Random Business
Hi everybody! It's been a while since I've written, as I have been really busy lately. I was on vacation in northern Chile for two weeks with my host parents and other family, then I came back to Viña to greet the new study abroad kids, then I had a week to prepare for the new school semester, and then, well, classes started! Last week was my first week of classes and I still don't know exactly what courses I will take. This semester is really weird (as there is a new boss) and we are only allowed to drop classes, not add them. Last semester we could do both. So, I signed up for ten classes--yes, ten. And I know some other people who signed up for like twenty! Anyways...it's no big deal as in the end I will end up with only five classes. And three of them only meet once a week. Surprisingly enough, I won't be taking any psychology or gym classes this semester (I took three gym classes and one psych class last semester). I'm not taking a psych class as last semester I was disappointed with my psych class. I didn't really learn anything--besides how to say things in Spanish...which is not a bad thing. Also, I have to take other more difficult classes this semester (a science lab and an art history), so I didn't think I would have enough time to invest in the psych class--which I would have liked to do if I did take one. Plus, I don't need to take a psych class, so, no worries. About the gym classes...trust me, I wanted to take one or many gym classes, but they just didn't quite fit in my schedule. Bummer, eh? So....I won't tell you what class I have now, because I don't even know for sure.
The arrival of the new CIEE kids! The second-semester bunch of American students studying abroad through the program, CIEE, arrived the week I got back from the north. Because I've already done everything and know everything (well, almost), I helped out instead of participating in orientation. It was so much fun to see how they all were...just like I was...picked up and plopped in a foreign country, culture, language, etc. It was so much fun to talk to them and to answer ALL their questions! I also got some fun questions myself. Many had thought that I had already graduated and was working here in Chile for CIEE or that I was even Chilean! Crazyyy!! But it made me feel sooo good...so, it was appreciated!
Vallenar, Copiapó, Huasco, La Serena, Coquimbo, El Valle de Elqui. EL NORTE DE CHILE (The north of Chile)
I stayed in Vallenar, a small town in el Norte Chico of Chile, for the first week of my vacation. There is where my host parents raised their two daughters (my Chilean sisters, Ingrid and Sonita). They also have lots of family there--so, naturally, we stayed and visited with them the whole time. It was absolutely wonderful! I stayed in the house of my host mom's niece (who has two super cute little boys) and my host parents stayed in the house of my host mom's brother. While in Vallenar, we also went to Copiapó (the city where the 33 miners were) for a day. We also went with the family to Huasco, which is like a mini-Valparaíso. It was really interesting to see the difference between the north (and this isn't even that far north) of Chile and the south of Chile (Valdivia, which either isn't that far south). They are so different! The north is dry, the rivers (if they exist) are small, the green you see is very few,it's hot., the sun is really strong, etc. The south is full of green, water, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, grass, rain, etc. It was sad to leave as the time went by so fast and I really felt like family there. Wilsito, the three year old little boy that I shared a room with (he called me Iliana as he couldn't pronounce, Diana...so cute!) bawled when we said good-bye and got on the bus. He cried, because he didn't want me to go and was saying that he wanted to come with us! Soooo cute!!
For the second week, we were in El Valle de Elqui (Elqui Valley), which is where my host mom was born and grew up. This is also the land of the famous Chilean poet, Gabriela Mistral. When we arrived in El Valle de Elqui, my jaw dropped and hung open practically the entire car ride. The mountains, the fields, the agriculture, the valley, the sky, the everything was simply incredible. I've never seen such a thing in my life! We stayed in a house of a family there which was located in Pisco Elqui, a small town in the Valley. The house, just so happened to be located, smack dab in the valley! I would walk out the front door and see a huge mountain in front of me, behind me, and the valley to my right and left! At night, uuuufffff, it was so beautiful! I also met one of my very close little friends there, Josefa. My host mom is her great aunt. Making her my second cousin? Right? Anyway...that's what we said we were...cousins! haha! She's nine years old and for about three days we were inseparable! She was more like a little sister...the little sister I always wanted! She would ask me sooo many questions about me, the USA, and English. She was so fascinated! When it was time to say good-bye, she started crying--and of course, so did I! I really don't like good-byes...I don't know what I'm going to do when I have to leave Chile in July! I'll probably bawl my eyes out until I go blind or something. Anyways, Josefa and I are going to be pen pals and write letters to each other! I received my first letter (she made me a book!) from her just two days after I arrived back in Viña. I sent her a letter last week. :)
Highlights of the trip:
-Seeing Julio!!! He had gone to the north about a month before we did as he had a job there. It was so good to finally see him again!
-Meeting more family! I felt so much at home my whole time I was in the north, just like I do when I'm in Viña. In fact, I'm going to try and go back to the north by myself to visit the family one more time before I head back to the states. Oh, also, Mom and Dad, I've already invited them all to come and stay in our house in Warrenville....hehhee...I hope that's okay! :) Josefa really wants to come! Mom, I know you won't have a problem with that....Dad...you'll be fine too, as you've had tons of practice already.
-Seeing the contrast of scenery...between the north and south of Chile.
-Seeing where both of my host parents grew up/were raised/and where they raised their daughters (before moving to Valparaíso).
-Being in el Valle de Elqui. Seriously, I could live there. I HIGHLY recommend going there if you ever get a chance some day!
-Trying new fruits! I ate: copao (a cactus fruit that is kind of like the kiwi), sweet cucumber, natural figs (not dried and not Fig Newtons..haha), peaches, pears, and grapes picked straight from the tree/vine, and there was something else I tried, but I don't remember.
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| Vallenar |
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| The ''river'' in Copiapó |
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| Copiapó |
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| Huasco |
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| La Sererna (It's known for it's Colonial architecture) |
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| The beach in La Serena (it's also know for its coast line) and across the water is Coquimbo. La Serena and Coquimbo :: Viña del Mar and Valparaíso |
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| Horcon, el Valle de Elqui, almost on the border of Argentina. |
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| Josefa and me in Pisco Elqui! (Look what the sun has done to my hair!...really, the sun is a lot stronger here, thanks to the depleted ozone layer above Chile). |
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| Copao!!! |
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| Natural figs! picked right off the tree! |
Vaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallenar!!!!!!! :)
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