semester ending...summer starting, Pucón, Buenos Aires

Hello my loved ones!

It's been a long long long time since I've posted on my blog.  It's not because I've forgotten about you, in fact, I think about you all a ton...instead, I've been incredibly busy busy busy as bee!  The last day of classes for us is next Friday, the 26th, and then we have two weeks of finals.  Luckily, I only have one easy final during finals weeks, as I have final projects instead and for a couple classes we're taking our finals tests the last week of classes (good!).  That only means that I have a lot to do this last week and a half.  Even though it may not seem like tons of work, it's different than in the states, because my grade depends so heavily on my final grades.  We don't get little homework assignments and we don't have many tests/quizzes during the semester, so when it comes to the end, the grades carry more weight.  I'm one of the few study abroad students in my program whose grades transfer back to my university.  Most just have to pass their classes in order for their credits to transfer.  Therefore, I find myself working on school work more than most of my other friends.  But, that's okay, even if my grades didn't transfer, I'd still probably work for an 'A'. :)  My work seems easier when I remember that I am working for the Lord, not for myself, not for my professor, not for my parents, etc.  Many times I find myself thinking, "I need to prove to the professor...to the class...that I can do this."  I find myself feeling like I have to prove myself as a gringa, a foreigner, a native English speaker, a girl...when why does that even matter?  It doesn't.  I don't have to prove myself or my worth through a grade I get on a test.  The trick is remembering that.  With God's help, it's possible.  

This semester has FLOWN by!  Whenever I get together with the other kids in my program, they're always talking about how their leaving in less than a month, how there's so little time left, how they get to see their family soon, etc....and then I start agreeing with them, nodding my head, scrunching my brow, and then I say, "Wait...not me!...I'm staying!"  It's SO weird for all my American friends here to be leaving me!  Only one other girl and I are staying for the year.  A few weeks ago I found out that two of my friends from Hope College will be here, in Valparaiso, next semester!  Breann Cammenga and Juan Lopez!  They are soooooo great and it will be so nice to have them here, to show them around, to fill them in on the Chilean life, etc.  Breann will be bringing my softball glove and ball along with her's, so that we can play catch!  I'm so excited for that as I miss playing softball!  

Classes start again in early March, so I will have lots of time to enjoy the summer weather, the beach, spend time with my host family, etc.  Here are my plans for the summer so far: Tiffany Lumley (who I visited in Buenos Aires this past weekend) will be coming to visit me around December 17th (not exactly sure yet).  December 26th to the 30th I'll be participating in a local mission trip/conference thing (MOU) here in Viña del Mar through the church I attend and with my wonderful Chilean friend, Cony.  I'll spend Christmas and New Years with my host family! :)  The first two weeks of January, I'm planning to go to Colombia to visit my good friend, Gabe and his family.  Throughout the summer vacation, I will continue to volunteer at the girls home and possibly start to work at my host sister's company either helping teach Spanish with my host dad or teaching English to kids.  I also might take a trip north with my host parents to see where they grew up and visit some of their family.  As you can see, my summer is pretty full already!

I told many of you that I would write about my trip to Buenos Aires this past weekend, so I'll do that...but I'm first going to talk about my trip to Pucon...so...bear with me!

Pucon (12 hour bus ride south from Viña del Mar):

This was a trip we took with CIEE (study abroad program).  While we were there we spent a day at a Mapuche Community.  Los Mapuches are the largest indigenous group in Chile and if you pay attention to the news there is a lot of controversy involving them right now.  We went to a museum, had the most delicious lunch with them, danced around the campfire, played palín/chueca (traditional Mapuche game that I already knew how to play thanks to my Juegos Mapuches class!), learned about weaving, and spent the entire time outside enjoying the fresh air and grass (which I LOVED!).  Then only bad thing is that there were TONS of cow pies, so I couldn't freely run through the grass without-a-care-in-the-world, instead, I was quite worried about stepping in one of the many huge piles of poop.  During this trip, I finally understood the meaning of "cow pie."  Now I get it...they actually look like PIES!  Well, not appetizing ones, at that. 

I also got to go white water rafting which was incredible!  So much fun and such an adrenalin rush!  It was raining that day, so we were going to get wet whatever activity we chose...this way, we just got SOAKED.  It was so worth it though!  The wet suits we wore kept us especially warm. :)

Our last day there we toured the countryside, waterfalls, and hot springs.  Overall this trip was perfectly relaxing.  I got to read almost all of my book that I have been trying to finish forever while cuddled up in the cabin listening to the rain fall.  It was truly a wonderful time and  great opportunity to see more of Chile.  Thanks, CIEE!

Alrighty, now we can move on to Buenos Aires.

It was sooo so soo so sooooo nice to spend the weekend with my friend, Tiffany Lumley, from Hope College.  I went with two girls from my program here in Chile and they stayed at a hostel and I stayed with Tiffany in her apartment.  Every day we met up with my friends and saw different parts of the city.  Some places we went to include: Recoleta and the fair (market) and cemetery there, Palermo and all the shops, a club where they dance Tango, the botanical garden (which smelled so good!), the musical Chicago (yes, in Spanish!), la Plaza de Mayo where the moms (who lost their sons due to the dictatorship) protest, Obelisco, Puerto Madero, etc, etc, etc.  There is SO much to see in B.A.!  I loved seeing Chicago, as that it is where I am from, and it was so interesting to see it in Spanish.  Instead of singing, "and all that jazz," they would say, "siga jazz" (continue jazz).  Interesting, eh?  I also absolutely loved the botanical garden...just shows that I'd rather be surrounded by trees than buildings. hehe.  We also participated in La Noche de Museos where the entire city turned into museums and everything was free (including the subway)!  We got to go into Congress, other historical buildings, there was tons of music in parks/streets/etc., and TONS of people!  I also ate a lot of typical Argentine food that weekend, including: empanadas (kind of like pasties), pizza (as there is a ton of Italian influence), ice cream (soooo good), cafe y medialunas (coffee and croissants), churros y submarinos (churros and a special hot chocolate), etc. :)   Yes, I ate a lot.  But we also walked a TON this weekend...so no weight gain. hehehe.  We also didn't get much sleep as we woke up early and went to bed late filling our time seeing the city!  

When I got back to my Chilean home Sunday evening, I talked to my Mom and Dad for about three hours over skype.  I was hit with a wave of homesickness.  It had to do with coming back from a big trip thinking the entire time that I'm going "home" and then when I arrive at my house in Viña del Mar, I get this feeling like, "what happened? I didn't quite make it...I'm stuck in Chile."  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Chile and absolutely LOVE my Chilean host family.  They welcomed me back so warmly, but as I was tired from the trip, lacking much sleep, feeling stressed due to all the work I had returned to, and after talking to mis padres (my parents), I was a little sad.  But, I'm all better. :)  After finishing some assignments and getting some sleep...I feel much much better.  Tiffany is coming to visit me here in Chile and I am so so so so so sooo excited for her to meet my host family and see my life here as I got to experience her life in Buenos Aires.  All in all, I'm glad that I'm studying in Viña/Valpo as I really don't think I could live in a city as HUGE as B.A.  (I thought Viña/Valpo was big! hahaaa...boy, was I fooled.)  For example, B.A. has SIX subway lines and Viña/Valpo has one, yep, just one.  I'm also glad I'm studying in Chile for the language component, even though I love the Argentine accent.  It was so strange...I got to Argentina and could suddenly understand every single word being spoken!  I am so used to focusing so hard when listening to a Chilean speak that I forgot how much I can actually understand! hahaaahaha!  Studying in Chile, my listening skills have really improved, and many times I forget that as still sometimes I find it difficult to understand some Chileans.  I'm also glad that I don't have to us 'vos' as that is what all Argentines use.  'Vos' is like our neutral 'you' in English, but in Spanish there are also, 'tú' (informal) and 'usted' (formal).  I'm glad that I get to practice using both forms of 'you' here in Chile as those are what are most commonly used in Spanish-speaking countries.  Here are some pictures:

I love you all sooo sooo sooo soooooooooooo much! MUAAAA! I send a bear hug to YOU from ME!

Love,
Diane