Day 19

I'm almost halfway done here already. Strange how things went by so slowly the first week, and now they're flying by so quickly. At least I'm able to enjoy it.

Thankfully, there didn't end up being a strike yesterday, or if there was, I didn't notice. Unfortunately, I got out of here late and had to catch a collectivo (a taxi with a set route for up to four people rather than just one). They're a lot faster than micros since they don't have to stop so often, but they also cost more (about $1.15 instead of $.75). Luckily I got to class on time, and then managed to suffer through my Social and Political Themes class. The class is so up and down, hopefully today will be up since yesterday was down.

It was really nice out so we were able to eat lunch outside in the plaza across from the university. Then we went to Carlos' Culture and Conversation class. We finished watching a documentary on Víctor Jara. He was a Chilean folk singer who had an amazing voice and sang about peace, love, and some of the sad truths about lower income families in Chile. He later was murdered during the 1973 coup to overthrow Salvador Allende, and everyone was greatly troubled. Carlos almost cries when listening to his music, it's that powerful. Here's a song entitled "The Right to Live in Peace": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdBMY3R4C0Q&feature=related Amazing.

After class, we had a cultural workshop, and we hopped in a van and headed back to Pablo Neruda's house, the famous Chilean poet. There was a small workshop next to it where we made glass mosaics with a mirror in the center of them. We glued small pieces of glass onto the big piece, then we put cement in between the pieces so when you hold it up to the light, you can just see the light through the colored pieces. I'm stoked to get my back.

Outside, we were able to catch another beautiful sunset with a sky full of reds, oranges, and yellows. It was absolutely wonderful. I uploaded photos of the day on my facebook.

On a completely unrelated note, I'm sick of hearing about Michael Jackson. Sure he was a great singer and an even better dancer/choreographer, but is it really that big of a surprise? I mean look at him... My mom told me his kids weren't even really his. I think Billy Mays needs more publicity, the infomercial guy who sold Oxi Clean. His death is much more surprising. I guess he was on a plane and as it was landing some luggage fell out of the overhead compartment and hit him on the head. Later, he went to sleep and never woke up. This is why they are always telling people to close the overhead compartments...I wish the news would use this to help warn people. Oh well, I guess the news is too busy praising Obama.

That's another thing, how the hell can Obama get away with doubling the number of troops in Afghanistan from the end of 2008 when Bush was still in office, with plans to have four times as many troops by the end of 2011, and yet that was the very thing he continuously ripped Bush apart for in Iraq? Some change...

I'm done complaining now. At least here the people don't worship him. They all ask me how the heck an Arab got elected as the President of the US (they think Obama is Arab I guess). I kindly correct them saying that he isn't Arab and that he was something different than Bush and that's what the people wanted. I prefer not to talk much about politics though since I don't really have political vocabulary, ha.

I need to head to class now though. It's really warm here today, I'm stoked. Chao.