Kyle Hepp

March 21, 2008

I was tagged by lovely Mrs. Mexpat for this meme. Usually when I read that people tag me for memes, I then promptly forget to do them. But after reading that Mexpat tagged me, the next day I saw the same meme on Fned’s blog which reminded me to actually do it.

The premise is that you “bold” all the statements that are true. The more bold lines one has, the more privileged one’s formative years were.

Please note: The list is based on an exercise developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. The exercise developers ask that if you participate in this blog game, you acknowledge their copyright.

Father went to college

Father finished college

Mother went to college

Mother finished college

Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor – I don’t think so.

Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers (I think they mean social class) – Me or my parents? I think yes, I would assume yes, but I’m not sure. It’s also hard to compare lifestyle in one country to another country.

Had more than 50 books in your childhood home

Had more than 500 books in your childhood home – I am a book addict, as are my mom and dad. I’m pretty sure each member of the family had 500 hundred books in each of our individual bookshelves.

Were read children’s books by a parent - constantly.

Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18 –

Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18 - Piano, dance, gymnastics, flute. I will say that as a single mom, my mom took out loans from family members, skipped out on expensive vacations, extravagant homes. She drove a car that was like from the year of the invention of the car. She worked 70 hours a week. My mom sacrificed everything to make sure that her kids had every opportunity they could possibly want.

The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively

Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18 - I got my first credit card in college, used it like twice and then this year I closed it. What’s the point?

Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs

Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs - scholarships, grants and loans (all in my name, not my parents’ paid for my all of my college costs).

Went to a private high school – haha. No.

Went to summer camp - Yes, and cheer camp and band camp and soccer camp. Fundraisers and my own part-time jobs helped cover expenses.

Had a private tutor before you turned 18 – I was a tutor, does that count?

Family vacations involved staying at hotels – Are you seriously asking me that?!?

Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18 – No

Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them – No.

There was original art in your house when you were a child – I think so, but I can’t really remember. I believe my mom sometimes brought back original art that she brought home from her business trips to other countries.

Had a phone in your room before you turned 18 – Yep.

You and your family lived in a single family house – Yes.

Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home – If you’re asking if the mortgage was paid off, then no, but if you mean the house wasn’t a rental, than yes.

Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course – No, I’m a good test taker so I didn’t think I needed it.

Had your own TV in your room in High School – No

Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College – Definitely not.

Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16 – Of course! My parents were divorced and they lived in different states. I couldn’t drive myself to FL when I was 12 could I???

Went on a cruise with your family – Hell no!

You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family

I’m going to tag Ordinary Girl, Rachel, Maurey Pierce and FeistyMN Girl. Have fun

7 Comments

March 10, 2008

Consider this…I live in the land of crappy reggaeton. It has taken over Chilean eardrums. Even the ballads in this country are reggaeton. See exhibit A:

This is currently the most popular song in Chile. People drive by blasting it out of car windows. The workers remodeling the inside of the building in front of us listen to it all day long. At the gym the guy on the treadmill next to me yesterday was actually singing, as he jogged. He mumbled, “Mami, I’m lonely” and I was about to flip out. I was like oh no this guy did NOT just call me mami. Then he continued, “te lo hago toda noche tambien in the morning,” (morning pronounced muurning in case you were wondering), and I realized he was just singing that stupid song. That’s life in Chile, just a constant stream of reggaeton beats.

So tonight, I was sitting on my couch with the balcony sliding door opening like usual. I was watching t.v./working on the computer like the good little multi tasker I am. I’m pretty good about blocking out the noises that come from outside. So as I was inside doing my thing, I barely even realized that I had started humming along to She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy….wait…WHAT?!? Oh. My. Gosh. Somebody had Kenny Chesney on at full blast. I ran out on my balcony and looked around frantically trying to figure out where the song was coming from. And then just as abruptly as it started, it stopped. I waited to see if they would play another country song, but that was about a half hour ago and I have heard another peep from that direction. I even went so far as to stand out on my balcony and shout, “Who is playing country?!?” The only reaction I got was from a few old men who looked up, saw me and started whistling. Damn it!

Before you go abroad you think you’ll miss your family and your friends the most. You don’t realize that what can really trigger a bout of deep homesickness is a song, a genre of music that you haven’t heard outside of your own iPod in years, the smell of teriyaki chicken or any food you used to eat back home, even just reading an old book can take you back to wherever you were the first time around that you picked it up.

Whenever I get hit with that homesick feelings it’s always a surprise to me. I go about my day to day life here and there’s normally not too much that I miss. And just so you don’t go thinking I’m a cold hearted wench, it’s not that I don’t love my family, I’m just used to being away from them. Even if I lived in the U.S. I wouldn’t be in Michigan anyways so it’s not like I’d see them more than I do now. We talk all the time. And I do wish I could see my friends more, but all my true friends have been good about staying in touch. I’ve learned to value their emails and phone calls so much.

It’s those little things that get to me. Like Kenny Chesney.

AHHHH, I want to go line dancing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There, the secret is out. I’m a Democrat and I love country music. That’s practically an oxymoron.

24 Comments

March 1, 2008

My mom has officially joined the blogging world! Leave her some love over at Ritaville Perspectives.

Maybe reading what she has to say about the world will help me understand why I’m crazy

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