So much has happened since last I wrote, and I have had so little time to write. Lets see...
First I went to see Harry Potter 6 with Spanish subtitles. It was an experience going to a movie in Chile. The theater we went to was huge, and was several stories tall. In addition to serving popcorn and soda, the concessions also served sandwiches. The theater was surprisingly crowded, especially since the average Chilean only sees one movie a year (a little factoid I learned in class). But it was still winter vacation for Chilean students, so they were all at the movies.
The following day was slightly more educational. We visited the Church of Saint Francisco, which is the oldest building in Santiago. It was beautiful inside. After that we headed slightly north to the Plaza de Armas which was the old city center. There we headed inside the National History Museum. They had all sorts of cool things to look at from Mapuche (local indigenous tribe) artifacts, to items from the conquest, to the sashes from the president. It was a little like going to a natural history muesum and then halfway through going through the Smithsonian. A little strange, but very fun.
From there, things started to get a little heavy. (Fun fact of the day, Chileans use the word 'heavy.' So walking around Santiago, you can hear, "La pelicula fue muy heavy") We watched a movie called Machuca in class. It's about an upper class boy who befriends this lower class boy during the Allende years right to the bombing of La Moneda. I highly recomend it, but it is a little intense. After that we went to the Parque por la Paz (Park for the Peace) which I was not prepared for. It was basically a Chilean Auswitz. It was this park that had been build at one of the locations where dissidents of Pinocet were troutured. It was a profound experience.
After our visit to the Park, we traveled to the cemetary. Beleive it or not, it was an uplifting expereince after the Park. We saw the memorial for Allende, the memorial for los desapericados, and the graves of some very famous Chileans.
Not to worry, I have been having some fun too. This weekend we had a dinner where there was traditional Chilean folk music playing, and to a concert by a Depech Mode coverband. Depech Mode is pretty big here, and several people's host brothers and sisters are excited at having tickets to their show when they come to Chile. I shall now leave you with these parting words:
"Reach out and touch faith."
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
This weekend was nice and relaxing. I went shopping at a mall here in Santiago, which was a strange experience. The malls here are just like the ones in the States, transplanted here in Santiago, with all Chilean stores. The mall was crowded and rather busy because it is a fun activity to go to the mall with friends and hang out. Most people don't really buy anything at these malls, they only window shop. I did manage to pick up a nice warm sweater and jacket which was fortunate since the temperature dropped here. It's now a balmy 2 degrees Celsius. Brrrrr.
We have also started our class called Chile Contemporaneo. It's a class for my program that runs for two weeks about the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in Chile. It is very interesting. So far we have learned about the history, the political structure, and the society of Chile.
On Monday as a group we all went to La Moneda which is the presidential palace in the middle of the city. Unlike in the States, La Mondeda is only where the president works. She lives in a private home somewhere in Santiago. The tour was really cool since we were able to go inside La Moneda instead of just the interior courtyards. We saw the rooms where the president does the entertaining of foreign and other important guests, where the press confrences are held, and other such rooms. Then we were able to go upstairs and see a recreation of President Allende's office and where he died. It was a sobering moment, and I felt expecially privileged and greatful to be shown such a historic site, especially for Chile.
Last night it rained for the first time since I have been here. I was a little dissapointed since it did not really rain that hard. It was like a gental sprinkle, although it apparently it hailed in some parts of the city. The rain did clear out all the smog from the city so the sky was bright blue this morning, and you could see the mountains so clearly this morning. I still can't get over the fact that they are the Andes and that they are so BIG.
We have also started our class called Chile Contemporaneo. It's a class for my program that runs for two weeks about the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in Chile. It is very interesting. So far we have learned about the history, the political structure, and the society of Chile.
On Monday as a group we all went to La Moneda which is the presidential palace in the middle of the city. Unlike in the States, La Mondeda is only where the president works. She lives in a private home somewhere in Santiago. The tour was really cool since we were able to go inside La Moneda instead of just the interior courtyards. We saw the rooms where the president does the entertaining of foreign and other important guests, where the press confrences are held, and other such rooms. Then we were able to go upstairs and see a recreation of President Allende's office and where he died. It was a sobering moment, and I felt expecially privileged and greatful to be shown such a historic site, especially for Chile.
Last night it rained for the first time since I have been here. I was a little dissapointed since it did not really rain that hard. It was like a gental sprinkle, although it apparently it hailed in some parts of the city. The rain did clear out all the smog from the city so the sky was bright blue this morning, and you could see the mountains so clearly this morning. I still can't get over the fact that they are the Andes and that they are so BIG.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Food, Fashion, and Family
Yesterday I moved in with my family. I live with a senora who lives in the city center of Santiago about a block away from a metro station. She seems really nice, as does her family. Yesterday for once, a small meal eaten around dinner time, her brother, his wife, their two daughters, and another one of her nieces came over. We all sat around chatting for hours. Here in Chile, meals are a very social experience and last a long time.
One thing that I'm still trying to get used to is how cold it is here. It is only about 50 degrees, but none of the buildings have central heat so it feels much colder then it actually is. Instead all the Chileans wear several layers. There is a long-sleeved undershirt, followed by a regular shirt. Then comes a thick wool sweater and finally a warm jacket. Even with all of these layers, the women here still manage to look thin and stylish.
At night when the temperature drops, out come estufas or space heaters. They all have wheels on the bottom so that you can just roll them from room to room, where ever the people are in the house. In Chile, each household is also responsible for heating their own water so yesterday I learned how to use the calefont or hot water heater, so that I could take a hot shower.
At bedtime, I wear long underwear, my pajama pants, a pajama top, and a fleece jacket. In addition, my bed has three rug-like blankets and a comforter. I also get to use a guatero or hot water bottle that goes down near my feet. This has to be my favorite thing about Chile so far.
I'm also enjoying the food here. For breakfast its yogurt, cut up fruit, and a bowl of corn flakes. My madre likes doing things naturally, so I also get a cup of fresh squeezed orange juice. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day, and it continas a salad, rice or potatos, chicken or beef, and dessert. Once, or dinner, is a small meal of open-faced sandwiches of cheese, salami, other cold cuts, and avocado. The Chileans seem to eat avocado with everything.
One thing that I'm still trying to get used to is how cold it is here. It is only about 50 degrees, but none of the buildings have central heat so it feels much colder then it actually is. Instead all the Chileans wear several layers. There is a long-sleeved undershirt, followed by a regular shirt. Then comes a thick wool sweater and finally a warm jacket. Even with all of these layers, the women here still manage to look thin and stylish.
At night when the temperature drops, out come estufas or space heaters. They all have wheels on the bottom so that you can just roll them from room to room, where ever the people are in the house. In Chile, each household is also responsible for heating their own water so yesterday I learned how to use the calefont or hot water heater, so that I could take a hot shower.
At bedtime, I wear long underwear, my pajama pants, a pajama top, and a fleece jacket. In addition, my bed has three rug-like blankets and a comforter. I also get to use a guatero or hot water bottle that goes down near my feet. This has to be my favorite thing about Chile so far.
I'm also enjoying the food here. For breakfast its yogurt, cut up fruit, and a bowl of corn flakes. My madre likes doing things naturally, so I also get a cup of fresh squeezed orange juice. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day, and it continas a salad, rice or potatos, chicken or beef, and dessert. Once, or dinner, is a small meal of open-faced sandwiches of cheese, salami, other cold cuts, and avocado. The Chileans seem to eat avocado with everything.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
My Arrival
So I have finally arrived in Santiago! The weather is nice, about 50 degrees. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but Santiago is not it. We're staying in a hotel for the first few nights. One one side of us we have the beautiful hills covered in pines. On the other, HUGE mountains that put the ones in L.A. to shame. All the trees here have lost their leaves, which makes me a little sad because I missed the leaves changing colors, but soon enough it will be spring in Santiago and there will be flowers everywhere. I'm off to lunch, yum yum!
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