Hi everyone! It appears as though I have not been so great about keeping this up. I guess that also means I am trying to be busy! Lots of good things to report this time around.
First, I have to say that I have been incredibly lucky since I have arrived. Things have really gone my way, despite several lonely moments throughout (to be expected). Since my last post, I have started three jobs and met a couple people. I have a job as an English Tutor at an institute here in Viña. To be perfectly and brutally honest, I hate it. I find it to be disorganized and I don't really teach much. The only thing that I do find enjoyable is interacting with people who want to learn. Some of my students are very kind, but I never (or rarely) have the same student twice. The plus to this Institute though, is that they facilitate the visa process which will allow me to switch from a tourist visa to a 1-year work visa. Through the Institute, I also got a job with CORFO. This is a government program for people to learn English. Each class is about 15 adults and 3 hours long. I have this class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 7pm-10pm. The hours aren't really desirable, but a job is a job. It will be good experience and I am hoping I can meet more people my age.
This week, though, I had an enormous stroke of luck when I was asked to interview for a 6-day subbing position at a really good private school in Viña. Roswitha's (my roommate) parents had put me in touch last summer with an administrator from that school. That lady called Ross' parents coincidentally when I was at their home, and asked if I was available to interview. Of course I went without hesitation, and despite never having had a full interview in Spanish before, I got the job! The lady who I am subbing for teaches 8th grade, along with 2nd Medio, 3rd Medio, and 4th Medio, which is the equivalent of sophomores, juniors, and seniors respectively. I started today and I loved it. At first I found it very overwhelming, as each grade has a different book and I wasn't really given prep time. But, the kids were mainly just interested in hearing my accent and asking questions, which I was perfectly ok with seeing as I hadn't looked at the textbook yet! 8th grade is certainly new, but I felt right at home with the older ones. If all goes well, it is possible that I will be called to sub again, or maaayyybeee get a permanent position. Either way, this opportunity opens a lot of doors!
I have started a ballet class since arriving. The dance academy is about 3-5 minutes away walking. It is taught by a strict Chilean male ballerina and he loves to correct. But, the class is small and I really enjoy it. He is tough but he is nice. It's a little strange because even though the terminology is all the same, it sounds different from English to Spanish because of the accent. I'm doing ok with it though, and as I said, I really enjoy it.
I have also tried a couple Zumba classes since arriving. Two have been excellent, one not so much haha. I went to one as an invited guest, because the instructor knows my host family. She works at a fancy gym, and I'm glad I was her invitee because one class is 10 thousand pesos, about 20 dollars! Crazy! Before she knew me even for 5 minutes, the instructor asked if I wanted to lead a song. I hesitated but why not, right? The class was really receptive and friendly. They were excited to have "an international" class, haha! The gym asked if I was interested in subbing, so I'll have to follow up with that. This week, because of my insane work schedule, I won't be able to attend any classes :/
Last weekend I went to Santiago to visit my friend Heather from college. It was really nice, it had been nearly a year since we saw one another! It was a good friend's 30th birthday, and we had a blast! A true Chilean night out! The next day we checked out a food truck festival, though not exactly like the trucks we have at home. More like food-vw-busses. A lot of them had run out when we got there and had to re-stock, but we stuck around and it was well worth the wait! I was excited to eat some middle eastern food, mainly because they had hummus, which is not easily found around here. Of course they ran out when I got there, still delicious though.
Last Friday I went to temple too. A friend from college has family that lives nearby and I joined them. I was put through the 3rd degree before they let me in. A thorough interrogation. Security is tight because the Jewish population is so small, and Chileans for the most part are not too keen on Israel these days. For safety reasons, they have shortened the service and eliminated the Kiddush afterward. I was introduced to someone right around my age though, which was nice. As it turns out, this guy speaks perfect English and asked me "what part" of Boston I was from. I told him Framingham, and he replies with "No way I have family in Wellesley! I love Route 9! Do you ever go to the Natick Mall?" Small world right?! Hooray for a potential new friend.
I also ended up going out with another American girl I met at that party last weekend. Ana Tijoux is a Chilean rapper who actually played Boston the night I left. But, she was in Valpo last weekend playing at a club. We got in and it was so fun! Didn't stay for too too long, just the songs I like. I actually used to use her music in my Spanish classes, so it was so cool to see her live.
My roommate's part-time kitty and I are learning to co-exist. She loves to run under my bed, probably because she knows I want nothing to do with her. She's just like a dog though, I didn't realize cats beg for food so much! Only, she likes to jump on the table which is gross. I have stepped on her a couple times, she is always right under foot, literally. But, so far, it could be worse with her.
Things are really starting to fall into place. Hoping to expand my social circle a bit, but I'm sure that will come with time. Please send emails and updates, I miss everyone!
Lots of love,
Caroline
Friday, August 1, 2014
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Welcome Back!!!!
Hello everyone!!! Welcome, or welcome back, to my blog. I have been here in Chile for 4 days and have lots to report on.
I just barely made it here, thanks to the Boston thunderstorms on Tuesday. Most of you know that I don't run, but did I ever. With a backpack on, just as attractive as it sounds. I was one of the last people on the plane, but I made it! Once we landed, customs took no time at all, and Roswitha and her dad were right there waiting for me. They even brought me a coffee (or the Chilean equivalent....). On Wednesday I slept through the daylight, as it gets dark here between 5 and 6 during the winter. Ross and I went out to buy some things I needed and then had some visitors! My apartment is really homey; she put up decorations and had all the furniture in advance. Our living room/dining room is spacious and comfy. My room is a good size with lots of storage. And we have our own bathrooms, score! The biggest setback is our fridge situation. We have a mini-fridge for the two of us. It's working for the time being but I don't know how long it will last! So Wednesday night Ross' boyfriend Pancho came over with his brother Eduardo and my friend Diego too. We made vegetarian tacos (it was no Anna's Taqueria, sad day) and hung out. Pancho Eduardo and Diego talk really fast and Chilean amongst themselves, so that was a struggle. But we had a really good time, until I practically fell asleep on the couch haha!
Thursday I began to unpack, and Ross' mom came by. She is super nice and offered me some more furniture to borrow too. We went out in the late afternoon on an errand that should have lasted maybe an hour. I'm getting used to the Chilean way of life, which is quite slower than we're all used to. Everything here takes longer. Way longer. Like I said, I'm adjusting. We ended up going to a feria (an open market on the street) and then to another quick one, and then finally grocery shopping for me which was the original goal. It took over three hours. I felt like a huge dummy in the grocery store, because I forgot to weigh my stuff!! Here, you pick your fruits and veggies and weigh them right there and get a price. It's the same for bread. They bake fresh bread about every 15-30 minutes and you pick the type you want. Go figure you have to weigh it before you pay for it! Silly gringa I am! Then at night Ross took me along to her friend's birthday party. I reconnected with one of Ross' other friends who I hadn't seen since my semester. It was really great. None of us (especially me) knew anyone else at the party so we got to catch up. But after trying so hard to understand all of that fast, Chilean Spanish my brain started to shut down. Ross had to take me home because I still didn't (and still don't really) know my way around. This area of Viña is unfamiliar to me, but there are parts that I remember like the back of my hand. I'm getting better though!
Friday I woke up and wasn't feeling so great about the whole move, which I'm sure will continue to come in spurts. I tried to make myself some coffee without a coffee maker which was semi disastrous, but I did manage to get a little, ha! I finally got my keys Thursday evening, thus making it way easier to leave the house! I was feeling sad and lonely so Diego offered to have lunch with me and even came all the way to Recreo to pick me up. My neighborhood is called Recreo, it's really residential, and pretty big. Mama's house is about 15 minutes by bus, Diego is about about the same. It was nice that he came to find me because my phone doesn't work and it would have been a disaster. The only downside to Recreo is that it is right in the middle of Viña and Valparaíso, so the busses never charge the "local" fare which is cheaper. Anyway, after lunch with Diego and learning that part of town, it was time for what I thought was a job interview. Turns out I already had the job, it was an orientation! I will be teaching English at an Institute called International Center, and it's classes for adults. Each class is one on one. You find out who you are teaching and the level about 15 minutes before the student arrives. You open to the lesson in the book and guide them through it. No prep work and no real thinking involved. It's a start ;) Right now I only have two shifts a week, and shifts are three hours each. I also met the other American girl, Dana, from my host house that relocated here. She actually got me that job, so that's cool! She is from Acton, and got really excited when "wicked" slipped out of my mouth haha. As it turns out, Dana lives just a block from me, about 5 minutes walking! Tonight she is having a party, so I'm looking forward to meeting more people!
My Spanish is coming along slowly but surely. In Chile they have a very distinct way of speaking that takes getting used to, so even though I speak the language, at times I feel like I really don't! I've learned how to light the stove and turn on the gas for a hot shower, small victories. I'm sure that soon enough it will feel like home again. Missing everyone! Send emails and facebook messages!!!!
Lots of love,
Caroline
I just barely made it here, thanks to the Boston thunderstorms on Tuesday. Most of you know that I don't run, but did I ever. With a backpack on, just as attractive as it sounds. I was one of the last people on the plane, but I made it! Once we landed, customs took no time at all, and Roswitha and her dad were right there waiting for me. They even brought me a coffee (or the Chilean equivalent....). On Wednesday I slept through the daylight, as it gets dark here between 5 and 6 during the winter. Ross and I went out to buy some things I needed and then had some visitors! My apartment is really homey; she put up decorations and had all the furniture in advance. Our living room/dining room is spacious and comfy. My room is a good size with lots of storage. And we have our own bathrooms, score! The biggest setback is our fridge situation. We have a mini-fridge for the two of us. It's working for the time being but I don't know how long it will last! So Wednesday night Ross' boyfriend Pancho came over with his brother Eduardo and my friend Diego too. We made vegetarian tacos (it was no Anna's Taqueria, sad day) and hung out. Pancho Eduardo and Diego talk really fast and Chilean amongst themselves, so that was a struggle. But we had a really good time, until I practically fell asleep on the couch haha!
Thursday I began to unpack, and Ross' mom came by. She is super nice and offered me some more furniture to borrow too. We went out in the late afternoon on an errand that should have lasted maybe an hour. I'm getting used to the Chilean way of life, which is quite slower than we're all used to. Everything here takes longer. Way longer. Like I said, I'm adjusting. We ended up going to a feria (an open market on the street) and then to another quick one, and then finally grocery shopping for me which was the original goal. It took over three hours. I felt like a huge dummy in the grocery store, because I forgot to weigh my stuff!! Here, you pick your fruits and veggies and weigh them right there and get a price. It's the same for bread. They bake fresh bread about every 15-30 minutes and you pick the type you want. Go figure you have to weigh it before you pay for it! Silly gringa I am! Then at night Ross took me along to her friend's birthday party. I reconnected with one of Ross' other friends who I hadn't seen since my semester. It was really great. None of us (especially me) knew anyone else at the party so we got to catch up. But after trying so hard to understand all of that fast, Chilean Spanish my brain started to shut down. Ross had to take me home because I still didn't (and still don't really) know my way around. This area of Viña is unfamiliar to me, but there are parts that I remember like the back of my hand. I'm getting better though!
Friday I woke up and wasn't feeling so great about the whole move, which I'm sure will continue to come in spurts. I tried to make myself some coffee without a coffee maker which was semi disastrous, but I did manage to get a little, ha! I finally got my keys Thursday evening, thus making it way easier to leave the house! I was feeling sad and lonely so Diego offered to have lunch with me and even came all the way to Recreo to pick me up. My neighborhood is called Recreo, it's really residential, and pretty big. Mama's house is about 15 minutes by bus, Diego is about about the same. It was nice that he came to find me because my phone doesn't work and it would have been a disaster. The only downside to Recreo is that it is right in the middle of Viña and Valparaíso, so the busses never charge the "local" fare which is cheaper. Anyway, after lunch with Diego and learning that part of town, it was time for what I thought was a job interview. Turns out I already had the job, it was an orientation! I will be teaching English at an Institute called International Center, and it's classes for adults. Each class is one on one. You find out who you are teaching and the level about 15 minutes before the student arrives. You open to the lesson in the book and guide them through it. No prep work and no real thinking involved. It's a start ;) Right now I only have two shifts a week, and shifts are three hours each. I also met the other American girl, Dana, from my host house that relocated here. She actually got me that job, so that's cool! She is from Acton, and got really excited when "wicked" slipped out of my mouth haha. As it turns out, Dana lives just a block from me, about 5 minutes walking! Tonight she is having a party, so I'm looking forward to meeting more people!
My Spanish is coming along slowly but surely. In Chile they have a very distinct way of speaking that takes getting used to, so even though I speak the language, at times I feel like I really don't! I've learned how to light the stove and turn on the gas for a hot shower, small victories. I'm sure that soon enough it will feel like home again. Missing everyone! Send emails and facebook messages!!!!
Lots of love,
Caroline
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
At last, Buenos Aires and home...
Hey everyone,
it seems silly to me to write a long post telling you all about Buenos Aires. I will be leaving Vina del Mar, Chile on Thursday at 3pm and starting my long way home. I can't wait to tell you all about my final weeks in person :). Thanks for following my posts and reading all about my travels here. It's been an incredible 5 months. While it is bittersweet, i am very happy to be coming home. See you all shortly!
besos,
carolina
it seems silly to me to write a long post telling you all about Buenos Aires. I will be leaving Vina del Mar, Chile on Thursday at 3pm and starting my long way home. I can't wait to tell you all about my final weeks in person :). Thanks for following my posts and reading all about my travels here. It's been an incredible 5 months. While it is bittersweet, i am very happy to be coming home. See you all shortly!
besos,
carolina
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
No More School!
Hi everyone,
Last time we chatted I had just gotten home from San Pedro. Not too much has happened since then. I have been busy with school, but now I am all done!!!
So, I have happily managed decent grades here as far as I know. Some of them are purely miraculous! I got a 6 in one of my History classes, so that's cool. My lit class wasn't as easy. Here's why: the prof is a nut. I have never had good grades in his class, and he pretty much told me if I don't do well on the oral exam, I won't do well all around. The oral exam consisted of 76 questions! We were told to be able to elaborate on each question for at least 5 mins, so when we picked 3 randoms out of a hat we could talk for 15 minutes. Yikes!! So, I got an extension on a project for CIEE and focused on the oral for a while. I even got a tutor for an hour at CIEE to ensure that I was prepared. I went the very last day I could and took it in his office instead of in front of the whole class, cuz that would just be brutal. So I go in there and pick 3 random questions, 2 yellow 1 green. yellow were the first 30 questions, and green were the rest. In the middle of my answer for the third question he interrupts me and asks what my name is. he gave me a 7 because "i deserved it." damn right!!!!!!!!! and then he goes, hmmm, well you have come to every class, and i can tell youre a good student and i'd like for you to show your profs there in the US that you came to study abroad and was still applied and dedicated, so I'm going to boost your overall grade to a 6 which is equivalent to an A, ok? And i was like whattt??!!!!! But, cool, I'll take it!!!!!!!!! Woohoo!
So, my danza class, which i took thinking it would be fun, turned out to be a horrible nightmare! For that class I had to do a research paper, a dance, and a final. Tatiana and I did our paper no problem. But the dance! Argh! She stopped our group halfway and told us we were doing it all wrong. Not to mention I looked silly because Tatiana used the traditional dress I was going to wear cuz she had nothing and I at least had a little something to work with. Anyway, we ended up figuring it out and she gave us a second chance. Hopefully it went ok. Then I reminded her that she said I could make up my Diablada test (that's another dance we learned) that I missed at the beginning of the semester. Naturally I wasn't prepared, but when she wasn't paying attention the TA quickly helped me remember some of the steps and make a small routine. I'm happy to say I remembered a lot! Anyway, I danced all alone and for only 30 seconds to show her I knew the moves. I wasn't expecting much, but I got a 7!!! She said I danced very well, had great posture and pointed feet, and I had an excellent sense of rhythm, and that I was light on my feet and a joy to watch. I wanted to thank her for being a bitch all semester and giving me a hard time :). I didn't, of course. I think I failed the written test, seeing as I left a good chunk of it blank....oops.
I finally turned in my anthology project to ciee and now I am done!!!!!!!!!!!!! On Friday I leave for a week for Buenos Aires with miss Hillary. I booked us some cool sounding hostels in two different areas. The first 3 nights we will be in San Telmo which is the tango district. Then for the second half we are staying in Palermo which is the ritzier district! I'm so pumped! Then 5 days left....
I've started saying goodbyes which I don't like. It's weird, but since Hillary and I are leaving, it overlaps with when a bunch of people are leaving. Can't believe it! Anyway, I'll fill you in on Buenos Aires after, it will probably be my last post, yikes....
Besitos and I hope the heat I've heard about is nicer than winter here,
Carolina
Last time we chatted I had just gotten home from San Pedro. Not too much has happened since then. I have been busy with school, but now I am all done!!!
So, I have happily managed decent grades here as far as I know. Some of them are purely miraculous! I got a 6 in one of my History classes, so that's cool. My lit class wasn't as easy. Here's why: the prof is a nut. I have never had good grades in his class, and he pretty much told me if I don't do well on the oral exam, I won't do well all around. The oral exam consisted of 76 questions! We were told to be able to elaborate on each question for at least 5 mins, so when we picked 3 randoms out of a hat we could talk for 15 minutes. Yikes!! So, I got an extension on a project for CIEE and focused on the oral for a while. I even got a tutor for an hour at CIEE to ensure that I was prepared. I went the very last day I could and took it in his office instead of in front of the whole class, cuz that would just be brutal. So I go in there and pick 3 random questions, 2 yellow 1 green. yellow were the first 30 questions, and green were the rest. In the middle of my answer for the third question he interrupts me and asks what my name is. he gave me a 7 because "i deserved it." damn right!!!!!!!!! and then he goes, hmmm, well you have come to every class, and i can tell youre a good student and i'd like for you to show your profs there in the US that you came to study abroad and was still applied and dedicated, so I'm going to boost your overall grade to a 6 which is equivalent to an A, ok? And i was like whattt??!!!!! But, cool, I'll take it!!!!!!!!! Woohoo!
So, my danza class, which i took thinking it would be fun, turned out to be a horrible nightmare! For that class I had to do a research paper, a dance, and a final. Tatiana and I did our paper no problem. But the dance! Argh! She stopped our group halfway and told us we were doing it all wrong. Not to mention I looked silly because Tatiana used the traditional dress I was going to wear cuz she had nothing and I at least had a little something to work with. Anyway, we ended up figuring it out and she gave us a second chance. Hopefully it went ok. Then I reminded her that she said I could make up my Diablada test (that's another dance we learned) that I missed at the beginning of the semester. Naturally I wasn't prepared, but when she wasn't paying attention the TA quickly helped me remember some of the steps and make a small routine. I'm happy to say I remembered a lot! Anyway, I danced all alone and for only 30 seconds to show her I knew the moves. I wasn't expecting much, but I got a 7!!! She said I danced very well, had great posture and pointed feet, and I had an excellent sense of rhythm, and that I was light on my feet and a joy to watch. I wanted to thank her for being a bitch all semester and giving me a hard time :). I didn't, of course. I think I failed the written test, seeing as I left a good chunk of it blank....oops.
I finally turned in my anthology project to ciee and now I am done!!!!!!!!!!!!! On Friday I leave for a week for Buenos Aires with miss Hillary. I booked us some cool sounding hostels in two different areas. The first 3 nights we will be in San Telmo which is the tango district. Then for the second half we are staying in Palermo which is the ritzier district! I'm so pumped! Then 5 days left....
I've started saying goodbyes which I don't like. It's weird, but since Hillary and I are leaving, it overlaps with when a bunch of people are leaving. Can't believe it! Anyway, I'll fill you in on Buenos Aires after, it will probably be my last post, yikes....
Besitos and I hope the heat I've heard about is nicer than winter here,
Carolina
Friday, June 25, 2010
San Pedro de Atacama!
Hi all! This week has been nuts with work! I am glad its over! I had two tests yesterday and I've been studying for this god awful oral exam I have. All the while trying to catch up on sleep from my weekend in San Pedro de Atacama!!! So here's how the weekend went:
On Thursday I hustled to get my work done before my bus at 10pm. I took the bus into Santiago with Asa and Michelle. Anastasia and Sonja decided to get there way earlier, which was dumb but their choice. Our flight was at 5am on Friday. Asa Michelle and I got there around midnight, grabbed some food at Dunkin Donuts (not the same, no French Vanilla) and then met the girls at the gate. We tried to sleep but we were all so amped! ...and it was the airport, not so conducive to sleep. So finally we boarded, and I had a seat by myself because with Lan you pick your seats and I checked in apart from them. I didnt mind too much except that it was really turbulent and scared the crap out of me. Anyway, we got to Calama at about 7am and the guy from the hostel was there waiting for us. It was FREEZING! 27 degrees F to be exact, and the airport was one of those tiny ones where you get off the plane and then walk to the building. So we piled into this hostel man's truck, stopped for breakfast, then drove about 2 hrs to San Pedro. When we got to the hostel Asa Michelle and I slept and the ladies went to explore. When we finally got going it was really nice out!We walked around the tiny centre of town (the whole place is one big tourist trap) and got lunch at this cool hippie place that had soy, good for our lovely lactose intolerant Michelle. Then the group decided they were renting bikes to go to Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley). So, I looked around and found an excursion that went there too. I had a great time! We stopped at the Cordillera del Sal (Salt Mountain Range), Valle de la Muerte, part of the salt flat, and then finally to a sand dune in Valle de la Luna to watch the sunset. It got very very cold! I met up with the group on the dune, but they were struggling! They didn't realize how far it was to bike, especially in such a high altitude. But, I had a great day :). During the tour I hung out with a kid from Spain who was also alone. It was good, I wasn't lonely and I had someone to take pics of me :) That night we made dinner at the hostel and fell into bed. Our excursion the next day started at 7. So, yet another night without much sleep.
Saturday we got started bright and early to go to the Salt Flats and the Lagunas. It was a long long day! We went about an hr and a half more north and saw the flamingoes. It was so cool and I took lots of pictures. My camera has incredible zoom so the pictures actually came out really well. The whole time we were walking on salt! And surrounding us were volcanoes. Really beautiful. San Pedro looks like it should be fake. It was such a long excursion and I don't really remember the names of the places we hit up. Sorry, that was anti-climactic. It was mostly lakes formed by volcanoes, more of the salt flat, and different volcanoes of the cordillera. We had lunch at this tiny little town on the way. I can't imagine living in this part of Chile year round. It's obviously arid temps, seeing as we were in the desert, and it gets very hot and then freezing. It was also hard to breathe with the altitude. When we got back to town there was a power and water outage, welcome to Chile. When the lights finally came back on we went grocery shopping and made dinner again. Then we went to bed because our next excursion started at 4am!
We woke up at around 315 and put on every article of clothing we brought with us. I personally wore 2 pairs of socks, leggings, jeans, a tank top, a beater, a long sleeve, short sleeve over that, hoodie, scarf and jacket. And my new fingerless gloves! I was still a little chilly. We went to see the guysers about 2 hours north of San Pedro. The company picked us up around 445 and we drove for a while on a horrible road that made me sick. We ultimately went about 15 km from Bolivia...very north. The guysers were incredible, there were so many!!!!!!!!! Some spurted water every few minutes. Others we perpetually steaming. We were so high up it hurt to breathe. A poor little boy on my tour fainted :(. It was still incredible though. We made breakfast in one of the guysers! We put in boxes (ew) of milk and some eggs, and they cooked hahah! We ate breakfast then headed to the hot springs. I did not go in because it was still freezing out. Sonja Stas and Asa said it was only luke warm. Michelle and I made the right call :). We were also next to some of the biggest guysers so i went to take more pictures. After that stop we went to a tiny little town. Tiny! A row of houses. My camera died so I'll steal Stas's pics and post them too. At this little location I experienced a new food kids: llama! It tasted like steak. Llama and alpaca are very important in the north. They use them for everything!!!! They also build their houses out of adobe or volcanic rock, cool eh? All in all, a great three days of nonstop touring of the most beautiful places.
After the tour we checked out of the hostel and found a restaurant to eat and watch the brazil game. Then it was time to head to the airport and ultimately back to Vina. I got home around 130am and showered immediately...my hair was like straw from the wind and cold! This week has been nonstop. This morning (friday) I was awoken in a truly Chilean fashion, small earthquake. So, mama came in, tucked me in and then a half hour later brought me breakfast on my little silver tray hahahahah!!!! Now I am celebrating Michael Jackson before Chile plays Espana at 230! I am going to watch at the mall with one of my chilenas. See you all in a few short weeks!
Chau,
Carolina
On Thursday I hustled to get my work done before my bus at 10pm. I took the bus into Santiago with Asa and Michelle. Anastasia and Sonja decided to get there way earlier, which was dumb but their choice. Our flight was at 5am on Friday. Asa Michelle and I got there around midnight, grabbed some food at Dunkin Donuts (not the same, no French Vanilla) and then met the girls at the gate. We tried to sleep but we were all so amped! ...and it was the airport, not so conducive to sleep. So finally we boarded, and I had a seat by myself because with Lan you pick your seats and I checked in apart from them. I didnt mind too much except that it was really turbulent and scared the crap out of me. Anyway, we got to Calama at about 7am and the guy from the hostel was there waiting for us. It was FREEZING! 27 degrees F to be exact, and the airport was one of those tiny ones where you get off the plane and then walk to the building. So we piled into this hostel man's truck, stopped for breakfast, then drove about 2 hrs to San Pedro. When we got to the hostel Asa Michelle and I slept and the ladies went to explore. When we finally got going it was really nice out!We walked around the tiny centre of town (the whole place is one big tourist trap) and got lunch at this cool hippie place that had soy, good for our lovely lactose intolerant Michelle. Then the group decided they were renting bikes to go to Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley). So, I looked around and found an excursion that went there too. I had a great time! We stopped at the Cordillera del Sal (Salt Mountain Range), Valle de la Muerte, part of the salt flat, and then finally to a sand dune in Valle de la Luna to watch the sunset. It got very very cold! I met up with the group on the dune, but they were struggling! They didn't realize how far it was to bike, especially in such a high altitude. But, I had a great day :). During the tour I hung out with a kid from Spain who was also alone. It was good, I wasn't lonely and I had someone to take pics of me :) That night we made dinner at the hostel and fell into bed. Our excursion the next day started at 7. So, yet another night without much sleep.
Saturday we got started bright and early to go to the Salt Flats and the Lagunas. It was a long long day! We went about an hr and a half more north and saw the flamingoes. It was so cool and I took lots of pictures. My camera has incredible zoom so the pictures actually came out really well. The whole time we were walking on salt! And surrounding us were volcanoes. Really beautiful. San Pedro looks like it should be fake. It was such a long excursion and I don't really remember the names of the places we hit up. Sorry, that was anti-climactic. It was mostly lakes formed by volcanoes, more of the salt flat, and different volcanoes of the cordillera. We had lunch at this tiny little town on the way. I can't imagine living in this part of Chile year round. It's obviously arid temps, seeing as we were in the desert, and it gets very hot and then freezing. It was also hard to breathe with the altitude. When we got back to town there was a power and water outage, welcome to Chile. When the lights finally came back on we went grocery shopping and made dinner again. Then we went to bed because our next excursion started at 4am!
We woke up at around 315 and put on every article of clothing we brought with us. I personally wore 2 pairs of socks, leggings, jeans, a tank top, a beater, a long sleeve, short sleeve over that, hoodie, scarf and jacket. And my new fingerless gloves! I was still a little chilly. We went to see the guysers about 2 hours north of San Pedro. The company picked us up around 445 and we drove for a while on a horrible road that made me sick. We ultimately went about 15 km from Bolivia...very north. The guysers were incredible, there were so many!!!!!!!!! Some spurted water every few minutes. Others we perpetually steaming. We were so high up it hurt to breathe. A poor little boy on my tour fainted :(. It was still incredible though. We made breakfast in one of the guysers! We put in boxes (ew) of milk and some eggs, and they cooked hahah! We ate breakfast then headed to the hot springs. I did not go in because it was still freezing out. Sonja Stas and Asa said it was only luke warm. Michelle and I made the right call :). We were also next to some of the biggest guysers so i went to take more pictures. After that stop we went to a tiny little town. Tiny! A row of houses. My camera died so I'll steal Stas's pics and post them too. At this little location I experienced a new food kids: llama! It tasted like steak. Llama and alpaca are very important in the north. They use them for everything!!!! They also build their houses out of adobe or volcanic rock, cool eh? All in all, a great three days of nonstop touring of the most beautiful places.
After the tour we checked out of the hostel and found a restaurant to eat and watch the brazil game. Then it was time to head to the airport and ultimately back to Vina. I got home around 130am and showered immediately...my hair was like straw from the wind and cold! This week has been nonstop. This morning (friday) I was awoken in a truly Chilean fashion, small earthquake. So, mama came in, tucked me in and then a half hour later brought me breakfast on my little silver tray hahahahah!!!! Now I am celebrating Michael Jackson before Chile plays Espana at 230! I am going to watch at the mall with one of my chilenas. See you all in a few short weeks!
Chau,
Carolina
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Birthdays, Visits, and La Copa Mundial!
Hey followers,
It has been a long time filled with lots of fun things! Bear with me, this will be a long post!
So the last time I wrote was before my birthday! The week was a normal week and then bday time!!! First, thanks to everyone who was in on my Party in a Box! I was soooo happy when I got it! I told everyone about it too! On Friday night I went to see one of my friends play at a local bar. I snuck Meme's small thing of vodka with me and split it with Hillary. Then Hillary and i split a blue drink that looked funny but was yummy. Then at midnight, my friend and her band sang to me and i got a free piscola! A couple of my chilean friends met up too! Then we went into Valparaiso to a bar which was fun :) It was a good way to ring in 5/29. On Saturday I literally did nothing. Maybe a little hw. I wanted to help mama prepare for my party, but she ended up doing it all without me. I literally vegged all day waiting to help, then she did it all but thats fine :) It was weird actually, when I woke up she and Martin were both not home. Maybe it was their birthday present, haha! She went all out for my party it was so cute. We made the cake together on Friday, I took pictures! It was chocolate with a little rum ;) with raspberry and frosting made from chocolate and manjar. anyway, for the party she made guacamole and fancy little finger food. she also made fancy fruit cups with homemade whipped cream. and we had champagne with pineapple ice cream in it. i had mine in my fancy cup, thanks mommy! she bought me a crown too. hillary also bought me a princess hat thing. there are pictures. mama also made homemade sushi. i didnt eat it but it looked really pretty! Some of Martin's friends also came. Then a couple of my friends and I decided to go dancing in valpo. i was pretty tired, actually we all were, so it wasnt a super late night. all in all, a very good 21st birthday!
then, skipping a few days ahead, on wednesday june 2 i woke up at 4am to take a 5am bus to the airport to pick up greg! we had a great time together. it actually felt like a much needed vacation. We got back to vina, checked him into the hostel and went straight home. he met mama, we had breakfast and then i took him to class! I had a debate in psych and then a test in literature, so he just chilled. Wednesday night we had dinner all together, where he actually got to meet mama and martin. Then we went right to the hostel because I had to study for a test the next morning! I went to take the test, then picked up greg to have lunch at home and drag him to school for the rest of the day! He was a good sport. Thursday night he finally met some of my friends. On Friday we went on a tour of one of the Casablanca Valley vineyards and La Isla Negra. The wine tour was really fun. We got a beautiful day for it too. At the end we got to taste 4 different kinds. I bought some afterwards (look at me being all 21 like!) and we also bought a bottle for mama. From there we went to La Isla Negra which is another one of Pablo Neruda's houses. This one is by far the most beautiful. We snuck pictures :). It had the most amazing views, it is literally right on the beach. Neruda had so many collections, it is unbelievable. I'd like to go back one more time, just to take it all in again. Then the tour company stopped at a yummy restaurant. That night we went dancing for a bit in Valparaiso. On saturday hillary and I showed greg around Cerro Concepcion, which is one of the coolest places in Valparaiso, in my opinion. We also shopped a little at one of the feria's. On sunday we cooked breakfast for mama and martin. Greg brought maple syrup and my working coffeemaker! So we made pancakes and french toast and potatoes. mama makes pancakes, but we never eat them with syrup and it was just sooooo good! my coffee was also heaven. :) From there we went to the sand dunes in Con Con, which is a town near by. It was so cool. It's like standing on top of a mountain looking at the water, but its just a huge heap of sand! I'm still cleaning the sand out of my hair and bag, but it was totally worth it. They have sand boards for rent but we decided just to chill. We took it easy that night and geared up for our day with mama. Monday mama went with us to the feria's in vina. it was really fun! She and greg totally hit it off. They bonded over culinary things...she even brought out her case of knives!!! I told her to put them away they were big weapons and she could kill, and she goes of course carolina why do you think i keep them way over there hidden?! i think you might have had to be there, but it was really funny and we laughed a lot.
Tuesday was when we set off for Santiago! We got to our really cool hostel and decided to explore and not waste the rest of the day. We went to Cerro San Cristobal in Bellavista, which is a very bohemian area. On that hill was the biggest mary statue you ever saw. We didnt care much for the jesus aspect, but the view was absolutely amazing. you can see all of Santiago, and youre practically in line with the smog :). It is really cool to see the skyscrapers, and the Andes. We took a bunch of pictures and just kind of meandered. Then we went grocery shopping and made our own supper. On Wednesday we did more touristy things! I wanted to show him Plaza de Armas cuz it was fun when the fam was here. Unfortunately there are no tours of La Moneda because if the earthquake so I was a little bummed. La Moneda is like the Chilean White House. There was a protest going on, so that was fun. I don't know what this one was for, but its always enjoyable. Then we went to El Museo de Artes Precolombinos (museum of pre-columbian art). We both really enjoyed it. The exhibits were awesome and featured art from all across Latin America. We wandered around a bit more and looked at some of the art work sold in the Plaza. None were as pretty as when I was there the first time, sadly. Then we moved from the hostel to the hotel, thank you to Greg's rents! It was really nice to not share a bathroom. Love hostels, but not so much sharing showers... That night we went out for typical Chilean food. The restaurant was a little shmancy, and it was fun!
Thursday was a fun adventure. I wanted to go to Pomaire because daddy had originally heard about it, and another girl from ciee had been and said it was fun. Getting there was the most eventful portion of the day. Santiago's version of Grand Central was so so confusing! We found the bus portion about 30 mins later to find that there is no direct bus to Pomaire. So we took a bus to another city, but it dropped us and 3 other girls off at the side of the road to walk there. It wasnt too much but still weird. Pomaire is a town known for its ceramics. Everyone there makes their own pottery, and its a tiny little place. Since we went on a weekday not everything was open, and it was pretty dead. Everything there was ridiculously cheap! Like, you almost feel bad buying it so cheap! I bought a little bowl and spoon for mama, and it was 500 pesos which is a dollar, more or less. You walk into a lot of the stores and the owners are either at the wheel, or putting finishing touches on some new pieces. Greg and I each bought some nice things. We also had lunch at a cute, very Chilean local restaurant. the owner thought I was Chilean, hahaha! I took it as a compliment. When we got back to Santiago we decided to go back to Bellavista and see the nightlife. We had dinner at one cool restaurant, but noticed Game 4 of the NBA finals was on at the place across the street! We finished really quick and ran across and got a table right next to the tv!!! I was so excited! we got drinks and fries, and watched the whole game :) Seeing the Pru on tv made me a little sad, but it was great to see the game. who am i, i know....caring about basketball... On Friday we took it easy before greg went to the airport and i went back to vina. The visit really flew by, and we both lost track of time, which is exactly what i needed. School here really is tough. well, for me anyway.
Friday I got home and it was raining. I stayed in and did work because I have a project due tomorrow and a test due thursday. On Thursday night I leave for San Pedro de Atacama which are the deserts up north. It should be fun! not to mention the weather is a lot nicer in the north! When I get back I have a project due and two tests, yikes! It is pretty much getting into finals time. Can't believe it...
Some of you may know, or you all may know but probably don't give a crap, but it happens to be the World Cup. Here, it is a very big deal! Woohooo futbol! Yesterday lots of us from CIEE went to a pizza place and watched the US play England. We tied, and it was my very first soccer game :) Wednesday is when Chile plays Honduras. Its at 730am. yikes. But I'm sure the bars will be packed! I'm pretty sure there's no school too hehe. I think I am watching with my friend Corbin, who is a soccer player at UNC. I am not really allowed to ask questions though...hehe
Tonight I went to Chris's to watch the Celtics triumph beautifully over LA. It was a monsoon outside, and i am thrilled to have my rainboots! The rain was past my ankles. I think I will go back Tuesday to watch again :) Granted, I have to get my work done! Vacation time is over!
5 more weeks....sigh....
I miss everyone very much. Can't wait to see people, but at the same time, can't believe where my time here went. Talk to you all after Atacama!!!
Besitos,
Carolina
It has been a long time filled with lots of fun things! Bear with me, this will be a long post!
So the last time I wrote was before my birthday! The week was a normal week and then bday time!!! First, thanks to everyone who was in on my Party in a Box! I was soooo happy when I got it! I told everyone about it too! On Friday night I went to see one of my friends play at a local bar. I snuck Meme's small thing of vodka with me and split it with Hillary. Then Hillary and i split a blue drink that looked funny but was yummy. Then at midnight, my friend and her band sang to me and i got a free piscola! A couple of my chilean friends met up too! Then we went into Valparaiso to a bar which was fun :) It was a good way to ring in 5/29. On Saturday I literally did nothing. Maybe a little hw. I wanted to help mama prepare for my party, but she ended up doing it all without me. I literally vegged all day waiting to help, then she did it all but thats fine :) It was weird actually, when I woke up she and Martin were both not home. Maybe it was their birthday present, haha! She went all out for my party it was so cute. We made the cake together on Friday, I took pictures! It was chocolate with a little rum ;) with raspberry and frosting made from chocolate and manjar. anyway, for the party she made guacamole and fancy little finger food. she also made fancy fruit cups with homemade whipped cream. and we had champagne with pineapple ice cream in it. i had mine in my fancy cup, thanks mommy! she bought me a crown too. hillary also bought me a princess hat thing. there are pictures. mama also made homemade sushi. i didnt eat it but it looked really pretty! Some of Martin's friends also came. Then a couple of my friends and I decided to go dancing in valpo. i was pretty tired, actually we all were, so it wasnt a super late night. all in all, a very good 21st birthday!
then, skipping a few days ahead, on wednesday june 2 i woke up at 4am to take a 5am bus to the airport to pick up greg! we had a great time together. it actually felt like a much needed vacation. We got back to vina, checked him into the hostel and went straight home. he met mama, we had breakfast and then i took him to class! I had a debate in psych and then a test in literature, so he just chilled. Wednesday night we had dinner all together, where he actually got to meet mama and martin. Then we went right to the hostel because I had to study for a test the next morning! I went to take the test, then picked up greg to have lunch at home and drag him to school for the rest of the day! He was a good sport. Thursday night he finally met some of my friends. On Friday we went on a tour of one of the Casablanca Valley vineyards and La Isla Negra. The wine tour was really fun. We got a beautiful day for it too. At the end we got to taste 4 different kinds. I bought some afterwards (look at me being all 21 like!) and we also bought a bottle for mama. From there we went to La Isla Negra which is another one of Pablo Neruda's houses. This one is by far the most beautiful. We snuck pictures :). It had the most amazing views, it is literally right on the beach. Neruda had so many collections, it is unbelievable. I'd like to go back one more time, just to take it all in again. Then the tour company stopped at a yummy restaurant. That night we went dancing for a bit in Valparaiso. On saturday hillary and I showed greg around Cerro Concepcion, which is one of the coolest places in Valparaiso, in my opinion. We also shopped a little at one of the feria's. On sunday we cooked breakfast for mama and martin. Greg brought maple syrup and my working coffeemaker! So we made pancakes and french toast and potatoes. mama makes pancakes, but we never eat them with syrup and it was just sooooo good! my coffee was also heaven. :) From there we went to the sand dunes in Con Con, which is a town near by. It was so cool. It's like standing on top of a mountain looking at the water, but its just a huge heap of sand! I'm still cleaning the sand out of my hair and bag, but it was totally worth it. They have sand boards for rent but we decided just to chill. We took it easy that night and geared up for our day with mama. Monday mama went with us to the feria's in vina. it was really fun! She and greg totally hit it off. They bonded over culinary things...she even brought out her case of knives!!! I told her to put them away they were big weapons and she could kill, and she goes of course carolina why do you think i keep them way over there hidden?! i think you might have had to be there, but it was really funny and we laughed a lot.
Tuesday was when we set off for Santiago! We got to our really cool hostel and decided to explore and not waste the rest of the day. We went to Cerro San Cristobal in Bellavista, which is a very bohemian area. On that hill was the biggest mary statue you ever saw. We didnt care much for the jesus aspect, but the view was absolutely amazing. you can see all of Santiago, and youre practically in line with the smog :). It is really cool to see the skyscrapers, and the Andes. We took a bunch of pictures and just kind of meandered. Then we went grocery shopping and made our own supper. On Wednesday we did more touristy things! I wanted to show him Plaza de Armas cuz it was fun when the fam was here. Unfortunately there are no tours of La Moneda because if the earthquake so I was a little bummed. La Moneda is like the Chilean White House. There was a protest going on, so that was fun. I don't know what this one was for, but its always enjoyable. Then we went to El Museo de Artes Precolombinos (museum of pre-columbian art). We both really enjoyed it. The exhibits were awesome and featured art from all across Latin America. We wandered around a bit more and looked at some of the art work sold in the Plaza. None were as pretty as when I was there the first time, sadly. Then we moved from the hostel to the hotel, thank you to Greg's rents! It was really nice to not share a bathroom. Love hostels, but not so much sharing showers... That night we went out for typical Chilean food. The restaurant was a little shmancy, and it was fun!
Thursday was a fun adventure. I wanted to go to Pomaire because daddy had originally heard about it, and another girl from ciee had been and said it was fun. Getting there was the most eventful portion of the day. Santiago's version of Grand Central was so so confusing! We found the bus portion about 30 mins later to find that there is no direct bus to Pomaire. So we took a bus to another city, but it dropped us and 3 other girls off at the side of the road to walk there. It wasnt too much but still weird. Pomaire is a town known for its ceramics. Everyone there makes their own pottery, and its a tiny little place. Since we went on a weekday not everything was open, and it was pretty dead. Everything there was ridiculously cheap! Like, you almost feel bad buying it so cheap! I bought a little bowl and spoon for mama, and it was 500 pesos which is a dollar, more or less. You walk into a lot of the stores and the owners are either at the wheel, or putting finishing touches on some new pieces. Greg and I each bought some nice things. We also had lunch at a cute, very Chilean local restaurant. the owner thought I was Chilean, hahaha! I took it as a compliment. When we got back to Santiago we decided to go back to Bellavista and see the nightlife. We had dinner at one cool restaurant, but noticed Game 4 of the NBA finals was on at the place across the street! We finished really quick and ran across and got a table right next to the tv!!! I was so excited! we got drinks and fries, and watched the whole game :) Seeing the Pru on tv made me a little sad, but it was great to see the game. who am i, i know....caring about basketball... On Friday we took it easy before greg went to the airport and i went back to vina. The visit really flew by, and we both lost track of time, which is exactly what i needed. School here really is tough. well, for me anyway.
Friday I got home and it was raining. I stayed in and did work because I have a project due tomorrow and a test due thursday. On Thursday night I leave for San Pedro de Atacama which are the deserts up north. It should be fun! not to mention the weather is a lot nicer in the north! When I get back I have a project due and two tests, yikes! It is pretty much getting into finals time. Can't believe it...
Some of you may know, or you all may know but probably don't give a crap, but it happens to be the World Cup. Here, it is a very big deal! Woohooo futbol! Yesterday lots of us from CIEE went to a pizza place and watched the US play England. We tied, and it was my very first soccer game :) Wednesday is when Chile plays Honduras. Its at 730am. yikes. But I'm sure the bars will be packed! I'm pretty sure there's no school too hehe. I think I am watching with my friend Corbin, who is a soccer player at UNC. I am not really allowed to ask questions though...hehe
Tonight I went to Chris's to watch the Celtics triumph beautifully over LA. It was a monsoon outside, and i am thrilled to have my rainboots! The rain was past my ankles. I think I will go back Tuesday to watch again :) Granted, I have to get my work done! Vacation time is over!
5 more weeks....sigh....
I miss everyone very much. Can't wait to see people, but at the same time, can't believe where my time here went. Talk to you all after Atacama!!!
Besitos,
Carolina
Friday, May 21, 2010
Its Almost Birthday Time!
Hi everyone,
It is 4:15 on Friday May 21 which is actually a very important day here in Chile, and Vina del Mar is full of people. Am I taking part in festivities? Of course not! Because I have been sick all week! I woke up originally at 9:45 and then went back to sleep on mama's orders until 3, hahahahah! Meanwhile, I think May 21st is something like their 4th of July and there were lots of military parades here in Vina/Valparaiso and President Pinera is here too. These past couple of weeks have not been super exciting, but here is the low down.
As per usual, I have been busy with work. And I honestly don't know where May went. Correction, where did the semester go? Daddy booked me a ticket to come home I think. 2 months from tomorrow...yikes! Last week there was a big protest by students here. Due to the protest, one of my classes last Wednesday was cancelled. That's a good thing right? I suppose.... but, I was supposed to have a test in that class and I really felt prepared for it after I spent all of Tuesday night reading and studying. On the other hand, it was a nice break and I went out with Allyse and Kayli. Actually, Kayli and I baked cookies first, which was fun and delicious. Thursday was just a regular day. Friday CIEE took us to Santiago for a little bit of edumacation. We left bright and early at 845 in the pouring rain. I got lots of compliments on my new rain boots! I am the only one who brought rain boots and I think I made a good decision there. People thought they were from Chile, yay! We got to Santiago and went immediately to La Chascona, which is another one of Pablo Neruda's houses. It was really cool, a lot different than the one here in Valparaiso. Neruda had a fascination with boats and the water, so the house is meant to have a maritime feel. Some of the floors are slanted so it feels like the house is rocking. After the house we went to the hotel quickly and then to lunch. I must add that Marcia, our director, always brings her baby on CIEE excursions. This time, Marcia and Glenn put the child on a leash. It is barely a year old. I'm so glad that was necessary. Anyway, after lunch we went to el Museo de Memoria y Derechos Humanos (Museum of Memory and Human Rights). The museum highlights human rights movements around the world and the tragic events that took place during Pinochet's dictatorship from 1973-1990. The museum just opened in January of this year, and unfortunately the second and third floors sustained damage during the earthquake, so we only got a tour of the first floor. I liked the museum a lot, I didn't like the assignment CIEE handed out after it. We have an essay due Monday, how sweet. After the museum we went to a really yummy restaurant that had all natural ingredients which was cool. We also saw Chile's #1 tennis player! The next day I decided to go with the other CIEE class to the Museum of Fine Arts. It was an optional activity for my class, but I figured why not go. We saw their temporary photo history exhibition. I really liked it. There were pictures from all over Chile from its founding up until now. Literally now. There were pictures of Pinera's inauguration in March and pictures of the earthquake too. After the museum we went to the national library and stayed for 2 hours, no one knows why. It was a library. Not too exciting. When we got back to the hotel I had like, a half hour to get lunch because my class had a workshop with an author. I went with a friend and one of the CIEE profs to lunch at this yummy Italian restaurant. The author workshop was interesting but nothing too special, in my opinion. My CIEE class is contemporary short stories, so we met with one of the authors we read. It was pretty much a question and answer session. She was articulate and seemed genuine, but my other friends got to explore Santiago and that would have been a lot cooler.
Everyone got on the bus to go back to Vina, but Hillary and I stayed to spend the night with one of our friends we met with Un Techo Para Chile!! It turned out kind of lame though, because she didn't want to go anywhere! I would have really liked to see some of the clarkies on the Santiago program. Either way, I am glad I stayed. She had a very nice family, and I think its better hanging out with a Chilean in Santiago then all the kids on the program in Vina. I just wish she had wanted to show us around a little. I got back on Sunday and got ready for the test that I didn't end up having Wednesday. This is also when I started feeling sick :)
This week has been full of work. Monday I had the test which I think I did fine on. I also didn't stay for the dance portion of my folklore dance/history class cuz I was not feeling well. On Tuesday I taught my English workshop. I love my group of kids, not that theyre kids really cuz theyre 16/17. But regardless they are a good group. They had been learning 'if' clauses, so we listened to Barenaked Ladies' 'If I Had $1ooooo" and they liked the song. They will be started to learn 'i wish' soon and I have no idea how to help them with that. If anyone has any ideas.... Then I went to watch a movie for my CIEE class, had class, and got a take-home exam! Woohoo! Tuesday night a friend from another program came over and we watched my MJ dvd. He says that I am a bigger fan than he is, but I think it is up for debate. He told me his dad has been to 2 MJ concerts, and his whole family can hardly believe that he met a little white Jewish girl who loves Michael as much as they do. Apparently they give nicknames to white people they like, isn't that funny?! I wonder what I'll get....Although when he left I was feeling really crappy and ended up spending the evening throwing up, which I know you all wanted to hear. Mama took good care of me :) I skipped one of my classes Wednesday. Yesterday I had a test in Psych of Learning. I studied so hard and understood most of the concepts, but couldn't apply them in the examples on the test, so that made me kind of upset. Hopefully I didn't do too poorly. The prof seems inclined to help me do well though, so that is good. Then last night I went to a bar down the street to see a couple of my friends perform with the band they formed. They are super talented, and though I felt like crap, I had fun. One of my Chilean friends from my psych class came, but showed up after they were done performing, so we went for drinks. I got home a lot later than I anticipated, but that's ok. I woke up today not feeling well, like I said, but I got rest and that's good. I shouldn't go out tonight but I'd like to even for a little while.
I have so much due on June 2nd. I don't understand why. I am going to try and get ahead tomorrow and Sunday because next weekend is a very important weekend, hehe, and then Gregory will be here! Shout out to my lovely Naomi for my fabulous birthday card :) These next two months will fly! Next weekend is my birthday, then greg is here. the weekend after he leaves, which is already going to be the 3rd weekend in June, I am going to Atacama which is North. Then my last exam is July 7th and Hillary and I go to Buenos Aires! Then home! Can't believe it...
I hope everyone is having a nice start to summer! Congratulations to the Clarkies graduating this weekend!!!
Love,
Carolina
It is 4:15 on Friday May 21 which is actually a very important day here in Chile, and Vina del Mar is full of people. Am I taking part in festivities? Of course not! Because I have been sick all week! I woke up originally at 9:45 and then went back to sleep on mama's orders until 3, hahahahah! Meanwhile, I think May 21st is something like their 4th of July and there were lots of military parades here in Vina/Valparaiso and President Pinera is here too. These past couple of weeks have not been super exciting, but here is the low down.
As per usual, I have been busy with work. And I honestly don't know where May went. Correction, where did the semester go? Daddy booked me a ticket to come home I think. 2 months from tomorrow...yikes! Last week there was a big protest by students here. Due to the protest, one of my classes last Wednesday was cancelled. That's a good thing right? I suppose.... but, I was supposed to have a test in that class and I really felt prepared for it after I spent all of Tuesday night reading and studying. On the other hand, it was a nice break and I went out with Allyse and Kayli. Actually, Kayli and I baked cookies first, which was fun and delicious. Thursday was just a regular day. Friday CIEE took us to Santiago for a little bit of edumacation. We left bright and early at 845 in the pouring rain. I got lots of compliments on my new rain boots! I am the only one who brought rain boots and I think I made a good decision there. People thought they were from Chile, yay! We got to Santiago and went immediately to La Chascona, which is another one of Pablo Neruda's houses. It was really cool, a lot different than the one here in Valparaiso. Neruda had a fascination with boats and the water, so the house is meant to have a maritime feel. Some of the floors are slanted so it feels like the house is rocking. After the house we went to the hotel quickly and then to lunch. I must add that Marcia, our director, always brings her baby on CIEE excursions. This time, Marcia and Glenn put the child on a leash. It is barely a year old. I'm so glad that was necessary. Anyway, after lunch we went to el Museo de Memoria y Derechos Humanos (Museum of Memory and Human Rights). The museum highlights human rights movements around the world and the tragic events that took place during Pinochet's dictatorship from 1973-1990. The museum just opened in January of this year, and unfortunately the second and third floors sustained damage during the earthquake, so we only got a tour of the first floor. I liked the museum a lot, I didn't like the assignment CIEE handed out after it. We have an essay due Monday, how sweet. After the museum we went to a really yummy restaurant that had all natural ingredients which was cool. We also saw Chile's #1 tennis player! The next day I decided to go with the other CIEE class to the Museum of Fine Arts. It was an optional activity for my class, but I figured why not go. We saw their temporary photo history exhibition. I really liked it. There were pictures from all over Chile from its founding up until now. Literally now. There were pictures of Pinera's inauguration in March and pictures of the earthquake too. After the museum we went to the national library and stayed for 2 hours, no one knows why. It was a library. Not too exciting. When we got back to the hotel I had like, a half hour to get lunch because my class had a workshop with an author. I went with a friend and one of the CIEE profs to lunch at this yummy Italian restaurant. The author workshop was interesting but nothing too special, in my opinion. My CIEE class is contemporary short stories, so we met with one of the authors we read. It was pretty much a question and answer session. She was articulate and seemed genuine, but my other friends got to explore Santiago and that would have been a lot cooler.
Everyone got on the bus to go back to Vina, but Hillary and I stayed to spend the night with one of our friends we met with Un Techo Para Chile!! It turned out kind of lame though, because she didn't want to go anywhere! I would have really liked to see some of the clarkies on the Santiago program. Either way, I am glad I stayed. She had a very nice family, and I think its better hanging out with a Chilean in Santiago then all the kids on the program in Vina. I just wish she had wanted to show us around a little. I got back on Sunday and got ready for the test that I didn't end up having Wednesday. This is also when I started feeling sick :)
This week has been full of work. Monday I had the test which I think I did fine on. I also didn't stay for the dance portion of my folklore dance/history class cuz I was not feeling well. On Tuesday I taught my English workshop. I love my group of kids, not that theyre kids really cuz theyre 16/17. But regardless they are a good group. They had been learning 'if' clauses, so we listened to Barenaked Ladies' 'If I Had $1ooooo" and they liked the song. They will be started to learn 'i wish' soon and I have no idea how to help them with that. If anyone has any ideas.... Then I went to watch a movie for my CIEE class, had class, and got a take-home exam! Woohoo! Tuesday night a friend from another program came over and we watched my MJ dvd. He says that I am a bigger fan than he is, but I think it is up for debate. He told me his dad has been to 2 MJ concerts, and his whole family can hardly believe that he met a little white Jewish girl who loves Michael as much as they do. Apparently they give nicknames to white people they like, isn't that funny?! I wonder what I'll get....Although when he left I was feeling really crappy and ended up spending the evening throwing up, which I know you all wanted to hear. Mama took good care of me :) I skipped one of my classes Wednesday. Yesterday I had a test in Psych of Learning. I studied so hard and understood most of the concepts, but couldn't apply them in the examples on the test, so that made me kind of upset. Hopefully I didn't do too poorly. The prof seems inclined to help me do well though, so that is good. Then last night I went to a bar down the street to see a couple of my friends perform with the band they formed. They are super talented, and though I felt like crap, I had fun. One of my Chilean friends from my psych class came, but showed up after they were done performing, so we went for drinks. I got home a lot later than I anticipated, but that's ok. I woke up today not feeling well, like I said, but I got rest and that's good. I shouldn't go out tonight but I'd like to even for a little while.
I have so much due on June 2nd. I don't understand why. I am going to try and get ahead tomorrow and Sunday because next weekend is a very important weekend, hehe, and then Gregory will be here! Shout out to my lovely Naomi for my fabulous birthday card :) These next two months will fly! Next weekend is my birthday, then greg is here. the weekend after he leaves, which is already going to be the 3rd weekend in June, I am going to Atacama which is North. Then my last exam is July 7th and Hillary and I go to Buenos Aires! Then home! Can't believe it...
I hope everyone is having a nice start to summer! Congratulations to the Clarkies graduating this weekend!!!
Love,
Carolina
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