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Background

Herman is a homeless man making his way on the streets of Santiago. This is his story:

Dailey Life

Every day is a struggle. It’s a struggle to get food, it’s a struggle to get cool, it’s a struggle to keep warm, it’s a struggle to find clean water to drink, every day is a fight when you’re out on the streets in Santiago. Herman’s life drastically changed when he lost his job as a cook in a restaurant over two years ago. His wages barely afforded him rent and so it wasn’t long before he was out on the streets.

There is a big population of homeless individuals in Santiago, so he found he wasn’t alone. This can have its pros and its cons. Having friends in the same situation is always helpful, but desperate people make desperate decisions. He’s lost much of his faith and sticks to finding simple pleasures in life, when they are few and far between.

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His Perspective

Many people will say life is not about money, but those tend to be people that have enough. Life may not all be about money, but when you have none, your life drastically changes. Having sufficient leads to opportunities, that without are simply out of reach. Even getting a single bottle of water is now never taken for granted living right in the middle of the Plaza de Armas in Santiago.

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Background

Tian Lo has lived in Santiago for nearly a quarter of her life, yet still speaks very little of the local language. This is her story:

Dailey Life

Tian lo goes by Andi in Santiago, because it’s easier for people to pronounce. She was born in Shanghai, China and migrated from her country to Chile to run an Asian market. She’s been successful, but despite interacting with customers in Spanish day in and day out, she speaks very, very little of the language. She knows just enough to get by and get paid for the things she sells.

Her brother came over with her and she now employs him as well. Their store provides a good living for them and they have felt no need to integrate into the culture where they live. That integration process is harder than most realize. Living in a foreign country can still feel foreign even after you’ve spent more time there than your native country.

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Her Perspective

She takes things one day at a time. She looks for happiness in her small sphere of influence and has a tremendous focus on family. The Chinese network in Santiago is very limited and so she relies on family to have conversations beyond, what would you like to buy and how much does this cost!

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Background

Anyelo is a Peruvian living in Santiago for the past year as a driver. This is his story:

Dailey Life

He left Peru over a decade ago seeking a better life, better wages, safer conditions and a better system. Yet in his heart Anyelo is still very much a hard core Peruvian. He talks about how he doesn’t speak Chilean, just Spanish and how surprisingly different the two cultures are despite being so close in geography.

Anyelo is a problem solver. After being passed up by several drivers because of the amount of stuff with two kids we had, Anyelo found a way to fit everything in his compact car, eventually putting the stroller on my lap to make the final piece fit. He cars about others and particularly has a soft spot for parents. As a father to two little girls, he knows what that experience can be like, the joy and the misery.

For him, the biggest dream is to travel to the United States and live there. He is an avid NBA fan and follows the teams closely. But he knows that dream may be a long shot, especially with the current political climate in the U.S.

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His Perspective

Life is a problem to be solved and for those who work hard on finding a solution, it can be very enjoyable. Anyelo is quiet, reserved and not forthcoming with his perspective on life. He is humble, but knows his lane and sticks to it, with small daily improvements to achieve his dreams.

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Background

Oscar loves his job and loves to enjoy life. His time as a zip line instructor has given him more opportunities than he could have expected. This is his story:

Dailey Life

For the past 10 years, Oscar has worked as a zip line guide, with locals and foreigners alike coming to his forest to fly through the trees. He loves to take time to make jokes and connect with his customers, it’s about the entire entertainment experience for everyone who rides on the lines.

His background in high adventure activities have given him opportunities to travel to other countries, on climbing, white water rafting and hiking trips. He loves the outdoors and feels that life is an adventure waiting to be had.

Yet he knows hardships come and even while having the excitement of zipping through the forest, he also talked about those of his fellow compatriots affected by the wildfires and how devastating that would be.

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His Perspective

Oscar loves to joke and especially when I lost my shoe on one of the first zip lines, he loves to take things as far as he can for his own enjoyment as well as all those around him. He loves adventure and a challenge and is grateful for every day he’s able to live his dreams and seek adventure.

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Background

During our visit to Concepcion, Chile one of the worst wildfires in decades, destroying thousands of homes. The community rallied together and responded with needed aid for their neighbors. This is the fires’ story:

The Fire

Around the affected areas, all the church houses, playground and many parking lots were filled with donated essential supplies. Water, food, fuel, clothing, and bedding were there for those who lost everything. The cities of Lirquien and Penco had over 50,000 homes burned, with 80 percent of the city lost in the fire. The fire consumed the wilderness surrounding the city, but the firemen fighting the flames day and night for days, turned the progression to keep it away from the most populated parts of Concepcion, some few hundred meters away from the city edges.

The community came together, with many realizing they were the only support people would get. Regardless of government or nonprofit organizations ability to provide aid, the local citizens knew they would be far short of the needs and stepped in to help out in any way they could. Hundreds of stories of heroic donations, evacuation assistance and support setup came flooding through. One particularly shared story was a young man who carried a paraplegic on his back to escape the flames, leaving with just the clothes on his back. He ended up losing everything he owned, left behind in the apartment consumed in the fire.

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Perspective

Life can be short and unpredictable, in an instant things that seemed so important can fade in a life and death situation. Often these situations bring a perspective focused on the essential instead of the mundane. The community surrounding Concepcion came together to lift and support each other in such difficult times and found a new perspective on life.

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Background

Consuelo is a city planner who enjoys practicing his English with native speakers. This is his story:

Dailey Life

Consuelo lives north of Santiago and took a vacation with his family, his two daughters and pregnant wife, along with his brother and his family, to the Botanical Hot Springs in Pucon. His daily life consists of working as a city planner mainly responsible planning the healthcare facilities in his home city.

He loves taking opportunities to teach his children, whether that is teaching them english or teaching them life skills.

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His Perspective

Life is about leaving a legacy, teaching the next generation how to improve the world around them. He’s a planner, for his job and for his future and the future of his children.

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Background

Theresa is all about family and learning about countries and cultures. This is her story:

Dailey Life

She is an open and forward woman who is always looking to make an international connection. She loves to talk to those from other countries and share her experience with her family who lives all over Chile, Germany and Italy. She’s the oldest sibling and has so much pride in her family and family life.

Spending the day at the Los Saltos Del Laia, with some locally sourced honey from a nearby vendor, Theresa loves to make recommendations to others. She enjoys showing people around her area of Chillan in Chile and is outgoing enough to reach out and help, even if not asked.

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Her Perspective

Family is the focus of her life. Her pride and joy all centers on family and being able to claim an international immediate family brings her so much fulfillment, thinking how far her one family can stretch and how many lives they could all impact. Life is a focus on family and service for Theresa and she finds joy in the human connections she can make.

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Background

Fernando lives as a tour guide in the lava tube tunnels on the slopes of the Villarrica Volcano. This is his story:

Dailey Life

For over 10 years Fernando has been working as a guide in Pucon, touring the underground caves formed by lava flows of an active volcano. He enjoys sharing his knowledge of volcanic activity and how each rock, tube and cave was formed with the pressure of ice and lava.

Being so passionate about his subject and research, he gains so much from sharing facts he’s taken a decade to study and understand.

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His Perspective

Life is about passion and focus. When you find something that gets you excited that you want to tell the world about it, you have found your calling and mission in life. Focus on it and you’ll live life to the fullest.

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Background

Carlo lives in Pucon, Chile, a small town known as a vacation hot spot for tourists and Chileans alike. This is his story:

Dailey Life

As an older man with a helpful disposition, Carlo takes pride in help visitors at his park. He is a simple parking guide and helps guests find a parking spot at Erase Una Vez, or Once Upon a Time. He’s eager to talk to people about this unique park with hundreds of stories on display about every fairytale and adventure you can think of. He loves to see the children come out of the cars excited to embark on this short, but exciting adventure into story land.

Carlo gains meaning in life through being helpful and going above and beyond to guide parents and children through Erase Una Vez.

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His Perspective

Life is story and we’re are the characters. We can decide how and what we learn as well as what we become. Carlo has a simple job, yet he takes so much pride in doing it well, that it can mean so much more to him as he guides people through an storybook experience that they won’t soon forget.

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Background

Prasilia is a mother to a 4 year old with her second child coming in two days. This is her story:

Dailey Life

She works as an insurance broker and often gets chances to improve her English with native speakers through her work. Yet balancing her life as a mother and working is never easy. Luckily she has the flexibility of working her own hours and typically from home.

Prasilia spends most of her time lately at the pool to help relieve the pain of her final days of pregnancy. She lives just out of downtown Concepcion and at the time of wild fires so close to the hospital she plans to give birth at in a few days, there’s a lot of uncertainty in her future.

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Her Perspective

She loves taking opportunities and chances as they come. Even though she’s a working mother, she prioritizes her family and children. She feels they are the real meaning and purpose of life.

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