Ramos (classes)

Advanced Written and Oral Spanish: This is my only class with all extranjeros, but there are only 5 of us so its nice. The professor, Marcela, is absolutely wonderful. She is borderline obnoxious and intimidating, but she treats us like adults and gives us a glimpse of Chilean culture we wouldn't normally be able to get.  Last night we went to a obra de teatro in Valparaiso. It was crazy and beautiful. It was about Chile's most famous murder, Emile Dubois, who is buried in Valpo. He's a South American Robin Hood from the early 20th century...google him. Anyways the play was reverse round theatre, so instead of the actors in the middle, the audience was in the middle. The set was an old gorgeous church. Afterwards, we got drinks with Marcela, love her.

Regional and Local History: LOVE. Well, its probably going to be my hardest classes, but its uber legit. There are only 3 extranjeros and the professor is very "real". He takes his craft seriously but is interesting and funny, almost. Its not a class about the regional history of Valpo or Chile. Its a methodology studying the significance of local and regional history and how its constructed. CC and from what I have heard other colleges do not offer such a class. Honestly, this class just reinvigorates my love for my major. Also I take this class in Dracula's summer castle:

Intro to Oceanography: It's on the ocean! (but really) I usually go early to watch the tides, starfish and fishermen. The professor is an adorable man who thinks we're all idiots but nonetheless adorable.

Contemporary Chilean History: I'm taking this class at another university located in Valpo, called University of Santa Maria. I hear its one of the best engineering schools in the world and it to be a South American ivy, complete with a gorgeous campus that has a spectacular view of the ocean and Valpo (pictures soon). Anyway the class is about half-Chilean and half-extranjero (quite a few German). The professor seems to like extranjeros and I hope learn alot about modern Chile.

TAC Internship: For another 3 credits, I'm participating in an internship with a local non-profit, Taller de Accion Comunitaria. Its a ideal and "stereotypical" non-profit full of love, color and little children. I go in once or  twice a week and teach children about the environment and how to love their community. I also meet the "professor" individually once a week to discuss larger social issues. It will be a great experience to learn more about the community, issues I'm interested in and learn the language. This is a sign I found in the kitchen (and my life goal):

Las Dunas

Step 1: Wax board

Step 2: Go down hill

Step 3: Wipe out and eat sand

Living the Life

I'm starting to develop a rhythm here in Chile, I've started classes, my English is starting to sound awkward and I'm probably getting fat. But I'm totally cool with that.

Today I am going to comment on my impressions of Chile.

Food
I really do enjoy most of the food here. Meals lack spices (Chileans love salt, butter and mayo) but are full of fresh fruits and veggies (I now eat tomatoes). A typical breakfast consists of cereal and yogurt, fruit, black tea and some sort of carb (delicious cake or small sandwich). Lunch is the most important meal here as family members will often come home during the middle of the day to have a large sit down meal. Popular lunch food includes pasta, rice, chicken or fish, Spanish omelets and tomatoes.

Then there is "dinner". My specific family does not have dinner, but takes "once" (pronounced "own-say"). Some Chilean families take once at 5ish and then do a late typical dinner at 8 or 9. Many more have started to take once later and just not eat dinner. Once (which means 11 in Spanish) is a mix between English tea and Spanish late-afternoon snack. This meal/snack includes crusty bread rolls, ham, cheese (note: cheese here is interesting. Not very many of the exchange students like it, but I'm actually a fan...shhh! Its like Indian Anmul cheese, or sharp mozzarella), palta (avocado!!!!!!), more black tea and some sort of delicious cake or pie. By far this may be one of my favorite things about Chile.

In addition to these wonderful meals, there are empanandas (I seriously have no idea how to spell it right now) which will make me fat. Empanandas are like, I mean you know what they're like, except these are bigger, flakier and GLORIOUS. I promise to try to take a picture of one or two before I gobble it down.
Not a fan of the water still, like well water except not good?

Playas
After lunch is usually when my day actually begins (so like 3 or 4, this drives me crazy but whatevs). Since its the end of the summer and I live 5 minutes away from the coast, I've basically gone to the beach every other day. We actually ran into another gringo group from Santiago, and they were very jealous when they realized how often we go to the beach (I have no idea what they do in Santiago during their free time). Anyways, the beaches are lovely. This is a beach we visited last weekend in Con Con, which is like a 15 minute bus ride. Its big on horseback riding, surfing and bomb empandas:

This is Renaca, a beach we visited this weekend, located in a ritzy neighborhood and close to the sand dunes:

On Friday, because of the devastating earthquake in Japan, there was a tsunami warning for central costal region of Chile (aka exactly where I was). My neighborhood eventually had to evacuate, but luckily nothing major (or really anything) occurred. This next picture is of the beach we were at that day (the tsunami was not suppose to hit until midnight). You can see the Chilean navy line up in an attempt to protect the coast and/or a giant game of battleship:

Finally this is a picture of a 18th century, possibly German, castle located very near my neighborhood:

 Very picturesque no?

Micro
 I have already told you about my adventure on the micro, but fear not for I have conquered the Vina-Valpo bus system. I ride it probably 4 times a day for about 75 cents each time. Its usually crowed with the aisles completely full of people who struggle to stay standing as the bus moves and drivers in general are crazy. If the aisles are not full, vendors (typically candy, ice cream or trinkets) will display their goods.

School
I have to take the micro everywhere because the university does not have a campus in the typical sense. But it seems to be a great school full of bureaucracy and confusion. For example, on Monday I had a class for the first clave (period) at the farthest building attached to the PUCV system. I had to get up at 5:30 ,much to my host family's dismay, and take 2 micros and a shuttle to get to this building by 8:15 only to discover the proffe (Chilean slang) did not show up. I'm also disturbed by this idea of taking multiple classes at once and wish the rest of the world would accept the superiority of the block plan.  I still don't have a set class schedule but hope to finalize it this week.

Family
My home stay is going pretty well. Its interesting to witness how similar and at the same time very different family life can be here when I compare it to home. I have 3 sisters (although one is married and lives outside of the house), but am closest to the mom. She won't let me do anything to help, I can't clear the table, help cook, wash my dishes, she even remakes my bed! (Although I hear this is common with the other host families)
So while its different, I could totally get used to this hahaha.

lovelovelove,
Katrina

Valparaiso: The City Built on the Backs of Burros

Yesterday we went on a tour of Valparaiso (Valpo), the second largest city in Chile. Its about a 5-10 minute bus ride from Vina and is where the university is located. Its made up of 2 parts, the Plan (flat bit close to the ocean) and the cerros (hills). Along with housing the Congress and Pablo Neruda's home, the entire city is considered a UNESCO world heritage site and the Chilean people work very hard to preserve the buildings and artwork. We went on a boat tour of the bay and this is a view of the cerros from the bay:

 This is a view of Valpo (close city-looking part) and Vina jutting out in the foreground:

 

Below is the graffiti art that adorns many walls and buildings in Valpo, some of it is political, most of it artistic: 

  

As you can see the buildings are painted in vibrant colors as well.

There are stairs everywhere to get up and down the steep hills.

 

 When the city was first established, they built  ascensores (street elevators) to go up and down the steepest hills. Many of them are still maintained and we got to ride one.This is the view from the bottom of the steep hill and of the other car going back up:

So now you have had a decent photo tour of Valpo, where I will attend school starting tomorrow.

Ciao,

Katrina

P.S.

The background of this blog is actually a typical look cerro street that can be found in Valpo.

Longest Day of My Life

Dear Arturo the Bus Driver,
I am writing to thank you for the kindness you have shown me. You gave me a 3 hour tour of the Chilean coastline from Viña to Con Con and only charged me 50 cents. When I spit out Spanish words you realized not only was I a gringo, but that I was completely lost and only through your wits were you able to figure out that I had taken the micro (city bus) in the opposite direction for probably an hour. You promptly reassured me that soon you would loop back to civilization in un momento. Additionally, when I almost missed my stop for the university, you kindly reminded me that the grand and elegant buildings that said PUCV was probably where I needed to be 2 hours ago. Although I was late for my tour of the university, I thank you for the tour you gave me the the V region.
-Katrina

In addition to my awesome bus adventure, I bought a phone, toothpaste and shampoo on Wed. Sounds pretty stressful right? Well it was. I spent around 15 minutes trying to figure out what kind of shampoo my hair "needs". I couldn't for the life of my figure out what the word "brillo" meant and kept thinking it referred to thin hair, well it doesn't, it means shiny. This man watched as a failed to find the most basic type of shampoo in Spanish and even offered to help.

But my problems in Jumbo, the Walmart of Chile (although I saw a Walmart) did not stop here. I finally decided that I was tired of not being able to communicate with the world and to buy a phone. OMG!!! This experience sums up a part of Chile. I asked Ed and Ben to help me do this because my Spanish is poor and I had no idea what I was doing. I pick out one of the cheapest phones and tell the people I want to buy it. The clerk tells me that is the only one they have left of that make, I´m like so? They then pull out a SIM card, have security and a manager come over for some reason and put the card into the phone. I pay for the phone as they charge it. Of course the battery is broken and I need to pick out another phone. So I pick out the cheapest phone they have, which is about $2 cheaper. Now they need to return the broken phone which takes another 20 minutes. But instead of me getting my money back, I need to spend the difference in the electronics department because they´re cash register doesn't work in any other departments. Meanwhile, Ed and Ben are trying to see what stuff we can get for free, including a swimming noddle and skim board, but the clerk won't have it. I pick out some recordable CDs and then have my phone. But Ed and Ben decide they want to see if the clerk will help us get the cheaper phone plan (as there is some sort of gringo test where you call the phone company, tell them you want the cheaper plan and they give it to you). The clerk has no problem with this and helps us figure it out. After almost 2 hours in Jumbo (not including lunch and the shampoo debacle) we leave. Later we realize however that the clerk actually didn´t help us, but gave us a more expensive plane. Bueeno!

Despite the bureaucracy and frustrating moments I have experienced, Chileans are usually uber nice and I love it here so far lol. Good times in the next post (and pictures too?)

Suuuper besos,
Katrina