San Pedro Part two

After being on a bus for 25 hours we finally made it to San Pedro where Jenna and Cesar the manager of our hostel Las Kana met us. After eating some wonderful pizza at the picnic table under the stars we hit the sack so we could get up in the morning and figure out which tours we were going to take.

The next morning (Sunday) Jenna and I got up and went for a run which was a little difficult because of the high altitude (about 2500 meters above sea level.) Afterwards Pam, Jessi, Jenna and I went to find out about tours. After speaking with two different agencies we decided to spend a little bit more and book tours through Yassna a friend of Cesars because she was really nice and helpful as opposed to the other guy. We decided to book 4 tours starting with the Valle de la Luna y Valle de la Muerte, then the Tatio Geysers, then Lagunas Cejas, then Lagunas Altiplanicos. Our first tour left at 4 pm Sunday so after talking with Yassna we went and ate a bbq chicken lunch at a place that Cesar suggested. For about 3 dollars a piece the four of us shared a full chicken and a big sharing of french fries.

At 4 oclock we met up with our tour group and headed to Valle de la Muerte. Our tour guide was able to explain to us what caused the great canyons (water and ice during the ice age.) We also got to see the youngest mountain range in the world and boy was it small compared to the Andes! Valle de la Muerte was awesome, orginally it was called Valle de Marte (Mars) because it looks a lot like Mars. As we walked through the Canyon we kept getting pelted by the sand that the wind tunnel between the two dunes created. The sand was a wonderful mix of red and golden yellow and the canyon was breath taking. We even got to see people sand boarding and sand skiing down the big dunes.

After walking through the whole canyon we got back in the van and headed to Valle de la Luna. Valle de la Luna was neat because there is a mixture of rock and sand formations. We got to see what used to be the "Tres Marias" (stone formations that appear to be a lady kneeling and praying) but is now just the two Marias because a tourist climbed on the third one and broke it before the Valle de la Luna was under protection. We then climbed up a big dune to watch the sun set over the desert. It was especially neat because while the sun was setting on one side the full moon was coming up over the desert on the other side. After we got back we headed to bed because we had to get up at 3:30am to go to the geysers.

Travelling Plans

I am done with classes and am now a travelling woman! After handing in my last paper yesterday and getting my grades from a class (a perfect 7 on a 7 scale!! Almost impossible to get!) I packed my bags and headed that night ( Nov. 27) for the first trip of the month! As I am writing this I am on my way to San Pedro de Atacama in the north of Chile for a six day trip. I will then return to Vina for 3 and a half days before hopping on a plane to go to Peru! I'll be in Peru for 8 days and then back to Vina for about 5 days for some family and beach time and then I'll be leaving to get back to the states. It's crazy that I'm already almost done!

Done with Classes!

Yesterday (November 27th) I finished up my semester at La Catolica. Let me just say it was the most relaxed finals week I have ever had! It was nice because I never actually had any final exams, all final papers and projects. My biggest project was a 14 page research paper (in Spanish of course) that I wrote about the role of drugs in the society of Colombia. Finishing up classes was a bittersweet event though, yes I am happy to be done and have it be "summer" but it's sad because it means the end of my time in Chile.

Here are some pictures of what I've been up to recently.

Hiking in La Campana, about an hour away from Vina.

Enjoying a little beach time at the beach 5 blocks from my house.

Band concert of my friend Samantha's pololo (boyfriend)

Sandboarding and sledding on the dunes in Renaca.

Futbol!

A while back I got the opportunity to go see the Santiago Valparaiso Wanderers, our local Division 2 futbol team play. This was not just a normal game but was the semifinals, if the Wanderers win the finals they move up to Division 1 to play about teams like the U and Colo Colo. The game I went to was hosted by the Panzers our neighboring team in Con-Con but was held in a stadium closer to Wanderers territory. Because of that there were a lot more Wanderers fans at the game. Let me just say the fans are crazy! The police force was intense although I'm not sure how much influence they really would have if something got really out of hand.

Just to get into the stadium was an experience, after waiting in line to get our tickets we went through security and then were told to form a line to get into the stadium to our seats. We formed the line but then all of a sudden a big group came through and it became a stampede to get into the stadium, even pushing through the police and guards. Once in the stadium people were climbing all over fences putting up banners and flags. As the game began everyone was singing/chanting the hymn of the Wanderers. As the players came onto the field confetti was thrown, toilet paper rolls, toilet paper, and bottles, really pretty much anything that could be thrown was thrown onto the field. During the game flame signals were lit and of course they let off a lot of smoke making it hard for the players to see. At one point a smoke bomb was thrown on the field and the police in full riot gear had to move it off the field. Fans also were letting out fire extinguishers to make it hard for the players to see on the field.

In the stands we definitely met some interesting (fleighty) people. The people sitting by us thought it was awesome that we were Americans and kept offering us pot and then told us that they were going to go sniff cocaine and sat and did it right next to us. Talk about sketchy!

It was a wonderful experience though. I love the excitement of the futbol games here. Even though it was a tie the fans had so much energy it as great. My apartment is on the way to the stadium so at night after the games I hear the fans come back singing. When the Wanderers won the championship and moved up to Division 1 the fans were so crazy that the police had to ride beside them to calm them down. I am such a big fan of futbol now, I just wish I understood it more.

The Completion of the Food Groups (the end of Mendoza VERY late)

The main food groups while in Mendoza for us have been chocolate, carne, wine, fernet, more carne(beef), and more chocolate. Today we were going to go to the termas by Mendoza but we decided not to since Rossy can't actually go in the termas because of a health condition. So instead we slept in a little and then went searching for a belleza (beauty shop) to get mani/pedicures. Unfortunately since it was Sunday pretty much everything was closed until at least 1pm but most of the shops were closed all day. After waiting for a long time for the mamas (yet another miscommunication) we took off for the supermercado so we could pick up wine for the evening. When we got to the grocery store we decided we would pick up food for a picnic in a park. We also picked up chocolate (cheaper than La Cabana and better I think!) We then went and sat on the grass in the sun and shared a roasted chicken and three different types of potatoes, and did I mention a bottle of wine? We spoke with a wonderful couple at the supermercado and they helped us choose a wonderful Hereford Savignon Blanc and a Rosado de Syrah, Vendimia. We sat and enjoyed our picnic while a drunk crazy guy kept talking to himself about us. After lunch we all fell asleep on the grass like true Mendocians with the sun shining on us and occasionally a whiff of pot smoke. We then went to an outdoor restaurant with the mamas where we continually got honked at and even sprayed with water guns. Afterwards we were hoping to go to an outdoor theatre presentation but couldn't find it so we went to the mall to go see "Las Vuidas de Jueves" an Argentinian film which was interesting. All in all an amazing trip!

Lost In translation- Mendoza day two (10/10/09)

After hardly sleeping last night because I thought I had bugs crawling on me I got up and went for a run with Pam while the mamás got ready for the day and while Jessi and Jenna continued to sleep. After breakfast (2 medialunas and coffee or mate) we went back to the room and go ready for the day. The mamás left to go find another place to stay and we thought they were gonna come back to get us. After waiting for three hours we finally decided to leave the hostel and leave a note with the front desk for when the mamás got back.

We then went to the Tenedor Libre and ate all the food we could! Beef, salad, pasta, and desert too! It was really good. After we stuffed ourselves we went to Plaza Independencia and explored the feria. It was funny walking around and having a lot of people smoking pot and selling bowls also. In Argentina it is legal to smoke marijuana and have it in a “personal” amount. The funny thing is that there is no regulation as to what defines a “personal” amount. In the feria I was able to find lots of gifts for pretty much everyone on my list! Jessi and I also got a troza put in. A troza is a hemp braid attached to the bottom of your hair.

After getting our trozas we went to go meet the mamás where we told them we would meet them. They didn’t show up and we were a little concerned by that. We even went to go look for them in the casino (a favorite place of both mothers!) When we didn’t find them we decided to go hunt for chocolate since Mendoza is famous for it’s chocolate. We found a chocolate store and all bought some chocolate to snack on and then went and got submarinos. Submarinos is steamed milk with pieces of chocolate in the bottom, with cinnamon sprinkled on top and then a piece of chocolate resting on the side of the glass. They were muy, muy rico (very, very good.) We then went and got pizza for dinner and ate outside while getting sang to by street entertainers. After we went to buy Fernet (a very popular liquor here in Argentina, kinda like a caramel and herb flavored rum but with a very strong taste.) After buying the fernet we went back to the hostel and each had a traigo while waiting for the mamás to return. Rossy and Tani showed up a little bit later and told us about the many adventures they had had.

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Welcome to Mendoza land of the full hostels and late nights

Welcome to Mendoza land of the full hostels and late nights. After getting on the bus at 8:30am and driving through the snowy Andes (a lot less snowy then when I went through just two a half weeks ago though!) and seeing vineyards literally as far as the eyes can see we made it to Mendoza. Once we got into the bus terminal it us awhile to change money and then reserve transportation to the thermas (10.45 Argentinean pesos, about $2 dollars for about an hour bus ride) Once we got all that squared away we took taxis towards Plaza Chile to try and find a place to stay. We were hoping to get an apartment since there are six of us. After a long time we found a place to stay it definitely has character.

We are staying in Lifehouse hostel in a room for eight (that we later found out they don’t rent out unless everything else is full since it’s in such bad condition.) The beds are shaky, whenever Pam who slept above me moved the whole bunk beds would move, there were no pillowcases, the lights were literally hanging by a wire, no shower head and you have to reach in a hole in the wall into the tank of the toilet to flush it. Now for those of you who don’t know me too while I’m sorta a germaphobe (sp?) so this was not my cup of tea. Rossy (my host mom) and Tani (her best friend, host mom of my friend Jessi) called it our luxury suite. Rossy made up a whole story about how I’m her hija with her American husband and that I have awful allergies (the truth!) Oh and did I mention that we have a view of the mar (ocean) in Rossy’s room and a view of the mountains out Jessi’s window? We wish!

After dropping our stuff we went to find a place to eat. It is funny to travel with las mamás because they get side tracked very easily. We finally found a cute place with tables outside. For about 40 pesos (about 10 American dollars) I ate bife churrasco (huge chunk of steak) with ensalada (salad), and a drink. For dessert I had a bombon escosia, kinda like a Klondike with ice cream in the middle with chocolate covering it with chocolate sauce and manjar (a mix of caramel and dulce de leche.) The ice cream has a flavor of liquor and was really good! We then went back to the hostel and had pillow fights, and some laughs about our luxury suite. Even after the lights were out we kept hearing the mothers say “chuta!” (shoot!) and then giggle about something. It was as if the mamas were little girls at a sleep over.

Am I Chilean?

You know you're becoming Chilean if...

1) you can jump on and off a moving bus.

2) it doesn't surprise you when a teacher doesn't show up, and instead gives you an extra 50 pages of reading on top of the hundred plus pages that you are expected to read in three days.

3) you can read on the micro (bus) while weaving through traffic.

4) you think it's just normal to almost get into 5 accidents during a 20 minute micro ride.

5) you are used to the complete lack of organization.

6) one day out in the sun gives you tan lines (and a sunburn) like you’ve never had before.

7) you put mayonnaise on everything

8) you’re used to having 80 degree one day and the next 40 degree.

9) taking a ten hour bus ride to somewhere sounds like nothing.

10) the sound of catcalls doesn’t bother you anymore.

11) you are used to all the callajeros (stray dogs.)

Moral of the story: I'm becoming Chilean!

Buenos Aires!

Our trip started the tenth of September when I got up early at 6am. By 6:40 I was outside my apartment building watching our security guard brush his teeth and make his breakfast while I waited for my friend Heidi. By 7:30 we were on a double decker bus with 4 other friends to start what would be a 26 hour bus ride to Buenos Aires Chile. Since most of our classes were cancelled for the week of September 18th because of Chilean Independence day we decided that it was a great opportunity to head to Argentina. The trip from Vina del Mar to the Chilean, Argentina border was absolutely stunning. Driving into the Andes was amazing. We started with farmland and by the time we got to the border we were in lots of snow and cold weather. We even got to pass by Portillo a very famous Chilean ski area, very famous with powder pigs.

The man I sat next to on my flight from Texas to Santiago was going to Portillo to host a telemarking workshop there. There was even evidence of avalanches! It took us for

ever to get through customs at the border but once we got back through it was crazy how fast the scenery changed. We went from lots of snow to red desert looking dirt. We also got to drive past the vineyards of Mendoza and man were they pretty. I can't wait to see the vineyards when there are actually grapes on the vines. It was really interesting for me to see the landscape change when we were driving and also the levels of poverty change. You might see a shanty town and then up the road see a new development of mansions.

Once in Buenos Aires (after 26 hours on the bus!) we hiked to our hostel. We stayed at Art Factory which was the coolest hostels I have ever seen. They have graffiti type art painted all over the walls. It was a

very friendly, comfortable and clean place to stay. I was very very impressed. It only cost us about $4 a night, of course we were sharing a room although it worked out nicely that we had four girls and two guys in our group because the four girls were able to share a room and not have other roommates and the two guys shared a room but also had other roommates. Even the shared bathrooms were decently clean! I totally recommend Art Factory to anyone who is looking for an awesome place to stay in BA. I loved staying in the hostel because we got to meet a lot of neat people. A lot of the people staying there had been travelling for a year or more doing world tours. Many of the evenings we sat either in the bar at the hostel or in the roof top patio and just talked with the other hostel residents.

The first night we were in Buenos Aires we took part in an all you can eat parrilla (bbq) that the hostel offered. For $35 pesos (about $7 American dollars) we ate all you could eat steak, potatoes, salad, and bread accompanied by all you could drink wine. It was really a neat experience to sit down with about 30 other ho

stel residents and share a meal. The conversations all the way around the table were very interesting, many tales of places visited!

Day two in Buenos

Aires we went exploring. We got off on a late start because our two guys slept in late because they had stayed up late drinking and were still drunk at breakfast. Once we finally got moving though we got lots of site seeing in. We started out by going to the Plaza Maya which was pretty. I think there had been a night race the night before I wish I had known I would have loved to have cheered the runners on. After the plaza we went and had a tour of the Casa Roja the Argentinian equivalent mas o menos of the White House. It is there main government building in Argentina but the president does not actually live there. It is very ornate and was really nice to see. The tour was free and the guides were awesome, there were some non Spanish speakers in our group and the guides did a decent job of explaining the tour in English as well. Obviously if you speak Spanish you are going to get more out of the tour. After the Casa Roja we went to the Cementerio de Recoleta which was unlike any other cemetary I have ever visited. The cementaries in Argentina consist of family tombs that could pass as small houses made of rock. Many of the tombs you can look in and see the piles and piles of coffins some of the coffins were even rotting. It was by far the creepiest cemetery that I have visited before but part of that might have been that it was at sunset. To add to the creepy factor there were many black cats wondering through the cemetery. That night we hung out with many of the other residents of the hostel in the hostel bar, it was awesome to speak spanish with citizens of Argentina, Brasil, and Venezuela. Whenever we said that we were from Chile the Argentinians would always make fun of how the Chileans speak, it was really funny.

The next day we spent a good amount of the day exploring and visiting the artesian fairs. Buenos Aires has a lot do really cool fairs and places to buy lots of different things. I was on the hunt for the perfect "mate" cup for myself. Mate is the tea of Argentina it is made from an Argentinian herb that is soaked in the hot tea water and the drinker then uses a special straw to drink the tea. Many of the mate cubs are made from gourds because the Argentinians say that the gourd adds an extra flavor to the mate. You can also find metal with a leather cover, and wood mate cups. It was really neat to just explore the city and the many shops. Argentina's exchange rate is very favorable to the American dollar so I was able to find lots of fun gifts. Sunday night was very lowkey because I wanted to get to bed early so I could get up early in the morning. Monday was my 20th birthday so my friend Sam and I were going to take a ferry to Uruguay and spend the day over there. When we went to buy the tickets online though we found out that we had to have a notarized note from our parents if we were under 21 so obviously that did not work. Instead we decided we would get up early and go explore more of Buenos Aires. We went to bed and the rest of our friends stayed up drinking. Around midnight one of our friends came in and asked for the key. Now in order to unlock or lock our room from the inside you need the key. When my friend left I told her not to lock the door because if she did she would lock us in. As she left she said "Happy birthday" and what did I hear her do but lock the door. So hear I am the start of my 21st year of life locked in my hostel room in Buenos Aires with my sleeping roommate, awesome! Well I figured won't be a big deal they will come back soon enough and unlock the door and go to bed. 2am rolls around and there is banging on the door..."LET US IN!!!" I kindly explained that we couldn't let them in because we were locked in. Both of my friends were very very drunk so they could not comprehend that we couldn't let them in and were very upset at us. Eventually they remembered that they had left the key with the front desk and let themselves in. We got both of the girls into bed (a challenge since one of them was on the top bunk) and thought everything was ok until about an hour later we woke up to the sound of puke hitting the floor. My friend puked from the top bunk onto the floor and then on the other side of her bunk as well onto the wall, her bag, and onto the hair of our sleeping friend on the bottom bunk. So for the start of my 20th birthday I got yelled at by very drunk friends and then had to clean up their puke. What an awesome way to start the day! It could only get better from their though. Sam and I got up later than we hoped but got out the door and went walking down by El Puerto (the port) and got to go on an Argentinian navel vessel that is now a museum (costs about 50 cents to enter) and a training vessel for the Argentinian navy. We also went to the Immigration museum which is free and is definitely worth visiting. The museum currently is pretty small but if you get the chance talk with the curator, he is awesome. He came and gave us a personal tour of the museum and told us many things that we would not have known if he hadn't spoken with us. It is really impressive how organized the immigration system for Argentina was. In one complex the immigrants arrived, had a place to receive meals, find work, take classes, and live until they found permanent housing. After that we hopped the metro (really worth using, only cost about 60cents for a ride!) and went to Polermo and Polermo Hollywood. We enjoyed a wonderful pasta lunch accompanied by some of Argentina's famous r

ed wine at an outdoors cafe, what a wonderful way to spend your birthday. After that we walked around and did some shopping. When we returned to the hostel my other friends had bought me some cheesecake from one of Buenos Aires wonderful bakeries so we celebrated my birthday again. After a nap we woke up around midnight and got ready to go out. We started that night at the Red Door Pub where you literally had to walk up to an unmarked door and ring the doorbell to get in. Then we went to a club that the bartender at the hostel had gotten us VIP tickets to. There we met people from all over the world as well. By the time we got back to the hostel the sun was rising and it was 6:30 in the morning.

Four hours after going to bed we were up and at it again, we had to be on the bus by 5pm so we had some last minute things to buy before catching the bus. After shopping we hopped on the bus so we could get back to Chile to celebrate "El Dieziocho!" All in all Buenos Aires was a wonderful place to visit. It was really neat to think that I went from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. I would like to go back eventually there is so much more to see and do in BA, it is an absolutely huge city.

God is so wonderful! For those of you that are not believers I am not trying to sound preachy with this blog, just for me God is a huge part of my life and I want to share what He has been doing in my life through this trip.

One thing that travelling abroad does is that it takes you out of your comfort zone. Moving to Chile for me was a BIG step out of my comfort zone. Believe it or not I am a homebody. While I really enjoy traveling it is hard for me to be away from home for a long time and this trip will be the most I have ever been away from my family. My family and friends are really important to me and I really treasure being close to them and being in contact with them a lot. Going to Chile for six months means that I am "missing" a lot of events and happenings in my family and friends' lives. Six months is one eigth of your college life, a lot of things happen in one semester.

Through this trip God has been teaching me to completely trust Him. I have really had to trust God that this trip is what He wants for me and that everything will stay under control while I am gone. I trust God that He will watch over my family, boyfriend, and friends while I am gone. I trust God that even if some of my friends move on without me the friends who still stand by while I am gone and when I get back are truly the friends that God has put in my life for a purpose. It says in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." I truly believe that God has a plan for me on this trip and that he is leading my path. God has already blessed me so much by giving me a wonderful, supportive and loving host family. He also has put three wonderful Christian girls in my path that I am now very close with. Not only am I blessed by the people here but also by all the people at home who are praying for me. My parents, sister, grandparents, and extended family have been wonderful cheerleaders throughout the whole application process and then the process of getting adjusted to my new life. God also has blessed me with a wonderful boyfriend who has been so supportive of me. While other guys might laugh while I am crying at the airport he stood right beside me and said "You are a strong woman who does wonderful wherever she is, I am so proud of you!" And then there are the many friends who keep updating me on life back at college and in the States so I don't feel like I'm missing anything.

Not only has this trip taught me how to trust God and shown me how blessed I am but it also has helped me become closer to God. I have found myself diving into God's word for comfort when I am homesick. I am constantly yearning to become closer to God, I can not get enough of Him! The Church services that I have been attending have been showing me what it means to be more like God and what I need to do to get there. God has been challenging me to look at my life and figure out who I really am, what I really want to do with my life but ultimately, what HE wants me to do with my life. God is opening my eyes to life plans that He seems to be concocting for me that I never would have thought about.

Every day I am reminded about how powerful and wonderful God is in some different way. It might be the sunset, or sitting and talking with a new friend who shares that she has been praying since the spring to find a Christian friend while in Chile, (aka, she'd been praying for me before we even knew each other!) or it might be after being protected from weirdos while out walking no matter what I know that God is with me at all times and is looking out for me! I thank him for this opportunity to take me out of my comfort zone so that I can become even closer and more like Him!

Hola a todos! I am so sorry that I haven't posted in so long. Life has really taken off here :) Classes are in full swing as is my social schedule! The first couple of weeks were especially hard for me because I had not found a good group of friends yet. I was very blessed last week when I met a girl named Jessie who is the "hija" of my Chilean mom's best friend. Not only did I meet Jessie but I also met Pam and Jocelyn we have all been hanging out a lot and going to Church together. I was really concerned at first that I was not going to find a group of down to earth people like me because at first it seemed like almost all of the students just really wanted to go out and party. While I enjoy going out with friends I do not like doing it every night or going crazy like the other students enjoy doing. Jessie, Pam, and Jocelyn are really nice down to earth Christian girls who like to have fun but for us to have fun we do not neccesarily need to go out and do something or have alcohol involved! The past couple of days we have gone to our Church's youth group and hung out with some Chilean university students, hung out at the beach, and watched movies together. We are already starting to plan trips together also which is amazing!

Life in general has been getting easier here. I am getting to be a lot more comfortable with the language so I am more adventurous about going out and doing things on my own or talking with Chileans. I think this weekend I might go to Santiago with Jocelyn since my last class on Friday is cancelled!

Talking about classes, my classes are going very well. I am really enjoying my different topics. I am taking Literatura Espanola 2 which is Antigua Espanol literature such as Don Quixote. This is going to be my hardest class I think since the books are written in old spanish. Another one of my classes is a Latin American and Chilean short story class which is really really interesting. We read short stories and them analyze them from a historic and literary viewpoint. I have a grammar class which is pretty interesting even though I am not a huge fan of grammar. My teacher is pretty awesome, think Jack Black in School of Rock. I am taking two history classes, one is History of America Latina in Siglo XX which will be a lot of work but fun. My other class is a history and film class where we watch film clips and then look at them from a historical standpoint. So cool!

The university system here is definitely different then in the US. Classes are much more relaxed here, professors arrive 15-20 minutes late and if a student arrives late it doesn't matter. There is not much homework (at least so far) the most homework that I have is reading for my literature classes. Grades are not based on class participation, homework, essays, and exams such as in the US. Instead, we have 2-4 opportunities to pass the test. Some of my classes have two exams, others have a project and an exam, and some of my others have 4 exams. It makes it a little more stressful for me since I am not awesome at test taking but I think I will be able to pass :)

All in all I am really starting to feel at home here! It is hard to believe that I have been here for almost a month! I am off to have lunch with my mom now and then two more classes this afternoon before I hang out with Pam, Jessie, and Jocelyn!





PS: The picture at the top is of the river and the ocean connecting. We have been stuck between two storm fronts the pass couple of days so the waves have been crazy! The couple in the picture is my mom and dad, Rossy and Freddy. The picture of me and a girl is my sister Francisca and I. The final picture is of Jocelyn, Jessie, and myself! More pictures can be seen on my facebook page :)

Things you should know before visiting Chile

1) Do not put toilet paper in the toilets, it clogs them up and is really embarrasing when they start overflowing. The pipes are too old to be able to handle paper.

2) Get good at jumping off of moving objects before you come because the micros (the busses) do not always actually stop to let you off.

3) Do not plan on being able to dry your hands after washing them, the hand dryers only stay on for about ten seconds.

4) Do not plan on sleeping much, Chileans do not start to go out on the weekends until 11pm when they start pregaming. Clubs do not even open until 1am and close at 5am when the after party starts and does not end until about 8am. Wednesday night is the start of the weekend so expect the pubs, clubs, bars, and discos to be packed!

5) Bring lots of warm clothing if you come in the winter or spring. They do not believe in central heating here so every building is very cold. We have one space heater for our whole apartment!

6) Ladies, forget your razor? Not a problem, not everyone shaves here.

7) Grab toilet paper from the outside of the stall or else you will be stuck high and dry (well not so dry.)

8) Take advantage of the cheap wine that is produced in Chile. It is possible to get a good cheap wine for around $1.

9) A novio or novia is not a boyfriend or girlfriend like in other Spanish speaking countries; it is instead your fiancee. Currently my Chilean mom thinks that I am engaged to my boyfriend. If you want to say boyfriend or girlfriend you use the word "pololo."

10) While the men in Chile definitely are more vocal than men in the US they are much more restrained when whistling or yelling at women then the men in Mexico. Ladies, if you want someone to stop bothering you at a pub, bar, disco, or club all you have to say is "Yo tengo un novio" and they will immedietely back off! In Mexico having a boyfriend does not mean a thing and the men will continue to bother you.

11) Your "Nana" is not your grandmother, she is instead your hired help. Nanas clean the house, does the laundry, cooks, and picks up kids from school if neccesary.

12) Enjoy being in a country where it is possible to buy Cuban products since there is no trade embargo between Chile and Cuba. Chileans love Cuban rum (or run as it is called here.)

13) Even if you speak Spanish do not expect to be able to understand the Chileans immediately. Many "modisimos" or slangs are used which makes it very hard to understand the language.

14) While Chile is half the world away from the United States it is still very possible to get "comfort foods" such as Pizza Hut pizza, tex mex food, Heineken, Dominoes pizza, Subway, McDonalds, Burger King and Dunkin Donut's.

15) Do not plan on buying clothing or toiletry items here since they tend to be quite expensive.

Today was my first day of classes! I was really scared for this day because I was very intimidated by the idea of starting classes at a new university (a very large one in comparison to Roanoke, PUCV=17000 students, Roanoke = 2000 students) let alone the fact that it is in a foreign country where I do not have many friends yet. Add to that the fact that the classes are in my second language and ya...intimidating! I had to get up early this morning because I was supposed to go to the International Students office before class. When I got to the office the secretary was like, "No, you don't need to get anything here" (In Spanish of course!) so I ended up sitting around for close to an hour. University life is not very organized here in Chile, no one really knows anything about what is going on in other parts of the University. Example, for my Spanish Literature class we are supposed to start reading a story "El Abencerraje" which the professor said would be online through our library. After looking for it and talking with countless staff members we found out that none of the libraries in the University has it and that they do not know how we can get it. Needless to say the lack of organization is frustrating to the Americans but just something that we are going to have to get used to.
Both of my classes went well, my Spanish literature class is going to be a stretch but definitely is worth it. My class consists of mostly other Americans so that will be good because then we can all study together. My grammar class is all extranjero (foreign) students and our professor is awesome! He is very sympathetic and amable (nice.) For both of the classes our grades are based completely on three exams but it sounds like the professors really want you to pass so they will work with you to make sure you do okay. I am now back at home at least for a little while. I might go out with some of my amigas later.

Ay! Los pasados dias iban muy locos pero muy buenos. El Viernes mis amigas Heidi, Jess, y yo fuimos a la Jardin Botanico de Vina Del Mar. El viaje al Jardin fue muy complicado y dificil. Tomamos el micro pero perdimos la parada por el Jardin y fue necesario para nosotros a caminar en el lado de la autopisto. Despues cuando nosotros encontramos el calle por el Jardin fue necessario a caminar por cerca de una hora al Jardin. El Jardin fue muy bonita con muchas arboles y flores interesantes. Huberion plantas de todos los partes del mundo. Creo que el Jardin sera muy bonita en la primavera.

Ayer tenia una dia mas o menos libre sin planes. Pero en la manana yo no sentia normal por que yo extranaba mi casa y los Estados Unidos mucho. Hablaba con mi padre por pocos minutos y despues hablaba con Ethan y sentia un poco mejor. Rossy sabia que yo estaba triste y decidia que era necesario para ella y mi a dar un paseo y beber chocolate caliente. Nosotros caminabamos cerca del mar y charlar mucho sobre diferentes cosas. Comiamos en un restauran cerca del mar y bebiamos chocolate caliente para mi, cafe para Rossy y comiamos medialunas (croissants)

En la noche Freddy, Rossy, y yo ibamos a Portamont(sp?) para once con la familia de Freddy. La casa de la hermana de Freddy es muy bonita y tradicional. Portamon es en los montanas e es mas rural. Me gusta porque es rural pero no me gusta porque la area es muy suizia. Yo conoci cuatro de los siete hermanos de Freddy y tambien los esposas y un hijo de una de las hermanas y el papa de Freddy. El tiempo era muy interesante para mi porque me gusta a oir a las discussiones de los Chilenos. Era dificil para mi a entender pero es bueno para mi a acostombrar al accento de los Chilenos.

Mas tarde en la noche yo salgo con mis companeras de clase. Ibamos a un disco se llama Stingray que un monitor ha alquilado por dos horas. Fue divertido, yo probar un piscola que es media vaso de Pisco (el liquor oficial de Chile) y un poco de Coco Cola. No me gusta porque fue tan fuerte para mi pero fue bueno a probar las nuevas cosas. Nosotros bailabamos mucho con los otros americanos y tambien con los Chilenos. Me encanta el baile de los Chilenos porque es una mezcla de los bailes tradicionales incluyendo la salsa y meringue y los bailes nuevos. Cerca a las dos en la manana (muy temprano por los Chileans) Natalie y yo saliamos a nosotros mismos casas. Fue un poco malo porque fue necesario para mi a caminar solo por cerca de cinco bloques porque Natalie no vive muy cerca a mi.

Este manana me desayune con Rossy y despues salia a correr. Corria cerca al mar y era muy bonita. El mar es increible aca especialmente con el sol y cielo azul. En la tarde Ya Ya (mi abuela, la mama de Rossy) llegaba por el almuerzo y nosotros comimos como un familia. Ya Ya es muy amable y carinoso. Cuando ella oido que mi cumple es el mismo de un otro de las nietas ella haciendo planes por una fiesta para la otra nieta y yo y tambien planes por pasteles para nosotros. Gracias a Dios mi familia aqui es increible.

*This is a post that I wrote a couple of days ago (on Sunday) that my computer ate. I just found it though so it's a couple days old but still interesting I hope.

Wow the past couple of days have been crazy. Friday my friends Jess, Heidi and myself went to the Botanical Gardens of Vina Del Mar. The trip to the garden was very complicated and difficult. We took the micro but we did not get off at the right stop and had to walk on the side of the highway for awhile and get honked at lots. When we finally found the road to the garden we had to walk for close to an hour. The garden was really pretty with many plants and trees from all over the world. I think the garden will be really pretty in the Spring.

Yesterday (actually this past Saturday) I had a day more or less free. In the morning I got hit hard with homesickness. I spoke with my Dad a little bit and Ethan and that helped some. Rossy knew that I was sad and decided that it would be best for me to get out of the house so we went for a walk down near the ocean and talked about many different things. We drank hot chocolate and ate croissants (media lunas) at a beautiful outdoor cafe.

At night Rossy, Freddy, and me went to Freddy's sister's house in Portamont (sp?) for "once" (a snack between lunch and dinner) Freddy's sister's house is very rural and traditional. Portamont is in the mountains and is very pretty. I really enjoyed it since it is rural but I could not live there since it is very dirty. I got to meet four of the seven siblings of Freddy along with their spouses, a nephew of Freddy and Freddy's father. It was an interesting time for me because while I did not understand much of what everyone was saying it was fun to try and understand and get accustomed to the dialect.

Later in the night I went out with my classmates. We went to a nightclub called Stingray that one of our orientation leaders rented for us. It was really fun, I tried a piscola which is a half glass of Pisco (the official liquor of Chile) with a little bit of coke. I did not like it because it was way too strong for me but it was good to try. We danced for a long time with both Americans and Chileans. I love the way the Chileans dance because it is a mix of traditional dances such as merengue and salsa with modern dance moves. Close to two in the morning (very early for the Chilenos) my friend Natalie and I left. It was a little bad because we each had to walk a number of blocks alone to get to our houses.

This morning (Sunday morning actually) I got up and ate with Rossy and then went for a wonderful run down by the sea. The ocean is amazing here especially with the sun and blue sky. In the afternoon Ya Ya (my grandmother on Rossy's side) came over and we had family dinner. Ya Ya is very nice and caring. When she heard that my birthday is the same day as one of the other grandchildrens she immedietely started making plans for a party for us and cakes for us. Thank God my family is amazing!

Anteayer (29/7) fui una dia muy loca. En la manana fue necesario a llevantar muy temprano porque hubo un tur de los diferentes partes de la U. Hay muchas diferentes edificios de la U en todos los partes de la ciudad y en Vina tambien. Por eso razon fue muy dificil a eligir los clases porque es posible que una clase en en un edificio en Vina e el siguiente es en los cerros de Valpo. Gracias a dios los clases que es necesario que yo toman estan solamente en tres edificios que son cercas a los otros. En la tarde nosotros elijimos los clases que nosotros queremos tomar. Porque es necesario a obtener cincuenta creditos fue necesario para mi a hacer seis clases. Este es muchos clases para mi, en Roanoke la usual es cuatro pero yo he hecho cinco por un semestre. Tengo miedo de las seis clases porque es mucho y los son en una lengua entranjera a mi. Cuatro de mis clases son por extranjeros y los dos otros son muy advanzados en escuela normal. Empezaremos los clases en cinco de Agosto.

Ayer en la manana me llevantaba tarde porque fue posible y yo necesitaba mis horas de dormir. Otras chicas de ISEP y yo asistabamos a la oficina de registro civil para recibir la tarjeta de residente temporario estudiantil de Chile. Ahora yo tengo un RUN que es similar a una SS# en los EEUU. El proceso fue un poco complexivo pero despues de mucho tiempo nosotros recibimos la tarjeta temporado. Es necesario para nosotros a regresar el 14 de Agosto para recibir la tarjeta permanente. En la tarde yo corri a la playa, es solamente cinco minutos de mi casa a la playa. En la noche Rossy yo yo vamos para tomar chocolate calientoe y vamos para la mall y comprar ropa mas dura para mi. Este es todo para este dia!

Two days ago (the 29th) was a crazy day. In the morning I had to get up early because we had to be in Valpo very early so that we could go on a tour of the different parts of the University. There are a lot of different buildings that make up the University and they are spread through out Valparaiso and Vina. Because of this it is very difficult to make your schedule of classes because it is possible that one of you classes could be in Vina and then the other be in the hills of Valpo. To get from Vina to the cerros (hills) of Valpo can take up to an hour! Thanks God the classes that I need to take are only in three buildings that are somewhat close to each other. En the afternoon we chose our classes. Since it is neccesary to take fifteen credits I have to take six different classes. This is a lot of classes for me since at Roanoke we usually only take four classes, I have taken five classes before but never six! I am scared about taking this many classes especially since they are in a language that I am still in the process of learning. Four of my classes are for extranjeros (foreigners) but the other two are advanced classes in the normal university. We start classes on the fifth of August!

Yesterday I woke up late since I didn't have to get up early and because I needed my sleep. Some other girls from the ISEP program and I went to the Office of Registration Civil to get our Chilean Resident Card. I now have a Chilean RUN which is similar to a social security number in the United States. The process was pretty complex but after a lot of time we recieved out temporary cards. We have to return the 14th of August to recieve our permanent cards. In the afternoon I went for a run to the beach. The beach is only five minutes from my house! In the evening Rossy and I went to the mall to get me some warmer clothes and school supplies. We also had a hot chocolate and churros. Well that's all for now, hopefully I will have time to post more later!

Estoy muy cansada hoy, por eso escribire en ingles. (Since I am very tired today I am going to write in English.) Today was another day of orientation, my day started off with the micro that I was taking to school dying. Everyone had to get off and we had to take another bus to Valpo; this was an interesting way to start the day.

Some things I have noticed since arriving in Chile are:
1- How crazy everyone drives! Riding the micro is not for the faint at heart. There is no such thing as yield buses and cars alike push their way through. The horn is utilized often.
2- Chile is truly a conglomeration of different cultures. There are many elements that belong to the Europeans, and Americans. When I went to the pub, Club Jornal yesterday I asked what the best beer was and my friend Matthias (a Chileno) said Heineken. The only music that was played in the pub was american contemporary pop and many of the people knew the words but did not know what they meant.
3- Chilean men are very polite towards women and elders. In the micro men will get up if a woman or an elderly person does not have a seat. While in the streets or pubs Chilean men will stare at foreign ladies like they are meat at a meat market but unlike the Mexican men they will not really approach you. Part of this might have been because I was with an equal number of men and women.
4- Signs are only suggestions. There were no fishing signs on the pier that we went out on today but there were many people who were fishing and crabbing.

There are many more but I can think of them. That's all for now, it is short today so that I can go to bed.

Hoy fue mi primera dia de orientacion. Me levantaba a las 7:15 para desayunarse y prepar por mi grande dia. Rossy yo usabamos el micro (el bus) para ir a mi escuela. El micro es muy facil a usar y hay muchas parades en Vina y Valpo (Valparaiso.) Cuando yo llegaba a mi escuela yo veia otras estudiantes que yo conocian en el aeropuerto. En mi grupo de orientacion yo encontre una chica que vive en Roanoke que es la ciudad donde esta mi escuela de universidad. Ella conocen otras personas en la ciudad que yo conoczo. Hube un otro coincidencia este manana, cuando yo caminaba en el salon de clases yo econtraba una chica que yo conozco. Nosotros estuvimos juntos en un programa durante el verano en Nueva Hampshire. Es increible que nosotros estamos en Chile en el mismo uni e en el mismo tiempo.

En la tarde despues de una tiempo para descansar y comer un snack (chocolate, muy diferente que nosotros chocolate caliente y tambien un sandwich y galleta) e una exhibicion de bailar nosotros escibimos una prueba diagnostica para la escuela. Creo que fue bien pero yo no se. Con el llegado de este dia cree que el espanol fue imposible para mi a entender ni hablar pero despues de mi orientacion y conversaciones con Rossy y su hermana creo que yo entender mas que yo pensar. Esta noche saliera con amigos para bailar!

Today was my first day of orientation, I woke up at 7:15 so I could have breakfast and get prepared for the day. Afterwards Rossy and I took the micro (the bus) to my university. The micro is very easy to use here and there are stops in Vina y Valpo (Valparaiso.) When I arrived at my school I saw other students that I had met in the airport. In my orientation group I met a girl who was from Roanoke which is where my university is and she knows other students in Roanoke that I also know. Another coincidence was that I ran into a girl from New Hampshire that I know, she and I were in a summer program together during high school. Who would have thought that I would be 3000 plus miles away from home and run into someone that I know. It is incredible that we both are in Chile in the same uni (universidad) at the same time

In the afternoon after a time for rest, eat snacks (I had hot chocolate which was very different from the United States version of hot chocolate since it has spices added to it. Along with my hot chocolate I had a small sandwhich and a cookie.) and watch a dance exhibition we took a diagnostic placement test for the university. I think that the test went well but I am not sure. When I woke up this morning I thought I would never catch on to the Chilean Spanish but now I think I am finally catching on. Tonight I am heading out on the town with friends from the university to dance!

Hasta luego!

Estoy en el cielo!

Este dia fue fenomenal porque hay mucha sol. En vez del 0 degrados de ayer nosotros tuvimos 30 degrados y sol hoy! Despues de desayuno (comi una sandwich de queso, mantequilla, y jamon con cereal y te) Rossy y yo caminamos a la iglesia. La iglesia es muy grande y muy antiguo tambien es muy conservador. Yo no entiendo mucho del servicio pero me gusto porque fue divertido a ver los diferentes tipos de chilenos. Despues nosotros caminamos al departamento y recogimos Francisca y Freddy y fuimos para el almuerzo. Francisco y yo nos gustan la comida mexicana y por eso nosotros fuimos a un restauran de comida Tex-Mex. Yo he viajado a Chile e en vez de comer comida chilleno y he comido comida Tex-Mex. !Hay una problema aqui! Si la comida sea Tex-Mex pero tambien hubo elementos chillenos, por ejemplo Freddy y Rossy comieron Empanadas que son un aperatizo tipico de Chile. Una empanada es como un calzone, es pan con carne y cebolla en el medio. Es muy rico. Tambien nosotros bebimos Pisco Sour que es una bebida tipica en Chile. Es similar a un margarita pero en vez de tequila uso Pisco que es un liquor de chile (y Peru tambien dice Freddy pero no es realmente de Peru es de Chile!)

Despues del almuerzo nosotros conducimos la ciudad para tomar fotos de la playa y para introducir mi a la ciudad. Las playas y vistas son increibles. Creo que este es cielo!

Today was a wonderful day because there was sun! Instead of it being 0 degree C it was 30 and sunny! After breakfast (I ate a ham and cheese sandwich with butter and a bowl of cornflakes along with tea) Rossy and I went to church. The church is very big and very old and very conservative. I did not understand much of the service but I enjoyed watching the people. Afterwards we walked back to the apartment and picked up Freddy and Francisca and went out to lunch at a Tex-Mex restaurant. Who would have thought that I would travel all the way to Chile and instead of eating Chilean food eat Tex-Mex. While it was Tex-Mex it did have Chilean flavor to it. Freddy and Rossy ate Empanadas as an appetizer which is a very typical Chilean dish. Empanadas are like calzones, they have bread around them that surrounds beef and onions, they are very good. We also drank a typical Chilean drink that is called Pisco Sour. It is similar to a margarita but instead of tequila they use Pisco which is similar to a tequila. Pisco is a typical Chilean liquor although the Peruvians also claim it as a their drink.

After lunch we took a tour of the city and beaches in order to get me oreintated. The beaches and city is amazing. I truly think this is heaven!

Mi viaje a Chile

Hola a todos. Escribire este blog en dos lenguas, espanol y el ingles. A veces solamente escribir en uno de los lenguas. Este blog cubrire mi semestre en Chile.

Ayer yo empiezo mi viaje en el aeropuerto de Boston con mi papa y mi novio Ethan. Despues de un vuelo de Boston a Dallas Fort Worth y un otro vuelo de Dallas a Santiago yo estoy en la preciosa pais de Chile.

Antes de mi viaje yo tuvo sentimientos de mierdo y fue un poco timida porque seis meses es un tiempo muy larga para vivir en una nueva pais con una familia que no conozco. Antes de salir mi novio dijo "Tienes un nuevo familia ahora, desfruta." El fue correcta yo tengo un nuevo familia Chilleno y ellos son muy amables. Mi mama Rossy es muy amable y simpatica, mi papa Freddy tambien es muy amable. Yo tengo una hermana Francisca que tienes el mismo edad de mi e este es divertido para mi porque es facil a preguntar ella sobre los costumbres de los jovenes en Vina. Yo vivo en Vina del Mar que es una de los llugares mas famosos en Chile porque hay playas muy buenas aqui. Es muy muy bonita pero ahora los playas solamente ven muy bonita no es posible a usar mucho porque solamente es 1 degrada de celcius aqui.

Este dia fue muy "low key" muevo en mi nuevo cuarto y almuerzo y tambien hacer una siesta grande. Para almuerzo yo comi ensalada con limon, aceite, y sal y tambien pasta con carne en una mezcla de zanahoria y cebollo. Fue muy rico. Para la postre yo tuve helado de una fruta que sabor similar a cafe.

Este es todo para este dia! Hasta manana amigos.

Hi to everyone. I will be posting this blog in both English and Spanish although sometimes I will only have time to write in one language. This blog will cover my semester of studying abroad in Chile. My travels started yesterday in the Boston airport when my Dad and boyfriend, Ethan dropped me off. I flew from Boston to Dallas Fort Worth and from there to Santiago and now I am in the amazing country of Chile.

When I started my trip I of course had many feelings running through me. I was excited but also scared because I was nervous about living in a new country with a family that I do not know for six months. Before leaving my boyfriend told me "You have a new family now" which is so true. I have a Chilean family that is very nice. My Chilean mother, Rossy is very nice and simpathetic, her husband Freddy is also very nice. I have a Chilean sister Francisca who is the same age as me which is fun because then I can ask her questions about our age group and what they normally do in Chile. I am living in Vina del Mar which is one of the premier beach resort towns in Chile. It is hard to believe that the beach is nice though since it was only 1 degree celcius (33 F) today. I am definitely looking forward to the warm weather and beach days.

Today was very low key, I simply moved in, had lunch and took a nice long "siesta." The food here so far is very good. For lunch I had salad with oil and lemon and salt and then pasta with ground beef that had been cooked in a carrot and onion sauce that was amazing. For dessert I had ice cream that was made of a fruit that tasted like coffee. It was an interesting mix because the ice cream also had chunks of chocolate in it.

Well that is all for today. Until tomorrow!