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!
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!
