Politics and Classes
Trip Start
Jul 13, 2005
1
7
32
Trip End
Mar 02, 2006
Valparaíso,
Chile
Friday, September 2, 2005
I hope this is finding everyone in good cheer! Once again its been a busy week, so grab a cup of café and your reading glasses.
I cannot believe it is september. I have started recieving emails from K College talking about 'welcome back', and its really hitting me know that I'm in Chile and really far away from everything I'm so comfortable with. But, its amazing how comfortable I have become here, difficult moments aside!
Well lets see, what have I been up to this week! Mountain sports class was sort of boring friday night. It rained like crazy here and so our rock climbing trip was suspended until november. The weekend was a quiet one, lots of watching news about the crazy flooding in Santiago, which has now of course been dwarfed by news from Nueva Orleans. There is a girl here from Tulane, and I dont know how she can be handling this. Ive talked to her a little, and she seems ok, but obviously it cannot be an easy situation.
As a side note, during my time with the government in DC this summer I was invited to a National Meterological Society meeting, which was highlighting the danger of a hurricane hitting New Orleans. Everything that has happened was pretty much laid out at that meeting by a Senator from Louisiana, and experts. Its sad that nothing much was done.
Talking to some Chilean that has an interest in the Mayan calendar, apparently all these things are building up to some huge event this weekend according to the calendar. So if any of you have to chance, go out camping in the countryside, or buy some bottled water. Ya never know, its been a bit crazy now. Sometimes we forget that nature is always in charge.
After the whole 'plate incident' it was really great to just stay around the house and hang out with the family this weekend, and make myself feel good about them again. I actually gave some thought to switching families, but that was mostly my immediate response. I thought the whole thing through pretty extensively, and came to realize that it is really really stupid, but that some things while studying abroad just dont make sense. Ive gotten over it, and while I owe them a silly plate, I am glad to be living here with them, sharing their home.
This week was the week to finalize classes. Unlike 'K' there is no chance to 'drop' classes after you have signed up, so you really are commiting yourself. I was in email contact with my program coordinator at K trying to get my classes to line up so that I would recieve credit when I return in the spring. It basically came right down to the deadline. I ended up dropping my Chilean Contemporary Poetry in favor of a drawing class.
Some of you may be wondering 'what happened to Math and Physics?' Well, I guess I am really going crazy experimenting with all sorts of new things. I think its going to be a learning experience, and it is certainly in the liberal arts tradition.
Aside from this hiccup, its been my first week of classes being consistent. Tuesday I had my first flute lesson. HAHA. I wish I had a recording of myself playing the flute. It sounded like I was blowing in a pop bottle at best. Basically its going to take a LOT of patience to learn the silly thing, but the teacher is really nice. I have lessons once a week for 45 minutes, and they are free, so no matter how horrible I am at it, I have no reason to not stick it out and try to improve!!
Tuesday night I had to do an interview for my obligatory program class 'Chile Contemporaneo'. My group's topic was the effects of the Pinochet dictatorship on Chileans. I interviewed one of my friends host mom, who is a socialist. It was one of the most interesting moments of my life. This lady was exiled for 6 years, had been in a socialist 'club' that was infiltrated by the CIA, and some of her friends were tortured, and others killed. It was so powerful to listen to her tell these things. We can read all we want about history, but until you sit down with someone who was there, someone who was really affected by events, it doesnt mean anything. I cant say I was too proud of my country (for those of you who dont know...the united states played a large role in the military coup here.) Chile was the first country to democratically elect a socialist government. It wasnt like the other violent socialist takeovers around the world at the time. It was something special that ended so horribly. My favorite quote from the interview was when she refered to the period of time as 'era una idea muy linda'. (it was a beautiful idea)
Ok enough of the heavy stuff! Art class consisted this week of displaying our works so everyone could look at them. Theres a lot of different talent levels in the class...and not to brag, but i think mine matched up ok! Ive really been enjoying expressing myself creatively here through different avenues, and I think I'm making some neat souvenirs to bring home!
We finally got our 'pases escolares' which gives us a huge student discount for the micro. Its gonna save me so much money, and so I pretty much jumped up and down upon hearing the news, I also dont have a beard in the picture. Haha maybe I should shave sometime soon!
I had a delicious seafood empanada here this week. They really dont eat that much seafood, which makes me very sad. You kinda have to go to a restaurant for that. So far ive been saving money for bigger things.
Speaking of spending money on big things, Im thinking about taking a sailing class here (yeah thats right sailing on the Pacific) Its costs like 80 dollars though, and I dont know if enough people are going to sign up for it, but I love to sail, and i think it would be a good time.
I realize that I need to be taking more pictures. When I get home I want to have so many pictures that you guys get bored of looking at them. Perhaps I will start on that this weekend.
Our group's presentation to the class went well, though I had a huge headache, my first semi-migrane in a long time (tunnel vision, nausea, all that crap) I think I have been under a lot of stress the last couple weeks, but Im not getting too worked up, but theres just so much going on all the time. For instance last night i was on a crowded micro, and as my stop approached, I went to push the request stop button at the back of the bus, but of course it didnt work, so I had to yell to the driver 'Pare por favor'....he didnt here so i yelled 'la puerta' several times until he stopped. Just stuff like that is stressful. Anytime you draw attention to yourself, and feel like everyone stares at you and thinks 'stupid gringo' it adds a little bit of stress to the daily life.
That and I think I am going to miss fall in Michigan. Its my favorite time of the year, when the weather turns crisp, the leaves turn colors, the smell of people burning wood fires, crisp blue skies, college football (yes including K games) and spending my birthday with the family and friends. For those of you who dont know, big 21 is the 16th of september for me. Its the last milestone birthday thats exciting, and its crazy that Im celebrating it in Chile, where it means nothing.
Valpo and Viña are like small towns. If you are walking on the street (in certain parts of the city) it is not uncommon at all to bump into your professors, friends, or people that you recognize. While its a huge city population wise, I guess because its small landwise this happens. Its almost like being at K. Wait, no not really.
Well I have written a ton of nothing once again. I hope that everything is going well for all you back in the states. As always I really enjoy recieving your emails, so if you have some down time, feel free to drop me a note, and ill write back when I have time! Until next week!!
Un abrazo!
