La virgin

Atop the tallest hill in Santiago sits a huge statue of the Virgin Mary. She was put there to look over and protect Santiago from harm. Whenever something happens in the city, thousands climb the hill/mini-mountain and pray. There is also a huge amphitheater so that mass can be held.

On Friday, my group took a tour of Santiago and part of it included riding up the first half of the hill and climbing the second. The sight was amazing. Santiago is a HUGE city. It stretches out from all sides of the hill to the Andes on one side and to a smaller set of foothills on the other. However, because Santiago is in a valley, there is a large pollution problem. Smog gathers and just rests there. When walking around the city it feels as though your eyes aren't focusing because you can see things near to you, but if there is any distance at all things become clouded. Santiago has been trying to clean this up and it has apparently improved greatly over the last decade.

At the top of the hill we were above the smog. We could see it cover parts of the city, but also where it stopped we could see how clear everything was. Although most of us live in Las Condes (which is a neighborhood that is nestled into the Andes) we had a better view of them atop the hill because we were finally above the smog. Here are some of the pictures:

Here you can see the layer of smog:

The city disappears as it stretches to the mountains because of the smog:

Another picture of the city:

A picture of the city from the other side of the hill:

The virgin:

The view of Santiago from the Virgin's feet:

My group having conquered the hill:

Signs spring is almost here:

Yesterday my group also went to a soccer game at national stadium (where some executions took place during the Pinochet regime). It was strange watching the game and realizing what had happened there only 30 years before. We saw Colo Colo and Universidad Catholica. These are 2 of the 3 big teams in Santiago (the third is Universidad de Chile). It was a blast! I wish sports in the US were that intense. The fans sang cheers the entire game. We chimed in when we could. Our team (Colo Colo) lost, but it was still an amazing afternoon. I don't have any pictures because as a safety precaution none of us brought our cameras.

Bueno Bye!

Bellavista

1. I want to thank everyone for the comments. It's really great to hear from you guys!

2. I want to say, "best wishes to Anna this weekend," as she's getting married. I wish you all of the happiness in the world and wish I could be there.

3. Speaking of weddings and colorful, lively, beautiful parts of life... here are pictures from our group trip to Bellavista (the area of Santiago that's kind of like Dupont in that it's artsy and filled with restaurants, clubs, and shops):

A crepe stand:

A restaurant named after the book/movie "Like water for chocolate:"

If a restaurant is really good they give it 7 forks (kind of like 5 stars):

A REALLY old house (now a museum):

A mural next to Pablo Neruda's house (at least the one in Santiago. He had many):

Pablo Neruda's house (the pillars in front have some of his poems on them):

Another mural:

A Porsche... or another mural:

The restaurant where we ate (it translates to a house in the air):

The ceiling of the restaurant:

I hope I haven't bored you.

Bueno bye.

One Week Down

When today ends I will have been in Santiago for a week! Since the last we met I have:

Learned more Chilean (it's not quite spanish)

Learned more of the culture

Felt my spanish improve

Had homework, and I thought classes didn't start for two weeks

Gotten to know more of my classmates

Gone to the Chilean museum of modern art

Had Ice cream with our program

Played on a playground

Gone from needing 10 layers to sweating when wearing jeans and a t-shirt (chilean weather!)

Become a master at the Chilean Metro/bus system (or at least can get to and from school)

I had an interview with the program director to check how things are going and she asked why I wasn't doing an internship. I said I didn't think my Spanish was good enough. She assured me that it was and that the places on the list were accustomed to working with international students. So now I think I might pick up an internship for the 2 days a week we don't have classes. All of the other students but one are doing internships, so it's not like I could do much on my days off from class. We'll see.

Tonight I am headed to Bellavista for today's orientation. It's a lot like Dupont Circle in DC. We're going to go sample some of the cafes and listen to some performers in the park, or at least that's my understanding.

Here is the view of the Andes in my neighborhood. This is what I see when I am walking home from the bus:

Here is a street performer we saw on the way to the art museum (he juggled the soccer balls at least 30 feet in the air):

Here are some colors on buildings next to the art museum that I thought Big Kate would like:

The museum:

My favorite piece:

Political Commentary on the Pinochet regime:

The ice cream place (note the 800 choices for flavors):

I'm off to study some before Bellavista.

Bueno Bye.

First Day of Orientation

My first day of Orientation went really well. Nacha went with me to show me how to get to school. In order to get to school I: walk 2 blocks, take the 406 or 426 bus, get off at the metro station (La Esquela Militaria), take the metro into the city, get off the metro (at Los Heroes), walk another 2 blocks to my school. All in all it takes just over 40 minutes, but it goes by quickly because there are so many changes. Also, the buses and Metro pass super frequently so there isn't much waiting. Fun fact: In DC I live on the red line and in Santiago I live on the red line!

Then Orientation where our program coordinator and director welcomed us and talked of their expectations. They are Chilean and as such speak a mile a minute. Then we had a couple hours with our spanish professor learning about Chilean culture and Chileanismos (words/phrases that chileans use that are different). Our professor assigned us homework and we were on our way.

Since class ended at 1, the other 7 students and I went to lunch at a nearby sandwich shop with the program coordinator, Paola. Thing I learned at lunch today: Chileans love mayonnaise. Next time I order anything in Chile I will ask them to hold the mayo... this includes salad.

It was a beautiful day so the other students and I walked to La Moneda, the Chilean White House. Then we went to one of the oldest churches in Santiago. Finally we went and sat for a while in the Plaza de Armas. We went to watch a street performer/comedian. Because we have 4 blonds/light brunettes in our group he called the "gringas" (gringo isn't negative, it's just a fact) over and they had to do a dance with him. I get to blend in pretty well (until I talk) because Chileans have really dark, wavy hair and fair complexion. Chileans are SUPER HOMOGENEOUS so blonds stick out like sore thumbs.

The other students in my program at lunch:

La Moneda:

Outside of the old church:

Me next to a replica of the heads on Easter Island (my Chile trip is already complete):

The contrast of old and new Chile at the Plaza de Armas:

People sitting in the Plaza de Armas:

Now I'm off to do homework! :)

Bueno Bye

Mi Primero Asado (My First Chilean Bar-B-Q)

In Chile asados are very popular. They are essentially Bar-B-Qs. I attended my first today. Nacha and I went with her boyfriend's family to his uncle's weekend house in the countryside. By house, it was a little shack made of two by fours and plywood. It was painted and nice, but Chileans love to spend their time outdoors. In their yard they had lemon trees, avacado trees (This is funny because in Chile abacado means lawyer. They didn't understand why I was saying a lawyer tree.), orange trees, a see saw, swing set, pool, and zip line with a seat.

We just hung out and played all day. It was me, Nacha, Roman (her bf), his brother, his two younger cousins, his aunt, his uncle, and his parents. We played with the various things in the yard (except the pool as it is winter here) as well as the Chilean version of horseshoes and soccer. Then the younger people went for a bike ride in search of empanadas to add to our meal, but all of the roadside shacks were closed because it was a Sunday. We returned empty handed but were served cansuela, a traditional chilean dish. It's essentially chicken and vegetable soup.

This is what the countryside looks like:

Roman and Nacha:

Roman's cousin, me, Roman's brother:

Me challenging the cousins to Chilean horseshoes:

Me on the zip line:

Bueno Bye.

My house

My second day was in fact slower. After I posted I went to an "authentic" Chilean restaurant. My family wanted to take me out to celebrate me coming. We pull up to an Applebees. Once inside they ask if I've heard of it. When I explained there is an Applebees only a block from my house, they were pretty impressed and then asked 100 questions about the menu and decorations (it's all exactly the same).

Later I went to visit with my friend Tara from AU. Another person from our program, Alex, joined us. We just spoke to each other in English for a few hours and enjoyed it.

When I got home I took pictures of my house and then my room:

The outside of my house (everything in Chile is gated):

Inside the gate:

My bedroom (complete with Dog):

From the other side of the doorway (It's like a sitting area):

A better view of the sitting area (the grey box in the right corner is my stove):

Bueno bye

First Day

My first day in Santiago:

1. Arrived at the airport

2. Met my host dad and sister

3. Saw my new home/room

4. Unpacked

5. Napped

6. Lunched with Nacha (the 19 year old Maria)

It was pasta that her grandmother made for us because she knew I liked it

7. Went to the mall with Nacha, Panchi (the 8 year old Maria) and their grandmother

8. Ate once with the aforementioned people

Once is a HUGE snack that's almost a meal. It's eaten at 5 pm and meant to hold you over until dinner, which is served around 9

9. Did a puzzle with Panchi

10. Met with another AU student Tara

11. Went out with Nacha, Tara, and other exchange students from Columbia and Mexico

They are not a part of the AU program but it ended up being a hodgepodge group of friends of friends

12. Sampled Pisco, the national drink

It's very sweet, but packs a real punch!

14. Had Chilean Pizza at 2 am and the restaurant was crowded even with people in their 40s

15. Around 3 am Tara and I realized we were not quite adjusted to the Latin American idea of a late night

16. Nacha drove us home

My second day:

Woke up and had breakfast, showered, responded to emails. I plan on taking it slower today!!

I'm off with Nacha to learn the buses in Santiago!

Bueno Bye.

The flight

It wouldn't be my life unless things are a little crazy. Thursday about 30 minutes before Uncle Ron and Aunt Pam came to pick us up, my mom got really sick. So Uncle Ron takes me to the airport as Aunt Pam takes my mom to the hospital. Not quite the departure we'd planned. The good news is I was so nervous about my mom, I didn't have time to be nervous about the flight or going abroad.

By the time I got to Atlanta, mom was already back at home. She had successfully, albeit painfully passed a kidney stone, been scanned, confirmed that's what it was, given some painkillers, and was back in bed to rest. A 9 hour flight didn't seem so bad knowing mom was ok. I boarded the plane, only to wait for an hour so that they could finish loading cargo and allow some people to make the plane whose connecting flight had been delayed.

Once we were all aboard we were off. I enjoyed a delectable meal of pasta, salad, bread, and a brownie. Out of my window was a beautiful nightscape. We flew over the Gulf so there were no lights and the stars were breathtaking. I was sitting eye level with Orion's Belt (or so it seemed). Then for MY viewing pleasure they screened 17 Again. I watched that but fell asleep when they began showing (once again for MY viewing pleasure) Star Trek.

I awoke to this:

The picture isn't quite as good as the real thing, but it was a sunrise over the Andes.

Then as we approached Santiago, I had an amazing view of the Andes:

My family and program director were at the airport when I arrived. That concluded my trip.

Bueno Bye.

48 hours away

48 hours from now I will probably be stuck in the customs line at the Atlanta Airport. I'm really excited, but nervous (the good kind of nervous) too.

Aunt Phyllis called two days ago and read me this poem:

Every time I pass a chili dog stand ...
Every time someone mentions a country in South America on the SW border ...
Every time the weatherman says chilly tomorrow ...
We will think of you.
So far away - boohoo
Having a wonderful experience - yahoo
Bon voyage. Vaya con dios

That's all for now.
Bueno Bye.

So it begins...

Julia Child was just an American living in France. What does Julia Child have to do with me; lowly cubicle worker Julie Powell? I cook my way through Julia’s cookbook. 365 days. 524 recipes… WAIT! This is not my blog.

This is mine:

I’m two weeks away from arriving in Santiago, meeting my host family at the airport and being taken to my home for the next 4 months (technically 3 months and 3 weeks). I wanted to use this as a place to keep my family and friends up to date on my adventures and less frequent, but inevitable misadventures.

I’m excited, but nervous to say the least. Here are the things I know about my trip thus far:

I leave the US on August 20^th

I arrive in Santiago on August 21^st

I leave Santiago to return home on December 11^th

I arrive in Louisville on December 12^th

During that time I will be living in Santiago, but taking trips with my program to: Easter Island, the Atacama Desert (in northern Chile), and Torres del Paine (the glacier parks in southern Chile)

I will live at: Lucas de Robbia 7448, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile

My house telephone will be: (56-2) 727-3554

The people I will be living with include: Marcela Rebolledo, her husband, Gerardo Rebolledo, and her two daughters, Maria Ignacia (18 years old) and Maria Francisca (8 years old)

I will take classes at the Universidad Diego Portales.

All of my classes (3 topics courses on Chile and 1 Spanish class) will be in Spanish.

I will take classes with the 8 other AU students.

I think that’s a good start for tonight.

Good night, and good luck… WAIT! That’s not my sign off.

Here’s mine:

Bueno Bye