it's working!

Sorry for the break in posting- my blogging website decided for a few days that it didn't want to let me post anything. I've just been working away on my essay. The first 12 pages are due Wednesday. I've written four but my advisor essentially told me to redo two of them. So... two down, ten to go!

Today, I was walking to Starbucks to get some work done. (I know I should be in some cute Chilean restaurant but cute Chilean restaurants expect you to order more than one drink if you are going to sit there and use their wifi for five hours). Anyway, I was walking to Starbucks and I just saw the saddest sight in the whole world. Right between Starbucks and McDonalds, they are building a Ruby Tuesday... Globalization at its finest.

Me gusta Pomaire

I got to go on an adventure today! Unlike Europe, I can't just hop on a train and check out a new city every weekend. Attractions down here are much more spread out and trains and much less available. That's why checking out the city (town) of Pomaire today was extra exciting.

Today, my host mom, grandma and aunt took a drive about an hour and a half (two because we got a little lost) to the southeast. We came across this little town that is seriously just a giant artisan fair. This region is known for their pottery and boy, was there a lot of it! Every store was full of mugs, bowls and vases. And every store that wasn't full of pottery was full of jewelry, sweaters, mirrors and anything else you could want. A lot of the pottery stores sold fire hydrant replicas (for only about $10) and I wanted one so badly! How funny would it be to have a fire hydrant in your room? But I wasn't so sure about bringing it home...

All of the restaurants in the area are typical Chilean food and the four of us ordered a giant meat platter. It was actually pretty terrifying. It consisted of chicken, sausage, beef, ribs, liver (from a mystery animal) and other intestines. I took a picture of it about ten minutes into the meal so keep in mind we had eat already eaten at least one piece of meat. 

While we were eating, we got serenaded by two musicians playing typical Chilean music. They finished their song and the first thing the man said to me was, "Are you from Miami?" No, I am not from Miami! Why would you ask me that? Gosh darn it! Do I really stand out THAT much that you immediately know I'm American. There are 195 countries in this world. I wasn't even speaking so there was no accent involved. My host mom was nice enough to correct them and say, "Colorado!!" to which the man smiled and said, "Still the United States!" What does that even mean?

After that, we stopped by San Antonio, the second largest port in Chile after Valparaíso, and then Isla Negra, where Pablo Neruda had one of his three houses. I was hoping to check it out but we were running low on time so instead we just drove through. Overall, it was a wonderful Chilean Mother's Day and I'm glad I got to spend it bonding a bit more with the fam. Hope you all had a very happy mother's day too!

Feliz Día de la Madre (weekend)

It's mother's day weekend! I bought eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla and bread which means... french toast tomorrow! I feel like I have to do something a little special because my brother and sister went on a camping trip for the weekend. What kind of high school plans a school wide camping trip on mother's day weekend?!

Anyway, I just want to wish all moms out there the very happiest of mother's day. And the happiest of happiest mother's day to my momma. I love you!!!

best momma ever

oh goodness

We are now fully into the ISP (Independent Study Project) period. Half of my friends are living in other cities and the rest of us don't get to see each other as often because we all have different schedules.

Working with Teletón has been super interesting but I am a week and a half in and have barely gotten past the background info. I told them I only needed to work there this week but I don't have nearly enough info and only have one more interview set up. AHHHHH. 

I met with my advisor for the first time yesterday. She is a sociology professor here in Chile and was full of very overwhelming ideas. I want to do a comparison between the programs of Teletón in Chile and the Muscular Dystrophy Association in the states. One of her many suggestions was to do an analysis of the creation of the two organizations and their reason for starting.

Advisor: When did the Muscular Dystrophy Association begin?

Me: I don't know... the 60s?

Advisor: Perfect and what was going on in the 60s?

Me: The Vietnam War (how is this related?).

Advisor: Yes. Exactly. We could research whether or not the Muscular Dystrophy Association was the antithesis of the Vietnam War as veterans were returning home injured and with disabilities.

Me: That would be interesting but people are born with Muscular Dystrophy and would therefore be exempt from the draft making the two pretty unrelated...

We'll see how this whole thing plays out but to be honest with you, today my friend and I admitted... we miss class. So structured. Simple. You know exactly what you need to do that day. 

Never thought I would say that.

watching political figures dubbed in spanish

Yup... that will be my answer some day when my kids ask me where I was during all these current events that have been happening.

Do you remember watching Prince William marry Kate Middleton? 

No sweetheart, but I do recall watching Príncipe Guillermo get married if that's related... I believe I mentioned his name was William but my Chilean grandma was pretty convinced otherwise.

Where were you when Osama bin Laden was killed?

Watching the news in Spanish, listening to my Chilean mother comment on the clothing of Pakistanis.

Did you understand what was going on?

Most of it...

And speaking of things getting lost in translation/ why in the world names change in different languages, Christopher Columbus' name was actually Cristobal Colon. Considering he was Spanish, I'm going to assume his Spanish name was correct. It has just been driving me crazy lately that nobody knows this and if this fact is ever going to be even a little bit relevant, now is the time.