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
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