Tuesday, March 31, 2009

¡Juegue!

The phrase in the title is a ‘chilenismo’ that means to “attack life head-on” or basically carpe diem. Hmm..this is gonna be a long post because there is much that has happened since my last one. I should write more often I know…Bueno, life in Vina has been lovely and would be perfect if not marred by that thing called school. I shouldn’t complain though. I have never liked anything being too easy, and if I know one thing about my self, I know that I love a challenge. Taking classes at my university is just that. I just need to do more readings and participate more and I know I will be fine.

Two weeks ago, there was a huge party sponsored by my university called “la semana mechona.” It was basically freshmaVina 2 002n orientation, but the whole school attends. The university suspended classes at noon and drove everybody out on buses to this really huge country club surrounded by mountains. And then they gave us free food, drinks, and live music. It was a great time during which I discovered the perks of attending a private university in Chile.  At 8, the buses then escorted all of us to a really great dance club called ‘El Huevo’ (egg) in nearby Valparaiso. Huevo was the bomb cause it had four heaving dance floors. One each for reggaeton, 80s, electronic, and salsa. I spent most of my time on the salsa floor and learned some sweet moves. Then some estupido took my jacket, which contained my cell phone, key, and some money. That same night, two of my other friends got robbed- one at knife point. Valparaiso is not the safest place to be at night for sure, but that is not gonna stop me from returning to El Huevo!

This past weekend, there was the Summit of Progressive Leaders right here in Vina del Mar. In attendance were the heads of state of Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Uruguay, UK, Chile (duh), and even Joe Biden! I think that the media consensus is that there was not too much progress made at this ‘progressive’ summit. Oh well…we will just have to wait for this week’s G20.

So to the highlight of this post…while our world leaders were busy aimlessly chatting, I packed up with some amigos and went to Pucon! Pucon is a very touristy adventure town, located a good 11 hour bus ride away from Vina. It was completely worth it, although there was some drama before we even got there. On the last of the three different buses we took on the  way over, some estupido robbed my Canadian friend Chris, taking a backpack which contained the poor guy’s passport, debit card, iPod, homework, and wine. The passport was pretty serious business so some extremely nice men on the bus called the Carabineros (po-po). Lemme tell you..the Chilean police are the nicest I have ever encountered- they were so helpful in helping Chris fill out a report, and they even gave us a ride back to the bus station in a cop car. Yay! Chris said he wanted to go on to Pucon instead of going back to Santiago to apply for a new passport, so off we went. We really didn't have much hope of ever seeing that passport, but wouldn’t you know that the next day, Chris gets a call from the Carabineros saying that they found his passport and debit card!! Craziness…I have no idea how they did that, but they are so damn efficient. I think that Baltimore County po-po could learn something from the Carabineros. Hmm-hmm.

So anyway, our main mission in Pucon was to climb the smoking and rumbling Villarica Volcano, but alas we did not get to because it was raining and cloudy all weekend. But whateva because we found other stuff to do. On our first night, we went on a very long bike ride all around Pucon. It was absolutely great cause I love riding bikes. We even rode out to the beach and saw a lovely Chilean sunset.  Vina 2 030

The next day, it was raining, so we met up with my Kelsey boo and went rafting on some level IV and V rapids. Now lemme remin28 03 09 t alto 043d you that my greatest fear is probably drowning, and that I can’t swim. Nevertheless, I was really excited because it was my first time rafting. Our guide, Gio, was crazy but so funny. I didn’t get real nervous until they told us all to get out of the raft because there was a level VI rapid that the guides alone would be able to maneuver. So we had to get out of the raft, and walk through some forest until we ga28 03 09 t alto 077me upon this cliff which was very very high above the water. And they told us to jump off this crazy cliff into the water and then swim against the current to the raft. And I was thinking, ‘Fuck no!,’ but there was no way to get around it. So I just held on to my lifejacket, made Chris count to 3 for me, and then I jumped in and made it to the raft somehow. I don’t think I will ever forget that and it was definitely my favorite part of the trip. 

I ate very well in Pucon because we cooked some excellent pasta, found some decent falafel, and made some tasty fruit-filled crepes! On Sunday, we decided to just chill, so we went to the Termas Las Pozones (natural hot springs). It was sooo nice to just sit in the steaming hot water for a couple of hours surrounded by beautiful scenery. It was even better because the cold rain drops cooled us off while we were in the water…heaven! Overall, it was an excelente weekend.

Ok. I think that’s all for now. Oh except that there have been at least 1500 mysterious penguin deaths in Southern Chile. That is too sad to end this post with, so I will also report some good news: I just successfully made some of the spiciest vegetable curry ever. I ate it two hours ago, and my stomach is still burning. My mother would be so proud : )

Hasta luego amigos!!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Oh hot damn

So I just finished my first week of classes at UAI. Wow is all I have to say. I think some of these classes have the potential to be really interesting, if only I could understand everything my profs were saying. After playing around with my schedule numerous times, I think I have it: Organizational Behavoir, Finance, Competetive Strategy, Chilean Culture (with the other exchange students), and History of Cinema. My Organizational Behavoir prof is just a naturally fast talker; and I can't understand anything my Cinema prof says cause he has a nasally voice but watching old movie clips is cool so I'm not dropping that class. Really the only class that might be easy is my Competitive Strategy one because the teacher himself was an exchange student once and he told me that he knows what it feels like.

I am really not ready to participate in class yet because I don't know if I could think of what to say fast enough and all the Chilean kids around me talk really fast and they have their own slang that I don't know yet, so I just look down and doodle. I just don't want to say something that's already been repeated, you know, but because participation is part of my grade for every class, I guess I have no choice. Also for the first time ever, I actually HAVE to do my readings because I these reading tests called "controles de lecturas" every other week in every class. Bummer, but I guess I will have to do some work. Lemme just say that here, I don't think I could ever work and study like I do in DC. I just never have enough time. Tonight, I actually took a night off from going out just so I could sleep a bit.

I wasn't going to take the Chilean Culture class at first because it also includes a review of Spanish grammer and I feel like I've been reviewing grammer for so many years, but I decided to take it so that I could go out with the others after class : ) The Australians decided that from now on, all Tuesday nights would be Tetris Tuesday just because it's an internationally-renowned game, but we don't actually play it. This past Tuesday after class, we had an awesome pancake night and oh my god, I need to walk to school more often. Right now, I am taking a colectivo (a shared Taxi), and I think they are a great idea. One ride is like $0.80. My university is like an hour walk from me, but it is a very nice walk.

It is really interesting but frustrating at times to see how the school system differs here. The students don't buy books here because they are so expensive. You just need to go to the library and make copies or some professors put them online. One professor actually told us that we have to come in on Friday and he will put our readings on some random computer on campus and we just need to download them onto a zip-drive. I was like 'wtf?' But I guess that's how it's done. My Bolivian room mate told me that in Bolivia, the students just go to the streets and buy their books illegally. Also she said that there are no Blockbusters in Bolivia because everybody just buys pirated copies. My room mate from Ecuador told me that before McDonalds entered Ecuador, there was already a fake McDonalds in the country so there were some major legal problems there. I thought that was so interesting...

I really love getting to know all the other exchange students from around the world. I spend a lot of time speaking English with them though and I know that this needs to change. Me and my Lebanese friend Maria are making a pact to speak only in Spanish after Monday (hopefully we will not fail). I think I need to get to know more Chileans though. They are really nice people. Even the other day, I was looking at some cheese at the grocery store, and this guy just comes over and starts recommending some cheeses to me. Que bueno!

I have it REALLY easy here. Some people would not consider this a "true study abroad experience" I guess. I know it's not Egypt or Kenya. I really didn't have any Culture Shock and I don't think I'll be going through all the phases or anything. I mean right now, the apartment I am living in is SUPER sweet. I have a beautiful view of the ocean from my balcony, fully-furnished, less than half of what I would pay in DC for something far less luxorious. I sometimes look around and I am like "Why am I so blessed?" Also my cook/maid Marlen is the bomb. She can make a mean omelette and she is like a mother to me even though she has to repeatedly clean up my very very messy room. I really like her : )

Yesterday, I decided to have a party at my place and a lot more people showed up than I thought (this has happened before), and I guess it got too loud because the neighbors (next door and below) threatened to call the Chilean po-po. Holy shit. But I love my room mates because they didn't care and they were completely fine with it.

This past weekend, my Kelsey boo came to visit. It was a beautiful sunny Saturday so we went to the beach and she got red. hahahaha. I love seeing her though, and I took her to two big parties and we came back in the wee hours of the morning but it's all good. But at one point, we both were just like "This is so weird, being in freakin CHILE with you." We also saw Dania, and that was great because Dania is great and I took them to eat some empanadas and they were great too.

The other day, I realized that I really like Vina and I really wished that I had come a semester earlier so I could have studied here for a year. Alas, there are classes that I need to take at AU as a senior, so that's not going to happen. I love it here and I am very happy. I also feel really safe (I know my mother was worried about this, but I told her that I feel safer here than I feel in Baltimore sometimes).

One scary incident though: one night we went to the international club here Cafe Journal and 5 minutes after I left with a group of friends, another group decided to leave. There was one Indian- French guy in this group, and this freaking Neo-Nazi comes up to him and starts picking a fight. Some of the French dudes tried to talk to the guy, but then he pulls out a knife, and this Chilean guy standing nearby, just tells them all to run. So they keep running and this Neo-Nazi is just chasing after them, but finally like after 2 miles, they lose him. Scaryyy. Apparently there are many Neo-Nazis in Vina because there was a mass migration of Germans to Chile at one point in history (not like all Germans are Nazis or anything). I should have known because I've noticed some graffiti with Nazi symbols. I just need to watch my back at night and not walk alone. But yea, otherwise I feel safe.

Random fact: When you sneeze once, Chileans say "Salud" (health), twice- "Amor" (love), thrice- "Dinero" (monayyy). I love this.

Monday, March 2, 2009

La escuela?....no!

I seriously can not believe that it is already time to go back to school. Although I also feel like I have been on the longest winter break of my life. I really have enjoyed these past two weeks here. I will put up pictures someday. Today I'm supposed to move out of my hostel and into my apartment, and I am super excited to have some permanent housing. I also want to stop eating out twice a day. I really liked staying at the hostel though and sharing a room with a different backpacker every night. It's really cool to just go out and hear where they have been traveling and stuff. A couple of nights ago, a big group from my hostel decided to go out to this club/bar, and we stayed out til at least 5. It was so much fun, but once again the music was driving me crazy. I just keep wondering how a crowd in a club back home would react if the DJ started spinning KC and the Sunshine Band. I was actually so happy when I heard Rihanna that I started dancing on the table. Talking about KC, I saw him in concert last Tuesday at the International Song Festival. This is the biggest concert in Latin America literally. But it's not like I went to see KC because JUANES was performing!! Oh my god, he was so good, and he got everyone in the crowd dancing. It was such a good time.

My orientation day was today at the University. And I can not believe it, but I think I might be the only U.S. exchange student, which I actually think is pretty awesome. You would not believe the number of German students, and French ones! I am seriously going to be fluent in both (along with Spanish) by the time I come here. Other than the Germans and French, there is a small group from Switzerland, Canada, and Australia. This should be exciting if not very entertaining. I really can't wait to meet my future roommates though because I want to practice my Spanish more, and one is from Ecuador and 2 from Bolivia. My Spanish has gotten heaps better in the past week, just because it has had to get better or else I wouldn't be able to talk to anybody because almost none of the natives speak English, which is fine with me.

During this past week, I went to Valparaiso with 3 friends from Germany and Lebanon. The city is a good 40 minute walk from here. It's a very charming city when you get to the hills, but the city below is not very nice or safe. In the hills, there are really colorful buildings and many museums. We went to the home of the Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda, and I decided that I was going to live in it cause it was so cool. It had so many cool rooms and little nooks everywhere. I also went to the mall in Vina and it might be the biggest mall I ever seen, after Arundel Mills of course. It has so many American stores, and also a Dunkin Donuts!!!!! I don't think you realize how happy I was when they actually had a lemon donut..que rico!

All in all, I have been actually kinda dissapointed with the food here. They love these huge hot dogs and hamburgers with all these gross toppings on them, like this weird mayonnaise and gaucamole (I don't like guac). And it's been difficult to maintain my vegetarianism over here, but I've managed with the help of the humble empanada de queso..a kind of pastry that is filled with cheese and is also very cheap. Yay! The girls in my apartment have hired a cook, so hopefully said cook will prepare some healthier food for me. Also my apartment is so cheap (compared to the states). It's like $250 dollars a month plus the cook and the cleaning lady they also hired. I am going to be so lazyyy.

Well it has been cold for a couple of days now, and I didn't really bring many warm clothes, so I actually got sick, which is very rare for me. Also my neck hurts like whoa, and I know exactly why even though I did not tell my mother this. It was probably all the headbanging I did to the 80s music at the club, and boy am I paying for it now.
OK it is a beautiful day today, so I am going. Maybe I will update again later : ) Ciao