Week #2: How Pablo Neruda changed my view of Chile.

This last weekend I went to La Chascona, one of famed poet Pablo Neruda's three homes.  This one is at the foot of Cerro San Cristóbal, the huge hill I went to the weekend before.  It's in the artsy neighborhood of Bellavista in Providencia, and as soon as you walk into the gift shop area, pay for a tour, and enter the cafe/garden area, you are instantly transformed into Pablo Neruda's world: that of a poet, author, philanthropist, diplomat and Nobel Prize winner.  His house in Santiago is gorgeous, and is actually two houses built in one. He had plans for a fourth, but wouldn't live to build it.


Pablo Neruda had such an interesting life...I can't possibly take time to write down all I learned at La Chascona.  He died two weeks after the coup that took place (ironically) on September 11th, 1973 in Santiago.  Later this year, his body will be exhumed to see what if the cause of death really was heart failure (as his third wife, Matilde and loved ones presumed) or if he was poisoned by the Pinochet government.  


His travels and view of politics is something that is still talked about today.  I met a Chilean couple at La Chascona who travel to his resting place (and another of his houses) at La Isla Negra, which is about two hours away from Santiago, on the coast.  They go there every year on the day of Neruda's passing to show their support.  His poetry is everywhere here, it's as if he's still alive.  With his left, socialist leanings, he was criticized by many people like Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borgés for his political thoughts, but even Borgés praises Neruda's talent, calling him "one of the best poets who ever lived". 


To be in his house and to see where he wrote poetry and lived the last years of his life was, for lack of better words, inspiring.  You feel his presence in the house from the moment you step in the front door. His legacy is still alive and well in Santiago and all of Chile, and 39 years after his death, his work is still as cherished and loved as it was the day he died. 

Week #2: How Chile made me glad I recycle.

I seriously can't believe I've been here two weeks, and that my month in Chile is halfway finished already.  I'm so busy with the coursework during the week that I really don't have time to go out and do things at night.  Hopefully that will change this weekend, and no matter what homework I have, there are things I want to see and do! This weekend I'm hoping to go to La Chascona (one of poet Pablo Neruda's three houses) and el centro (downtown).  Hopefully if I'm not too bogged down with homework, I can post a blog on Sunday telling you all about my adventures!!!


I've convinced myself that I will come back to Chile and tour the country for at least a couple weeks at some point.  I'm not even going to make it to the Lake District (which runs all the way to Patagonia), see the Atacama Desert, or get to Easter Island!!!!!


Everything is different here.  There's more traffic and people, but it's a little ridiculous how impatient the drivers are...although I think Costa Rica still wins out on impatient drivers.  At least here, the drivers stop if you're crossing the street.  Seriously, the obsession with mayonnaise is a little disgusting too.  I think the hardest custom to get used to is wearing shoes ALL the time, even in the house.  It's considered rude if you don't.  Also, if I could wave a magic wand and change one thing about Chile, it would be their complete lack of caring about the environment.  Santiago is so smoggy most days, you can't even see the Andes, and March isn't that bad (apparently winter is the worst and summer is the best).  I walked by a house the other day that had a hose spewing with water and I learned very quickly to re-use the plastic bags you get or you'll accumulate them.

Week #1: How I found my passion in Chile

Wow, I can't believe I'm in my second week already! The course is speeding by, as well as my time in Chile. I'm going to try my hardest to see everything, but I already know I need to come back two or three more times to see half the things I wanted to in Chile. A month is definitely not long enough!!!!!


Week #1 has been exciting and exhausting all at the same time.  After recovering from the weekend jet lag, I walked into Bridge ready to learn. I actually expected to know a lot of the techniques for teaching EFL (or ESL in the States) but I've learned so much and gotten so much more out of this course than I ever would have anticipated.  I've definitely changed some of my perspectives on how hard it is to be a teacher and, more importantly, how much harder it is to be a student learning a foreign language (especially English!!!)


I'm learning so much and this IDELT course has made me realize just how much I love imparting my knowledge on to others.  I walk in to Bridge every day excited and challenged.  It's not like most university classes at all...I actually want to come to class because I know it's helping me towards a career (more on that coming soon!!)  Coming to Chile has made me realize just how much I want to be a teacher.

Week #1: Santiago, Chile-finally!!!!

Saturday: Let me tell you, the 9 1/2 hour flight to Santiago, Chile was SO worth it! Providencia (the area I'm staying in) is so beautiful! I got to my host family's apartment around noon, jet lagged and tired.  My host mom, Verónica, and dad, Patricio, are beyond nice and so willing to talk to me or give me directions every time I ask for a new place to go or good restaurant to eat.  I decide to venture out and exchange the remainder of my American money into Chilean pesos.  I only had to walk a few blocks to a small shopping mall.  For a culture that hardly eats anything (except lunch), I think I see about 5 or 6 McDonalds in 6 blocks.  I found the school, which is literally 8-10 minutes away from my family's apartment!!! I also found a Starbucks. :) 


This is the street I live on:

Sunday: I decide to walk to a park that Verónica says isn't very far away, and she's right.  Within ten minutes of my apartment, I find a cute little park next to a "river" (I'm putting it in quotes because it doesn't resemble a river, and that's saying something since I'm from Arizona, where there's hardly any water). When I think of a river, I think of this:

Apparently, this is the Chilean version, called the Río Mapocho:

Yeah...definitely different. There are a lot of differences here. So many, in fact, that that's a whole separate entry, coming soon to a blog near you. :)

Oh, and I found the U.S. Embassy:

I <3 Santiago!!!!!

48 hours

48 hours from now I'll be on a plane to L.A., then Dallas, then Santiago, Chile.  It's going to be a long day, but I know it will be so worth it when I get there. The more I read/hear about it, the more I love the country, and I haven't even been there yet.

I'm mostly excited, but a little nervous too. This is the first trip I've taken where I literally won't have anyone I know traveling with me or know anyone when I get there. I'm nervous to meet my host family, and nervous about the course, but I'm excited to experience all of these things too.

I really hope I have enough time to blog every day.  I feel so connected to everyone when I blog, it's like writing emails, except to everyone. I'll even try to share a couple pictures on here if I can!

My next entry will be from Chile! Puedo escribir pronto! (I'll write soon!) :)