continued...

The university (pucv- pontifical catholic university of valparaiso) gave us a warm welcoming ceremony complete with delicious finger foods and traditional dances. Orientation was a bit overwhelming and im finding that i remember little to nothing of the tours as I only just stopped getting lost on my way to classes.... so the dancing, because thats what I like the most, it was super cool, the dancers were so happy and enthusiastic and in my traditional dances of chile I have been learning what was shown at this showcase. Each dancer seemed enthralled with their partner and each dance seemed to tell a story which I want to know and hope to learn in this class. That day my program brought us to a second house of Pablo Neruda (we saw the first in Santiago), this one was named La Sebastiana and was very pretty, its in a cerro of Valparaiso (my city) and has a view of all of the city and ocean from the windows. I can understand how he wrote such beautiful poems with a view like that. (pablo was one of my main reasons for choosing Valpo Chile) It wasnt until just the other day that we took a day trip to see Pablos final third house, which is said to be the best and Pablos favorite. Which is understandable after visiting the property, it had a beachfront and like all three of his houses was mad from old boats. The more I learn about pablo the cooler he seems and the more i want to read his Obra (works). Pablo is buried with his third wife at Isla Negra (the final house)
Near La Sebastiana, there was a project in the 70's to make the city more beautiful. It was started by a professor of art at my university and although it didnt go through as grand as he had hoped, it resulted with this particular cerro being noted for its incredible graffiti. not in a destructive way. the murals painted on the walls of this area are works of art, some by famous artists from all around the world.
So I have a funny story about how I thought I should gain independence in this new city, now dont worry I am alright and everything worked out fine. The parents were required to bring us to school via mass transit and pick us up for the first two days, and the third day was optional for us. I thought on this third day that I could do it on my own, sure its dark out but I think i can make it home on the bus fine. Well, they failed to inform this little country bumpkin that one must press a button to tell the driver to stop so you can get off the bus.... Its dark and not knowing the city well I assume the bus will always stop at the same spots and I just need to squint and look hard for a marker. well my marker came and went and Im standing in a crowded bus wondering why the bus driver isnt stopping... I proceed to get off the next time the doors open to avoid getting any further from my house. I tried to navigate home but it was dark and I admit i was scared out of my pants so i found a bakery and hovered in the light of the doorway next to a homeless man smoking like a chimney. Thankfully i had just the day before bought a cellphone so I was able to call my host mother to ask where I was... she sent our housekeeper Rita to find me. Turns out i was just on the other side of the plaza and could have just taken a left to go down the plaza and been home in two blocks... why was i not granted a sense of direction? that might come in handy once or twice when I get myself into these situations. but never fear because the past few weekends when Ive nothing to do, I walk around in daylight in the surrounding blocks of my house and can now get home if that ever happens again. :D
So one night i went with my mother to her friends house up the hill a few blocks and met a fellow gringa, she dates one of my mothers friends sons.. complicated? ha! anywho, shes working here for a school teaching art and her and I share a birthday and will be celebrating on her apartment rooftop along with her work friends and a few of my isa friends. she also has two other girls that have birthdays in august so we are calling it the virgo birthday bbq. I am alittle nervous about ending my teenage years, i hope turning twenty doesnt mean i have to grow up yet?!
all that was inbetween that I missed by not writing down wasnt that interesting, I began classes. I am taking Applied Sports Nutrition, Globalization of Chilean Society, History of LatinoAmerica in the 20th century, traditional dances and Spanish Communicaiton and Chilean Culture. Nothing is that difficult except spanish class has alot of homework and essays and nutrition is entirely chileans which means the speaking is much faster than I had anticipated, but hey I came to chile to learn spanish right? sink or swim baby! ;)
Also, my Opa will be pleased to find out my sweet tooth is not going to waste here as I am in the process of trying all the delicious "rico" foods and treats I can so i can know what to bring back for everyone. For example, there is a candy bar company here Sahne Nuss (owned by nestle!?) that is incredible and my host dad is something like sales representative to chile for them? Im not entirely sure, it got alittle lost in translation, he could have just been saying he likes sahne nuss too..... jaja, also the students in my pension made a torta (cake) last night that is super rich and delicious, imagine this if you will~ oreos dipped in coffee layed out in a pan, then a layer of warm manjar (caramel), covered in a layer of not so sweet whip cream repeated three times before a layer of merengue and then refrigerated for extra goodness. yes my dear friend, that is what heaven tastes like. and its all yours for the price of a visit to Chile to see me!!! :P
Do not fret, I am doing things besides eating here. I am planning a trip to Mendoza Argentina in two weeks with a group of friends. I wont be able to get my passport stamped because that requires paying something like 140 bucks. Ill just take pictures to prove i was there thank you very much argentenian government. There is also talk of a trip somewhere in Chile to visit the largest pool in the world.. google it, its impressive. I plan on learning to surf, or atleast try while I am here and although it would require a good block of time I hope to go to the Patagonia for a while and (likely wont happen because of various logistics) hop over the less than 1 cm on the map of water to say ive been to antarctica!!! But that would require some serious fenagling of my schedule and perhaps the cost of changing my return home flight which mother will most likely not allow :P
There I believe I have finally caught up to the present although i did skip alot, it must not be that important if i cant remember it right? well I wish each of you could come visit me and I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer filled with love and sun. To see pictures check out facebook :)

ps i went skiing in the andes, idk if i mentioned this? but yeah it was awesome however not for me. I love the woods trails and having the trees there to tell me which part is groomed and which is not... i ended up on an incredibly bumpy rocky yucky part of trail and it was only after id fallen i realized i was on the wrong side of a pole designating where the trail is..... however! the view from the top of the mountains was amazing, i suggest for all to go atleast once. it was a breathtaking view and I hope to go again while I am here.

Alittle late i know....

                

I decided it would be a good idea to make a blog so those not using Facebook could see I am alive!! and having a blast :D I am only just beginning this blog so I am going through my journal and picking out the super fun interesting stuff and translating it to english because yep, i am writing in spanish.  it helps my writing ability but also slows down my journaling... I am about 3 weeks behind right now actually.. maybe I should get on that.  Anyway you want to know I am alive and what is happening all the way down here in the south.   

                I arrived on July 20 and had hoped to hit up a Bikram Yoga class here (for those of you who don't know I did a 30 day challenge with my momma bear and Courtney D. in Pittsfield, yay Bikram Yoga Pittsfield!!), but it didnt end up working out in Santiago.  There was another student that made the same mistake as me and arrived a day early so we went out together and walked around Santiago and got a glass of wine at a wonderful little cafe near the hotel (which by the way was called "hotel rent-a-home".....)  It was a perfect relaxing entry into the coming week of orientation and tours and constant moving.  I must remember to accidentally arrive a day early for all my future trips. ;) The women at the cafe found it weird we were ordering wine with lunch, the waitress even watched us throughout our time at the restaurant... Having been in Chile now for a month or so this makes me wonder alot because it is very common I have found for people to have a drink in the middle of the day here.   But lets not jump ahead, that night we went to a pub for dinner, it was called Louisana Bar... we found this very amusing but the food was pretty good and not very Louisana-y at all.  However there was a women who sang kareoke the entire duration of our meal... she had a nice voice and her palolo (boyfriend in chileno) accompanied her on the piano.   

                My friend and I soon began to realize that Chilens don't really speak spanish even remotely close to the way we had been taught.  they speak "chileno" which is a very rapid slurred spanish.  In other words they have a very distinct accent that took some getting used to.  I expect it will be very interesting when I come back to the states and begin my spanish classes again..... I hope the professor can understand me. ;)

              Oh I should mention the weather right? thats what people on trips do..... well i wish I could say that the weather was beautiful etc when I was in Santiago but it was a shocking entry directly into the middle of winter after having left a wonderful 95 degree day. (but dont worry, its gotten better aka spring time!!!) Speaking of the day I left..... my amazing friends momma watts and miriah came with me to lunch and after to the airport with my mother.  It wasnt that hard to leave, it still hadnt hit me that i wouldnt be back for 5 months until i had already been here for 3 weeks..... thats when I started watching mine and mothers show- Gilmore Girls... bad idea. I miss momma bear mucho as well as missing all of you too!!! sorry i havent been able to call anyone, landlines are far too expensive here, so i hope this form of communication works.  I also have a skype that you can talk to me through (its a computer program) ask mother for the information.

                 So godmother wendy gave me a monkey to take pictures of all around south america and during my travels.  here is his first picture getting ready for the adventure...

                                After Santiago we moved to Valparaiso where i am living now.  We had the choice of a pension or a home stay and I chose a pension.  It means that I am living with 11 Chilean students my age and a family of 4 with a housekeeper.  I am loving every minute of it except that its sooo many people in a house.  I am used to me mommabear and matt.... here there is always stuff going on, always people around which I am beginning to love! I will have pictures of my family up soon.

                         The guy that lived here before me left me a note full of advice on where to go what to do etc while i am here.  My host mother and housekeeper, both of whom i adore!, talk about all the student who have been here before and they mentioned a name a few times that I recognized.  When i checked trusty Facebook I found that he went to my school, what a coincidence?! so he has also given me advice which is amazing because i have never lived in another country so Im having to figure everything out on my own here...

                        I have made alot of friends through my program ISA, and we have alot of fun together.  There are lots of trips for ice cream or 'carretes' which means going out at night.  Its nice to have done this program so i can have a support system here in chile.  theres actually a girl living in my 'cerro' (suburb of valpo) that has spent a semester here before already so she is very helpful.  As most of you know I grew up in a very sheltered rural environment so using public transportation is sooo sooo foreign to me.  every day i must take a "micro" (bus) to school and back or wherever else i might want to go and it is sooo stressful to figure out. (they dont have a bus map)

                      im actually going to go get ready for a trip to bravissimo (the best gelato place ever) so I will continue to write soon! i miss you all!