Settling into a schedule

My tourist week is over and I'm finally beginning to get into the swing of things here in my new life. The Thursday after Pucón was my first class. I have Operations Management and it's my only evening class this semester. I only know one other person in my class, Sindy, who is from Guatemala and is here for 2 years to complete the industrial engineering program. She's been really helpful in showing me where our classrooms were, introducing me to other classmates, etc. She even went with me last week to the city center to register my visa with the police and then to go apply for my Chilean id card (I have to go pick that up on the 21st!).

So new classes, new professors, new country and everything taught to you in Spanish...a little daunting at first and I have to say I was a little afraid of the unknown. Not to mention when we walked into class, Sindy and I are the only 2 females in the program! She warned me of this from her other classes where she is the sole female. The class is 3 hours long, as most master courses are, and once it got going, I was fine. We had copies of the slides and of the first couple chapters of the textbook. I was surprised at how easy it was to understand most of the business spanish terms and lecture. Now don't get me wrong, I still have to look up a lot of words, but I bought myself a little notebook that I keep in my purse to write all the new words I've learned so I can study them. The text doesn't seem to be hard to follow and the subject matter is relatively easy to learn and as with most coursework, crosses over into other classes and subjects I've taken thus far. As of this week I've had my 2nd class and still seem to be following along ok. I might just do alright afterall!!

My 2nd class is Managaement Models and this lovely class takes place on Saturday mornings starting at 11am...talk about putting a damper on your weekend! But as with the last class (and all the same classmates) it was easy to follow, the professor was nice and just seems like it's going to be a lot of reading and we have to do a couple of class presentations, those I will have to practice, for sure! After class last Saturday, Ximena and her parents invited me to a BBQ with them at the house...and as you know, I never turn down food!! It was awesome. Her parents cooked for us, although I offered up my help, they politely declined. We popped open a couple bottles of wine and sat on the back patio enjoying the sun and all the amazing food they cooked (which was enough to feed about 10 people, no joke!). We had sausage, chicken, pork, beef, a salad of tomatoes & cilantro, boiled potatoes, bread and a bottle of Cab & a bottle of Merlot. After dinner her mom did a little cleaning in the kitchen and took a nap. Ximena, her father and I continued sitting outside chatting it up about life. He was full of questions about my family, why I chose Chile, how I was taking care of school, and once he found out, making sure to let me know how blessed I am to have opportunities such as these. It was a really great night!

Sunday I got to participate in my first volunteer project with a group called Techo para Chile (a roof for Chile). I met up with Daniel & Sindy that morning and we took a bus over to Coronel. It's a small city about 20 mins outside on Concepción on the water. They are a very poor town and most of their homes resemble that of shacks even before the quake. Now a lot of those homes are destroyed leaving many residents living in tents with winter fast approaching. So Techo began this project on Friday and we helped finish it on Sunday. We helped build a simple wooden home, 1 of 15 that were completed, to provide better protection from the wind and rain. It was a whole new experience for me...a lot of hard work and sweat but in the end and seeing the looks of gratitude on their faces was worth it! We had a great group of people working on our home and we just had fun with it. Our poor house had so many problems, from uneven walls, split boards, nails not in the right places...but we just kept laughing and fixing it as we went a long. It was every bit a 9 hour day of work. They fed us some rice and eggs while we were there and we kept working until the dark no longer allowed it. I was covered in dirt and exhausted but soooo happy I had the opportunity to help. I'm really hoping to do it again soon!

I have a little more to tell but I'm going to let that roll over into my next blog! Time to do some homework and studying. Then I think I'm going to cook some dinner for me and Sindy tonight!!...how I've missed cooking for my friends!

Temuco & Pucon

April fools day this year was anything but a joke! Ximena and I decided to take a little weekend adventure and head to one of her favorite cities, Pucon. The only thing I knew about the city before leaving was that it was close to water and it had an active volcano...I was sold!! Our house is only a couple of blocks from the bus station so we figured we'd wing it and just walk over and find some tickets. We discovered that there were no direct routes to Pucon but we could take a bus to Temuco and then find a ticket from there to Pucon, so, we were off!

The tickets are super cheap, probably about $12, and it was THE most comfortable bus I have ever ridden in. It was a double-decker complete with foot rests and almost bed style reclining seats...so of course we both took naps during our 4 hour ride. Once we got to Temuco we began our mission to find a connection to Pucon. Of all the different companies there were in this station, not a single one had a ticket. But on a recommendation of one of the people there, we took a colectivo into the city and made our way to Jac Bus...one of the big companies here. They had tickets but not for a little over and hour, so we bought 2 and then Ximena took me to what is considered their famous market. Temuco is not an overly exciting city but the market was pretty cool. There were tons of stands with touristy-novelty items, including lots of cooper items (one of their main exports in Chile), ones with meats, produce and a handful of restaurants with traditional Chilean food. We were hungry so we decided to have lunch. We shared a little 1/2 bottle of white wine and Ximena ordered Curanto (a soup with mussels, clams, pork, sausage, chicken, cilantro, lime juice and potatoes) which was very tasty and I ordered Lomo de lo Pobre, basically steak, eggs, onions and french fries (not adventurous I know but she said it was a traditional dish, and I like tradition!). Here are some scenic pics of the ride and from inside the market!

After lunch we boarded our bus to Pucon and the trip was just around 2-2 1/2 hours. This bus, not quite as comfy as the last. We finally got in town around 8:30 and with my travel guides in hand, we went in search of a hostel. We were so tired from walking and busing all day that we pretty much settled on the 1st halfway decent place we found, The Treehouse. Complete with and an actual treehouse outside, along with hammocks and a cozy wooden interior. Upon entering the room, Ximena found a slug on the floor near her bed and needless-to-say, that was our one and only night in that hostel! haha! That night we went out to this local spot called Mama's & Tapas...exhausted from traveling all day, we didn't stay out late.

The next morning we got up and had breakfast at this oh so cozy restaurant called Cassis on one of the main streets. Raspberry tart, papaya juice, fresh breads, ham, cheese & jams...love Chilean breakfast!! After that we went on the hunt for a new hostel. We found this cute little place called La Tetera (The Teapot) and after seeing the rooms and the price with breakfast included, we were sold! After we moved our stuff we took a walk around the town. It was sunny and warm with a slight breeze and a perfect day for walking. We window shopped through some of the stores on the main drag and through some little stands in the park and then made our way down to the beach. Because of the volcano, the beach we went to was black volcanic sand...it was a surreal experience!! We hung out on the beach for a little while enjoying the sun and played fetch with a random stray dog...there were dogs running around that town everywhere! After the beach we walked over to another lake where there were tons of flowers and boats...I could have sat there for hours. **Mom I threw some pics in for you of a flower stand on the side of the road. The flowers are all carved out of wood. You really can't tell until you pick one up...I didn't believe it and made Ximena walk to the shop with me to prove it! lol

Walking back through town we started making stops at random excursion shops. We really wanted to go to one of the volcanic hot springs and do some ziplining. After pricing different places, we decided on a package that included both...we were to leave the next morning at 11am. Walking made us sleepy so we headed back to the hostel for a quick nap. After that we headed to the casino! My first time in a real casino...it wasn't that big really. We grabbed a drink and headed for the slot machines. After losing $15 I decided to call it quits...gambling was never really my thing, I don't even like the lottery.

Saturday morning we got up early and got ready for our trip to the hot springs!! Ximena and I are so much alike in our packing styles...you would think we were moving there!! lol The drive was only about 20 mins and the tourism place provided the transportation. The first thing we did was ziplining!! They drive us up this crazy twisting road up a steep hill. Here they gave us instructions (in spanish of course), and our first 2 lines were really low to the ground just for practicing. After that we walked up another steep hill to our first long, super high line. I had previously thought of trying to climb the volcano...a 5 hour hike...but after that hill, I realized I'd never make it! The first line they made us do in pairs...I went with one of the instructors. Now mind you, I'm terrified of heights but I love to challenge my fear. I would zipline again in a heartbeat!! The view, the adrenaline, the air...those guides have a really great job!!

After our lovely adrenaline rush, we changed into our swimsuits and heading to the springs. We were a little disappointed that the water wasn't that hot. It was kinda our own fault for choosing the biggest company in town that cares more about the number of people they book rather than the quality of the place they take you too. But the sun was shining, there were mountains and a volcano in our sites and we were relaxing...no complaints here!! **Don't forget to click on the pic for the photo album!!

Sunday was our last day in Pucon. It was really, really windy, to the point where dirt and dust were blowing into our eyes. It was then that we decided to leave. Our trip home was quite the adventure!! We walked to 4 different bus companies to find a bus to Temuco. Remember it was Easter Sunday, so once in Temuco we couldn't find any tickets back to Concepcion!! So Ximena has an aunt that lives only and hour or so away from where we were. So we took a bus to her city and stayed with them for the night. Just like the rest of her family, they were very welcoming and nice. I got to have my first Chilean style hotdog, complete with aioli, avacado, ketchup and sauerkraut...I hate to say it, but it almost beat Happy Dog!!!

Monday afternoon we finally made it home and spent the rest of the day relaxing from vacation!! lol

The university & my house

Week one is in the books with 19 more to go! I'm working on loading the photos to Kodak slowly but surely. I'll have them up soon, I promise!

So lets start where I left off last time which I believe was last Tuesday. Ximena and I went to the local mall to do some window shopping. Most of the stores were open, along with the theatre and food court, but the bowling alley was still closed and under construction from the quake. And I got to try what they consider the BEST hamburger in Chile from a place called Rich. I have to say, it was pretty tasty!! Although it still doesn't beat a Lolita burger ;)

Tuesday was the first night without a curfew in the city. They had it in place for a month because of people looting during the night and wanted people to be safe. So that night Ximena and I got an invitation to our neighbors house to watch a movie with a couple of friends...we watched "Up" (in english with spanish subtitles), haha. After that we took a drive around the city to look at some of the damage without all the crazy traffic around! There are so many buildings waiting to be demolished, it's insane.

Wednesday I decided to take a walk down to campus...I wanted to see how long it would take me verses paying for a colectivo (shared taxi) every time. The walk wasn't bad, only about 20-25 mins, and although the day started out gloomy, it turned out to be a beautiful and full of sunshine! I met up with Nicolas and Daniel, fellow classmates of mine who gave me a tour of the campus. There are only 2 buildings that had structural damage during the quake. The main one is the chemical engineering building. It caught fire and exploded,not just once, but twice, due to the contents of the building. The building attached to it was damaged as well. The library had no structural damage but is closed off because pretty much every book that used to be on a shelf, is now on the floor! The campus in general is beautiful. The college is famous for the medical arc and for the clock tower(which also happens to be the mascot). There is a superstition at the university too. Under the medical arc the school emblem on created in tile on the ground. As you watch people walk thru, you notice no one evers walks over that emblem. They say that if you do, you will not finish your degree...better safe than sorry I say! Click on the photo. It's a link to pictures of the campus.


In an effort to keep this blog from being ridiculously long I'm going to end it here and will write about my trip to Temuco & Pucon in a day or so. There is one more set of pics to go with this blog. Click the photo to see the rest of the house I'm living in!!

Blog 1 Pics

My next update is in the works and should be up in the next few days! Here is the link to the pics that go with the last blog, just click on the photo!!

The Trip & Day 1

***My internet connection is in and out constantly so I will send a link to pics as soon as I can!!

Wow, I don't even know where to begin. It's 7:30 Tuesday morning and I have so much to tell you. I guess I'll start from my departure and work my way up from there. I flew from Columbus to Atlanta...nothing too exciting there. My flight from Atlanta departed a little late because, according to the captain, someone decided they didn't want to go and they needed to find their luggage from the cargo area before we could leave. Finally after about 20 minutes we were on our way to Santiago. It was about a 9 hour flight in total and almost 4,000 miles. I ate my wonderful airplane meal of lasagna and a salad, washed down with a glass of cheap red wine, took some melatonin and tried to stretch out and sleep (luckily the seat next to me was empty). I awoke around 6:30am as the sun was rising over South America.


They fed us a small breakfast of fruit and a scary egg-biscuit kinda thing with some juice and before I knew it, we were beginning our final descent into Santiago. The view was amazing because there were mountains everywhere! Once we landed we were bussed to the terminal to go thru customs. I followed the crowd and ended up standing in a line to pay an entry fee that I had already paid with my visa...oops! Then I was in line for about 45 mins waiting to go through customs. From there I had to grab all of my luggage (I packed a lot...sigh...) and have it all x-rayed again and then back to the gate for LAN (the airline I was flying on) to check my bags back in. This took a little while because when I changed my departure dates because of the quake, the Delta rep I re-booked with forgot to delete my old itinerary out of the computer. In the end, all worked out and I was on my way. I had a couple of hours to kill so I sat at a little cafe in the airport and drank a jugo de fresa (strawberry juice). I made my way to the gate and sat waiting to meet my roommate. Now for those of you who don't know, I found Ximena through a classified ad that was forwarded to me by a classmate in Concepcion. Before the quake, she was living in a 2 bedroom apartment 1/2 block from campus and was looking for a graduate student for a roommate. We had been chatting through email for a few weeks and decided that we'd give it a try. But once the quake hit, she gave up her place and decided to move back in with her parents. After talking with her parents, they decided to open up their home to me and offer me their extra bedroom. It would help me save money and help them in a time of crisis, so I accepted. The week before my arrival, Ximena was visiting in Santiago so she stayed till Sunday and booked the same flight as mine to Concepcion. I was a little scared because I haven't spoken spanish in conversation in a couple of years and I also know that Chilean dialect is one of the most difficult to understand because they tend to swallow the end of their words. But after meeting her, I had no problems understanding and we were able to chat a get to know each other a little.

The flight to Concepcion was only about a 40 minute ride. The plane was similar to a bus, in reference to the style of seating, and it was packed, so I was happy it was a short flight. Quick side note about food (sorry but you know food gets me excited!!), they gave us a snackbox on our flight and it had alfajores in it!! I used to eat these all the time because Ricky's mom used to make them. They are little shortbread cookie sandwiches filled caramel and these ones where dipped in chocolate, YUM! At the airport, Ximenas mom was waiting there to pick us up. They live in a house that's about a 5 minute drive from campus. It's very nice and modern for Chilean standards. We took our luggage in, Ximena and I have a little mini-apartment in the upstairs loft with a shared common room, bathroom and we have separate bedrooms.

Her mom made us some lunch, which like in Europe, is the biggest meal of the day. We had roasted chicken, a salad made of tomatoes, green beans, cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, and a little salt (super yum!), and slices of avocado (yay!)...oh and bread! Bread and avocado are 2 things that are served at every sitting. I'm super excited about the avocado, the bread is good but definitely don't want to eat it at every meal! Beverages tend to be either juice, tea, coffee or water. And because I'm not used to the tap water yet, they recommended that I hold off on drinking it until my stomach get used to it...bottled only for me and that's one rule I'm
happy to follow! After lunch we did dishes. I mention this because their hot water system is different than anything I've ever seen. They have this 2 big boxes on the wall in the kitchen (one for the kitchen and the other for the bath. Inside them in the system for heating water, kinda of like a pilot light. You push this little handle on the front of the box to maximum and take a match and light the pilot inside. Then when you turn on the water, a flame starts up, much like you would see on a gas stove top, and viola...hot water! I'll try and take a few pics of it in the near future.

After lunch I did a little unpacking and then Ximena offered to take me for a ride around town so I could familiarize myself a little. We drove over to campus, which I actually think I can actually walk to when it's nice out (I'm going to test that theory this week since I don't have classes yet). Then she showed me around the main center of the city and few places around the outside as well. It was so surreal seeing the damages from the quake in person. The streets are really damaged in a lot of places and not just from the actual quake itself but because of the water lines being broken. There are many, many places in the roads that are dug up so they can go in and repair the damaged pipes. There are whole sections of sidewalks and roads that are just completely blocked off because of damages to buildings that are still standing but could collapse further as the aftershocks continue. We drove over the only functioning bridge between Concepcion and San Pedro and even it was damaged on the end near Concepcion. One of the links had collapsed into the Bio Bio river and they have a metal ramp that goes over the broken section. There are 4 bridges that connect to the city and this is the only one that is functioning.

On our way back into town, Ximena invited me a for a drink. We stopped at a Cerveceria (brewery) called Latitud Sur (Latitude South) accross the street from a park that connects to campus. I had my first Chilean cerveza, which was quite tasty, and we sat and chatted about men for a little while (girly bonding time). After that, we headed back to the house where it was time for 'once' (pronounced ohhn-say, as in the #11 in spanish). It's there version of dinner, which like in Europe, is a very light meal. According to Ximena, only men have an actual meal at this time. It's kinda of a manly-man, head of household thing. This is when I got to meet
Ximenas dad. Very nice guy, just like her mom, just a little more difficult to understand. Both her parents are not quite sure how to act around me because they've never had an exchange student in their home. They keep asking questions to Ximena to ask me and she in-turn tells them to just ask me themselves to help me with my spanish. She tells them to make sure they speak regular spanish though and not Chilean dialect so that I can understand better, haha! So back to the food at 'once'. There was a whole selction of different things for the women. Her mom made she and I some hot dogs, although you do not eat them on buns like we do in the states. There was some mashed avocado with lime juice (of course!), scrambled eggs with cheese, different jams and jellies, rolls and breads, Brazo de Reina (literally means 'The Queens Arm') but is what we call a 'log roll cake' that is filled with caramel (super yum) and typically you drink tea or coffee. Now I'm not a person to drink either, I'm perfectly content with water. Her father shared a glass of Santa Rita cabernet with me which was great. I'm so happy to know my Chilean wines!! Her parents gave me this crazy look when I said I don't drink tea or coffee. I was trying to convey that it's just something I don't like and nothing against them...it's going to be a learning process on all parts! After dinner Ximena and I went to her room and watched some tv, mainly news. FYI, we found out that Ricky Martin has accepted his homosexuality...haha!!! Not surprising but still disappointing for such a cute singer! Around 10pm I called it a night. I was exhausted after 24 hours of traveling!

I did get to experience some after effects of the quake. After 'once' last night, the power went out...only for a couple minutes but you could tell Ximena was worried. Then at about 4:15am, I experienced my first aftershock!! I was already a little restless from sleeping in a new place, so there was no question that it woke me up. It was very short and not super strong but there was no doubt about what it was. It started off slow, like you could feel that little queasy feeling in your stomach, and then everything started vibrating stronger and stronger, and then it just settled back down and within 20 seconds or so, it was over! I was so tired, it didn't
bother me a bit. I was actually glad I got to experience it my first night so I knew what to expect. Ximena rushed into my room checking if I had woken up and asked if I was scared. I assured her that I was fine and I rolled over and went back to sleep! And now, it's Tuesday...a brand new beautiful day!

A lot of things are similar to what we have in the states. Car lots consist of Hyundai, Toyota, BMW, Volkswagon, etc...most of them are manual transmissions. Driving still takes place on the same sides of the roads as the states. People are very friendly and helpful, especially Ximena and her family! They do everything they can to help me feel right at home! The weather is still amazing here, but it's what they consider fall and going into their cold season. After living in Cleveland, it's a heat wave!! I'm in skirts and flip flops again...loving it!! It's been 3 years since my last study trip outside the states and to be completely I was a little afraid of not being able to adjust this time, even though I had no problems last time. I remember thinking as we were landing in Santiago, 'wow, am I really doing this again and am I ready for it?!'. But now that I'm here, I'm falling right back into a routine and I love it! No regrets, at all!

Predeparture Jitters!

What an incredible rollercoaster ride the last month and a half have been. I think it started with my trip to Chicago to pick up my visa. Lisa and I decided to make a 3 day trip of it and go see some sites...and explore some awesome food, of course! After our short but fun stint in the big city, I now know it's one of my top cities and I absolutely have to go back!!


The next 2 events were my going away parties. I am so lucky to have an abundance of great friends! First was my dinner party at my house were about 15-20 of my closest and bestest stopped by for one last chance at my tasty food! We had a blast and I'm going to miss cooking and throwing parties and bbqs over the summer. I think that's going to be the first thing on my list when I get back...a big 'I've missed you' party!!


The following weekend was set to be my final weekend at 806 and that Saturday was my going away bash with all my fellow Tremont friends and regulars! So I went to work Friday night, finished up and went to bed, excited for my going away party the next night...or so I thought. I was woken at 9am by a text message telling me that 'now' I definitely was not allowed to go to Chile. Well up to that point I had heard almost every excuse in the book from my friends on why I shouldn't/couldn't go. So after seeing that text, I was thinking 'great, what this time?!'. The response was to tell me there had been a major earthquake in Chile and it hit only 70 miles from where I was moving. Even after reading that, I still thought someone was trying to pull my leg...until I turned on the tv. The longer I watched the more devestated I became, for everyone there and for the fear that my trip was not going to happen. I mean I was set to fly in 8 days and I was still going ahead with my bonvoyage party that night. I stayed glued to CNN and Univision for the rest of the day. That night, I got ready and still partied it up with my friends like nothing had changed, all the while, my heart sinking inside for fear of how the next week would unfold. The next 4 days were brutal. There was no communications, water or gas in Concepcion and all my plans were in limbo. The death toll was slowly rising and nothing was looking promising.I had a friend in Santiago the night the quake hit and was able to hear from her by Monday, but even she said that things were not good. Finally on Thursday I got word from a fellow classmate in Concepcion. He said things were rough, but not nearly as bad as what the news was showing on tv. He advised that I delay my trip till the end of March to give the country a few weeks to recoupe, get utilities turned back on and for the school to get going again. I was so happy to hear that everyone I was in contact with there was alive and well!! The next day I had a meeting with my school advisors to get the final word on whether or not I was going to be allowed to take classes or not. After informing them of my communications with other students and Dean Scherer getting an email from the program director in Concepcion, they agreed that if I felt comfortable going and school was resuming there in April, then I was free to go!

And the new planning began! So much rearranging of plans but it is all totally worth it! My visa is valid for 7 months, so no worries there. I changed my flight and health insurance. Extended my cell phone shutoff date, car insurance and anything else I could think of that needed to be moved. I worked as much as I could the next couple of weeks and was actually kinda thankful that I got to spend some extended time with my friends! Oh how I'm going to miss you all!! Now the count is close, like 2 days away close! My bags are packed and weighed, airport transportation to and from is set and I'm at my parents saying my goodbyes to the family. It's all so surreal that after all the planning, the excitement, jumping through hoops, the disappointment and then the returning excitement...I just can't believe it's happening!

I'm going to miss so much about the states and I don't know what I'll do without seeing and talking to my friends almost everyday. But I cannot wait for the rewarding experience I'm about to have. When I learned of the quake and thought that all was lost for taking classes abroad, I immediately signed up for Habitat for Humanity in hopes of going down to help wherever I could. I am still a member and I am determined to help with whatever and wherever I can! I'm curious to see and experience how economies and communities come together to survive and rebuild. Until next time...

Preparations!

The year of 2010 thus far has been a whirlwind of traveling, fun, goodbyes and preparations for my biggest trip of the year. Now the count is down to a little less than 3 weeks before 'the big day'!!! Reality is finally sinking in that I'm leaving...you know, that knot in your stomach that's caused by the fear of leaving everything you're comfortable with and everyone you care about, mingled with the excitement of a new life-changing adventure and new friends. I'm looking forward to keeping this blog up-to-date with my experiences!!!