Officially unofficial

I picked up my Chilean ID card today which means I am an official resident of the country of Chile. It actually means nothing because it says all over it EXTRANJERO which means foreigner/non-citizen but it is pretty cool to have a form of Chilean ID so I dont have to carry my passport everywhere. Que bueno soy residente!

Homework? You call this homework?

So our most recent homework for Spanish class was to go to Valpo and interview people we saw around town. We had to at least go down to the docks and talk to people there and also take a funicular and talk to people up in the hills. I was pretty excited to go just because it was a nice day and it would help us get to know the city a little bit better. So we met up and wandered around the docks talked to some of the artisans selling jewelery and paintings and scarves and all that fun stuff. Then we walked back to the main plaza and over toward the hills. As we were walking we noticed some people blocking off the street so we stopped for a minute to see what was going on. We then noticed a police SUV with bullet holes all over the side and front windshield. The only issue was that it seemed perfectly normal, no one was gathered around the car, people were just walking around minding their way. So we round the corner and find ourselves in the middle of a movie set. It was so cool to see the amount of production equipment that that these guys had. The camera car was so cool. We decided to wait and see what was going on and about ten minutes later these guys starting screaming "no one can cross the street". We hung out on the sidewalk for a minute or two and then we hear the director yell "when I say action, everyone start walking". Literally ten seconds later we heard action and everyone around us started hustling and bustling up and down this street. Another ten seconds later the SUV we saw before was speeding up this street followed by the camera car. I couldnt believe that I was actually on the set of a movie. It felt like the bourne identity. So Cool. Tengo que viajar a otro continento para estar en una pelicula.

Sigue andando el camino por toda su vida...respira BREATHE

I have now been in Chile for almost a month and I am at the point where life is very normal. However with that comes some of the trials and tribulations of normal life. I realized this weekend that I have to relax and just breathe more often. There is not a whole lot I can do about other people and the way they carry themselves so I need to just keep walking along the path for all your life and breathe. Sigue andando el camino por toda su vida, respira

From Colorado to Colorado

This past weekend marked my first adventure down here in Chile and what an adventure it was. Although it only lasted a short 48 hours it seemed to last forever. We made our first trip to Santiago to ski the andes which was one of the things I really wanted to do while in Chile. The bus to Santiago was comfortable and our first cab ride was pretty good, basically we didnt get ripped off because we were able to negotiate a price. 1 point for understanding Chilean cab drivers. This weekend also marked my first time staying in a hostel and I can now see exactly why my dad wanted to write a book about them. They are such great meeting places as well as welcome locations for people from out of town or out of the country. Our first hostel was, from what I've heard, very hostely. We had a room with five beds in it and a shared bathroom, then there was a kitchen downstairs with a little bar and living room that people were hanging out with. Unfortunately we didnt get to hang out in the hostel for very long because we had to be up at 6 am the next morning to hit the slopes. Me and ned however did take a walk around santiago attempting to meet up with one of his friends. It turned a little bit flite (sketchy) when we experienced our first high speed car chase and take down for the caribineros (police) but all was well when we made it back to our hostel to crash. The alarms rang super early and the next day we were up and on our way to the ski shop. We rented our gear and then purchased our tickets, but lucky us, friday happened to be buy one get two free day. I kinda felt like I was back working at JAB for a bit but hey we took the deal and ran. So that means that the lift ticket which was originally 34 dollars turned out to be 12 dollars. I couldnt believe it. In total with rentals, tickets, and transportation we paid about 60 dollars. I love being the Chilean exchange rate. So we hopped on the bus and I quickly passed out, only to wake up on the craziest mountain pass I had ever seen in my life. The switchbacks were crazy and it made Loveland pass look like nothing. The bus would bottom out on every turn and I was convinced we were going over the edge at somepoint. But everyone seemed calm, until the bus driver stopped at the wrong mountain and the entire bus erupted in argument. I thought this one Chilean was going to throw the driver out. We finally made it to the mountain and hit the slopes. It was a gorgeous day probably around 50 and the spring skiing was incredible. The snow softened up really nicely as the day went on and we skied nonstop for about 6 and a half hours. Its nice because the lifts dont close until 5:00 pm so we skied a little later then headed home. We had met up with two of neds friends and skied with them all day and then enjoyed the apreski listening to an elvis cover band. Dont worry all the pictures are on facebook for you to see. The bus ride down was just as hairy but we all made it back safe and sound. After dropping our stuff off at the ski shop we decided to test the Santiago subway system. With only one little mistake (getting on an express train that flew past our stop) we made it to our next hostel which proved to be far different from our first. We had booked a four person room only to realize that it was actually a sweet loft apartment with a kitchen king bed and two twin beds. For the low low price of 20 dollars a night. And i shouldt forget the roof deck observatory from which you can see the entire city. It was incredible. We hung out for a bit then went to dinner at this nice little restaurant and ate a fantastic Chilean meal. Its called Chorianna and it is made up of french fries chicken steak sausage and two fried eggs on top. Not the most healthy of meals but it certainly hit the spot, especially when you add the pitcher of beer we had with dinner. We walked around santiago for a bit and then headed home as we were all exhausted from a long day on the mountain. This morning we woke up and started on our self guided tour of the city. Santiago is huge but we tried to cover the downtown area. We ended the tour by going up to the top of this hill that looks over all the city. It was amazing to see the size of Santiago from high above. After a nice lunch in the city we grabbed our stuff and headed back to Vina after a full and amazing weekend. What a first adventure to have. Si cada aventura es tan buena yo estare un hombre contento. En serio.

To sleep or not to sleep, that is the question

Yesterday I started my real classes and much to my enjoyment they were not as bad as I expcected. Medioambiente de Chile (environmental science) was not too bad, neither was espanol. The professor for Politicos y derechos humanos (politics and human rights) was a little hard to understand but the course sounds really cool. We are going to do an in depth study of Pinochet and his coup in 1973. Como hacer negocios en Latinoamerica (how to do business in Latin America) will also be pretty tough but its a fun class and hopefully I can get it transferred back as an econ credit. Now that I am settling in to a school schedule it is becoming increasingly difficult to continue to explore my new home and do the fun things around town. It has become apparent that if I would like to continue to do both the only thing I can take out of my daily routine is sleep. I have started to become a napper since it seems like I am always either mentally or physically exhausted. But thats perfectly fine because napping is widely accepted here. I can sleep for five or six hours and then take a nap when I get tired. I'm hoping I can survive the winter without getting sick and once september comes around I should be ok. Speaking of september the cinco gringos booked our spring break plans for our week long vacation the third week of the month. A couple days in Buenos Aires and then a 16 hour bus ride to Iguazu falls to see one of the largest waterfalls in the world. The trip had to be shortened a little because it is imperative that we arrive home by the 17th so that we can participate in the 4 day long independence day celebration. This year marks Chile's two hundredth birthday and from what I am hearing the party is going to be crazy. From fireworks to the Chilean navy fleet cruising around the harbor to barbeques galore lets just say I cannot wait. For anyone that is following or maybe reading a post here and there I would love to hear comments about what home or maybe an email. I have to go back to school now to start my community service that is part of my spanish class. Puedes dormir cuando estas muerto. Ciao

Building cabinets

Who knew that part of the study abroad experience was helping your host father build cabinets? Well anyway after figuring out the metric system and building this cabinet we tried to fit it into the closet only to realize that it wouldnt fit. Then we tried rebuilding it and that didnt work. So after three times we finally figured it out and now my mom has a lovely new cabinet in her bedroom closet. What a wonderful saturday afternoon. Que bueno el sabado.

Done with Spanish on to the real classes

Today was our last day of spanish intensivo as they call it, and it certainly ended with a bang. Yesterday we had a huge test incomparable to any spanish test I have taken so far in my life. Today we each had to do a ten minute presentation in Spanish, my topic of discussion; free trade between Chile and the rest of the world. I was struggling to come up with a presentation in english lets just say that. But yay the class is finally over and I have a weekend to enjoy before the real classes start. I am definitely not looking forward to that. After class today we hung out, ate lunch and watched Ned play soccer for one of the chilean intramural teams which was super cool. After heading back to vina we stopped for a girafa at the local bar and then walked around til we found a bakery. A couple of pastries and loaves of bread later we headed for the long walk home (about 45 minutes). As for tonight its off to a BBQ and then probably clubbing somewhere. We were hoping to hit the slopes this weekend but that kind of fell through. maybe next weekend. Instead we are heading to the sand dunes and beach tomorrow. I guess that is all for now. Los dias vuelan como el viento y cada dia mas rapido.

P.S. Highlight of the week definitely goes to meeting my first Chilean that has been to Shotgun Willy's.

So I guess the honeymoons over

After a great weekend of partying and dancing and living it up, I received an abrupt wake up call when I walked into class today. I guess they actually want us to do work down here. So coming up this week I have a quiz and test and a presentation all in a language that before last week I hadnt studied in two years. BUENO. So now that I have legit work to do I may have to tame the cultural learning and pick up more of the book learning. bummer. Well this is a rather short post, but i will put up the link to my facebook pictures for all of you non-facebook users that may want to look at my pictures. Enjoy. Buena suerte yo.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2051680&id=1239840389&l=333a54c9bd

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2052204&id=1239840389&l=b05a8e75cc

 

First Night Out

This next post comes more than twelve hours after, however I can still hear my ears ringing at this point. Last night was my first trip out and about and what a way to start it off. First we went to a little pub/bar in Valpo with my brother his girlfriend and his friend. A few bottles of fruit wine (kind of like sangria) later we were ready to head out. At this point the gringos thought we were heading to a club for a while and then home. It wasnt until we got to the Casino that we realized exactly where we were going. Inside the casino is a club called Ovo that is hands down the classiest place I've ever partied. It looked like a high rollers club in Vegas and the security guys were only letting people in who were on the list. However, my brother was able to get us all in, and for free none the less. Last night was sponsored by one of the ski resorts so there was a ton of fake snow around everywhere, and at one point it even started "snowing" on the dance floor. Kinda reminded me of SHSTC christmas carol but thats beside the point. This place was packed and even though the drinks were super expensive it was an unreal experience. By about 3:30 we were ready to go, so we came home and crashed. A quick four hour cat nap and I was back up for the group tour of Valparaiso. The first stop was the Valparaiso home of Pablo Neruda. Wow did that guy know how to live life. He designed his house with so many intricate details, each one revolving around his passion for fun and entertainment. Not to mention that his house is perched on top of a hill overlooking all of the city and the coast. When we left Neruda's house we took a walk all around the hills of Valpo. We hopped in and out of churches and hostals, stopping along the way to check out the unbelievable wall murals. Those artists have some amazing talent. After checking out some local artisans work, we took a funicular similar to the cable car in Pittsburgh, down the hill and stopped for lunch. A brief boat tour of the harbor followed, but at that point the weather had turned a little raw and everyone was freezing. All in all an awesome day exploring the city of Valpo. Es arte y todo el mundo debe saber que los murales pueden estar importante.

Los cinco gringos

So I didnt put up a new blog post yesterday because in all honesty I didnt really do anything yesterday. I was a little under the weather and the weather was pretty shitty so nothing happened. Today however was a great day. I've come to the realization that each day I am learning infinitely more Chilean spanish (which I'll talk more about in a bit) and I am really starting to understand where I am. We had an in depth conversation about Pinochet in class today and it really woke me up to the fact that I'm not just away from home but I am somewhere completely different. After class I had lunch with my mom and talked for hours about everything it seemed. But it was awesome. Then in the true Chilean way I met up with the cinco gringos about a half an hour after we were supposed to but whatever. There is absolutely no rush down here which is great. As for the cinco gringos, that is the name we have come up with for our group of IFSA Butler intermediate students. I'm so lucky to have a group as awesome as the four other people I am studying with. I could not have asked for a better mix of people. So I met up with the cinco gringos and we headed to the beach to explore our home town of vina del mar. It was a gorgeous day, the first real warm day of late winter early spring, and everyone came out today. We had our first encounter with gypsies as the program coordinator had warned us. Because it was such a nice day we had to stick our feet in the water, and although it was super cold it felt so good. It was crazy to see the different people on the beach, from skimboarders, to freestyle gymnasts doing flips off sandbags to urban bike performers, and of course the dogs. I dont know if I've talked about the dogs hear yet but they are everywhere. Tons of dogs live on the streets and follow you wherever you go. They arent bothersome they are just everywhere. Expect for the one dog that lives at the bottom of my hill. He is domesticated but still the most annoying thing ever. I have yet to walk past his house at any hour of the day without him barking like theres no tomorrow. Whatever. So the walk on the beach turned into an exploration of the town and all the backstreets through vina. Then we met up with some other DU folk and went back down to the water for the sunset. It was unreal. If anyone looked at my facebook pictures you can tell that I was kind of obsessed with the sunset tonight. Then we headed home for the night. More talking with the family and some dinner and that was the day. All in all a great day here in Vina/Valpo. Oh and one last thing. I am quickly learning that chilean spanish is nothing like Spanish Spanish, Mexican Spanish, American (high school spanish) or really any other spanish. They have different words for everything and its basically like I never knew anything. But Asi es la vida no? Yo muero de ganas ver los proximos cinco meses.

First you get used to the culture...then you try to survive the bus system

Today was the second day of classes which was good, fun, and dangerous all at the same time. It started with an early morning for Chilean standards. When I woke up at 645 the sun had not risen, and no one in the house was awake. All the lights were off and I felt kinda weird moving around at 7:00 AM when it looked like 4:00. I met up with all my neighbors/friends that go to school with me. We walked to the micro and thats when the fun really began. After finally figuring out which micro we had to get on we realized that there were no micros with any seats available. The first micro we could find only had space for two people to cram onto so nicole and ned hopped on while me and gabe waited for the next one. When we finally got a micro gabe got on and i followed while the bus sped off. I wasnt quite on and was ready to bail when the bus slammed on the brakes and threw me off. I had to run after it for a bit and finally made it on. Tenia mucho miedo. Halfway through the trip the bus broke down and the driver just stopped in the middle of the road to work on the engine. All was good until the light turned green and all the angry commuters started laying on the horn. So we finally made it to school, climbed the ten flights of stairs and made it to class only 3 minutes late. Que bueno. Three hours of intensive spanish later we were done for the day on on to our exploration of vina. We grabbed a pitcher and some empanadas before heading home for lunch. Tonight is annas birthday so we are gonna try the discotecas and we shall see what happens from there. La gente son bueno, la vida es bonita, pero es muy peligrosa.

First day of classes

Today was my first day of classes at the Universidad Santa Maria. Its an engineering school but I'm taking all my classes there anyway. It is hands down the most gorgeous school I've ever attended. If anyone knows of second beach in Rhode Island, this school is a lot like st georges school. Its right on the top of this hill overlooking the ocean and it has some amazing views. Its really funny cus they have a study room on the top floor of the main building but there is absolutely no way people can stay focused enough to study in that place with those views. Anywhooo on to the classes. After a campus tour we had the first of our ten intensive spanish classes. Three and a half hours of spanish with this crazy professor who loves using slang in english. His favorite word is chillax so that kinda gives you a picture. It was a blast from the past cus I havent thought this hard in another language since I was failing radlers spanish class junior year of high school. That being said I think its gonna be a great experience and my spanish will improve hugely. The downfall is that its legit school which means legit homework. Guess the honeymoon is over and its time to get down to business. On our way home we had to take the micro (the bus system) and I messed up the stops so me and my gringo friends ended up walking about a mile and a half home when it should have been about a quarter of a mile. Da igual. But I am now realizing that its hard to speak/write in english because everyhting is meshing together. So if this blog randomly turns in to spanish i appologize. But I must go do the homework and go to bed because I have class at 8 am tomorrow. Boo hiss. Las clases son malas pero son muy importante en la experiencia de intercambio. Tengo mucha suerte estar aqui.

Getting used to vina

Today was my second day in Vina and its the first day ive kinda felt comfortable here. After waking up at noon and going to the supermarket with my brother, I came back to find the whole family preparing for the afternoon barbeque with the extended family. There were four generations of the family here, from the ninety four year old great-grandmother to the three year old great grandson. It was really cool to see the entire family and even though I couldnt understand the oldest and the youngest that well it was a really cool experience. We talked a lot about the history of the united states and I showed my great grandparents the book of boston that I brought. They loved it and it was a great experience explaining everything to them. I guess the british style architecture is very similar to the architecture in Vina and Valpo. My grandfather loved the old pictures with all the guys wearing suits and straw hats. Also today was el dia de los ninos. I think it should be a holiday everywhere in the world, but it was a great day. Dia de los ninos is basically mothers day and fathers day expect for the kids. The youngest kids got presents from all their grandparents, great grandparents, aunts and uncles. The youngest boy is currently obsessed with toy story three and he got a ton of toy story stuff including a buzz lightyear suit. It was so funny. Another thing I learned today is that my mom is a spectacular singer and guitar player and she always runs around the house singing whatever is on her mind. We had a nice concert of sound of music tunes and foclore (traditional chilean music) Tonight we are going to barbeque numero dos for the day with all the families of the study abroad students. Me gusta mucho las relaciones de la familia aqui en Chile. Hasta proximo!

Los dias primeros en Chile

So this is the first time for everything. I just commented on my facebook that I'd never put up pictures before and now I have. Whatever, on to the important stuff. I knew I was really in Chile when I googled how to make a blog and everything came up in spanish, then when the entire blogspot website was in spanish and I had to figure out how to set it up. Pero estaba bien y ahora tiene un blog. (but its ok cus now I have a blog) Today was the first day that it really hit me that I am in another country speaking another language all the time and living life completely differently. I watched the sun set over the pacific, while sharing a pitcher of beer with my brother and one of my new friends Ned.  I'd never seen that before, and it was absolutely gorgeous. Now we are eating dinner and going out for a neighbors birthday. I'm gonna hop back and talk about the beginning of the trip now. It all started with a long and restless plane ride from atlanta to santiago. When I got there and made it through customs I couldnt find anyone until luckily anna came out ten minutes later. We then wandered around together for a while until we finally found the program coordinators. Off we went with the grupo to Olmue, a tiny little town (medium sized for Chilean standards) in the mountains of the coastal range. We had our orientation there and we were introduced to traditional Chilean food. El pastel de choclo is a corn bread cake with beef chicken vegetables and potatoes and it was delicious. Then we had our first taste of Chilean culture with a Salsa dance lesson. It was hilarious to see the suave Chileans bailando with us gringos. The next day was more of the same, with a trip to a national park sandwiched in the middle. the park was beautiful and a great introduction to the medioambiente (environment) in Chile. More great food and salsa lessons, and the five of us students were ready to crack the pisco, a local liquor that has the sting of tequila and the taste of wine. Two bottles and some great conversation later we were ready to go to bed. This morning we woke up and drove to Vina del Mar, the Ocean town north of Valparaiso where we all live. We met our family's and were taken away to our casas nuevas. After a great lunch of beef potato and squash soup with salad and corn on the cob, I relaxed and unpacked before hitting the bar by the beach for the sunset. Which brings this post all the way back to the beginning. So this is the first of many posts. I will try to stay on top of it but I dont know how it will go with travel and classes and everything. A mi me encanta la gente la cultura y la vida Chilena. Estara un experiencia buenisima. Hasta proximo.