¡Feliz Cumpleaños Chile!

I gotta say, these Chileans really know how to celebrate a holiday. I haven’t had school since September 8th and don’t have to go back until September 21st. Why? Because September 18th is Chile’s 200th birthday, which obviously requires an entire week of celebration. Last week in class I taught the kids about our Independence Day compared to theirs; they couldn’t believe we only celebrate for one day… they actually felt sorry for me haha.

Given my abundance of free time, I’ve decided to take a little trip down south for a few days. I’m meeting my buddy Melissa in a city called Antofagasta and then travelling with her to San Pedro de Atacama. San Pedro is supposed to be a really beautiful spot in the Atacama Desert (according to Google). From what I understand, it not only has some really neat salt flats, geysers, and valleys – it also has some randomly displaced flamingos and llamas that run free. And I might actually get to go horseback riding in the desert; as much as West Texas might seem like a barren desert sometimes, this will definitely be a new experience for me.

Last Friday I made my host family a Mexican food feast (thanks to my wonderful care package from Grandmary). Since I didn’t have the right type of chili to make enchilada sauce, I ended up making them a kind of taco casserole. They seemed to really enjoy it, but I think they were a little overwhelmed by the presence of actual flavor. Needless to say, I’m missing food from home.

I’ve been talking with one of the other volunteers here, and I think I’m going to plan a trip to Machu Picchu for the beginning of November since it would be cheaper to leave from Iquique than Santiago. If that works out, then I will probably only hit up Argentina (and maybe Uruguay) when my program ends on November 24th. So, there is a distinct possibility that I will be back in Texas for Christmas… which also means that there is a distinct possibility you will get to buy me a Christmas gift :-).

In other news, Mateo went to the groomers and was completely shaved. Now he’s about a third of his previous size, which means that all of his sweaters are too big and make him look like he has an eating disorder. I’ve uploaded photos of Mateo as well as some from my wanderings around Iquique. You can look at them on my online album at http://carolineenlaciudad.photoshop.com/. Just click the album called “Iquique!” to see what I’ve been up to. You can also check out the album called “Video of Cueca” to watch a video of Chile’s national dance that I filmed at a folk-dance festival. It's an especially entertaining video since one of the dancers gets a little too fancy with his footwork and actually wipes out at the end. Enjoy!

I suppose I should start packing for my trip now, seeing as how I leave in about 5 hours. Rest assured that upon my return I will have plenty of photos and stories from my trip to San Pedro, and hopefully even a tan. So, until next time, here’s the philosophical question of the day:

Why don't sheep shrink in the rain?

-Caroline
Advisor Abroad in Chile

"Por favor, Bob necesita su ayuda."

Guaco (my host mom) is holding the cake,
 and Danny (host sister) snuck into the background.

So the birthday party that my host family threw me was fantastic. Not only were they able to find decorations that actually said “Happy Birthday” (not “Feliz Cumpleaños”) but they made me tacos and got me a huge birthday cake (filled with my new favorite food called manjar – a dulce de leche that will knock your socks off). When it came time to sing Happy Birthday, my host-sister’s boyfriend pulled a guitar out of nowhere and I was serenaded. I fully expect my friends to learn how to play guitar so that next year I can be serenaded for my birthday yet again… I’m talkin’ to you Petross and Utley.

I felt like a little Gringa princess on my birthday...
they really went all out.

Nothing too notable happened last week at school. I taught the different names of animals and had the students play Animal Pictionary. Probably the most entertaining part of this game was being asked by the kids how to say “chupacabra” in English. This week’s lesson isn’t so easy: I’m teaching how to give and take directions so that they would be able to find their way around an English-speaking city. I drew a map of a little city that I shamelessly named “Carolineville” so that they can give directions to my friend Bob (a poorly drawn little man driving a blue sports car that is also poorly drawn). Occasionally Bob makes it to his destination with the student’s help, but mostly he spends the class getting directions shouted at him in Spanish since the students have a hard time understanding Bob isn’t bilingual. We’re still working on the whole English part of learning English…

Carolineville and the forever-lost Bob...

So, I came to Chile with the idea that after the program ends on November 24 I would spend the month of December travelling through other parts of South America. Forever the optimist, I was just sure that I would be able to hit up Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Argentina, Ecuador, and even Uruguay if I was feeling sassy. When I was in Europe I was able to go all over the place because airfare there was so darn cheap, so I just assumed that it would be the same in South America. Turns out South America is a little bit bigger than Europe; a plane ticket from Buenos Aires to Lima costs about $400 on a good day. So needless to say, I’m in the process of revising my plans. Once I have some set in stone, I’m sure I’ll update the ole’ blog to complain about how expensive everything is, so get excited!

Gracias a Dios, now I have a candle!

Yesterday I got my first care package from home. Nothing can make a crummy day turn right around like a care package. My wonderful stepmother and father sent me an enormous box full of things to make my room cozier; now my walls are rocking some excellent artwork. Plus they sent me candles, which are the best gifts I could ever ask for right now – as much as I adore the ball of fluff that is Mateo, he tends to leave a puppy stench behind that room spray struggles to mask.

Overall I’m starting to get comfortable in my new home here. I no longer have a panic attack when a curious taxi driver strikes up a conversation with me – my Spanish has gone into survival mode and I don’t have nearly as hard of a time understanding everyone now (even though it’s still no walk in the park). My day-to-day has settled into a comfortable pattern that allows time for my favorite part of Latin culture: siestas. I also have started going to a little gym that is a hilarious hodge-podge of equipment from the past 30 years (including some really excellent posters of Arnold Schwarzenegger in his glory days which threaten to “Pump You Up”). I don’t really go for the equipment though; there is an aerobics class called “Fight-Do” which is a scary mix of boxing and karate that made me hurt for a solid 3 days after I took it, which I think means that it was good. The only drawback is that the music in the class is played at concert-level decibels and could very possibly damage my hearing… but no pain no gain, right?

Ok well it’s getting late, and since I’m waking up every morning at 6:30 am (which I know is hard for my family to believe) I better tuck in. So, until next time, here’s the philosophical question of the day:

If a mute swears, does his mother wash his hands with soap?

-Caroline

Advisor Abroad in Chile

**Update: I just went to the gym to what I thought was another Fight-Do class. About 30 minutes into it, I was utterly confused by the abundance of hip-shaking and the sheer lack of air-punching. Turns out I unknowingly showed up to a “RitMix” dance class which showcased all the best steps from Samba, Tango, and Salsa. Yes, that’s right: I was forced to dance in front of a room full of wonderful Latin dancers. I’m probably the most rhythmless person I have ever met. The teacher (a sassy little man in neon spandex) kept pointing me out to the rest of the class to demonstrate how not to do things… it was lovely. However, the absolute highlight of my week came at the end of our class during our cool-down: our teacher instructed us in a “sexy dance” to a Shania Twain song that involved us slinging our jackets over our shoulders. Best cool-down ever. Needless to say, I definitely double checked that tomorrow’s 4 pm class would actually be Fight-Do…

"Simon dice toca tu nariz... otra vez"

Today is my 23rd birthday. Yes, it’s my first birthday away from the States, but I have a feeling that I won’t be feeling any homesickness because of it. My host family has decided to throw me a party tomorrow with tacos because they know how much I love Mexican food. On top of that, I might be making a little trip to the Casino tonight; it’s a proven fact that people are 47% more lucky on their birthdays :-) . Plus the Casino here is super inexpensive by US standards; last time I went, I only took out about $10 in coins and only lost about $2 after 3 hours of gambling… and that’s with a significant amount of losing.
This past weekend I went to a town about 2 hours away from Iquique called Pica. Overall it was a very relaxing weekend, save the presence of an inquisitive 8 year old (the granddaughter of my co-teacher) who didn’t understand the concept of “speak slowly for the Gringa because her Spanish isn’t the best”. It was interesting to go on a road trip in the desert; sure, I know that deserts are supposed to be dry, but good grief – there was nothing but sand, hills, and more sand. Also, this desert (the Atacama Desert to be precise) is the driest in the world – there are some places that have no recorded rainfall in history. Seriously.

So far school has been going well. Last week we worked on learning parts of the body. Of course, no Parts of the Body lesson would be complete without singing “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes” and a game of “Simon Says”. Over the course of the week, I probably sang that song over 100 times; it will be years before I can bring myself to sing it again. Also, Simon is permanently retired; he gave out more orders last week than an army drill sergeant and has nothing more to say. Every week I am teaching the kids a new slang word so that they can keep up with the American vernacular like pros. Last week our word was “Sweet!” and this week it was “Dude!” I definitely made sure that they understood the diversity of the word “dude”, as it can be used in anger, confusion, excitement, and utter sorrow. They also enjoyed my impression of Keanu Reeves from “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” as I demonstrated the theatrical application of the word “dude”. I’m still debating over what the slang word next week should be; if any of you have suggestions, let me know.

Ok, well I’m off to go do some shopping and other frivolous activities because it’s my birthday and I’m allowed. So, until next time, here’s my philosophical question of the day:

Is there another word for synonym?

-Caroline
Advisor Abroad in Chile

P.S. – My host family changed Mateo’s sweater this week. As shocked as I was and as much as I miss the plaid, he’s looking quite dapper in his new tan sweater, especially because it is accented with doggie footprints and stripes.

**Update** Last night my family and I went to an aunt's house because one of the cousins was having her birthday too. There was a huge (delicious) strawberry cake that they had made for her, and my family made sure that everyone knew it was my birthday too. After she blew out her candles, they added 1 more candle (because she turned 22) and lit them again. Amazingly, a room of about 20 Chileans started singing "Happy Birthday" to me in English. Absolutely delightful.

Also, I won $10 at the Casino... then I lost it all and had the best time doing it :-)

“Conoces a Miley Cyrus?”

Well, since my last update a lot has happened. Firstly (and most importantly) I found out my placement. I’m in Iquique (woot!) and really like it so far. I’ve been here a week and am definitely relieved to be out of the hostel. When I got here my host family still had another volunteer living with them, so I lived in a hotel for the first 3 days. After a week of sharing space with so many people, it was nice to have a little respite in the hotel. Plus there was a television with cable in my room, which is always a plus.

Mateo and his plaid sweater.

I moved in with my host family last Thursday and couldn’t be happier. I literally struck the host family jackpot: these people are so sweet and are well trained in the art of housing volunteers. I’m their fourth volunteer; they love having volunteers and even have an altar-like corner of their kitchen covered with photos of the past volunteers. I’ve already been informed that I will soon be a part of the volunteer altar as well. The members of my new family are the following: Guacolda (Guaco for short) is the mother. She is a teacher who works at two different schools and, because of this, is super busy during the week. She told me to call her “Mamá” so I definitely feel right at home. Miguel is the father – he works with a concrete company and is also super busy during the day. I have a host sister named Daniela (Danny for short) and she’s 25. She works at Brinks Security and attends a university at night. And, as an added bonus she speaks some English! I also have a host brother named Cristobal who is 23 and is studying mining at the university. Also, we have an abuelita (little grandmother) who lives in a room by the kitchen. I really haven’t seen much of her; she stays in her room all day and watches old movies. Finally, we have Mateo the dog. He’s more of a Dennis the Menace character than anything else: he’s a master thief of socks, shoes, and jewelry. Apparently he’s never been naked a day in his life; he’s been wearing the same plaid sweater ever since he was a puppy. During the daytime there is a maid named Sandra who comes to cook lunch, do laundry, and clean. She’s super nice and was delighted to find out that I’d rather have soup than eat meat everyday.

Where my captive audience sits...

School has been great so far. For the first 4 days I was just observing the classes to see what they were like. Needless to say, classroom dynamics here are a tad different than in the United States; the concept of “sit down and listen” doesn’t really apply. My first day I was a little taken aback because the students were literally walking all over the classroom during the majority of the class; they were talking to their friends and listening to their iPods while Isabel (my co-teacher) was busy yelling at them to shut up and listen. I actually started teaching classes yesterday; I have my own classroom (which is pretty sweet by the way) and only get the 10 best students from every class. So far this system is working out pretty well. So far I’ve surprised myself with how teachery I can be. I’ve even been wearing cardigans that could possibly be described as teacher sweaters (gasp!). Also, all my students think that I have met famous people. I’ve been asked if I know Miley Cyrus, Justin Beiber, Michael Jackson, and the Jonas Brothers at least 40 times.

My desk and white board.

Today at school we had a tsunami drill. At first I didn’t understand that it was a drill and almost had a panic attack; my school is right by the beach and apparently we will only have about 10 minutes after a tsunami advisory to get to higher ground before the tsunami hits. Once the bell sounded, the students knew exactly what to do and took me to the middle of the school where everyone is supposed to meet. It’s comforting to know that the entire school can be ready to get to higher ground in about 2 minutes.

A view of my classroom.

Chile culture is pretty entertaining. Probably my favorite part about their version of Spanish is the fact that they make everything small: bread is not just bread, it’s tiny bread (pancito). They do the same thing to cheese (quesito), tea (tecito), and pretty much everything else (I have been called Carolinita on more than one occasion). Also, they use the word “po” in almost every sentence. What does it mean? Well, nothing really; it kind of gives emphasis to other words though. For example, they like to say “Sí, po”, which I’m pretty sure means “heck yeah”. It’s definitely entertaining to listen to.

My list of rules. Yes, that's right: I am now an authority figure.

This weekend I’m going to a small town by Iquique called Pica with my co-teacher Isabel and her family. They have a house there and I think the plan is just to relax. Apparently it’s a really pretty little town, so I’m sure I’ll have a good time.

I’ve added some pictures from Santiago to my online photo album. You can look at them at http://carolineenlaciudad.photoshop.com/. Once you’re at the website, select the Santiago album and then you can view it in a slide show via the buttons that have little blue squares on them in the lower right side. I haven’t taken too many photos in Iquique yet, but rest assured that some will be posted soon. So, until next time, here’s the philosophical question of the day:

Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice?"

-Caroline

Advisor Abroad in Chile

Orientación…

My first meal in Chile: a sandwich called the Barros Luco.
It's named after a former president who just
loved his meat and cheese sandwiches. He and I have
that in common.

Well, 2 days of Orientation have passed without a hitch. The official name of this program that I’m doing is English Opens Doors (which will henceforth be referred to as EOD) and is put on by the Government of Chile, who is partnered with Cultural Embrace in Austin. The people running EOD are a fun group of Chileans, American ex-pats, and a delightfully random Kiwi from New Zealand. So far Orientation has consisted of several workshops on classroom management and lesson planning (which for a novice like myself will prove to be invaluable).

What wasn’t so fun was today’s presentation on health safety; although super informative, it had to address the nasty little subjects of earthquakes and tsunamis. For those of you who know me well, you know that I have a teensy bit of anxiety when it comes to storms/natural disasters… and when I say teensy, I mean a lot. As a kid, I was the paranoid freak wearing a football helmet while hiding in the hall closet with a handheld radio and a flashlight whenever there was a tornado watch. Turns out I never really got over it (I blame my mother for forcing me to go with her when she was trying her hand as an amateur storm-chaser). Anyways, needless to say that during today’s presentation I was a bit on edge. We were told that there are often earthquake tremors in the north, especially in Iquique – in fact, they had one 2 weeks ago (I think it was a 5.6). They tried to tell us that this was a good thing because it means that the earth is releasing its built up stress regularly instead of being quiet for years and going absolutely nuts like it did in southern Chile in February. Stay tuned for the blog that comes after I experience my first tremor: I have a feeling that I will have a hard time seeing it as a good thing then. They also said that there are several tsunami drills in Iquique over the course of the year without warning so that people will always be on their toes. The blog that I write the day after I’m woken up at 3 a.m. and told to run for the hills should be a delightful read as well.

The view from Melissa's window of her new apartment.
Yeah, those are the Andes.

After Orientation I’ve been able to hang out with the girls that I’m rooming with as well as Melissa, my new friend from Mexico. Luckily, she was able to find an apartment that has an AMAZING view of Santiago (I’m talking postcard worthy). In our free time we’ve mostly been walking around the city while trying new places for meals and sightseeing – I feel like the blisters I’ve gotten from the countless miles that I’ve walked in my new shoes are necessary evils because I’ve seen a lot of Santiago and have eaten really amazing food so far. These Chileans love their meat; Texans can rest assured that they will feel right at home here (not to mention that their national flag is pretty darn close to the Texan flag).

Some of my new friends: Melissa (left) from Mexico and
Amanda (right) from Houston

Since I got here about 2 days before everyone else and have had some time to learn the streets of Santiago, I’ve been elected the unofficial city navigator among my little group of friends. I find this hilarious because I’m never the person who volunteers to carry the map and find out where to go; I’m a very content follower and leave the ‘taking charge’ role to my friends like Emily Quant :-). Even so, I’ve not gotten too terribly lost yet and I’m pretty darn proud of myself. I just can’t get over the fact that people keep asking me how to get places and I actually know… it’s the darndest thing. Also, while going through the streets of Santiago, one can’t help but notice the huge number of stray dogs wandering all over the place. Although this fact makes me pretty sad since it forces me to imagine my Buddy as a jaded little street-wiener, I am comforted by the fact that some dog-loving Chileans have taken it upon themselves to equip about 90% of the street dogs with their own little doggie sweaters so that they can stay warm – these are probably some of the most chic homeless pooches in the world.

Hostel living hasn’t been too bad so far; it’s no Holiday Inn, but it has free internet and hot water so I’m moderately comfortable. There are only 3 girls living with me in this little room and they are all super nice. Even so, living in such close quarters has some drawbacks. Since I know that I’m not someone who can sleep through loud snoring, I came prepared with earplugs. However, there is some snoring so thunderous that even earplugs can’t block it out, and because of this I’m about to take a much-needed siesta. Until next time, here’s your philosophical question of the day:

If God sneezed, what would you say to him?

-Caroline
Advisor Abroad in Chile

¡Estoy aquí!

After a 3 hour flight from Dallas to Atlanta, a 3 hour layover, and a 10 hour flight to Santiago, I finally got here yesterday! And it’s cold. Really cold. Right now it’s about 46˚ and tonight it’s supposed to get down to 28˚. And it’s raining. I have about 4 blankets on my bed right now because the hostel doesn’t have central heating and my bed is right by the window. Considering all the complaining I did about the Texas heat, you would think I would be happy. Turns out that being super cold isn’t all rainbows and hugs either.

I had a really interesting cab ride from the airport. The cab driver picked up on my gringa-tastic Spanish and the fact that it was my first time in Santiago and decided that he could make some money off of me. $80,000 Chilean Pesos seemed a little high to me anyways, but thanks to the tiny calculator in my wallet, I found out that it was about $160 USD for a 20 minute cab ride. That guy really thought that I was an idiot. He even called his boss/fellow con-artist while he was driving so that I would really see that $80,000 was a good rate. I told him I wasn’t paying him any more than $20,000 and that even that was too generous. He told me that he would at least need $30,000 so he wouldn’t get in trouble with his office. Since I just wanted to get the heck out of that cab, I gave it to him. Caroline’s first lesson in Chile: don’t trust the taxi drivers.

After I got here yesterday, I was lucky enough to get a temporary roommate who turned out to be awesome: Melissa from Mexico. She’s in Santiago as part of a study abroad program with her university in Mexico. She and I did some exploring of Santiago yesterday while looking for an apartment for her to rent. It makes me feel so much better that Melissa, a native Spanish speaker, is having a super hard time understanding what these crazy Chileans are saying. Having her around is like having Spanish training wheels; it’s been great exploring Santiago with her. We even tested out the metro, which turned out to be one of the cleanest that I’ve ever been on (it puts Chicago’s to shame). Unfortunately the hostel is full for tonight so she just had to move to another one across town.

Ok, well I’m about to hop in my 2 ft x 2 ft shower before I go explore the city for some lunch. I’m excited about orientation starting soon! But more than anything, I can’t wait to get up north to my new home in (hopefully) Iquique. I’m sure I’ll post another update before the week is over! Here’s the philosophical question of the day:

Before they invented drawing boards, what did they go back to?

-Caroline
Advisor Abroad in Chile

Tarapacá...

Today marks the 2 week countdown until I leave for Chile. Good grief. Every time I start to think about what I should pack, a storm cloud of information overload threatens and my brain goes into self-preservation mode (which typically results in a nap). Rather than focusing on silly things like packing, I’ve chosen to be productive in ways that don’t require me to think too much. For example, I will inevitably need several new playlists on my iPod, and choosing new music is not a task that should be taken lightly. Also, I decided to get my International Driver’s Permit just in case I need to rent a car. After my Russia fiasco, I’ve decided that it’s best to have as many transportation options as possible while traveling.

A View of Iquique... I really want to be placed there!!!

I just got an email from the Chilean Ministry of Education saying that my regional placement in Chile is in the Tarapacá Region. Since I was thinking that it was going to be in the Atacama region, I’ve not bothered to learn about any of the other regions. I just did some frantic Googling and learned a little bit about the region thanks to the always useful Wikipedia. It’s located in the “Big North” of Chile and is divided into 2 provinces. Since I don’t know exactly which town I’ll be in until I go to orientation in Santiago, I can only guess where I’ll end up. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I end up in the town of Iquique. It’s the capital of the region and seems to be pretty awesome. It’s located right on the water and seems to be metropolitan and very well developed. I don’t mind small cities, but I’d much prefer to be in a bigger one; mostly because it would be more likely to have a movie theatre, which is always nice if I’m feeling homesick.

My book on Chilean Spanish... really entertaining

I’ve gotten very lazy with my Spanish practice and I just know that I will regret it once I get off the plane in Santiago. I bought a book of Chilean Spanish called “Chilenismos”. As far as I can tell, Chilean Spanish is going to eat me alive. Although the book is full of super entertaining Chilean slang (especially the section labeled “The Profane and Sexual”… I’m not proud of the amount of giggling I did), the introduction of the book didn’t serve to boost my Spanish confidence. It says that Chilean Spanish is so difficult to understand that most native speakers have trouble understanding it. It even says that oftentimes Chilean movies have standard Spanish subtitles when they are released into other Spanish-speaking countries. Although the Spanish Department at Baylor was more than wonderful, I don’t think it has prepared me for what I’m about to encounter…

So, the next time you will get an update from me will probably be when I get to Santiago since I'm about to go into a panicked preperation mode for Chile while attempting to re-learn high school math for the GRE. Rest assured that these entries will be much more frequent and entertaining once I have interesting things to talk about during my adventures in South America. So, until next time, here’s the philosophical question of the day:

Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?

-Caroline
Advisor Abroad in Chile