Hey everyone, i wanted to let you know that once again my internet has been totally random. I know i haven´t posted in a week, but i´ve been journaling and i´ll put them up as soon as i can. everything is going well. today was my first day of classes and only slightly terrifying.

love you all, Kayla

p.s. i apologize for all the miss spellings and grammar mistakes in the former postings. no wonder i have problems in spanish!!

Chilean sayings translated!

I've had a few requests to translate the Chilean sayings I've learned from Olga. I added a few more I've learned and the translation below. Please keep in mind that the Spanish language is the language of poetry and everything is pretty when said is Spanish. For that reason i hadn't translated the sayings; i didn't want them to lose their beauty. But i also want you to be able to appreciate the knowledge and/or humor of them, so here goes. Just try you best to read them in you best Spanish accent:

Sayings I’ve learned from Olga:

“Señor, no permite que me aparte de ti” (July 17, 2007)

Lord, do not allow me to part from you

“¿Cuando estoy con Dios, quien puede ser contra mi?”

When I am with God, who can be against me?

“Te doy todo mi día, todo me vida a Ti”

I give all my day, all my life to You

“Si el Señor te llama, te da los medios”

If the Lord calls you, He will give you the means

“Mujer precavida, vale por diez” (July 24, 2007)

A prudent woman is worth ten.

These came from the readings and reflections at mass (July 15, 2007):

“En mi relación con mi prójimo, descubro quien soy.”

In my relationships with my neighbor, I discover who I am

“¿Estoy viviendo como en esclavo o un hijo?”

Am I living as a slave or as a son(or daughter)?

From Sebastian and Favian (new Chilean friends), in regards to the gringas speaking in English so know one else could understand (July 21, 2007):

“Secretos de dos no son de Dios. Un secreto de tres, un secreto no es”

Secrets between to are not of God. A secret between three is not a secret.

Tuesday July 24, 2007

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

It has officially sunk in that I am in Chile to go to school, not for vacation! We had an oral and a written Spanish exam to evaluate our level of fluency so they can recommend us for classes. The oral exam was really easy: three of us talking about Globalization and Poverty for about 5 minutes. Then came the written exam. It wasn’t that it was so difficult, more that it was really long. About six pages with grammar, reading comprehension, an essay. Wow, I was exhausted when I finally finished. And it isn’t even for a grade! I think I did alright considering we’ve been here less then two weeks. But I know I did a lot better than I would have two weeks ago, so that is encouraging.

After the exam, we went to the Mapuche Cultural Center about 30 minutes south of Santiago. The Mapuche are an indigenous people of Chile with their own language, culture, and land. We were able to watch a religious ceremony which crazily reminded me of the consecration of the Eucharist at a Catholic mass. We then ate a traditional Mapuche meal with chicken, steak, sopapillas (fried bread, not dessert), two other types of delicious bread, and cockroach looking fruit that was surprisingly tasty. We then watched a film and heard a talk from a Mapuche leader about the Mapuche people and the struggles they faced in the past and those they continue to fight. Their story reminded me of the Chinese take over of Tibet in that the Mapuche people view the Republic of Chile as invaders of their land and dream of someday reaching independence from Chile and international recognition as a sovereign country. Makes you think about all the horrible things those in power have done throughout the century and continue to do today.

We got out of class early and it was a beautiful sunny day, so 3 of my girlfriends and I walked to Pasaje Ahumada and went shopping. I also had my first experience of exchanging my travelers checks for pesos, which went relatively smooth. I really enjoy watching peoples reactions when they hear me (or my friends) speak. Some are really friendly and help us along while others give us impatient looks. I think my biggest problem right now is having the confidence to simply speak and be ok if I make mistakes.

Tonight at dinner Olga and I chatted for a long time. She told me about her childhood, how she and her husband met, about working in the hospital downtown when she couldn’t finish her nursing degree because her family ran out of money, and about staying home to take care of the kids. We then started planning the trip we are going to win from the contest on the package of the coffee she buys. We’ll find out August 30 if we get to go to one of 5 places on the coffee route. We are hoping we get to go the Venice, Italy. When we win, she will bring one friend and I’ll bring my mom. She told me that is good to dream every once in a while.

After dinner, I worked a little then watched Alquien Te Mira or “Someone is Watching You”, a very popular “teleserie” here in Chile. It takes place in Santiago and is your typical trashy soap opera. But it is great to watch to hear the Chilean accent and understand a lot of Chilenismos.

(Yes Uncle Mike, the accent in Chile is completely different than the accent in Mexico. In Chile they have completely different words and phrases, they speak really fast, and they have a horrible habit of randomly dropping off the last consant of words. For example, “Muchas Gracias” sounds more like “mucha gracia” which is easy to understand. It gets more complicated when they mean to say for example, “Ponga el papel abajo la mesa” but it really sounds like “Ponga elpape’ aba’olame’a”. (That means “Put the paper under the table”. I just came up with it, but it’s a good example to show they’re crazy language.)

Anyway, we watched the show and Olga explained to me each character and how they are related to each other. I want to start watching more often simply because it is really good practice. And I never have nor probably never will watch a soap, so why not kill two birds with one stone right? After the show, a made for tv movie came on. We watched the first few minutes before I made yet another one of my embarrassing Spanish moments. The movie was about a gay man who kills his wife after she begins to suspect he’s gay. During the opening scene where the man is ballroom dancing with the cook, I asked Olga if the man was a “Maricona” which means gay. She politely chuckled and said yes. As soon as the commercials started, Olga started busting out laughing about how Maricona is apparently a really bad word. I’ve never seen her giggle like she did, but we both laid in bed cracking up while I explained to her that this was the word my Chilean friends taught me and she told me more polite words to use. She then randomly asked me to tell her a bad word in English just because she was curious, like a little school girl asking her big sister while she nervously giggles. Between my gut wrenching laughs, I explained to her the word “shit” that it means to go to the bathroom, number 2. Definitely a priceless Chile moment that I will never forget!

Alright, off to bed. I’m going to venture off in the morning on another run. Tomorrow night Calli’s mom is having a surprise birthday party for her. Her mom asked me to invite a few of Calli’s friends and she is really excited. Should be a fun time. Much love to all, Kayla

I'm back! Now for a little update...

After way too long without proper internet, I'm finally back! Luckily I've been journaling my adventures so far, so I'll post each days journal in order as if I'd posted them that day. So basically you should read bottom to top (starting with Friday July 13, 2007 until Monday July 21st) if you want to know what I've been up to. I know its a lot to read, so feel free to skip ahead. You have your own lives; you don't need to read about mine!! Pictures will be coming soon. I love you all and you're in my prayers, Kayla

Monday July 23rd, 2007

Monday, July 23, 2007

Today we had an orientation a La Universidad de Chile, better known as La Chile. Every study abroad student in Chile from around the world was there and it was very informative. Its kind of scary/crazy/exciting to think that I will be going to school in a Chilean classroom in one week! We learned about the Chilean government program called Ingles abre puertas or English Opens Doors, to teach English to Chilean students and I think I will volunteer for them a few hours a week.

After the orientation and tour of the main campus, we had a lecture on Chilean Cinema and watched clips from Sabado, La Sagrada Familia, and La Chacotero Sentimetal. All every interesting yet unnecessarily sexual.

I walked home after class, went to Mass to the church 4 blocks away, then came home for chicken parmasean for dinner. What a life right? Even more, I finally had internet!!! I talked with my real mom back home for over an hour. I miss everyone so much and it was great to hear her voice. What a beautiful day! Now I’m going to study a bit for my oral Spanish exam tomorrow morning then fall asleep in my nice warm bed!

Sunday July 22nd, 2007

Sunday, July 22, 2007

We woke up Sunday afternoon to Calli’s mom telling us lunch is ready at 2 pm. We watched the end of the Chile vs. Austria soccer match for 3^rd place in the Sub-20 World Cup. Chile won 1-0 to finish in the best place for Chile’s Sub-20 team. After lunch we drove to the most important port in Chile, Port San Antonio. We met up with all our new Chilean friends and walked all over. We saw “lobos del mar” which translates to “wolves of the sea” or sea lions and 1,000 pesos (about 2 US$) to take a boat ride through the port. We watched the sunset from the little boat with an incredible view of the port and town on the hill.

My Chilean friend Sebastian gave me un regalo (a present) when explaining it was “para mi insistencia” (for his insistence). It’s a small wooden box with glass stones adorning the top from the Port of San Antonio. I think it was a peace offering/apology/one last effort gift and I politely thanked him. (Don’t worry Trevor!!)

We didn’t drive back to Santiago until around 9 pm, after watching an incredible example of Chilean television (including high school students on buses traveling through southern Chile, but they play nickelodeon type games to earn other passengers. However some of the games included making one girl get a haircut like Victoria from the Spice Girls (really short), and two other students act out the kiss from Volver al Futuro (Back to the Future). ) When I got back, Olga loving greeted me as though I’d been gone for months.

Saturday July 21st, 2007

Saturday, July 21, 2007

I took the metro to Calli’s apartment and we (Calli’s mom and dad, Kristen (from Johnson County, KS, Calli and I) drove to the beach town of Cartagena in Calli’s mom’s little old car. The drive was beautiful as we passed vineyards, orchards, and fields. It’s still winter, so there wasn’t much foliage, but I can only imagine it in the spring! We got to the beach, ate lunch, then went site seeing on the playa (beach). Talk about incredible. I’ll have pictures soon, I promise. Crashing waves, gorgeous, huge beaches, colorful old houses scattered across the hillside, little stores selling beautiful jewelery for close to nothing, churro stands, an old man drawing cartoons in the sand, and people bundled in their winter clothes wishing it was January so they could swim.

Saturday night we went out with 2 of Calli’s (adopted) cousins and their friends. They grew up in Cartagena and spent the last week there for their winter break. I experienced many new aspects of Chilean youth culture on Saturday night: We first went to their friends house for what they called “Previa” or the American version of “pregaming”. They passed around a joint (I respectfully declined) and also offered us numerous cigarettes and were amazed that we didn’t smoke (cigarettes or pot!). Despite their recreational habits that I don’t necessarily share, they were all really nice and friendly. They were especially patient with us while we tried to keep up with the conversation. Its great to finally meet Chilean kids our age and make some friends.

Around 1:30 at night (technically that is Sunday morning right?) we took a taxi to the next town over to a “discotheque” or club. We then danced the night away until the club closed at 5 am. All the Chileans knew every word to the songs in Spanish, but we were able to sing along with the American songs!! I had a great time and even got to meringue! My new Chilean friend that I danced with, Sebastian, asked me where I had learned to meringue and I try to explain to him that in the States we have a different type of dancing called Swing Dancing (and Cajun Dancing!) that is very similar. When I told him I wanted to learn how to meringue, he seemed confused and told me that I already knew how!! I was quite flattered, so thanks to all of you who taught me to Cajun and Swing dance!

Once they kicked us out of the club, we took a cab back to the Cartagena, where we wanted watch the sunset on the beach. But it was way to cold. Everyone fell asleep at Calli’s cousins house while Sebastian and I talked about my “pololo” (boyfriend) back home (right now in Equador!) and me taking advantage of my time in Chile. According to the directors of our program, Chilean boys are accustomed to being very romantic and Sebastian tried his best. Apparently after hanging out 3 times, the boys get the point. I convinced him that we would only be friends and after that he was really cool. We finally went home at 7:30 am when Calli’s mom called just wondering where we were. We went back to Calli’s house and Kristen, Calli, and I fell asleep cuddling in a big queen bed with at least 8 blankets on top for warmth. Which brings us to…

Friday July 20th, 2007

Friday, July 20, 2007

Another day of class. We learned about the Chilean education system’s history, infrastructure, classroom style etc. Then we had a lecture by a Chilean Judge who was in office when Pinochet took power in 1973. This judge faced a got a lot of heat from the dictatorship for his left leanings, i.e. he refused to uphold Pinochet’s unconstitutional and illegal laws. He ended up resigning his office and now works in academia. He talked about Chilean law and the judicial branch of the government. He was a very interesting man who spoke English with almost no accent. But of course he gave his talk in Spanish and it was highly technical, so I was pretty lost.

After lunch we had an amazing lecture by a Music Historian/Professor at La Chile. He talked about the transformation and creation of Chilean popular music, Chilean folk music and Chilean Rock, from 1950s to 1990 and its reflection of the social, cultural, and political changes of Chile during that time. He was highly entertaining and I wish he could give me a lecture on American music to catch me up on basic musicians and groups that I should know but I don’t.

After class CIEE took us all out to dinner to a traditional Chilean restaurant. We ate a delicious meal while we listened to live Chilean music. Everyone really enjoyed themselves; even our tutors enjoyed the piscos and vino and started singing with the group. Afterwards a group of us went to Plaza Nunoa and had drinks outside. Its very strange to be able to go to a bar and order drinks. Nights like this make me realize that I don’t have a problem with alcohol, only irresponsible use of alcohol.

My Spanish is seeming to get a tiny bit better. I’m able to understand a little more everyday and I’m learning hundreds of new words. I know my retention rate isn’t too hot, but it will get better. I’ve barely been here a week! To bed, I need sleep because I’m going to the beach tomorrow!

Thursday July 19, 2007

Thursday, July 19, 2007
11:30 pm

Wow, what a day. We started out with a lecture about Chilean art and literature and the effects of the dictatorship on Chilean art. Basically, the extreme censorship coupled with fear in the people forced many artists to find new ways of expressing their emotions. There was a lot of subversive art, but as our professor said, the military leaders are necessarily thinkers and they didn’t understand the metaphors behind the art. So the artists got away with it! We also learned about Chile as the “Pais de poetas” or “Country of Poets”. The tutor of our discussion group made a great point when he said that perhaps the reason Chileans are such great poets is because they couldn’t express themselves verbally for so long that they developed very deep interior personal emotions and thoughts. And poetry, especially in the Spanish language, is a great way to express these emotions. I also learned that apparently the average Chilean only uses about 700 different words in their everyday language as opposed to in Argentina where they average about 2000 different words. I guess it makes it easier for me to master the Chilean language. But then the tutor went on to say that Chileans are known for mumbling and dropping random constants in their words because for so long they were afraid that people (spys) would overhear their conversations and report them to the dictator government. So they learned to speak so that no one could understand them. Lets just say that definitely master that!

After lunch we went on a huge tour of the western part of Santiago Central. We saw Cerro Santa Lucia, a castle on a hill in the middle of the city (literally), el Palacio de Bellas Artes, Parque Forestal, Plaza Italia, Bella Vista, and the two highlights: the home of Pablo Neruda and Cerro San Cristobal.

La Chascona, as Neruda’s house in the neighborhood of Bella Vista is known, was absolutely incredible. He built it to model a ship, with low ceilings, arched doors, porthole windows, the works. Also, since it was built on a hill, there are many different levels, stairways, and secret passages. You just have to see it to believe it (the pictures absolutely don’t do it justice). Also, he was an obsessive collector of almost everything: cups, dolls, porcelin, paintings, trinkets, vases, glass eggs, Russian dolls, African carvings, you name it, he collected it. We got to walk around pretty much the entire house and touch almost everything. It was much more open and accessible than any house/museum I had ever visited. We even walked on the original fur rugs on the living room floor.

El Cerro de San Cristobal is a hill (mini mountain) on the North side of the city. On the top of the hill is a huge statue of the Virgin Mary. We took a fenacular to the top of the mini mountain and from there you could see almost the entire city of Santiago. Unfortunately it was a cloudy day and the smog was pretty bad, so you couldn’t see as much. Our tutor told us if you come back on a weekend after it has rained so there is less smog, you can see for miles.

After the hike around the city, I went home for a quick dinner then headed out to meet up with everyone to watch the Chile vs. Argentine soccer game. I found out that it is actually Chile’s sub-20 team playing in the quarter finals of the Sub-20 World Cup in Toronto, Canada. Unfortunately Chile got some crappy calls by the ref including 2 red cards and ridiculous fouls and Chile lost 3-0. You wouldn’t believe the emotion the Chileans had while watching these 18, 19, and 20 year old boys play. The only thing I could compare it to was watching the Chiefs lose to the Cots during the second round of the Play Offs year after year. I was really hoping Chile would win, not just so they would win, but also to see the celebrations in the streets after the game. Supposedly it is a sight to see. Hopefully Chile will win later.

Alright, its midnight and I’m sleepy. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll get some internet, but we’ll see. I can’t believe I’ve only been here a week. I love you all and miss you like crazy.

Wednesday July 18, 2007

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Still no Internet, but i’ll survive. I woke up early (at 8:20!) to run before class. It was nice to finally exercise and I enjoyed the beautiful, not too cold weather this morning. Plus I was able to take a not freezing shower since I had just got done running. I decided this is the only way to go. Class today was again full of lectures, discussions, and way too much information. Despite the constant confusion, I am really enjoying the lectures. I’ve learned so much about Chile: its government, constitution political parties, Presidente Bachelet, and the structure and demographics of Chile. We also learned about the pollution of the air and water in Santiago, the geography and the economics of the city. Did you know that Chile is one of the only South American countries with potable tap water? That compared to other South American countries, Chile is relatively moderate (despite the fact that there is a “Socialist” president)? That there are over six political parties united in 3 different Coalitions? That the same reason Santiago as so much smog is the same reason California has so much smog? (The Humbolt current along the Pacific Coast brings cold water close to the shore and therefore cold air. This cold air moves inland and is trapped by the mountains. It then settles low on the city prevents the exhaust from cars, factories etc. from escaping into the atmosphere. Interesting huh?)

In my discussion group, our tutor told us that Chile is a very consumeristic society and even ventured to say that Chileans new temples are the huge malls. (The people go there to feel safe, loved, and happy.) They have huge Wal-Mart like stores called JUMBO ( pronounced like UMBO, or HUMBO if you are my father) in the upper class neighborhoods. The people see this as the ideal, apparently because they view the US way of life as the ideal. Sad huh?

My host mom told me that she used to think that there were no poor people in the US. She thought that everyone was middle and upper class and that everything was beautiful. It wasn’t until she saw on TV a Cuban doctor who works in the US talk about the living situation of the poor, the devastation of gangs, and the ineptitude of the government to help that she realized that there are poor people all over the world.

Tomorrow Chile plays Argentina and a bunch of us students are going to get together to watch it. And this weekend I’m going to go to the beach with the family of a friend of mine. I’m really excited and ready to start doing stuff around and out of the city.

Tuesday July 17, 2007

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Today was an early morning. We woke up at 6:45, ate breakfast, then headed to the metro. I met half the group of students and Elsa at 8 am in the metro to head to the Policia Internacional to register our visas. We finished early and had 2 hours free time, so a group of us took the metro to Bella Artes, a cool part of town in Santiago Central. A kid in the group, Collin, knew some kids staying in a hostel nearby, so we went and check it out. It was the first hostel I’ve ever been in, and it was surprisingly nice. Anyway, I finally got to go to an internet café to check email and give the pathetic update on my blog. I walked to the place we are having class for the next 2 weeks alone. Along the way, I realized 1) I love being in a beautiful city where you can walk and use public transportation and 2) I like being alone sometimes.

Today was the first day of our class Chile Contemporeano. We hit the ground running with a 1.5 hour lecture about the transition from dictatorship under Pinochet to democracy. Our director Mauricio gave it and I followed relatively well. I got the main ideas, missed a lot details, and paid attention as well as I could. We then met with our groups and tutors to discuss the lecture, then had 1.5 hours for lunch. After lunch our tutors took us on mini tour of interesting things to see in Santiago Central. Its amazing to think that I am about a 7 minute walk away from some of the most important historical sites of the 20^th century. La Moneda, the Chilean equivalent of our white house is in the heart of the city surrounded by governemtn and military buildings. Underneath the plaza out front is a cultural center with expositions from around the world. (Everything underneath the plaza, about the size of 2 football fields, happens to be a nuclear fallout shelter built by Pinochet). There are still bullet holes in many of the buildings surrounding La Moneda, remnants of the coupe, backed (led?) by the US military to remove the Socialist, (Legitimately, democratically elected) Allende from office in 1973. The head of the military of Chile, Pinochet, was put in office and immediately became the oppressive, right wing, privatizing dictator that all Americans love. (Thank you Nixon…)

I learned a lot about this historic yet incredibly recent event and was able to ask Olga about it at dinner. Olga was 30 at the time and told me she remembers vividly the fear and anxiety in the city. Not surprisingly, one of the first things she told me was that you couldn’t go shopping and you could only eat what was in the house. When I asked her about the murders and kidnappings, she told me that her 21 year old nephew was shot by the police during a protest. It still amazes me to think that she lived what I am studying in a classroom. I’m now lying in my bed (the warmest place in the apartment) in my pajamas, with my electric blanket, listening to my ipod. I’ve been updating for almost 2 hours now. Its really weird to be in bed at 7:30 at night, but its dark outside and I’m tired, so it seemed natural. I have a feeling once school starts my nights will be more active and I’m enjoying the rest and sleep while I can have it.

Reflections of my almost one week in Chile:

Things I miss:

• My family, my friends, Trevor
• Being able to express myself well
• Knowing what people around me are saying
• Easy asscess to the Internet
• Soft water
• Warm showers, and showering everyday
• Central heating
• Exercise

Things I don’t miss:

• Always having something to say
• Always knowing everyone else’s business
• Checking my email/facebook 3+ times a day
• Thinking that everyone has or should have all the luxuries we have in the US and taking these luxuries completely for granted
• Driving

p.s. I haven’t showered in 2.5 days and I’m totally cool with that. You try showering with lukewarm water when its only about 45 degrees in the house. Yeah, then you’ll be ok with not showering too.

Sayings I’ve learned from Olga:

“Señor, no permite que me aparte de ti”

“¿Cuando estoy con Dios, quien puede ser contra mi?”

“Me doy todo mi día, todo me vida a Ti”

“Si el Señor te llama, te da los medios”

“En mi relación con mi prójimo, descubro quien soy.”

“¿Estoy viviendo como en esclavo o un hijo?”

Monday July 16th, 2007

Monday, July 16, 2007

After sleeping in till 10:30, I woke up to rain and cold. I didn’t forget to tell Olga “felicidades” (congratulations, more or less) because today was her Feast Day. The Virgin of Carmen is I think the image of the Virgin Mary that appeared in Chile, but I don’t know the whole story exactly. But she is apparently quite a big deal seeing that it was a national holiday! We had breakfast and instead of heading straight to Rino’s for almuerzo, we waited until almost 1:30, hoping the rain would stop. It continued raining, so I guess Olga just gave in. Anyway, we took the metro, then a taxi, then walked to Rino’s house. They live in a new, cookie cutter home in an adorable little neighborhood. Every house is exactly alike, but they have a house, which is a big deal. We got there and instantly I felt at home. Dad in the back barbequing, Mom and Grandma in the kitchen making salad and patatas doradas (golden potatoes), the other adults talking, while the grandson and the new gringa kick the soccer ball in the backyard. Olga’s husband, Mario, gave everyone Mango Sours: mango juice, sugar, water, and the strongest alcohol you could imagine. Delicious except of the boos. I couldn’t drink much of it and when Olga told me that I didn’t have to finish it, I eagerly handed it over. Dinner (lunch) was incredible. Smoked/barbequed pork straight from the country in Southern Chile. I’m talking an entire half of a pig where you had to cut of the skin and fat from your piece and pull of the meat from the bones. Yum…

After we ate we watched some of the pan America games going on in Rio (Brasil). Of course the USA is kicking butt, but a Chilean (Ceasrío) won gold in cycling. Another Chilean won bronze in fencing and I think a few other medals here and there. Then the young ones (Rino, Evan, Miguel and I) went to the Mall close to their house. Evan was really helpful and helped me buy some sweaters (3 for $18!!) and some adorable boots ($20!!). Olga was very pleased that I have more to keep me warm. At the mall, Rino bought everyone ice cream, which apparently every Chilean gets ice cream when they go shopping (heck, they get ice cream when they go anywhere!) And I know why: it was delicious- a mix between ice cream and gelato- and incredible.

Miguel, Olga’s grandson, is absolutely adorable. He is really patient with me and explains things quite well for a six year old. I asked him if he wanted to be my hermanito (little brother) while I am here and his eyes lit up like I’d told him he’d won a million bucks! I hope we get to spend more time with their family.

After we got back from the mall, the old ones (Olga, Rosa, and Mario) were upset with us because we’d taken too much time and Rosa had to catch her bus back home. It didn’t seem to be too urgent though because we ate “once” which consisted of more tea/coffee, pineapple cake, bread, avocados and lunch meat. I managed to get out of the sandwiches but they wouldn’t let me turn down the cake. It was good, but I was totally stuffed. Rino made a comment along the lines of “At home, but bet you are a fatty and an alcoholic” apparently because I don’t eat much (only to their standards) and I didn’t like the Mango Sours. The women all defended me while I just laughed. During “once”, the entire family sang a song for all the saints (in honor of La Virgin de Carmen and Olga’s feast day). While three generations sang the song around the table, I experienced one of those, “I can’t believe I am so blessed enough to witness this moment!” moments.

Rino drove us home after dropping off Mario at the metro station. Later they brought Rosa to the bus while I stayed at the apartment to watch the news (homework) and write my 2 page summary of the weekend/my experiences in Chile. I sat in bed wearing my new parka, new boots, and gloves while I wrote because it was so freezing!

Sunday July 15, 2007

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Olga and I toke the metro then a bus to her church, the oldest in ALL of Chile. We went and 10 am and apparently no one goes that early. I guess Chileans really like their sleep because everyone sleeps in really late. After mass we walked (quite far) to bring communion to an old woman. Apparently the old woman (who isn’t too far from going back to the Lord) told her daughter that she only wanted Olga to bring her communion on Sundays. It was beautiful being a part of the weekly communion and I was honored to be a part of it. We then walked back to the metro station, but first Olga had to buy eggs from the vendor she has been going to for 40+ years. The butchers call her their “casarita” which translates to little married woman, but it means she is a faithful costumer. She is proud to be a casarita at many different tiendas (stores) throughout the city.

Sunday afternoon we relaxed and then I walked to Plaza Armas to meet Calli and Courtney to go see Harry Potter. My first time in the city along, but I got there early so I got to explore this straight out of Europe plaza. Performers, interesting beggars with signs (including a man with no legs or arms), art vendors, portrait artists, restaurants with outdoor seating, fountains, statues, tons of people, the works! The plaza is inclosed by ancient, beautifully preserved buildings including the Cathedral of Santiago y the Centro de Correos (the main post office in a building nicer then most state supreme courts). The Cathedral is immensely beyond words. The tabernacle would give the tabernacle in the US National Cathedral in DC a run for its money. They also had a crypt under the alter with the tombs of all the Cardinals of Santiago.

Harry Potter, even in Spanish, rocked my socks off. I’m not ashamed to say that I’m 20 years old and absolutely loved it. I understood pretty much of everything and even managed to get most of the jokes in Spanish! (When we went to buy our tickets, my friend Courtney went first and the teller looked at her and questioningly told her, “Es en Espanol…?” ) Everything went really well for my first time alone and I felt completely save the entire time. The streets are very well lit and there are people everywhere.

Saturday July 14th 2007

Saturday, July 14, 2007

We woke up early, breakfasted, then walked to the bus station. For breakfast, Olga heated up the milk for the cereal. I just went with it, but its really good and now I have it like that every morning! Last night I told her that we don’t normally heat up the milk for cereal in the morning. She told me that she just assumed she did and apologized but I told her it is delicious and she seemed quite pleased. Anyway, Olga, Rosa and I took a bus to the home and church of Santa Teresa de los Andes. It was about one hour north of the city and it was a beautiful drive. Olga and I prayed a rosary together on the way there. I had prayed the rosary in Spanish when we went to Honduras, but I had to relearn it. I’m still working on the Lord’s prayer, but I’ll get it soon. I know Olga is thrilled that I am Catholic and I love being able to be open and excited about my faith with her. She is a very faithful woman and constantly reminds me of God’s love and care for me and the world!

Santa Teresa was the first Chilean saint and is the only Santa (female saint). She is the patron saint of Chile. Friday was her Feast Day. Rosa, Olga’s sister, has a devotion to her because her school is named after her. We went to the tomb and walked around a little museum they have portraying her life then went to mass. The priest wasn’t Chilean, we think somewhere from Central America, so I could understand him really well. After mass, we walked around the grounds and chatted. The entire place was incredibly beautiful and the view of the Andes was incredible.

We rode back to Santiago around 1:30 and had almuerzo. That evening we walked around all over Santiago Central. Everything is really close and Olga knows the city like the back of her hand. We walked down Bulnes St. then down Alameda to U. Chile and U. Chicago. They should me Ahumada, a street full of bustling people, vendors, street concerts, shops open almost all the time. It was great. We went to a shop called Ripleys where Olga and Rosa helped me by a “parka”, a bigger, warmer coat. Its almost the end of their winter, so all their winter clothes are super cheap. (The coat was only $20.) We stopped by Santa Lucia, the grocery store again, then headed home. Saturday night I taught Rosa English words (a thrilling Saturday night right?)

Friday July 13th, 2007

Friday, July 13, 2007

11:30 pm

So much to write, so little time. This morning began as usual, with my American roommates, speaking English, followed by trying to understand some basic instructions in Spanish regarding our new cellular phones. Most students bought a prepago phone which we can use to keep in touch with our Chilean friends. It costs 1 peso per second, or about $1 US dollar every minute. Its pretty ridiculous. I can send texts for 50 pesos, so about 10 texts for a dollar. Any phone calls or texts I receive are free (that’s the only plus side). We then had lunch followed by our first session with our Chilean tutors for our class Chile Contemporeano. Its going to be a lot more intense than anyone expected. We are in groups of about 8 students per tutor and we have tons to read (articles, letters, etc.) and we have to write a vitícula everyday. Its basically a dairy/journal/yes I’m paying attention paper about what we talk about in class, our perspectives of Chile/Santiago and its culture, politics, economics, etc., events in the news, our host families, basically anything. Our teacher is named Gabriel and he seems pretty cool. He’s an older gentleman but he speaks clearly and definitely knows his stuff.

After our class, I had the wonderful, anxious, exciting, most terrifying moment of the trip so far: I met my host mom and brother. They picked me up in their cute old car and we drove to their apartment in downtown Santiago. My family is basically just Senora Olga. She is actually married to a sweet old man but he lives in their house in Independencia with their perrito and little store. She also has a 34 year old son named Renaldo, or Reno who has an adorable wife and even cuter 6 year old son named Miguel. They live about 30 minutes north of downtown. Reno is a PE teacher in an elementary school and his wife is “la duena de la casa” which translates as literally “the boss of the house”. She told me she takes care of her son and her other son a.k.a. Reno. They are an adorable family.

Olga is probably about 60 and incredibly sweet. I could tell she was about as nervous as I was when we first met. On the car ride to the apartment, conversation was a little slow and I think we were all trying to take in the situation. I managed to ask if she had had other students from CIEE and she told me I am here first one. She has a friend that has hosted students for a long time and recommended that she try it. Her friend lives quite close and is the host mom of my friend Natalie, so it works out perfectly!

Her apartment is really nice. It is on the third floor in the middle of a neighborhood surrounded by universities. Across the street (more of an alley turned into a makeshift parking lot) is a computer programming business. (I can pick up their wireless, but I don’t have the code. I’m going to see if I can figure out a way to get it!) The apartment has 2 bedrooms, a tiny kitchen, a living room/dining room and a back room for laundry. Its relatively roomy for the two of us. It has beautiful hardwood floors and great windows. Olga has flowers and plants everywhere and its very homey. Of course there is no central heating, but she gave me an electric blanket for my bed which seems to do the trick.

After we got the apartment and unloaded all my stuff, we walked to the supermercado and bought groceries. We all chatted along the way and I was beginning to feel more confident in my Spanish skills. Olga told me to pick out everything I like this time and next time she will know what I like. I told her I like Leche sin grasa (skim milk) and pan integral (whole wheat bread), to which Reno made funny faces and told me something along the lines of “you don’t want to be fat?”. His wife and Olga both seemed to understand that I want to try to eat healthy. I’m worried Olga will be concerned, but I’m sure it will be fine. The grocery store was scarily similar to US grocery stores, except that we walked there and back, groceries in hand. Along the way, I told Olga that I like to go to church and she was definitely pleased. She delivers communion to people on Sundays and told me I could go with her.

After the grocery store Reno drove Olga and I to the bus station to pick up Olga’s sister. Santiago traffic is insane and Reno is not afraid to drive anywhere at anytime. I was definitely praying. But in the car I warmed up a lot and understood a lot of what they both said. Olga and her sister hadn’t seen each other in two years and her sister came to visit to meet me and welcome me to Chile! She is a principal of an elementary school in “el campo en el sur de Chile”, in the country in the south of Chile. Olga and her sister are so cute to watch. I can understand her sister quite well because apparently people in el sur de Chile speak slower then in Santiago.

Back at the apartment, I played Disney Memory with Miguel and his mom. We ate “once” or the small evening meal around 8:30 which consisted of sopapias, or fried bread (not sweet like a dessert, more like fried dinner rolls), coffee or tea, and cookies. She put turkey and cheese and wheat bread out because I think she was worried that I hadn’t eaten. Olga told everyone that I am used to having a large breakfast and dinner and that lunch is very small in the states. That sparked some interesting conversation about what we eat and when. The everyone starting talking, telling stories, and laughing when I started to look completely lost. I did my best to keep up, but it was difficult. I was exhausted and had a hard time paying attention. Olga told me she was worried that I hadn’t eaten enough and Reno said I was going to go home really skinny. But I think its all the changes in the schedule and the nerves, so I haven’t been super hungry. I tried to explain this to Olga and she seemed to understand.

After dinner I gave them the gifts I brought. The didn’t know what to do with the BBQ sauce or the ball caps from KC, but they all seemed to like the pralines and quickly glanced at the photo book of New Orleans. Reno definitely got a kick out of it and I had fun time telling him about different things in New Orleans and the states. We had a great conversation about all kinds of things and I was pretty impressed with his patience and my language skills.

Overally, I can understand almost everything when they speak slowly. And when I get confused, Olga is great at breaking it down for me. I know a lot of it goes over my head, but its only been seven hours of immersion!

I can’t believe I’ve only been here 3 days. My Spanish has already improved immensely. So first night (or 8 hours of immersion) have been joyfully painful and incredibly wonderful. I know this weekend is going to be a blast hanging out with Olga and her sister while we get to know the city and I practice my Spanish.

Wow, I think that’s enough for now. A few quick other notes:

· Two times today Chilean women told me to “tranquila” (Brigeta y Olga)

· I learned the difference between picó (a bug bite) y pico (a penis)

· Veamos que pasa (We’ll see what happens) when things don’t go as planned

· I’ve learned (more like heard) more new words and phrases in the past 8 hours than in the past 4 years of my spanish education.

Don´t worry!! I´m loving it!

Hey Everyone, i wanted to let you know that everything is going wonderfully. I don´t have internet in the apartment yet, but it should come soon. In the mean time, I am loving Santiago and everyone here. I will update as soon as i can!! Much love, Kayla

Last night CIEE took us all out to dinner to a tapas restaurant. We had a delicious meal, pisco sours, and red wine. It was a great way to get to know everyone and practice our Spanish. After dinner (around 10:30 pm) we came back to the hotel and finally got some sleep.

Today we had another day of training and I am really starting to feel comfortable in the city. We talked more about security, transportation, and our families. We went to lunch at a really cute vegetarian restaurant then had more time to walk around the city. A small labor protest outside a large office building caused some excitement but i hope to see more.

The most exciting part of the day was finding out our host families. I am smack dab in the middle of the city. I am really excited to meet them and see where i am living, which could be an apartment A friend of mine in the program is only about 5 blocks away. Most of the other students live in the nearby "comuna" or neighborhood called Nunoa.
My address in Santiago is:
Adriana Undurraga 207
Santiago, Chile.

Tonight we have the whole evening to do whatever we want. A group of us are going to dinner at 8, then more exploring the city. Many of them want to go to the local "carretes" or clubs and I'll probably tag along.

Today while we were walking around, I told everyone how much i love this city. A friend of mine reminded me that "euphoria" is the first stage of culture shock. Apparently once this wears off, irritability or resentment kick in. I told my friend to let me keep feeling euphoric and I'll handle the irritability when i need to. So far, So go. I'm having a wonderful time and I can't wait to get out there and experience Santiago on my own.

If you want, check out the link below, which is a map and satellite image of my home. Explore the map, it looks pretty cool! http://www.mapcity.cl/Ploteo.asp?ciudad=santiago&IdArco=174468&TipoVia1=CALLE&NombreVia1=ADRIANA%20UNDURRAGA&Altura1=207&Comuna1=SANTIAGO&Str_Direccion=CALLE%20ADRIANA%20UNDURRAGA%20207&Punto_X=345883&Punto_Y=6297664&Este_Min=345633&Este_Max=346133&Norte_Min=6297414&Norte_Max=6297914&moverse=ZOOM5000&Encabezado=SI&Producto=DIRECCION&IdServicio=&GenRuta=&STransito=&TxtPer1=&TxtPer2=&opcbuscar=dire&icorigen=../images/botones/ico_estrella_ch.gif&icdestino=&icmapa=../images/botones/int-bt_color.gif&colormapa=color1&icono1=estrella&icono2=&Inicio=SI&xp=345893&yp=6297666&Escala=5000&CodigoPostal=8330439&dir_original=@ADRIANA%20UNDURRAGA@@207@

Move over Rocky, Training has begun...

We just had a few hours worth of essential information training, all of which was in Spanish. I understood about 70% and I think I could have done better if I weren't so tired. Our coordinators speak slowly and without a strong Chilean accent, which helps. We'll see how i do in the "real" Chile. Our resident Director, Hector, is from Puerto Rico. He told us his first year in Santiago he only understood about 1 out of every 3 words he heard because in Santiago, they don't speak Spanish, they speak Chilean. He then quickly reassured us and told us not to be discouraged if we struggled at first.

The other students in the group are great. Mostly international business/studies/relations majors or some similar liberal arts major. They are from all over the country and quite a diverse group. Everyone seems really excited to be here and ready to go on awesome adventures. Trips to Argentina (Buenos Aires and Mendoza), Brazil (Rio), Peru, and other cities in Chile (Pucon and Valpariaso) have already been discussed. Some boys are really excited about one of Santiago's soccer teams Colo Colo, which starts playing in early August. Apparently the stadium holds 80,000 crazy, uncontrollable fans. I can't wait to go!

The first two rules CIEE gave us were 1: you must attend class. and 2: you cannot participate in any protests or marches. Welcome to Chile!

11:30 am
I am officially studying abroad in Santiago, Chile. Thanks to storms in Washington, DC, I almost didn’t make it here on time. I was going to miss my connecting flight in DC b/c of the delays so US Airways then Delta spent about 30 minutes each trying to transfer my flights so I could fly directly from KC to Atlanta. After a bit of a scare, I made it to Atlanta, then Santiago safe and sound. I arrived this morning after a 10 hour flight from Atlanta. There were about 15 others students in my program (CIEE) on the flight with me and we had a great time getting to know each other. Most of the other students are claiming to be as bad at Spanish as I think I am, so we shall see. It makes me feel better to know I’m not the only one to feel completely unprepared. I have used a little Spanish and I think I’ll get by for now.

Right now I am in Rent a Home Hotel in Santiago with two other girls, Kali and Sam. They are both from Boston. We are staying here until Friday, then we move into our host family homes.

Chile is a beautiful country. Flying in we watched the sunrise over the Andes Mountains while the coast line slowly came into view. Its an incredible sensation looking out the right side of the plane and seeing the Pacific Ocean and out the left side of the plane and seeing the Andes Mountains, spanning the entire width of this skinny country. Santiago seems to be the picturesque Swedish town tucked away in the snowcapped mountains. The buildings aren’t huge, but they are all beautiful. You can tell it is a very old, but well kept city. The view from our hotel is incredible (see the picture).

I'm out!

So i am officially leaving for Chile in about 2.5 hours. Please pray for safe travels and calm nerves. I'm pretty much all packed and ready to go. To everyone that i didn't have a chance to say goodbye: Goodbye! I'll see you in December. Please email me and let me know what you are all up to. God bless and see you on the other side of the world!

3 days and counting!

Hey everyone, this is my blog that i will use to keep you all updated while I am in Chile. Kayla en Chile means "Kayla in Chile" in Spanish (catchy right?). Feel free to leave comments or email me if you have questions. I am leaving on Tuesday, July 10th. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and well wishes for my travels. God bless, Kayla