01 de agosto de 2014

I'm so tired today that I don't even have much to say.  Walking, site-seeing, tours, trying to figure what's going on.... it drains your energy.  I'll try to piece together what happened today.

Mi papa was off today so I saw him for breakfast this morning.  He took me to la officina de ISA this morning.  He's a bus driver, so he told me to be cautious when out in the streets and do's and don't's for the bus (like don't talk to strangers, which bus to take, etc.).  I think I'm beginning to get the bus system down.  We're so friendly in America.  Back home, when I see someone, whether I know them or not, I speak.  En Chile,  when I say "hola" or "salud" (when someone sneezes), they give me that confused look like, and who are you?  I apologize in advance if I come back to the United States rude. : P

So today we got on the metro and went to the port to go on un Muelle Prat (boat tour).  It was nice and refreshing.  After that tour, we went to Cerro Alegre y Cerro Concepción.  Enjoy the photos...

Lobos del mar

Armadas de Chile

La entrada al museo

El acensor

La iglesia de protestante

Once we came back, my group had to stay and get registered for our Chilean ID's.  While we had to wait, Sybille, Jenny, and I went to Paris (the store that is).  It was like a Chilean Macy's.  I bought something and while I was at the cash register, this lady was underneath my armpit like she wanted to cut in front of me or just push me out the way as if I wasn't standing there to buy something.  Ma'am ¿ Puedo ayudarle? #Swerve... I got to purchase my item before her. HA!  Anyways, we left there and went to el supermercado (it is literally connected to the mall).  Sybille was walking around like she had been missing food all her life  It was the funniest thing ever.  She kept telling Jenny and I that let's go to the restaurants, I know they're around here somewhere.  We walked towards the front and BAM... la caféteria del supermercado.  She was like "I TOLD YOU!! I KNEW THERE WAS FOOD AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE!"  They didn't have empanadas  so we went to this café outside. Lolz.
I was so tired, that after I registered at the police station, Erick, Sybille, and I were about to fall asleep waiting for the others to get registered.  When my sister came to pick me up from the office, we talked.  On the bus we saw Anna y su mamá and on our way home walking, we saw Sierra.  I passed out when I got to the house.

After my nap, I went to "once."  I don't know whether or not I'm hungry or I want food because I see it.  If you all saw the way I was eating lunch... O_o....I'm walking to much to gain weight.  So, mi hermanita y yo vamos a aprender al danza a "Single Ladies" de Beyonce.  We watched music videos of her favorite artist Katy Perry and some of Rihanna.  We're helping each other out.  I'm teaching her some English words and their significance, and she's teaching me Spanish phrases.  By the end of this trip, I will know a song in Spanish.  Mark my words.  (If I don't, don't worry about it .)  She has to break some things down for me.  It's so funny.  I will be conversational before I even know it.   La práctica hace perfecto!

Fotos del día

Sarah and I 

Con Emma al Café

31 de julio de 2014

It's so cold this morning. It's so cold that I slept in some sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a sweat-shirt, underneath 6 blankets. I slept good though.  I honestly feel so greedy now, or I'm just letting my stomach expand. Mi mama gave me oatmeal for breakfast, and I keep stuffing my face after I felt full (By the way, the milk mi familia use is powder. Never had it like that).  And funny thing, I don't drink apple juice. But guess what, this morning I did!  Once you go abroad you start eating/drinking things you don't like or don't prefer back home.  My survival tactics are kicking.  This is not the time and place I would choose to be selfish and picky.  I haven't given in to the seafood, and that's still a no go.  Mi familia already knows how I feel about seafood.  [For those of you that go abroad in the future and stay with a family, whether you speak their language or not, PLEASE express how you feel.  Let them know of things you're uncomfortable with or really don't like.  They are willing to work with you.  Well I know mine are!] 
It was so cute that my little sister was excited to go with our older sister and I, and drop me off at the ISA office. We rode el micro to the office and it was cool.  I'll learn this bus system soon or later.  Once I got there, the group met up and we all talk about how everyone loves their families, where they stay, and of course, o_o... language barriers. Lolz 

Today we went touring around Valpo (I'm already using their lingo).  We were at Cerro Artillería,  La Sebastiana, Museo a Cielo Abierto y downtown Valpo.  It was just amazing views everywhere we went.  The artist of the murals, mosaics, and graffiti are extremely talented.  Taggers know not to destroy their work. [Google Valparaiso and see if you notice anything.]

 

 

After our tours, we rode la Parada (trolley) back to the office.   Oh I forgot to mention this morning that mi madre FIXED ME LUNCH!  When was the last time you mother fixed you lunch? (5th grade for me.) I had arroz y pollo con vegetables.  Mi madre sabe cocinar.  Sarah and I were eating together, and we both were discussing how we've been eating out of control.  I was stuffing my face.  After I was full, I still tried to force it down. You probably wondering why.  I didn't explain yesterday, but breakfast,"once", and dinner are light meals. The heaviest meal is lunch. Had to make sure my my stomach was filled up so that I'm not starving through the night. My sister picked me up from the office and headed back home en el micro. We had small talk again, more than yesterday. When we got home, best believe I took a nap!  

My two hour nap was amazing, BUT...I'm freezing my butt off.  I KNEW that Viña del Mar's 61°F weather is completely different than in the south of the United States. I am looking like a pig in a blanket with gloves. I kept telling people that Chile's 61°F weather is completely different.  Like if I wasn't taking this in for the full experience, I would have contacted my parents asap and had them ship me a coat, a heater, and sweat suits (they wouldn't, but it's the thought that counts).  I miss the weather back home...

The days just keep getting better and better.  My older sister asked if I wanted to go with her to the store and to pick up our younger sister from school, and of course I did.  I really wish I could explain and let you feel you how I felt walking the streets with my sisters.  When my little sister saw me, she smiled.  As we started walking, she held my hand. :]  It was the cutest thing ever.  She showed me around the supermarket and the candy store.  Of course people were staring at me. I don't care, people do that everwhere.  Like one, she is not from around here, and two, who let their child with this gringa? I made myself blend in.  I can't bring attention to myself.  As we passed the musicians playing on the street, they started singing to me.  Apparently, they were calling me beautiful and started "oooh"ing.  Lolz.. All I could do was laugh.  I can still here them outside my window.  Oh I got to talk to my other sister and her boyfriend on Skype.

Mi hermanita Esmeralda

I had dinner tonight with Esmeralda, while mi mama y hermana had "once".  We watched la princesa y la rana.  My mother showed me pictures of the family and past students they've hosted.  I can see how much they enjoy the opportunity to host students from around the world.  I'll be on the shelves sooner or later. ;) I really enjoy the family time her.  In Chile, the family is always together.  For dinner y/u "once", we always sit around the table and talk.  I love doing this back home with my family.  I believe family time is the most important time ever.   

Fotos del Día

Be Relaxed, Be Silly, Be Amazed in Chile 

Selfie game with Sybille, Anaïs, Sierra, Jenny, Erick, and I 

Don't dream you life, Live your dream!

Julianna and I

30 de julio de 2014

Okay, I know my titles are repetitive, but give me a couple more days until I'm able to create some catchy titles. 

So today is my last day is Santiago and my last breakfast at the Rent-A-Home Apartment with Sybille and Jenny.  I'm excited because after our excursiones, we head to nuestro ciudad nuenva, Viña del Mar, and I get to meet mi familia nueva, los Gonzálezes.  They will be my chilean family during my stay here.

Before we departed Santiago,  we visited La Chascona Museum (I put the website in English for you).  It was a tour of Pablo Neruda's House. You all should be proud of me.  We had the option of listening to the tour in English o en Español.  Can you guess what I chose??  SÍ, ESPAÑOL!  I have to practice my Spanish every opportunity I get.  I could understand more pieces than I thought I would. I was very proud of myself (pats self on the back). 

           

 

So we headed to Patio Bellavista and had lunch. We ate at LeFournil.  It's an Italian restaurant. I tried something for the first time, Pesto Fettuccine.   It was good. I also had some of Sybille's fillet.  That was some good meat.

Sybille, Calley, Caroline, Jenny and I

Well... now we're own our way to meet our families in Viña!!  I'm nervous and excited at the same time. After this 2 hour drive, I'll let you know how it goes!!

OMG!!! I have 2 million feelings running through me. Mi papá y una de mis hermanas me recogieron. It was rough in the car but I managed to make small talk.  Once we got to the house, I met mi mamá, mi hermanita y mi prima!  Mi prima knows English, so she said she would help me say things and also translate things I don't understand, but that's it.  My little sister is the cutest thing ever.  When she first saw me, she asked if I was shy... she really wanted to talk to me. She is in love with my hair.  She said she never seen anything like it. I let her touch and she couldn't stay away from me after that. Funny thing... so they had a picture of me that I sent for my program and she said that I was very pretty in person!! Haha. I wonder what photo I submitted to my portal. She told me about her class and showed me the grades she made on her work at school.  So in Chile, they have desayuno, almuerzo,  "once" y, más o menos, cena.  "Once" is like tea time with bread.  I don't drink tea, but I had it today.  Let me tell you all... I love me some bread, and I have been eating large amounts of bread daily.  (Let's not get on my weight just yet.)  Mi mamá said that she was going to teach me how to make some Chilean dishes!!  YESSAHHH!! Watch out now, I'll be going back to the US cooking some new dishes.  Anyways, I've opened myself up to try new things while I'm here.  I have no other choice because I'm not about to starve myself due do something I don't like or won't try.  While all this was happening we were watching White House Down. It started off in spanish,  but they changed it to English with Spanish subtitles just for me.  I let that slide today. It's a good movie by the way, you should check that out. With all the spanish that has been thrown at me today, my mind and body is a little drained. I have an early morning so I'm out!

Btw...these conversations I'm having with my family are in spanish.  It's not perfect spanish, but they understand what I'm trying to say.   If I need something or want to communicate with them I got to figure it out. I now speak my "new" mother's tongue!