Random Thoughts....Summer Fun!

Hola!!!

I'm not really sure what to write about, so I'm just going to write about whatever comes to mind...but I'll try and make it interesting! hahaha

This past Tuesday, one of my Spanish Professors from Hope, Liliana Dorado, had dinner with my host family and me at my house here in Viña del Mar.  She and her boyfriend are traveling through South America as they are making their way to Uruguay, which is where Liliana is from.  It was so nice to see her!  It was also a little weird seeing a professor from Hope here in Chile--in my apartment here.  My two worlds colliding!  It was sooo good to see her though!  She's one of my favorite professors at Hope...as she teaches much more than just Spanish....she teaches culture!

Then, my friend, Tiffany Lumely (we met at Hope), came to visit me this past weekend.  She got here on Friday evening and left yesterday afternoon.  She's been studying abroad this semester in Buenos Aires, Argentina (I stayed with here when I went there) and so she wanted to come see Chile before she heads back to the states.  We had a great time together and saw TONS of Valparaiso and Viña del Mar for the limited time that we had.  We even did some things that I had never done...for example, we went on a boat ride (only $4 USD) which took us on a little tour of Puerto all the way to Muelle Baron.  It was great!  We also saw the sea lions close up!

My Spanish professor also came with her boyfriend, who is American.  When we first met he held out his hand to shake mine and I went in to give him a kiss on the cheek (Chilean style)....awkward.  When Tiffany was here, we met some nice Americans at one of the tourist attractions in Valparaiso.  As we were saying goodbye, he held out his hand to shake ours and it was sooo weird.  Felt so distant.  We then went in for the kiss on the cheek...I prefer it much better Chilean style.  To greet someone or say good-bye here, its a kiss on the cheek....one kiss on the right cheek.  Men to men do a nice hand shake though.  So.....I've kissed every boy I've met in Chile so far.  HAHA...Don't worry!  Just on the cheek!  I've talked about this with my American friends here and how it's so different compared to how we greet in the US.  I mean...I give everyone hugs in the US...but still.  For people you JUST meet and don't even know them...here, you still greet them with a kiss.  ALSO...If you enter a house or a room, you should greet everyone.  In the states, if you walk in a room, you might just say a general "Hello!" to everyone...but here, it's much more personal...kisses all around!  I really like it, because, everyone is recognized when meeting someone new.  No awkward good-byes where you don't know if you should hand shake, hug, just wave...nope...a kiss on the cheek will do.  ALSO, you may think that a kiss on the cheek is too personal, but when you think about it, a hug is even more personal as your entire bodies are embracing.  So...to sum things up...for all my loved ones back home, be expecting hugs AND KISSES when I arrive. hehehehe!  I don't think I'll be able to shake this custom.

It's SUMMER here!  Crazy, eh?  It's still so weird for me to see Christmas decorations in all the stores, Christmas music playing over the speakers in stores and in the train station, to see a Christmas tree in the house, etc. etc. etc.  I just went to the beach....and now it's Christmas eve on Friday!  WOW!  The drastic difference in climate helps with the not-being-homesick-part.  If it was cold, snowing, etc...I think I would really be missing home.  Instead, I don't feel one bit of homesickness.  It helps that I have a wonderful host family and wonderful Chilean friends here.  They all keep great care of me. :)  For Christmas, I'll help cook with the family at my host sister's house during the day on Christmas Eve.  Then I'll go to church with my host family...and then we'll return to my host sister's house to eat dinner and open presents (I assume).  Chileans celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve, not Christmas Day.

Good news!  I've received more information about the English Camps that I will be working at in January.  I'll be placed in Valdivia, Chile for the week of January 9th-15th and I'll be back here in Viña del Mar for the second week (Jan 16-22).  Valdivia is in Southern Chile...where it's all green, tons of rivers, lakes, etc.....I'm so excited!!!!  Best part about it....it's all paid for...what a blessing!  Thank the Lord!   

Here are some pictures of what I've been up to lately:

I've been eating LOTS of ice cream....yummmm!!!!

My host sister, Sonita, and her baby, Esteban (my nephew!), standing next to their Christmas tree in their house!

I was trying to capture his smile!  He's smiling now!!!! He's getting so big!!!

Camila and the grandparents (my host parents) at her end of the year ceremony!

Goodbye Kareoke Party for two of my Chilean friends, Toya (to my left) and Daniel (far right).  They're both going to the states to study abroad next semester!  So sad to see them leave, but I'm so excited for them!!!  We'll miss you!!

With Leyla and Felipe from the school I volunteered at this semester.  Those two are dating! hehehe! So cute!

Here's the group of kids I've been working with this semester!  I love them all!  We had a mini field trip to the beach for ice cream!

Me in the Metro Train Station closest to my house!  It's so nice and clean!

SO BEAUTIFUL!  I can never pass up taking a picture of a flower. hehehe

TIFFANY!!!  In Cerro Concepcion, Valparaiso.

Making Apple Pie in Marjorie's house! YUMM!

Paseo 21 de Mayo! Puerto, Valparaiso.

Valparaiso!  This is like a postcard!

Sea lions!  They would jump up and plop on this thing! So fun!

My dear friend, Tiffany, in the boat tour...the the hills of Valparaiso in the background.

HOLA!

These girls from the home know how to dance!

Kathy...a sweetie from the girl's home!

In La Quinta Vergara!  So pretty!!!!

Tiffany was here for my last Bible Study!  It was a good one!  We went out for Chorillana afterwards!

Reloj de Flores, Viña del Mar.  There is a legend that if you take a picture at the Flower Clock, you will return to Viña.  Si Dios quiere! (If God wants it!)

Day at the beach with my friends from church!  Tiffany is taking the picture and I'm just under the green part of the umbrella with my friend Cony to the left of me...right above the volleyball.  Do you see me?  Look for the red hair! hahahah!  The day was beautiful!!! So much fun!!

Tiffany was SOOO excited to be on the beach...as she returns to Michigan...to the snow this week!

Cony, me, and Tiffany!  We got ice cream and watched the sunset after the great day at the beach!! Que rico!!

PDA galore

Chileans LOVE PDA (Public Display of Affection).

This is how I feel... click here.

Ick.

rhyme

Hello Todos!

This is a rhyme/rap that my friend, Bryce aka Flodysseus, wrote about his study abroad experience here in Chile.  I loved it, so he gave me permission to share it with you all via my blog!  He did a great job expressing how much we're always learning while abroad...most of time learning things about ourselves.  Here it goes...

"a travelin soul
i fly like a javelin throw
to lands uninhabitable
till i'm ragged and old

they say home is in the heart is
so i travel alone
my heart is always with me
home is wherever i go

... yeah, forever i grow
follow the ebb and flow
of an endless road

never friendless though
i'm always makin new ones
way better than home
Friends like re-runs

out in the world your identity is redone
reshaped, remade, no longer stuck in replay

you relearn how to play your cards
no longer pre-paid
and life takes off
no longer grounded and delayed

when you change perspective
you see yourself clearly
more self-reflective

look in foreign eyes
you'll see yourself reflected
and learn more about you
than you ever expected

.. and you'll never find this in a classroom
where you look but don't touch
like you're stuck in a glass room

where you touch but don't feel
lettin real life pass you
the world is the best school
where no C can pass you."

Here is Bryce and I at the CIEE Thanksgiving dinner. :)

School ending, summer starting

Hello!

As school here is coming to an end, I'll now have more time to write in my blog! woooo!  All in all, I am quite satisfied with my school work this semester.  My Literature class (in which I was the only American) was super difficult, but because I worked my butt off, it ended up being super satisfying.  I learned a lot and got great grades...thanks to William, my Chilean tutor that I had near then end of the semester, and lots of prayers.  The professor sent out an email with all of our grades (there's not much privacy for grades here) and I, the gringa, ended up with the best grade in the class!  I think this has to do with the fact that here they don't have a GPA, meaning, they just have to pass the class.  So instead of aiming for A's, most students just aim to pass the class.  Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

So far I have all A's here...I'm just waiting on one more grade.  All the thanks goes to God...I couldn't have done it without Him.  Seriously.  All classes in Spanish have been challenging.  Even though some classes (aka the gym classes) weren't that difficult, there were many times where I still had to say a little prayer and just go with the flow...I'm in Chile, here!

Summer plans:

1) Spend time with my host family and Chilean friends....seeing as all my American friends have left me!
2) Be outside...ride my bike...go to the beach...exercise...etc.
3) Write in my journal. (I've been really slacking on this one during the semester...so little time!)
4) Teach English...I'm going to be participating in "English Camps" for two weeks in January where I will be helping out at a week long day-camp here in Viña and then for another week in a different region of Chile...still not sure which one yet.  It's a camp for high schoolers who want to learn English.  A great thing about it....I'll be getting paid! 
5) Volunteer at the girl's home.  About half of them stay and half of them live with their families during the summer.  The girls from Santiago also come to Viña, so the number of girls stays about the same.  They will need lots of help this summer as they will be going to the beach three times a week and also taking trips to the movies, the zoo, etc.  I'm super excited for this!

Well....here are some pictures to leave you with:

Playing UNO that my family sent me from the states in the girls' home!

With my language exchange group on the roof of my friend's apartment building looking over Viña del Mar.

Thanksgiving CIEE (Study Abroad Program) dinner....I DID eat PUMPKIN PIE! YUUMM!

My last camping/mountain climbing trip with my class! :)

We slept in the open air, under the stars...here's us just waking up.

My host parents!  My host mom had a jewelry showing/selling these past few weekends.  I helped her set up!

My friend, Victoria, and I on the beach in Concon!

My language exchange group on the beach in Laguna Verde!

Friends from church on a absolutely beautiful beach, Las Docas.

Baby Esteban is getting so big!!!!!!!!

Saying goodbye to my dear friend, Melissa (all the way on the left) at her house in Valparaiso.

Exploring Valparaiso, Cerro Concepcion, with two of my wonderful friends from church.

Here I am in the ascensor (street elevator) with Cote and Cony (they're sisters).  I love them so much...as the always remind me of my sissy, Sarah!

Meli and I made apple pie....and it turned out SPECTACULAR!

I also made two pumpkin pies with the canned pumpkin that I brought from home way back in July. jejejeje...I think ahead when it comes to pumpkin pie.  Here I am with my lovely friend, Marjorie.  She French...but basically Chilean! :)