Bus Systems

Finally, after two more days of getting lost, in the same place, I have now conquered the bus system. It's only taken me about a month! 406 home from the metro, two stops, end up right at my street! Friday was my day of classes, and after that I went to the gym which was quite sweaty and cramped I might add. That night I went to Becca's house and finally figured out how to use the bus to get there! Bus triumph number 1!! We ended up staying there all night, joined by a few of her brother's friends, and then I slept there, too scared to use the buses again late at night. But, on the way home, I found and used the right bus!! AHH! I WON BUS CHALLENGE NUMBER 2!! It was very exciting.

Finally a Class!

So before today, it had been around 11 days since I had been in class. Why? Well, Bicentenario! And then we didn't have classes on Monday either, and then I will eventually start my internship on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  My first class at 3 got cancelled, suprise. So I had my joke of a class, although it is fun, History of African-American Music.  After this we went to Megan's house because it is her birthday!! We have so many gringa birthdays during our semester abroad. Cake, four pizzas, wings, hot dogs, ron (rum), coke, and beer later we all left agreeing to go to the gym tomorrow.  Bus to metro, metro walking home. I've been in a horrible habit lately of walking home at night. I live in the safest area possible of Santiago and the streets are well-lit and I am surrounded by houses and apartments, and the ony people out are in their 60s walking their dogs. But tonight a car pulled up to a curb I was approaching and some guy said "Can you help me with something?" in Spanish and I crossed the road. I think I either need to brave it up and learn how to get home at night on the bus, I have not attempted this since I got terribly lost, or buy a knife that I can fasten as a necklace arround my neck like Charlotte suggested...

Friday Before Traveling

Friday! Finally! I left my house at 8:45 am to get my my early and incredibly boring class of Development, Poverty, and Social Inequality in Chile class and am just returning now, at 8:30 pm on Saturday night. Classes started slowly, but I had my first interview for my internship after classes at 3:30 in Providencia.  It was sad to leave school though because was a massive carrete outside our campus! Los Leones, the metro stop for the interview, wasn't hard to get to though. The interview was another story. One by one we talked to the representative for the Fulbright Commission for only about 5 minutes and then had to directly go and translate part of a document! It was a letter, and we only hard a paragraph each.  It wasn't too hard but it was just sprung upon us! You know when you are given something to do, and you know you can do it, but you are just so thrown out of your comfort zone because it comes out of no where? Well, that's where I was.  I think it is called 'anxiety'. After taking a few minutes to read it through, I settled down and did my translation, and felt pretty good about it too.  Turns out it was a good job--I GOT THE INTERNSHIP! AHHH! I called my mom, who was at a fundraiser I believe, and then my dad, at both his cell phone, home, and work numbers. No one could talk! Looks like I have to make this decision soon though because I really do need an internship eventually.

The rest of the day, as I have now recalled, was spent at a carrete with Chileans and Becca I believe, and then I crashed on her trundle again. The next morning we went shopping with Lauren and Charlotte (the crew for Talca) and then I went to meet someone at Los Leones again! Almost everything was closed as it was getting ready for the Bicentenario rush. Ice cream and then back home again!
But it is all a little fuzzy now since it was about 10 days ago, but the rest of the weekend was spent celebrating the Bicentenario! Then we left Monday morning morning for Talca. See my Talca post for more! And tell me if I should take the intership at Fulbright or hold out for more options.

Bicentenario: 200 years of Chile!

The 200th anniversary of Chile's independence was this weekend, the 18th, in September! How lucky are we to come during the biggest celebration in years of this country! The 18th was when Chile gained independence, and the 11th was when General Pinochet overthrew President's Allende's communist government in the 1970s.  So, it was sort of weird to be celebrating both but everyone in Chile did.  We got back from Talca on Friday night, and I just slept the whole way threw. Saturday a group of the gringos went to La Moneda where we saw a lightshow that was reflected on the facade of La Moneda in downtown, the first year of this! It was a mix of Chilean history and culture, and then broke down some sick beats that I recorded, such as "Gracias a la Vida." It was awesome!

Sunday I went to Parque O'Higgins in downtown Santiago, and it was insane! There were people everywhere, and not just students my age, but parents, little children, people in families, people by themselves, every type you could imagine.  The smell in the air was by far the best: lots and lots of carne.  There was so much meat for sale on the side of every road, and grilled or fried or slathered in oil. They do love their oil here! I almost puked. Not as bad as the time I went to the Mercado Central though..ughh. I got to try my first Terremoto though (Earthquake).  I'm not sure what was in it, but I tasted wine, ice cream, and some type of sweetness that I think was grenadine.  I spent an hour and a half dancing at this inside tent that I later found out was catered and paid for by the Communist Party in Chile (that part was a mistake) but it was still really fun! The difference between Chilean men and American men is that in Chile, men actually dance! There were so many couples, young and old, on the dance floor that were moving their hips and going strong after hours! It was so cool to watch.

After the park I went to Becca's house, where we then went to a small party at the friend of her brother's.  It was really chill, and then the next thing we knew it was a dance party! The awesome thing was that both the boys and the girls were dancing.  Becca and I eventually jumped in, and were taught by a girl that the secret to Latin American dancing was making a strong figure-8 with your hips. After that, you're in.  Try it out, it works.

Talca and Back!

I AM BACK! We went to Talca, about 5 hours down south from Santiago, in order to take advantage of our 10 day break during the Bicentenario 200th Anniversary of Chile's Independence.  Monday early morning we were on a train and arrived in Talca around 10, and to our hostile around 12.  The views were absolutely gorgeous: the Andes were so close, there was a river surrounding us, and then there were farm animals right around the corner! Our first day we explored all these things and had dinner at the hostile with the family who owned it.  They were Germans, now living in southern Chile who spoke very good English and Spanish.  There were so many kids though! Crying babies, 3-year old menaces, but it gave the hostile a very family-like feel, and much more like a bed-and-breakfast.  During the day we sat out on the porch and read Harry Potter y la Camara Secreta out loud to each other in Spanish for a few chapters. We also ended our night by reading a chapter out loud in the cabin. You have no idea how cool this was.

After getting around 12 hours of sleep, we woke up at the crack of dawn (6:00 am) in order to bundle up, eat, and head out to Vilches where we were going to ride horses! It was absolutely freezing cold, the point where you wished you came as prepared as Charlotte and had 3 jackets.  The bus ride there took about and hour and a half and costs up only 3 dollars.  Pancho, the awesome guy we rode horses with, showed up and we saddled up! My horse's name was Princessa (chose for me by everyone else, thank you) and might I say she was quite tempermental.  

We were on the horses for 8 hours, a time frame that doesn't really sink in until you get off the horse and are in much pain.  The view was amazing though: I felt as though I could touch the Andes mountains the whole time.  Because it was the end of winter though, we had to cut our tour short due to the snow on the ground as we climbed up.  We came home, and slept some more after that.

The third day consisted of a plan that was not to thought out: we rode bikes into town, about 30 mintues away, in order to get lunch.  This was not thought out because the part of your body you use to ride bikes and rikd horses is the same! And needless to say, we were still in pain.  It was still fun though because the weather was warming up and there were bikes lanes in the road so we felt safe. That is, until they dissapeared and we felt like we might be killed at any second.  The second half of the day was spent at a vineyard outside of Talca. Balduzzi was the winery, and the only one we could go to that was not destroyed by the earthquake earlier that year.  The wine was fantastic, and of course I bought two excellent reds, and we could clearly see some toll that the earthquake had taken on the grounds.  The drive back was also intense: we saw destroyed buildings, homes, and lots of rubble scattered around.

The next two days we spent in Talca were not as eventful.  This, however, was what made them so fun! We just lounged around in this gorgeous place, read Harry Potter, ate lots of food, played ping-pong, found Wi-Fi (that was awesome), went into town to get lunch, and finally visited the center of Talca.  We found blocks and blocks of markets on the street, where I bought some awesome Gabriel Garcia Marquez books in Spanish for super cheap, and eventually found our way back at the train station coming home.  All in all, it was an awesome week in (close to) southern Chile, and an awesome get-away from the hectic city.

Karaoke Anyone?

I am currently sitting on the foot of my bed, looking outside my balcony with the door open and feeling this amazing Chilean weather start to turn around: here comes Spring! So yesterday, Wednesday, was full of so many things--I had classes, then dinner with the family, then went out with some of the gringas, and ended up at a karaoke bar! It was quite fun.  Classes were first, one at 11:30 and then at 4:40.  The time in-between the two classes was so long, but there was no point in me going back home so I just stayed, got lunch with some of the girls, and played on my laptop for 4 hours.  I did some necessary homework, although did not finish reading this supposedly 40 page-long article for Contemporary Latin American Politics.  I'll do that later maybe. My first class was Globalizacion and the second one was my African-American Music class.  We are still on jazz, but moved more into 'rockibilly' and listened to Muddy Waters and Sunnyland Slim. It's so interesting to be taking a class purely for fun, and on music! Becca's brother came along just to listen to our class, and next time, I believe Seba will be joining us (his friend Sabestein).

We went home and I walked again, as is my daily ritual.  I was still feeling a little hardcore and went through the whole Kanye West Graducation CD on my way back. My favorite: I almost can't choose.
The family sat down to dinner at 9:00 pm, which was weird because it was so late and we almost never have dinner together as a family.  There is such a big emphasis on lunch, but this dinner had almost three courses! Afterwards, I meet everyone at Manuel Mont metro station.  From here, we went to a bar we found on a street full of places to go. Why here? Well, there was karaoke!

Jose, Cait, and I: Backstreet's Back, Alright!

Pisco sour was my drink of choice, and also the cheapest option there! Singing started at 12, when it should have at 11, and we had lots of group songs, such as Everybody by the Backstreet Boys. We stayed until 3 am just dancing and singing the night away--a very good way to spend the night, and only 2000 pesos (4 dollars!). 

Becca, Caco her brother, his friend Seba, and I took the bus home and I slept at Becca's house.  It's like I'm back in middle school, having sleepovers and asking my mom to pick me up! 

I walked home today and then right into a big lunch! Complete with dessert of peaches (duranzos) and cream, literally. Very "tipico Chileno" as my mama said.  When they were cutting up apples, and I said 'manzanas' they laughed at my Spain-like accent because I slurred the 'z' and the 's' at the end. Time to work on that Chilean accent now…

Ahora? Time to sleep, and do homework. No classes on Thursday: love it!

Tuesdays: The Day of Waiting in Line.

Tuesday tuesday tuesday-you know a day is going to be long when it has to start out so early! The group of gringos had to meet at Los Heroes (the metro station of our school) at 7:45 am. Not fun news. I woke up at 6:45, put on a skirt (small thrills baby!) because the weather today was going to be 75 degrees, grabbed my most important documents declaring I am who I say I am, and headed there. Why? Today, we had to register our visas with the Chilean government and confirm that we were in fact here in Chile and planning on staying for 4 months.  These poor people working though. Imgine working at the DMV all day long, and filing papers and sitting in a closed off room but here is the kicker: these people do not speak your language naturally. Yuck.

First we got something that I really don't know the significance of and then got it photocopied and headed across a few blocks to another place to pay more money and get more things stamped and fingerprinted (I counted, this is my fourth time in a year!). Now, we get to pick up our official Chilean identification cards in 2 weeks. Honestly, I think that’s worth waiting in line: it's going to be pretty phenomenal.  

Afterwards, Lauren, Becca, Charlotte, and I headed out to a sit-down lunch, which my first time sitting down to eat somewhere that wasn't my home since I've been here. Well, without my group has a whole-organized thing, which doesn't count. We also figured out what we are doing for our ten-day break from school during the bicentenario: going to the south of Chile to go horseback riding on a farm! I AM SO EXCITED! I HAVE SO MANY GANAS! (tener ganas: to be excited) Oh my gosh, it is going to be awesome. I will have more details soon. So after lunch we walked across this big plaza with everyone from the lunch-time rush around us.  There were street venders, performers, and lots of people watching us as the four white and English-speaking girls walked around. Just something to get used to while I’m here!  A little window-shopping, then headed home.  There was no way I was using the bus today so I walked home and the weather was perfect and lovely and it was my little moment of joy all over again. And what did I listen to on this gorgeous day? Something a little more hard-core, just like myself. Unfortunately I was not wearing my leather jacket to complete the feeling. But I was wearing my aviators.

Tonight? Becca’s house to hang out with the Chilean locals and make plans for the south of Chile next week! 

Hey, It's Not Really Home Until You Get Lost!

Monday was the first day of the first week of classes! I got to sleep in until 1030 which was awesome, and had class at 1:20 (Globalizacion en America Latina, how awesome does that sound!) So I got to my school, with a clever combination of bus (micro), metro (metro), and walking (caminando). Went to the computer lab to do some homework and then went to class! My professor is so cool: she has an awesome accent definately not Chilean and studied not only in Espana to get her masters but also Georgetown in my neck of the woods! She also really knows her stuff about Latin American history and its role in the wars. Right now we are just doing background really. But before her class was my Comtemporary Latin American Politics class which is honestly not nearly as interesting.  After those two classes, Maggie, Becca, and I went to this UDP class with all Chileans called "History of African-American Music" which was awesome because it was all about jazz! We spent most of the time listening to Miles Davis and John Coletrane and talking about the US so there was just enough english to get by.  But three classes in a row = loooooong day. Mondays are going to be interesting...

The three of us went to the gym afterwards, and as my Dad suggested, it is a phenominal way to reduce stress and have a positive outlet to just run and run and run to get things out of your system. It's also really nice to fall back into a system and a routine--it makes your day go by so much easier. It's been a while since I had that feeling since I've been here, and now that classes are actually starting and I have a general idea of what I'm doing everyday and my spanish is rapidly improving, I feel like I finally belong here and am at home. Even if there are still a lot of new things thrown at me everyday!

There are are few things that people have said to me while I'm here that I try to keep in mind everyday when things start feeling overwhelming and I get a little lost in this big city (figuratively and yes, literally. I'll get to that):

1. Enjoy the little things! When things seem tough, just take a second and think about something small and hoe awesome it is. What I’ve been doing lately: when I walk home form the metro everyday after school, it is usually the best weather of the day. I walk and pass all these cute apartments and houses in the suburbs and a playground and listen to my mellow music and have a few seconds to myself to breathe! Also, the other day, I got money put into my account because it was my last paycheck from Banana Republic and it had just come in. Helllllo money I forgot about! Love it.

2. Take some time to breathe: As my Dad would know, living abroad in another country tends to throw you off balance at first.  Therefore, it is completely necessary to stop at little things in the day and realize, 'Hey, this hand that I've been dealt is pretty freakin' phenomenal. And I am so incredibly lucky to be here right now and see for myself that there are things outside my own world."

3. Find something just for you. Again, as Papa Lemp advised, find something that you can do for you. We are talking about food here people. His vice was a little restaurant in India with comfort food. Mine? Peanut Butter. And Nutella. And Tea. I love all three of these so much that my Chilean family is convinced all Americans do. Mainly, it’s the peanut butter. I think I have it at least once a day.

4. "Just remember that everything that is as new as going to school in a different country in another language is going to be hard and overwhelming at first. You will get used to everything and be comfortable there too" – perhaps the truest thing said to me while I’ve been here. Time: that’s all it takes.

So I’m headed home and its late right? So Becca and Maggie convince me that this is the perfect time for me to try out the Santiago bus system so I don’t have to walk home alone for 20 in the dark. They don’t so much as convince me as I put the blame on them for my faulty sense of direction.  Buses seem so simple, all you have to do is take the bus going in to opposite direction you came in on and go straight. I know I’m like three stops down and then I get off and there is a forest-y area and I walk down my street for a block and then I’m set. Mistake #1: Thinking I know how a bus system works. Apparently I got on a bus on the wrong street. Ok, so I don’t recognize anything around me for 2 or 3 stops and I figure this has to be in the general correct direction. Mistake #2: Not knowing where to get off even if I was on the right bus. So I exit the bus, all confident and proud of myself for improvising when I don’t know where I am. Mistake #3: Misplaced confidence and convincing myself I know where I am going. So I walk and walk because I believed I just got off a stop too early and had to take a left at the next street. I don’t recognize, again, where I am so what’s the default? Just keep walking. Mistake #4: Don’t keep walking around if you don’t have a clue where you are. By this time it is 8:30 pm, and I’m enjoying my little walk because lets be honest, being lost is not a new feeling for me. When I’m lost, I almost feel comfortable because it always seems to work it out in the end.  I see a metro station, and automatically I know I did something wrong. It’s Los Dominicos. To give you an idea, that is the last stop on the red line, and I live on the 4^th from last stop on the red live. Here’s a little map. I’m Manquehue (pronounced man-k-way) and I walked to Los Dominicos (all the way to the right). How? I’m still not really sure. But anyway I decided to hop back on a bus going back the way I was and got off two stops later knowing I was at least closer to my home.  This was probably the only correct thing I did all night!  And also, thank GOD for my iPhone! Or, thank you Dad :) I found some Wi-Fi and miraculously was able to GPS my way home (I was a 10 minute walk away) and then did not get lost again.  On the bright side, I got an extra 30 minutes of cardio and I got to explore the lovely suburbs of Santiago, Chile! What a night though. Sometimes getting lost can be so fun though, I really do love exploring.

Home and asleep 4 hours later. And don’t worry; I still managed to eat peanut butter (mantequia de mani, accent on the ‘i’) twice. 

Becca's Birthday Weekend

So here I am watching Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban in spanish because I don't have remote to change the language! But, at least I'm learning how to say wand in spanish (varieta, but pronounce the V like a B). This weekend was full of events because it was Becca's 20th birthday! Friday night we went to an apartment carrete because it was one of her brother's friends' birthday.  It was really nice because the second we walked in, we were welcomed like old friends! We walked around and kissed everyone on the cheek and made some piscola (pisco liquor and coke).  Suprising, almost everyone there spoke close to perfect english either from MTV or studying abroad in the US. It was such a bad influence to be around english-speakers because we started speaking in english too! Learning names was hard too because there are so many people, and all the names were the same but with different accents.  Like Sebastian, Joaquin (like Phoenix, the actor), Cristobal, Francisa, and more more more. The apartment was awesome, and there was a balcony outside where people were smoking and conversing. All in all, it was super mellow and chill and I met some phenom people who were coming to Becca's Saturday night!
Saturday was me waking up in Becca's awesome little trundle bed under her real one and then walking home on a beautiful day.  It was one of those moments when you pop in your headphones and listen to a great song and its finally sunny and warm outside and you think, I cannot believe I am in Santiago, Chile. And I love it!
I had a big lunch with my family (two courses) and I can tell my spanish is getting better because now I can understand almost everything that they were talking about! I'm still a little intimidated to respond back but that will come in a week or two, at most.  At ten-thirty, Cote, Rodrigo, and I arrived at Becca's house and there was so much food! Everyone got there by twelve and somehow, I got dragged to the back of the house to witness some of the best free-styling raps in spanish with sick beats. The boys were going crazy! One was doing beats, the other was rapping, and then switching from spanish to english. I was very impressed. Then it came to be my turn! It was either the peer pressure or the pisco, but either way I found myself rapping in english in a foreign country surrounded by multiple Chileans giving me a beat. An hour later, Becca and I were battling back and forth and somehow it got on video on my camera. That is one video that will not hit the web, ever.
We left late, and today I slept until one-thirty. We had another big lunch, this one with a little too much food for me, and then I put on Harry Potter. Becca came over, as it was her actual birthday today!, and we finished Chamber of Secrets. Hence why Prizoner is on now. It is time to clean my room, eat some 'once' instead of dinner, and do my homework. I don't have to be at school tomorrow until one-twenty for class on Mondays! Love it.
Again, I wil be back soon! Thanks for the comment Mom, love you!

In Santiago Chile!

So here I am in Santiago, Chile! It's taken my awhile but I finally started a blog and I promise to keep up with it now.
It is officiall the end of week two in Santiago, and we just returned from Valparaiso and Vina del Mar.  It was our first trip as a group and of course we go to the sea coast when it is still freezing cold outside! I went to Valparaiso with my family here the first day I flew in though: I dropped my luggage off, we ate breakfast, and then we drove two hours to the coast! What a long first day (but I would not have changed it for anything!).  Today we just spent two hours walking around and getting a tour: half was the slums of the city due to the houses living so close together, and the other half was beautiful, very trendy houses and neighborhoods.  I loved all the colors and all the insane and awesome graffiti.  Valparaiso is known for its graffiti, or as it is called, el Museo de la Calle (Street Museum). The announciation for the city is hard: the accent is on the i.  When I was trying to announciate it with my family and said it wrong, my brother laughed at me for 20 minutes! He said he was laughing with me but I don't believe it.  He still calls me 'gringa' instead of Caroline (it means an American traveling in Chile).
Vina del Mar was not as awesome as Valparaiso: we stayed the night there and attempted to "carrete" (it means party in chilean slang btu I'm sure that is spelled wrong) and ended up being chased by weird men and stray dogs. An intersting night, but I bough a liter of local beer for only 3 dollars! I do love the exchange rate here.
On the ride back to Santiago we had to take a local bus to the hotel than another bus to the bus stations, then that bus to the edge of Santiago, then get on the metro from 45 minutes then I had to walk home from the station.  Overall, not the best way to end the trip but it was still fun to see Becca fall asleep on the bus while I listened to Jurrasic 5 and played Angry Birds on my iPhone.
Now I am home where my family very much missed me I am sure and start my classes on Friday.
Until then!

Rain in Santiago!

So it is raining and hailing crazy here! Apparently, according to my Chilean mom, who I in fact call Mama, this hasn't happened in forever! Not in the city at least. I have an amazing balcony in my room, it is nice and small and has a great view from of the Andes to my left and the downtown, or centro, to my right. She has come in my room twice now to remind that is raining outside and I should realize how rare that is! It is hilarious! She's so excited. Meanwhile, I think my Chilean dad is sleeping in the other room.
Today was the first day I went to the gym--I finally found it! Figures it was in front of my face, or the building next to the one with my classes in it, the whole time.  It was huge! And there are multiple floors, including one for intramural soccer games and another for ping-pong competitions! How cool is that. Also, I think Becca and I will start taking pilates in Spanish: Good cardio for all the fried food we eat and we get to learn helpful phrases in spanish.
Speaking of food, guess who ate an entire artichoke today? In spanish, it is alcachofa, but either way it was delicious.  Then of course, my peanut butter and 5 cups of tea. I am in love.
Tonight I was planning on going to this awesome area called Los Leones on the metro but seeing as it is like a hurricane outside and I have to walk to and from the metro to my house for 20 minutes, I think it will be Harry Potter 1 in spanish at my house, some more tea, and something with Nutella. Also, I just asked my host brother to join me but instead he told me there was a leak downstairs.  I figured out the word on my own through miming and simplifying spanish! It's goltera. I am really learning down here! But I believe he is watching the US Open anyway, which I know my American mom will be doing in the US. We live in such a small world.

Tomorrow I will be more interesting! Or try.