A Quick Overview

5.31.2015 Sunday

Note to self: Don’t wait an entire week to write about life in Chile. A lot happens, especially when everything surrounding you is new.

Hello my friends. Welcome back.

I think I’m a little bit overdue on telling you what my life in Santiago is like. I’m sure you all love reading my thoughts as my personal internet therapists but I believe it’s well-past time for me to describe to you the beautiful country that is Chile. (Photos included!)

Shall we begin with a breakdown of my first week here?

…

I will take your silence as a yes! (I promise. I’m not quite as crazy as I seem.)

Sunday: Sunday morning my plane landed around 8:30 in the morning in Santiago meaning I had practically a whole day to relax a little and get comfortable in my new home. Upon arrival, I, along with others in my group who traveled on the same plane, was transported to my homestay for the next five weeks via a bus provided by the school. Nancy Martinez, mi Madre in Chile, greeted me with a kiss on the cheek (a standard welcome here – think along the lines of a hand-shake) when I arrived at her apartment. I was the first to arrive (I live in the “casa” with my friend Elizabeth) so I picked a room, talked with Madre (aka tried to understand what Madre said and inserted poorly spoken Spanish phrases here or there), and unpacked a little.

  

For lunch, Madre showed me the way to the school where I joined the rest of the MLC group, including Elizabeth, and had an absolutely fantastic four-course meal (including wine and dessert) at a high-end Chilean restaurant near the school. It was absolutely delicious, but really wasn’t that different from food in the States. The food and drinks here seem to be very similar to the American diet. Maybe with a few more carbs and salsa… Yeah. I ain’t complaining.

We returned to the school after lunch for a short orientation and received calendars with a schedule of activities planned for us. Upon returning to our casa, Elizabeth and I relaxed, ate dinner with Madre, and went to bed early so that we would be well-rested for our first day of classes.

Monday: I slept like a baby. Traveling really takes it all out of you. As does writing, listening to, and speaking in only Spanish. Which, really, is my nice little transition into the topic of (drum roll, please) classes. Every weekday I attend classes with the rest of my group in both the morning and the afternoon. Santiago is a big city, but for Elizabeth and I to arrive to our first class by 9:00 we don’t need to leave our casa until 8:35. Personally, I enjoy our walks before and after classes. It’s a nice way to unwind a bit and take in the city.

From 9:00 to 10:40 we have discussion classes. So far we have discussed topics from love to urban legends to Chilean cuisine. After, we have a twenty minute break to drink some tea, eat cookies, and talk with friends. At 11:00, we are back at it, except we focus on grammar instead. In my grammar class we are studying the past tense of the subjunctive. Unless you’re really interested in languages, especially Spanish, you can just ignore that last sentence. The subjunctive is one of those weird language things they don’t teach you until they’ve sucked you in and tricked you into liking Spanish so you’re at the point where you might as well just stay along for the ride. I may be acting slightly dramatic…

At 12:45, we break for lunch. Nearly every day, Elizabeth and I go to the same small shop on one of the streets and each buy an empanada for less than $2.00. I like to view it as the McDonald’s of Chile: cheap and delicious. However, my empanada doesn’t come with a kid’s toy nor is it made with low-end products. Perk of living in South America: food is fresh, food is cheap.

We have one final discussion class that begins at 2:00 and goes until 3:45. This class is with a different group of students as well as with a different instructor. Overall, I really like the school and the teachers. They are kind, patient, and, most importantly, funny. It’s been a very comfortable and enjoyable experience so far. But, it’s still school and most nights we have homework. It kinda rains on my parade a bit.

Monday evening, we returned to the school to learn the Cueca, the official dance of Chile. I don’t have rhythm or hips or feet that know how to do much more than run. Needless to say, there were many giggles. After, we were served a delicious dinner of steak, sausage, potatoes, rice, salad, and, of course, wine.*It was a very fun, and very busy, first day of school.

Tuesday: In the afternoon, Elizabeth and I went with our group to a part of the city where there are many small bookshops. It was very interesting to see that there were many familiar books, Harry Potter, The Babysitter’s Club, Fifty Shade of Grey (ew), that had been translated into Spanish. In many ways, Santiago is very Americanized** and this little trip reinforced that.

We also walked through one of the city parks. Santiago has many city parks and many individuals who bike, run, or perform other activities outside. Though it is winter here, during the day it is still warm enough to enjoy the outdoors. It is also very common to see couples in the park. I won’t elaborate but if you don’t like PDA in the States then don’t move to Chile. There are couples everywhere and they don’t care if you are watching.

Wednesday: This was possibly the longest day of the week. After classes we toured the city with one of the teachers of ECELA as our guide. It was very interesting to learn about the city over the course of three hours. When we were finished, I felt like there was so much more I needed to see. I could elaborate further, but I’ll let the pictures speak for me.

On Wednesday nights at a club called Mito Urbana, there are free drinks (Pisco, a type of Chilean brandy that is mixed with Coke or Sprite, and beers) for gringos starting at 11:00. Of course we had to go. When in Chile…

It was very fun, full of dancing and great conversations with friends, but Elizabeth and I decided not to stay out too late because of school the next day.

Thursday: However, in the morning, I was still exhausted. Thursday became Elizabeth and my day of rest. We returned from classes, did some homework, wrote in our journals (also in Spanish)***, and watched Autos (aka Cars dubbed in Spanish) on a local TV station. We both needed a low-key night, especially after many long days and a somewhat late night at Mito.

Friday: Along with some of the other girls, Elizabeth and I decided to visit one of Santiago’s malls. This was wonderful, except we needed to take the subway to get there. The problem with the subway is that Santiago is a huge city and many people rely on the subways for transportation. Needless to say, we were packed in like a can of sardines and had to hop on in pairs because our group was too big to travel together. One pair of girls didn’t exit the subway at the right stop, but on the bright side, they said they still enjoyed their day of unexpected explorations.

I wish I could say I liked the mall, but I didn’t. Seriously, so much American crap. Forever 21, Lush, H+M, KFC, McDonald’s, Applebee’s, and so many others. I will say, the arrangement of the mall was very cool. Each floor had a theme so the stores on that floor pertained to it. There was one floor just for women’s clothes, purses, accessories, etc. If I wanted to buy cheap, American, mall garbage that I could just as easily purchase at the Orchard Mall while in Santiago, I would’ve lived there.

Finally, we concluded our first “work-week” in Chile with a girls’ night out at one of the local bars. It’s always a great time with the girls, full of stories and laughs, even when we could communicate only using Spanish.

Saturday and Sunday: This weekend we visited Valparaiso and the Viña del Mar. However, this deserves a post to itself. More to come soon!

Needless to say, it was a great first week in Chile. I truly do love it here. And although I do miss home, I don’t think my feelings can be properly described as homesickness. Rather, it’s that I desire to be in two places at once. Such is the life of a traveler. Such is my life.

Ciao!

“Not all who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

*Side note: It’s very interesting because it is very common to have wine or even juice with dinner however water is never/rarely served. In general, in the U.S.A. it seems we are much more aware of our water intake. I have seen very few people with water bottles. Instead, Chileans drink coffee or tea throughout the sometimes very chilly (haha) days.

**The food, the stores, the clothes, the books, the music, and the movies often come from the States. It makes me very sad that this is the case. I’m all for globalization and helping others advance, however, it should be possible to improve and grow while maintaining strong ties to your own culture. Clearly, Santiago still has roots and traditions that are very different from my own, but in so many ways this place doesn’t feel that different from home. I can’t help but wonder what Santiago would be like without such strong Western influences. I can’t help but wonder how my privileged life as an American has changed this place, this culture.  

***In case I haven’t mentioned it yet, before coming to Chile all of the students in the MLC group signed Spanish only contracts. The only time I use English is when I call home or communicate with people back at home via computers or my phone… Or the occasional time I totally forget to use Spanish. This is a very common occurrence when I first wake-up in the mornings… Whoops.