So I'm now just about 1/2 way through my time here in Chile, which is pretty hard to believe! After my trip to Patagonia I was looking forward to settling into a routine with my studies and life in Viña and Valparaíso, but like many things I've encountered here in the past two months, life just isn't that simple!
I traveled yet again from the 17th to the 20th, this time with my study abroad program (it was a pre-scheduled trip, so of course I had to go! :) We went to La Serena, a coastal city about 5 hours north, and from there traveled to other attractions in the area. I went to a Japanese garden, a solar restaurant, the Mamalluca Astronomical Observatory, the Pisco (a fermented grape liquor) factory, the Gabriela Mistral Museum, and Fray Jorge National Park. It wasn't much warmer up north than it has been here in Viña lately... that is to say at night we had to get pretty bundled up (although the area where the solar restaurant is located was sunny and hot..... go figure!).
I returned to Viña and Valparaíso ready to get "serious" about my classes here, only to find that the national "paro" (strike) of University students regarding the increase in the student bus fare and decrease in government funding for public university students was still in full effect (after a full week of skipping class and protests that led to a slight decrease in the new bus fare). Unfortunately, as a "gringa", I still have to go to the two program classes that I take only with fellow "gringos". --Side note: as my Spanish professor informed us: the only way our class would be cancelled is if the students did a "toma". That is, if the students took the university by locking themselves inside, as they did two years ago at the University of Valparaiso for 1 1/2 months!-- Anyway, the paro continued through this past week too. Word on the street is that we are finally going back to classes tomorrow, but that could very well be proven wrong if I show up to classes and am the only one there, or find myself in the company only of other confused gringos (which has happened on several occasions!). I did develop my first negatives in my black and white photography course and they turned out well! Tomorrow, assuming I have class, I'm going to attempt to make my first prints!
I have, of course, been taking advantage of the free time the paro has provided. This past week I went to the Municipal Theatre of Viña del Mar to see BAFOCHI, an internationally renowned traditional Chilean music and dance group. Foreign students got invited for free, since our university was hosting the event, so my friend Jess and I went only to find ourselves surrounded by visiting professors from all over the world! Needless to say, the performance was impressive and the reception was very nice. We also had fun listening to all the different languages and Spanish accents (though we were extremely under-dressed and therefore felt a bit like little girls at some fancy "adult" event!).
Last night I went to see Inti-Illimani and Los Jaivas, two folk-rock groups. Both groups were together before the military coup, and were exiled because of their support for Allende and their pro-socialist music. The concert was great: they played some tribute songs to Allende, Victor Jara, and the Mapuche tribe (the predominant indigenous tribe in Chile). I really enjoyed watching the drummer for the Jaivas rock out; she is the daughter of the former drummer and is amazing!
I also returned to this cooperation that provides alternative forms of treatment for people with schizophrenia, where I'm volunteering. They do all sorts of activities to help build the skills and confidence of the participants, including art, which they then sell in order to be self-sustaining. The people who work there as well as the participants are all really nice, and it is a great atmosphere to learn more about schizophrenia and let out some creative energy at the same time.
Ok, well this has definitely been more than a "nutshell", but hopefully it sheds some light on just what Val is up to in Chile! I'll wrap up the post with some good news: my host brother paid me a big compliment the other day when he told me that he can now understand everything I say perfectly --there were some gaps in communication when I first arrived-- which means my Spanish is definitely improving! I've posted a few pictures from my trip to La Serena below...
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