Semana Dos

Hola from Chile!  I’ve had a very lively past few days so I thought I’d write a quick post while it’s all still fresh in my mind!

One of the high points of my week was an encounter I had on Wednesday.  My friend Allyson and I were walking down Avenida Libertad, one of the busiest avenues in Viña, on the way to meet some friends at a movie theater to see a popular Chilean movie.  As we were walking, we passed a guy who I made long awkward eye contact with.  It took me a second for it to hit me, so I was already past him when I realized that I had just passed Michael Cera.  Allyson realized it too, but we had already passed him so we debated for a good 3 minutes whether or not to go back and talk to him.  Although he tried to disguise himself with a red hat and sketchy moustache, there was no doubt in my mind that it was Michael Cera.  The problem was, I had no idea how to start a conversation with him without being extremely awkward. We finally decided that we really had nothing to lose so we turned back.  He was still just chilling in the same place we left him so, after a few deep breaths, I approached him.  The conversation went something like this, except all in Spanish:

 

 

A: Umm, hi. Do you speak English?

M: Only a little, do you? (what a liar)

A: Yes, yes, of course.

M: Where are you from?

A: The U.S.—Minnesota. And you?

M: Canada. (Confirmation that it was, indeed, him)

A: (trying not to freak out) Ohhh…is your name Michael?

M: Yes.

A: Oh! I’ve seen your movies. (Smooth…)

M: Ah, yes. 

After this painfully awkward introduction we actually ended up having a pretty normal conversation.  He talked about how he’s studying Spanish at a language school in Santiago and how he barely ever gets recognized here (my host sister and mom had absolutely no idea who he was).  We talked about the riots and protests and all the craziness going on with the education system.  It was surprisingly relaxed and not too awkward except, of course, when I asked him for a picture.  I was trying not to be an annoying fan but I knew no one would believe us otherwise. What a crazy coincidence.

 

Another highlight of the week was an asado that our university hosted for us to meet Chilean students and get assigned Chilean “buddies” to show us around.  It was a lot of fun to meet all the other “extranjeros” from the U.S. and Europe as well as Chilean students.  Unfortunately, it was extremely windy at 50 degrees outside, at best…   I’m going to allow myself to go on a tangent for a minute about the cold here.  Being from Minnesota, I never thought the cold would be something I would have to worry about when I traveled to South America.  Ohhhh how wrong I was.  If I were you I’d probably be thinking, what the heck, Anna--it can’t be that bad.  However in order to understand my situation you need to understand that almost no one here has heating in their houses.  It is winter right now, and the average temperature during the day is 50-55 degrees F, and much lower at night. My house is always the same temperature as it is outside.  So when the sun sets and the temperature outside drops to 42 degrees, I’m in for a fun night of layering on as many clothes as possible and laying in bed with my covers over my face so that the warmth of my breath will stop me from shivering.  Thanks be to god, it is almost spring and I have already noticed it starting to warm up a little bit.   

Yesterday and today, for example, were so beautiful—60 degrees and sunny.  I spent yesterday exploring Viña with some friends and touring a castle on the ocean.  Today, my host mom and sister took me to historic Valparaiso for the day to show me around—it was a great time, one of the most uniquely beautiful cities I’ve ever been to.  Other than that, my days have been filled with classes, homework, hanging out with my host family and Chilean nightlife—very fun. Tomorrow marks the start to my second week of classes.  Wish me luck!  I miss you all!

que exquisito

 Hello!  So I’m not quite sure how to do this whole blog thing…but one thing I know is that writing the little details of everything I do and everywhere I go is monotonous to write and to read.  So I’ll write about what I find most interesting.

One of the major differences between here and the US that I noticed right away is the level of public affection people display.  First, you can’t throw a stone 3 feet without hitting a couple that’s kissing or caressing each other.  Seriously.  I had heard about it before, but never realized its extent until I actually got here. But beyond that, there is also a higher level of affection between friends and family.  You greet everyone, whether they are your best friend or a stranger you are just meeting, with a hug and kiss on the cheek—no exceptions.  When I explained to my host mom that a normal greeting for a stranger in the US was to shake   hands she was shocked and almost slightly disgusted. 

                                                                                           She, in particular, is one of the most affectionate people I have ever encountered.  She has little pet names for everyone and, after two days, had already started calling me her amorcita.  Her most used phrase by far is que exquisito—how exquisite. My host brother and his one-year old daughter, Josefina, came over the other and I have never seen a baby that has so many people completely infatuated with her.  From the moment Josefina arrived my host mom was just beside herself with adoration.  She was constantly gushing things like “Ohhh my little love you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen”  “Look at you little fatty, you are so precious and pretty” “I have the most beautiful granddaughter that has ever lived”.  My host sister was constantly taking photos of her every move, and my host brother was showering her with hugs and kisses.  Not surprisingly, she is very spoiled and gets everything she wants, but she is a cutie.  

My living situation couldn’t be more different from what I’m used to.  I’m in an apartment right in the heart of the city and I am just a short walk away from the ocean, the mall, and the central “plaza” of the city.  There are stands selling flowers, vegetables and newspapers right on my block.  I was also informed by my host mom the other night that I need to be careful because my block is where the travestis congregate on weekends to conduct business.  This could be interesting… :)

I started school on Tuesday, and I think I’m going to really like it, although there’s no doubt it will be a challenge to be taking college level courses in Spanish.  I think my literature classes will be the hardest because the professor already has a preconception of us as little Americans girls that have never read anything other than Vogue…her words, not mine. 

It’s hard to put my experience here into words.  Every day is filled with a completely new adventure—my mind is constantly working to understand the language and take in everything around me.  I can already tell my Spanish is improving.  My host mom had a whole bunch of friends over for dinner last night and each one was as crazy and affectionate and gregarious as her.  It was a blast.  It was such a cool feeling to actually be able to participate in their conversations and understand their jokes! 

I hope this blog finds everyone warm and enjoying the final days of summer (I miss it---it's winter here!) Until next time!

Anna  

El Comienzo

I’m here! It’s been one day and I have no idea where to even begin.  The voyage was long, but fairly, fortunately, uneventful (besides a few customs mishaps [apparently I’m a pretty suspicious person] and a lady on our flight od-ing on sleeping pills, causing the EMTs to rush on right before taking off). We flew through the night and arrived in Viña del Mar right before 1:00 when our host families were supposed to meet us and bring us home.  Turns out Chileans have a very relaxed sense of time so when we arrived, there were only two host parents there for the group of 21.  Luckily my madre, Valeria, was one of them.  She is a 57-year old divorced woman with a 22 year-old daughter,Paula, who lives with her and goes to an cosmetology institute in Viña, and a 26 year-old son Felipe, a civil engineer that lives in Santiago.  I was beyond nervous about meeting my family.  I only found out who they were a few days ago and knew barely anything about this family that I was going to be living with for the next 4 months.  Luckily, it turns out I couldn’t have asked for a nicer, more caring, mother.  She already calls me her “hijita” and dotes on me to no end.  The only downfall is that she tries to feed me copious amounts of food at every opportunity possible, and I haven’t mustered up the courage to deny her yet.  It is 3:00 and I have already eaten far more food than I do in a typical day, and I hear her clinking around in the kitchen as I speak…I seriously hope she isn’t preparing another meal.  But it’s totally possible because their meal schedule is very different than ours, and I haven’t really gotten it down yet. 

I’m living in an apartment that is probably the size of the living room and dining room at my house in Monte.  The kitchen is the size of my closet, and there are two bedrooms—I get one and Valeria and Paula share a bed in the other one.  I can’t help but feel like I’m cramping their style a little bit, especially when Paula’s boyfriend came over last night and ended up sleeping on two chairs shoved together because Paula shares a bed with her mom… But, they are so welcoming and gracious and make me feel very at home.  They were enthralled by the Montevideo book and pictures I brought.  They kept saying it all looked just like it does in the movies.  When I showed them a picture of my house they were shocked that there was no “protección” or fence around it.  Neither of them speak any English, but they are very used to having Americans in their home.  I am the 13^th “gringa” that Valeria has hosted throughout the years!

Viña is a stunningly beautiful place.  It’s a town of about 300,000 right on the coast of the Pacific Ocean.  The beach, the biggest casino in Chile, and countless discotecas are a 5 minute walk from my apartment.  The university that I’m attending is on top of a huge hill and looks out over Viña, Valaparaiso (the neighboring city) and the ocean.  It’s such a breathtaking view.  I have the weekend to relax and settle in before I start classes there on Tuesday.  I’m very excited!

I could keep writing for pages and pages on all the crazy and new and interesting and mind-opening observations I’ve made and experiences I’ve had but none of us probably have the time or energy for all that J I miss you all back home! Adios!