaids...they looked so beautiful!


Naomi, Lea, and Sukha


Naomi and Auntie Shelly at the wedding party...hard to say who has a bigger smile!


My mom, G'ma, and Grandma Pat


Me, Chand, and Sukha at the house the day after the wedding.

The kittens

Since lately my life revolves around Pushkin and cats, I thought I'd put some of the kitten pictures I'd taken lately up. They're more like adult cats with the personalities of kittens, actually--they're about 9 months old. The last time I'd seen them was in June, so when I came home it was fun to see how they'd grown up. A little disclaimer/apology... unfortunately my mom gave them names that if you're not Finnish you won't be able to pronounce, and if you are Finnish you'll wonder why they're named after numbers! They're adorable cats though.




Yksi always looks kind of worried.


Kaksi eating a piece of paper.


Neljä


Kolme

New Years in Nevada

The mountains near Lovelock. While A Margie and Mama hit the junk stores in town and G'ma went gambling (haha), my dad and I went out hiking to get some fresh air and to try out my new camera. It was a cold day and a storm was coming in, but it felt great being outside. I've always loved this part of Nevada since the mountains and the soft colors are really beautiful.


Pretty rock patterns.


Cactus in A Margie's garden after one of many rainstorms.


The pond near the house with a huge storm approaching. We were out of power for all afternoon and night New Year's eve. We managed to have a nice New Year's eve dinner by candlelight though!