Santiago y Fiestas Patrias

La Moneda--home of President Piñera

Hola! It’s been an exciting week for me here in Chile. Last Monday morning we loaded a bus and headed to Santiago to explore Chile’s capitol. It was a great, action-packed trip. We were able to see all the city’s most important buildings, plazas and natural attractions, including a visit to La Moneda--Chile’s equivalent of the White House.  The president was even in the house while we touring, which I found exciting, but when I told my host mom she felt bad that I had to be that close to him (he is not very popular here, especially among my family).  Although the tours were fascinating, there is also something to be said for exploring the lesser-known parts of the city with people who live there.  Luckily, a few of us had connections with other students living in Santiago so we were able to enjoy the city with them at night.  One night, not only did we see Michael Cera AGAIN, we also decided on a whim to stop at a crepe shoppe only to be served by a girl from Shoreview, MN who happened to go to high school with one of the girls on our trip.  Coincidences like that never cease to amaze me.  Later, in the middle of the night, there was a small earthquake that did no damage but got everyone talking.  My host mom called me the next morning to make sure that the old rickety hostel we were staying in had held up.  Unfortunately, or probably fortunately, I was fast asleep and somehow didn’t even wake up.  I feel like I missed out! 

View of Santiago from Cerro San Cristoból

We returned home on Wednesday night just in time to start celebrating Fiestas Patrias. My host mom took us out to a typical Chilean restaurant down the block and ordered me Chorillana, one of Chile’s delicacies—a mountain of French fries topped with beef, hot dogs, fried onion and fried eggs.  Blocking out any thoughts about its effects on my arteries, I found that it was a surprisingly delicious combination.  And I wasn’t the only one. My host sister, who is on a “diet” refusing to eat any bread or sweets, had no problem scarfing down a big ol’ plate of Chorillana, with a diet coke of course. Something I have noticed, that might be a little more pronounced in my family, is that Chileans can be very blunt and harsh about things without feeling like they are being rude. To give an example, throughout the night at restaurant my host sister and mom had at least a 3 minute conversation about how fat the woman sitting at the table next to us was.  And then a few minutes later, went on about how ugly their friend’s son is.  Soon after, the conversation changed to how foolish their acquaintance is because he has depression.  And finally, how my mom would never want to host an Asian (or an amarillo as she called them for their “yellow skin”) because they’re all dirty and smell bad.  Now this makes them sound like they are really awful people, and they really aren’t.  They are both nice and caring and generous. I think they just have different standards about what is acceptable to say about someone.  They honestly think that these things are fact, so they don’t feel bad saying them.  But anyways…back to Fiestas Patrias.

A friendly game of tug of war at the asado

 

From then on forward, the rest of the weekend was filled with food and celebration. In class on Thursday, our art history teacher took the entire period just to tell us what food and drinks to buy at the Ramadas (a big carnival for Fiestas Patrias filled with rides, games, and vendors of everything imaginable) and teach us how to dance Cueca, the typical Chilean dance.  Sunday the 18^th, like our July 4^th, was the big day.  My host family and I spent the day with family and friends at two different asados, followed by an after party with my host sister.  It was so cool to participate in this day so filled with Chilean tradition and culture and to meet so many people.  After over twelve straight hours of eating, drinking, games, talking and dancing, the night finally came to an end. What a weekend!

Embracing my inner Chilena

Chile en Septiembre

The view of Viña from Reñaca on a hot September day

 

Hola a todos! I can’t believe it’s already September.  It seems that the season here has changed from winter to summer overnight.  Instead of bundling up in 2 coats, a scarf and a hat, I can walk outside in a t-shirt and jeans and be sweating.  You can probably guess that I am welcoming this change with open arms.  September is a very important month for Chileans.  September 11^th 1973, marks the military overthrow and death of Salvador Allende.  It’s really interesting to hear the varying opinions of different Chileans I meet regarding this still-sore subject.  I was also surprised to hear my host mom and her friends talk about September 11^th, 2001.  Like most Americans, they all remembered exactly where they were, what they were doing and how they felt when they heard the news of the Twin Towers.  However, September does have an upside for Chileans.  Fiestas Patrias—Chilean independence day is coming up on the 18^th.  Ever since my first week here, it became obvious to me that Chileans love love love celebrating this day.  I am looking forward to a weekend full of family, friends, asados and pisco :)

Sam's mom made her a big, chilean, delicious birthday lunch

With 3 21^st birthdays in our group in a span of 5 days, it goes with out saying that we’ve had a very festive past week.  But besides celebrating cumpleaños, my week was filled with other adventures as well.  Last Friday a group of us decided to take an excursion to some sand dunes about 15 minutes away from Viña.  It wasn’t exactly the best planned trip, so after much confusion, disorientation and uphill hiking we finally arrived.  So worth it.  The view of the ocean from the top of the dunes was breathtaking.  Pictures don’t even do it justice. 

The glorious view from the sand dunes, ConCon, Chile

Moai outside of Museo Fonck

Another interesting highlight was a trip to Museo Fonck—a museum dedicated to the indigenous cultures of Easter Island, Peru and Chile.  Our art history professor, Jorge, toured us through it and proved to me that he literally knows everything there is to know about any indigenous culture in the area off the top of his head. It had tons of fascinating ancient artifacts, and it’s even home to an original Moai (Easter Island head).  

As part of our St. Ben’s program, we are required to perform a certain amount of volunteer hours at organizations throughout the city.  I am working at Sanitorio Marítimo, which is a live-in hospital for children and young adults with severe brain disabilities.  It is a rarity to find a patient that can walk, much less talk. Most of the patients have lived there the majority of their lives and were taken from their homes due to neglect, abuse or an inability of their families to deal with their conditions.  There is no other place like it in all of Chile and there is constantly a waiting list of people to be admitted.  Needless to say, it is heavy and it is sad.  Although it was my decision to volunteer at this organization, I was still a little nervous what it would be like because it is so out of my comfort zone. But, I had my first actual volunteer session this week and it went really well.  The people that work there are all saints and I feel really good about creating companionship with this people that have been forgotten or ignored by society.  I look forward to getting to know the patients better throughout the rest of the semester.

Our group leaves tomorrow for a 3 day excursion to the capital, Santiago.  We will return just in time to start celebrating Chile’s independence :)  Besitos and abrazos a todos! Adios! 

Actividades Recentes

iSaludos! After almost 3 weeks, I’m finally starting to feel at home here in Viña.  I’m getting used to the food, the customs, and above all, the language.  Chileans are the first to tell you that they speak “dirty” Spanish.  In other words, they use tons of Chilean slang and speak extremely fast—extremely.  I would be lying if I didn’t admit that my first few days here consisted of a lot of smiling and nodding and laughing at the right times to feign comprehension.  Within the past few weeks, though, my ability to understand has increased immensely and I feel way more comfortable listening and conversing.   That being said, there are still plenty of “lost in translation” moments.  For example, the other day I thought my mom was telling me that the creepy, tattooed guard at our apartment complex was also a priest.  Needless to say, that is not the case…. complete misunderstanding on my part. But for the most part, my Spanish is good! J Anyways, here are a few notable events/highlights of the past week or so:

Last Wednesday and Thursday there was a national strike.  So, in addition to the hundreds of thousands of teachers and students that have been on strike for the past few months demanding education reform, there were also tens of thousands of unionized Chilean workers on strike demanding all sorts of government changes.  It got super violent in some cities and there was even a death in Santiago—very sad.  Viña, however, is a really calm city so I personally didn’t really see any protesting.  And I was honestly kind of disappointed, as long as I’m here in the middle of the huge historical revolution I might as well witness a little of the action, right? Oh well, I’ve still got time.  A lot of people are starting to get scared that this is going to be another Allende/Pinochet disaster.  It will be interesting to see what happens!

Yesterday we took a class trip to Valparaíso—one of the most important port cities in South America.  It was an absolutely beautiful day and it was fascinating to learn about the history of the city.  We got to ride on a boat throughout the port, learn about the historic parts of the city, ride an outdoor elevator up one of the 42 hills that the city is built on, and tour Pablo Neruda’s house.  

One of many ascensores in Valparaíso

Port in Valparaíso

I attempted to cook some classic MN wild-rice soup for my family.  I brought the wild rice from home, but it was a struggle to find all the necessary ingredients in the supermercado and even harder make it in the tiny kitchen without any thing slightly resembling a measuring tool.  When I asked my host sister if they had anything to measure with, she looked at me like I was crazy and said “Uhhh….we use our eyes.”  I never realized how much of a luxury my half-teaspoon measurer was.  Suprisingly, though, they loved it! Or they at least pretended like they did.  They both had seconds and raved about how rich and delicious it was.  They wanted me to make it again, and suggested I look for wild rice in the “American” section of the grocery store…something tells me that won’t work. 

Last weekend, some friends of ours from the university here decided to take me and a few other friends on a trip to Reñaca, a neighboring town.  After showing us around, we went back to their apartment, made a big dinner and then invited people over for a Chilean style party.  It is really really great to be making Chilean friends and to be completely immersed in the lifestyle, however we’re all still getting used to their way of partying.  In Minnesota, the bars close at 2 am.  In Chile, that’s when they open.  5 am is a completely normal and reasonable time to return from a night out. When I come home at 2 on a weekend my host mom is surprised at what an early night I had.  I’ll get used to it eventually, but, like everything, it’ll  take some time.  

I am always excited for the next adventures to come!  Happy labor day weekend J

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!