San Pedro de Atacama

Last week, I went to the driest desert in the world. It was breathtaking, sometimes literally, being that we were at a high elevation and I found myself climbing sand dunes several times throughout the trip.
This trip was a perfect final experience with my gringo group, and it included bits of beauty (sunset at Valle de la Luna), relaxation (sitting with Allison eating thin crust pizza with cold beer), studying (apparently the days until finals still keep counting down when you're on vacation), and even pushing myself to extremes (after panicking on top of a large sand dune, I boarded down it).
The only downside: I messed up my Dad's camera while sandboarding, when I wiped out and sand got in the lens.

Valle de la Muerte

Apparently, there are flamingos in the desert.

Also, a shit ton of salt.

The hat club

Getting our gear for sandboarding

Guess what I have to say...

MORE PROTESTS! But this time they are peaceful and slightly comical to me, the gringa. I promise you that more has been going on in Santiago, sorry I'm bad at updating.

I think Allison's blog (odas.tumblr.com) describes the current protests well:

70,000 students
took to the streets on thursday, continuing the protest about the Chilean education system. 70,000! more and more universities and colegios are going on strike everyday.
also, the tomas (takeovers) that i mentioned in the last post are even more absurd and wonderful and organized than i previously realized. these are generally happening in colegios, the grade schools, and the students took over the schools for at least the duration of this week, and have been staying over inside the buildings overnight to prevent the administration from taking the buildings back over. all day long, they run workshops and educational sessions inside for their own classmates. they take the desks and chairs out of the buildings, and stick their legs through the schools’ fences or put them on the roof of the building. only students who present a valid student id card to the student guard corps at the gate can go in and out.
we walked by several tomas on the way home thursday night around 11:30, and the student guards were still at the ready, and pitching their message to everyone walking by.
there’s also supposedly a team of students who have been running around La Moneda, the government center, carrying a flag, with the goal of running constantly with the flag for some thousands of hours. the idea is: while some might say it’s impossible to reform the Ministry of Education, some might also say it’s impossible to run for 12,000 straight hours around the palace. but that we can work together to achieve the impossible.

 

 A few additions on my part:
-I have not been going to Ingles Abre Puertas...but my students aren't in toma, they're just on your average ol' strike. While I think that the tomas show a level of sophistication and commitment that make it apparent the kids care about their education, the strike at Liceo 7 strikes me (haha, get it?) as the girls just being lazy and not caring whether they have school or not.

-My friend works at a different school, that is in toma. She didn't get the message. So she goes to the school, where a 10 year old boy stops her at the gate and says she can't go in the school. She doesn't understand, and argues. "Hold on," the boy says (though in Spanish, obvio), "I'll go get my supervisor." Much to my friend's surprise, his "supervisor" is a 13 year old girl who has taped a silver security badge to her colegio uniform.

I would love to get an inside peek of a toma, but alas, I am not a Chilean high school student.
Instead I'm stuck with a sinus infection and several exams coming up. Don't worry though--I'm on the mend after a visit to a Chilean clinic (which is a really a huge private hospital, apparently) where I was prescribed antibiotics.

NEXT WEEK: San Pedro de Atacama =)

More protests, and this time shit gets real.

This morning I left my university to use the metro to get to work, to find that a huge (peaceful) march was taking over the entire Alameda (Santiago's main avenue), and thus the entrance to metro was closed. Buses were obviously not passing by since the protesters took up the whole street. I went back to school and studied for an hour, after calling work and explaining the situation.

The march, which the news says was somewhere between 15,000 and 30,000 people (depending on what report you're looking at), was mainly university students. From my limited understanding, they are protesting against public universities becoming privatized, and fear that this causes the cost of education to go up. Students are also complaining about having to take out loans for college which take years to repay. I know you all are probably rolling your eyes, since we face this at a much higher cost in the United States. But, I think it's great that the people value their education so much and see it as a right.

Anyway, on to where my story gets intense: An hour after my first try, I reasoned that the march had probably passed and went back to use the metro. The streets appeared empty of people (and oddly empty of cars), and I was confused why the metro still was not open. As I stood there staring, trying to figure out why they wouldn't just open the gates, I heard screaming and looked up to see people running down the Alameda, toward me, ducking in to the bus stops and side streets as a tank with a water cannon came down the road spewing water on the protesters. I quickly ducked down a couple stairs of the metro (if only I could have just gone in the metro!) as people ran. There were also some guys in black bandanas breaking glass at the bus stop beside me. When it seemed that people had stopped panicking, I left the stairs and quickly went to a bench on Ejercito, the street my university is on. From there I watched for about half an hour.

The water cannons were followed by an endless stream of cops: on horses, on foot, in vans, in tank-like-vehicles. Small groups of protesters continued but I didn't see any more violence. Then, however, a large group of cops on horses had on protective masks and so did the horses. I barely had time to guess what was happening next when it did happen: the carabineros (police) tear gassed the crowds. People began running down Ejercito coughing and crying. I was lucky that I did not feel the full effects--my eyes stung and for a moment I had trouble breathing but it was definitely not at the level that most of the protesters must have experienced.

Finally, the chaos moved on. It didn't end, but it continued down the Alameda and I was left free to use the metro and overwhelmed.

I wish I had had a video camera, because I don't think my explanation does the situation justice. It was bizarre, scary, and a bit saddening to see it happen. While I know that some protesters got violent, I saw water cannons and watched people get tear gassed without having done anything but march peacefully. It's one thing for the police to intervene amongst those that aren't protesting peacefully--but from what I saw the water cannons and tear gas seemed excessive and abusive.

On a related note, I just love that Chileans protest in the streets! They were the past couple weeks too about hydroelectric dams the government wants to put in Patagonia that are really destructive to the environment (that's the extraordinarily short version of that story). From what I hear, Chileans are the most mellow of the Latin American countries when it comes to speaking up for their rights, but I just wish that people in the United States could find even a fraction of the energy that these people have to participate in politics.

Familia, Comida, SOUR CREAM APPLE PIE!

Yesterday Al, Naty, and I made some homey USA food for Cecilia, Ines & Ramon (Al's host parents), and Pancho (Naty's boyfriend). Al and Naty had a lot of fun the night before and as a consequence lunch got pushed back and a little stressful. Allison was running around the kitchen like a maniac while Naty danced up a storm to Adele, and somehow it all got done and was a huge success. Allison's mac&cheese tasted like home, Naty's peas & mushrooms managed to make the meal at least seem healthier, and we even had a Caesar Salad (which is, in fact, American. I looked it up!). I also made my personal Camp Broadstone favorite, Sour Cream Apple Pie. Cecilia loved it so much, that since we had an extra pie crust, she made me write out the recipe in Spanish and she gave it a try today to serve at onces! It was super rico, as always. It was nice to cook something for a change, and now that Ceec isn't terrified of me using her kitchen I think I'll cook more frequently. Next on the menu: American pancakes with real maple syrup (Cecilia has a bottle of it as a gift from a previous student).

Right now the whole family (well, minus Matias' family that lives in Peru) is over having a great time. Eugenio's daughters are brushing his hair (he doesn't seem very happy about it, but is being patient), Gabriela and I have been quizzing Cristobal for his anatomy test on bones and muscles in English (it's a little difficult to get him to say muscles without pronouncing the 'c'), and Cecilia is picking on her youngest son, Tomas, like always. It's nice to have them over here because it's a rarity and Cecilia is always so happy around her sons and grandchildren.

I have a cold, AGAIN. I also have more stress over school than I should. But overall, I can't help but be content. I have amazing friends here and a loving host mom. Everything here is perfect, and at the same time I'll be ready to get back to my other amazing friends and family in less than 2 months. All my experiences here have confirmed that I'm doing things right in my life. I love Spanish, I adore teaching high schoolers, and I pride myself on how open minded I have been to all these new encounters.

All I can say, really, is that I'm fooping. I'll have to explain that one later.

I don't have to work because of a few mice?

Well, I arrived to work today to find the school surrounded by police and news stations' vans. Turns out that the students and parents are protesting because some students claim to have seen mice in the school (not sure if it's true or not...) and now they are saying the school is "unclean." They're running around outside the school with whiskers painted on their faces. Technically classes are still going on but the school is practically empty, and the exasperated English teachers said I could go home and hopefully things will be back to normal on Wednesday.

When I got home and explained to Cecilia, she wasn't surprised. Protests like this are very common in Chilean schools. In Chile in general, I suppose. I think it's great that the kids are allowed to protest...but in this particular instance I think it's ridiculous and it's really a shame that they are depriving themselves of their education for a free day (well 2 so far, the protest started on Friday) to complain about some mice that may or may not exist. If only they could see the size of the rats at American, they would be picketing in the streets there too...

Rapa Nui/Isla de Pascua/Easter Island

On Friday, after a 5 hour plane ride from Santiago, I arrived at one of the most remote islands in the world, Rapa Nui. I had read about the rich history and myths, and was excited to see the moai (bigheads-pictured below) and learn more about the theories of where the indigenous groups came from and how they made and transported the amazing works of stone. In this excitement, it didn’t strike me until we got there that I was on a tropical island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean!!!!! For lack of a better description, I felt like I was in LOST.

The island was peaceful and perfect. I had a lot of alone time and a lot of friend time, the perfect mix. On Saturday we went to the most beautiful beach and I was in so much awe I forgot to put sunscreen on my back! I don’t think I’ll bore you all in this blog about everything I enjoyed and learned on the island—so let’s just talk if you want to know more. For now, here are a few pictures:

Comida de Chile (FOOD!)

You all know my feelings on food. I take a basic necessity and turn it in to an all out addiction. It may not always be healthy, but my openness to eat CONSTANTLY has provided me with awesome cultural experiences in Chile! This food obsession of mine means that this post is probably just part one in a series about food, food, food.

So for now I'll spare you from details of my host mom's homemade spaghetti sauce or the local bar's delicious burger and just tell you about some basic comida chilena.

1. Empanadas. Delicious, savory, stuffed pastries. The typical Chilean stuffing is called "pino" and consists of ground beef, onions, 1 hard boiled egg, and 1 olive (which I always pick out and give to a friend). Here's a picture of my half eaten favorite in Pomaire:

2. Completos/Italianos. Hot dogs. Doesn't sound too cultural, does it? The Chilean part is the excessive amount of condiments--palta, tomatoes, mayonnaise, ketchup, salt, etc etc. The best are gigantes (meaning 2 hots dogs long!) near my school, where you can find them for a mere 500 pesos (about a dollar).

I'll post more pictures as I take them (but it's so hard to pause for a picture when the food is right there!), but beyond my 2 favorite staples listed above, I have also tried humitas-some kind of corn mixture (very filling) that is good with sugar on top, cazuela- a traditional Chilean soup in which you may encounter an entire corn cob, chunk of meat, and whole potato, porotos- white bean soup, and charquican-I don't even know what is in it completely but I can say there are corn and potatoes and this dish of what appears to be mush is delicious!

Oh I almost forgot....Any kind of meat you want--A LO POBRE!

This happens to be congrio (king clip fish) a lo pobre. More common is lomo a lo pobre or pollo a lo pobre. As you can see, the meat is served on a bed of cooked onions, with fries, and a fried egg to top it all off. It's ridiculously disgusting, and ridiculously yummy. I like to break the yolk over it all and add some ketchup to the fries. Mmmm.

Cascadas y Playas, a great end to a wonderful weekend

Well, hiking the active volcano didn't work out...but hey, I guess I can settle for an extinct one on Easter Island next weekend!

On Sunday we finished up the weekend with a tour of the region and relaxation in some hot springs. Here are a few pictures as promised. Overall the weekend was amazing. It was a great group of friends and a beautiful place.

Ojos de Caburga

La Playa Blanca

Las Termas (Hot Springs)

Volcan Villarica!!

Pucón Part One

Dearest friends,

My hostal has internet and since there is so much to talk about I figure I´d make a quick update. Forgive any typos, I´m not used to the Spanish keyboard!

Wednesday night we took a 10 hour bus ride south to pucón, located in the lake district of Chile. The bus was actually quite comfy and I got decent sleep. Our hostal here is cheap and cozy. The owner, Claudio, is a pleasant older man who is also arranging for us to climb a volcano this weekend. It´s weather dependent so there are no guarantees but I hope it works out. There is also Juan Pedro, who lives and works here. He keeps the fires in the living room going and is just generally awesome and helpful, as well as good entertainment.

Which we definitely appreciated last night, when Pucón experienced a HUGE thunderstorm complete with the entire city losing power for the whole night! We were in a restaurant eating Mexican food in the dark when something happened and water started gushing through the wall. We quickly paid the bill and stepped through a large puddle to leave. We then basically swam back to the hostal as all the streets were flooded. We hung up our drenched clothes by the fire and spent the night cozying up with some pisco and good conversation.

Today was rainy but less so with some sunny spots in between. We walked around, went shopping, and Allison and I went to a cute cafe where we had amazing coffee, muffins, and medias lunas (little croissants).Tonight Allison is going to lead the charge in cooking an amazing spaghetti dinner. This is turning out to be a cute and relaxing weekend, though I might feel differently after hiking an active volcano.

Another update to come with pictures! Happy Easter weekend!

Carrete en el campo!

This weekend I was invited by Natalia (who was invited by her Chilean pololo, Francisco) to go to a party in "el campo." El campo means the country, and santiaguinos use it to refer to any place that is not in the city. Going to el campo is extremely popular for the weekends since most love breaks from the crowded metro and smog.

This place wasn't too far by car and we got there early so Francisco could help set up. It was perfect to be outside in the woods with a system of speakers blasting music. As soon as the party got going I was having the time of my life. Even before the party picked up I was having fun with the wonderful group of gringos. I talked with a lot of Chileans throughout the night and between the pisco and the Spanish I was constantly reminded that I am in an amazing country =)

We crashed in a tent, made for four but let's just say Natalia is small and we like to cuddle. Though I might have drooled on Cody's back and Natalia's arm during the night, I got a good sleep after dancing myself to absolute exhaustion. I woke up in the early morning in that awkward light right before the sun comes out, and it was a perfect moment where I was warm from all the spooning and cold from the morning air and just so content to be exactly where I was. I was feeling appreciative the whole night.

I can't say I'm equally as appreciative and happy about the tests I have coming up this week, but I'm cutting the week short and heading to Pucon in just 3 days! My life is marvelous.

We're outdoorsy for sure. And should also be models.

The creators of our humble abode proud of their accomplishment

I CAN ALWAYS SEE THE MOUNTAINS AND IT IS AWESOMEEEE

Inglés Abre Puertas

Anyone who used to read this blog has probably given up on me. You may be thinking that life is boring here and I have nothing to write about, but on the contrary I am having the time of my life and that’s what makes it so hard to keep up!

For now, I’ll write about my new internship! Inglés Abre Puertas (English Opens Doors) is a program run by the Ministry of Education in the Chilean government that puts native English-speaking volunteers in to public schools to help teachers and students in English classes.

I work at an all-girls colegio in Providencia (conveniently right between home and school!). It’s like a high school, but it starts with 7^th grade—so the girls I work with range from 12 to 18 years old.

I’ve only had one day, but the new job is already fantastic! The teachers and students are so happy to have me and are very welcoming. Arriving at noon, I first spent some time with the 7^th graders helping them learn new words and bonding over our mutual love for Justin Bieber (don’t judge me). Then I had lunch with the teachers—a great opportunity to practice my Spanish. There are also two student teachers that studied last year in North Carolina at UNC-Greensboro, so we talked about Cookout and Southern hospitality. After lunch, I got some time with the 9^th graders (here it is called Primero Medio). They laughed at my Spanish but ultimately complimented me and said I was doing a good job. I also told them that in the US most public high school students are not required to wear uniforms (here all of the students wear uniforms). I was impressed by their maturity and strong opinions (they like uniforms because it makes them feel equal to one another). Finally, I introduced myself to the 12^th grade (Cuarto Medio) IB English class. They were excited to talk to me but also a little stressed because they have a big grammar test coming up next week!

I can’t believe I only have 3 months at this school! Time here goes by so quickly.

More adventures soon: Carrete en el campo este fin de semana, Pucón for Semana Santa, and 2 weeks from today ISLA DE PASCUA (Easter Island)!!!

8 Comments on Chile

Well, I keep getting pressured to post more frequently coughEmilyandDadcough. I’ve been waiting to write about all of the amazing food I have had here, because I want some pictures to go with that. So, for now, my random thoughts (in no particular order) as a way to procrastinate from reading 80 pages on the economy of Latin America from 1950-1990 (in Spanish).

1. Gringa status comes in handy sometimes. Last night I did not have enough money on my tarjeta BIP to take the bus home. For the first time, I was called out on it. But instead of getting off of the bus, I said, “Disculpe, no entiendo. Más lento, por favor?” (sorry, I don’t understand. Slower please?). The driver laughed at me and waved me on. He even told me to have a goodnight when got off the bus at my stop.

2. My host mom is a saint. She does my laundry, cleans my bathroom, cooks for me at least once a day, and is the sweetest, most patient woman. She ironed my jeans (so unnecessary) and made me plum kuchen (pie) yesterday. She also makes the most wonderful jam I use on my peanut butter sandwiches every day. Yes, she bought me the peanut butter.

3. Naps are acceptable on any day of the week, for whatever reason. I take full advantage of this.

4. There are some wonderful Happy Hour deals in bars across Santiago.

5. They should fix the street dogs. They won’t because of the culture of Catholicism. It’s hard for me to understand.

6. Don’t be surprised if you’re waiting at a stop light and someone puts on a performance for you—gymnastics, juggling, and dancing are common.

7. My first week of classes is done and I was pleasantly surprised by my ability to understand the professors.

8. Life continues. I live in Chile. It’s amazing.

¡Viva La Mujer!

Yesterday I went to a march! And no, I’m not suddenly back in DC. In honor of El Día Internacional de las Mujeres, santiaguinos (and quite a few gringos) went out on the streets and marched for women’s rights.

It was a great experience to see the way another country expresses their voices. What I enjoyed the most about this march was how many MEN were out in the streets! When I’m out supporting women’s rights in the United States I tend to feel like I’m in a pool of lesbians—not the case in Chile (though there were plenty of gay women fighting for their rights too!)! Allison has a theory that it’s because Chilean men love their mothers—and I think her point is valid. While there is still “machismo,” and Catholicism isn’t exactly female friendly, mothers are glorified, and young adults tend to live with their mothers all the way up to 30! While Chile obviously has a long way to go as far as women’s rights, my very limited knowledge leads me to think that when the women fight, their sons will stand with them.

Women’s rights in Chile are such an enigma to me, and it was awesome to get a taste of how some Chileans feel. Abortion is completely illegal here—even in cases of incest, rape, and the mother’s health. As with any country, if you have the money you will find a way around the laws, and the injustice of it disgusts me. While this infuriates me, remembering that Chile was the first Latin American country to elect a woman president is exciting and makes me wonder why the USA is so far behind! I guess just like any country, there is the good and the bad, and we can only strive for the good.

Overall though, I must say that Chile’s level of respect for women has impressed me, and is much better than I expected. I still don’t like being hollered at by every man on the streets here, but I’m happy it’s okay to be an independent and strong woman in Chile!

Contraception to avoid abortion. Legal abortion to avoid death.

No more violence against women

Women let's organize! For all of our rights, for all of our rights now

Abortion is what I want