Ok, I promise this is not a depressing vent or anything, because things are going really well right now, I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be, etc. But its been kind of a yucky day, and for whoever cares, these are the things I miss... (in no particular order).
-People. I'm not going to list them because it would be a very lengthy list, but I miss very much my family and friends.
-Wofford. In general, the only thing I don't miss is the work load. (I even miss Wofford classes!)
-Dorm life. I'm not a fan of having to travel more than 10 mins to find a friend to hang out with!
-Classes in which people keep their mouths shut. People in my U classes (American and European students) talk constantly during class, so much so that I often cannot hear the prof. I miss the common courtesy of Wofford students!
-My personal space. It just doesn't exist here. In public places, you will get pushed around.
-PRIVATE displays of affection. Young people in Chile see no problem with doing everything except having sex in the metro, the bus, public parks, the sidewalk, etc. I would like to go somewhere in public without feeling like I should avert my eyes.
-Real FOOD. This includes but is not limited to: Mexican food (if you thought that's what I have here you are sadly mistaken), macaroni and cheese, real breakfast (eggs, bacon, pancakes...), cheesecake, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, cereal and milk, strawberries, real salad (with real salad dressing), real coffee (not nescafe)
-Being able to choose my own meals and mealtimes.
-My big shower.
-Indoor heating. (though its getting warmer!)
-Access to my entire closet.
-Football season.
I think that's good for now! :)
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Fiestas Patrias and Mendoza, Argentina
A little over a week ago, Chile celebrated Fiestas Patrias (Sept 18-19). These 2 days of celebration commemorate basically Chilean independence and the "glories" of her military. Lucky girl that I am, I got all week off from school. Thus, I had lots of time to spend with my parents (while they were here), host family, and friends. On the dieciocho (18th), my family had a big lunch followed by a fonda. The chilean fondas are places people gather to dance the national dance (the cueca), eat traditional food (empanadas) and drink chicha (somewhat like wine). We went to a fonda at the neighborhood park, and there was lots to see and do! I was very upset that I forgot my camera. :( But there were dancers from all different parts of Chile, places for the public to dance the cueca, lots of food and games, and a very cool craft market. I didn't know what to expect, but I very much enjoyed the fonda, despite the fact that we stayed in the cold for a LONG time and I had to pack for the next morning!
What did I have to pack for? My weekend trip to Mendoza, Argentina. The jump across the border takes a little while (6 hours not including customs), but its worth if for the spectacular views as you cross the Andes Mountains. I've never seen so much snow in my life!
Arriving in Mendoza Friday afternoon, Tiffany, Beth and I had no idea how to get to our hostel. We had ignored that small little detail of writing down directions! But, after asking a few helpful Argentineans, we found our way (finally!) to the hostel. Hostal Lagares was very nice for what we paid, much better than YoYo in Valparaiso! We were starving after no lunch (except for the gross cheese sandwich we got on the bus) so we painfully waited until an acceptable Argentinean dinner time before following the suggestion of the hostel to an Italian restarant. (I know, I know not very "argentinean"... but my spaghetti was good!)
The next day, we set off on the excursions we had chosen through our hostel. Our morning was spent horseback riding to the edge of the Andes through what I like to call the "pampas" (kind of grassy wasteland). It was fun and we saw some beautiful views, but we underestimated the pain 2 hours on horseback causes! :)
Our afternoon activity began after great anticipation. We were going on a canopy tour of the mountains and across the river! We climbed up a steep rocky cliff, were hooked to a cable, and were on our way! Flying through the air was such a rush, and the scenery was absolutely incredible. I loved every moment of our tour, and finally mustered the courage the go UPSIDE DOWN on the last run! It was the highest and longest cable, across the river gorge. I went with a guide, who held my feet up in the air while I let go and enjoyed the ride! There was an amazing feeling of freedom up there on the cable... I would definitely recommend it! Me enjoying the canopy tour... check out the facebook link for me upside down:
Well those are the highlights of Mendoza, all in all a beautiful place to go check out the great outdoors. Unfortunately we had chosen Sunday as our return date, when all the Chileans enjoying the long holiday weekend also returned to the country. After 3 HOURS of sitting on the bus not moving/standing in line, we were finally back in Chile and on our way home! :)
Pictures from Mendoza! Copy and paste this link: http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2016351&l=0ba77&id=54001690
Tomorrow is the official 10 week mark! Only 8 more left wich means I will have been here longer than I have to go. Its hard to believe and on the other hand I thought I would never reach this point. But life is good here, and I really feel comfortable, like I know this place for the most part. Its an incredible place to be, and extremely empowering.
What did I have to pack for? My weekend trip to Mendoza, Argentina. The jump across the border takes a little while (6 hours not including customs), but its worth if for the spectacular views as you cross the Andes Mountains. I've never seen so much snow in my life!
Arriving in Mendoza Friday afternoon, Tiffany, Beth and I had no idea how to get to our hostel. We had ignored that small little detail of writing down directions! But, after asking a few helpful Argentineans, we found our way (finally!) to the hostel. Hostal Lagares was very nice for what we paid, much better than YoYo in Valparaiso! We were starving after no lunch (except for the gross cheese sandwich we got on the bus) so we painfully waited until an acceptable Argentinean dinner time before following the suggestion of the hostel to an Italian restarant. (I know, I know not very "argentinean"... but my spaghetti was good!)
The next day, we set off on the excursions we had chosen through our hostel. Our morning was spent horseback riding to the edge of the Andes through what I like to call the "pampas" (kind of grassy wasteland). It was fun and we saw some beautiful views, but we underestimated the pain 2 hours on horseback causes! :)
Our afternoon activity began after great anticipation. We were going on a canopy tour of the mountains and across the river! We climbed up a steep rocky cliff, were hooked to a cable, and were on our way! Flying through the air was such a rush, and the scenery was absolutely incredible. I loved every moment of our tour, and finally mustered the courage the go UPSIDE DOWN on the last run! It was the highest and longest cable, across the river gorge. I went with a guide, who held my feet up in the air while I let go and enjoyed the ride! There was an amazing feeling of freedom up there on the cable... I would definitely recommend it! Me enjoying the canopy tour... check out the facebook link for me upside down:
Well those are the highlights of Mendoza, all in all a beautiful place to go check out the great outdoors. Unfortunately we had chosen Sunday as our return date, when all the Chileans enjoying the long holiday weekend also returned to the country. After 3 HOURS of sitting on the bus not moving/standing in line, we were finally back in Chile and on our way home! :)Pictures from Mendoza! Copy and paste this link: http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2016351&l=0ba77&id=54001690
Tomorrow is the official 10 week mark! Only 8 more left wich means I will have been here longer than I have to go. Its hard to believe and on the other hand I thought I would never reach this point. But life is good here, and I really feel comfortable, like I know this place for the most part. Its an incredible place to be, and extremely empowering.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
End of vacation!
Tomorrow I must officially return to reality. Class, essays, the real world (sort of).
Anyway, I just finished up the end of Chile's Fiestas Patrias (independence) holiday and an awesome weekend trip to Mendoza, Argentina right across the border. The trip was amazing and we got to see some absolutely beautiful scenery as we crossed the Andes.
More on my trip and Fiestas Patrias later though... I spent 6 hours on a bus and almost 3 hours in customs today so I'm going to get some sleep. This promises to be a busy week, but I will update eventually when I get some time!
I love you and miss you! I'm halfway there. A little over 2 months to go. Crazy.
And by the way... check out my photo album "Familia en Santiago" for some pics from mom and dad's visit! http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2016239&l=dbc55&id=54001690
Anyway, I just finished up the end of Chile's Fiestas Patrias (independence) holiday and an awesome weekend trip to Mendoza, Argentina right across the border. The trip was amazing and we got to see some absolutely beautiful scenery as we crossed the Andes.
More on my trip and Fiestas Patrias later though... I spent 6 hours on a bus and almost 3 hours in customs today so I'm going to get some sleep. This promises to be a busy week, but I will update eventually when I get some time!
I love you and miss you! I'm halfway there. A little over 2 months to go. Crazy.
And by the way... check out my photo album "Familia en Santiago" for some pics from mom and dad's visit! http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2016239&l=dbc55&id=54001690
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Visita de los padres!
I know its been a while since my last blog, but I've been busy! Not with school--I haven't had classes since last Wednesday, and I still have this entire week free. It is las Fiestas Patrias in Chile. The 18th is their independence celebration and the 19th is a day of military celebration, but us American students got the whole week off! :)
I have spent the last Wednesday (10) to Tuesday (16) showing mom and dad around Santiago! They arrived tired Wednesday morning, and got to know the neighborhood and IES. We even had a party at IES that day where they watched us dance cueca (national dance) and got to try empanadas! After resting at the hotel, we had dinner at my host home's house--a Peruvian feast!
Thursday... was 9-11, a day with a different significance for Chileans. It was the day in 1973 of the military coup of Salvador Allende's government. We visited La Moneda (pres. palace) where there were parades and memorials, the Plaza de Armas (main square), and fish and agricultural markets. After a trip to the American mall Parque Arauco for some great ice cream, we spent the night in to avoid protests. :) (Though there wasn't much going on!)
Friday... we spent the morning at Cerro (hill) Santa Lucia getting views of the city, Iglesia (church) San Francisco- the oldest standing building in the city, and mom's favorite- the souvenier and crafts market! We had lunch with my 3 Wofford friends who are studying here, and visited another crafts market Los Dominicos before eating out with my Chilean family.
Saturday... trip to Valparaiso! Climbed hills, ate at a delicious French restaurant, and took a boat tour of the harbor. The views were the highlight of this day, and it was both mom and dad's first sight of (and ride in) the Pacific Ocean! Us at lunch in Valpo:
Sunday... morning at my church La Vina, we had a picnic for lunch in the Plaza de Armas before checking out the history and Pre-columbian art museums. Ice cream and pizza finished out the day.
Monday... we wanted to ride the cable cars at Parque Metropolitana, but it was closed until the afternoon so we headed to the Santa Lucia market instead. On the metro back to the park area for lunch, dad's wallet (including cash, credit cards, and passport) was stolen on the crowded metro. The rest of our day was spent in the police department and American embassy. What an experience! Though they were scheduled to leave that night, they had to change the flight to Tues. night to allow for a new temporary passport. Miraculously, the wallet including everything except the cash was turned into a post office box and dad and I took a taxi to the Correo Central (central post office) to retrieve it that night.
Tuesday... grateful we no longer had to spend the day getting a new passport, we spent our last day together riding the cable cars to the top of San Cristobal in the Parque Metropolitana and having a great lunch at a Chilean chain restaurant.
It was hard to leave them at the airport, but I was so grateful for the time we had together. Monday was my 8th week mark here, and I will be home in a little over 2 months-- November 29th!
I have spent the last Wednesday (10) to Tuesday (16) showing mom and dad around Santiago! They arrived tired Wednesday morning, and got to know the neighborhood and IES. We even had a party at IES that day where they watched us dance cueca (national dance) and got to try empanadas! After resting at the hotel, we had dinner at my host home's house--a Peruvian feast!
Thursday... was 9-11, a day with a different significance for Chileans. It was the day in 1973 of the military coup of Salvador Allende's government. We visited La Moneda (pres. palace) where there were parades and memorials, the Plaza de Armas (main square), and fish and agricultural markets. After a trip to the American mall Parque Arauco for some great ice cream, we spent the night in to avoid protests. :) (Though there wasn't much going on!)
Friday... we spent the morning at Cerro (hill) Santa Lucia getting views of the city, Iglesia (church) San Francisco- the oldest standing building in the city, and mom's favorite- the souvenier and crafts market! We had lunch with my 3 Wofford friends who are studying here, and visited another crafts market Los Dominicos before eating out with my Chilean family.
Saturday... trip to Valparaiso! Climbed hills, ate at a delicious French restaurant, and took a boat tour of the harbor. The views were the highlight of this day, and it was both mom and dad's first sight of (and ride in) the Pacific Ocean! Us at lunch in Valpo:
Sunday... morning at my church La Vina, we had a picnic for lunch in the Plaza de Armas before checking out the history and Pre-columbian art museums. Ice cream and pizza finished out the day.Monday... we wanted to ride the cable cars at Parque Metropolitana, but it was closed until the afternoon so we headed to the Santa Lucia market instead. On the metro back to the park area for lunch, dad's wallet (including cash, credit cards, and passport) was stolen on the crowded metro. The rest of our day was spent in the police department and American embassy. What an experience! Though they were scheduled to leave that night, they had to change the flight to Tues. night to allow for a new temporary passport. Miraculously, the wallet including everything except the cash was turned into a post office box and dad and I took a taxi to the Correo Central (central post office) to retrieve it that night.
Tuesday... grateful we no longer had to spend the day getting a new passport, we spent our last day together riding the cable cars to the top of San Cristobal in the Parque Metropolitana and having a great lunch at a Chilean chain restaurant.
It was hard to leave them at the airport, but I was so grateful for the time we had together. Monday was my 8th week mark here, and I will be home in a little over 2 months-- November 29th!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Tengo un resfriado!
It hasn't been a great week. I've been dealing with a resfriado (head cold) all week, and my head has been as congested as Santiago! :( Also, Mother Nature decided to charm us with cold, rainy weather this week. Public transportation is so much worse when you are sick, and I felt many times I should be wearing the white masks that parents sometimes give their kids to deal with the smog around here! I've spent most of the week (outside of classes) in my bed, because it is the warmest place I can find! That's where I am spending my Friday, writing papers and doing homework.
But there isn't all bad news! Monday marked my 6th week in Santiago... only 12 more to go, and mom and dad come to visit on Wednesday! I'm really excited about spending time with them and showing them around my temporary home!
Email, skype, facebook, etc! I don't plan on having much of a life this weekend, getting a lot done before mom and dad's visit, so I'd love a distraction from my work! :)
But there isn't all bad news! Monday marked my 6th week in Santiago... only 12 more to go, and mom and dad come to visit on Wednesday! I'm really excited about spending time with them and showing them around my temporary home!
Email, skype, facebook, etc! I don't plan on having much of a life this weekend, getting a lot done before mom and dad's visit, so I'd love a distraction from my work! :)
Saturday, August 30, 2008
A Tale of Two Weekends...
Lots of fun stuff has been happening on my 3 day weekends... here's a glimpse at the last 2!
#1 (Aug 23)
Saturday we went to explore the center of Santiago with our friend Ricardo who is a chilean student who shows us around. Our first stop was Mercado Central, the mostly seafood market in downtown. There are a lot of restaurants too, with pushy recruiters who want you to try THEIR restaurant. A famous dish here is the conger eel soup... I was kind of glad I had already eaten. :)
La Vega was next, Santiago's HUGE fresh produce and other random things market. Any kind of vegetable, fruit, type of meat, or pair of socks (!) you can imagine. Some really gross things were found in the meat section, including pig heads and a little skinned baby goat. You have to see for yourself. (go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2015835&l=84914&id=54001690)
La Piojera is a famous hole in the wall bar that has a name meaning "home of lice". That gives you an idea of the sketchiness of this place. It was fun though, and definitely a cultural experience. We tried "Terremotos", a drink made from a type of wine and with ice cream on top! Veerrry strong. Chileans have a tendency to put a LOT of alcohol in their drinks.
#2 (Aug 29-30) Valparaiso
Tiffany, Beth and I went to Valparaiso on Friday. It is a adorable port city about and 1 1/2 from Santiago. I am in love with the bus system here! We paid US $ 8.00 round trip. We arrived in Valpo at about noon, and set out to find the hostel we had booked online. After some wandering, we finally found it up a steep hill. Valparaiso is a city of hills, and some are so steep that they have "acensores" to take you up. Our hostel was a very interesting experience. It is a very old building, and I've seen cleaner places. But, for $12 a night, you get what you pay for! After dropping our stuff off, we went out to see the city.
Our first stop was Cerro (hill) Concepcion. We rode an ancensor up and enjoyed the incredible view while looking for somewhere to eat lunch. Allegretto was the adorable (and delicious!) pizza restaurant where we ate. We had fun enjoying the cool breeze (it was WARM in Valparaiso!) and listening to songs like "You're so vain", very popular in Chile. After lunch, we went back down and began looking for the pier to take a boat tour. After some searching, we finally figured things out and got a boat tour for $2.00 each. It was a great way to see the city!
After a short rest at the hostel, we headed out for Cinzano, a 19th century bar that claims to serve the original "chorrillana". This wonderful Chilean dish is a enormous plate of french fries, eggs, steak, and onions! We were glad we only ordered one! The next day we left the hostel unshowered to find the "Dissident Cemetery". My guide book said that this was an interesting place to go see the city and enjoy the "dramatic ends" spelled out on people's graves. While we didn't see many dramatic gravestones, we did get a great view. But it came at a cost. THE STAIRS. We climbed up the longest and most painful staircase I have ever seen in my life! See my facebook album for a glimpse, though it doesn't begin to show the difficulty! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2015910&l=52e73&id=54001690
After a delicious manjar (dulce de leche) filled churro (fried dough), we browsed some markets and headed home! It was a great 2 days and I can't wait to repeat the experience with mom and dad when they come in less than 2 weeks!
Well, if you've made it all the way to the end, I hope you are doing well! I love and miss you! This Monday will mark my 6th week in Chile. Just a little under 13 more to go! Only Wofford people: beat PC tonight and have a great first day of classes Monday!
#1 (Aug 23)
Saturday we went to explore the center of Santiago with our friend Ricardo who is a chilean student who shows us around. Our first stop was Mercado Central, the mostly seafood market in downtown. There are a lot of restaurants too, with pushy recruiters who want you to try THEIR restaurant. A famous dish here is the conger eel soup... I was kind of glad I had already eaten. :)
La Vega was next, Santiago's HUGE fresh produce and other random things market. Any kind of vegetable, fruit, type of meat, or pair of socks (!) you can imagine. Some really gross things were found in the meat section, including pig heads and a little skinned baby goat. You have to see for yourself. (go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2015835&l=84914&id=54001690)
La Piojera is a famous hole in the wall bar that has a name meaning "home of lice". That gives you an idea of the sketchiness of this place. It was fun though, and definitely a cultural experience. We tried "Terremotos", a drink made from a type of wine and with ice cream on top! Veerrry strong. Chileans have a tendency to put a LOT of alcohol in their drinks.
#2 (Aug 29-30) Valparaiso
Tiffany, Beth and I went to Valparaiso on Friday. It is a adorable port city about and 1 1/2 from Santiago. I am in love with the bus system here! We paid US $ 8.00 round trip. We arrived in Valpo at about noon, and set out to find the hostel we had booked online. After some wandering, we finally found it up a steep hill. Valparaiso is a city of hills, and some are so steep that they have "acensores" to take you up. Our hostel was a very interesting experience. It is a very old building, and I've seen cleaner places. But, for $12 a night, you get what you pay for! After dropping our stuff off, we went out to see the city.
Our first stop was Cerro (hill) Concepcion. We rode an ancensor up and enjoyed the incredible view while looking for somewhere to eat lunch. Allegretto was the adorable (and delicious!) pizza restaurant where we ate. We had fun enjoying the cool breeze (it was WARM in Valparaiso!) and listening to songs like "You're so vain", very popular in Chile. After lunch, we went back down and began looking for the pier to take a boat tour. After some searching, we finally figured things out and got a boat tour for $2.00 each. It was a great way to see the city!
After a short rest at the hostel, we headed out for Cinzano, a 19th century bar that claims to serve the original "chorrillana". This wonderful Chilean dish is a enormous plate of french fries, eggs, steak, and onions! We were glad we only ordered one! The next day we left the hostel unshowered to find the "Dissident Cemetery". My guide book said that this was an interesting place to go see the city and enjoy the "dramatic ends" spelled out on people's graves. While we didn't see many dramatic gravestones, we did get a great view. But it came at a cost. THE STAIRS. We climbed up the longest and most painful staircase I have ever seen in my life! See my facebook album for a glimpse, though it doesn't begin to show the difficulty! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2015910&l=52e73&id=54001690
After a delicious manjar (dulce de leche) filled churro (fried dough), we browsed some markets and headed home! It was a great 2 days and I can't wait to repeat the experience with mom and dad when they come in less than 2 weeks!
Well, if you've made it all the way to the end, I hope you are doing well! I love and miss you! This Monday will mark my 6th week in Chile. Just a little under 13 more to go! Only Wofford people: beat PC tonight and have a great first day of classes Monday!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
LONG day
Today was just what the title indicates. Yesterday, I began work at the Hogar San Franscisco de Regis, where I will be doing my weekly volunteer work for my service learning class. The home is for girls who can no longer live with their families as a result of negligence, abuse, or other causes. Figuring out my schedule with the Hogar has been difficult, and I still don't have the hours that I need. But I had a great time getting to know some of the girls yesterday. We worked on homework, I reviewed some phonics with one girl starting to read, and made some crafts. The girls come from extremely difficult family situations, and require lots of patience and attention. But they were awesome yesterday, so friendly and excited that I was there. I also have a new name. Along with all the workers at the Hogar, I am simply "Tia" (aunt).
And then we get to today. I woke up early for my 30 min Metro commute to the Hogar. I am going to be working in the office on Tuesday mornings since the girls are at school. Sara, another girl from IES came as well. We did basically nothing, having a 45 minute coffee break, reading some of the girls' folders and sorting some things until I had to head out for class. It was surprising to me that we were able to read the family histories of some of the girls, as well as their most recent psychiatric evaluations. It helped to understand better the challenges they face, but I couldn't help but think this would never be allowed in the US.
As for the rest of my day... caught the Metro to the U de Chile for my 2 classes. Had lunch in between in the crazy courtyard where there were competitions of some sort going on. It was very loud and everyone was dressed in their "team" color. I ate my lentil soup standing up.
After my 2nd class, I headed back to the Metro, and found the U de Chile's Casa Central. Here I was looking for a certificate I need to obtain my student transportation card. Well worth the effort, the student card will make my frequent metro/micro journies cost 1/3 of what I am paying now. But there is effort. I couldn't get my certificate today because I have to make a deposit in the bank first. The only problem is that the banks close daily at 2pm. And this is only part of the process... I'll save you the rest of the tedious details.
Riding the Metro the rest of the way home, I just wanted to get away from people and sit down somewhere. In conclusion, I am very weary of all the tedious processes of becoming "official" in this country. (Chilean ID, student ID, student transport card, etc...) If it is this bad for me, I can't imagine the hoops students coming to the US have to jump through. Ohh you have to love government processes...
This has turned into a longer blog than anticipated, so I'll have to save my fun and interesting activities from last weekend for another time.
And then we get to today. I woke up early for my 30 min Metro commute to the Hogar. I am going to be working in the office on Tuesday mornings since the girls are at school. Sara, another girl from IES came as well. We did basically nothing, having a 45 minute coffee break, reading some of the girls' folders and sorting some things until I had to head out for class. It was surprising to me that we were able to read the family histories of some of the girls, as well as their most recent psychiatric evaluations. It helped to understand better the challenges they face, but I couldn't help but think this would never be allowed in the US.
As for the rest of my day... caught the Metro to the U de Chile for my 2 classes. Had lunch in between in the crazy courtyard where there were competitions of some sort going on. It was very loud and everyone was dressed in their "team" color. I ate my lentil soup standing up.
After my 2nd class, I headed back to the Metro, and found the U de Chile's Casa Central. Here I was looking for a certificate I need to obtain my student transportation card. Well worth the effort, the student card will make my frequent metro/micro journies cost 1/3 of what I am paying now. But there is effort. I couldn't get my certificate today because I have to make a deposit in the bank first. The only problem is that the banks close daily at 2pm. And this is only part of the process... I'll save you the rest of the tedious details.
Riding the Metro the rest of the way home, I just wanted to get away from people and sit down somewhere. In conclusion, I am very weary of all the tedious processes of becoming "official" in this country. (Chilean ID, student ID, student transport card, etc...) If it is this bad for me, I can't imagine the hoops students coming to the US have to jump through. Ohh you have to love government processes...
This has turned into a longer blog than anticipated, so I'll have to save my fun and interesting activities from last weekend for another time.
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