If you're going to Algarrobo, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair

This weekend 13 of us made our way to the tranquil beach town of Algarrobo. We rented Cabanas a five minute walk for the beach for super** cheap, ate some delicious home-cooked meals, tanned (or in my case burned really badly) and enjoyed eachother's company. It was a really relaxing weekend and I was excited to get out of the hustle and bustle and smog and noise of Santiago.

Wildflowers grew everywhere- on the streets, sidewalks, boardwalks. Most of the trash cans were surrounded by bushes of these flowers which was so pretty. Here was something so ugly being engulfed and overrun by something so beautiful. As hinted the title, a few of these flowers ended up as hair-decor.

My favorite part of the trip was when all 13 of us read a short story out-loud. We popcorned the book around and it was wonderful. I've met some incredible people through this program and I was so happy to spend time with such an amazing bunch at the beach.

A picture speaks a thousand words so here's the weekend slideshow. Enjoy!

Besos,

Sass

**The word "Super" is used all the time in Chile, in the same sense that we would use it in English. That show was super long. He is super boring. etc. etc. Something about the word in Spanish though is absolutely hilarious..and fortunately people use it ALL THE TIME. Ella es super linda. Es super carro. Que te vayas super bien. I don't know what makes it so funny to hear but everytime one of use overhears the super superlative used before anything, we crack up.

That was a horrible description. Maybe it would be funnier if you just imagine a business men talking about stock and using the word Super in a heavy, spanish accent. Believe me, it's pretty damn hilarious.

El Dieciocho: The Fourth of July on 'Roids

Let's rewind a little more than a week ago to Thursday, September 16 around 9 o'clock. Most of the word was winding down and preparing for sleep at this time. But not Chile. No-Chile was just getting started. Fireworks illuminated the Chilean skies, chants of "VIVA CHILE" echoed across Santiago, and the entire country pulsed with patriotic energy. I like to imagine that on a satellite picture taken that night, the western most part of South America out-glowed the rest of the world.

Welcome to "El Bicentenario" the 200th Anniversary of Chilean Independence. Now i've already referenced Chilean's insane ability to party hardy all the time, but I was in no way prepared for the festivities that awaited me. On that Thursday night, the kick off to the National Party of Chile, I was introduced to una fiesta like I'd never seen before. Bienvenidos to the four-and-a-half day long celebration of "El Dieciocho"

El Dieciseis

Approximately 80,000 Chileans and a handful of Gringos squeezed themselves in front of "La Moneda," the governmental palace, to watch a light show detailing Chilean history on the tiling of the building. I was unfortunately one of those gringos. I arrived maybe an hour and a half early for the spectacular with a few friends, expecting crowds, yes, but not the what appeared to be half a million people that were already camped out. We somehow maneuvered our way through the hoards until we were pretty close to the front. Initially, though our area was crowded, it wasn't frightening- I could move to tell something to a friend, open and shut my purse, and was texting. And then, as the clock inched closer and closer to the promised 9:30 PM start time things started gettin' craaaazy. My personal space got smaller and smaller until I could no longer move any part of my body. My arms were squashed to my sides, and I was pushed with the crowd back and forth, side to side. My friends were gone. Certain that my trampled-t0-death demise awaited me, I fruitlessly searched for ways to escape if need be. Could I climb up that nearby tree? No- too many people in the way. What about jumping on top of the hood of that car over there? Again- impossible. I was stuck. And super freaked out.

My saving grace came in the form of a screaming, panic stricken two year old child. (And rightfully so! Even with 18 years up on her I felt her terror.) Pretending I was a part of the family, I clung to the shoulder of the mom and pushed my way out with them, going for hundreds of yards until finally I saw streetlights.

Fortunately, the night ended well. After meeting back up with my friends (which was quite the ordeal in itself- I had no money on my phone so I couldn't call anyone) we made our way to a firestation to continue on the celebration. That's right- a firestation! In Chile, all of the firemen, or bomberos are volunteers. One of our friends through school is one of these such folks, so he invited us over to share some drinks, take a tour of the house, and hang out. The entire time I felt like I was doing something illegal- drinking beer in a firestation?- but Cristobal, el amigo bombero, assured us it was fine. The funniest part was when older firemen (pushing 60) came in to talk and drink. I kept turning my shoulders, looking for the fire chief to come out and reprimand us for our misdeeds, but none came and we raged on. On the bus home in the wee hours of the morning, I knew this was only the beginning.

Hangin in the station

El Diecisiete

Tamer than day 1 of the Bicentennial celebrations, the highlight of day 2 was going to Parque Indes de Suarez with my host parents to listen to traditional Chilean music, watch people dance the traditional Cueca and eat plenty of traditional Chilean food. Independence day celebrations throughout Chile are often held in large parks filled with fondas, structures made of tree branches where lots of alcohol and food are served, and, as a result of all the cerveza, vino, and chicha, things get a little wild. The three of us didn't quite make the greatest partying team, so instead of hitting up a large, drunken park, we settled for a smaller one filled with children and families. After my experience the night before, I was more than relieved for the relative tranquility. Though the park's festivities continued until well past midnight, we ventured home around 11. It was crucial that we get our sleep for the following day....the highly anticipated Dieciocho.

El Dieciocho

23 family members arrived around 12 to begin the celebrations. Meeting 23 family members of any family other than your own can be a little menacing, and meeting 23 family members who exclusively speak Spanish about doubles the intimidation factor. Fortunately, everyone was extremely friendly, patient, and funny. I met aunts, uncles, cousins, kids of cousins, girlfriends, boyfriends, nieces and nephews. Basically all you do on El Dieciocho is eat and drink.

Our first appetizer: empanadas

The grill was fired up by one, the first batch of salchichas and pollo out by 2, and it wasn't until 6 or 7 that we patted our bursting bellies and said enough is enough. (But actually enough turned out to be not enough- much to my dismay we ate some more salchichas around 11.)

Sporadically we took a breather from the face-stuffing and wine-guzzling to dance. And everyone danced. From the rambunctious two year old to the oldest brother with bad hips, everyone tromped out to the dirt patch and Cueca-ed. Including the gringa. Since I literally had no idea what I was doing, I kind of bounced up and down, raised my hands occasionally, flicked a wrist, did a twirl, and hoped I only looked half a fool. However the video my mom insisted on taking assured me that I absolutely looked like a complete fool. Despite this, the dancing was on of my favorite parts of the day.

The scene: Food, wine, dancing

Eventually the traditional Chilean music was deemed boring by 13 year old grandson Tomas, and a quick radio station change led to a serious reggaeton (Spanish rap/reggae) groove session. Everyone was laughing and making fun of each other and I felt like it was my own family I was with. The celebration didn't end until 2 in the morning when my host mom, for the second time that night, said enough is enough. I went to bed full, exhausted, and grateful that I ended up with such a fun family.

El Diecinueve

I wasn't lying when I said I was exhausted.. I didn't wake up the next day until half past one. Whoops! Speaking Spanish for 14 straight hours will do that to you. We ate an entirely vegetarian lunch, and then I met up with friend Andrea to revisit Parque Ines de Suarez. We went with her family who has an adorable 10 month old, and basically anything involving children makes me happy, so I was okay to sit through some of the same performances I'd seen on the 17th.

El Veinte

During the day Andrea and I hung out in BellaVista, a chic artsy neighborhood downtown. After an early dinner and a cerveza, we decided to face our fears and head back to La Moneda.

This time we were smart. Not only did we arrive almost two hours early, but we hightailed it straight to some fences in the back. When the spectacle started (and spectacular it was) we sat on the fences and had a perfect view over the 45,000 heads in front of us. I don't know the show worked besides that it used light and water, but it was super. The building was the canvas for a brief history show, but also was turned into a fun house of sorts- the pillars moved like cooked spaghetti, the windows opened closed, and the entire face seemed to sway with the wind. It was completely worth the return.

As fun as the four day weekend was, I think the entire country sighed a collective sigh of relief as the lights on La Moneda danced their final dance and the metros carried their passengers home. I am so happy I got to experience this famous Chilean Holiday, and during the Bicentennial nonetheless, but I was excited to restart school Tuesday and get back into my normal schedule. I had been told by my host sister that "El Dieciocho is like July 4th, but much bigger," and the experiences I had confirmed that statement. The US needs to take some pointers from Chile because from now on I'll think the Fourth of July is slackin'!

La Moneda, pre-show

On a more recent note, I went to the beach this weekend. It was beautiful. I'll write about it soon!

Ciao and Besos,

Hennessy

Kilo Empanadas

The past two weeks have been absolutely incredible. I finally traveled outside of Santiago, got to party at a fire station(!!), and experienced a Chilean National Holiday. Spring has arrived in Chile, and the weather has been gorgeous- clear blue skies, blooming trees, and pleasant nights. I haven’t been able to update due to a lack of internet, so I’ll give a highlight reel of the past few weeks to show you what I’ve been up to.

Pomaire and Isla Negra

Last Friday classes were canceled and all forty-five of us took a bus to Pomaire, a small, dusty village about 45 minutes west of Santiago. Pomaire is famous throughout all of Chile for its beautiful pottery. The town was tiny- only two streets wide- but crammed with stores selling bowls, plates, masks, cups, etc. After browsing the shops, we ate a delicious almuerzo at a cute, family owned restaurant. Pomaire is home to what must be the biggest empanadas in all of Chile. Almost every restaurant advertised “1 Kilo Empanadas.” For those unfamiliar with the kilo, it is 2.2 lbs.!!! Though my friends and I refrained from this monstrous meal, my host sister has told me that her boyfriend, who easily can finish off a family sized pizza solo, can only eat a third of one of the notorious empanadas.

After lunch we were able to tour a site where the pottery was actually made. Inside the warehouse were hundreds of pots, ranging from small-plant sized to ENORMOUS-so big that I could easily fit inside. Two employees showed us how they spin the ceramic wheel, and then we were allowed to try our hand at pottery making.
Showing us how it's done

The master and the apprentice

My “bowl” was lopsided and jagged; clay spinning is not my calling! After quite a few laughs (I wasn’t the only unskilled potterist) we re-boarded the bus and headed to Isla Negra, a small beach on the coast.

Isla Negra was once the third (or fourth?) home to the acclaimed Chilean poet/writer Pablo Neruda. A longtime lover of the sea, Neruda’s house was designed to mimic the layout of a ship. Each room boasted statues, pottery, and maps from his travels abroad. Pablo’s bed was perfectly situated so that the sun rose over his head and set at his feet. The view from this second story room was breathtaking- wall to ceiling windows gave a perfect view of the beach and sea below. There isn’t much to Isla Negra apart from Neruda’s abode, so we left soon after the tour and headed back to good ol’ Santiago.

The view from Pablo's room

Talagante

The next day two fri

ends and I headed to Talagante, a town maybe 40 minutes outside of Santiago, to meet up with friend Juan Ignacio (see previous entry) for a BBQ. His house is in the countryside and absolutely beautiful. It was so nice to meet his family and see where he grew up. During the evening a bunch of his friends showed up and we hung out around the fire-pit, listened to music, and ate the honest-to-God best meat I have ever had.

Two realizations I made during the asado. #1. Chileans never sleep. I finally had to say goodnight around 3 but the party was still going strong when I left. At school in SLO, if we go out it means we leave for the party at 9:30 or 10, and return to our houses, at the very latest, at two or so. This is not the case in Chile. People don’t go out until at least midnight (if you show up to a bar at 10 you will literally be the only person there) and don’t return home until sometimes as late as FIVE IN THE MORNING!!! I swear, Juan Ignacio’s friends crawled out of the ground or climbed down from trees and kept appearing late into the night! I really value my sleep, and though I’m trying to adjust to this insane schedule, it’s been tough. I max out at about 3:30, but with proper training I hope to make it to the illusive 5 one of these days.

Realization # 2. I cannot understand people my own age. During the week I usually feel pretty good about my Spanish. I understand my family, they understand me, I am learning new words daily, and am psyched when I properly use the preterit tense. Then the weekend rolls around and things change. As awesome as it is to make Chilean friends, it is hard work to just have a simple conversation. Young people use tons of slang, words with double meanings, and don’t pronounce anything. I can listen to two college students on the metro and understand almost nothing. Chilean friends have assured me that even native Spanish speakers from other parts of the world have a difficult time understanding Chileans, which makes me feel better about how little I understand. And, as frustrating as it gets at time, I realize that ultimately my Spanish will be stronger if I keep hanging with people my own age.

At the beginning of this post I promised tales of partying with firefighters and the big Bicentennial celebration but I’m getting tired and you’re probably getting bored. Check back in a couple days to find out the story behind this photo...

Ciao and Besos,

Hennessy

I will be back soon!

Folks I haven´t forgotten to share my south american life with you all! We haven´t had internet for a while and I am too lazy to go to an internet cafe to write. My family tells me the net should be up and running come Wednesday so I will be sure to update then. The past two and a half weeks have been amazing. I have lots and lots to share.
And right now I am on a public computer and don´t really feel like hogging it.

Ciao and Besos

Cerro San Cristobal y otras cosas!

I'll try to keep this entry short and sweet but I have, as one of my middle school teacher diagnosed "diarrhea of the mouth" so we'll see how short this blog really ends up.. :)

A brief overview of the past few days. On Sunday my host parents, Carolina and Andres, took me to Cerro San Cristobal which is one of the two mountains within the Santiago city limits. The road to the top is a windy, narrow 8 kilometer stretch with amazing panoramic views of the city. We drove to the summit and I am genuinely shocked that we didn't take someone out on our way up. For those of you from the Bay Area, imagine a one-way Fish Ranch Road with probably 50 times the cyclists, and 50 times the joggers. Now add to that image a substantial amount of dogs (not on leashes) and you've got a good idea of what San Cristobal is like! The view from the top was unfortunately not as breathtaking as it should have been. Santiago has a huge pollution problem- smog that covers the city and definitely takes away from the incredibly beauty of the nearby Andes. I've been told that the smog clears after a good rain, so I'm going to make sure to return to San Cristobal when the views are more spectacular.

The Santiago fog and Andes

The road!! The picture doesn't do it justice.. there were TONS more people

School started on Monday. I'm only taking fourteen units so I am barely ever in class which gives me more time to explore Santiago. I'm taking two spanish classes, one Chilean culture class and (MY FAVORITE) a CHILEAN DANCE CLASS!!!! Last night about 35 of us learned merengue and Cueca, the traditional dance of Chile. Our teacher probably had the time of her life- teaching all these gringos how to move their hips! The first hour of class we learned some basic steps, then the second we paired up and danced. It was one of my favorite memories so far.. Watching everyone fumble the steps, step on toes, slip, and look like fools. It was great. There were three Chilean men dancers ( guapo men i might add) who danced with us and they were super suave and intense. My friends and I are hoping they'll be back so we can convince them to take us out dancing! I left the studio with sore feet and sore abs from laughing so hard.

Yesterday I met up with a friend from the U.S (kind of..).- Juan Ignacio. Juan Ignacio is Chilean and from Santiago. Our senior year of highschool he lived with my friend Casey and it was so good to see him again! He goes to school only a few blocks from mine, so hopefully I'll be able to see him often. I'm really excited to make Chilean friends while I'm here and I think he'll be a great connection to some new friends.

Tomorrow is a friend's birthday so we're going to go out for the first time! I think we're planning on going to a discoteca (to put our new dancing skills to the test) and I'm sure it will be a new experience.. I'll post about that later this week!

A few closing thoughts on Chile/ Santiago:

Mullets are in style. They are EVERYWHERE! Our personal favorite is the dreaded mullet. I haven't yet been able to snap a picture of this amazing hairstyle but will not rest until I do.

The bus drivers here are absolutely insane. Riding the bus to school in the morning is like a ride at a poorly-run carnival. They brake unexpectedly, change lanes whenever they want, run red lights, and basically just do whatever they want, whenever they want.

There are homeless dogs everywhere you look. They make me really sad :(

There isn't ever any toilet paper in stalls- there's only one big roll by the sinks. Also you don't flush toilet paper, you throw it away.

Chileans like their food sweet!

Being a "gringo" here isn't bad- it's kind of a term of endearment. And we are clearly all gringos. I try hard to blend in but EVERYONE knows that I am not Chilean. People on the streets speak English to me and i'm always like "Hey! What if I was german?!" Haha but everyone is so friendly and happy that we are here.

I love Chile!!

Attached are some pictures of my house:

My room. Notice the bed's made mom!

Our house!

Our backyard!

Ciao y besos,

Hennessy