First Post after 5 months in South America

I just thought it would be better to actually make a blog with all the emails I post, that way all the pictures are in one place. Sorry its so late in the game, but I still have until next may to fill the page with news of the rest of my time in Chile as well as Southeast Asia.

Here is the first and second emails I ever sent out (Without the salutations):

Update Numero Uno:
To begin, I arrived in Chile on Monday, and had quite a long trip, but met some interesting people on the plane. Planes are a great place to make conversation. Anyways, we got picked up (we, meaning I and my friend Cherise, the other girl from UCI that is studying abroad in Chile) by a Chilean Air force General, Hugo Tilly and his wife Priscilla. Cherise and I got to see the downtown part of Santiago from the car, and La Moneda, which is the Chilean equivalent of the White House during the time of Pinochet.

I met my family around 6. I live in Providencia in an apartment with Ximena, and her 18 year old daughter Valentina, Alejandra, who is my age, and is a Chilean girl renting a room here, Pancho the dog, who’s pretty cool, and Lanita the Cat, who I definitely cannot stand, the little bugger haha. The apartment is lively and is covered in art. I also have a substantial view of the Andes from my room. Still I think I may move to a pension (which is a boarding house for students kind of)after our intensive language program because I am quite far from the metro. However I am so thankful Ximena and Vale have welcomed me into their home and have been so patient with my horrible Spanish skills. I think my Spanish is improving the most here. Adjusting is definitely difficult, but I know God is slowly changing me.



I got to walk around Santiago a bit. I love the diversity of architecture and all the lively colors people utilize. However, I wouldn't say Santiago is you average South American city. Its very metropolitan and way more conservative. There are dogs everywhere! And fruit everywhere! The pidgeons are so fat for some reason. It might be the cold. In the park in Nunoa we saw a flock of green parrots! Santiago is so fun thus far, but I've only seen Nunoa and Providencia, which are two extremely well off parts of the city.


Tuesday-Thursday I was in Concon, a small beach town about 2 hours away with the other EAP students. This trip was full of logistics and what not, but I was happy to be so near to the beach, and hear the waves as I slept at night. It was very cold there (but its much worse in Santiago- in the 40s), so I wasn’t able to swim in the ocean. A couple students did, (safe to say they weren’t sober, and weren’t thinking of bronchitis or the new health care system they would have to get used to …) I’m in my bed right now, and I have a test tomorrow to decide what level of intensive language I will be enrolled in. After that I’m planning on exploring the city, to find a supermarket off the green metro line. Chile's transportation system is crazy, and its going to be the largest adjustment outside of the language. A couple of us are trying to find antibacterial soap because they only seem to carry bar soap everywhere. Given its winter here, and cold season, we don’t want to give up that American custom ☺. There is so much to tell you all, I wish I was a better story teller, so Chile would sound more interesting, but I know I’ll have some great stories later on.

Here are some pictures from Concon:

Update Numero 2:

Alright… so what has happened since the last email? Pretty much a lot. I know I’m going to miss quite a few events. This is the second week of intensive language class. When they say its intensive, it really is. Everyday, (including last Saturday), I and the 40 something other students have 4 hours of language class. Surprisingly, I was placed in the second to highest level. I’m not quite sure why, because my Spanish language oral skills are minimal. Perhaps they didn’t know where to put me, and assumed I had some Spanish skills given my Latin last time. (It’s actually quite difficult to write in English right now, I wanted to put an “entonces” instead of “well” haha). Well, my class is actually quite entertaining. My teacher, Margot, is a very lively “vieja”, and she keeps the class very engaged. ILP isn’t that bad apart from the fact that its 3 degrees below zero Celsius in the morning (in the classroom too). It’s been quite cold here. I keep jumping on my Chilean mama’s exercise bike every few minutes to keep my blood circulating. Interesting fact: it snowed in Buenos Aires today for the first time in 83 years!
I also heard about the heat wave in the US. I hope everyone in each of your lives is in good health.

I’ve been exploring Santiago quite a bit. The bus system is horrible, and it’s definitely a big joke of the Santiaguinos, but I love love love the Metro! I feel like a little kid every time I jump on. The metro is super clean, and not as crowded as the buses. People watching on the metro is absolutely fun.

Thus far I’ve visited/ spent time in: Parque San Cristobal to the top of the mountain to see the giant Virgin Mary statue, and took the gondolas (like skyfari at the SD Zoo) back down, Bella Vista district, Parque Arauco Mall (saw Ratatouille in Spanish), Pablo Nerudas’s House in Santiago, saw a world famous Tango group from Buenos Aires, and visited a lot of cool cafés, among other things. Today, half of the students in the program went to a vineyard and tasted two different kinds of wine (Concho y Toro if you have ever heard of it). We learned the proper way to wine-taste. I think I tried a Cabernet and a Cabernet Sauvignon. The first had berry undertones, and the second was supposed to have a chocolate like smell (Does that sound right Uncle Stephan and Auntie Lori?). Its kind of strange that this fieldtrip was sponsored by the University of California, but of course, wine is what Chile is known for. This weekend I am going to get on a midnight bus to La Serena, the second oldest city in Chile. It’s a 6-hour bus ride, so we will get there at 6 am in the morning. Apparently they have some way cool old buildings and the largest observatory in South America, so I’ll get to stargaze at night. At the end of July, I’m going to get on another bus, to San Pedro de Atacama desert, which is 18 hours away. The buses here are very clean, serve breakfast, and have beds; thus it won’t be a very uncomfortable trip. I also just bought a ticket to see Incubus here in Chile, in October.
I’m definitely trying to make it to Buenos Aires, and Maccu Picchu in December. My host sister, Valentina, is going to try and come with me too as a graduation present from her mother (and Miss Maggie Yandell too ☺).
I found a church here. Its called Luz del Mundo. It’s a very small congregation, but they have a lot of heart! They are far by the most friendly Chileans I have encountered thus far. My friend Nancy and I joked that we never received so many kisses during one day. (Chileans greet each other with a kiss on the cheek). This Sunday we sang the songs “draw me close to you” and “Forever”, but in Spanish. It was cool that I knew the songs, but didn’t really know them.
I sign up for classes at La Católica in a couple of weeks. I can’t figure out what fitness class I want to take. It’s a tie between Mountaineering, Swimming, Women’s Soccer, and Judo. What I really want to take is Contemporary Dance, but I don’t think that they offer it. I think one of the things I miss here is dancing. I get to dance (Salsa, etc.) but expressing myself apart from dancing for fun, not so much. (I MISS YOU AAYA). I’ve been praying for an opportunity to dance. I’m also going to get an internship. I’m hoping for an internship with an international company, or a non-governmental organization. They have a lot of internship placements in urban development organizations, so I might try that as well.
Hmm. What else? Soccer is a big thing here. Chile lost to Brazil. That was a disappointment, but apparently not that big of a surprise. The South American Cup is going on right now, so Soccer is the only thing I watch on TV these days. Interesting fact, Chileans love to talk about LOST. If they find out you are American, its likely they’ll ask you about the current season of Lost rather than what you think about Bush and the Iraq war. Too bad I don’t watch it. Anyways, I think a page is long enough of an update. I really miss you guys a lot of the time. I hope everyone is doing well. If you guys need prayers, I’m here for you! Oh and also, I’m going to set up a web album so you can see my pictures. The attachment thing doesn’t work so well. So look out for the link. Um yeah. I LOVE YOU ALL! God Bless, stay cool in the heat!

Concho y Toro Vineyard: