Classes and Culture

I am now officially registered for all the courses I will be taking this semester. The way that registration works in Chile is quite different than in the U.S. For two weeks, students "window shop" for their classes, attending however many they want to figure out if they like the course, the professor, etc. It's a little stressful to work out a schedule this way but definitely useful! I went to a literature class and was completely lost the whole time. The professor sat at his desk for the entire hour and twenty minute lecture speaking rapidly, softly, and with his hands in front of his mouth. My friend and I honestly understood about three words: hereo, degradado, y viaje. That being said, I'm very excited about the classes in which I am enrolled. At La Universidad Catolica I am taking "Temas de Chile y America Siglo XIX--Ciencia, Poder y Nacion en America," y "Aportes Del Medioriente al Arte." In La Universidad de Chile, I am taking "El Cuento Espanol Contemporaneo." I am also taking a human rights class sponsored by our program. The books and lectures we have to read for class are all photocopies. We receive a syllabus with a biography of what to read/suggested reading and have to find the book in the library, photocopy it, and return it. I wanted to take a Baile y Ritmo class but after many attempts and unforgettable adventures, it is not going to work out. Two of my friends and I did found an extracurricular class, Salsa y Merengue that we will be taking together Thursday evenings. My partner is Maxim and is an exchange student from France studying physics. Today was also my first day at a volunteer job I will be doing for the next 3 months. It is with a foundation called Coanil that houses people with intellectual and physical difficulties. I will hopefully be able to work a lot with the physical therapists.

In addition to classes, I have been experiencing and observing Chilean culture. I've had many wonderful, profound, and funny conversations with new Chilean friends (including a few firefighters), friends from my program, and other exchange students from around the world (from Spain, Bolivia, Germany, and the states). We've gone to a few concerts, to each other's houses/apartments, shopping at malls and artisan fairs, had dinner and empanadas, and of course gone danicng. I am also getting close with my family here. My little brother Italo and I have been practing Spanish tongue twisters, playing card games, playing practical jokes on each other, and playing online games. I went hiking in the Andes, which was a bit of a challenge because at the time my hand was still in a cast, however, the views were just incredible!

Everyday continues to be an adventure but I absolutely love it! I look forward to the daily challenges inundation of knowledge. I've learned a lot through simple observation as well as through conversation.

"El mejor recuerdo de nuestra cordillera." --Mi hermano Esteban

The Andes are one of the longest mountain ranges in the world. Majestic and breathtaking, they tower over the city of Santiago. I love waking up every morning, opening my window, and letting my eyes feast on the beautiful mountain range.

Saturday, August 1, a group of my friends went skiing in the Andes to get to know the mountains ever better. It was marvelous and beautiful! The snow covered mountains, clear blue sky, and smog-free air. The runs were great and there weren't that many people, so hardly any lines. We also had so many laughs: my first yard sale, Michelle taking a picture of us and then just falling over, me getting hit by both the door to get on the ski lift and the ski lift itself, another skier sitting on me on the ski lift and then the two of us proceeding to have the most awkward and quiet ride up the top of the hill, belting John Travolta and Celion Dion in the bus on the way down the mountain, taking the wrong local bus home, and more.

I also fractured a bone for the first time. Just before lunch, Michelle and I decided we had conquered intermediate and were going to try dificil. I'm not even sure how it happened but I think that the ski pole something cracked my right thumb as I tried to slow down by gracefully falling. I iced it with snow during lunch and skiied a few more times before we went home. On Sunday my host mom took me to the emergency room because my hand was incredibly swollen and I couldn't use it.

The x-ray showed a fracture and I recieved my first cast, which I wore until my surgery on Wednesday. The surgery went really well. The doctors were super nice. I was put under for the operation in which they inserted a metal rod to align the bone and allow for the quickest recovery. I had horrible hospital food, made friends with the doctors, nurses, and my fellow roomates, including a nun from a local catholic college, recieved another x-ray, and returned home Thursday afternoon.

I wore the bandage and a sling from the surgery for one week. I was not to use my hand and had to keep it in the air at all times--my host mom gave me a sock to put over my fingers at night. Last Thursday I had another appointment. The doctors were very pleased with everything and gave me permission to start moving my thumb and using my hand. Slowly but surely I am getting better at using it and it continues to be pain free! Yesterday I put my hair in ponytail for the first time since skiing, and I am slowly starting to use my right hand again to write! This Thursday I will get the stitches out.

While not without its challenges, fracturing my thumb has allowed me to get a firsthand look at the medical system in Chile, meet new people (its a great conversation starter), bond with my host family, and be creative in the ways of going about everyday life. Thanks for your prayers!

Learning, growing, all day long!

During the first two weeks of the program, we all had class everyday to learn about Chilean culture and society, history, Chilean Spanish, literature, movies, politics, indigenous cultures, the environment and contamination, human rights, music, and food. The class, Chile Contemporaneo was very informative. We had different professors each day and went on many "mini viajes" throughout Santiago.

We visited:
*El Palacio de La Moneda

This is where the president, Michelle Bachelet, and others in her administration work. It is very rare to get a tour of the inside.

* El Museo Historico Nacional y Plaza de Armas
*La Red de Monitoreo de Calidad de Aire (The monitoring network of air quality)
*El Parque por la paz--Villa Grimaldi

This was a torture site during the Pinochet regime. Our guide/professor for the day was a survivor of the torture and disregard for human rights. It was quite an emotional day and unbelieveable some of the descriptions he shared with us.

*Cementario General

Over 5 million people are buried here--founders of Santiago, presidents, upper, middle, and lower class.


We also experienced:
*Orientation in the Universidad de Chile

We watched folkloric dance and the national dance of Chile, la cueca

*Orientation at the Universidad Catolica
*Watched the Chilean movie, Machuca
*Ate dinner at a chilean restaurant and listened to folkloric music

*Gave oral group presenations about various topics

Apart from the program, my friends and I explored Santiago in these first two weeks. We did lots of shopping at local stores and artisan malls. We visited one of the three houses of the famous Chilean poet and Nobel Prize winner, Pablo Neruda. We saw Santiago from above by climbing Cerro San Cristobal where there also is located a large statue of the Virgin Mary. We experienced a fish market, some discotecas, cafes, plazas, family gatherings and church. Santiago is so full of new things.

My first looks at Chile

I arrived in Chile on Wednesday, July 15, 2009 and met the 29 other students in the CIEE Santiago program as well as the program directors (Patricio, Briggita, Elsa, y Cintia). We spent the first two nights in Rent-a-Home apartments in the centro area of Santiago. Orientation, lunch and dinner at Chilean restaurants, buying the neccessities--cell phone, tarjeta BIP! (for the metro and micro aka bus), adapter, sopapillas and empanadas--getting to know each other, and hopelessly trying to figure out where in Santiago we were took up most of the day.



I left my roomates Tracy and Jenna on Friday, July 17, 2009 in the afternoon to move in with my host family-Tachi, Aquiles, Esteban (16), Italo (11), and Diego (8)-and I can't forget my adorable puppy Ponke and a much bigger dog Nikko. They are an absolutely wonderful family! The student who lived with them before me was also still around and living with a friend, so I was able to talk with her and ask her questions. I live in a nice house with my own bedroom and share the bathroom with the rest of the family. I have a gorgeous vieew of the cordillera Little Diego has neurological and physical problems, so he can't really do much without help but makes you smile whenever you look at him. Italo loves to play games, especially games on facebook like poker and pac man. Esteban likes to listen to music, his favorite is reggeton, and play poker. He has a nice polola (girlfriend), and lots of friends who come over throughout the week. My dad works in construction and is hilarious, though sometimes my mom has to explain his jokes to me a little slower so that I understand (cachai). My mom is wonderful (but not as wonderful as you Mommy!) and calls me "mi reina" which means my queen. She does a lot for me including the laundry but it takes almost a week to get it back because they don't have a dryer and it's winter here. Rosita (what a sweetie) comes on Fridays to iron, do laundry, and clean. I've also met much of the extended family on my dad's side because they live close. Whenever the Universidad de Chile is playing a soccer game, the cousins, uncles, and my brothers get together to watch it on TV. I am also a fan of the U Chile soccer team because I will get kicked out of the house if I root for another team!