New Pictures

I have not been keeping up with my blog very well! I feel like a lot has happened recently…

I turned 21 — that was a good day. Thanks to everyone who made it special.
I passed my six month mark — I think a cultural essay on my observations of Chile is long overdue by now

My friend Erin flew home…to say goodbye to her grandfather, who is dying from cancer. That was emotional.

My friend Paula got a job…in a Thai restaurant and we met the owner, an extremely embittered American from Florida who has some sad and scary stories to tell from 7 years of life in Chile.

Gustavo and I hung out…which has not happened before. He’s the youngest (22) of the bunch where I go for meeting and is studying dentistry. He showed me his school and the hill where it is in Valparaiso and it was a lot of fun. I’m stoked to actually have a Chilean friend.

So, I put up a bunch of pictures on facebook and on Ryan’s website. I’d put a link here, but I don’t know how. Angela and I are going to her grandson, Gregorio’s, flute concert in 15 minutes.

I’m tired. The sun came up too early this morning.

Yesterday was a great day

Yesterday was some Catholic holiday, so everything was shut down and everybody was out in full force enjoying the sunny day.  I wrote an essay for my writing class in the morning and in the afternoon went down to the seashore with my girls, Paula, Erin and Andrea.  We met at my house as nobody had been to the apartment yet nor had met Angela, so that was a first.  Angela said she loved them and that Paula looks like a Barbie…haha.

We rented a four person bike, in the form of a little car and went careening down the street in the midst of normal vehicles, other bike cars, and horse drawn buggies.  We’d pass a horse, screaming and pedaling like maniacs, only to be taken over by somebody in their car, patiently creeping along behind us until they had room to pass.  And the guy that we rented it from was completely drunk at 5:00 in the evening.

We bought some cotton candy and icecream and walked down the board walk, looking at the artesan goods that people were selling on the beach…scarves, sunglasses, jewelry, hair sticks, and the like.  We made it down to the pier where we bought some french fries and were harassed by an obnoxious clown who kissed Erin on the cheek as part of his routine…very ew.  More artesan fair shopping, a hilarious puppet show in time with classical music, a hyperactive and vicious mini poodle…and then we went out for Mexican.  Done Chilean style, and so bland it didn’t deserve to be called Mexican.  And we finished off the evening with more icecream.  Fab-u-lo-so.

I just got back from my Linguistics class and am bored out of my gourd.  I have to get out of that class or I will perish.  I think a nap would rejuvenate me…

Yawn!!

I’m cold and hungry and bored.

The workers were in meeting this morning and my friend Erin came with me.  We were all invited to stay for lunch and it was great.  I don’t think it could have gone any better.  So…that’s good.

I got home around 3 and made myself some tea because it’s cold and rainy.  Getting pretty sick of the cold.  I can’t wait for the summer.  And the beach.  And weather that makes me believe I’m in the southern hemisphere.

Angela has been out for lunch since I got home, so I haven’t seen her yet.  I’ve just been here.  Reading, looking at pictures on facebook, eating chocolate.  I’ve discovered a candy bar that is truly wonderful…Sahne Nuss by Nestle.  Basically chocolate with almonds.  Dangerously delicious.

Maybe I’ll work on my scarf. And make more tea, because I’m freezing.

Doga: Yoga for Dogs

I was helping Ryan shop on Amazon.com and we found a yoga book for dogs!  It made me laugh and then fear for mankind…

It was sunny and beautiful this morning but started to rain in the afternoon.  My beautiful polka dot umbrella malfunctioned miserably.  Not only does it not close correctly, it blows inside out with the slightest breeze.  How embarrassing.  Luckily there are people who hawk umbrellas on the street on a rainy day, so if it keeps up, I’ll be sure to find another.  The bakeries also make alot of sopapillas on rainy days…I don’t know why…but they smell cozy and delicious.

I had two classes today, Textual Linguistics and Latin America in Text and Image.  I really think I’m going to like the latter.  It’s full of gringos but the professor is so adorable in an old bookworm sort of way.  He has enormous bushy eyebrows and wears brown corduroy pants.  The professor for Textual Linguistics is a young chick who graduated last year and keeps her pens and dry erase markers in a Clinique make up bag…  She’s nice but obviously lacks experience.

Hmm…not too much else going on.  I went to the grocery store earlier to get some more cereal (Quaker Oatmeal Squares).  Angela has started making natural yoghurt for me…milk and yoghurt culture pills.  It’s pretty crazy but good.  So, I went to get cereal but ended up getting a bunch of junk food as well and stashing it away in my room.  I miss grocery shopping.

First Impressions of Second Semester

My first week of classes has gone exceedingly well. I have:

• Latin American and Chilean Short Stories
• Textual Linguistics
• Latin America in Text and Image
• Art Theory II
• Urban and Regional History of Valparaiso
• Advanced Spanish Writing

We started on Wednesday and I haven’t had a couple of the classes yet, as they’re on Monday and Tuesday, but the ones I have had, I really like.

I met a few of the new exchange students and they’re all really nice…except for one or two. I’m tired of meeting people, to be honest. I’ve had too many of the same “Where are you from?” conversations in the last week.

Yesterday, Paula, Erin (a new girl) and I went out for sushi and a tour of the thrift stores in Valparaiso. I got three long sleeve tees for 6.00. Yay! The sector where we were has shoe stores and thrift stores liberally sprinkled together so we dawdled along, going from store to store. I’ve come to the conclusion that women bargain hunting are the same all over the world. For supper, we ate at an Indian restaurant, Ganesha. Lamb curry is the best. Yesterday was the tastiest day I’ve had in a while. One night, last week, Angela gave me mashed potatoes with a fried egg on top…and that about sums up how spicy Chilean food is.

Today has been exceedingly relaxed. I called my family this morning, tried out a couple new hairstyles, cleaned my room. I think it’s time to do some homework.

Buenos Aires

What an elegant, sophisticated city.  If anyone reading this has an opportunity to travel abroad, please go to Buenos Aires.

I´m in the airport waiting for my flight back to Santiago, so I have some time…

I loved the feel of BA…everything is beautiful, the parks, the architecture, the people, the clothes, the food… the prices.  I went to museums, malls, pedestrian shopping streets, bakeries, cafes, artesan fairs, a tango class, restaurants, one concert-show…  I read two books, “Remind Me Again Why I Married You” and “David Copperfield” and met some interesting people.  Jessica from New York, Yulun and Elisa from New York, Sarah from Holland, Naomi from Switzerland, Melanie and Laura from Ireland and Veronica from Mexico.  In short, it was a wonderful, wonderful vacation.

I should be back in Viña tonight, late sometime.  I register for classes tomorrow and classes are supposed to start again on August 2nd.  We´ll see…last semester was slow starting…It´ll be nice to be back again, I guess, but I´m sad to leave BA.  I could use a few more days of wonderfulness.

Buenos Aires

Well, here I am in Argentina.  I have about a week and a half of vacation between semesters so I´m spending them in Buenos Aires.

I flew in yesterday and have greatly enjoyed my one night and morning here.    I`m staying at a funky little hostel (funky but safe) and have maps and guidebooks coming out of my ears, so I should be ok for exploring. 

My first impression of Argentina is a good one.  Outside of the city, it seemed to be greener with more trees than Chile and inside of the city, at least the part where I´m at, is more…European.  Wrought iron balconies, cobblestone streets, etc. 

I have five more minutes at the internet cafe…cost me .50 cents for an hour of internet.  Last night I bought 2 green apples, a pack of wheat crackers and a huge sub sandwhich for the grand total of $1.00.  Can´t wait to see what the prices are like at the mall.

In Santiago for the weekend

To celebrate Fourth of July, I went out for sushi with my buddy Nathan.    How very patriotic.

Today I´m in Santiago, staying with some of the friends who invited me when Ryan and I were in Placilla.  They have a darling little condo in the suburbs and are SO nice.  So nice.  We grilled bratwurst yesterday with 2 other young couples and the parents of one of the couples and I discovered the Spanish equivalent of dumb blond jokes.  No blond involved, just dumb people.

It´s rainy and cold and we´re planning on doing a bit of sightseeing so I hope it gets nice.

I´m here until Monday morning and then I´m going to Placilla.

I had most of my finals last week and have on more on Friday and then my first semester in Chile is OVER.  Crazy, huh?

Ow, my mouth hurts

Today was a fabulous, beautiful, sunny, sunny day.  It was like a summer day, but in July.

I’ve been sort of fighting off a little cold so I came home from meeting and took a long nap while Angela was at mass and then we had lunch.  She gave me some Mentholatum — like Vick’s Vapor Rub, I think…but I don’t like it because it makes my nose feel greasy and tingley and doesn’t do much for congestion.

So, after lunch, I down to the seashore and bought a candied apple and walked on the boardwalk for a while and watched the ocean and people going by.  Candied apples are about as annoying to eat as they are enjoyable…  Got harassed by more gypsies.  This girl, about my age, came up to me and said “Hola, mi linda (Hello, my pretty)” while I was staring out at the ocean.  I looked up and said “No, I don’t have any money” but with a smile, to take the sting out.  But, she didn’t smile back…just said, “I’m not asking for money.  I’m asking what time it is.”  So, I told her it was 3:25 and she was like “Now, give me your palm and I’ll tell you your fortune” and I said “No, thank you.” and then she was like “Where are you from?”  I told her I was from the United States and she said “Beautiful country, the United States” and I said, “Yeah, I love it…” and took a bite of my apple and she stood there for like 10 seconds staring at me and then walked off.  Yesterday, I went through the same song and dance with two other gypsy women and one of them cursed me out and asked why I was so rotten.  They’re just annoying.

So, after that I went up to the sand dunes with Nathan, Dan, Lucy and Amanda and we watched the sun set and the lights of Valparaiso turn on and hung out for a little while and then went for pizza.  Which is the reason my mouth hurts.

This coming week is kind of wierd…a mix of busy and slow… I guess it’s like finals week anywhere.

I’m tired.

:(

Well, Ryan’s flying home as I type this.

We left Viña around 12:30 this afternoon and got into Santiago around 2ish. We checked Ryan’s suitcases into custody at the bus terminal and took the subway into the heart of Santiago, to the Plaza de Armas. We had lunch at some place. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t good either. It was just kind of food. I don’t know.

After lunch, he took a few pictures around the plaza and then we went to the National History Museum and toured that fairly quickly. I thought there were English translations for the captions to the displays, but they were limited. The grossest thing they have on display there is a leather sleeping bag from the good ol’ military conquest days. Blegh.

When we left the museum it was kind of coldish and drizzling so we stopped in a restaurant and ordered cappucinos and then wandered around the shopping district that surrounds the plaza.

Around 6, we went back to the bus terminal, picked up the bags, took a bus to the airport and checked Ryan in for his flight without a problemo. I wrote a few notes to send home with him and then we said our goodbyes.

So, yeah. I’m keeping my chin up.