So the other day our class went to the congress building and had the BEST coffee ever....you too and experience this incredible taste (I´m not bieng sarcastic, usually I don´t like coffee, but I found myself wanting more.) because I am goign to give you the recipe...coffee drinkers, you may want to shut your eyes.....first, fill your favorite mug with hot water....second, add 2 t spoons of the delectable NesCafe....top it off with two teaspoons of sugar, and you´ve got one great cup of coffee. The funny thing is, its very difficult to find regular coffee here. If you order it from a shop, its usually nescafe or some other type of instant coffee. Yet another cultural difference.
Well this week has been slightly insane. I decided to switch host homes...not becasue the family wasn´t nice, but becasue the was never any conversation...they perferred to have their dinner in front of their own TVs in their own rooms. Now this would be just fine if I were in the US, but here I would relaly like to converse and develope a relationship with the family. So I told the mom two nights ago. It was quite rough...and left this morning. In the end, I think I made the right decision. On top of the family drama we had lots of work this week to finish up the classes. But the last day was yesterday....woot woot!
On WEdnesday in culture, we talked about the gender differences bettweenhere and other places. It was a 2 hour discussion and I found it very interesting. In CHile, the women are encouraged to go to the university , participate in politics, etc.... HOWEVER, it is a very machismo culture. In general, women don´t have male friends...you can´t just go and hang out for fun without other people thinking you are in a relationship. Also, EVERYONE here is in a relationship..ok not everyone, but both guys and girls seem to NEED a relationship to be satisfied. Men are also intimidated by confidence, intelligence, and strength....in general of course. Our prof said that it is difficult for women to find a partener if they are independent and are able to live on their own. Also, the mom is expected to do EVERYTHING! The kids do nothing, the husband does nothing...quite reiculas. Kids here are also much more coddled by their parents...which is why they are much less independent. Our prof lived in boston for a while and was shocked to see kids walking to school by themselves in the rain. In many families here that would hve never occured. There was of course much more said in the conversation,but you get the gist.
Now on to the educational system. There are three types of schools here...public, private, and a mix between the two. The public schools are awful and only people who can´t afford another school attend public school. There are many different degrees of private shcools , some more expensive than otherss. 98% of students from private schools go on to university. The mixed schools can be started by anyone who wants to start a school. The governement gives money to the school so the families don´t have to pay as much. Some of the mixed schools are good and some are very bad. To get into the university, students take a test...similart o the ACT but there are different sections that help you detirmine your carreer. So basically, after you take this test, you know what you are going to study and where you will work if everything goes to plan. Students here are shocked when I say iI´m taking psych, religion, spanish, etc...just to get a broad range of experiences.
Lets see...what more? I went to a barbeque last night at a town about 30 minutes away. It was SO funand definalty needed after a long week. There were only a few gringos and the rest were chileans. I got to practice my spanish a ton and really enjoyed conversing with everyone. Eventhough I love CHile, I think the next place I will go....if i study abroad or work abroad ...will be ARgentina. I´ve heard so many good things about argentina. I guess the people are more open and friendly. I talked with a girl from argentina last night and was able to understand her a lot eaiser than any chilean i´ve spoken to. ANyways, the meal was HUGE but good.
Tomorrow we leave for the south. WE will fly to punta arenas and take a bus to where we will start our trek. ´WE´ll be on trail for about five days in Torres del Paine. AFterwards we are going to visit Ushaia..its in the southern part of argentina. We´ll be there for 5 days and then fly up to puerto montt. We´re hoping to spend a few days exploring that area before we go to VAldivia for 4 days. Then we will take a bus back up to Valparaiso. I am looking forward to the backpacking and am hoping that all goes well. We are goint o stay in hostels when we aren´t backpacking...they are usually $5 a night including breakfast...$3 if we camp. WAy cheap.
Well I suppose that´s all. Hope everyone is doing well! I miss you all!
Love Cristina
Friday, 26 January 2007
Monday, 22 January 2007
SHOPPING: still not fun, even in Chile
Yes mom, I still do not like shopping, even in Chile :) Well after three weeks of being here i finally decided to make the scary journey into the mall, my reasoning being: we´re in CHile, how bad can it be? WEll I´m sorry to disappoint, but it was like every other HUGE mall in the US. 4 floors, tons of people, and way too much stimulation. Luckly the girls I was with felt the same way. So we left about 1 hour after we arrived. Its funny how minus the language, living in an advanced city in another country is very similar to all of the cities at home. I know this is going to sound awful, but there was a McDonalds in the mall, and we decided to get McFlurries. You are probably asking, why in the world would you got to Mc D´s when you´re in CHILE surrounded by ice cream shops on every block? Well, my only answer is it was familiar and we knew what to expect when we ordered. And honestly that first bite was amazing. Don´t get me wrong, I love being here and trying new things, but every once in a while, familiarity is very refreshing and comforting. I also find comfort when I see another person out running (rare) or another person who is not obviously from here. I feel an understanding and a connection. It makes me feel like I´m not as along (not in a lonely sense but in a "I´m way out of place here" sense). I guess my point is, although I love exploring and experiencing new things, a little familiarity can go a long way.
So moving on. Thursday was busy but good. I finally splurged and rode the metro to the beach to run instead of going through the city. It was great. The air was crisp and cool, and there´s a sidewalk that runs from Valpo to Vina . That night I FINALLY got to talk to David...which was wonderful (don´t go getting a big head dave :) ) and then went to bed. Friday was good as well. I visited a church on friday night and met a ton of chileans. We sang camp songs (in spanish) which was AMAZING...made me feel at home. Then we handed out bread on the streets. An interesting experience that I didn´t necesarily agree with...I wont go into it, but if your interested drop me an email. Saturday was GREAT!! I went with one other gringa and about 7 chileans to the Jardin botanicals. SO PRETTY. We had lunch and then played mafia...those of you who are camp counselors probably know this game. It was hard to do in spanish but I managed. Afterwards we went ot a classical concert in a park near my house. It was in a huge stadium like thing and was GREAT. WE got in for free (a chilean friend had a connection) and the handed out FREE handfulls of choclate...yes, still craving sugar. Anways, at around 10 I decided to leave and meet some other peole at another concert about a block away. The name of the group was Inti Illmani...they are a VERY famous group form the 70s and sing songs about revolution etc... the music is folklore, and I can´t even count the number of instruments they played. It was so neat to see how into it the people here were. After wards a friend and I went out for about an hour before goign to bed.
One funny thing i´ve noticed here is the excessive amount of horn honking. Even in traffic when you can´t go anywhere or do anything about it people are laying on their horns. I find it pretty funny. I have also realized how much I don´t know. After spending the weekend with lots of chileanos and only catching bits and pieces of conversations I realized how much i have to learn. Its exhausting trying to keep up with conversation.
Well I suppose thats all for now. We´re getting ready for our trip to the south on saturday..I can´t wait!!
love you all
Cristina
So moving on. Thursday was busy but good. I finally splurged and rode the metro to the beach to run instead of going through the city. It was great. The air was crisp and cool, and there´s a sidewalk that runs from Valpo to Vina . That night I FINALLY got to talk to David...which was wonderful (don´t go getting a big head dave :) ) and then went to bed. Friday was good as well. I visited a church on friday night and met a ton of chileans. We sang camp songs (in spanish) which was AMAZING...made me feel at home. Then we handed out bread on the streets. An interesting experience that I didn´t necesarily agree with...I wont go into it, but if your interested drop me an email. Saturday was GREAT!! I went with one other gringa and about 7 chileans to the Jardin botanicals. SO PRETTY. We had lunch and then played mafia...those of you who are camp counselors probably know this game. It was hard to do in spanish but I managed. Afterwards we went ot a classical concert in a park near my house. It was in a huge stadium like thing and was GREAT. WE got in for free (a chilean friend had a connection) and the handed out FREE handfulls of choclate...yes, still craving sugar. Anways, at around 10 I decided to leave and meet some other peole at another concert about a block away. The name of the group was Inti Illmani...they are a VERY famous group form the 70s and sing songs about revolution etc... the music is folklore, and I can´t even count the number of instruments they played. It was so neat to see how into it the people here were. After wards a friend and I went out for about an hour before goign to bed.
One funny thing i´ve noticed here is the excessive amount of horn honking. Even in traffic when you can´t go anywhere or do anything about it people are laying on their horns. I find it pretty funny. I have also realized how much I don´t know. After spending the weekend with lots of chileanos and only catching bits and pieces of conversations I realized how much i have to learn. Its exhausting trying to keep up with conversation.
Well I suppose thats all for now. We´re getting ready for our trip to the south on saturday..I can´t wait!!
love you all
Cristina
Friday, 19 January 2007
Pictures
SO I´m stilll trying to figure this out...
THe upper left is the view from Nerudá´s house. THe upper center is my room, the upper right is Neruda´s house, and the left is of las ventanas. I will write more and post more later, time for class!
Wednesday, 17 January 2007
Chilean Cooking
Hola.
So to finish up from yesterday....I still have a ton to learn about CHilean history before I can develop my own opinion. I continued to discuss the political situation with my family last night and hope to talk to more people and encounter different opinions.
On Monday after classes, a few of us went to the beach and later walked to an ice cream shop with the LARGEST ice cream dishes i´ve ever seen. It´s a sit down place that serves icecream and real food...it was definalty a good evening hanging out wiht friends . Yesterday after classes we went to a Chilean kitchen to learn about chilean dishes. We even got real chef´s hats! I´ll try to post pictures later. I know rumors have gone around Luther College and else where that i tend to have difficulties while baking and I want you all to know that "I" cooked an emanada and it actually came out decent (This was of cours with the help of two chefs and many class mates :) ). The food here is very bland. The bread isn´t very salty so when you bite into something like an emanada (bread with meat in it...like a calazone) and expect to get a salty and with lots of flavor you will be a bit disappointed. We also tasted something called pastel con cholo. Its basically bread with corn and meat inside. It´s also very bland and somewhat sweet. I have found that one of my favorite foods here is bread with squashed avocados on top. SO GOOD. Also the fruit is AMAZING. Last night I went to a jazz club in Valparaiso . It was free and a lot of fun...and made me think of you Mark :) except the trombone player was bald and large not tall and gangley. Anyways, we stayed there until 1 ish and then tried to find a colectivo to get back to vina. That´s always the tricky part when you want to head home. It took about 30 minutes but eventually we found one that was going our way. It was the same guy that took me home last week so it was fun to talk to him again. Him and his family are moving to spain because i guess there is more oppertunity there. Tongiht I am going to the beach with some friends for an artesian festival. SHould be good...and free :)
Last night my host mom talked to me about what to do if there´s an earth quake. I´ve never had to worry about those before so i guess its a good thing to know.
Today in culture class we talked about the education system in chile as well as the health care systems. I´ve decided that education is my passion...maybe not teaching, but definatly working towards a system that provides equal oppertunities for everyone. In Chile the rich go to private schools and the lower class to public. I think my teacher said that only about 2 % of people from public schools attend the university. The prof i have comes from a poor neighborhood in Valpo. When she was younger she had the oppertunity to study at a private school for free through a program that was trying to integrate the different classes. She was the only person from her neighborhood to go to the university and it was becasue of the oppertunity to study in a better school. She is one of the most interesting and intelligent people i have encountered here. SHe has traveled everywhere teaching in boston, mexico, and now here. It makes me think abou thow many people out there who have potential but aren´t able to use it due to the structure of society.
Oh, and I was going to talk about our trip at the beginning of Feb. We´re flying down to Punta Areans... on of the the most southern areas in Chile and then taking a bus to the town where we will be leaving to back pack in Torres del PAine. We will backpack for 4-5 days and then maybe travel around a bit more in the south. Then we are going to take a bus all the way back up to Valpo, stopping in towns along the way to explore for a day or two. I´m pretty stoked and will keep you updated. Hope everyone is doing well!
Bye for now!
So to finish up from yesterday....I still have a ton to learn about CHilean history before I can develop my own opinion. I continued to discuss the political situation with my family last night and hope to talk to more people and encounter different opinions.
On Monday after classes, a few of us went to the beach and later walked to an ice cream shop with the LARGEST ice cream dishes i´ve ever seen. It´s a sit down place that serves icecream and real food...it was definalty a good evening hanging out wiht friends . Yesterday after classes we went to a Chilean kitchen to learn about chilean dishes. We even got real chef´s hats! I´ll try to post pictures later. I know rumors have gone around Luther College and else where that i tend to have difficulties while baking and I want you all to know that "I" cooked an emanada and it actually came out decent (This was of cours with the help of two chefs and many class mates :) ). The food here is very bland. The bread isn´t very salty so when you bite into something like an emanada (bread with meat in it...like a calazone) and expect to get a salty and with lots of flavor you will be a bit disappointed. We also tasted something called pastel con cholo. Its basically bread with corn and meat inside. It´s also very bland and somewhat sweet. I have found that one of my favorite foods here is bread with squashed avocados on top. SO GOOD. Also the fruit is AMAZING. Last night I went to a jazz club in Valparaiso . It was free and a lot of fun...and made me think of you Mark :) except the trombone player was bald and large not tall and gangley. Anyways, we stayed there until 1 ish and then tried to find a colectivo to get back to vina. That´s always the tricky part when you want to head home. It took about 30 minutes but eventually we found one that was going our way. It was the same guy that took me home last week so it was fun to talk to him again. Him and his family are moving to spain because i guess there is more oppertunity there. Tongiht I am going to the beach with some friends for an artesian festival. SHould be good...and free :)
Last night my host mom talked to me about what to do if there´s an earth quake. I´ve never had to worry about those before so i guess its a good thing to know.
Today in culture class we talked about the education system in chile as well as the health care systems. I´ve decided that education is my passion...maybe not teaching, but definatly working towards a system that provides equal oppertunities for everyone. In Chile the rich go to private schools and the lower class to public. I think my teacher said that only about 2 % of people from public schools attend the university. The prof i have comes from a poor neighborhood in Valpo. When she was younger she had the oppertunity to study at a private school for free through a program that was trying to integrate the different classes. She was the only person from her neighborhood to go to the university and it was becasue of the oppertunity to study in a better school. She is one of the most interesting and intelligent people i have encountered here. SHe has traveled everywhere teaching in boston, mexico, and now here. It makes me think abou thow many people out there who have potential but aren´t able to use it due to the structure of society.
Oh, and I was going to talk about our trip at the beginning of Feb. We´re flying down to Punta Areans... on of the the most southern areas in Chile and then taking a bus to the town where we will be leaving to back pack in Torres del PAine. We will backpack for 4-5 days and then maybe travel around a bit more in the south. Then we are going to take a bus all the way back up to Valpo, stopping in towns along the way to explore for a day or two. I´m pretty stoked and will keep you updated. Hope everyone is doing well!
Bye for now!
Tuesday, 16 January 2007
Politics and Culture
Hola. So, for those of you who don´t know about CHilean history, I am going to sum up the little that I have learned about the past. Allende was the president before Pinochet came into power. The elections for presidency were funded by the US in attempt to keep allende out of power. THis means that the money that the US gave to Chile went towards the other candidates. SO, Allende (who is communist) was elected and consequentially, the US stripped Chile of funds and products. The result was an economic crisis and the country was in chaos. Pinochet came into power with the help of the US. He promised a better economy, better education, and a rebuilding of the country. These promises however were only geared towards the rich and neglected the poor, widening the social class gap. When Pinochet came into power, there were many uprisings and protests. Thousands of people opposing the government were tourtured and killed. Many of the torture tactics were taken directly from the Nazis. Pinochet was in power for 10 years. He did boost the economy at the price of countless lives. So getting to my point. Many of the well off citizens here support Pinochet and deny the murders that occured during his reign. I asked my host mom about her views and she briefly told me how great Pnochet was for this country. i had to leave right after, but we will continue this conversation tonight. The language barrier is hard, and the knowledge that I probably wont get her to understand my thinking is frusterating. I can NOT understand for ONE minute why ANYONE would be so ignorant to support dictators such as Pinochet, HItler, and Truijjo. I know I need to talk to my mom hwere tactfully and respectfully wiht patience to fully understand why she thinks the way she does. Its easy to say that you can´t blame these people becasue they have been brainwashed, but that´s not good enough . Its everywhere, in bookstores, in schools. The survivers tell their stories of losing their loved ones and I just can´t comprehend how people can brush that off. There are many opinions about this topic, and I hope to converse with others to seek out what the general consensus is.
On a lighter note, we have planned our trip to the south and just recieved our airline tickets. I have to go to a meeting, but i will write more about our plans later.
Love you all, and sorry this posting was so intense.
On a lighter note, we have planned our trip to the south and just recieved our airline tickets. I have to go to a meeting, but i will write more about our plans later.
Love you all, and sorry this posting was so intense.
Monday, 15 January 2007
Aloe Vera Yogurt
Hola! I hope everyone is doing well! Congrats to the Swimmers, you guys rock. Also, thanks for all the comments on my last post, i love hearing from people and i´m glad people are actually reading my ramblings.
Things are going pretty well here. Sundays are especially hard because I miss waking up late in my dorm room studying and relaxing in my sweats and then going to dinner and focus with some pretty great people. Before I came, a friend of mine said the key to getting through the first few months abroad is to stay busy. So true. Usually I like to take Sundays to stay in my sweats and hang out but here that´s not going to work, or atleast not yet. The second I try to chill I suddenly feel very alone in this new HUGE city. I know its normal and will eventually change with time but even in this amazing place everyone has their ups and downs. I am looking forward to when this place becomes home, but until then I just need to keep embracing every change i get to explore and experience new things. I write this to help you get an idea of the whole experience.
Moving on. So on friday I had my first test and paper due. Both were hard but they´re done. Friday afternoon a group of us ate lunch with one of our profs at the market. The dishes were huge and the bread AMAZING as usual. The place we ate was above the market. Even in the resturante there were cats and dogs roaming around. Friday night I went to a friend´s house for dinner and was able to talk with the family for a while. Both of the parents had just come home from the US and it was interesting to hear their perspecitves.
On Saturday, Erin, Hedi, Marren, and I went to a town called Limache to climb la campana. We took the metro to Limache and then took a bus to the mountain. Limache is probably my favorite place we´ve been to so far, and that was just driving through it! It reminds me a bit of decorah and I love all the bright colors. Anways, we climbed for about five hours and the vew was pretty amazing the whole time. It was interesting to hear my "padres" reactions when i got home. They were SHOCKED that we didin´t get a guide to hike up because "Women usually get lost on trails." Anyways, the hike ended with some much needed ice cream. yum. Last night we went out about 11pm (that´s considered early) . We were going to go to a discoteca with five, yes five floors all with different themes such as salsa, swing, rock, etc...Instead we met up wiht some people at a cafe to dance and talk. We met three chileans who are studiyng in Vina right now. One of them swims for the team here and gave tme the number of the pool in case i want to join. Definalty a possibility.
Toda I walked to JUMBO. It´s like a target or super walmart but 3x the size. Anways, they have everything and anything you need. I even found SKIPPY peanut butter...didn´t buy it, but i´´m sure that day will come. I´ve decided that Chile must be on a yogurt kick. THe store has a whole isle of every type of yogurt inmaginable, including yes, ALOE VERA...not sure how that works. Yogurt also comes in bags (along with jelly, mayo, ketchup, ustard, spaghetti sauce, you get the idea..). I spent about five minutes of my short trip in the cookie and choclate isle. No, I didn´t buy anything, but it was tempting. As you probably can tell, I´m going through a cookie and choclate withdrawl. Its incredible how many products are here from the US...everything from herbal essence shampoo to oreos. Another thing I´ve notifced is that each book store has atleast three books regarding the US and Bush...definatly interesting to get different perspectives.
Another cultural characteristic I will share with you are propios. THey are cat calls in excess. Everythime you go out you can expect atleast a few. Most of the time I´m just able to ignore them, but on days that I just want to walk in peace I get annoyed. We were told to just keep walking and looking forward. It´s the funniest when they try to speak bad english to us. Another thing that I have to be much more aware of here is safety. My bag is always in front of me with a hand over the top. When I go out I only take the exact amount of money I will need, and I´m always looking around and as our program director said "being aware of my surroundings."
Well thats all for now! Miss you all and love you all!
Cristina
Things are going pretty well here. Sundays are especially hard because I miss waking up late in my dorm room studying and relaxing in my sweats and then going to dinner and focus with some pretty great people. Before I came, a friend of mine said the key to getting through the first few months abroad is to stay busy. So true. Usually I like to take Sundays to stay in my sweats and hang out but here that´s not going to work, or atleast not yet. The second I try to chill I suddenly feel very alone in this new HUGE city. I know its normal and will eventually change with time but even in this amazing place everyone has their ups and downs. I am looking forward to when this place becomes home, but until then I just need to keep embracing every change i get to explore and experience new things. I write this to help you get an idea of the whole experience.
Moving on. So on friday I had my first test and paper due. Both were hard but they´re done. Friday afternoon a group of us ate lunch with one of our profs at the market. The dishes were huge and the bread AMAZING as usual. The place we ate was above the market. Even in the resturante there were cats and dogs roaming around. Friday night I went to a friend´s house for dinner and was able to talk with the family for a while. Both of the parents had just come home from the US and it was interesting to hear their perspecitves.
On Saturday, Erin, Hedi, Marren, and I went to a town called Limache to climb la campana. We took the metro to Limache and then took a bus to the mountain. Limache is probably my favorite place we´ve been to so far, and that was just driving through it! It reminds me a bit of decorah and I love all the bright colors. Anways, we climbed for about five hours and the vew was pretty amazing the whole time. It was interesting to hear my "padres" reactions when i got home. They were SHOCKED that we didin´t get a guide to hike up because "Women usually get lost on trails." Anyways, the hike ended with some much needed ice cream. yum. Last night we went out about 11pm (that´s considered early) . We were going to go to a discoteca with five, yes five floors all with different themes such as salsa, swing, rock, etc...Instead we met up wiht some people at a cafe to dance and talk. We met three chileans who are studiyng in Vina right now. One of them swims for the team here and gave tme the number of the pool in case i want to join. Definalty a possibility.
Toda I walked to JUMBO. It´s like a target or super walmart but 3x the size. Anways, they have everything and anything you need. I even found SKIPPY peanut butter...didn´t buy it, but i´´m sure that day will come. I´ve decided that Chile must be on a yogurt kick. THe store has a whole isle of every type of yogurt inmaginable, including yes, ALOE VERA...not sure how that works. Yogurt also comes in bags (along with jelly, mayo, ketchup, ustard, spaghetti sauce, you get the idea..). I spent about five minutes of my short trip in the cookie and choclate isle. No, I didn´t buy anything, but it was tempting. As you probably can tell, I´m going through a cookie and choclate withdrawl. Its incredible how many products are here from the US...everything from herbal essence shampoo to oreos. Another thing I´ve notifced is that each book store has atleast three books regarding the US and Bush...definatly interesting to get different perspectives.
Another cultural characteristic I will share with you are propios. THey are cat calls in excess. Everythime you go out you can expect atleast a few. Most of the time I´m just able to ignore them, but on days that I just want to walk in peace I get annoyed. We were told to just keep walking and looking forward. It´s the funniest when they try to speak bad english to us. Another thing that I have to be much more aware of here is safety. My bag is always in front of me with a hand over the top. When I go out I only take the exact amount of money I will need, and I´m always looking around and as our program director said "being aware of my surroundings."
Well thats all for now! Miss you all and love you all!
Cristina
Thursday, 11 January 2007
Perros y Modismos
Hola!
Hope everyone is doing well! Good luck to the swimmers at Grinell this weekend! The last two days have not been that interesting, but because I really don´t want to study right now, this is a good alternative. Yesterday was overall a pretty good day. I met with a chilean student through a program here called inter cambio. Its where international students are paired with chileanos. Anyways, we walked around Valparaiso and took another ascensor (an old wooden elevator-like thing) up one of the hills to look out. It was gorgeous and we were able to see for miles. We decided to walk down the hill to get back into the city. Because Valpo is made up of such large hills, the houses are not very wide, but are extremly tall. The streets are very narrow and everywhere you look are colorful houses. Anyways, from there we went to a cafe to meet up with some of their friends. We stayed there for about 2 hours talking with them. We shared modismos (slang) from both of the languages...they got a kick out of us saying spanish slang and we got a kick when they tried to say english slay words. I really have enjoyed spending time with chleans here and am hoping i can do the same during the semester. Today I spent time with another student who wanted to practice her english after I practiced my spanish. I had to speak REAAAALLLLLYYY SLLLLOOOOWWWWLLLLYYYY for her, and it gave me a perspective on how it must be for them when they are trying to talk to us. We talked alot about the US and the different perspectives on the culture and mentality of Americans. It was interesting to get another person´s perspective.
Today in culture class we talked about different things we have observed around the city or with in our homes. On major thing I have noticed is the LARGE amount of dogs roaming the streets . They are EVERYWHERE! My prof said that it´s because families abondon the dogs after they get too big. We also discussed the large amount of PDA between couples everywhere we walk and learned that most people in chile live at home until they are married, and even then, they still may live at home. They therefore are unable to have any privacy at home so they move to the streets.... I dunno, I found it quite interesting. What else? No one here wears bright colors...they are all blacks, browns, whites, and navy blues...and NO ONE wears t shirts ever.
I think thats about it for now, i guess I better go and study...blah. Miss you all! love Cristina
Hope everyone is doing well! Good luck to the swimmers at Grinell this weekend! The last two days have not been that interesting, but because I really don´t want to study right now, this is a good alternative. Yesterday was overall a pretty good day. I met with a chilean student through a program here called inter cambio. Its where international students are paired with chileanos. Anyways, we walked around Valparaiso and took another ascensor (an old wooden elevator-like thing) up one of the hills to look out. It was gorgeous and we were able to see for miles. We decided to walk down the hill to get back into the city. Because Valpo is made up of such large hills, the houses are not very wide, but are extremly tall. The streets are very narrow and everywhere you look are colorful houses. Anyways, from there we went to a cafe to meet up with some of their friends. We stayed there for about 2 hours talking with them. We shared modismos (slang) from both of the languages...they got a kick out of us saying spanish slang and we got a kick when they tried to say english slay words. I really have enjoyed spending time with chleans here and am hoping i can do the same during the semester. Today I spent time with another student who wanted to practice her english after I practiced my spanish. I had to speak REAAAALLLLLYYY SLLLLOOOOWWWWLLLLYYYY for her, and it gave me a perspective on how it must be for them when they are trying to talk to us. We talked alot about the US and the different perspectives on the culture and mentality of Americans. It was interesting to get another person´s perspective.
Today in culture class we talked about different things we have observed around the city or with in our homes. On major thing I have noticed is the LARGE amount of dogs roaming the streets . They are EVERYWHERE! My prof said that it´s because families abondon the dogs after they get too big. We also discussed the large amount of PDA between couples everywhere we walk and learned that most people in chile live at home until they are married, and even then, they still may live at home. They therefore are unable to have any privacy at home so they move to the streets.... I dunno, I found it quite interesting. What else? No one here wears bright colors...they are all blacks, browns, whites, and navy blues...and NO ONE wears t shirts ever.
I think thats about it for now, i guess I better go and study...blah. Miss you all! love Cristina
Wednesday, 10 January 2007
El Mercado!
So this morning our culture class (love it) went to the market down the street from the university. It was SO GREAT and I wish we had places like it in the US. The first floor was both inside and outside an old warehouse building. What I liked most about it were the colores. Everywhere you look there are fruits and vegtables of every size, color and shape. Its not the cleanest place..there are dogs and cats everywhere, but as long as you wash the food I think It´s safe. Anyways, when you walk in , people are everywhere buying, selling, talking, its such a lively culture. We walked to the top floor and there were resturants that used the produce from the bottom floor to cook their food. It´s cheap and supposed to be good so I´ll have to try it out sometime. One thing I´ve noticed here is that everything is smaller in comparision to the US. Everything from popsicles, to ice cream cones to cookies, to toilet paper to bread, EVERYTHING is smaller. It seems like a much more environmentally friendly society. They don´t waste as much here. They eat when they´re hungry, only use the lights when its dark out, and reuse bags , foil, etc. We should take some lessons.
Yesterday we went on another tour in the afternoon. Our group went to one of Pablo Neruda´s houses and got to walk through it. It was AMAZING. Once I figure out how to put pictures on this thing I´ll post some of the house. It is 5 floors and each floor has TONS of windows facing the ocean. Its on a hill so you can see FOREVER. Each room is colorful and unique. I rode the metro home with our tour guide. I was talking to her about studying abroad and learning spanish, etc... and she told me I should NOT Hang out with gringos (english-speaking people). I know this, but its so hard to meet people right now because everyone is on summer vacation. Anyways, she took me to her house and we talked for a while. She doesn´t speak any english and talks very fast, but i think i understood the important parts. Well I suppose that´s all for now. I hafta get going to class.
:) cristina
Yesterday we went on another tour in the afternoon. Our group went to one of Pablo Neruda´s houses and got to walk through it. It was AMAZING. Once I figure out how to put pictures on this thing I´ll post some of the house. It is 5 floors and each floor has TONS of windows facing the ocean. Its on a hill so you can see FOREVER. Each room is colorful and unique. I rode the metro home with our tour guide. I was talking to her about studying abroad and learning spanish, etc... and she told me I should NOT Hang out with gringos (english-speaking people). I know this, but its so hard to meet people right now because everyone is on summer vacation. Anyways, she took me to her house and we talked for a while. She doesn´t speak any english and talks very fast, but i think i understood the important parts. Well I suppose that´s all for now. I hafta get going to class.
:) cristina
Tuesday, 9 January 2007
BAD NEWS: NO pretzles in CHILE!!!
Yes, it´s true, there are no pretzles in Chile. So to take care of my salt and sugar craving i have bought SUPER salty crakers and some bran cookies. Chileans do not use much salt or seasoning, which is just fine, but then there are days like yesterday and today where the craving for chocolate was just too much. So i bought ice cream and a candy bar...the first sugar i´ve had in 7 days...pretty sure thats a record. As you have probably guessed by now, each meal is not accompanied by a dessert (like the caf at luther) which is a good thing, but everyone needs a little sugar every-once in a while.
WHEW ok moving on. This morning I had to get up extra early to go to Valparaiso and get my CHilean indentification card. Going to public places makes me realize how much i don´t know. My family speaks slowly to me as well as the profs...otherwise the spanish here is very fast and hard to understand. ANyways, we waited for 2 hours to get the ID card all set up. While we were waiting we met a guy from Conneticut who has lived here for 20 some years. He´s a chaplin at the very German Lutheran church here. We talked to him for a bit in english. He met his wife here and currently has three children (I think) . Anways, we were invited to come to his house to eat as well as visit the church. I think i may go...maybe it will help my spanish as well as help me converse with more chileans.
We have a tour in about half an hour. I lvoe exploring the city and went for a run to the beach yesterday. Again, people probably thought i was crazy. But i think its the best way to get out there are really explore! There is so much going on, and you definalty have to watch where your walking, what your doing, and where your stuff is....oh, and i learned very quickly that cars DO NOT stop for you here, we´re not in Boulder anymore!!!
One thing that I have found interesting is that most schools here start teaching english at a very young age. My host brother has been speaking it since kindergarten. I really wish the US valued the experice of different languages and culture more. oh well.
I suppose that´s all for now. Hope everyone is well!
WHEW ok moving on. This morning I had to get up extra early to go to Valparaiso and get my CHilean indentification card. Going to public places makes me realize how much i don´t know. My family speaks slowly to me as well as the profs...otherwise the spanish here is very fast and hard to understand. ANyways, we waited for 2 hours to get the ID card all set up. While we were waiting we met a guy from Conneticut who has lived here for 20 some years. He´s a chaplin at the very German Lutheran church here. We talked to him for a bit in english. He met his wife here and currently has three children (I think) . Anways, we were invited to come to his house to eat as well as visit the church. I think i may go...maybe it will help my spanish as well as help me converse with more chileans.
We have a tour in about half an hour. I lvoe exploring the city and went for a run to the beach yesterday. Again, people probably thought i was crazy. But i think its the best way to get out there are really explore! There is so much going on, and you definalty have to watch where your walking, what your doing, and where your stuff is....oh, and i learned very quickly that cars DO NOT stop for you here, we´re not in Boulder anymore!!!
One thing that I have found interesting is that most schools here start teaching english at a very young age. My host brother has been speaking it since kindergarten. I really wish the US valued the experice of different languages and culture more. oh well.
I suppose that´s all for now. Hope everyone is well!
Monday, 8 January 2007
Hey all, hope this blog works better. I included a new post plus the posts from the last blog. !
This new blog starts on Saturday...I wrote it at the beach.
Right now I am sitting on a rock in Las Ventanas (the windows) . This small town is called las vantans becasue there´s a rock formation that looks like a window . It´s amazing. I hope to post pictures soon. We decided to take a day tirp to a place north of Vina called Zapallar. AFter 2 hours on a bus and no sign of Zapallar we decided to stop at las ventanas. It´s a small town on the ocean. There are not many tourists at all but it´s definatly a hidden treasure in CHile. We´re the only gringos (word for white people) here . When we got here a boy selling candy with a microphone announced that gringos had arrived. haha. I don´t htink he knew that we knew what he was saying. We then found a spot on the beach and hung out. This place has a very slow and relaxed pace to it. The water is aqua colored and BEAUTIFUL.
Anyways, let me tell you what else has been going on. On thursday I rode the bus with my host mom to classes. My family is nice and very helpful. THere are two boys a mom and a dad. The house is small but cute. The family lets me do my own thing which is nice . I eat when i want and go out when i want etc... there are days that I wish we all ate together so i can talk and get to know them, but i don´t think they do that here, which is very strange for south america. The bread and fruit are AMAZING: THe food is simple but good. Anyways, back to thursday. I am taking 2 classes, one on culture and one on grammer. THey are both good and i really like the teachers. On thurs. we went on a tour of Valpo after class. VAlpo is a great city right on the coast. We went on a boat tour as well as a walking tour. The culture and colors are very vibrant here. There are people everywhere and I love it.
The university is very close tot he beach and to a mall. I bought a phone at the mall the other day (by myself) and was pretty proud that I was able to understand most of what was going on. My spanish is improving but now its hard for me to speak because my brain keeps freezing...I don´t know why. I was told after 2 weeks it gets eaiser. Anyways, on Friday I rode the busy by myself to class. It went quite smoothly. Comming back was another story, I missed my stop and spent an hour on the bus. On the positive side of things, I was able to see more of the city. There transportation system is quite easy once you get the hang of it (so i´ve been told. ) There are micros (busses) , colectivos, and the metro. The colectivos are like taxies in that htey are a car, but like buses because there is a flat rate and you sit in the car with a bunch of random people . My first experience with the metro was yesterday. I think it´s the easiest way to go. My house is 20 minutes form the other houses so i use the transportation system a lot to meet up with people.
On Friday some friends and i went out to a cafe. WE met 2 argentines who were HALARIOUS! I haven´t laughed that hard in a while. THey spoke english to us and we spoke spanish to them. We left about 1 AM (when the rest of the city was just leaving to go out..haha. ) and I rode a colectivo back to my home. The driver was very nice and interesting to talk to. I helped him with english and he helped me wiht spanish.
Yesterday I went to the beach with my family. It was about an hour away and BEAUTIFUL . For all you swimmers reading this I did some laps in the ocean, it felt great but I think everyone there thought I was loco. At night I went to central vina and looked around. I was supposed to meet a friend there but she wasn´t able to get a bus because they went on strike. It took me an hour to find a way home due to the strike. BLAH. Thats all for now, I´m going to go watch a telenovela with my host brother (it´s a spanish soap opra..haha. ) Miss you all. ADIOS:.
Cristina
Thursday, January 4, 2007
As i´m writing this i´m sitting on my luggage in the SAntiago airport. It´s 11:30 pm here...exactly 11 hours after we were supposed to arrive...the good news:I´´m in CHILE!!! Now let me tell you about my trip.The flight to Dallas was a breeze. I got to the airport and bought my last meal in the states for a very long time. Well I get to the gate and check in and SURPRISE! the captain is sick, but no fear, another guy is on the way and it will only be delayed 2 hours. whew. So I started talking to the people next to me...turns out they were going to Santiago for the wedding of the daughter of 2 religion profs at luther...what a small world. Well they became my temporary family for the next 2 days. So I got on the plane...sitting in the LAST row by the window thinking to myself , this is FINALLY happening. So the plane takes off and I finally get to doze for a while. About 1.5 hours later the captain gets on the speaker:"Folks, we have a light in the cabin that needs to be checked out, the safest way to do this would be to fly back to Dallas and have them check it out. It shoudl only take 20 min and we´ll be back in the air"Ok, a bummer, but no biggie...rather be safe than sorry. About 20 min later:" This is your captian, don´t be alarmed but safety and rescue vehicles will meet us on the runway just as a precaution."hmmmm, ok, it still doesn´t sound too badAbout five minutes later the flight attendents come around and review the safety information, explicitly showing parents how to hold their children if we were to crash. Ok, getting a bit more nervous. Then:"I would like to remind every one toe fasten their seatbelts tight acrros their laps, TIGHT AND LOW! give it an extra tug. " THis is when i started prayingWe we began our decent and I could see the fire trucks out my window rushing towards the plane, the wheels hit, we went back up , then they hit again, and we were on the ground. WHEW. That night I stayed in a hotel and the flight left the next morning. AND we just landed in CHILE!!! YAY! So now i´m just waiting for some friends to get through immigration, then we´re off!Love and miss you allCristina
Posted by Cristina! at 5:57 AM 1 comments
Monday, December 18, 2006
Mi familia!
Chile is getting closer and closer and actually starting to feel real! I just got information on the family I will be living with. I'll be living in Vina del Mar with the Ordenes. I have two host brothers... Nicolas (16) and Felipe (23) who are both students plus a host mom (Ana Maria) and dad (Guillermo). Crazy to think I'll be meeting them in two weeks! Still NO word on the visa...defiantly starting to get worried. We've called the consulate and e mailed them and they have not responded at all. I'm not sure what will happen if I can't get my visa on time...they even have my passport so there is no way I can leave for Chile with out flying to CA first. BLAH. Oh well, I'm sure it will work itself out. Hope everyone is having a Happy Holiday! Adios for now!
Posted by Cristina! at 5:03 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Less Than a Month!
Hey all!So I leave in a little less than a month and am excited/very nervous! The visa process is crazy and I'm crossing my fingers that I get it on time...I have to fly to LA over break to pick it up. Right now Chile is just an image in my mind I really have no idea what to expect. For those of you who don't know, I will be taking an intensive class over Jan. and will get to travel for most of Feb. A couple of friends and I are planning on going to Patagonia and backpacking for a couple of weeks. We're also hoping to spend some time in Buenos Aires (Argentina) , and of course, enjoy time on the beach. When I come back at the end of Feb. I will be starting classes at the Catholic university in Valparaiso, Chile. I will be living in a host home with a family in either Valparaiso or Vina del Mar. Both cities are right on the coast. I will be in class until July 14(ish) and then will be comming home and hopefully finding a job for a few weeks! I will try to keep this updated every week or so...but right now I better get back to focusing on finals! Adios!
Posted by Cristina! at 4:54 PM 0 comments
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This new blog starts on Saturday...I wrote it at the beach.
Right now I am sitting on a rock in Las Ventanas (the windows) . This small town is called las vantans becasue there´s a rock formation that looks like a window . It´s amazing. I hope to post pictures soon. We decided to take a day tirp to a place north of Vina called Zapallar. AFter 2 hours on a bus and no sign of Zapallar we decided to stop at las ventanas. It´s a small town on the ocean. There are not many tourists at all but it´s definatly a hidden treasure in CHile. We´re the only gringos (word for white people) here . When we got here a boy selling candy with a microphone announced that gringos had arrived. haha. I don´t htink he knew that we knew what he was saying. We then found a spot on the beach and hung out. This place has a very slow and relaxed pace to it. The water is aqua colored and BEAUTIFUL.
Anyways, let me tell you what else has been going on. On thursday I rode the bus with my host mom to classes. My family is nice and very helpful. THere are two boys a mom and a dad. The house is small but cute. The family lets me do my own thing which is nice . I eat when i want and go out when i want etc... there are days that I wish we all ate together so i can talk and get to know them, but i don´t think they do that here, which is very strange for south america. The bread and fruit are AMAZING: THe food is simple but good. Anyways, back to thursday. I am taking 2 classes, one on culture and one on grammer. THey are both good and i really like the teachers. On thurs. we went on a tour of Valpo after class. VAlpo is a great city right on the coast. We went on a boat tour as well as a walking tour. The culture and colors are very vibrant here. There are people everywhere and I love it.
The university is very close tot he beach and to a mall. I bought a phone at the mall the other day (by myself) and was pretty proud that I was able to understand most of what was going on. My spanish is improving but now its hard for me to speak because my brain keeps freezing...I don´t know why. I was told after 2 weeks it gets eaiser. Anyways, on Friday I rode the busy by myself to class. It went quite smoothly. Comming back was another story, I missed my stop and spent an hour on the bus. On the positive side of things, I was able to see more of the city. There transportation system is quite easy once you get the hang of it (so i´ve been told. ) There are micros (busses) , colectivos, and the metro. The colectivos are like taxies in that htey are a car, but like buses because there is a flat rate and you sit in the car with a bunch of random people . My first experience with the metro was yesterday. I think it´s the easiest way to go. My house is 20 minutes form the other houses so i use the transportation system a lot to meet up with people.
On Friday some friends and i went out to a cafe. WE met 2 argentines who were HALARIOUS! I haven´t laughed that hard in a while. THey spoke english to us and we spoke spanish to them. We left about 1 AM (when the rest of the city was just leaving to go out..haha. ) and I rode a colectivo back to my home. The driver was very nice and interesting to talk to. I helped him with english and he helped me wiht spanish.
Yesterday I went to the beach with my family. It was about an hour away and BEAUTIFUL . For all you swimmers reading this I did some laps in the ocean, it felt great but I think everyone there thought I was loco. At night I went to central vina and looked around. I was supposed to meet a friend there but she wasn´t able to get a bus because they went on strike. It took me an hour to find a way home due to the strike. BLAH. Thats all for now, I´m going to go watch a telenovela with my host brother (it´s a spanish soap opra..haha. ) Miss you all. ADIOS:.
Cristina
Thursday, January 4, 2007
As i´m writing this i´m sitting on my luggage in the SAntiago airport. It´s 11:30 pm here...exactly 11 hours after we were supposed to arrive...the good news:I´´m in CHILE!!! Now let me tell you about my trip.The flight to Dallas was a breeze. I got to the airport and bought my last meal in the states for a very long time. Well I get to the gate and check in and SURPRISE! the captain is sick, but no fear, another guy is on the way and it will only be delayed 2 hours. whew. So I started talking to the people next to me...turns out they were going to Santiago for the wedding of the daughter of 2 religion profs at luther...what a small world. Well they became my temporary family for the next 2 days. So I got on the plane...sitting in the LAST row by the window thinking to myself , this is FINALLY happening. So the plane takes off and I finally get to doze for a while. About 1.5 hours later the captain gets on the speaker:"Folks, we have a light in the cabin that needs to be checked out, the safest way to do this would be to fly back to Dallas and have them check it out. It shoudl only take 20 min and we´ll be back in the air"Ok, a bummer, but no biggie...rather be safe than sorry. About 20 min later:" This is your captian, don´t be alarmed but safety and rescue vehicles will meet us on the runway just as a precaution."hmmmm, ok, it still doesn´t sound too badAbout five minutes later the flight attendents come around and review the safety information, explicitly showing parents how to hold their children if we were to crash. Ok, getting a bit more nervous. Then:"I would like to remind every one toe fasten their seatbelts tight acrros their laps, TIGHT AND LOW! give it an extra tug. " THis is when i started prayingWe we began our decent and I could see the fire trucks out my window rushing towards the plane, the wheels hit, we went back up , then they hit again, and we were on the ground. WHEW. That night I stayed in a hotel and the flight left the next morning. AND we just landed in CHILE!!! YAY! So now i´m just waiting for some friends to get through immigration, then we´re off!Love and miss you allCristina
Posted by Cristina! at 5:57 AM 1 comments
Monday, December 18, 2006
Mi familia!
Chile is getting closer and closer and actually starting to feel real! I just got information on the family I will be living with. I'll be living in Vina del Mar with the Ordenes. I have two host brothers... Nicolas (16) and Felipe (23) who are both students plus a host mom (Ana Maria) and dad (Guillermo). Crazy to think I'll be meeting them in two weeks! Still NO word on the visa...defiantly starting to get worried. We've called the consulate and e mailed them and they have not responded at all. I'm not sure what will happen if I can't get my visa on time...they even have my passport so there is no way I can leave for Chile with out flying to CA first. BLAH. Oh well, I'm sure it will work itself out. Hope everyone is having a Happy Holiday! Adios for now!
Posted by Cristina! at 5:03 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Less Than a Month!
Hey all!So I leave in a little less than a month and am excited/very nervous! The visa process is crazy and I'm crossing my fingers that I get it on time...I have to fly to LA over break to pick it up. Right now Chile is just an image in my mind I really have no idea what to expect. For those of you who don't know, I will be taking an intensive class over Jan. and will get to travel for most of Feb. A couple of friends and I are planning on going to Patagonia and backpacking for a couple of weeks. We're also hoping to spend some time in Buenos Aires (Argentina) , and of course, enjoy time on the beach. When I come back at the end of Feb. I will be starting classes at the Catholic university in Valparaiso, Chile. I will be living in a host home with a family in either Valparaiso or Vina del Mar. Both cities are right on the coast. I will be in class until July 14(ish) and then will be comming home and hopefully finding a job for a few weeks! I will try to keep this updated every week or so...but right now I better get back to focusing on finals! Adios!
Posted by Cristina! at 4:54 PM 0 comments
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