strange things that happened today

1. I noticed tons of Halloween decorations around downtown Santiago. I never would have expected Halloween to make it all the way to the Southern hemisphere. They just started celebrating it about 4 years ago, but now they're really getting into it...with cobwebs and plastic pumpkins and costume parties and everything. Weird.
2. I tried to teach my host mom how to say "pretzel." It didn't work.
3. A man wearing rollerblades got onto the bus, glided down the aisle, and sat next to me.
4. Alex and I got stopped on the street by two random guys, who asked if they could tell us how beautiful we are. Well, sure. Go for it. Their next question was whether we were married.
5. I realized that it's about to be November and it's 85 degrees.

dear cab drivers

I appreciate your concern, but you really don't need to slow down every time you see me by the side of the road. I'm standing at the bus stop for a reason...and it's because I'm waiting to take a bus. Sometimes it's possible to be both a gringa and capable of using public transportation. Not all the time. But sometimes.

more successes

I have finally broken in my heels!!! I wear them to my internship twice a week, and I no longer feel like dying when I walk home from the bus stop. This is a good sign that means I might eventually be able to be a real adult.

Also, whenever I put on heels, I tower over at least a fourth of the Chilean population. I have never experienced this phenomenon before (in the States, not even heels allow me to approach the same height as my giant friends). I appreciate this country for being so short.

semi-success?

This afternoon, while I was on my way home from my internship, a Chilean man asked me for directions! And I actually knew the area well enough to give a semi-intelligible response!!!

...And then he turned and asked someone else the same question. I guess I can't really blame him. I wouldn't have picked the blonde either.

lists

Bad habits I've picked up in Chile

• going to McDonalds -- I hardly ever eat fast food in the States, but there's something about being in a foreign country that makes cheeseburgers and milkshakes taste especially awesome
• using Chilean slang in the middle of English conversations
• wearing the same thing every day -- skinny jeans, sneakers, and scarves are the uniform of the Chilean college student
• drinking ridiculous amounts of coffee and tea
• procrastinating on all of my homework

Things I still can't get used to here

• an hour-long commute to and from my classes
• getting constant attention for being a blonde and never being able to blend in
• over-the-top PDA -- regardless of age, location, or proximity to fellow metro passengers
• the fact that apples and pears are eaten with a fork, but asparagus is a finger food
• mullets on otherwise attractive men

What I now know I can't live without

• dryers
• window screens -- my casita doesn't have any, and now that it's spring there are way too many bugs (and I'm a wimp and scream when they land on me)
• burritos, pad thai, curry, and flavorful food in general
• my iPod
• wireless internet -- I don't know how people study abroad in places without it, which may make me a spoiled American. But I love me some interwebs.

People I miss

• everyone who does not have the pleasure of being in South America with me right now. Can you all come and visit please?
• yes, this means you.

i'm thinking of trying this out on my professors.

How can I possibly be expected to get any of my homework done when the evening meal with my family lasts so long that the guacamole turns brown?

punta arenas

For the last few days of our trip, we stayed in Punta Arenas, which is the capital of the Patagonia region. It sits right on the Strait of Magellan, and it's the farthest south you can go in Chile before you hit islands. Because we were so far south, it was absolutely freezing here -- even colder than Torres del Paine!

Needless to say, it was not beach weather.

The Strait of Magellan!

This picture almost makes it look like it was pleasantly warm, but don't be fooled. I had to battle intense wind and the cold to get this shot.

The town of Punta Arenas.

A really cool cemetery in downtown Punta Arenas (Tracy, if you're reading this, it made me think of you). South American cemeteries are so different -- instead of just burying coffins underground, there are lots of elaborate crypts, statues, and monuments. Everything is beautiful and ornate, and there are tons of flowers. I think it makes it seem more like a place of celebration instead of a place to be somber and sad.

And now that you're thoroughly up to date on all of my adventures, I may have to actually think about starting my econ paper...great.

cruisin around antarctica

The next day, we went on a boat trip to see some glaciers.

We saw a colony of sea lions along the way!

Beautiful beautiful glaciers! It's so sad to think about the fact that this might all be gone in 40 years...

Back on the boat, they served us complimentary whiskey on the rocks...and the "rocks" just so happened to be GLACIER ICE. Score. Needless to say, we were champions and finished it all.

We stopped off at a tiny little town to have lunch...and yes, that entire lamb was our lunch. We watched this man chop it up, throw it in that pot, and grill it. It was delicious, but I think I prefer a little more mystery to my meat.

This is where we ate. It was green, full of sheep, and felt a little more like Ireland than Chile.

torres del paine

I have SO MANY pictures from my week in Patagonia that I'm going to split them up for you.

On our first day, we went to a national park called Torres del Paine. It's famous for its lakes, which are huge and gorgeous and all kinds of different colors.

One of the lakes had glaciers in it...because, you know, that's what you get in Patagonia.

Group shot (minus our hombre, who was taking the picture) by a lake.

We saw tons of alpacas! The weird rock formation in the background is called torres (towers), and it's where the park gets its name.

It was soooo windy everywhere we went -- we're talking winds up to 80 mph! It was a really crazy sensation to step outside and get pushed along by the wind. I was seriously worried about getting blown away.

I wish I had a way to capture the wind...the best I can do is point out the plants that are getting blown sideways.

I don't think I've ever been surrounded by so much natural beauty.

At the end of our tour of the park, we visited a milodon cave. The milodon is a prehistoric mammal (that supposedly looks like this statue) whose remains were discovered here in Chilean Patagonia. Weird, but a good photo op!

thank god for spring.

I'm back home in Santiago! It's kind of weird to categorize this foreign city as "home"...but after a week of hanging out a little bit too close to the South Pole and freezing to death, I definitely started to miss the comfort of my casita. Although Patagonia is an absolutely amazing place, I was ready to return to central Chile, where the weather is finally warm and beautiful and springy.

Unfortunately, my homecoming is accompanied by mountains of homework. Blah. For now, I'm putting it off by uploading all of my billions of pictures from the week...so, assuming this procrastination keeps up, you can look forward to a massive blog entry soon!

live from patagonia!

Just FYI -- I´m taking a leave of blogging absence because I´m spending the week in southern Chile. We flew into Punta Arenas on Monday morning, and we´re currently staying in Puerto Natales, a tiny tourist town near a bunch of glaciers and national parks. It´s beautiful here, in a cold and windy and icy kind of way...it´s crazy to think about how close to the South Pole I am right now. I´m working on filling up my camera with way too many pictures, so look out for an epic update when I get back on Saturday!

a peanut butter story, part II

Yesterday, I ran out of peanut butter. Considering the fact that I sometimes eat peanut butter three times a day here (for breakfast, lunch, and once), this was no laughing matter. While hanging out with a Chilean friend, I did my best to explain the gravity of the situation and convince him to go to the grocery store with me. Our conversation went as follows:

Felipe: Wait. What do you want to do? You need to go to the grocery store right now?

Tara: Yes, I have to do it today. It's very important.

Felipe: What do you need?

Tara: Peanut butter.

Felipe: Peanut...what? You're talking about gringo butter, right?

Tara: Um. I guess so. I need some more.

Felipe: This jar is really expensive. They don't make this in Chile so it has to be imported. Why do you need this again?

Tara: I eat it every day!

Felipe: On what? Crackers?

Tara: No, on bread. With jam. I make sandwiches and bring them for lunch when I have classes.

Felipe: That's not a sandwich.

Tara: It's called peanut butter and jelly!

Felipe: Sandwiches have meat and cheese. And sometimes avocado. How can this be a lunch food? Why are you paying so much money for these peanuts?

Tara: It's very common in the United States.

Felipe: You are such a gringa.

happy sunday.

My life flows on in endless song;

above Earth's lamentation,

I hear the sweet, though far-off hymn

that hails a new creation.

No storm can shake my inmost calm

while to that rock I'm clinging;

if love is Lord of Heaven and Earth

how can I keep from singing?

Okay, so maybe I'm lame and miss my Mennonite hymnal sometimes. Chile has many things to offer me, but Mennonites are not one of them.

halfway

Today marks my halfway point in this study abroad experience -- I have been in Chile for 8 weeks, and I'll be here for 8 more. I have very mixed feelings about being in this middle place. On one hand, I can't believe how far I've come in these past 2 months, in terms of adjusting to a foreign city and adapting to life in a different language. And on the other, I feel like I should be pushing myself a lot more to get out of my comfort zone, try new things, meet new people, and continually work towards this elusive promise of "fluency" that's supposed to be waiting for me at the end of all this.

Maybe I'll have time for a more contemplative entry later, but right now I have to go take a midterm...which seems kind of fitting in a cruel, academic, don't-forget-that-you're-still-here-as-a-student-no-matter-how-many-cool-trips-you-take way.

another day, another dollar.... wait a minute.

Who invented this unpaid internship thing, anyway?

Inexplicably, I just accepted an interview for one in DC for this upcoming spring. Once they get you, they just won´t let you go...it´s like a resume-building sickness. God help me.

weird things i eat in chile: the hot dog edition

Chileans love hot dogs. You can buy a cheap hot dog on every corner, but it's not your average street vendor fare -- in Chile, it's called a completo, which is a hot dog slathered in mayonnaise, avocado, and tomato. It's as weird as it sounds.

Tonight, Quinn's host family insisted on feeding me hot dogs while we watched the soccer game (side note: Chile has won the past two games and is going to the World Cup!!! I am trying really hard to care more about these things since I'm in South America and it's obligatory). Oh, but not any old kind of hot dog. Not even a completo. They served me hot dog sandwich -- they cut up a hot dog, put it between two slices of toast, added some lettuce, tomato, mayo, ketchup, and mustard, and called it something weird in Spanish that I now forget.

When I was a little kid, hot dogs were one of my favorite foods...but I've never gotten quite this creative with them before.

mendoza

This past weekend, we took a bus across the border to Mendoza, the land of wine and chocolate and endless outdoorsy activities.

Customs won't let you take any food across the Chile-Argentina border...but Dan and I managed to sneak our apples through! Notice how attractive (and hungry) we were at 5 in the morning, when our bus arrived in Argentina.

Our first day in Mendoza, we went on a biking tour of wine country.

Photo credit: Alex

We took a tour of a wine museum, learned a little bit about the fermenting process, and got some free samples.

We had an adventurous weekend that included as many outdoor activities as possible. First up was horseback riding at the base of the Andes.

Photo credit: Alex

Then we put on some really attractive wetsuits to go river rafting.

We rafted down this river and through the mountains. It was absolutely beautiful, but FREEZING. And it didn't help that all the other rafts were full of prepubescent boys who kept splashing us.

Photo credit: Alex

My friends somehow convinced me to put on a helmet and a harness and repel down the side of a cliff. Needless to say, I was absolutely terrified. But finally -- after a tiny meltdown at the top, some reassurance from our very patient guide, and Quinn's gospel songs of encouragement -- I made it! I'm proud of myself for surviving, but I'm not sure I could ever do something like that again. It's a lot to ask of a little girl with a big fear of heights.

Our bus ride back to Chile took us straight through the Andes mountains. The views were absolutely incredible... and almost made me forget about the fact that I was stuck on a bus with all of my Econ homework.

Econ is gross, especially in a foreign language.

There were tons of people returning to Chile after the holiday weekend, so we had to wait forever at la aduana (customs). Our bus sat at the border for three hours, and then it took another hour to get everyone through customs (I got an Argentinean stamp for my passport, score!) -- it was kind of annoying, but it did give us a chance to see the sunset over the mountains. Have I mentioned how much I love the freaking Andes????

i'm alive!

Don't worry, faithful followers -- I am alive and well and back in Santiago. We didn't get home until almost 2 am because we had to wait FOUR HOURS in customs to cross the Argentinean-Chilean border...and now I'm headed to my internship...ughh. Pictures and stories to come soon!

brb, going to argentina.

This Monday, my classes are cancelled for Columbus Day (funny story: he discovered all of the Americas, so they celebrate it here too)... so my friends and I are spending the three-day weekend in Mendoza, Argentina! I'm really excited for the following reasons:

1. It's my first trip outside of Chile.
2. I'm taking a bus that will travel through the Andes mountains to get across the border. I can't wait for all the awesome views!
3. Mendoza is famous for its wine, so there may be a biking tour of wine country in my future...
4. I'll see my friend Beth, who is spending the semester in Buenos Aires and happened to plan a trip in Mendoza for the same weekend! This is especially important to me because most of my friends are studying in Europe and making me jealous by meeting up every other weekend...so I have to try to keep up by hanging out with my fellow South American exchange students.
5. I'll get to write an AWESOME blog post when I get back!

sick.

I'm not feeling very well, which always makes me a little homesick. But luckily, my host mom made me fresh mint tea, the cat is snuggling with me, and I have zillions of "Mad Men" episodes on my computer (thanks, Alejandro!) ...so life isn't all bad.

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UPDATE

I just got served crackers, jam, and tea in bed. On a tray. By my two doting Chilean host parents.

Mom and Dad, you might have some new standards to live up to. Just saying.

cine a mil

Today is "Cine a Mil" in Chile, which means "Movie for 1,000 Pesos," which means paying about a dollar fifty to go to any movie theater in Santiago. It's a special promotion that happens once a year to encourage more people to go to the movies.

We got tickets for "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" -- or, as the Spanish title translates to, "Hamburger Rain." I highly recommend watching kids' movies in Spanish. It makes them that much funnier. I also highly recommend going to the movies for under two bucks...but I don't know if that's possible in the States!

new internship: pros and cons

PROS

• I'm typing this on my lunch break because Chileans get almost two hours off for lunch. That's over a fourth of my work day. Score.
• I just got lots of free pamphlets and a free pen (you can never have too many pens)
• After reading all my pamphlets, I learned that this organization is kind of a big deal in Latin America...so hopefully it will look awesome on my resume.
  
• I can pretend to be a grown up and wear heels. We'll see if this gets old after lunch.

CONS

• I'm not getting paid. And unlike most students in DC, this is the first time in my life that I have ever consented to this, so I'm still trying to get used to the idea of slave labor.
  
• There are no other interns here, so I have to awkwardly hang out with my supervisor, who likes to talk about her husband and give me cooking tips.
  
• I will probably be bored out of my mind when I have to start doing real work.
  
• Chilean computers are crazy!!! I just spent ten minutes trying to figure out how to make an @ symbol. The keys are labeled, but the labels only correspond about half the time...and the other half, you just have to hit random keys and hope that you eventually find the symbol you want. I don't know how I'm going to be able to get anything done on a keyboard that wants to play hide and seek with me.
  

list of things that never get old

1. seeing the Andes from my backyard

only in latin america.

Host mom: Tara, what is your class schedule like this week?

Tara: I have more classes than usual. I have my econ class three times this week.

Host mom: Three times? Why?

Tara: We have to do make-up sessions.

Host mom: Why?

Tara: The professor was in Spain for the past three weeks, so we weren't able to have class. Now she's finally back, and we're making up for the lost time by having class twice on Wednesdays.

Host mom: Twice?

Tara: Once in the morning, and once again in the afternoon.

Host mom: With lots of homework?

Tara: Yes, different homework for each class.

Host mom: And this is because this professor was away for so long? And scheduled a trip to Spain instead of teaching class? And is now making you make up for it?

Tara: Yeah.

Host mom: *intense swear word* Only in Latin America.

cajón del maipo

Today, we took a day trip to a wildlife reserve about an hour and a half outside of Santiago. It was really nice to get out of the city (and breathe some fresh air!) for a little bit.

We took a bus to this park, where you can do lots of outdoorsy stuff like hiking, rafting, horseback riding, and ziplining.

We went on a hike that included some pretty rickety bridges... our guide told us that only 5 people were allowed on at a time, so I was slightly freaked out.

There were some pretty cool views -- which of course included the Andes, my favorite permanent fixture in Chilean scenery.

Our hike led us to two cáscadas (waterfalls).

We got a chance to drink the fresh water that flows into the waterfalls.

Obligatory group shot in front of the cáscada.

Even though I've never really gotten over my fear of heights, I got talked into ziplining. Don't let my smile fool you. I was terrified.

But, thanks to peer pressure and the fact that I had already paid my money, I took the plunge! And it was actually pretty awesome and I didn't die. All in all, not a bad Saturday.

what i have to do this month

• start a new internship at FLACSO (La Facultad Lationamericana de Ciencias Sociales, or the Latin American Association for Social Sciences) two days a week...in Spanish
• read a 90-page article on neoliberalism in Latin America and do a presentation on it...in Spanish
• write a 15-page paper about the effects of neoliberal trade policies on Central American economies...in Spanish
• get used to being a Comm major who is currently taking nothing but International Relations courses...in Spanish
• stop wishing my homework was in my native language

it's october?!??!?!?

Stop lying to me, calendar.