Week 10

Like many of the other weeks during our three months study abroad, this week in Chile flew by quickly. Time passes quickly here mainly because we have many entertaining activities going on. On Tuesday we visited El Museo de Bellas Artes. Then on Wednesday most of the group went paintballing in the forest, which ended up in a lot of people getting painful bruises, but overall everyone had a great time. On Thursday it was Launa’s 20th birthday. We played soccer right after school, and then most of us went to a beautiful Thai dinner. (Yes, we had Thai food in Chile, strange I know). Launa made a toast and said, “this has been my best birthday ever, thanks to you guys”. It makes me really happy to know that it is our presence on her birthday that made it such a special night. Later that evening Becka’s mother and sister visiting from San Diego joined us after dinner. We’ve all come to know one another, so it’s a really cool experience when we get to meet each other’s parents.

Probably everyone’s favorite day in Chile thus far, was Saturday. We went white water rafting an hour outside of the city. It was overcast and the water was freezing, but it was an amazing experience! Rafting really helped us bond in ways that we haven’t before. Sunday was a perfect way to end the week. We all went to see the famous Chilean author, Pablo Neruda’s home in Isla Negra. We studied Neruda’s work in our literature class, and this was the third house we have visited during our stay in Chile. This house was by far the most interesting of the three and the most beautiful. It sits perched directly above the ocean in a small beach town.

We’ve already been here two and a half months, and sometimes it feels like we’ve just arrived yesterday. Often, however, it’s easy to forget, and sometimes take for granted, what a truly unique and amazing experience we’re having right now. Every single person has contributed to our collective memories here, and it wouldn’t be the same without each and every person on this adventure. We’ve become each other’s family. I cannot believe we only have two weeks left, and that soon I will have to leave this beautiful country. Most importantly, I don’t know what I’m going to do without my new family by my side everyday.

-Krystle Quilala & Laura Selzer

La Serena

Becka and Sarah’s Blog
After a week of rigorous Spanish, Literature, and cultural studies, the weekend was greatly welcomed and our group embarked on yet another exciting endeavor. Munching on junk food, sleeping, and laughing for six hours is surprisingly exhausting. When we arrived at La Serena, a remote beach town north of Santiago, mid-afternoon, we were all happy to be off the confined bus. We split up in to groups of seven and our cabins reminded us of slumber parties and summer camp. We spent time at the beach before dinner and the fresh breeze and warm sand made us feel closer to home. Many of us sat just mesmerized by the sound of the waves, while others walked along the sand or attempted to juggle a soccer ball. Dinner was highly anticipated, and as usual we struggled ordering in Spanish, however it was worth it, as fresh seafood, hot pasta and bread were served. The next day we were joined by several other students from our Spanish school and we traveled an hour away to Vicuna. Unfortunately, the infamous Chilean poet, Gabriela Mistral’s (who we’ve studied in literature class) house was closed, but we explored the isolated, extremely hot town and visited a local church. Then we went for a pisco factory tour and learned about all of the detailed steps to making the notorious Chilean pisco. For lunch, we experienced a once-in-a lifetime, unique restaurant. We went to a solar kitchen called Elqui Solar, where they cooked all of the traditional Chilean food (rice, three types of meat, salad, bread, and flan) with the heat of mirrors reflecting the sun. Later that night we had the privilege of visiting an astrology observatory. The stars have never felt so close and tangible and the tour guide explained in Spanish many of the constellations and wonders of the galaxies. The next day we all slept in and enjoyed a group barbeque before we had to say goodbye to yet another brief glimpse at another South American city.

Week 7

The end of Spring Break has started all of us thinking how little time we have left here in Santiago. On a positive note we have as much time as we did in Buenos Aires, but time here flies so quickly that we can not take one day for granted. For my break, I traveled to Bahia Inglesa and had an amazing and tranquilo time laying on white sand beaches and swimming in the clear blue waters for a week. We have been talking in our class a lot about landscape and coming back to Santiago after being away has really made me realize what a beautiful city this is. I cannot get over looking up at the snow-covered mountains and being able to walk three blocks to go from being in a bustling city to a quiet park along the river. Right now we are reading works by Gabriela Mistral and discussing how she incorporates landscape into her works. We are all excited to visit her house and hometown this weekend when we go to La Serena, and have a lecture on site! Learning the political history of dictatorship in the country has helped me understand why the culture here is so conservative. At the same time, I am very thankful that I live with a host mother who is very open-minded. It is hard for me to imagine what it will be like returning to the United States and conforming back to our liberal lifestyle in California; without people constantly staring at our group everywhere we go like we are from another planet, and being in a constant state of confusion. Words cannot describe how great it is to experience another way of life and I know all of us will appreciate our freedom a lot more when we return to the States.

Week 7

As we returned into the swing of things this week, after a one week break, we were all looking forward to reuniting and sharing our stories.

For the break, some students went to explore the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu, some went to rural areas of Lima, Peru, others to bare the elements of freezing Patagonia, and many vacationed at the beaches of Vina del Mar and Bahia Inglesia. Some students relaxed in the tranquil lakes region of Pucon, which is where I ventured out to with Sabrina and Sarah W.

This week was off to a slow start as some of us were still recuperating from break, but with much anticipation we resumed discussing Chilean literature in our Literature class and Chilean culture and history in Culture class. Most of us have even been able to apply the material we are learning in class to our discussions with our Chilean families.

Although some students have noticed that their home-stay families are a little reserved to talk about the controversial topics of Chilean politics, being in the city and hearing stories about its history opens up a whole new perspective for us as Americans about Santiago. And speaking of perspective, this week we also started paying attention to the landscapes of the city, both physical and metaphorical.

“Landscape” will continue to be the focus term for our literature course, as we read the works of great Chilean authors.

On Tuesday, after school, we walked and walked and took two metros to the Museo de Precolombino. We were lucky to have Darah’s mom, and her friends, whom were visiting from California join us. The museum featured ancient art and artifacts of the indigenous culture of Chile, the Mapuche which gave us another new perspective of Chile. It was amazing to hear about the way the Mapuche lived!

Plans to play soccer with Carlos on Wednesday promised a good time even though healthy competition turned into a little bloodshed and a few battle wounds. With that being said, it was a blast and exercise for those of us who have been slacking in that department.

On Thursday, Becka, Clara and I were lucky to be invited by Kelsey to walk dogs at the animal shelter where her home-stay dad works. This gave us a chance to walk happy dogs, and chat while seeing more of Santiago.

The school week ended with a get together with Clara at an outdoor café at the base of San Cristobol Hill. It was a beautiful sunny day and all of us got to share our experiences and travel stories from Spring Break!

Chile has treated me well with warm weather, mostly clear skies, a beautiful landscape of the mountains and the city, and of course my incredibly hospitable and fun Chilean family. And from what I’ve heard from everyone else over the past few weeks, I am not the only one who has had such great experiences here.

In terms of improving in speaking and understanding Spanish, we have all improved vastly since our first days in Buenos Aires and even just since we arrived here in Santiago. We’ve had the chance to practice with our home-stay families, with Clara, at school and everywhere in between.

The countdown of our days left here has already begun. We have all been experiencing a little bit of mixed feelings about going home in four weeks. However, I think we are all trying to find a way to experience every moment in South America for what it is and not take it for granted. We learned early on in this trip that culture shock is not as cut and dry as we were told. Being away from our home country and immersed in a new culture is a process of varying emotions and experiences. For those of us anxious to get back to seeing our friends and families who await us, driving our cars freely and to our beautiful campus on the seaside of Santa Barbara, and for those of us who are already feeling sad about leaving our new life, we are all going to make the most of everyday we have left here. With that we have no doubts that by the end, we will have gotten everything we wanted out of this experience.

By Erin McGovern

Week 6

Week Six
Kelsey Lewis:
This week we had our first group vacation in Chile. We all met at the school and got on the bus for the short scenic ride to Vina del Mar. We were all so happy to be back by the beach! It had been six weeks since we had seen the ocean and it was so nice. The familiar smell of seaweed and salt lingered in the air and there were seagulls everywhere. We stayed in a nice hotel very near the ocean and all had lunch together that first day. We then took the scenic route around town, walking along the waters edge. We also got to see a clock made entirely of fresh flowers! The weather was a little cold, but it was still a great day.

After our walk around town, we returned to the hotel and got ready for dinner. We all went to a Chinese buffet, which was good but a little rough on the stomach. After dinner, some of us trekked to the local casino for a little gambling. Only a few people got lucky and the rest of us just watched. The next day, we awoke early and had breakfast at the hotel; the ham, cheese and butter sandwiches were very interesting. We took a bus to the next town over called Valparaíso. We got to ride an ascensor (elevator) that was different from any elevator we had ever seen! It was like walking into a small room made entirely of dark wood. The ascensor rises up the side of a small hill. There was a great view of Valparaíso and Vina del Mar from the top of the hill. We explored a little art fair and then took the stairs back down to the town plaza. The descent down the hill exposed us to walls covered in all sorts of graffiti art.

While in Valpo we were able to tour Pablo Neruda’s home. We had visited his home in Santiago that week too. His houses are very unique and interesting. The drive to the house and back down gave us a very good view of the streets of Valparaíso. The houses are varieties of bright colors and very beautiful. We ended the trip with a group lunch at a seaside restaurant. On our way home, some people got dropped back off in Vina del Mar to start of the week of spring break. Everyone else returned to Santiago. For the break, some people are going to Peru, some to Uruguay, some to Argentina, and others are traveling throughout Chile. It will be weird not seeing everyone for a week, but it will be wonderful when we are reunited and can share the stories of our adventures!
October 27, 2009 3:03 PM
anaisinelconosur said...

Week Six
By Jamie Cisar:
Thursday we had a day of service learning at el Jardin de Ninos. It is a daycare for children from low income families. The entire experience was extremely fulfilling. We left the school at 9 a.m. We were all full of anticipation, as we did not know what we were going to be doing as volunteers. As Carlos led us to the outskirts of Santiago, we were able to see our first glimpse of the landscape of Chile. It is quite similar to the agriculture and landscape of California, as there are vineyards and common landscape—such as poppies, prickly pear cacti, and eucalyptus trees—throughout the countryside. The ride passed quickly and soon enough we arrived at el Jardin de Ninos.

Personally, I was extremely nervous before interacting with the kids because I do not have much experience around younger children, but I surprised myself as I had a really meaningful experience. Even though I fell in love with a few children—and honestly wanted to adopt this one particular four year-old girl—I also had a rare encounter with a seemingly distressed young girl. As I tried to cheer her up by placing her on my lap and giving her a horse jiggle, I felt something warm spread across my entire femur on my right leg. I continued to try to speak to her in Spanish and make her smile until I realized I should get up and play with another, more willing, child, which would hopefully motivate her to play with us. As I took her off of my lap, I looked down to see that my pants were soaked with a familiar smelling liquid. At first, I could not believe she would just go around peeing on people, until I realized I probably caused her to pee by giving her a horse lap ride by jiggling my leg. One of the women who worked at el Jardin de Ninos changed her clothes and told her not to pee on anyone again, but that instead she should ask to use the bathroom. After she did what she needed to do, her mood improved considerably as she was laughing and playing the rest of the day. I found other children to play with and became increasingly exhausted as the day progressed. Because of the children’s high energy, the group seemed to take shifts with play time. Half of us played with the kids until we became tired, while the other half prepared food. This routine continued for most of the day.

We played an organized balloon food eating contest with the children, prepared food for them and ate with them, and played individually with them. The day went by quickly and before we knew it, they were giving us a hand-signed thank you card before we had to leave. All of us were happy to spend the day with these balls of energy and found it extremely rewarding to interact with such innocent and lively children.
October 27, 2009 3:04 PM

Week 4

This week in Buenos Aires was the adios, farewell week. As we are heading off to Chile this Saturday, we said goodbye to our schools and our beloved Spanish teachers, and are spending our last moments here in the city and with our host families. It is bittersweet as although we are sad to leave, everyone is excited to go to Santiago and see a whole new place.

This was a fun week here. Last weekend started with an excursion to Tigre, a neighborhood on the outskirts of the city. We took a train to the peaceful little area with open blue skies that has a small river flowing down the middle. Having a leisurely lunch and walk is a good way to get a break from a big city like Buenos Aires. That night we experienced some of the city culture by going out dancing with a couple of the personnel from our Spanish school, and I think everyone enjoyed trying to dance like a Latino to the reggaeton music.

Saturday was a free day, and a lot of people took advantage of time to rest and explore the markets and buy souvenirs at the fair. However, some of us used this as an opportunity to travel more and took a ferry to Colonia, Uruguay. Colonia is an antique Atlantic coastal village that has a lot of history, pleasant outdoor cafes, a lighthouse with an excellent view, and the best sunset that any of us has watched in South America.

Sunday we all went to a Gaucho ranch. It is a traditional country ranch that had llamas and horses, and we even got to ride the horses. We had a Gaucho lunch accompanied by music dancing, and mate. Mate is the bitter herbal tea that is so popular here that it is hard to find an Argentinean who doesn’t entertain friends with a gourd of hot mate.

This school week was fun because we had one of our culture classes at one of the cities oldest and most well known cafes, which is popular for its Tango shows and its attraction to famous artists. We read more stories written by great Argentinean authors and went to a “conversation club” to speak – in Spanish -- about revolutionary Che Guevara. Having the opportunity to learn Spanish and to supplement it with South American literature and culture classes is a great feeling. I learn so much that when I go to bed at night it seems that I could not learn any more -- that my brain is a sponge fully saturated with new information. It feels good because it comes with a feeling of accomplishment.

Everyone is leaving Buenos Aires tomorrow after four short weeks with more confidence in his or her Spanish skills, and more aware of themselves. A lot can be learned about oneself when homey comforts left behind and one is immersed in a new place with new people with all new things to do.

Week 4

As the saying goes, “all good things must come to an end.” We are living that saying this week. However in the typical fashion of our group, we have made the most of every moment. In between studying for Spanish tests and writing midterms, we filled our time with the sights, sounds, and smells of Buenos Aires and the surrounding areas. On Friday, we took the seatless train to Tigre, a sleepy little suburb on the Rio. We relaxed at a restaurant along the canal and then were free to explore before our return to the city. On Saturday, a group of eight of us notched another country under our belt, Uruguay. We took the ultra-fast, luxurious Buquebus across the Rio to Colonia del Sacramento. Colonia was a town built during the 1700s and 1800s, and has maintained the old town feel in their historic district. The day was spent exploring the aged cobblestone streets and shops, and bonding through café’s watching the sunset in an outdoor café. Not to be outdone by its neighbor to the north, Argentina offered us its own version of the slow life on Sunday. We traveled two hours into the countryside to Estancia Cinacina in San Antonio de Areco to experience the Gaucho way of life. It was a day filled with horses, comida asada, and of course, mate. The final weekdays in Buenos Aires were filled with the places people wanted to see before they left: Puerto Madero, Floralis Generica, etc. They were also filled with times of reflection of the great time that has been had in our short month spent in Argentina. Even with our hearts still in Buenos Aires, we must continue our journey in Chile. It is a bittersweet moment, we must say adios, no, only ciao, to the people and places we have come to love in this great South American city. But ahead of us, we have a whole new adventure, a whole new country.

Week 3

We continue on our great adventure through Argentine culture; one experience was a delectable lunch at Oro & Candido. We explored a variety of foods of this country's origin. We started with baguettes, local hare, and lamb and mushroom empanadas. Then came along the alligator kabob severed with peppers and paprika dip. Next was sweet water fish croquettes. In addition to this rare meal came llama then to BBQ ostrich with vegetables. To top it off, came a special dessert of handmade cheese, spaghetti squash jam, and sugar can syrup. This whole meal expanded our minds as well as our taste buds. Our guest speaker and restaurant owner discussed with us the history of each dish, which unveiled the mystery of how it came to be on our plate. For example one of the vegetarian dishes was a delicious serving of quinoa and the story behind the grain. Quinoa was once very abundant throughout Argentina and an important source of nutrients for Amerindians. When the Spanish began to colonize Argentina, they learned the importance of quinoa as a sustainable source of food and destroyed the fields to gain the Amerindians dependence of Spanish imports. Today Spain is the number one exporter of quinoa in the world. This extravagant meal was delicious and insightful to Argentine culture.

Leaving behind the bright lights and tall buildings of the city behind us we embark on our journey into the vast countryside and onto Iguazu Falls. 18 hours later we arrive exhausted, yet excited to unveil the mystery of our new surroundings. After settling in to our hostel, we set forth into the jungle on tractor ride to the animal rescue and rehabilitation center. We meet Roy and he shows us the animals that have entered their facilities. Just to name a few of the animals we meet are tropical birds, eagles, and a new monkey friend. We head out of the jungle and into the city of Iguazu. All of us stand at the crossroads of three different countries: Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina all divided by a fork a river. Then have a grand dinner with a show. The following morning we arise early to get a head start to on our day at Iguazu Falls National Park. Our first encounter of the waterfalls was by boat, and we flew through the rapids and dove beneath the waterfalls. After drying off the group proceeded by train to the Garganta Del Diablo (the devil's throat). We walked above the river and reached the heart of the falls. This magnificent sight made us ponder of the power and beauty of these endless waterfalls. We continued our adventure through the upper, middle, and lower trails of the park. We saw the waterfalls at every angle and each time we were reminded of the unbelievable force of Iguazu.We left this mind blowing environment and headed back to town to enjoy a night at our hostel. We topped off this amazing day with a BBQ and Brazilian show which was held for us and our international friends.

Our last day of Iguazu we head to Irapuca, a small village crafted by wood, shows us the third world view of Argentina which we had not experienced. We relaxed and swam before heading back to Buenos Aires by bus. The long bus trip gave us time to rest and reflect on our amazing adventure.

This past week has opened our minds and taste buds to new experiences of a foreign culture which has created everlasting memories.

Authors: David Ibarra and Larissa Durkin

Week 2

As I write this I realize we have only been in the country for 16 days.
By now most of us have learned how to balance looking up at the beautiful architecture and glancing down for dog poop on the street.
We have become walkers again, only relying on four wheels after a night out or a more than 40 minute walk. We have sipped mate together and grabbed alfajores from the kioscos that are on each block. Some days Spanish is easy, other days a chore, and Spanglish flies from most of our mouths.
Many of us are feeling our purses and wallets become lighter, as our budgets become tighter. It has been difficult balancing work and fun, but we are gradually learning the ways of the porteños.
Saturday the 19th about 14 of us met Profesora Oropeza at Bio, an all organic restaurant in Palermo, probably the healthiest meal we will have in Buenos Aires. And in Argentine fashion, we satisfied our sweet tooth's after wards at a cafe.
Monday the 21st was una Dia de Felicies para La Primavera, the whole city celebrated and all the girls received flowers at the kioscos. Around 8:30 that night in the Recoleta there were and car horns honking, dish pans banging, and hands clapping together in protest. It was amazing standing at the window, listening to a city raise their opinions against the government. But within 5 minutes it was over.
Entonces, when in Argentina... one must do as the Argentineans, so on Wednesday night about 15 of us went to the Boliche (club) Museum to dance and be exhausted the next morning.
As each day passes, we fall deeper in love. And when we take the time to look back, everything seems to be moving by too fast. In less than two weeks time we will be kissing our Argentine families goodbye and watching Buenos Aires disappear as our plane to Chile climbs higher and higher.
Unimaginable.
Let´s not think about it.

Semana Dos En Buenos Aires!

What an adventure this has been so far! We have had yet another amazing week here in BA, as time here has been filled with memorable experiences (and really good food). Last Sunday we ventured away from from the tall buildings and restless traffic into the heart of La Boca. The colorful buildings were mesmerizing and the streets were packed with tango dancers, artists, and street performers, eager to welcome us... and earn a few pesos. It was delightful to see the sense of pride that the Argentines possess for their country. All but four of us are currently enjoying the lush atmosphere of Iguazu Falls, which will be, unquestionably, a life-altering experience. I have chosen to stay behind because I have grown attached to my "Argentina Family", and wish to spend as much time with them as possible, while completely immersing myself in the Spanish language. Looking forward to another fantastic week! Below are a few pictures of La Boca. I am also including a photo of myself with my Argentina-siblings. It is amazing how quickly my Spanish is improving, and I think the other students could say the same.

Ciao! Suerte!

-Cynthia Blount

Megan and I enjoying La Boca!

Alejandra, Luciano, and myself. Couldn't have asked for a better host-family!

Week 1

It has been a week since our journey began on that Friday morning at LAX and I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say it feels like we’ve been in Buenos Aires for much, much longer. We are at the point where every experience we’ve had thus far has been new and exciting because even a seemingly normal task like ordering food or getting to school is completely different from what we are used to.

After we arrived in Buenos Aires and spent the first night together in a hotel, we toured the city of Recoleta and visited the famous cemetery or also known as the Necropolis. It lives up to that name because it is more like a city rather than the lawn with headstones that we are used to seeing. After that, it was time for us to meet our host families. As we all sat in the break room at school, waiting to be picked up by are new moms or dads, the air was filled with nervousness and excitement, and one by one,(and the occasional two) we left that room and went to our homes.

We have school four days a week and we usually have an activity afterward. So far, we went to the Museum of Fine Arts and tested our “suave” at Tango lessons. When we are free to do whatever, I've spent most of my time exploring the city and taking in as much of this experience as possible. Everything about this trip has been awesome and I’m sure that each of the many weeks we have in both Buenos Aires and Santiago will be equally amazing and profound as the first.

Week 1 in Argentina

After weeks of waiting with anticipation and anxiety, we have finally arrived to Buenos Aires! We arrived on the morning of Saturday the 12th, and right away made our way to the hotel to regroup. Tired and jetlagged, we decided to stay up and try to adapt to the local time. The next day we took an amazing tour through the local cemetery, called “The City of the Dead.” It lives up to its name. The cemetery is made up of structures, almost like small houses, as far as the eye can see. As we walked throughout “the city,” we got to see the beauty and complexity of some of these buildings that were made to house the dead.
Following our tour of the cemetery, we ate lunch and headed back to the school to meet our host families for the first time. It was an experience that embodied so much emotion, it makes it hard to duplicate in words. One-by-one we were called out from the break room, and introduced to our host families. It was exhilarating, but equally nerve-racking. My host-mother and I took a taxi home, and upon arrival I received a tour of the house. I couldn’t ask for a better host mom. She is extremely nice, and spoils me to the point that I get uncomfortable.
Classes started on Monday, and immediately we jumped right in with Spanish. Everyone was a little quiet at first, but once the layer of ice broke, we opened up. We carried a certain zest with us through-out the rest of the week. I get the feeling we are going to learn a lot in our Culture class. Our professor is well-informed, and has personally experienced a lot of what she is teaching us. Clara Oropeza, our director of the trip and English professor is very knowledgeable and easy to approach. It makes this experience feel safer knowing you can always talk to her if there is a problem. So far there haven’t been any major mishaps. I’m so glad I decided to come along on this adventure and I’m thrilled for the future and what’s to come!

Buenos Aires

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