Thank you, Jesus.

On Friday night, I attended a church service for “youth” (defined pretty broadly) and I liked it a lot! First of all, I loved worship. Worship in Spanish is just so cool. Almost everything about Chile is different for me (and super overwhelming at times) but God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Even though my surroundings (and language, and culture) have changed, the love demonstrated on the Cross doesn’t change, regardless of what continent I am singing from. I don’t know how else to describe it, but it was a pretty great reminder after the long week.

The rest of the service was good, but harder to follow. Thankfully, during songs, people sing slower than they speak, so I could understand and follow along. Unfortunately during the rest of the church service, Chileans like to return to their normal speech, which I am not quite accustomed to yet, seeing as it is a million miles an hour with no pronunciation. So maybe I understood half of the rest of the service? I’ll take what I can get!

A few friends from home have been super encouraging and have asked what they can be praying about for me here in Chile. Here are some ideas:

• That I will be less overwhelmed by life here, but will begin to enjoy it and find beauty in it.
• That I will be bolder about my faith with my classmates.

Thanks for all your prayers and moral support! 

Love to you all, Elise

Old and Cold, Steps and Water.

This post is far from eloquent because after another long day, my brain can only handle so much more tonight.  So, a few quick comments about my new home:

Valparaíso and Viña del Mar are neighboring cities that sit along the coast of the Pacific Ocean.  What I didn’t know about them before coming here was how old the cities are, and how hilly they are.

I knew that Viña and Valpo were colonial cities, but everything I have seen so far seems very old here.  This isn’t a bad thing, but it is something I have noticed because it stands in sharp contrast to life in the States, where there is a huge obsession with “new” (OSU students- the ridiculous construction on campus to update, renovate, and create… am I right?!).  Oh, and there is graffiti everywhere.

Also, these cities are so gosh-darn hilly!  I’ve never been to San Francisco, but my guess is that the hills of Valpo and Viña would put San Fran to shame.  My walk down to the Metro station is a breeze, but I might as well be climbing Mount Everest coming home.  Okay, so maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea.

And along with hills (everywhere), there are lots of steps.  Now, yes, I am talking about a normal set of stairs between floors of a building, but I’m also talking about individual steps.  This city (and its sidewalks and its buildings) is not level.  There are randomly single steps between anything.  Example: in my host family's house, there is a step for my roommates’ room, and also a step down for the laundry room.  Steps may not seem like a big deal, but I don’t always see them in the middle of the house or school or sidewalk, and being the clumsy person that I am, I end up tripping over myself all the time.  It makes it so much easier to blend in and not stand out like a gringa.  Not.

Speaking of always looking like a gringa and steps (well, kind of), at many Metro stations (like the one near my school), you have to cross the train tracks to get to the other side of the tracks.  In the States, there are stairs to either walk above or below the tracks, but here you just wait until the trains pass and the little gate lifts, and then everyone walks across the two sets of tracks.  Don’t we tell kids all the time to never go near train tracks? Real safe.

And lastly, I know I have already talked about the cold, but seriously, I’m not kidding.  This place is cold.  But along with the cold and learning how to use las estufas (heaters) and how to best layer clothing without being a marshmallow, there is the fun challenge of learning how to heat water.  I’m pretty sure this is called a calefont (I couldn’t even tell you what language that is), but I had never seen or heard of them before coming to Chile.  In order to take a shower with warm water, you have to take a match to this funky contraption, and when you’re done, turn it off.  So far, I’ve been able to do use it successfully, but I never really know what I’m doing.  And for your viewing pleasure, here is a picture of the one in our house when it’s lit:

The calefont?

Pictures- Enjoy!

Wooden bells at Los Dominicos (artesian shops).

Birds made of straw at Los Dominicos.

Hammocks at Los Dominicos.

 Handmade leather bags at Los Dominicos.

Me!  At a fountain at the bottom of Cerro Santa Lucia, where Santiago was founded.

Me and my roommate, Annie, at the Metro station on our first day of school!

Friends at the beach in Valpo!

Back to Kindergarten

Today was, shall we say, a bit of a difficult day.  At least parts of it.   But let me first tell you about yesterday:

Yesterday was orientation day at the University!  The University has multiple buildings (campuses?) throughout Chile, but we are at the location in Valparaíso called “Casa Central”.  It is one big building with extremely Classical architecture; very beautiful and very old.  It is an open building, with courtyards inside and the classrooms around the outside, so the size is deceiving from the street (at least to me!). 

And yesterday, I felt like I was in kindergarten, not that it was all bad.  As part of our homestay, we get three meals a day, but since we have classes during lunch time, everyone gets a sack lunch from our mamá.  Lunch in Chile is the biggest meal of the day (by far!), so it has been an interesting adjustment for my body to change meal times and sizes, because I am accustomed to smaller meals throughout the day with snacks of fruit between my meals.  So far, the meals I have had (both at home, and packed for lunch) have been delicious, but very different from “typical” American meals.

Also for our first day at the University, our mamás took us to school!  There are a few different options for public transportation throughout ValparaÍso and Viña, some crazier than others, so our families have been showing us how to use them.  For me, I walk 5 minutes to the Metro, and go two stops to get off at the University.  Today, for the first day of actual classes, I was able to get to school without my mamá, and I didn’t get lost!  That is a great accomplishment for the day!

I will be taking two classes at the University for the next month: one about Latin American literature and movies from the perspective of indigenous populations, and the other about the sociopolitical history of Latin America.  I think these will be interesting classes, although I know I will have lots of reading to do for each class.  My professors seem to be really nice, although I am noticing even more differences in Chilean Spanish.  For example, my history professor likes to drop almost all his consonants from words.  Today, “libertades” (= freedoms or liberties) became “lihetae”.  Try listening to that for an hour and a half.  Bueno suerte.

After our classes today, we took a tour of parts of Viña del Mar, the city I am living in. In the last two days, I have seen: a public garden, the Plaza de Viña, the mall, the beach, a supermarket, artesian shops, multiple Metro stations, earthquake evacuation routes (just in case of a tsunami warning), and about a thousand stray dogs.  Okay, maybe not a thousand, but there are lots of strays here.  I. Am. Exhausted.

Oh, and have I mentioned how cold it is here?  Today, I felt like a marshmallow with the number of layers I was wearing.  The only warm places I have found so far are the crowded Metros, and my bed when I get under the down comforter… I think I have found my preferred warm spot in Viña!

No entiendo mucho, pero no te preocupes

¡Ay de mí!  The past few days have just been a blur!  We spent a few more days touring around Santiago, and arrived last night to Viña del Mar and Valparaíso.  First, let me try to update you on the rest of our adventures around Santiago!

On Saturday, we visited Viña Cousiño Macul (a local vineyard) to take a tour and do a wine tasting.  Now, as my family knows, I cannot stand the taste of wine, so this proved to be an interesting activity for me!  I’m always game to try new things, but I couldn’t do more than a few tiny sips of the red and white wines, even though I know they are some of the best wines in the country… ¡que lástima!

We also visited another giant hill in the city, this one called Cerro Santa Lucia, the place where Santiago was founded.  Once again, beautiful views of the city, and some beautiful architecture on the hill, too!

Other highlights of our time in Santiago: La Chascona (Pablo Neruda’s house, built for his mistress, who later became his wife), Barrio Bellavista (an artsy neighborhood), Los Dominicos (artesian shops), and other museums, cathedrals, and important government buildings (like the Palacio Presidencial).  Needless to say, our time in Santiago was a blur!

And then, the really crazy stuff – moving to Viña!  After our busy time in Santiago, we arrived in Viña and Valpo last night and met our host families.  I honestly don’t know if I have ever been so nervous in my life!  Mi familia chilena is incredibly kind and sweet, and I am extremely thankful to be living with another student through our program!  In our house, there are the two parents and one of their daughters, who teaches in a local elementary school.  Their other three children (all married) and their grandkids (nine!) live in the same neighborhood as us.  While I haven’t met our extended family yet, I cannot wait to play with the grandchildren!

To say life in Chile is different than life in the States would be the understatement of a lifetime.  I am loving it here, but it is really difficult.  My brain is working overtime trying to think and listen and speak and read and write in Spanish, and while also trying to understand the cultural differences to try to begin to blend in.  I love having conversations, and while I think my roommate and I are doing a great job communicating thus far with our familia, there are SO many long (awkward!) pauses in conversation because I just don’t know what else to say with my limited vocabulary.

The title of this post (“No entiendo mucho, pero no te preocupes”// I don’t understand much, but don’t worry) is becoming the tagline of my life in Chile!  I might only understand half of a conversation, but I’m learning more every day, and can’t wait to be able to understand more and more!

Es todo para hoy, but I will continue to write about some of my other experiences (and adventures!) in Chile. ¡Chao!

Al Principio

Bueno, I've been in Santiago for less than 36 hours, and it has been crazy.  


Things I am learning:
• Chileans speak SO differently than any other Spanish I've heard.  They speak softly, but so quickly, slurring words and dropping consonants and syllables right and left.  Let's just call it an extra challenge for non-native Spanish speakers.
• Stray dogs are everywhere around Santiago.  Just wandering.  And sleeping.
• Central heating does not really exist in Chile.  And it's winter here (temps from mid-30s at night, to 60s during the day).  Everywhere you go, people are bundled up, and most places (stores, restaurants, etc.) keep their doors open, and people just stay bundled up while eating.
• If you want to order water at a restaurant (or anywhere), you have to ask for "agua sin" or "agua sin gas" (said super fast).  That's because typical bottled water is carbonated here.  Who knew.
• Everyone stares.  So far, a lot of what we have been doing is in a group of about 15 students since we are visiting museums and monuments, but people just stare at our group as we walk by.  Clearly we're tourists, but I can't say I've ever stared at groups of tourists in the States.
• Bathrooms.  You have to pay to use them about half the time (it's less than a buck, so not bad, but still strange).  And you're not supposed to flush the toilet paper.
• And las montañas.  Santiago is located in a valley, so the Andes surround the city.  Since it's winter here, they are snow-capped and BEAUTIFUL.  I plan to get myself on some hiking or skiing (yes, I know those are very different, but I want to do both!) trip while I am here.  Seriously, the mountains are gorgeous.

Santiago!  This is the view from Cerro San Cristóbal, a hill in the middle of the city.  Santiago is home to 6 million Chileans, which is 1/3 of the country's population.  This picture shows less than a fourth of the city. 

I really am in Chile!  And I'm a bit blinded by the sun.  Some things never change.

 (Please note the palm tree in the background- the combo of the sun and palm trees keeps making me think it's warm, but alas, it really is winter here.  So deceiving.)

Also, note the smog.  It rained earlier in the day, which actually improved the view, but there is still a bunch of smog over the city.

El Mercado Central.  Cool market, but I wasn't exactly a fan of this part...

Estoy en Chile!

I made it!  I'm in Chile!  I'm in Santiago for a few days touring and doing my orientation, and then on to Valpo and Vina for the rest of this adventure :)

I've only been in Santiago for a few hours, and I'm already having plenty of awkward situations (not a surprise to those who know me...)  I tried to order coffee at a little cafe a few doors down from our hotel, and somehow messed even that up.  We're doing some group activities this afternoon, so even though we'll be traveling in a pack (and thus looking like total tourists) we'll get more guidance on how to survive Chilean life!

And here are a few early pictures from my flight... enjoy!

 My first South American sunrise!

Hello, Andes :)

The Plan

So, I guess I should probably share with you all why I am going to Chile.  To study abroad!  And work. And explore. Here's the plan:

I will be taking Spanish classes at a local university in Valparaíso, Chile.  I don’t yet know a lot about the classes I'm taking, but I hope that I'll be with Chilean students!

One of the things that made this program so exciting for me is the internship placement.  I have been placed with a local microenterprise NGO, and I will be volunteering while I am there.  Honestly I don't know exactly what I'll be doing with the organization, but I will be happy and excited to help teach classes at the organization, or even just help with the daily administrative duties.  I know that working in Chile will expose me to a whole new vocabulary set and conversational skills that I won't get just by taking classes.

And last, but certainly not least, I get to explore!  I am so excited to experience authentic Chilean life, as best as I can.  Learning how to use the buses and metro, discovering the best places for coffee, and hanging out with my Chilean family are all things I look forward to.  I know I'm probably going to sound like an American whenever I speak Spanish (and the deer-in-the-headlights look isn't going to help my case), but I'm hopeful that these instances will be fewer over time, and that I can blend in with the local porteños (apparently that's what local residents of Valpo are called… who knew?!)

Some school, some work, and hopefully a bit of play.  Sounds like a great summer to me!

Bienvenidos!

Wow, getting to this point has been crazy to say the least.  As I am writing this, I am at my parents' house, getting ready (or so I'm telling myself) for CHILE.  I can hardly believe it, but in a matter of days I will be wandering through the airport, getting myself on a plane, and flying to South America.  The emotions and thoughts running through my head are endless:

• I'm excited. Well, duh.  I'm going to Chile for a little more than two months, to study, work and explore.  I have no idea what's in store for me, but I'm EXCITED!
• I'm nervous.  I feel like I've said this a million times, but I'm nervous!  Primarily because of the Spanish.  Yes, I have studied Spanish for years (and I'm a Spanish major), but my use of and need for Spanish here in the States is minimal to say the least- I haven't needed to depend on it all day, every day.  I know I'm going to learn lots (and fast!), but I'm still anxious about communicating with my host family, navigating my way around the cities, and surviving in another language.
• And I'm at peace.  As my friends and family can attest, this past quarter has been hectic and stressful to say the least.  But, in the midst of the craziness, I know that God is in control and has great, beautiful plans for me.  Every day I remind myself of his grace and mercy poured out on me, and hopefully the way I live my life is reflective of this.  I am excited to see what he does in and through me on this trip!

So, if you want updates about my adventures in Chile (trust me, there will be many!), this is the place to find them!  Also, please email me lots- I want updates about life back home!  I can't wait to share this experience with you :)