This is it!

Get ready to go!  It is going to be fun, good food, and at the same time, you will be helping so many people who need our help....

Immense grief...

Long before the earthquake, I used to visit a blog called Polin en Camino.  Polin lives in Concepcion (my home town), and I used to love her posts and photos because they were so familiar.  Now, after the earthquake, she has evolved into this amazing person (my hero).  She has organized a group of volunteers to go and help the people from Santa Clara, Talcahuano.  These people lost everything, and Polin is determined to help them in any way she can, from cleaning what was left from those houses to provide them with clothes, blankets, even stoves... And in the middle of all that, she tells us the story... the story of those whose lives will never be the same again...  

Bernardina's story comes to us from Santa Clara.  Polin says that you look at her and she is very silent.  She doesn't say anything.  Her hands, her gestures are filled with pain, that sort of pain that penetrates your bones.  The day of the earthquake, as soon as her house was shaking all over, Bernardina got out as fast as she could – she had always been scared of earthquakes.  Her 33 year old daughter stayed in bed, she hated these stressing situations, so she decided to stay in bed, together with her niece.  Her husband took Pablo, her 4 year old son, and asked her to get up, but she continued in bed.

Bernardina was already with her other 3 children in the street and decided to get to the hills, without waiting for them.  While she was climbing, she saw how the water was entering the houses... there was no time to repent now... she had to keep on going...

When the morning came, and the water had receded, she came to the place her house once had been... there was nothing left... Nobody said anything...the water had taken everything... including her daughter... Little Pablo suffers.  The ocean took his mom away, he is awfully scared of aftershocks, and he doesn't seem to make sense of it all. 

Bernardina keeps on looking around, hoping something can change this immense grief….

Invitation... RSVP

The Consulate General of Chile invites you to "The Ultimate Traveler Benefit Event for Chile" on Tuesday, April 13 at 7:30pm.

Event: The Ultimate Traveler Benefit Event for Chile
What: Fundraiser
Start Time: Tuesday, April 13 at 7:30pm
End Time: Tuesday, April 13 at 10:00pm

Where: Student Union Building UBC
6138 STUDENT UNION BOULEVARD
Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z1
Admission by donation!

How long can they wait for help...?

These pictures are from Concepcion, from Polin en Camino.  She lives there.  With her 2 children, her husband, and her lovely brother who has been working in the area as a volunteer to help people in need...

Her pictures will show what downtown looks like... Piles of debris everywhere...

And holes... like a war scene...

But even worse than that is the situation that people from Talcahuano are living... They have been without water since the earthquake.  Streets haven't been cleaned, there is mud and fish still all over the place, rotten... full of flies...

Polin talked to some of the people from Talcahuano.  One of them, Ana, told her the water was black, penetrating every corner of her house... and she thought she was going to die there... but his partner, Pedro, had reached the roof of the house, and she doesn't know how... he managed to catch her and bring her to the roof with him...

The water was getting higher and higher... Pedro managed again to grab one of his neighbours and bring him to the roof, too.  "On the radio, thye were telling us not to move from our houses, to be calm... And I believed that...!" said Ana.  At least 9 people from that street died.

Further down the road, Polin finds Marioli and her 3 daughters, living with her parents.  She lost everything.  She was 3 days without food or water... One of her daughters, Nicole, was operated on her spine, and she cannot afford to get sick.  The conditions under which they are living now are very risky for her health.

Polin continues walking around, and finds Néstor, wearing an overall.  He is cleaning mud and algae from what it used to be his house.  There is a sad look in his eyes.  She asked him if he needs anything... He says he doesn't.  But she realises he needs everything.  There is nothing left.

"It's difficult to imagine yourself without anything in life... your things, your clothes, pictures... the water took everything with it..."

Empty pieces of land, house are gone... So people just put a sign with their family name on it...

Thank you, Polin, for being our eyes...

There is still a lot of help needed in this area... Concepcion, Talcahuano, and Lota, too.

If you are in Vancouver, don't forget the  FRIED FISH & SALAD… Chilean Style,

April 03, Sat. - Chilean Housing Coop. 3390 School Av.
No time for this event?  Phone the Chilean Consulate in Vancouver and find out all the ways you can help...
Have a meaningful Easter weekend!

Spring is almost here...

Yesterday was such a nice day here in Vancouver... and I was watching the birds going around, really busy, building their nests, and I couldn't but think of all those people in Chile who lost their houses... if it only were that easy for them to rebuild...
For them, reality is quite different.  Whatever they try, it is a painful process.  I was talking to my niece yesterday, and she says Concepcion is not receiving any visible help from the government.  She is trying to fix her house, but construction material is so expensive now... prices have doubled or tripled... Winter is coming, and Concepcion is like here, in Vancouver, it doesn't rain... it pours...
Anyway, some coastal areas are already seeing some recovery... some small towns are already opening new schools, and some fishermen have already been able to recover their boats.  A lot of people are working together in any way they can to help the victims of the earthquake.
I am really touched by all those volunteers, long hours, no pay, only the satisfaction that they are doing their part...

For those of you who want to help, there are lots of ways of doing it:

This Saturday, March 27, 2010:  Trout Lake, 3350 Victoria Drive.  From 9am to 6pm:  Soccer games: $5 to play.  Children matches in the morning.  Afternoon for adults.  And you will also be able to buy EMPANADAS!!!  Yeah!!!

Also, this is happening in Vancouver, in April:

Special Presentation on CHILE

Fundraiser for the victims of the 20101 Earthquake
Friday, April 9 at 7:00 PM - Ferry Building Gallery
1414 Argyle Avenue, West Vancouver, BC

Tuesday, April 13 at 7:30 PM - University of British Columbia
6138 Student Union Boulevard - Room 207-209, Vancouver, BC

"Join us for a special show on Chile, where the Central-South Region has been ravaged by a terrible earthquake and tsunami on February 27, 2010.
Peter Langer had just returned from an extensive journey through Chile in 2009/2010 and will update you about current conditions; an overview of the country, as well as talk about the tourism attractions of the country, which for the most part have not been affected by the tremors.
Admission is by donation and all profits will go to Canadian Medical Assistance Teams and tax receipt will issued for donations over $ 25.00
Hope to see you all at the shows
Best regards,

Peter Langer
Managing Director
Associated Media Group"

There is so much to rebuilt...

More opportunities to help in Vancouver.  I was listening to the radio today, and I heard that this coming Saturday, in Trout Lake, there is going to be fund raiser soccer games.  A full day of activities: children's games in the morning, and in the afternoon, games for adults.  There is going to be music, too... and empanadas, and many other things happening in order to raise money to help the victims of the Chilean Earthquake...
Come and join us at Trout Lake!

More ways to help...

So much help is still needed...! Lots of people in Chile are so commited to help those in need. Many young people are volunteering their time to help in any way they can... I also found this blog Desafio Levantemos Chile, and these people are doing an amazing job, trying to repair boats and creating schools! Good for them!

And here in Vancouver, there are ways of helping, too.
This is what is happening so far:
- The Chilean Cultural & Sporting Association of B. C. cordially invites you to a Fund Raiser Dinner for Chile Help Chile at Sehnor Rooster Portuguese Restaurant located at
850 Renfrew Street, Vancouver BC V5K 4B6
Ticket at $25.00 per person with Live Music by Jorge Hernandez & Salsa Tres on
Friday March 19th, 2010 at 7:00 pm
All proceeds from food will go directly towards the Earthquake Victims in Chile

-FRIED FISH & SALAD… Chilean Style
April 03, Sat. - Chilean Housing Coop. 3390 School Av.

- FIESTA LATINA… April 09, Fri. - Croatian Cultural Centre

- CULTURAL EVENT… April 24, sat. – Our lady of Sorrows Church . 555 Slocan

MORE INFO:
604-439-1414 LESLIE PANADERIA LATINA
604-515-1761 ANTONIO