Adventures and religious undertakings

THURSDAY MARCH 7th, 2013
     This afternoon,  Jess and I took a long walk to try and find a place to exchange our American dollars for more Chilean pesos (Yes, we are running out of money already, what's it to you??) We walked about an hour until we finally got to the store, only to discover it had closed when we had first started walking... oh well more exercise for us!
     On our walk, we passed a bunch of stray dogs and even more people selling chocolate on the streets; such temptation!! We resisted though, and continued on our way down the Alameda, a main street in Providencia, which is officially called Libertador Bernardo O' Higgins (no one really says that). We also passed the smaller famous hill in Santiago, Cerro Santa Lucía (above), noting that we would have to come back sometime soon to take a closer look and hike to the top.
We passed some cute little stall shops with fruit and adorable leather purses and wallets. They were all handmade to boot!  I noticed some of the more beautiful, well-kept buildings we passed by were different facultades, or departments of study, at the Universidad de Chile. We saw the religion building, the science building, and the language and literature building. Here's some awesome graffiti we saw on our walk:

 And here's what a metro station looks like:

    Towards the end of our return trip, we saw an old church and figured, hey why not? Upon entering, we were immediately accosted by an old lady asking if we would donate money. I said yes, and when I went to put it in the box, she asked us why we were donating (for what reason). We were so confused!!! I was very taken aback, so I said, umm por Dios? (umm, for God?) She then proceeded to explain that she collected money specifically for the poor and the hungry of the community, so like good little guilty gringas, we gave her some pesos as well. After that we felt free to take a zillion pictures of the church (pics) and happily went on our way.

     What do you think? Do you like to visit churches when travelling?

Child's Play

Lunch today was the same as yesterday, which was muy rico (very rich). We had another 1/4 of a roasted chicken breast and some more papas duquesas, but this time threw in one small papa rellena de queso, which basically turned out to be like a mozarrella stick, with potatoes squished in a layer between the cheese and the breading. Good, but so unhealthy it wasn't worth the trouble. No market today, but we have plans to split a pastel de choclo and or an humita. I'll let you know what exactly those are once we've tried them out haha.

The afternoon session today consisted of lots of brainstorming and note-taking regarding useful games and activities for children's lessons and how to apply them to language learning. Overall, it was engaging, interesting, and assuaged some of my fears about not having enough resources to be able to fill a class period.

I'm kind of tired now, so I'll post some more details tomorrow. Buenas noches!

House Hunters Internacional: SANTIAGO

¡Hola!

So today, we started off our day very early with a visa notarizing appointment at 9am sharp. We tried to leave as a big group and get through the metro, but were unhappy to discover that it was almost as crowded as our first time, just in the morning instead of the evening. Yikes! Somehow we managed to shove ourselves in several different cars after we let a few trains go by. Once at our special stop today (Tobalaba, a Chilean tongue twister for foreigners) we were all lost for a few minutes until our lovely boss Emily showed up with a coffee and a stress-free face to shuttle us to our appointment. Getting our contracts notarized took about an hour for all 16 of us, but this was mostly due to us arriving before anyone else. Lines can get hours long in these types of places, so our bosses made sure we would have time to do this and get back to orientation.

After a lovely walk back to the office, about 40 minutes in lovely cool weather and warm sunshine, we started on our house hunting (international, for those of you who love HGTV at night like I do!) with our tour guide Emily (same girl as before; she just basically helps us with everything). While I thought I was pretty well-versed in the world of Spanish-speaking apartment hunting (ask my Cádiz friends Laura, Megan, Ted, etc.), I found that I could be completely useless in a different country with different slang. Here is some of the new lingo I've learned regarding apartment or room hunting in Santiago:
~un departamento or un depto = an apartment
~una comuna = residential area
~piso = floor, here in Santiago; like there's a bug on the floor or the room is on the fifth floor; not at all like I want a room in Cádiz slang...
~pieza/dormitorio = bedroom, whereas
~habitación = any room, here in Santiago
~terraza = balcony
~quincho = bbq area
~arrienda = rent
~arrendar = to rent
~ gastos comunes = apartment building fees
~amoblado/equipado = furnished

So far, Jess and I have had no luck finding any rooms to rent from Chileans in apartments, but we're hoping for some information on host families first. Emily is being super-helpful and found my hostel roommate (who, by the way, doesn't speak any Spanish and for whom this process would have been impossible) an apartment within an hour of searching, so maybe if we get some one on one time with her, we'll be all set. I'll keep you updated with our progress as it painstakingly inches onward.

I realized I've been selfish so far on this blog, so feel free to post your reactions or questions in the comments. If you know some Chilean slang I am missing, bring it on! :)

Day 2 of Orientation

Hola a todos (Hello everyone),
Today must've been the depressing, intimidating orientation day because while the morning dragged on through all the grown-up, real-life stuff like contracts and teacher responsibilities, we all looked forward to lunch until we realized that there would be no luncheon today and we had to go out and fend for ourselves. Darn! It was fine though; Jess and I split a piece of pollo asado (roasted chicken), papas duquesas (tiny potato balls kind of like the smiley fries back home), and arroz primavera (I think you can guess that one hah).

In the afternoon we took an in-depth look at lesson planning and course planning for all of our individual class sessions. I'm a little worried about how much work we'll have to get done this weekend because we don't receive our class assignments until Friday. Hopefully the rest of the week will calm my nerves and help me feel more prepared.

I'm gonna go grab some dinner now so I'll see you all later.

And so it begins!

Today was the first day of orientation!! We had to be in the Los Condes barrio by 10am, so everyone with The Language Co. took the metro together this morning. It was a little nerve wracking, but the lines are color-coded which helps a lot, and you just need to know your stop and the direction (last stop) that you want to go towards. We all made it there with time to spare.

The offices of The Language Co. are beautiful!! We finally met Emily Beck, who I was surprised to learn was British; I guess her accent doesn't come across in emails haha. The office takes up the whole fifth floor, complete with a kitchen, two bathrooms, and some puppy mascots! The morning was spent with ice breakers and get to know you games, as well as an introduction to the company and our jobs. They gave us a lunch together, after which we went to a small park to relax and returned by 2pm. During the afternoon we talked more specifically about classes and what sort of activities to include in our lesson plans. We were all set by 4pm but we have four more days of orientation after that.

Next, Jess and I ventured out from the office to the big mall a few metro stops away. We took an escalator from the middle of the street to a suspended tunnel bridge to a mall! It was huge!!!!!
and so American (read: disappointing). We were hoping for cool Chilean and South American stores, but mostly saw American and a few European ones. Mango and Zara were happy finds however! :) We happily discovered that there are in fact some free public restrooms, contrary to what TeachingChile told us haha. After getting lost quite a few times, and with aching feet, we made our way back to the hostel. Sadly, our journey was FAR from over.

The metro was insane at 630ish in the evening. As in, absurd. As in, there were attendants on the platform pushing peoples' arms, legs, shoes, and bags inside the doors so they would fully close. As in, we missed the first train because we couldn't both fit inside one set of doors. As in, the next time, we had to step on people to both fit. And every stop after ours, somehow more people squashed themselves inside! It was ten times more insane than I have ever experienced in rush hour in Manhattan (NYC). We were quickly separated and shunted towards the opposite door (which never opens) and then spent the next four stops trying to get near enough to the doors to get off again. It was almost impossible to shift position, let alone move in a certain direction. The people never let anyone get off before shoving themselves on, so we were a little nervous we wouldn't make it off at our stop. The girls nearby told me a few more people would get off at our stop because it was a bit more central but I still wasn't sure I could make it off. Poor Jess was no longer even in my thoughts haha. Finally, it was our stop and I tried to squeeze in behind the lady who was moving out next to me, but there was somehow STILL no space!!! She saw me trying to follow her, grabbed my forearm and pulled me right off the train behind her! It was so funny and crazy I couldn't help but laugh. Then I turned around and Jess made it too and we dragged our tired selves to our favorite empanada shop and then home for showers and bed.
Whew, if that's what the metro will be like every day at that time, I'm more than a little nervous how I'll get to my classes on time without being entirely wrinkly and sweaty and gross. Hopefully I'll have time to leave early for them all. More orientation tomorrow, so I'll update you again then.

Sunday sojourns

Today was a late morning for us haha. I woke up around 12 and Jess and her roommate Ariel around 1!! We shuffled ourselves over to the supermarket, which felt remarkably like Carrefour, the grocery store in Cádiz, Spain. Knowing we had more plans for the day, we only grabbed supplies for sandwiches and were on our way. We didn't even need any cestas (baskets)! I think next time I'll sign up for their membership card and earn some points on my purchases.

After making up our lunches in the cramped kitchen, we relaxed in the lovely courtyard of the hostel (above). Our plan for the afternoon was to hike the small mountain (re: large hill), el cerro San Cristóbal. The hike takes about four hours up and down, and since we were leaving in the hottest part of the day, we were hoping to go for a swim in the beautiful pool halfway up. Also, extreme sunscreen was in order ;) A few more friends joined us, Brendan, Lesley, Jordan, and Shane. At first the going was a little rough, with the heat and the steepness of the hill, but we blasted our way up, passing families and people taking breaks on the side of the road. After an hour, we found the pool, which looked like a paradise, sitting there in a grove of trees. It was a huge, clear blue pool full of Chileans relaxing and soaking up the last bit of their summer sun. We were jealous, but figured since it closed in 40 minutes, it wasn't worth our peso... yet. We'll be back for sure!! Here's us on our journey upward:

We continued on our way, chatting and getting to know each other, and finally, hot, dirty, sweaty, and tired, we made it. The view was increíble. Really.

 It was so clear; we could see ALL of Santiago! What a wide open, awe-inspiring vista. And the virgen statue at the top of the hill was enormous. We stopped for pictures; I went over to the votive section, said some prayers, and lit some candles for my family. See, I do think about you guys!!

Our walk back down was filled with laughing at adorable children, talking to the stray dogs that were everywhere, basking in the sun. Side note, the dogs won't do much when you say hello, but sure perk up when you say Hola! I wonder why.... ;)

We took a shortcut and made it back down in about an hour. Short, huh? I had some dinner, showered, and organized my stuff-again-, getting ready for orientation in the morning with The Language Co. I know I'll sleep well tonight after all that activity today, but I'm sure gonna be sore tomorrow! Yikes, better start getting some rest now. Buenas noches.

First weekend in Chile, what a whirlwind!!

Laptop charger works! Good news!!
(Not that I was having problems, but I hadn't had the chance to use it yet and I was fearing the worst)

So, my first weekend is winding down, and as I get ready for my first day of work tomorrow (orientation week; nothing huge, but we do need to dress for work), I'm trying to organize my suitcase, write down what I bought and ate today, look for an apartment, eat dinner (yes at ten thirty pm), update my blog, and email my parents. Whoa!

Saturday, we had an orientation in the morning with our two supervisors from TeachingChile. It was great!! All of the information and tips they gave us really settled a lot of my nerves. Afterwards, my friend Jess, her roommate Ariel, and I went to lunch at a small restaurant nearby. Très delicieux!!! They had mini pizza piled with toppings, and I indulged in my first official empanada. It was called an empanada de pino, which meant chopped beef mixed with sauteed onions, a little cheese, and a random collection of other items, like part of a hard boiled egg and an olive. Hah. Very tasty, very filling, and very cheap! Only $960clp.
             Side note, for quick and easy conversion of Chilean pesos, which are close to 500clp-$1usd,   it's easy!!! Move the decimal three places to the left, and double whats left. For example, a sandwich that costs $2,000clp is $4usd. ¡Súperfacil!

Anyway, later on we decided to walk off the meal with our French friend Marie. We explored the neighborhood a bit, then went for ice cream. When I asked for the vanilla, and pointed to the white ice cream, I confused the waiter because the white ice cream was piña, or pineapple, and the yellow was vainilla, vanilla. Go figure! After that, some more walking was in order and we went up the street towards loud music. An impromptu dance concert was happening outside a museum! We watched the girls do some pretty awesome hip hop moves for a while, then went inside for a poke around the museum. It was so tiny! It was called Centro Gabriela Mistral and we saw about three or four small exhibits total.

Saturday evening was a Pizco Party at our hostel, a free event in which they introduced us to Chile's famous drink, el pizco, a clear alcoholic drink made from sour grapes. They came in several flavors; I chose mint. It was alright, but a bit herb-y. It tasted a little like I was drinking leaves :p The music was fun and one of our hostesses even taught us some salsa and reggaeton dance moves. Next, they took us all to a Chilean dance club where we had a more official lesson from a dance teacher, practiced a bit, and went off on our own on the dance floor.
This is getting to be longer than I thought, so I'll post Sunday separately.