Where is David?

To all my friends in Santiago,

Obviously, I can’t top Pablo’s tearjerker of a farewell email that he sent out recently, but as sure as ratdog loves a good piece of raw meat, I’m gonna try.

Basically, I’d just like to extend my thanks and appreciation for all the friendships I’ve gained this past year. Santiago was great BECAUSE of all of you, and it wouldn’t have been the same without any of you.

I will definitely miss all of you in Japan, but hopefully one day our paths will cross again.

I know that I’m leaving because it’s what I need to do, and I hope everyone is able to do the same in his/her life. If I had to give any parting advice to anyone, it’d be ‘don’t settle. In the future, never accept complacency for anything in this world, whether it be your situation in love, work, or anything else. Always strive for your goals and your dreams.’ I hope I can live up to my own advice and one day look back and admire what I’ve accomplished.

On the other hand, if 20 years from now I’m a complete bum living at my parents house (don’t worry Mom and Dad, it won’t happen, just a supposition), feel free to disregard this advice (and laugh at me in the process).

Other than that, I’d just like to reminisce a little bit about our times, hopefully give everyone a little laugh, as well as remember things for myself.

Pichilemu - It was an awesome trip. Our cabin totally kicked the other cabin’s ass, hands down. I thought the party and dinner were supposed to be in different cabins. Good steal on the hamburger Pablo. What, was Mike saying something? I thought I could hear him from Tokyo. Ultimate on the beach, fondas, chicha. good times all around. gay-ass picture at the end though.

Ratdog (the real Pichilemu ratdog I mean) - A true inspiration. You may have been the butt of our jokes, but you amazed us with your survival instincts and sheer tenacity to cling to whatever miserable existence you had left. Hopefully, one day I’ll never reach your level, but if I do, I hope I have the same determination to survive that you have. Bow-wow my friend.

DC United game - can’t believe they blew that f’ing (sorry, my parents read this) game! a 2-0 lead, blown in the second half? That was painful to be at, but at least La Catolica lost to my new favorite team in South American soccer, Boca Juniors. We’re lucky they weren’t playing Colo Colo, or we would have gotten killed in that section. The afterparty was cool though. Dude, I heard you guys were the most talked about band at CMJ.

Boca game - Wow….that was a lifetime experience. Awesome, thanks for arranging that Tim. Have you guys thought about the fact that there were no police in sight in our section? Cheech and Chong probably wouldn’t have minded. I’m thinking of getting a tattoo of Maradona holding a trophy on my right arm, what do you think?

Chileno - It’s almost Spanish, I swear, just put a bunch of marbles in your mouth and speak, add ‘po.

That one party that I can’t remember what it was for, when Patty slept on Dave’s couch and that whole drama started - Man, not much to say about that one. Sepia long island’s are pretty strong. Oh yeah, Patty won poker that night. And even though she was claiming the contrary, she didn’t LOSE her rockstar status that night, she GAINED it.

B.A. - Awesome trip everyone. Couldn’t have gone with a better group (yes Pablo, we wish you were there too) and couldn’t have had better stories. Jake’s camera loved it so much it decided to stay. I think I’ll have a craving for that steak for the rest of my life. Glad we got a chance to ratdog it on the street. Q: Excuse me sir, could you imitate a Chilean accent for us? A: Where the f**k is Chile?

The Strokes - Awesome show, and awesome chorrillana after. Who says Chilean cuisine sucks? Obviously, they’ve never had a chorrillana? Or maybe they just don’t consider that ‘cuisine’. What about completos then?

Tigres - I consider that concert like our version of cricket. I’m told that people go more for the atmosphere than for the actual performance. Hey Jake, how ’bout the Barros Luco, huh?

Halloween - I can’t decide which image is gonna stick in my brain the longest, Eric’s pink bunny, Tim’s nana, or Pierre’s whatever the hell he was. Good times.

People (in alphabetical order) - ‘nice to meet everyone’ and ‘wish you the best in the future’ should be considered standard with everyone listed here in case it’s not written below. Nothing here is really too private or sentimental, just some small thoughts about the good people I’ve known in Santiago.

Annie & Pia - hard to find cool people like you anywhere, much the less in Chile. You’ve got very open hearts and I appreciate everything you did for Jake and I. (work permit, beds & furniture, etc.) Annie, it was awesome living with you, too short in fact. It was always fun to hang out with both of you!

Chris - you’re the balancing stability for Pablo’s crazy life, you guys make a great team. It’s been awesome knowing you, and I was glad to see you at my despedida.

Dave Sepia - Dave, you were a great help to me, first person I knew in Chile, and I’ll always remember that. This year might have been a little rough business/relationship-wise for you, but I hope that was overshadowed by all the good times we all had, the good friends you’ve made. You know we’re there for you if you need anything!

Eric - Awesome living with you, man. You’ve got a great energy for life and a positive attitude, keep it up. I hope to hear good things from you in the future.

Jake - bro, awesome being your roommate. Tons of fun times. You’re a great guy with a good heart, and I wish all the best for you in the future. Let me know when you’re gonna hit up Thailand! We got tons of memories/crazy times….every one listed above in fact. Remember, we met playing basketball.

Jimmy - Another awesome roommate. We had a great apartment and all of you guys will be missed. Jimmy, you’re definitely a creative guy and an artist, and I wish you tons of success in the future. Keep me updated with what you’re up to! What’s your email address?…….oh yeah, I remember now.

Mike - you were a driving force in our group, always planning events and leading the pack. Keep up the hard work.

Oscar - hey Oscar, it sure was fun to smoke those Chileans in basketball, right? Thanks for hanging out, man. Best of luck in Chile, keep me updated with what you’re up to!

Pablo - Of all the people I think might come to Asia, you rank highest on the list. You’re a great friend and it’s been awesome hanging out with you. Thanks for driving us everywhere, and NO, I don’t want to go to Sala Murano this weekend!

Patty - As stated earlier, you ARE a rockstar. You’ve proved that a countless number of times. Also, you were our needed influence of feminine reality to keep us from fratting out too much, and we all appreciate that. I hope to see you sometime in the future, whether it be arizona, l.a. or wherever. (by the way, I’m not really a cat guy though)

Rafe - glad to see you finally found a cultural anomaly that worked out for you! Best of luck with that. Next time I’m in Thailand, I’ll look your brother up!

Reinhart - it was awesome hanging out with you. keep up the good work (whatever that is, I’ll never understand), and I hope that one day I’ll have a life similar to yours. If you ever come out to Asia, let me know!

Tim - Last but not least……ratdog! Dude, you’re the first southerner (but never forget your socal roots!) that I am able to call a friend, which actually means nothing now that I think of it but sounded good a minute ago. The point is, you’re a good friend, and it’s been awesome to meet you. I know you’ll be a big-shot CEO in the future so I hope you’ll always have a managerial position handy for a ratdog like myself, just in case. Ok, I better stop writing cause Pablo will get jealous that you got more words than he did.

Anyways, I’m tired and gotta start unpacking my stuff in my 13 square meter (that’s everything, including bathroom and kitchen, for 900 bucks!) apartment in Tokyo. Basically, these past words for everyone weren’t meant to be emotional masterpieces, but rather simple words of thanks and appreciation for all the good times I’ve had in Santiago. I truly wish the best for everyone, and if I can help you in any way, please let me know. Best of luck to everyone, and until the next time we meet……sayounara.

david