Before coming to Santiago, I hoped to update my blog several times per week. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your perspective), my life in Chile has been insanely busy throughout the past few days and I just haven't had time to waste on the internet.
Anyways, some highlights since my last update over a week ago:
Skiing: Best described as a terrifying, albeit entertaining, experience. Last Friday, Tufts-in-Chile trekked into the snow covered Andes to Fairillones, a small ski resort. After taking a quick lesson, most of us attacked the slopes for the first times amid small snow flurries. Or maybe, in the interest of accuracy, I should describe it as being attacked by the slopes instead. Personally, I spent much of the next few hours sprawled out in the snow laughing at my obvious incompetence. I couldn't even master the ski lift; on my first return trip, the bar slid out from under my legs. Consequently, I had to cling to it for the duration of my ride for fear of plummeting back down the mountain. Given my level of soreness in my arms on Saturday from this ride, I definately need to focus a little more on lifting when I return to the US.
Not only was it enjoyable to slide down the bunny hills, but the trip was also an excellant opportunity to escape the city and trek into the mountains. The ride included some spectacular views, which were, unfortunately, nearly impossible to adequately capture on camera.
Futbol: Fortunately, the snowy weather was confined to the higher altitudes of the Cordillera. Thus, Santiago has enjoyed gradually improving weather; it has even been warm enough to spend a few hours outside watching futbol without wearing every article of clothing that you managed to cram into your suitcase.
Therefore, we went to the Universidad de Chile (no affiliation with the university) versus Everton game at El Estadio Nacional. Insanity. Imagine TUXC on roadtrip x several thousand more insane fans.
At the suggestion of our families, we arrived several hours early to find carabineros in full riot gear strategically locating themselves around the stadium. The facility was relatively empty at the time, so it seemed a bit extreme. As fans began trekking in, the energy level noticeably spiked. By game time, all started singing battle songs and whistling. They did not stop for the duration of play. Most also expressed their spirit in their attire. By that, I mean that most had full Universidad de Chile outfits...not just t-shirts.
After thegame ended in a tie. we left quickly since the carabineros seemed to be preparing for possible problems. Nothing, however, has been mentioned in the news, so I think most must have exited peacefully. As I will definately be attending more games, we'll find out whether most actually do end so calmly or if the carabineros were taking needed precautions.
Cumples Chilenos: In between skiing in the Andes and screaming battle chants at Estadio Nacional, I spent much of my weekend celebrating birthdays. Friday night, Javiera celebrated her 21st birthday. After hours of speaking spanish, watching the Chilean version of Rock Band (more kareoke with lots of 90s hits including BSB) , and otherwise celebrating, I was exhausted by 2.30 AM. Too bad most Chilean parties don't end until several hours later. Rather than allowing me to take a cab home, they insisted on driving me. So nice, but I felt horrible for interrupting their night. Apparently, I'm going to have to either drink way more nescafe before going out or somehow rally in the future.
Saturday, the celebration continued with my Chilean fathers birthday. His party was obviously much calmer than Javiera's and included some excellant food and lots of Spanish practice.
Mi Practica: After attending 2 interviews sin interviewers and discovering that my first internship was definately not the right opportunity for me, I've finally found a practica that excites me. I'll be working with Chile Ambiente on a project investigating the effects of flooded roads in the poorer comuna of Lo Prado (see earlier entry). Essentially, I'll be spending the next few months profiling the district, interviewing residents and officials about the effects of the flooding, what is currently being done to counter it, and researching possible solutions. Slightly overwhelming but in a very good way.
Revolver Magazine: As an avid writer and an even more enthusiastic eater, I'll be writing restaurant and travel reviews for Revista Revolver while in Santiago. I attended my first staff meeting Tuesday night and cannot wait to become more involved with the magazine. However, don't look for any of my articles until October. The online magazine is somewhat backlogged with an numerous articles awaiting publication.
Los Comilones de Chile: After discovering a wealth of restaurant reviews online, several member of Tufts-in-Chile started Los Comilones de Chile (meaning the overeaters of Chile). Each week, members venture across the city to try some new cuisine. While I most likely won't attend every week, there was absolutely no way I could skip "India" night, and I enjoyed my first ethnic restaurant in Santiago. Delicious, although I think I honestly prefer Diva, perhaps because ordering Indian in Spanish is a pretty challenging experience.
Otherwise, I haven't done anything too spectacular throughout the past week. Classes, commuting, running, and random ice cream and sopapillas trips have been consuming most of my time, and most likely will continue to do so until spring break starts in a little over a week!
Well, that's a lie. I should be doing some work, but I think I'll explore some art museums today and journey to Valparaiso tomorrow.
Ciao!
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