WEEK 2

I have started my third week in Chile. Time passes here in a very strange manner. My days are long usually starting at 7am and ending around 12ish, but though they are long, it goes so quick. This past school week flew by that I could barely believe it weekend again. Since during the week I start in Vina for the most part, during the weekends I try to get out of town. Last weekend the class took a "field trip" to a vineyard in Casablanca. The drive there reminded me of driving in Hawaii. The is not the same botany but the scenery changes as quickly as the big island. Its really beautiful. We got a tour of the entire vineyard as well as got an explanation on the process of making wine and the slight differences in nature that can change your wine from a Chardonnay to a Merlot. the tour was in Spanish which led to to create my own conclusions of the technicality of it all, which I found out later those had been a bit far off. The tour ended with a wine tasting in which we paired with some amazing cheese. I have to admit, I have become a light weight when it comes to drinking. One wine tasting later and I'm ready to either pass out or go dancing. Anyway after the buzz faded, my roommate, Todd, and i walked to this great little park with a nice lake in Vina. People were fishing, swimming, and of course making out. * Chile is VERY P.D.A friendly.*

 During the week I spend my days at school, studying Spanish, using the internet to plan future weekend trips and to skype with Scott, and running on the beach during sunset, which isn't until 9pm here. I am really trying to make learning Spanish my number one priority. I listen to lessons on my IPoD while I walk and run, therefor i am almost positive that a good portion of the city thinks I am insane because I pass by them saying phrases in Spanish, it is probably a sight to see. I am also reading a book by Isabel Allende in Spanish, which in itself is a tedious task. I read two pages, underline words I don't know, look them up, and the re-read the two pages, preferably aloud. It is most likely going to take me the whole 12 weeks to read this book. Vale la pena. I am always tempted however, to speak English with anyone who can answer me back. But baby steps. I was not completely boring this week however. On Thursday night my friends Ruth, Andrea ( Swiss), and Sebastian and Gianina (Chile)went to Cubanismo. Its a salsa club in Valparaiso. It was a great time. There was lessons to learn to dance the salsa and the panchatta. I have never been so dizzy after dancing, but it was so much fun. I also have never seen such amazing dancers. They twist and turn in all sorts of directions as if its completely natural to move in such ways. I will be back next week. Another crazy thing that happened this week was the earthquake. I was sitting at my kitchen table doing some homework when I felt the table tremble. I thought it was just me getting lightheaded or dizzy or something until I looked up at the light fixture and saw that it was shaking as well as the paintings on the wall. I have never felt so vulnerable. Although it only lasted about a minute, I was scared the entire time. It was such an unnatural feeling, I could never imaging the fear and the panic that people must have felt during a true powerful earthquake. My heart goes out to anyone who has ever been through that.

 This past Friday the class said goodbye to some people that were off either going back to where they are from, or headed on to new adventures. It's really nice being in the same situation as everyone around you. All of our are completely out of our element, without any one to go home to, so I think it really gives you a chance to truly be yourself. We are all so vulnerable that we dont really have an opportunity to put on a facade, so therefor it is really easy to meet friends, it's quite nice.

 Saturday, Andrea ( Swiss), Natalia (Brazil) and I went to Isla Negra. This is about 130 to 230 hours away, depending on traffic.  It is a really cute town. It reminds me of a mix between Pennsylvania and Arizona... like a mini rustic Flagstaff. We visited Pablo Neruda's house which is awesome, The whole house is a nautical theme. there are about a dozen ship masts, giant windows look at the sea, half dozen globes of the world, and an entire room that is made to look as if it is underwater. After touring the house we spent the rest of the afternoon lying on the beach and listening and watching the waves, which were quite big. It was a very lovely day.

Drinking a very little espresso at the cafe at the museum

Pablo's back yard

Part of Pablo's hosue

a bus stop in Isla Negra

Sunday my roommate Laural and I went to Valparaiso. Valpo is such a funky town. It has a whole bohemian, graffito turned art, mixed with very old grand buildings theme. If i were to try to describe Valpariso as an analogy I would say: Valpariso is to Vina del Mar as vintage clothes is to J. Crew. Though they are right next to one another they are as different as night and day. Laural and I walked around the city all day, which in itself is not an easy task. The roads twists and turns up ginormous hill and each street seems to meet up again miraculously. To explore the city you take an acensor, which is a 100 year old plus cart that is on cables and goes up the hill at a 45 degree angle. The houses are every style of architecture from Gothic, to Renaissance, to german-esq cottages. They are also every single color of the rainbow. The dogs outnumber the people at least 2 to 1 and there seems to be secret shortcuts down every alley. It is a place that you walk around in a slight state of confusoin and you constantly find yourself saying, "wow, that cool."  I dig it. After exploring the city and giving our calf muscles quite the workout we attempted to see a well known Chilean play called "La Ester Negra". We stayed for half (1.5 hours) which I give us great credit in doing. The dialog was nearly impossible to understand and our seats were 5 miles away and were benches that you would find on the street. We tried. I'm proud. All in all it has been a nice couple of weeks, difficult days, but the best things in life are worth the struggle.

taking the ascencor. scary!

a common street in valpo.

TURN OFF THE TV, LIVE YOUR LIFE.