Yesterday was a pretty sweet day for me. I hopped on a micro and for the second straight day I was graced with the pleasure of a musical performance during the ride. Wednesday, it was a guy playing a melodica (a type of keyboard you blow into that sounds a little like an accordion). It was really cool, and I felt like I was in a movie or something with this sweet background music as I watched the city pass by. Yesterday, a man came on and played the guitar and sang some Spanish love songs. Very relaxing and another great start to another wonderful day.
For my Social and Political themes of Chile class, I was worried it would be another difficult day, but we ended up just watching a movie about carbon mines in Southern Chile from years ago. It was really interesting, and we're going to finish it up next class.
After, we had a meeting with Macarena, one of the coordinators, about our next excursion. We're going horseback riding along the beach and she wanted to know if we wanted to do it during the day from 10-5, or at night from 7-2. I preferred the day since it would mean warmer weather, a huge barbecue, and that I'd be able to appreciate the scenary around us. Others wanted the night since we'd get a bonfire and a little food and some drinks. Although the group never did come to a decision, Macarena decided to just keep it during the day since it wasn't just one or two who didn't want it to change. I think either way would've been sweet, but I'm glad I won't have to worry about super cold weather and not enjoying it as much as I could.
Conversation and Culture class was fun, we talked about our interviews from Wednesday and I found out we'll be watching a documentary next class. Afterwards, I talked with some friends about possibly going to the mall, and then I hopped on a micro and went home.
Gabriela reheated some food for me, and I had a really good type of stew that consisted of some rice and broth, and then whole potatoes, pieces of corn, squash, and meat thrown in it. I was supposed to have a Skype date with my pelola afterwards, but she ended up having to work so after waiting around a bit, I decided to call up mis amigos so I could meet up with them at the mall.
I only live about three or four blocks from the mall, much closer than anyone else here, so I was able to walk there fairly quickly. We walked through the mall a bit but I wasn't really in need of anything so I just tagged along as my friends shopped. We did go to an open air craft market right across the street though and boy were there some cool things for sell! One really nice guy who makes things out of metal wire (I almost bought a little metal bike) was talking to us and asked us if we heard that Michael Jackson had died today. We were like, "What? Que paso?!" Ok not really, but I am pretty stoked that whenever I hear anything about Michael Jackson and his death, I'll think back to the sweet dude in Chile with dreadlocks and how he was the first person to tell me about it. Although I didn't buy the cool bike from him, I did buy a really big framed picture of Valparaíso for 4.000 pesos (less than 8 bucks)!! I for sure thought it'd be at least 10.000 but I got a steal of a deal. Unfortunately, I don't think it will fit in my bag unless I break the outer frame off of it, which I'll probably end up doing (it has two different wooden frames with a little space in between each). I was so super stoked and made sure to carry it tightly beneath my arm in case anyone tried to steal it from me on my way home.
I came home and had my normal once with tea and bread. Afterwards, I watched part of a movie and then went to bed. Nothing too special. Now, today was a different story. I woke up extremely tired and hopped into the shower and got all ready for class. Well, about a half hour before I had to leave I got a phone call from mi amiga Erin (thank goodness I gave her my number) and she told me that the main fresh water pipe for Valparaíso burst so there was water everywhere in the city and that class was cancelled for all the universities and schools. I did end up getting an email from one of the coordinators a bit later letting us know, but it came after I would've normally left so I'm glad I got that call.
Since I had no class and no real homework to do, that's about all I did, nothing. I was supposed to have another shot at my Skype date with Alyssa, but unfortunately she got called into work early so her mom emailed me letting me know. I did spend some time watching random youtube videos, I watched part of a Michael Jackson music video marathon on VH1, and I watched a movie. Very relaxing day that probably should've been spent doing something more productive.
I've decided my housekeeper has a crush on me. The first day she met me she said I have beautiful eyes. Today, she was asking me about my hair and if I'm the only one in my family with my hair color or if any of my siblings do as well. Later, she asked me why I don't dance like Michael Jackson (I think she wanted to see me in tight leather pants spinning around in circles grabbing my crotch...). Ok so maybe she doesn't have a crush on me, haha. Oh yeah, she also asked me today if I like what she does for me and if she's doing a good enough job and I was thinking to myself "you make my bed for me everyday and make me lots of really good food, what more could you do for me?" I reassured her she doesn't have to worry and that she's doing a wonderful job. What a nice lady.
Once everyone got home, we had our once and then I watched part of Roger Federer's match from today as everyone else was busy either making food or at the store. He's good, real good. Probably the best ever in my opinion. Anyways, Rodrigo was asking me about seafood and what types I don't like and told me that every Friday or Saturday, they make some good food, relax, and just treat themselves to a night together as a family. Tonight, he's making some sort of clam or oyster with the tongue of some type of seafood covered with cheese and baked in the oven. I don't know exactly what type of animals they all are since I didn't understand the names, but I'll let you know next time I post. He said I can try it if I'd like, which I figure I will, but that he'll also make up some chicken for me in case I don't like it. I love how accommidating my family is for me =)
Tomorrow morning we leave for Papudo. I'm pretty stoked about it, it'll be nice to see more of Chile (the most beautiful beach in the world according to Rodrigo). I'll be back sometime Monday afternoon since we don't have class. It's the day of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (San Pedro y San Pablo), one of their national holidays. Four day weekend this weekend since I didn't have class today, awesome! Well I think we're about ready to have our fourth meal of the day. I'll update on Monday when I get back and let you all know how things went in Papudo.
Chao amigos.
26 June, 2009
24 June, 2009
Segundo City Tour
Tuvimos el segundo tour de la ciudad hoy (we had our second city tour today, for all you gringos). I've been called a gringo a few times now. I've been told it's not a negative thing, it's just what they call white people. I'm fine with it, I embrace my gringo-ness.
Today was a great day, minus the cold weather. I caught a micro into town as soon as I got to the bus stop, then I went to my first class. Wasn't the greatest, but I'll live to see another day. I've noticed the professor is real up and down with how nice he is to us. Today he kept asking us who some well known leftist Latin American people were. We obviously had no idea since no one was responding, but he kept waiting for us to answer. This wasn't the first time he's expected us to know just as much about Latin American history as he does. I think that's what irritates me the most about him. I'll deal with it.
For our second class, we met in a different building, and then we all walked to an open air market to explore and observe, and then interview one of the vendors. On our way there, our professor kept saying "caca" (poo poo) whenever we walked by some dog poop on the sidewalk to let us know so we wouldn't step on it. There was a Chilean man in front of him though who kept turning around everytime he heard it because he didn't understand why he was saying it. Then, he proceeded to point out a dog and say "perro" (dog). He started laughing and quietly said to me "mujer" (girl) when a girl walked by. I noticed a hobo sitting along a gate a little further down and once again he quitely said "homeless" to me and cracked up. Such a funny professor, I wish I could bring him back with me. After looking around a bit, I interviewed a nice old lady who has been working as a vendor for 48 years. She said she's in her 70's and wouldn't change a thing about her life. It was really neat and I plan on going back in the future to get some fresh fruits or vegetables only available in Chile.
After class, we had our second tour of Valparaíso. We hopped on a bus and headed to Cerro Bellavista (one of the 42 hills in Valparaíso) and took a tour of Pablo Naruda's house. He is the most famous Chilean writer and won the Nobel Prize for Literature way back when. His house (one of them) was absolutely amazing though! He purposefully found a house on top of a hill with a view of the entire city. Each of the four floors of the house had big windows stretching around the sides of the house, allowing him to view the ocean and city from his dining/living room on the 2nd floor, from his bedroom on the 3rd floor, and from the 4th floor where he used to write, his study. I would love to wake up every morning and see the view he had, magnifico! In his study he had a legit map of the America's from around the 1500's. Sadly, I was unable to photograph any of the unique furniture or pieces of art he had collected over time. He even had some artifacts from the I and II centuries; I was impressed. I was, however, allowed to take photos looking out the windows on each floor. You can check them out on my facebook if you'd like.
After his house, we hopped on the bus and went to another hill that is a very touristy place, but has one of the best views in the entire city. We were able to see almost all of the 42 hills or so found in Valparaíso. I took many pictures here as well, so feel free to check them out. Afterwards, we hopped on an ascensor (the second one I've been on so far), and headed down the hill to get on the bus. This ascensor was far larger than the last one though. We had about 15 people on it compared to the 8 we had last time. Once we got back to the University, I went over to the street where the micros come by, and was able to catch one within a minute. Shortest total waiting time for micros for the whole day so far? I think so.
After arriving home, I had my leftover lunch that I missed earlier, and then watched a Zorro movie on TV. I've found I enjoy TV so much more when it's in Spanish. I feel like I'm not completely wasting my time since I'm having to work to understand what they're saying.
Oh, there's a soccer team here called Everton that's celebrating it's 100 year anniversary this year, and they had a game tonight. That has nothing to do with my main point that I could hear the crowd cheering and chanting from inside my house during dinner. It was really cool even though I'm not much of a soccer fan. I would definitely like to go to a game, hopefully I'll have the chance to.
Well my thoughts are getting more and more scattered as I go. It's late, I'm tired, and I'm cold. I miss sun.
Buenas noches amigos, chao.
Today was a great day, minus the cold weather. I caught a micro into town as soon as I got to the bus stop, then I went to my first class. Wasn't the greatest, but I'll live to see another day. I've noticed the professor is real up and down with how nice he is to us. Today he kept asking us who some well known leftist Latin American people were. We obviously had no idea since no one was responding, but he kept waiting for us to answer. This wasn't the first time he's expected us to know just as much about Latin American history as he does. I think that's what irritates me the most about him. I'll deal with it.
For our second class, we met in a different building, and then we all walked to an open air market to explore and observe, and then interview one of the vendors. On our way there, our professor kept saying "caca" (poo poo) whenever we walked by some dog poop on the sidewalk to let us know so we wouldn't step on it. There was a Chilean man in front of him though who kept turning around everytime he heard it because he didn't understand why he was saying it. Then, he proceeded to point out a dog and say "perro" (dog). He started laughing and quietly said to me "mujer" (girl) when a girl walked by. I noticed a hobo sitting along a gate a little further down and once again he quitely said "homeless" to me and cracked up. Such a funny professor, I wish I could bring him back with me. After looking around a bit, I interviewed a nice old lady who has been working as a vendor for 48 years. She said she's in her 70's and wouldn't change a thing about her life. It was really neat and I plan on going back in the future to get some fresh fruits or vegetables only available in Chile.
After class, we had our second tour of Valparaíso. We hopped on a bus and headed to Cerro Bellavista (one of the 42 hills in Valparaíso) and took a tour of Pablo Naruda's house. He is the most famous Chilean writer and won the Nobel Prize for Literature way back when. His house (one of them) was absolutely amazing though! He purposefully found a house on top of a hill with a view of the entire city. Each of the four floors of the house had big windows stretching around the sides of the house, allowing him to view the ocean and city from his dining/living room on the 2nd floor, from his bedroom on the 3rd floor, and from the 4th floor where he used to write, his study. I would love to wake up every morning and see the view he had, magnifico! In his study he had a legit map of the America's from around the 1500's. Sadly, I was unable to photograph any of the unique furniture or pieces of art he had collected over time. He even had some artifacts from the I and II centuries; I was impressed. I was, however, allowed to take photos looking out the windows on each floor. You can check them out on my facebook if you'd like.
After his house, we hopped on the bus and went to another hill that is a very touristy place, but has one of the best views in the entire city. We were able to see almost all of the 42 hills or so found in Valparaíso. I took many pictures here as well, so feel free to check them out. Afterwards, we hopped on an ascensor (the second one I've been on so far), and headed down the hill to get on the bus. This ascensor was far larger than the last one though. We had about 15 people on it compared to the 8 we had last time. Once we got back to the University, I went over to the street where the micros come by, and was able to catch one within a minute. Shortest total waiting time for micros for the whole day so far? I think so.
After arriving home, I had my leftover lunch that I missed earlier, and then watched a Zorro movie on TV. I've found I enjoy TV so much more when it's in Spanish. I feel like I'm not completely wasting my time since I'm having to work to understand what they're saying.
Oh, there's a soccer team here called Everton that's celebrating it's 100 year anniversary this year, and they had a game tonight. That has nothing to do with my main point that I could hear the crowd cheering and chanting from inside my house during dinner. It was really cool even though I'm not much of a soccer fan. I would definitely like to go to a game, hopefully I'll have the chance to.
Well my thoughts are getting more and more scattered as I go. It's late, I'm tired, and I'm cold. I miss sun.
Buenas noches amigos, chao.
Frio Frio Frio
Hace muy frio hoy! It's about 34 degrees here this morning, tell me again why I decided to give up two of my three favorite months of the year to go back to winter? This definitely will be up there for my favorite August yet...
Fun fact: It's so cold that after I'm done taking a fairly quick and warm (not extremely hot) shower, the bathroom has become so full of steam that yesterday I couldn't clearly see my towel on the ground five feet or so away from me.
Yesterday was just another day, I understood my first professor and he let us out ten minutes or so early. It was very warm and sunny outside so we ate lunch in the plaza right across from the campus. I still need to take some pictures of the campus, it's really unique. Our second class the professor had to be somewhere at 3:30 so he let us out a half hour early. A few of us went into the city a bit to find an open air market and I bought myself a sweet iPod case for 1.500 pesos (a little less than three bucks). After, we were supposed to have an excursion with our Chilean students at 4, but by 4:25 we hadn't seen anyone. Luckily, my group's leaders showed up just as we were about to leave so we headed through the city to the Natural History Museum of Valparaíso. It wasn't what I was expecting, but it was very interesting to say the least. They had a two-headed baby in a glass jar. Right across the street, there was a really neat plaza that we went and checked out. I love the plazas here, they're so beautiful and relazing. I took photos of the day and posted them on my facebook if you care to see.
To get home, I hopped on a micro and ended up getting stuck in a huge taco (traffic jam). It was so backed up, and our micro kept blocking other lanes of traffic so finally he just went and cut off tons of angry cars. It really was the smartest thing though because if he hadn't, they would've been waiting even longer to get by him. It turns out, there was an accident up ahead that was only taking up one lane, but I guess they're just like Americans in that whenever there's an accident, everyone has to drive by really slowly to see what's going on, which causes everyone behind them to slow down and stop.
After dinner, Rodrigo Jr. asked if I could help him study English. I said of course and so we worked a while and I helped him learn some of the irregular verbs in past tense. Gabriela also asked if I could help her out by going over a test she took, and then going over the use of any-, every-, some-, and no-. It felt good to actually know something here, haha.
It's cold here, except it's supposed to get up to 62 today. It's very strange. I need to get to class soon. My culture and conversation class is going to a fruit and vegetable market today, I think it should be exciting. I love how with my classes here, the professors will just take us walking through the city to experience first hand what we're learning about. I guess Spokane just isn't full of as much life as Valparaíso is, haha.
Chao mis amigos.
Fun fact: It's so cold that after I'm done taking a fairly quick and warm (not extremely hot) shower, the bathroom has become so full of steam that yesterday I couldn't clearly see my towel on the ground five feet or so away from me.
Yesterday was just another day, I understood my first professor and he let us out ten minutes or so early. It was very warm and sunny outside so we ate lunch in the plaza right across from the campus. I still need to take some pictures of the campus, it's really unique. Our second class the professor had to be somewhere at 3:30 so he let us out a half hour early. A few of us went into the city a bit to find an open air market and I bought myself a sweet iPod case for 1.500 pesos (a little less than three bucks). After, we were supposed to have an excursion with our Chilean students at 4, but by 4:25 we hadn't seen anyone. Luckily, my group's leaders showed up just as we were about to leave so we headed through the city to the Natural History Museum of Valparaíso. It wasn't what I was expecting, but it was very interesting to say the least. They had a two-headed baby in a glass jar. Right across the street, there was a really neat plaza that we went and checked out. I love the plazas here, they're so beautiful and relazing. I took photos of the day and posted them on my facebook if you care to see.
To get home, I hopped on a micro and ended up getting stuck in a huge taco (traffic jam). It was so backed up, and our micro kept blocking other lanes of traffic so finally he just went and cut off tons of angry cars. It really was the smartest thing though because if he hadn't, they would've been waiting even longer to get by him. It turns out, there was an accident up ahead that was only taking up one lane, but I guess they're just like Americans in that whenever there's an accident, everyone has to drive by really slowly to see what's going on, which causes everyone behind them to slow down and stop.
After dinner, Rodrigo Jr. asked if I could help him study English. I said of course and so we worked a while and I helped him learn some of the irregular verbs in past tense. Gabriela also asked if I could help her out by going over a test she took, and then going over the use of any-, every-, some-, and no-. It felt good to actually know something here, haha.
It's cold here, except it's supposed to get up to 62 today. It's very strange. I need to get to class soon. My culture and conversation class is going to a fruit and vegetable market today, I think it should be exciting. I love how with my classes here, the professors will just take us walking through the city to experience first hand what we're learning about. I guess Spokane just isn't full of as much life as Valparaíso is, haha.
Chao mis amigos.
22 June, 2009
Life In a Refrigerator
I feel like I'm living in a refrigerator. I thought I'd be able to adjust fairly quickly but everyday seems to get colder and colder at night. Probably because it is, since winter is just setting in here, but that's not important, ha. I think my house is especially cold since it's still being worked on so we don't have carpet or real ceilings in parts of the house to help contain the heat (in fact my room is the only one with carpeting). The main part outside of the rooms on the second floor is just tin roofing and such, so there's no insulation to keep it warm. I did discover that because of the constant temperature, I can leave any type of drink I want chilled such as my water bottle in my room and it will be just the right temperature next time I drink it =) But seriously, my hands and nose are definitely not fans (if either of those had a facebook page and they had those stupid fan pages for the temperature here, they would not become fans). I can't wait to defrost in California on my way home.
Yesterday was Father's Day. I was a bad son and didn't do anything for my real dad or my host dad. Poo. I did, however, enjoy a wonderful barbecue for lunch with my family. Once everyone woke up I went with Rodrigo to a few nearby shops to buy carbon (charcoal as we so call it, though the charcoal here really is carbon, it doesn't come in small coals like we're used to), small sausages, some tomatoes, and some superbueno salsa. (I found out today in class that they don't like things spicy here, something I'm very happy about) For our lunch we had their traditional salad with lemon juice, olive oil, and salt (it's got a very interesting flavor), a Chilean salad that just consisted of tomatoes and onions (very good indeed), the small sausage on a piece of bread with the salsa, rice, pork, and steak. Oh how I loved having steak. I finished off one plate of the steak and pork and they asked if I wanted seconds and I said sure assuming it'd be just a half a piece or so. Much to my surprise, I ended up getting two more pieces of steak, each bigger than my first. Well, I tried my best but could only get through one and left the other on my plate. They sure know how to eat lunch here...
After, we all got in the car and went down to the beach to walk along and check out the vendors. My mom kept showing me stuff I could buy for my pelola and I saw quite a few things that I want to go check out again. While there, Rodrigo got himself an illegal copy of Wolverine: X-Men Origins for Father's Day (which explained how they already had a copy of Fast and Furious [not the first, but the 4th {yeah, real unique name right? (is this how you do this many thoughts in one sentence? I'm not sure...oh well)}]). It was just about time for the sun to set when we arrived and luckily I had my camera with me this time so I was able to catch some amazing photographs of the beautifully colored sky. You can check them out on my facebook if you want: http://www.facebook.com/matthewluttrell
Boy how I love the ocean. Other than Rodrigo, my family didn't really seem to care that much about the beautiful sight in front of us. I still don't understand how they don't appreciate their city...or at least it doesn't seem like it. I guess they're just used to it.
After walking back through downtown Viña, we hopped in the car and picked up some completos on our way back. A completo is Chile's type of hotdog, complete with mayonaise, cheese, and guacamole. It's better than it sounds, though hotdogs aren't that good to begin with. After, we all watched Wolverine and then went to bed. Very good day and a really fun weekend. Next weekend I'm going to Papudo =)
Today, I woke up and shaved for the first time since arriving. I really am not a fan of shaving but I don't like looking like a bum. Life is tough, let me tell you...ha. I was a little worried today since I only had 870 pesos in change and I knew that most micros are between 430 and 500 pesos. Luckily, I hopped on a micro for 430 in the morning and decided that I'd go to Easy (the Wal Mart of Chile) after class to get change for my 10.000 pesos bill.
First class was horrible. I hardly understood anything he was trying to tell us, and I don't think anyone else in class did either. It's not that I couldn't understand him; it's just difficult to comprehend a difficult concept in general, yet alone in your second language. Luckily we had enough time to eat lunch today though. Second class was a lot of fun again. We learned about a Chilean identity, and if one exists or not. After, our professor took us to the first week of the graffiti workshop. We met his friend whose nickname is charquipunk, and he talked to us about how graffiti emerged as it is today in Valparaíso about 10 years ago (actual murals instead of just simply tagging buildings), and then talked about the different types of graffiti and some of the more famous artists. He also showed us some of his own work and boy is it amazing. I'm so super stoked to watch him work and be able to do it myself =) If you want to see some of his work, you can see it here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/charquipunk/
His signature is a cat, if you can't tell, hehe.
After class I walked over to the Jumbo/Easy complex and wandered around for a bit before picking something out for my pelola =) I thought for sure I'd be able to pay for a 990 peso thing with a 10.000 peso bill (about equal to $20) with no problem, but sure enough the cashier didn't have enough cash and had to have a manager come give him change. Luckily, I have enough money for the micro for a few days. After leaving, I hopped on another micro for another 430 pesos so I didn't have to use any of my new billetes (bills) and had just enough moneda (coins) to pay for it. The driver was also really nice and made sure he told me how much it would be in a way I could understand rather than using slang terms. He then asked how to say 430 in English and proceeded to say "Four thousand right? Four thousand." I kindly corrected him and he smiled and thanked me and I took my seat. Best driver I've had so far? I think so.
Speaking of the micros, I've decided I'm a huge fan. Not only are they fairly cheap (about 80 cents each way), but they're also super exciting. Where else can you get a sweet view of the ocean (I saw the sunset again today), an exciting ride weaving in and out of traffic like Jason Bourne, and a firsthand view of the city every day, all in about twenty minutes or so? I think my favorite part is not knowing what route it'll take, just where I'm going to end up. There are hundreds of different micros, and they all take different streets and routes, but as long as they have one of two different street names for my way to school, or one name for my way back, I'm good to take it. Every day I discover a new part of town as the adventure unfolds before my very eyes. Oh micros...how crazy you are. Fun fact: Rodrigo told me the drivers work 7 days a week, from about 7 AM-7 PM (I dont know how long of a break they get, if one at all, but I imagine it's not very long), and they just drive the same route back and forth, back and forth. The only salary they have depends on how many tickets they hand out to customers so it kinda explains why they're so aggressive. Know you know..
After returning to a locked gate and waiting for a few minutes for my family to show up, my mom made me eat the lunch I wasn't able to eat earlier since I stayed after class. Immediately following, they brought out all the food for their once and I had some bread with the amazing Cougar Cheese I brought, and then finally had some Chilean pastries. I've heard from all my other classmates that they have desserts all the time, but I'm sure it's better for me in the long run =) I watched part of Shrek 3 then another movie about Werewolves, and then came to my room to relax. I just now finished downloading and listening to Coldplay's free new live album. Me gustó mucho. Now, it is midnight and time for bed. It's supposed to be 60 tomorrow, I'm hoping so...
Chao and buenas noches.
Yesterday was Father's Day. I was a bad son and didn't do anything for my real dad or my host dad. Poo. I did, however, enjoy a wonderful barbecue for lunch with my family. Once everyone woke up I went with Rodrigo to a few nearby shops to buy carbon (charcoal as we so call it, though the charcoal here really is carbon, it doesn't come in small coals like we're used to), small sausages, some tomatoes, and some superbueno salsa. (I found out today in class that they don't like things spicy here, something I'm very happy about) For our lunch we had their traditional salad with lemon juice, olive oil, and salt (it's got a very interesting flavor), a Chilean salad that just consisted of tomatoes and onions (very good indeed), the small sausage on a piece of bread with the salsa, rice, pork, and steak. Oh how I loved having steak. I finished off one plate of the steak and pork and they asked if I wanted seconds and I said sure assuming it'd be just a half a piece or so. Much to my surprise, I ended up getting two more pieces of steak, each bigger than my first. Well, I tried my best but could only get through one and left the other on my plate. They sure know how to eat lunch here...
After, we all got in the car and went down to the beach to walk along and check out the vendors. My mom kept showing me stuff I could buy for my pelola and I saw quite a few things that I want to go check out again. While there, Rodrigo got himself an illegal copy of Wolverine: X-Men Origins for Father's Day (which explained how they already had a copy of Fast and Furious [not the first, but the 4th {yeah, real unique name right? (is this how you do this many thoughts in one sentence? I'm not sure...oh well)}]). It was just about time for the sun to set when we arrived and luckily I had my camera with me this time so I was able to catch some amazing photographs of the beautifully colored sky. You can check them out on my facebook if you want: http://www.facebook.com/matthewluttrell
Boy how I love the ocean. Other than Rodrigo, my family didn't really seem to care that much about the beautiful sight in front of us. I still don't understand how they don't appreciate their city...or at least it doesn't seem like it. I guess they're just used to it.
After walking back through downtown Viña, we hopped in the car and picked up some completos on our way back. A completo is Chile's type of hotdog, complete with mayonaise, cheese, and guacamole. It's better than it sounds, though hotdogs aren't that good to begin with. After, we all watched Wolverine and then went to bed. Very good day and a really fun weekend. Next weekend I'm going to Papudo =)
Today, I woke up and shaved for the first time since arriving. I really am not a fan of shaving but I don't like looking like a bum. Life is tough, let me tell you...ha. I was a little worried today since I only had 870 pesos in change and I knew that most micros are between 430 and 500 pesos. Luckily, I hopped on a micro for 430 in the morning and decided that I'd go to Easy (the Wal Mart of Chile) after class to get change for my 10.000 pesos bill.
First class was horrible. I hardly understood anything he was trying to tell us, and I don't think anyone else in class did either. It's not that I couldn't understand him; it's just difficult to comprehend a difficult concept in general, yet alone in your second language. Luckily we had enough time to eat lunch today though. Second class was a lot of fun again. We learned about a Chilean identity, and if one exists or not. After, our professor took us to the first week of the graffiti workshop. We met his friend whose nickname is charquipunk, and he talked to us about how graffiti emerged as it is today in Valparaíso about 10 years ago (actual murals instead of just simply tagging buildings), and then talked about the different types of graffiti and some of the more famous artists. He also showed us some of his own work and boy is it amazing. I'm so super stoked to watch him work and be able to do it myself =) If you want to see some of his work, you can see it here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/charquipunk/
His signature is a cat, if you can't tell, hehe.
After class I walked over to the Jumbo/Easy complex and wandered around for a bit before picking something out for my pelola =) I thought for sure I'd be able to pay for a 990 peso thing with a 10.000 peso bill (about equal to $20) with no problem, but sure enough the cashier didn't have enough cash and had to have a manager come give him change. Luckily, I have enough money for the micro for a few days. After leaving, I hopped on another micro for another 430 pesos so I didn't have to use any of my new billetes (bills) and had just enough moneda (coins) to pay for it. The driver was also really nice and made sure he told me how much it would be in a way I could understand rather than using slang terms. He then asked how to say 430 in English and proceeded to say "Four thousand right? Four thousand." I kindly corrected him and he smiled and thanked me and I took my seat. Best driver I've had so far? I think so.
Speaking of the micros, I've decided I'm a huge fan. Not only are they fairly cheap (about 80 cents each way), but they're also super exciting. Where else can you get a sweet view of the ocean (I saw the sunset again today), an exciting ride weaving in and out of traffic like Jason Bourne, and a firsthand view of the city every day, all in about twenty minutes or so? I think my favorite part is not knowing what route it'll take, just where I'm going to end up. There are hundreds of different micros, and they all take different streets and routes, but as long as they have one of two different street names for my way to school, or one name for my way back, I'm good to take it. Every day I discover a new part of town as the adventure unfolds before my very eyes. Oh micros...how crazy you are. Fun fact: Rodrigo told me the drivers work 7 days a week, from about 7 AM-7 PM (I dont know how long of a break they get, if one at all, but I imagine it's not very long), and they just drive the same route back and forth, back and forth. The only salary they have depends on how many tickets they hand out to customers so it kinda explains why they're so aggressive. Know you know..
After returning to a locked gate and waiting for a few minutes for my family to show up, my mom made me eat the lunch I wasn't able to eat earlier since I stayed after class. Immediately following, they brought out all the food for their once and I had some bread with the amazing Cougar Cheese I brought, and then finally had some Chilean pastries. I've heard from all my other classmates that they have desserts all the time, but I'm sure it's better for me in the long run =) I watched part of Shrek 3 then another movie about Werewolves, and then came to my room to relax. I just now finished downloading and listening to Coldplay's free new live album. Me gustó mucho. Now, it is midnight and time for bed. It's supposed to be 60 tomorrow, I'm hoping so...
Chao and buenas noches.
21 June, 2009
Casablanca Vineyards
Yesterday we went to the vineyards of Casablanca, some of the most well known in the world. The entire trip was sweet from the moment we left until the moment we got back. When I woke up, the sun was shining and the birds were chirping (and the rooster was crowing, somewhere close by, haha). It was so much nicer than the rainy day before. We met at the Teatro Municipal in downtown Viña, and then hopped on a bus to drive the hour or so to the vineyard. Waiting for us on each seat was a water bottle, phamplet for the vineyard we were going to, some information about different types of wines, and then a chocolate bar with either the word "Chile" or "Exclusivo" written on it. It was quite a welcome, and it was nice to finally have just plain water.
Once we arrived to the vineyard, we all hopped onto a huge horse drawn carriage and took a tour of the vineyard. The two horses together were like the size of a minivan, they were huge! Next, we got off and a tour guide described the 26 different varieties of wine they produce. Afterwards, we went inside to the wine tasting room. It was so big and there was a beautiful fountain inside. Though I'm not a fan of wine, the cheese they had to go along with it certainly tasted good =) After listening to him talk for a while and teaching everyone how to taste wine, we moved on to the wine history tour, or into the time machine as they called it. Our guide walked us through this room full of actual restored equipment from as far back as around 1850. It was pretty interesting seeing how wine used to be made, and our guide was pretty funny too. Next, we went outside to this big arena and watched a Chilean rodeo show. It was really cool, and interesting to see how their rodeos differ from ours. Finally, we went back inside for my favorite part of the day, lunch.
This was definitely the fanciest meal I've ever eaten (though not the best). When we sat down we had three knives, three forks, a spoon, two different sized glasses (they later brought out a third smaller one), and a plate. They brought out some really good pre-appetizers (I say pre-appetizer because much to my surprise we ordered another one as well) for us to eat before we ordered. We then got to choose an appetizer, main course, and dessert. I went for the Chilean appetizer and dessert, and then a normal type of beef for the main course. The appetizer was alright, except I couldn't really tell what kind of meat it was. It also had some breadsticks with it which were exactly that, sticks of bread. The main course was really good, except it came with a shot glass with some chocolate-colored liquid in it with whipped cream on top. Very deceiving, let me tell you. I had tasted the cream and so I decided I'd drink away, except it ended up being another type of gravy for my meat. Gross. I then decided to let others share the fun with me, so I asked another student if he had his chocolate mousse shot yet, and he said no, so we said cheers and I let him discover the joy that was the gravy. Hahaha, wonderful. My meal also had some potatoes wrapped in bacon, and then zuchini with carrots in it. Finally, they brought out our dessert and I went for the traditional Chilean dessert of dried peaches and a type of corn. It was shaped in a pyramid and looked really cool (their presentation of every meal was fantastic). I know corn and peaches don't sound good together, but the corn was more like barley or something other than corn, and the peaches were soaked in Papaya juice and the taste was strong enough that the corn didn't affect it at all. It was surprisingly good and I'm glad I ordered it. The best part was that the entire day and the grand meal was included in the price of the ISEP trip, so we just got up and left.
On the way back to Viña, some of the other students were talking about going to the mall later in the evening at around 6:30 and I figured I'd see if my family had anything planned and if not, that I'd tag along as well. Well as soon as I got back, my mom told me that they were going to her sister's birthday party and that I'm coming too. I was really confused because I thought she meant really soon so I figured I'd have to skip the mall, but they just went on with their evening as usual, and then we had our "dinner" meal at around 8:30. Afterwards, they rushed off to the store and I was left at home with my two siblings. I noticed Gabriela looked like she had gotten ready to go somewhere though, so I figured she had plans for the evening. The parents came home and didn't say anything about leaving so at this point I assumed I hadn't heard her correctly and that the party would actually be today. Well, at about 10 PM Rodrigo came up to my room and said, "Alright let's go, make sure you bring a jacket". Boy was I a little surprised, haha. I guess they like to start parties late here.
Although it was a little weird being in a house full of their other family members, they were all very nice to me. In fact, the first thing they asked when I got there is if I wanted any rum or whiskey, haha. I opted for the apple juice instead (I dont know what it is but their juice tastes so much better than in the US...). The party was just a few different families sitting around in the living room talking, nothing too big. One of the other families had a newborn baby and another had a two year old daughter. She probaby spent half the night dancing to the music they had on, it was really cute =) At around 12, my family decided that I was probably tired so we all got in the car and took off. On the way home, a cop pulled up behind us with his lights on, but Rodrigo made no attempt to pull over or anything. In fact, we drove for a few blocks with the cop behind us (I thought for a second, are we really running from the cops right now?) before it finally went a different way. I guess I don't understand how the police and traffic stops work here...
It's 11:30 AM, and I think my mom is the only one up right now. They weren't kidding when they said they sleep in on Sundays. If I understood correctly, I think we're going to the beach later today. I'm pretty excited, it sounds like fun. But for now, my fingers are super cold and can't type much more. Enjoy the warmth.
Chao.
Once we arrived to the vineyard, we all hopped onto a huge horse drawn carriage and took a tour of the vineyard. The two horses together were like the size of a minivan, they were huge! Next, we got off and a tour guide described the 26 different varieties of wine they produce. Afterwards, we went inside to the wine tasting room. It was so big and there was a beautiful fountain inside. Though I'm not a fan of wine, the cheese they had to go along with it certainly tasted good =) After listening to him talk for a while and teaching everyone how to taste wine, we moved on to the wine history tour, or into the time machine as they called it. Our guide walked us through this room full of actual restored equipment from as far back as around 1850. It was pretty interesting seeing how wine used to be made, and our guide was pretty funny too. Next, we went outside to this big arena and watched a Chilean rodeo show. It was really cool, and interesting to see how their rodeos differ from ours. Finally, we went back inside for my favorite part of the day, lunch.
This was definitely the fanciest meal I've ever eaten (though not the best). When we sat down we had three knives, three forks, a spoon, two different sized glasses (they later brought out a third smaller one), and a plate. They brought out some really good pre-appetizers (I say pre-appetizer because much to my surprise we ordered another one as well) for us to eat before we ordered. We then got to choose an appetizer, main course, and dessert. I went for the Chilean appetizer and dessert, and then a normal type of beef for the main course. The appetizer was alright, except I couldn't really tell what kind of meat it was. It also had some breadsticks with it which were exactly that, sticks of bread. The main course was really good, except it came with a shot glass with some chocolate-colored liquid in it with whipped cream on top. Very deceiving, let me tell you. I had tasted the cream and so I decided I'd drink away, except it ended up being another type of gravy for my meat. Gross. I then decided to let others share the fun with me, so I asked another student if he had his chocolate mousse shot yet, and he said no, so we said cheers and I let him discover the joy that was the gravy. Hahaha, wonderful. My meal also had some potatoes wrapped in bacon, and then zuchini with carrots in it. Finally, they brought out our dessert and I went for the traditional Chilean dessert of dried peaches and a type of corn. It was shaped in a pyramid and looked really cool (their presentation of every meal was fantastic). I know corn and peaches don't sound good together, but the corn was more like barley or something other than corn, and the peaches were soaked in Papaya juice and the taste was strong enough that the corn didn't affect it at all. It was surprisingly good and I'm glad I ordered it. The best part was that the entire day and the grand meal was included in the price of the ISEP trip, so we just got up and left.
On the way back to Viña, some of the other students were talking about going to the mall later in the evening at around 6:30 and I figured I'd see if my family had anything planned and if not, that I'd tag along as well. Well as soon as I got back, my mom told me that they were going to her sister's birthday party and that I'm coming too. I was really confused because I thought she meant really soon so I figured I'd have to skip the mall, but they just went on with their evening as usual, and then we had our "dinner" meal at around 8:30. Afterwards, they rushed off to the store and I was left at home with my two siblings. I noticed Gabriela looked like she had gotten ready to go somewhere though, so I figured she had plans for the evening. The parents came home and didn't say anything about leaving so at this point I assumed I hadn't heard her correctly and that the party would actually be today. Well, at about 10 PM Rodrigo came up to my room and said, "Alright let's go, make sure you bring a jacket". Boy was I a little surprised, haha. I guess they like to start parties late here.
Although it was a little weird being in a house full of their other family members, they were all very nice to me. In fact, the first thing they asked when I got there is if I wanted any rum or whiskey, haha. I opted for the apple juice instead (I dont know what it is but their juice tastes so much better than in the US...). The party was just a few different families sitting around in the living room talking, nothing too big. One of the other families had a newborn baby and another had a two year old daughter. She probaby spent half the night dancing to the music they had on, it was really cute =) At around 12, my family decided that I was probably tired so we all got in the car and took off. On the way home, a cop pulled up behind us with his lights on, but Rodrigo made no attempt to pull over or anything. In fact, we drove for a few blocks with the cop behind us (I thought for a second, are we really running from the cops right now?) before it finally went a different way. I guess I don't understand how the police and traffic stops work here...
It's 11:30 AM, and I think my mom is the only one up right now. They weren't kidding when they said they sleep in on Sundays. If I understood correctly, I think we're going to the beach later today. I'm pretty excited, it sounds like fun. But for now, my fingers are super cold and can't type much more. Enjoy the warmth.
Chao.
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