I'm home for my second summer of the year, though the one in Chile was much sunnier and hotter, all around more summer...ier if you will, but being back in America is great. There are so many things that we take for granted because we don't know a life without them. The simpler the item the easier it is to take for granted and the quicker we realize their absence. Things like free water at restaurants, free refills, free toilet paper and bathrooms, clean air, and a shared language are all examples of things I took for granted that were not a given while I was in South America. On the other hand, there are also things that I miss from the South American lifestyle that I think we may be missing out on such as more walking, fresher foods, and closer family lives.
I'll try to answer some of the common questions I've been asked:
1. What was your favorite part? Well, I loved the food. It was fresh and different even though a lot of the ingredients were the same. I also loved having my room next to the kitchen because I could smell the food cooking. The fresh bread was amazing! My other favorite things were my host family even though the language barrier was a challenge and the mini adventures we had where I got to do things I never imagined I would get to do (such as horseback riding in the Andes Mountains while we were in Mendoza, Argentina for one thing and Machu Picchu for another.)
2. What was your least favorite part? It's not the earthquake as you might think, but what happened after the earthquake. While Chile tried to recover and prevent further damage, our class tried to get back to normal and went back to school the Monday after the earthquake almost as if nothing had happened. This was frustrating for me personally, and I wish we would have done more in the harder hit regions of the country. Though to be fair we did have a lot of work to cover in a condensed amount of time. I also wish I had improved even more on my Spanish while I was down there.
3. Would you do it over again? If there were some significant changes to the program yes, but I think I would definitely study abroad again if I could, but I might do it through a different program. This question kind of goes along with "Are you glad you did it?" It's hard to say. I think I learned a lot through this adventure, but, again, I wish I could have changed some things about the program. I also believe that there is a reason for everything and that God will use the time I spent in South America for his good.
So for all of the people thinking about studying abroad I say do it. Do something outside your comfort zone, try something new, and see the world from a different point of view.
Are there any questions I missed? Please don't hesitate to ask. And thank you to everyone who read my blog, I just wish I could have kept it a little more up to date! Until next time!
-Elyse
PS: Thank you for all of your prayers for Chile and for our team.
PPS: No, Chilean food is not the same as Mexican food. :)
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Off to Peru then Home!
Our time here is just about up. It's been an amazing adventure (and I'm sorry not to have updated you all about it regularly enough). Ecclesiastes 3 talks about there being a time for everything under the sun--"a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,"
We've definitely had some hard times being in a new environment and culture, but it's also been fun and full of laughter. (I think it's safe to say that there's been enough dancing too.) Likewise, there is a time to come and a time to leave. God has kept us all safe here and blessed us all with great home-stay families. I know I am going to miss them probably most of all.
I will try to update this even more about the rest of adventures when I get back home. =)
a time to mourn and a time to dance,"
We've definitely had some hard times being in a new environment and culture, but it's also been fun and full of laughter. (I think it's safe to say that there's been enough dancing too.) Likewise, there is a time to come and a time to leave. God has kept us all safe here and blessed us all with great home-stay families. I know I am going to miss them probably most of all.
I will try to update this even more about the rest of adventures when I get back home. =)
Friday, March 19, 2010
Argentina, the Andes, and a New Job!
Sounds like a pretty cool week, right? Well I guess it's time I write about it then. We've had a lot of homework lately which is still a struggle, and I really wish we had a spring break to relax. Ok ok, I bet you're wondering why I have anything to complain about, right? I spent four days in Mendoza, Argentina not to mention three months abroad in Chile. However, would you consider it a restful break after long bus rides and staying in a hostel in a room across from your whole class? And your teacher? Naaah... But I will say that we had the opportunity to do some fun stuff!
We (everyone except Patrick who got stopped by the bus driver for not having his tourist visa paper thingy) left Tuesday night, so we didn't get to see much of the mountains on the ride into Argentina, but the stars that we saw through the window were amazing. We arrived early Wednesday morning just as the sun was coming up. (Side note: I think I know why Americans sometimes get a rep for being rude: they don't expect anyone to understand English around them. Behind Taylor and me there was a loud baby and outside a bunch of people taking pictures. Without thinking, we were complaining a bit before we left the station, and were surprised when she responded in English: [they're taking so many pictures] because they're family. Oops! Haha) Somewhere in the middle of the ride we were stopped at the border to get our bags and passports checked. Everything went pretty smoothly, but it was really cold. (And the bathrooms were gross.)When we arrived in Mendoza, we looked around the bus station thingy a bit and got some breakfast while waiting to check into the hostel which was only about 5 minutes away. We finally checked in and got our rooms. Veronica and I had our first room upstairs with a separate, but thankfully private, bathroom (though it was no dream bathroom either). There were two computers there that people could use on the rare occasion that they were available. Ron checked his email and Pat was able to find his paper and was going to leave that morning meaning he would arrive in the afternoon.After we got settled in, we talked a bit as to what we wanted to do and walked around the city a bit, and exchanged some money. We set some things up with an excursion agency--four of us would got horseback riding in the sunset/night, all of us would go on a winery/olive oil/chocolate tour, and the guys went to a tango and dinner thing.
The horseback riding thing was something I never thought I would do, which is one of the reasons why I decided to do it. I mean how often do you get the opportunity to go horseback riding in Mendoza, Argentina at night? At first it was scary and I kind of thought I was going to fall, but eventually got into the rhythm and trusted my horse not to kill me (not on purpose at least). I would have taken more pictures if I wasn't holding on for dear life, but the stars, the city lights on the horizon, and the flashes of lightning in the distance were amazing. There were some points on the train when the guides made us go a bit faster, which was also pretty exciting. After we got back we had authentic barbequed meat sandwiches. I guess the cowboys would often cook the meat and then for easy transportation turn it into a sandwich. It was pretty good, but kind of boring once the food was gone and everyone else was talking. Carlos, Patrick, and I were just kind of bored and waiting to go home. Ron even fell asleep in the van afterward while we were waiting. We all decided to go on the tour because wine is a big thing in Mendoza, Argentina and we thought it would be fun, informative, and a good cultural experience. As you may know, language depends a lot on where you are. Eskimos have a lot of words for snow, Seattle-ites have a bunch of words for rain, and people from Mendoza have a lot of words for their grapes/wine. I didn't buy any wine, but I did buy CHOCOLATE! Yum... :)
Veronica and I ended up switching rooms to right across the hall from the guys room, but at least this one had a nicer bathroom. If you don't know, hostels are a great place to meet...interesting people.
On the way back we had a really good view of the mountains (including Aconcagua-pictured above- the highest mountain in the Western hemisphere!) It was freezing when we were at the top waiting to go through customs. It seems kind of the Mexico/US border-going into Mexico is a lot easier than coming into the states. Likewise, coming into Argentina is a lot easier than coming back into Chile. We did get our tourist visas renewed, which was one of the main goals of the trip because they only last 90 days.
This sign was comforting: Danger 300 meters.
So, I am more thankful for Santiago/Las Condes now because it's a lot nicer, cleaner, safer than Mendoza even though things in Mendoza are cheaper.
The job I got? I applied for a few school jobs and I got hired to be an RA-Resident Assistant. Yey! Still have to iron a few things out which are a lot harder from 6,000 miles away, but we'll make it work. We had to have the interview via Skype which was interesting. I'm really excited for it though. :D
Any questions? Did I forget anything?
Oh yes! While we were in Mendoza there were some more fairly big earthquakes which I was glad to miss. I guess some people called my mom to see if I was ok, but because I was in Argentina I didn't feel anything. Oh and some other things that happened while we were gone: my mom left for the US and they inaugurated the new Chilean president. My sister Pili has kind of taken over the motherly roles, thanks Sis! She doesn't like being alone though because the aftershocks still really scare her. :(
Random things that I meant to post before leaving for Argentina but never actually got around to:
The other day one of my sisters had a friend over and he had been to America for a year studying in Illinois, so he spoke pretty good English. When I was talking to him about his experience in the States he said that he really missed it. I said, "Yeah, when I go home I'll probably miss Chile too." To that he replied, "Naah you won't." He wasn't joking either. Strange... lol
Also, my cousin (who reads this sometimes so: Hi!) went down to the south of Chile as a firefighter (or firefighter in training) to help out. When he got back he said it was terrible. Keep praying for them down there!
I went to volunteer at the Montessori school Tuesday morning before school. The schools were all supposed to start on March 1st, but that was postponed because of the earthquake and most started today (Monday). My ears were plugged up so I couldn't really hear people, but they just assumed I couldn't understand and laughed.
Happy Women's Day! (Feliz Dia de la Mujer!) (March 8th)
People keep making fun of me for going to bed shortly after the excitement of the big earthquake. Mostly my cousin and sometimes Taylor/Patrick.
We (everyone except Patrick who got stopped by the bus driver for not having his tourist visa paper thingy) left Tuesday night, so we didn't get to see much of the mountains on the ride into Argentina, but the stars that we saw through the window were amazing. We arrived early Wednesday morning just as the sun was coming up. (Side note: I think I know why Americans sometimes get a rep for being rude: they don't expect anyone to understand English around them. Behind Taylor and me there was a loud baby and outside a bunch of people taking pictures. Without thinking, we were complaining a bit before we left the station, and were surprised when she responded in English: [they're taking so many pictures] because they're family. Oops! Haha) Somewhere in the middle of the ride we were stopped at the border to get our bags and passports checked. Everything went pretty smoothly, but it was really cold. (And the bathrooms were gross.)When we arrived in Mendoza, we looked around the bus station thingy a bit and got some breakfast while waiting to check into the hostel which was only about 5 minutes away. We finally checked in and got our rooms. Veronica and I had our first room upstairs with a separate, but thankfully private, bathroom (though it was no dream bathroom either). There were two computers there that people could use on the rare occasion that they were available. Ron checked his email and Pat was able to find his paper and was going to leave that morning meaning he would arrive in the afternoon.After we got settled in, we talked a bit as to what we wanted to do and walked around the city a bit, and exchanged some money. We set some things up with an excursion agency--four of us would got horseback riding in the sunset/night, all of us would go on a winery/olive oil/chocolate tour, and the guys went to a tango and dinner thing.
The horseback riding thing was something I never thought I would do, which is one of the reasons why I decided to do it. I mean how often do you get the opportunity to go horseback riding in Mendoza, Argentina at night? At first it was scary and I kind of thought I was going to fall, but eventually got into the rhythm and trusted my horse not to kill me (not on purpose at least). I would have taken more pictures if I wasn't holding on for dear life, but the stars, the city lights on the horizon, and the flashes of lightning in the distance were amazing. There were some points on the train when the guides made us go a bit faster, which was also pretty exciting. After we got back we had authentic barbequed meat sandwiches. I guess the cowboys would often cook the meat and then for easy transportation turn it into a sandwich. It was pretty good, but kind of boring once the food was gone and everyone else was talking. Carlos, Patrick, and I were just kind of bored and waiting to go home. Ron even fell asleep in the van afterward while we were waiting. We all decided to go on the tour because wine is a big thing in Mendoza, Argentina and we thought it would be fun, informative, and a good cultural experience. As you may know, language depends a lot on where you are. Eskimos have a lot of words for snow, Seattle-ites have a bunch of words for rain, and people from Mendoza have a lot of words for their grapes/wine. I didn't buy any wine, but I did buy CHOCOLATE! Yum... :)
Veronica and I ended up switching rooms to right across the hall from the guys room, but at least this one had a nicer bathroom. If you don't know, hostels are a great place to meet...interesting people.
On the way back we had a really good view of the mountains (including Aconcagua-pictured above- the highest mountain in the Western hemisphere!) It was freezing when we were at the top waiting to go through customs. It seems kind of the Mexico/US border-going into Mexico is a lot easier than coming into the states. Likewise, coming into Argentina is a lot easier than coming back into Chile. We did get our tourist visas renewed, which was one of the main goals of the trip because they only last 90 days.
This sign was comforting: Danger 300 meters.
So, I am more thankful for Santiago/Las Condes now because it's a lot nicer, cleaner, safer than Mendoza even though things in Mendoza are cheaper.The job I got? I applied for a few school jobs and I got hired to be an RA-Resident Assistant. Yey! Still have to iron a few things out which are a lot harder from 6,000 miles away, but we'll make it work. We had to have the interview via Skype which was interesting. I'm really excited for it though. :D
Any questions? Did I forget anything?
Oh yes! While we were in Mendoza there were some more fairly big earthquakes which I was glad to miss. I guess some people called my mom to see if I was ok, but because I was in Argentina I didn't feel anything. Oh and some other things that happened while we were gone: my mom left for the US and they inaugurated the new Chilean president. My sister Pili has kind of taken over the motherly roles, thanks Sis! She doesn't like being alone though because the aftershocks still really scare her. :(
Random things that I meant to post before leaving for Argentina but never actually got around to:
The other day one of my sisters had a friend over and he had been to America for a year studying in Illinois, so he spoke pretty good English. When I was talking to him about his experience in the States he said that he really missed it. I said, "Yeah, when I go home I'll probably miss Chile too." To that he replied, "Naah you won't." He wasn't joking either. Strange... lol
Also, my cousin (who reads this sometimes so: Hi!) went down to the south of Chile as a firefighter (or firefighter in training) to help out. When he got back he said it was terrible. Keep praying for them down there!
I went to volunteer at the Montessori school Tuesday morning before school. The schools were all supposed to start on March 1st, but that was postponed because of the earthquake and most started today (Monday). My ears were plugged up so I couldn't really hear people, but they just assumed I couldn't understand and laughed.
Happy Women's Day! (Feliz Dia de la Mujer!) (March 8th)People keep making fun of me for going to bed shortly after the excitement of the big earthquake. Mostly my cousin and sometimes Taylor/Patrick.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Take Two Asprin and Call Me in the Morning
***Edit: We'll be in Mendoza, Argentina Thursday night-Saturday afternoon and I won't be bringing my laptop so that's why you probably won't be hearing from me until I get back. =) I'll hopefully have a lot to share when I get back, though (and the motivation to write about it), so check back for an update.
It's been a little over a week since the big earthquake caught our group and all of Chile off guard at 3:30 in the morning. This past week there have also been over 200 aftershocks and other earthquakes that keep us on our toes. Recently I read that there has been a new death toll that actually went from 800 to less than 400 so that's a praise, but I think because the tsunami that hit Chile's coast may have swept some people out to sea, it will continue to change.
It has been a rough week (though I should mention I picked the title just because it sounded funny, not actually an accurate description of how I feel) and things may start getting back to normal soon. I think being able to get involved a bit on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday definitely helped me and our group because I was restless and frustrated about not knowing what to do or how to get started helping.
On Thursday we went to a boys home/orphanage (above) for a meet and greet because we had heard that they needed some help picking up a brick wall that was damaged because of the earthquake. (Picture below)
On Friday Veronica had wanted to drop off some shirts to donate at the church we've been attending--La Vina (with a squiggly over the n)--but when we were greeted with "Oh good! More volunteers!" we decided to stay and help sort and box up donations. We made some friends and it felt good to do something.
So Saturday morning most of us headed back to the orphanage and got to work on those bricks! We did a pretty good job too. It was also fun hanging out with some of the boys afterward. :)
Saturday night we had a going away dinner for Alyssa who's going back to NCU late Sunday night/early Monday morning depending on how you look at it. We're all going to miss her and it was fun getting to know her.
On Tuesday night we're going to take the bus for Mendoza, Argentina! Not exactly sure how long we're staying there, Friday maybe? I think that'll be fun. We're going to stay in a hostel and I've never done that and we're not even sure which one yet. While we're gone my Chilean mom (who is actually from Mendoza, Argentina) is going to fly to the States to see her daughter and son-in-law. Also, President Pinera (with a squiggly over the n) will be taking office. When we get back I think some of us are hoping to go back to the orphanage and play with the kids again.
Thank you for your prayers and support! Dios le bendiga!
It's been a little over a week since the big earthquake caught our group and all of Chile off guard at 3:30 in the morning. This past week there have also been over 200 aftershocks and other earthquakes that keep us on our toes. Recently I read that there has been a new death toll that actually went from 800 to less than 400 so that's a praise, but I think because the tsunami that hit Chile's coast may have swept some people out to sea, it will continue to change.
It has been a rough week (though I should mention I picked the title just because it sounded funny, not actually an accurate description of how I feel) and things may start getting back to normal soon. I think being able to get involved a bit on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday definitely helped me and our group because I was restless and frustrated about not knowing what to do or how to get started helping.
On Thursday we went to a boys home/orphanage (above) for a meet and greet because we had heard that they needed some help picking up a brick wall that was damaged because of the earthquake. (Picture below)
On Friday Veronica had wanted to drop off some shirts to donate at the church we've been attending--La Vina (with a squiggly over the n)--but when we were greeted with "Oh good! More volunteers!" we decided to stay and help sort and box up donations. We made some friends and it felt good to do something.
So Saturday morning most of us headed back to the orphanage and got to work on those bricks! We did a pretty good job too. It was also fun hanging out with some of the boys afterward. :)
Saturday night we had a going away dinner for Alyssa who's going back to NCU late Sunday night/early Monday morning depending on how you look at it. We're all going to miss her and it was fun getting to know her.On Tuesday night we're going to take the bus for Mendoza, Argentina! Not exactly sure how long we're staying there, Friday maybe? I think that'll be fun. We're going to stay in a hostel and I've never done that and we're not even sure which one yet. While we're gone my Chilean mom (who is actually from Mendoza, Argentina) is going to fly to the States to see her daughter and son-in-law. Also, President Pinera (with a squiggly over the n) will be taking office. When we get back I think some of us are hoping to go back to the orphanage and play with the kids again.
Thank you for your prayers and support! Dios le bendiga!Tuesday, March 2, 2010
10 Minutes of Fame
Too bad it took a severe natural disaster...
For those of you who missed it here's the KOMO News radio 1000 clip of my interview. Thank you Mrs. Barrick! Interestingly enough, I actually followed her for career shadow day in 10th grade I believe. =) I was actually more nervous for the interview than I was during the earthquake! (More time to be nervous and think about the interview I suppose.) My host family's reaction was pretty funny. They kept calling me "The famous Elyse" and would make jokes about me meeting President Obama or Hillary Clinton while she is down here in Chile. They were listening for a little bit on my laptop while I was talking, but I think they lost internet connection in the middle.
Some more local press coverage of our story in Eugene, OR:
Video
and
Article
For those of you who missed it here's the KOMO News radio 1000 clip of my interview. Thank you Mrs. Barrick! Interestingly enough, I actually followed her for career shadow day in 10th grade I believe. =) I was actually more nervous for the interview than I was during the earthquake! (More time to be nervous and think about the interview I suppose.) My host family's reaction was pretty funny. They kept calling me "The famous Elyse" and would make jokes about me meeting President Obama or Hillary Clinton while she is down here in Chile. They were listening for a little bit on my laptop while I was talking, but I think they lost internet connection in the middle.
Some more local press coverage of our story in Eugene, OR:
Video
and
Article
Monday, March 1, 2010
March-Update and Earthquake songs!
Sometimes I feel like I just want to hug all the Chileans I pass on the street because I know that this is such a trauma and that I've been through it too, it's like we're connected. Maybe I could start a revolution! Every time I watch the news and the coverage of all of the homes destroyed and loved ones lost, I feel helpless and heartbroken, but thankful that God has kept us safe in our neighborhood of Las Condes.
Anyway, I think that the stress from the earthquake and aftershocks weakened my immune system so now I have a cough, sore throat, and a possible slight fever. We're the Santiago 7: Survivors of the 7th biggest earthquake in the world. (Update: Now it seems like it's the 5th strongest since 1900. It is also the strongest since 1990.) The first, and quite possibly the last group to go from our school. We're all dealing with the shock and trauma in our own ways, but we're all trying to remain positive. Patrick still doesn't have power or gas at his house last I knew, but the rest of us have all of those things up and running. For the first couple days after the quake most of the grocery stores were closed and the few that were open were jam packed with people. You'd think that it was the end of the world from the way that they were acting sometimes. As we were driving around Saturday afternoon looking for a store to buy bread, the worst structural damage I saw was a one-level collapsed parking garage. We finally found a store to buy bread awhile later, and when my sister was getting some of the fresh baked bread, it looked like a bunch of sharks going after their prey. Then we had to wait in the checkout line for 20+ minutes.
(Pictured above) On Sunday the President said that big groups couldn't meet, which meant church was canceled. Some more stores were open on Sunday, but they had to limit the number of people in the stores. There was a long line of people outside a nearby grocery store waiting for people to come out, because guards would let more people in. (Pictured below)
On a lighter note: Do you ever think about which songs you would want on your life's soundtrack? I've been thinking about some lately, have a look (written in no particular order):
I Felt The Earth Move-Carole King
Blessed-Martina McBride
Survivor-Destiny's Child
I Will Survive-Gloria Gaynor
Fight to Survive-Bloodsport
Lucky-Brittney Spears
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger-Daft Hands
Shake, Rattle, and Roll-Jesse Stone
It's the End of the World as we Know it-REM
You Shook me All Night Long-AC/DC
Shake It -Metro Station
All Shook Up-Elvis
Knock Me Down-Keri Hudson
Don't Bring Me Down-Electric Light Orchestra
*Thanks for the help Ann!
What other earthquake related songs can you think of?
Anyway, I think that the stress from the earthquake and aftershocks weakened my immune system so now I have a cough, sore throat, and a possible slight fever. We're the Santiago 7: Survivors of the 7th biggest earthquake in the world. (Update: Now it seems like it's the 5th strongest since 1900. It is also the strongest since 1990.) The first, and quite possibly the last group to go from our school. We're all dealing with the shock and trauma in our own ways, but we're all trying to remain positive. Patrick still doesn't have power or gas at his house last I knew, but the rest of us have all of those things up and running. For the first couple days after the quake most of the grocery stores were closed and the few that were open were jam packed with people. You'd think that it was the end of the world from the way that they were acting sometimes. As we were driving around Saturday afternoon looking for a store to buy bread, the worst structural damage I saw was a one-level collapsed parking garage. We finally found a store to buy bread awhile later, and when my sister was getting some of the fresh baked bread, it looked like a bunch of sharks going after their prey. Then we had to wait in the checkout line for 20+ minutes.
(Pictured above) On Sunday the President said that big groups couldn't meet, which meant church was canceled. Some more stores were open on Sunday, but they had to limit the number of people in the stores. There was a long line of people outside a nearby grocery store waiting for people to come out, because guards would let more people in. (Pictured below)On a lighter note: Do you ever think about which songs you would want on your life's soundtrack? I've been thinking about some lately, have a look (written in no particular order):I Felt The Earth Move-Carole King
Blessed-Martina McBride
Survivor-Destiny's Child
I Will Survive-Gloria Gaynor
Fight to Survive-Bloodsport
Lucky-Brittney Spears
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger-Daft Hands
Shake, Rattle, and Roll-Jesse Stone
It's the End of the World as we Know it-REM
You Shook me All Night Long-AC/DC
Shake It -Metro Station
All Shook Up-Elvis
Knock Me Down-Keri Hudson
Don't Bring Me Down-Electric Light Orchestra
*Thanks for the help Ann!
What other earthquake related songs can you think of?
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Earthquake Update!
Well the title of my blog says it all. This trip has been one crazy adventure after another and last night was no different. A little after 3:30 this morning there was a huge earthquake, as you may have heard. I was half awake at the time and figured it was just like any other little earthquake that we've been having. I stayed in bed because I figured it'd be over in a few seconds. When it didn't stop and in fact got worse, I got up and went to the doorway. My family (mom, dad, sister, and cousin) were very close all holding on to each other. I could hear plates and cups crashing and breaking while they fell from the cupboards. My dad said it lasted around 90 seconds, but added that it felt like a year. Once it stopped, you could tell that the house was still swaying. I'm really thankful that I'm only on the 4th floor! We got on shoes and walked downstairs outside. We only stayed down there for a few minutes and then cautiously returned to the 4th floor. The power, gas, internet, and phone lines were down, so we got some candles and quickly surveyed the damage. The earthquake was strong enough to knock down some of the TVs even though I didn't hear them fall. My family kept trying their cells to get a hold of family members. I didn't really know what to do so eventually, around 6 something, I just tried to get some sleep. My mom and dad recommended that I move my bed away from the window (the window of death) and that I sleep with the door slightly ajar. Almost as soon as I got into bed, I heard my Chilean cell phone ring. Taylor called! He wanted to check in and make sure I was ok. I think we're the only two students with Chilean cell phones and the landlines weren't working so we couldn't really get a hold of anyone else last night. (Thanks, bro!) Needless to say, I didn't sleep too well last night. There have been a bunch of aftershocks that vary on the Richter scale, but I know that some were even around a 6. In the morning the power still wasn't working, but at least the sun was up and gave us some light. I could see the cracks in the walls and some more of the damage that the earthquake did. The railing on the porch doesn't seem very sturdy anymore, so I will be even more careful when I go out there. Even now (more than 12 hours after "the big one") there are still some pretty strong aftershocks. My mom and sister are both pretty freaked out. When I see the pictures from the epicenter and hear the death toll and how it's still rising, it's shocking. I still can't really believe that all this has happened. It's really weird to think that (1) we're the first group from our school to go, (2) this is the biggest earthquake they've had in 10+ years, and (3) we've only been here for a little over a month! I'm very thankful that it happened when it did though because I think it could have been a lot worse if it happened during the day time, or if any of our group had been home alone. I'm thankful God has kept us safe! Please continue to pray for us, for Chile, and for the potential for tsunamis!
I'll try to keep you guys updated! Thanks for your support!
PS: Ron, our professor, has contacted all of the students and we're all safe!!!
PPS: Oh just wanted to say to those who are potential Santiago study abroad students: Contact me with any questions or concerns! ;)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/lt_chile_earthquake
Apparently this quake is tied for the 7th strongest in the world...goodie.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100227/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_chile_earthquake
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100227/ts_nm/us_quake_chile
Apparently this quake is tied for the 7th strongest in the world...goodie.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100227/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_chile_earthquake
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100227/ts_nm/us_quake_chile
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Week 4 (and 5 as it turns out)-Harder than I thought
Man keeping up with weekly blogs is a lot harder than I thought. This week had it's ups and downs as does any week I suppose. The first thing worth mentioning happened on Tuesday. Palmer, our professor, told us we would be going somewhere to talk to university students who wanted to practice their English. Wrong. "El Oasis" is actually was a youth group type place with a lot of students from Georgia Tech who were studying abroad. There were also a number of Chileans too. There was singing, a Nooma video, followed by small group discussions (in Spanish). For me I could understand the main points of the discussion, but I felt limited by my Spanish and when I wanted to say something and contribute, I was just silent and nodded my head.
Friday was quite the adventure. First a little after 9am there was another earthquake. I've already felt more earthquakes here in a month, than I have at home my whole life. Then while I was waiting for the group at the lighthouse that morning, I saw a fight. There was a larger man that punched a woman in the face. It was horrible. She kept throwing rocks/dirt at him while a bunch of Chileans just stood around (from what I could tell.) There was also a skinner man involved, though I'm not quite sure how.
On Friday we went to the Chilean equivilent of our White House except there president doesn't live there anymore. The place is called La Moneda because they used to mint money there. It was pretty cool though I wish we could have seen a bit more. After that we went underneath La Moneda for an ancient China exhibit with the terracotta warriors.
----- (week of school)--------
So a week later we went to Fantasilandia. I did some crazy roller coasters (I normally wimp out) because I figured (a) you're only in a Chilean theme park once and (b) you only live once! This trip has made me more adventurous and grateful/appreciative I think. This weekend was pretty boring... I did go to a new church though. That was fun.
I also recently made contact with a nearby Chilean Montessori school! I'll be volunteering there once their school starts up on the first of March. Hopefully I'll also have some other opportunities to visit other schools and maybe even an orphanage.
On a side note, the Vina del Mar 2010 festival starts tonight woo!
I wonder if many people read this...I trust no one worried about me still being alive or wondered why I wasn't posting/writing any blogs.
Any questions? Please ask! (It'll let me know people are reading giving me a reason to write and something to write about!)
Friday was quite the adventure. First a little after 9am there was another earthquake. I've already felt more earthquakes here in a month, than I have at home my whole life. Then while I was waiting for the group at the lighthouse that morning, I saw a fight. There was a larger man that punched a woman in the face. It was horrible. She kept throwing rocks/dirt at him while a bunch of Chileans just stood around (from what I could tell.) There was also a skinner man involved, though I'm not quite sure how.
On Friday we went to the Chilean equivilent of our White House except there president doesn't live there anymore. The place is called La Moneda because they used to mint money there. It was pretty cool though I wish we could have seen a bit more. After that we went underneath La Moneda for an ancient China exhibit with the terracotta warriors.
----- (week of school)--------
So a week later we went to Fantasilandia. I did some crazy roller coasters (I normally wimp out) because I figured (a) you're only in a Chilean theme park once and (b) you only live once! This trip has made me more adventurous and grateful/appreciative I think. This weekend was pretty boring... I did go to a new church though. That was fun.
I also recently made contact with a nearby Chilean Montessori school! I'll be volunteering there once their school starts up on the first of March. Hopefully I'll also have some other opportunities to visit other schools and maybe even an orphanage.
On a side note, the Vina del Mar 2010 festival starts tonight woo!
I wonder if many people read this...I trust no one worried about me still being alive or wondered why I wasn't posting/writing any blogs.
Any questions? Please ask! (It'll let me know people are reading giving me a reason to write and something to write about!)
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Week 3- A beach, a birthday, a bad guy, and a broken water pipe? (But not in that order)
I don't know if I'll be able to match the length of my last posts, and perhaps I shouldn't have set the bar quite so high, but we'll see how this goes. (Sorry for the delay.)
My sister left for Peru and Ecuador 2am last Saturday morning. She's going with a group of friends who all came over before they left for the airport. As is the Chilean custom, when they entered and saw me they made a B-line for me to greet me with a kiss on the right cheek. I still have to hold in the laughs because kissing strangers is still so strange for me.
This past week we went to the beach in the city of El Quisco, which means "the cactus" in the Quechua language. Ron Palmer, our professor, has an old missionary friend who lives down here and let us stay at his beach house there with him and his family. We left right after classes on Monday and took the subway to the bus station and the bus to El Quisco. The trip probably took 1-2 hours.
After putting our luggage away we all walked around the town a bit. We were looking in stores, restaurants, little shops, etc when suddenly all the lights went out...in the whole city. It was quite a sight. They said it doesn't happen very often, so I guess it was their way of welcoming us. Maybe 10 or 20 minutes later, after the stores had tried to close their shops, the lights went back on and we got some ice cream. Later that night, 3 members of the group wanted to hang around and explore a bit while the rest of us went back to the house. (Just so you know this is not an eye-witness account, so I can't really attest to any details.) They stopped in at a restaurant for some food and drinks and Alyssa set her camera down on the table next to her. I guess a guy came in and stole the camera and before any of them knew what happened he was already long gone. We had all been told to be super careful, but I guess it didn't really hit any of us until this happened.
On Isla Negra we got to visit the house-turned-museum of Pablo Neruda, one of only 2 Chilean authors to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. It was overlooking the ocean and quite amazing. I can see why he was inspired there. He had his house kind of like a boat and collected a lot of sea shells, boats in bottles, colored glass, those things that are on the front and back of ships that look like heads, and a lot of other random stuff from all over the world. It was actually pretty cool. They might be able to make a lot more money by renting the house out.
We came back Thursday evening just in time to find out that something was wrong with the pipes downstairs so my bathroom didn't work, the kitchen sink, and the washing machine. It was fixed sometime Friday, whew! =)
Friday morning at 6:16 I felt a shake while laying in my bed--another earthquake! I guess they get them here all the time. I wanted to make sure I wasn't crazy or imagining it so here's my proof: See? Speaking of Friday, that was my 20th bday! Last year it was my first out of the state and this year it's my first out of the country...I wonder what next year will be: out of the Western Hemisphere? World? As a group we went out for dinner at a nearby Chilean restaurant. It was pretty good. Thank you Palmer!
Now the plans for the rest of the weekend? Homework sadly.
PS: Want to try making some Chilean dishes? This is Jim Thurston's website (the missionary who let us stay at his house) http://www.studio-jtv.com/newsite/food.htm
While we were there they made us Cazuela a stew more or less and here's a recipe for that if you'd like to give that a try: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Cazuela
My sister left for Peru and Ecuador 2am last Saturday morning. She's going with a group of friends who all came over before they left for the airport. As is the Chilean custom, when they entered and saw me they made a B-line for me to greet me with a kiss on the right cheek. I still have to hold in the laughs because kissing strangers is still so strange for me.
This past week we went to the beach in the city of El Quisco, which means "the cactus" in the Quechua language. Ron Palmer, our professor, has an old missionary friend who lives down here and let us stay at his beach house there with him and his family. We left right after classes on Monday and took the subway to the bus station and the bus to El Quisco. The trip probably took 1-2 hours.
After putting our luggage away we all walked around the town a bit. We were looking in stores, restaurants, little shops, etc when suddenly all the lights went out...in the whole city. It was quite a sight. They said it doesn't happen very often, so I guess it was their way of welcoming us. Maybe 10 or 20 minutes later, after the stores had tried to close their shops, the lights went back on and we got some ice cream. Later that night, 3 members of the group wanted to hang around and explore a bit while the rest of us went back to the house. (Just so you know this is not an eye-witness account, so I can't really attest to any details.) They stopped in at a restaurant for some food and drinks and Alyssa set her camera down on the table next to her. I guess a guy came in and stole the camera and before any of them knew what happened he was already long gone. We had all been told to be super careful, but I guess it didn't really hit any of us until this happened.
On Isla Negra we got to visit the house-turned-museum of Pablo Neruda, one of only 2 Chilean authors to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. It was overlooking the ocean and quite amazing. I can see why he was inspired there. He had his house kind of like a boat and collected a lot of sea shells, boats in bottles, colored glass, those things that are on the front and back of ships that look like heads, and a lot of other random stuff from all over the world. It was actually pretty cool. They might be able to make a lot more money by renting the house out.
We came back Thursday evening just in time to find out that something was wrong with the pipes downstairs so my bathroom didn't work, the kitchen sink, and the washing machine. It was fixed sometime Friday, whew! =)
Friday morning at 6:16 I felt a shake while laying in my bed--another earthquake! I guess they get them here all the time. I wanted to make sure I wasn't crazy or imagining it so here's my proof: See? Speaking of Friday, that was my 20th bday! Last year it was my first out of the state and this year it's my first out of the country...I wonder what next year will be: out of the Western Hemisphere? World? As a group we went out for dinner at a nearby Chilean restaurant. It was pretty good. Thank you Palmer!
Now the plans for the rest of the weekend? Homework sadly.
PS: Want to try making some Chilean dishes? This is Jim Thurston's website (the missionary who let us stay at his house) http://www.studio-jtv.com/newsite/food.htm
While we were there they made us Cazuela a stew more or less and here's a recipe for that if you'd like to give that a try: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Cazuela
Friday, January 29, 2010
End of Week 2 (I'll try to think of a more descriptive, enticing title)
Wow this week just flew by! I think I finally have figured out the trick to hot showers (knock on wood) and that's a major answer to prayer. I'm reminded that when things don't go my way, I just need to "keep swimming." ;) We're going to the Pre-Columbian Museum today which is near the Plaza de Armas and some other landmarks mentioned in my first post. We're also going to try to take a tour of La Casa Colorado or the "red" house.
I think things are finally starting to sink in as I've had more time to reflect and soak it all up, especially while watching the amazing sunsets we've had this past week. It's kind of awe inspiring when I think of how far we've come as a group and how far God's taken me personally since just a few years ago. I'll try to sum up some of my journey to this point: My senior year was full of questions and uncertainties for me especially regarding college. I had only applied to three schools, but didn't feel too sure of any of them. Step by step God took me on a path to Northwest Christian University. I had only applied to out of state schools, but as time drew nearer, I got cold feet about the idea of being so far away (5 hours driving more or less) from home with people I had never met. Considering I'm now approximately 6,449 miles away from home, the 5 hours seems minuscule and pretty insignificant. I also didn't know what major to pursue, but decided I would go for a degree in Elementary Education. Little did I know, that NCU has a very good education program and the Oregon teaching license is one of the best in the country. I heard about the study abroad program to Santiago my freshmen year and it drew my interest, particularly because of my desire to learn Spanish. The program is aimed at sophomores so it seemed like pretty good timing to start planning. They have been trying to get enough interest in the trip for quite awhile now, but it has never worked out. They have needed at least 4 students for the trip not to lose any money (we have a group of 6 students.) It almost didn't seem likely that we would ever go, so that might be a reason why I was so willing ;) Over the summer Patrick kept asking me if the trip was still on, and each time I really had no idea. Being the first group to actually go, we had to overcome a lot of obstacles and doubts. Perhaps one of the most trying came just a week or two before the end of fall semester '09. After a semester of talking about and preparing for said trip, he told us some higher ups, we now debating who should pay for the plane tickets. I kind of looked around wondering if he was serious. I had the impression that they had already bought the tickets because it was almost time for winter break. In the end, after much discussion, the school decided to pay. I guess that's part of why I'm convinced that God has got a plan for this trip. I'm not sure what it is yet, but it's exciting waiting to see what else He's going to do.
Some things I left out from last time that you might find interesting:
Ages of siblings- Constanza 22 (had her birthday on Tuesday), Jose 23, Pili 25, Maria Belen 30 (Married and lives in LA with her husband), and the cousin Cristian 30. I guess I'm the baby, unless you count Lulu the dog. Mi papa paints as a hobby and he's really good even though he just started recently. A couple of his sisters paint too, maybe it's in his blood. (You can see some of his paintings here: http://www.aicoa.org/author.php?id=7842)
I think it was during the first week while we were eating dinner mi mama asked me to roll my Rs because she noticed I did it better than most gringos. Caught slightly off guard, I did and everyone cheered. Score! My family is always laughing and telling jokes over dinner mostly at the expense of my mom or my sister Constanza. I try to fit in sometimes when I can and contribute a joke in Spanish. For example, when I told them I was from Seattle they said "Oh! Starbucks!" My sister Constanza works in a Starbucks down here and for some reason she asked me if there was a giant mermaid on the top of the headquarters building in Seattle. I told them I didn't think so, at least not like they made it sound. Then they asked me if I knew Howard Stern, so I said "Oh yeah! We're friends." She and my brother laughed. In the states we'd call it "pulling their leg," but here they say that they're "pulling their hair." When I told them the American equivalent they laughed and acted it out.
Only in Chile:
They add -ito/-ita to just about everything
They also add a lot of salt to everything
Some words (there are a lot more that I might add later, but these are the words I've actually used so far:)
Bakan!: Means something is really good
Cachai?: Means "Do you understand?"
I'm excited to try their foods:
Mexico has tamales and Chile has humitas (basically the same thing, but don't tell them that)
Mote con Huesillos
Empanadas (I've had one at a little store, but I hope my mom will make some for dinner eventually)
(Side note: They seem to love their Sushi down here...)
I think someone needs to fill Chile in on the fact that mullets are gross, and that smoking is bad for one's health (as is the salt that they always add.)
Veronica and I went to an English speaking church on Sunday. It wasn't really our cup of tea. We did find an international Jed though! (For those of you that don't know Jed is a guy from NCU.) There were a lot of people that spoke with accents; it sounded to me like they were from the UK.
Well that's all for now. Next week is sure to be fun: we're going to the beach for 4 days! Also, I think my sister Constanza is leaving for Peru and some other places soon.
PS: On the subway today, a man couldn't make up his mind whether to get off or stay on and ended up getting his neck stuck in the doors. Some people nearby quickly pried the doors open though. I would have gotten a picture if I wasn't so caught off guard and concerned for this guy. I think Veronica and I were the only ones that actually saw it happen.
I think things are finally starting to sink in as I've had more time to reflect and soak it all up, especially while watching the amazing sunsets we've had this past week. It's kind of awe inspiring when I think of how far we've come as a group and how far God's taken me personally since just a few years ago. I'll try to sum up some of my journey to this point: My senior year was full of questions and uncertainties for me especially regarding college. I had only applied to three schools, but didn't feel too sure of any of them. Step by step God took me on a path to Northwest Christian University. I had only applied to out of state schools, but as time drew nearer, I got cold feet about the idea of being so far away (5 hours driving more or less) from home with people I had never met. Considering I'm now approximately 6,449 miles away from home, the 5 hours seems minuscule and pretty insignificant. I also didn't know what major to pursue, but decided I would go for a degree in Elementary Education. Little did I know, that NCU has a very good education program and the Oregon teaching license is one of the best in the country. I heard about the study abroad program to Santiago my freshmen year and it drew my interest, particularly because of my desire to learn Spanish. The program is aimed at sophomores so it seemed like pretty good timing to start planning. They have been trying to get enough interest in the trip for quite awhile now, but it has never worked out. They have needed at least 4 students for the trip not to lose any money (we have a group of 6 students.) It almost didn't seem likely that we would ever go, so that might be a reason why I was so willing ;) Over the summer Patrick kept asking me if the trip was still on, and each time I really had no idea. Being the first group to actually go, we had to overcome a lot of obstacles and doubts. Perhaps one of the most trying came just a week or two before the end of fall semester '09. After a semester of talking about and preparing for said trip, he told us some higher ups, we now debating who should pay for the plane tickets. I kind of looked around wondering if he was serious. I had the impression that they had already bought the tickets because it was almost time for winter break. In the end, after much discussion, the school decided to pay. I guess that's part of why I'm convinced that God has got a plan for this trip. I'm not sure what it is yet, but it's exciting waiting to see what else He's going to do.
Some things I left out from last time that you might find interesting:
Ages of siblings- Constanza 22 (had her birthday on Tuesday), Jose 23, Pili 25, Maria Belen 30 (Married and lives in LA with her husband), and the cousin Cristian 30. I guess I'm the baby, unless you count Lulu the dog. Mi papa paints as a hobby and he's really good even though he just started recently. A couple of his sisters paint too, maybe it's in his blood. (You can see some of his paintings here: http://www.aicoa.org/author.php?id=7842)
I think it was during the first week while we were eating dinner mi mama asked me to roll my Rs because she noticed I did it better than most gringos. Caught slightly off guard, I did and everyone cheered. Score! My family is always laughing and telling jokes over dinner mostly at the expense of my mom or my sister Constanza. I try to fit in sometimes when I can and contribute a joke in Spanish. For example, when I told them I was from Seattle they said "Oh! Starbucks!" My sister Constanza works in a Starbucks down here and for some reason she asked me if there was a giant mermaid on the top of the headquarters building in Seattle. I told them I didn't think so, at least not like they made it sound. Then they asked me if I knew Howard Stern, so I said "Oh yeah! We're friends." She and my brother laughed. In the states we'd call it "pulling their leg," but here they say that they're "pulling their hair." When I told them the American equivalent they laughed and acted it out.
Only in Chile:
They add -ito/-ita to just about everything
They also add a lot of salt to everything
Some words (there are a lot more that I might add later, but these are the words I've actually used so far:)
Bakan!: Means something is really good
Cachai?: Means "Do you understand?"
I'm excited to try their foods:
Mexico has tamales and Chile has humitas (basically the same thing, but don't tell them that)
Mote con Huesillos
Empanadas (I've had one at a little store, but I hope my mom will make some for dinner eventually)
(Side note: They seem to love their Sushi down here...)
I think someone needs to fill Chile in on the fact that mullets are gross, and that smoking is bad for one's health (as is the salt that they always add.)
Veronica and I went to an English speaking church on Sunday. It wasn't really our cup of tea. We did find an international Jed though! (For those of you that don't know Jed is a guy from NCU.) There were a lot of people that spoke with accents; it sounded to me like they were from the UK.
Well that's all for now. Next week is sure to be fun: we're going to the beach for 4 days! Also, I think my sister Constanza is leaving for Peru and some other places soon.
PS: On the subway today, a man couldn't make up his mind whether to get off or stay on and ended up getting his neck stuck in the doors. Some people nearby quickly pried the doors open though. I would have gotten a picture if I wasn't so caught off guard and concerned for this guy. I think Veronica and I were the only ones that actually saw it happen.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
End of Week 1
It's Friday January 22, 2010. We've been here in Las Condes, Santiago, Chile for a week and yet sometimes it feels like a lot longer, while other times it feels like we just got here. We had a safe, long flight. We were supposed to meet up with Carlos (one of the 6 students) in Lima, Peru but he just barely missed the flight. We didn't know what had happened or where he was, but luckily he arrived in Chile the next day. We've already visited Santa Lucia, Plaza de Armas, the oldest cathedral in Chile which is located there, the mall, Pueblito los Dominicos, el Mercado Central, among some other things. The third day we were here was also the day they voted for their new president. It's a really big day here: they close down the stores until later in the afternoon, I think it's a "dry" day (w/o alcohol), and some of the streets were closed. Piñera won and he marks a change from the left-winged era that has ruled Chile for 20 years. There was much celebration near my house as you can see in a couple of the videos I posted on facebook.
We've also had our first week of classes (Mon-Thur). I think I'm learning a lot of Spanish even when I'm just sitting there listening trying to understand. It's still hard to communicate ideas sometimes though. It has been really hot here because it's the summer. The last two days it's been in the mid 90s and it's expected to reach a similar temperature tomorrow. Sometimes I feel like I'm going to melt.
A day in the life: I wake up around 8am (we're 5 hours ahead so it'd be 3am west coast time) and go into the kitchen where I turn on the gas water heater hoping every day that it will eventually allow me to have a warm shower. Then I go back into my room where I have my own bathroom and shower. I'm a lot taller than the average Chilean woman and even a bit taller than the average Chilean man, so the shower seems kind of short, but it's better than nothing. Then I get dressed and eat something for breakfast. A typical Chilean breakfast isn't very big- toast and jam, cereal, fruit perhaps. Then I prepare my backpack and my mom makes my lunch. Chileans walk everywhere and when in Chile, do as the Chileans. I walk 15-20 minutes to the church where we have our classes. Right now it's under construction so it's pretty loud there. We go through our classes, have lunch and by 3 or 4pm (15:00 or 16:00) we're done and walk home or do hang out with each other for a bit. Veronica and I have gone to get ice cream a few times for example and Pat and Taylor always have something up their sleeves it seems like. Then I walk the 15-20 minutes home, go on facebook, watch TV in Spanish, try to talk/listen to my family, etc. Eventually anywhere between 8-10 we eat dinner as a family (whoever is awake/home). The Chileans are typically night owls have shift everything a little later than in the States. I go to bed around midnight though a lot of my family stays up later, especially my siblings because it's summer and they don't have school.
By the way, in case you don't know there are 6 students from NCU including me studying down here and one professor. In my "family" I have 3 sisters (but only 2 living here), one brother, my Argentinian mom, my dad, and his nephew...my cousin? My cousin speaks English fluently and my brother, dad, and sister speak some too.
Chilean cultural things: When you meet someone, when someone comes home, or when someone leaves, etc (only between women/women and men/women) you kiss each other on their right cheek. If it's a men/men relationship they hug. When you arrive I think it's polite to say hi/kiss everyone and when you leave it's polite to say "¡chau!" to everyone and kiss them again. The clothing for the younger generation is basically "American."
If they were walking around on the streets of America for the most part, they'd blend in.
Well, I'll try to do this once a week to keep everyone updated.
Chillin in Chile,
Elisa/Elyse =)
We've also had our first week of classes (Mon-Thur). I think I'm learning a lot of Spanish even when I'm just sitting there listening trying to understand. It's still hard to communicate ideas sometimes though. It has been really hot here because it's the summer. The last two days it's been in the mid 90s and it's expected to reach a similar temperature tomorrow. Sometimes I feel like I'm going to melt.
A day in the life: I wake up around 8am (we're 5 hours ahead so it'd be 3am west coast time) and go into the kitchen where I turn on the gas water heater hoping every day that it will eventually allow me to have a warm shower. Then I go back into my room where I have my own bathroom and shower. I'm a lot taller than the average Chilean woman and even a bit taller than the average Chilean man, so the shower seems kind of short, but it's better than nothing. Then I get dressed and eat something for breakfast. A typical Chilean breakfast isn't very big- toast and jam, cereal, fruit perhaps. Then I prepare my backpack and my mom makes my lunch. Chileans walk everywhere and when in Chile, do as the Chileans. I walk 15-20 minutes to the church where we have our classes. Right now it's under construction so it's pretty loud there. We go through our classes, have lunch and by 3 or 4pm (15:00 or 16:00) we're done and walk home or do hang out with each other for a bit. Veronica and I have gone to get ice cream a few times for example and Pat and Taylor always have something up their sleeves it seems like. Then I walk the 15-20 minutes home, go on facebook, watch TV in Spanish, try to talk/listen to my family, etc. Eventually anywhere between 8-10 we eat dinner as a family (whoever is awake/home). The Chileans are typically night owls have shift everything a little later than in the States. I go to bed around midnight though a lot of my family stays up later, especially my siblings because it's summer and they don't have school.
By the way, in case you don't know there are 6 students from NCU including me studying down here and one professor. In my "family" I have 3 sisters (but only 2 living here), one brother, my Argentinian mom, my dad, and his nephew...my cousin? My cousin speaks English fluently and my brother, dad, and sister speak some too.
Chilean cultural things: When you meet someone, when someone comes home, or when someone leaves, etc (only between women/women and men/women) you kiss each other on their right cheek. If it's a men/men relationship they hug. When you arrive I think it's polite to say hi/kiss everyone and when you leave it's polite to say "¡chau!" to everyone and kiss them again. The clothing for the younger generation is basically "American."
If they were walking around on the streets of America for the most part, they'd blend in.
Well, I'll try to do this once a week to keep everyone updated.
Chillin in Chile,
Elisa/Elyse =)
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Pre-Trip
Well, I have exactly a week until my flight leaves from SeaTac to LAX at 7 in the morning. From LAX I have a 13 hour flight to Santiago. Thankfully, I will have company on the flight from my fellow study abroad group. I still have quite a few things I have to do and a few things that I'd like to do before I leave. As excited as I am, I am also pretty nervous.
Background: I am a sophomore at Northwest Christian University in Eugene, OR and going into the Education program. From January 14th to April 30th six students and an NCU professor will be embarking on a journey of a lifetime in Santiago, Chile. For years, this trip has been a goal for the university and a few professors in particular, but never before has there been enough interest--until now. We are the trail blazers of this endeavor and as all involved parties continue to iron out the details, the ambiguity of said details have been somewhat frustrating and I'll be glad to get into a routine once I am down there. I will be taking 16 credits: IDS 201/202 (world history), BTH 102 (Bible theology), Ethics, and Spanish.
Some of my goals are to get good grades, learn the language and culture, have fun, grow in my faith and as a person.
Background: I am a sophomore at Northwest Christian University in Eugene, OR and going into the Education program. From January 14th to April 30th six students and an NCU professor will be embarking on a journey of a lifetime in Santiago, Chile. For years, this trip has been a goal for the university and a few professors in particular, but never before has there been enough interest--until now. We are the trail blazers of this endeavor and as all involved parties continue to iron out the details, the ambiguity of said details have been somewhat frustrating and I'll be glad to get into a routine once I am down there. I will be taking 16 credits: IDS 201/202 (world history), BTH 102 (Bible theology), Ethics, and Spanish.
Some of my goals are to get good grades, learn the language and culture, have fun, grow in my faith and as a person.
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