Sunday, August 25

This morning, I slept in until 10 and it felt fantastic. I am still waiting for the day when I have my first dream in Spanish, but I do find myself waking up and immediately starting to think in Spanish, so I guess that’s a good start. I ate some breakfast and watched Mulan 2 in Spanish with Monse. Then I helped Nancy cook homemade lasagna. She made two lasagnas—one meat for the whole family and one chicken just for me. I think I’m going to be eating lasagna for the next week straight. Then, the whole family went to the movies to watch Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters in Spanish. I had read the books, and I understood enough of the Spanish that I really enjoyed the movie! They bought popcorn in the theater—something my family in the US absolutely never does—and I was shocked. Also, the popcorn here is only caramel corn. They never eat buttered popcorn. As we were walking out of the theater after the movie, we heard a bunch of honking and shouting, and we saw in the street a procession of cars with balloons and paint. It was a presidential rally. I’m not sure which candidate it was for, but it was very cool either way.

When we got home, Monse, Eric, Maxi and I played Escoba (that Chilean card game I mentioned earlier) while Nancy cooked the lasagna. Then, we all sat down and ate lunch together. After that, my friend Vicente asked if I could go over to his house to help with an English project. He rode his bike to my house and then we rode together back to his house. Bikes are the number one form of transportation for teenagers here since you can’t get a driver’s license until you’re 18. At his house, he had the project written out in Spanish, so I just had to translate it into English, which was pretty easy (he had to explain a few words to be but overall pretty painless). Then we talked for a while and listened to music (we have basically the same taste). Sidenote—the fact that I am a girl who likes Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, and Green Day is practically unheard of here. All the guys are really shocked and impressed when I tell them who my favorite bands are. After a few hours, we rode back to my house only to find the gate locked and no one at home. My cell phone doesn’t work because Cristobal used all of the minutes for the month, so Vicente called my dad to see where they were. They were in the Jumbo, so we had to sit outside in the freezing cold and wait for them to get back. When they finally got back I said goodbye to Vicente and ran inside to the stove to warm up my hands. Then I Skyped with my mom for the first time since I’ve been here. It was really nice to talk to her! I had so much to tell her and I loved seeing her again! It was also really nice to be able to fully express myself to someone and talk as much as I wanted. I think the worst part about not speaking the language very well is not being able to say what you’re thinking all the time. I watched TV with Monse and talked with Maxi for a while until Nancy and her friend got home from Santiago where they were visiting another friend who is in the hospital. We all ate dinner together, and then I took a shower and went to sleep around midnight. I feel like I never get enough sleep here but I don’t really care because I’m having so much fun all the time!

Saturday, August 24

Saturday was an incredibly busy day for me! I woke up around 9, showered, and got ready to go volunteer. At 10, my friend Juan Diego and his cousin Diego (yup I know they have like the same name) picked me up and took me to the office of the volunteer program called Techo Para Chile. There was no registration, no paperwork to fill out or release forms to sign, we just waited until all the volunteers showed up and then walked to the bus stop. We rode the bus for a while and then when we got off, we crossed the highway and walked up into the hills on foot. I could immediately tell that this part of Chile was very different from the parts I’d seen before. There was trash everywhere, and the houses weren’t houses—they were shacks standing really close together. There were no cars, although I did see a few horses pulling carts with people standing in them.

We were in a camp of 147 families living in complete squalor. It was a level of poverty that I have never seen before. All us volunteers walked through the camp until we reached a small fenced in area with a Techos sign. This was our “school house”. We walked around collecting the kids who regularly attend the school and saying hi to their families. I went into one house to help a kid find his notebook, and there was only one bedroom with 4 beds in it and clothes piled everywhere because there was no dresser or hangers. We learned that a two week old baby had dies that morning in the camp because it couldn’t breathe during the night and it’s not like they have healthcare or a hospital nearby to care for the sick kid. Once all the kids were in the school, we tried teaching them a little English, but really they are so uneducated that it’s kind of pointless to try to help them when we only come one day a week. The main goal of Techo isn’t to teach material but to teach morals, values, and to let kids know that there is more to the world than what they see in their neighborhood. We talked to them, they made fun of my accent, we let them play games on our phones, we bought them ice cream, and we played tag in a nearby field. The kids were fricken adorable and I loved talking to them! I can’t wait to go back next weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After Juan Diego’s dad dropped me off at home, I ate lunch with my family, and then Nancy drove me to my friend Lila’s house. Lila lives in the countryside. Like seriously I’m talking dirt roads, no neighbors, surrounded by crops countryside. She has a gorgeous house and backyard that’s like totally isolated from civilization. We hung out at her house for a while with our other friend Fernanda, and then her mom drove us to a stable not too far away where her family and Fernanda’s family keep their horses.

I got to ride a horse and watch as Fernanda and Lila’s dads practiced rodeo. Then we went and looked in the stables at the ponies and sheep, and then we drove back to Lila’s. We played with her dog Clifford in the backyard, and then we ate junk food for a while and talked. Both Lila and Fernanda are so nice and hilarious. I think they are two of my best friends here. Like I’m super awkward and can’t really speak that much but they always talk to me and make an effort to include me and I am so appreciative of that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a while, I got a call from Monse telling me that they were coming to pick me up because the family wanted to go to the movies. I had been invited to a party that night, but I was kind of too tired to go anyway so I agreed. The family (minus Maxi who was at home watching a movie of his own) went to the theater, but when we got there we found out that nothing we wanted to see was playing that late. Instead, we went grocery shopping in a nearby store, and then went to a fancy Chinese restaurant for dinner (we ate like super late around 10:00). We ate so much food! We had spring rolls, then sushi, then the main course of beef for them and chicken for me. I was so stuffed by the end I couldn’t even move. We drove home and I went right to sleep because it was like midnight.

Friday, August 23

Monse woke me up early this morning because she wanted to make sure I would have time to French braid her hair before school. Fridays are the hardest day at school—we have history, biology, math, and Spanish. In Biology we played something similar to Jeopardy where we got into teams and had to answer questions about the brain. It was super difficult, but I actually answered a few questions for my team! I was really proud! At lunch, one of my friends, Coti, brought us all Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. I thought this was completely normal, but everyone else was shocked because they had never tried them before. Also, in my lunch I found a water bottle filled with something yellow. I thought it was juice because they are big on drinking juice and soda here (never water), so I opened it and took a big sip. It was pure concentrated lemon juice. So gross! All of us laughed about how my host family was probably trying to kill me. When I got home and told my mom about it she laughed and apologized because she had though it was juice too.

After school I ran some errands with Nancy at the Jumbo, and then I came home and worked on my blog. After a while, Nancy came home and we started cooking pizza for dinner.

Then my friend Cata came over and we finished cooking, went to pick Monse up from a birthday party, and hung out for a while. She is so nice and I feel like she’s going to be a really good friend! After Cata left, Nancy and Eric went to a friend’s birthday party, so us kids were left home alone. I watched TV and talked with Maxi while Monse and I painted each others’ nails. After we finally finished it was like midnight and I was super tired, so I went to sleep immediately.

Thursday, August 22

Today I woke up a little late, and I had to hurry up so as not to be late for school. At school, we were supposed to have a philosophy test, but instead we did this worksheet with a partner that was going to count for a grade. This girl named Rocio was my partner and she was super nice and I enjoyed getting to know her, but I felt so bad because I really couldn’t contribute a whole lot to the work. School here is kind of weird because we usually get out at 3:00 but two days a week we have to stay until 4:30 for sports and art. Today was my first day of sports. I chose to play volleyball because that’s what most of my friends do. The only problem is that I’ve never played volleyball before in my life. We formed teams and rotated playing each other. I was a little afraid, but I managed to hit the ball over the net just as much as everyone else, so I would call that a success.

After I got home, Monse and I ate dinner (I had toast with peanut butter, which nobody here eats or likes). Then, Cristobal’s friend Matias, whom I met at a party last weekend, picked me up and took me to his friend’s house so I could help them with an English project. They are seniors who go to a different school, and they asked me to help because they all really need a good grade on this project to avoid failing. Once I read the script they had written, I saw why they were in danger of failing. They were supposed to make a 15 minute news video about whatever they wanted. They decided it would be better to start a video of a news program and then have terrorists interrupt to tell the world that they had kidnapped the president of the US and demand money for his release. I fixed their script as best I could, and then tried to help them learn to pronounce the words. Then we recorded. The whole time we were there I could not stop laughing because they were just so ridiculous! We only recorded about 4 minutes (and 1 whole minute of that was me pretending to be a reporter and talking off the top of my head about terrorism and Jihad), so I think we’ll have to get together again to finish. Matias drove me home after that.

At home, Monse, Maxi, and I watched TV and Maxi showed me some Latin music.  
Then Nancy got home and asked if we wanted to help her cook. We agreed of course, and so the four of us made meringue cookies. Then we cooked mushrooms to eat for a snack. Mushrooms in the US were like my least favorite food, but these were actually really amazing. I’m glad I mustered up the courage to try them. When we finished eating, it was like 10:30, and I was really tired so I went to sleep.

Wednesday, August 21

Today, I woke up around 6:50 and almost made everyone wait for me because Eric drove us to school today and he likes to leave at exactly 7:30, whereas with Nancy we usually leave around 7:35-7:40. At school, I had Religion, where we watched a movie about some saint (I can’t remember which). Then during the first break, I taught some friends how to braid hair, and one of them did a fishtail in my hair. After break we had Spanish, where I had to do a worksheet with 40 short answer questions about the book Don Quijote (which I’ve never read).

 After the second break, I had PD3 Chilean History and PE Algebra where we learned la ley de cosenes (law of cosines). Then we ate lunch and went to English. We weren’t really doing anything in English—we had to do a worksheet, and I finished quickly and let people copy me. Sidenote—learning English at a Spanish speaking school is super weird. They learn grammatical structures that I’ve never even had to think about because it comes naturally to me, and sometimes I’m not even confident in my answers.

 Anyway, in the middle of English the Religion teacher came into the classroom and asked if he could see me outside. During religion class the week before, I had told him that I was Christian but not Catholic and he asked if I wanted to learn more about the Catholic faith. I’m here to learn everything I can, so I figured why not? He took me to a little room on the second floor where another girl was waiting. She is from Canada, but has been staying with her aunt and uncle in Chile for about 6 months. She wants to learn more about Catholicism too. The professor asked us about our faith, our church practices, and what we think about god in general, and then he told us a little about Catholicism. There is a mass held every day in the tiny chapel at school at 7:30am, and he invited us to attend. We decided to meet with him every Wednesday after lunch to talk more about the Catholic faith. I know it’s kind of weird, but hey what the heck I’m here to take advantage of every opportunity right?

After school, Monse and I watched TV for a while, and then Maxi showed me videos of Club de la Comedia (the Chilean version of SNL). I didn’t understand any of the jokes, but hopefully one day I will. After that, I went for a run, showered, dried my hair, and ate dinner with Monse. We had completos, which are hot dogs with tomatoes and guacamole on top. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but here we have a “nana” names Sra. Adela, who is in the house from 8-6 everyday cooking for us and cleaning and doing laundry. She’s like the friendliest person ever and I love talking to her. All I have to do is ask one question and she will talk to me for like 10 minutes! I love that because sometimes I can’t think of a lot to say in Spanish, so it’s nice to have someone else keep the conversation going.

After everyone got home, we watched TV for a little while and then we Skyped with Cristobal again. He’s doing really well and seems really happy. It’s really funny for me to hear him talk about the weird food that he’s tried because for me the food seems totally normal! He was like shocked to try raspberry lemonade. But I totally understand the feeling because all the food here is super different for me too.

Tuesday, August 20

This morning when I woke up, I was so tired I could barely get up. I really need to start sleeping more, but I feel like there are always really important things to do late at night here. Maxi and I were tired but ready for school on time, but Montserrat didn’t wake up until 7:37 (we were supposed to leave at 7:30) so we didn’t leave until 7:45. We hit a bunch of traffic on the way to school, so at 7:55 we got out of the car and walk/ran the rest of the way to school. I walked into the classroom at 7:59! Our first class was math, and we had a really important test on Trigonometry. I was really proud that I actually understood 4 out of the 6 questions considering they were in Spanish (trust me it makes a difference even in math) and I hadn’t been there to learn the material. I didn’t use the formulas that they were supposed to memorize (because I didn’t know them) but I used logic and I actually had a lot of fun taking the test. After math, I had English and PD3 (Chilean History). PD3 is probably my favorite class because the material is really interesting and the teacher talks slowly so I understand almost everything. He even asks me questions sometimes and I am able to answer! After PD3 we ate lunch and then had Consejo de Curso where we took an aptitude test to tell us what kind of career we should follow (here they have to decide their major before they start college). Then we had Labortorio de Ingles, which for me is Labortorio de Espanol because the teacher told me I have to do all the same exercises except in Spanish instead of English. I actually really like doing it in Spanish because I feel like I am learning more. After school, I talked with my friends for a few minutes and then Nancy picked us up.

We went home, and I worked on my blog for a little while (look how faithful I’m being!!!). Then, I went for a run and Monse came with me on her bike. I thought it would be annoying to have to talk to her the whole time, but it was actually really fun and the time passed much more quickly. I also said hello to a lot of neighbors as I saw them in the street. I think running around the neighborhood is a great way to meet people. After I finished, Monse and I went to the tiny park that is on the side of the loop opposite our house. We played on the teeter-totter and the swings for a while until I got cold and we went home.

I showered, dried my hair, and ate dinner with Montserrat. We watched TV for a little while, while Eric tutored a girl from another nearby school in math. He works so much! He works as security director of a copper mine all day, he teaches engineering to adults at a night school every night, and he tutors kids in math and science when he has time. After they finished, Eric had to go to the school where he teaches, so I sat with Ignacia, his student, and we talked for a while. She was super sweet. I think I am becoming more confident in my speaking in Spanish (notice that I didn’t say it’s getting better, just that I’m not as afraid to make mistakes). After she left, Nancy arrived home and we talked for a little while, and then I went to sleep early because I was so tired. I really need to start getting more sleep because I am always so tired in the morning that I nearly fall asleep in class. I think I’m more tired than usual not only because the people in this house NEVER SLEEP, but because I have to concentrate so much all the time to understand what is being said.

I know this is a random photo but I just wanted to show you guys how cool the license plates are here! They fascinate me!!!

 

Monday, August 19

I woke up this morning really tired from yesterday. I have to wake up at 6:45 for school, and we leave at 7:30. I thought wearing a uniform would cut down the time it takes to get ready in the morning, but putting on the tights, socks, undershirt, skirt, button down blouse, tie, sweater, sweatshirt, and shoes takes me a long time! I save time on my makeup though—I don’t wear very much to school. Barely anybody at school wears any makeup. It was weird at first, but now I really like not having to try so hard to impress people. First thing in the morning, we had a school-wide mass (remember this is a private Catholic school) to commemorate that holiday that gave us Thursday and Friday of last week off. The whole school gathered on the patio in the freezing cold, and we listened to a short sermon. Then everyone recited a prayer (that I didn't know or understand) and we all went back to class. Later, I had a test in PD4, which for me is Spanish. Everyone told me the tests in that class were a total joke and everyone just cheats (sidenote—the people here are very creative cheaters. They write on their hands, on the desks, use their phones, steal tests out of teachers bags, and take pictures of tests for other classes to look at), but I wasn’t expecting such a weird test. Yes, there were a lot of questions on language where we had to read a passage and respond, but there were also math word problems. I understood the math better than I understood the Spanish, but it took a lot of solving. When I finished, I looked around and noticed that lots of people had calculators on their desks! I guess I missed the memo that you’re supposed to bring a calculator to a language test.

After lunch, we had physical education (I can’t say PE because there is an elective class called PE where I have algebra), but I didn’t go because I had to go to the Registro Civil to get my Chilean ID card. Everyone (even babies) is required to have an ID card and to carry it with them at all times. I am kind of officially a Chilean citizen now!

 

After getting the ID card, Nancy and I went to the Jumbo to run some errands, and then we went back to the school to pick up Maxi. I’d just like to reiterate how much I love talking to Nancy. With her, I can have like real conversations where I understand everything she says and she understands (I think) what I’m trying to say. After we got home, I organized all my government papers into a new binder that we got at the store, and I finally decorated my room with photos that my friends gave me before I left.

Then, I decided to go for a run. I haven’t done any exercise at all since I got here because I didn’t really feel comfortable and there was never time, but today I decided to get off my lazy butt. It is typical for an exchange student to gain a lot of weight during their year abroad, which I totally understand now because all the food is so different and so good and you just want to eat it all. I am going to try to run more often so that this doesn’t happen to me! In Chile, it is not common for people to run along the streets, and if you do, the men will whistle and honk at you, so I just ran around the neighborhood (it is one loop that is probably smaller than a football field) for 50 minutes. I think I might be a little sore tomorrow, but I really needed to get back into the rhythm of exercising everyday. It felt good to be alone with my thoughts and to allow myself to think completely in English for once.

After I finished showering, I helped Maxi and his friend with their English project, and then Monse tried to teach me some Spanish that she was learning for homework. Then, we all ate dinner (here dinner is calld “once” and it is like a snack instead of a meal because the big meal of the day is lunch). After, I dried my hair (I still wasn’t wearing any makeup, but I think I feel comfortable enough now with my family to walk around the house without makeup). Then, Maxi showed me all the books they have in their library. I took out a few that I want to read—Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia in Spanish—and we looked through the Guiness Book of World Records in Spanish. It was really nice to spend some time with Maxi because we don’t really talk very much, and now that Cristobal is gone, we are each others’ closest company. I really like him and I hope we get to be really good friends. I think we’re both making a big effort now that Cristobal is gone.

Eric arrived at home around 9, and Nancy cooked some more food. We all sat down to eat another snack while Eric ate dinner. Then, we had to wait until Cristobal was ready to Skype. The whole family was really anxious to talk to him and hear about the flight and his new family and home and everything. He didn’t get online until around 11:30 at night, and when we talked to him, he was so tired that he barely said anything. I totally understand that feeling after not being able to sleep on the plane and being completely overwhelmed by everything new and different and in another language. It’s fricken tiring! He seemed happy though, so I think everyone felt better after talking to him. When we hung up, it was midnight and I was super tired, so I went right to sleep.

Sunday, August 18

I was woken up early this morning when my little cousin Flo walked into my room and started talking to us. I don’t think she realized that both Monse and I were still sleeping! We watched a movie, and then I went and put on makeup (it’s kind of weird sleeping in a house with so many family members—I didn’t know if I should feel comfortable having them see me without makeup). Then we all sat down and ate breakfast together. Maria Jesus, the younger girls, and I went outside to play games after breakfast. After a while we got tired and went inside to watch Cristobal pack. The crowd of family members began trickling out, saying goodbye to Cristobal and leaving. As the time to leave for the airport got closer and closer, the packing got more frantic. Nancy had to run to the Jumbo to buy some last minute things for Cristobal, and the suitcases weren’t closed until 5 minutes before we left. We went outside to take a couple photos, and then we left for the airport.

Along the way we picked up Vicente and Augustin, Cristobal’s two best friends, and Monchito, Cristobal’s (and mine) Rotary counselor. We were 11 people and 2 suitcases in a car that seats 7. Maxi, Cristobal, Augustin, Vicente, and I sat cross legged in the trunk and 4 people sat in the cab seat made for 3. I think it goes without saying that they are a little more lax about traffic safety than we are in the US.

The ride to the airport was weird. As I watched Cristobal looking out the window, I knew exactly how he was feeling. It is a weird mix of incredible sadness at seeing everything that you’ve taken for granted your whole life for the last time and overwhelming enthusiasm at the adventure ahead of you. In the airport, I hung out with Augustin, Vicente, and Monse while the rest went to check Cristobal’s bags. They were overweight, so it took them a really long time to pay extra and sort everything out. It was weird seeing Cristobal and knowing that we would have to say goodbye so soon. At around 8, Cristobal had to go through security, so we all had to say goodbye. He hugged everyone, and we were all crying as he waved goodbye and went through security. It was such a weird feeling for me to be on the other side of this sort of goodbye. I was sad not only for Cristobal and the family but also because it reminded me so much of when I had to say goodbye to my friends and family. The walk back to the car was very sad. Everyone was hugging, crying, and walking slowly. Nobody said anything. We got into the trunk again, and started the long ride home. Vicente and I listened to music together, and everyone was pretty quiet, lost in their own thoughts about Cristobal and the year that they would spend apart. We dropped everyone off and got home around 10. I was tired, so I took a shower and went to sleep. It was a weird feeling being in the house without Cristobal and knowing that for the rest of my exchange he wouldn’t be here. He was my best friend here, and he helped me a lot to meet new people and to understand more about Chile. I am so excited to hear about all his adventures in Idaho; I only hope he has time to talk to me over Skype!

Saturday, August 17

This morning I woke up around 10, very tired from the night before. Nancy, Cristobal, Grandma, and I went to the hair salon together. Cristobal got a haircut and Nancy, Grandma, and I got our hair done. I got my hair straightened and braided in the front in a style that I didn’t really like and that was so tight it actually hurt a little bit, but I couldn’t exactly take it out, so I told them I love it and left it in all day. The hair salon was definitely an adventure because it was not in a commercial building. It was a house in a neighborhood that had been converted into a hair salon.

After we all finished getting our hair done, we went home. More family members had arrived (I forget all of their names!). We ate lunch together, and Nancy began furiously cooking for the party. I was going to help her so that I could learn more about cooking, but then Cristobal invited me to go watch him play soccer one last time. Maxi, Eric, and Uncle Rodrigo were going to play too. My cousin, Maria Jesus, who is also 17 (but she’s a senior at a school about an hour away in Talca) went with us to watch. We sat and talked and watched Cristobal and his friends playing. They have so much fun playing soccer and it was actually really fun to watch! The ride back to the house was a little stinky with 4 sweaty guys packed into the car, so Maria Jesus and I were glad to get back.

 

 

There was a lot more family there for me to meet. I met a lot of aunts and uncles and cousins and I don’t even know who else. I feel really badly that I can’t remember all of their names because they were all so sweet and welcoming. The party started and we all went outside to the backyard. I drifted between groups introducing myself and meeting all the family. Eric introduced me to his friends. We had a barbeque and I ate a little bit of ribs (actually that should be rib singular since I only had about a half). Then came the speeches. Eric made a long speech about Cristobal, and then he invited me up and said something about me too. Then, he asked me to speak! I awkwardly fumbled through my first public speaking experience in Spanish, but I hope everyone understood how thankful I am to be in such a close and caring family.   Next came the dessert buffet. Nancy has been cooking for like 2 days straight so there was a lot to choose from. I had some sort of pudding made with a fruit I’ve never heard of and some apple pie. Maria Jesus and I went to eat in my room with our young cousins Florencia  (6) and Josefa (8) and Montserrat.

They are so adorable, and they really loved me. They kept hugging me and telling me I was pretty. I think I’m going to have fun with them. We went back outside to watch the adults sing karaoke for a little while, and then I was really tired so I went to my room to sleep. Monse was laying in my bed. She said she was really tired and asked if she could sleep here; I agreed to share my bed with both her and Jasmin (our Yorkie).

Friday, August 16

This morning was pretty lazy. We woke up late, and I worked on my blog (making up for lost time and enduring vast technical issues) while Cristobal finally started packing. I tried to teach Monse how to French braid hair, but I think it’s going to take a while for her to learn.

 Uncle Ignacio arrived from Santiago in the afternoon, and then the whole family went to the Jumbo to buy all of Cristobal’s last minute needs and to buy all of the supplies for the giant family party that’s happening Saturday night. We ate dinner at Papa John’s (their first time), and they were very impressed with “American pizza”. When we got home, Eric, Monse, Grandpa, and I played Escoba (a traditional Chilean card game) and Dominos while I waited for Cristobal to shower and get ready for his going away party.

I would like to start off by saying that parties here are nothing like the parties I went to in California. We arrived at Cristobal’s best friend Chi Chi’s house at around 10. Even though it was freezing cold, the party was outside around a fire pit. I knew some of the people there, but about half of them were new to me. Everyone was super friendly. We talked and laughed and I felt really included. Admittedly, it was mostly the boys who were talking to me, and I seriously don’t care if they flirt with me; it was just nice to have people talking to me! Almost everyone at the party was drinking and smoking, and most of them said that their parents were fine with it. The drinking age here is 18, so it’s easier to obtain alcohol, and much less likely to get caught drinking. I talked to everyone at the party, and they were all so hilarious and interested in what I had to say. I had so much fun! Nancy didn’t come to pick us up until 3:30, and we didn’t get home until 4am. Chileans stay out fricken late! I was so tired! It was so sad to see Cristobal saying goodbye to all of his friends at the party because I of all people know exactly how he is feeling. It’s a weird mix of excitement to leave and dread at the thought of living a full year without your closest friends. The adventure is exciting, but before the adventure can begin, goodbyes are necessary, and goodbyes are always unquestionably sad.

 

 

Thursday, August 15

Today there was no school, so I got to sleep in. I still set an alarm everyday for like 9:30 so that I’m not the last one awake and so I have time to put on makeup and everything. While I was putting on my makeup, Montserrat came into my room and we talked about Disney movies while I finished. Then we went out and ate breakfast and watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs in Spanish. After a while, everyone else woke up too. Montse, Maxi, and I played Chilean Monopoly (Isla de Pasqua=Boardwalk) while we waited for Eric to bring their grandparents (Nancy’s parents from Talca) to the house.

I got to meet them, and they were super nice. I understood most of what they were saying to me, and they talked to me a lot so I feel like I got to know them really quickly. The only problem I have with them is that I have to use the Ud. verb form (it's like a sign of respect), and I always forget and then feel guilty. We all ate lunch together (pollo con sal which I helped Nancy cook), and then I helped Maxi with a presentation he has to make for English.

                Then, Eric, Cristobal, his grandpa, and I went to the Jumbo to run some errands for Nancy and to buy everything Cristobal needs to pack. Since Eric and Cristobal were off planning what he needed, I had more time to get to know my grandpa. He’s super nice, and he talks to me like I can understand everything, even when I can’t, and I like that. Cristobal definitely didn’t buy as much as I did for the trip. He’s making packing look so easy, and he didn’t even start until 3 day before. I started like 2 weeks before and had to go to the store like 6 times because I kept forgetting things.

                When we got home, I went into the kitchen to help Nancy and my grandma cook. I have a notebook and I write down all the recipes (in Spanish!) so that when I come back to the US, I can show everyone what real food is. They taught me how to make queque, papas a la crema and pie de frambuesa. Both were made completely from scratch and both were fantastic.

 
 

 

I really like cooking with them, and I like any chance I get to talk with Nancy because she talks to me a lot in Spanish and I feel like I always learn new words when I’m with her. Also, she always understands what I’m trying to say, even when I know I’m not making much sense. Then, we all got into the car and went to the house of one of my classmates, Joaquin, for a barbeque.

                Joaquin lives out in the countryside, about a half hour away from Rancagua. When we got to his house, he took me, Cristobal, Maxi, and Montse out in a pickup truck to see the fields. It was night time, and the fields were completely dark, but it was still so cool. I sat in the bed of the truck and we could see the outlines of the plants, the snow covered Andes Mountains in the distance, and so many stars in the sky. The trail was bumpy and muddy and there were puddles everywhere, and standing in the back was like a rollercoaster.

When we got back to the house, they had finished barbequing, and they made me try the meat. It was actually pretty good, but I felt so weird eating meat after 12 years of semi-vegetarianism. The barbeques in Chile and Argentina are famous for having the best meat in the world, so I basically have no choice but to start eating meat. We sat around the table and ate dinner and then we ate the pies that we made earlier that day. Everyone talked a lot and Joaquin showed me photos of the countryside and of him doing motorcross in the fields. He seems like a really nice guy who really wants me to feel accepted. I like him and his whole family a lot. We didn’t leave their house until like midnight, and when we got home I was super tired and went to sleep.

 I can’t believe Cristobal is leaving in 2 days. It will be weird for me not to have him here, because we talked on Skype so much before I got here, and since I’ve been here, he’s the only person I’ll allow to talk to me in English, so of course I can talk to him more than anyone else. I think I will understand less of what is going on once there is no once here to explain it to me in English. He is my best friend here, and I don’t want him to leave!

Wednesday, August 14

Ok so I know I’ve been really bad about posting on my blog in the past two weeks, but I can explain (kind of). Whenever I’m at home with my family, I always want to be hanging out with them, talking to them, or at least sitting there and available to talk to. I never want to be sitting alone in my room typing on my computer. Even late at night, they stay up watching TV until like 1am, so I stay with them instead of writing. Today, however, I had a reality check that I really should be writing everyday so that I don’t forget everything I’ve done. So here we go. I’m going to TRY to post everyday, but we’ll see how long that lasts. No promises on the quality of the writing, but at least I’ll be able to look back and remember my exchange. Today was the last day of school this week because tomorrow is some religious holiday (they tried to explain but I didn’t really get it). Cristobal went to school today to say goodbye to all of his teachers and some of his classmates. It was weird seeing him in school. I didn’t know this before, but we hang out with the same group of people at lunch. I think school is getting a little easier. I still can’t talk much, but I can understand more of what they’re saying, and I feel like we have a little more to talk about now than simply getting to know each other. I just hope my Spanish improves fast because I want to talk to them more! During one of the breaks (there are 2 15 minutes breaks before lunch), we heard some commotion outside the classroom. One of the students had come to school with hair longer than the dress code permits, so a teacher took him outside and was cutting his hair. Everyone was laughing and taking pictures. I guess that’s private school for you! 

 

 

After lunch, we had a test in English class. I am taking all the tests here, even though my grades this year don’t count for anything, just because I want to be a normal student. I have had a philosophy, history, and biology test and I haven’t understood anything, so I was excited for an English test that I could actually pass. It was on the book, The Secret Garden, which was about 50 pages long (with pictures). I read it the night before in about an hour. Throughout the day at school, people were reading the book and studying and they kept coming up to me and asking me to explain words. I felt great because I actually understood something! We took the test, and it was actually a little difficult. I didn’t remember the last names of the characters, and there was a very difficult crossword (ex: “to cast a spell on someone” answer: bewitched), but I still think it went a whole lot better than the other tests I’ve taken.

                After school, I went with Cristobal to the hospital so he could get his Hepatitis vaccine. I know that sounds really weird and boring, but here nothing is boring. I love seeing all the new places and realizing how different everything is here. In the hospital here, there are different desks that you have to go to depending on what you want (we went to the vaccine desk), and then you have to take a number and wait your turn to be helped. Then, they just take you into a room and vaccinate you (even though Cristobal in only 16 and didn’t have a parent with him).

 

 

                We walked home from the hospital, and then we had friends over. I got to meet Sally Rohan, another exchange student from California who came to Rancagua about 5 days ago (what a coincidence right?) and her host sister Fran, who is going to the United States in about a week. It was so fun to talk to Sally and share stories about our experiences so far. We laughed together about all the differences we’d noticed, and talked about all the exciting things that were in our future this year. I felt like she understood better than anyone else what I’m feeling and thinking, and she was also really sweet and hilarious. Fran didn’t talk much but she was super nice, and she told Sally and I that she would teach us how to dance before she left (because both of us are clueless). We spoke in English the whole time, because I understand like almost no Spanish and Sally understands even less than I do (considering the fact that she’s only had 2 years of high school Spanish she’s doing incredibly well). I liked being able to have a normal conversation with someone, but at the same time, I felt guilty that we should be practicing Spanish. Whenever I talk in English for too long (or write in my blog for that matter) my thoughts change completely to English and I find it a lot harder to speak Spanish again. When their parents came to pick them up, my parents invited them in for coffee, and they became really good friends. They said that whenever we wanted they would drive Sally and I to each others’ houses to see each other. There is also a system of busses and taxis (they have a set route; they don’t just go wherever you want) that I want to learn so that I can get around without bothering my host family all the time. After they left, I went to bed feeling happy that I finally have a real friend (and another person who is as confused as I am) here.

Tuesday, August 6

The first day of school. It’s a day any new student dreads, but at least most new students speak the same language as their new classmates. I didn’t have a uniform yet, so I just went in jeans and a warm jacket.

 This didn’t help ease the first day awkwardness (I didn’t actually get a uniform until Friday, the fourth day of school). Cristobal doesn’t have to go to school anymore since he is leaving for the United States, but he went with me on the first day. He walked me to the classroom and introduced me to a few people. People were surprisingly friendly. They all came up and asked me questions and I tried to answer and understand as best I could. During math class, they were taking a test so Cristobal gave me a tour of the school. It is a lot smaller than my high school in California, and it has grades K-12. During the next class, English, they had another test, so I went with all the other exchange students from Chile who has just returned from studying abroad in the US, Germany, and Belgium to the library. We talked a lot and they were so sweet. There are like 8 of them! Instituto Ingles has a very active exchange program. After we returned to the classroom, Cristobal showed me where my PD3 classroom is (all the core classes are in one classroom, and then there are 3 electives—PD3, PD4, and PE—where you have to switch classes).

For PD3, I have Chilean History, PD4 I have Spanish, and PE I have algebra (since numbers are the same in Spanish and English, I hope this class will be easier). After PD3, we had lunch. Cristobal brought lunch from home, but my parents thought I might like to eat in the cafeteria and choose my own food. There were people waiting outside my classroom to show me where the cafeteria was and eat lunch with me. They were super nice and welcoming, but I didn’t really like the food in the cafeteria. Also, the majority of my classmates bring lunch from home, and I wanted the opportunity to talk with more people at lunch, so I decided to switch to bringing lunch from home after that first day. After lunch, we had a class called “Consejo de Curso” which is kind of like study hall, and then we had English Laboratory, where we record ourselves talking in English. Finally, a class that is easy for me! After school, Cristobal and I walked out and he said he was impressed with how many people I talked to and that I didn’t need his help to meet people. I guess that much was true, but not because I am super outgoing, because they were so quick to help me and make me feel welcome. Sidenote—it is so cold here! I am always cold at home, cold at school, cold outside, and cold inside. They don’t have central heating in the school or at home, they just have a stove in each classroom (and in the living room at home), so everyone clusters around the stove to try and keep warm. My hands have been icicles for a week now and they simply won’t thaw. Nobody else seems to be as cold as I am, so I’m hoping that maybe with time I will adjust to the climate (but summer is coming in about a month and a half so maybe not). 

 

After my first week of classes, I would say that it is going about as well as it can be. I understand the general idea of what people are saying to me, and I understand a little of what the teachers are saying during class. Everyone is very friendly and welcoming. I know it will be difficult to actually make friends until I learn more Spanish, so for now I have to be content with friendly people who ask me questions about myself. When we are standing in a group and everyone is talking, I understand basically nothing, and I just sort of smile and laugh when everyone else laughs. It is frustrating, but I know I have to push through these first few months before I learn enough Spanish to really understand and communicate. I find it much more difficult to understand my classmates than it is to understand my family and my teachers, probably because they speak faster and use more slang. People are usually impressed by how much Spanish I speak and understand, and I’m always flattered that they think I speak well, but I hate the feeling of not being able to say what I want. I do think I’m really lucky to have such nice classmates here. I may not have actual friends yet, but I have a group to eat lunch with and I always have someone to talk to in class, and I think that making friends will be easy once I can actually speak the language. I don’t miss my friends at home yet (although I do love you guys and sometimes random little things that  I see or do will make me think of an inside joke of ours and make me want to text you to tell you about it), so I’m thankful for that. I feel like my life is here now, so I don’t feel like I’m missing anything back in California. I haven’t contacted any of my friends or family, so I think that has helped keep the homesickness away. Right now, I am happy, feeling safe and excited about my family, and adjusting to school.