What Getting Robbed on the Bus Taught Me About Being Present

Hello All!

Yes, you read that title right. I got robbed on the bus today. License, debit card, Chilean ID, health card, Wheaton ID, approximately $35 in cash, and even a photocopy of my passport taken right out of my bag as I waited to disembark to go to class. Unfortunately, I didn't notice until I had already stepped off the bus and the micro had zoomed away at a breakneck speed.

Before anyone panics, thanks to the most miraculous support team in the world (aka my parents) I was able to cancel my card before any damage was done, my program has lent me money, and I still have my phone. I'll take what little victories I can get.

I came to realize (after the initial freak out) that I had not only become comfortable in living in Viña and Valparaíso, but I had become complacent. Sure, I made a bucket list, but even doing those things was just going through the motions of "what I had to do to get home." I had stopped focusing on where I was, and had started focusing on a place where the grass was currently a very lovely shade of green.

Anyone who knows me knows how I feel about New England in the summer.

But all that energy I was spending on thinking of where I was going to be in six weeks made me lose track of where I was. And as my mother so lovingly put it; "You know, you're still white, they're gonna target you." My father of course rejoiced to mention my ever-present need for "spacial awareness". And me? I gained a whole new level of appreciation for living in the now. What'll happen will happen, and time will pass. There's no point in trying to force it to speed up, you just miss things.

Now, what I happened to miss was me getting robbed, but it's still a significant philosophical development.

From Valpo, With Love,

Alison

All Of a Sudden, There's a Deadline.

Hello!

I know it's been a really long time since my last blog post, and for that I'm sorry. With all of the drama that was my first part of this semester, this past month or so of routine going to classes and homework and doing absolutely nothing exciting has been so wonderful. Honestly never thought I'd say that.

And while monotony might be thrilling for some, it doesn't exactly lead to spectacular blog posts. But you know what does?

Being woken up at 10 am by a completely random fife and drum parade going down your street.

Chilean parade from my window

The greatest part about it was that it was either a) completely random, or b) scheduled and forgotten about: there were no road closures or warning signs. I even watched part of the parade get disrupted by a truck who decided it wasn't going to wait for anyone else to walk by.

It was while I was watching this group of high school (baby marines??) walk by that I began to think of how much I was going to miss when I get on that plane to come back home. And all of a sudden, it hit me very hard: I now have a deadline. But instead of my deadline being the excitement of a five month trip to experience a new country, it's the dread of packing my bags and going back to a country that doesn't entirely feel like home anymore.

I mean, I knew it was going to happen, but it hurts to recognize just how much I have fallen in love with this country and how little time I have left to experience it.

Which of course then got me thinking of all of the things I want to do but keep saying "I'll do it next weekend." Eventually (and soon) there's not going to be a next weekend.

So here it is, here's my bucket list. I have 58 days in which to actually get them done. Oh gosh that's not a lot of time.

Alison's Chilean Bucket List:

1. Pisco Bar on Cerro Alegre
2. Museo Fünke in Viña
3. Museo de Bellas Artes in Valparaíso
4. go to the bagel place in Viña
5. find a favorite café
6. find a favorite bar
7. go back to the cervezería near the ascensor Reina Victoria
8. find that cookie place from the tour with Mom and Dad
9. buy a PUCV sweatchirt
10. go back to Antonia Wine Bar underneath the ascensor Reina Victoria
11. follow the painted ants on Cerro Alegre
12. visit the natural history museum/art gallery on Cumming Street in Valparaíso


Ok wow that's a lot. But I can do it. I've got weekends free and no class on Mondays or Fridays I can totally make this work.

In addition to this striking realization, we also went to Santiago for a day. Of course, that was the day after Monica's birthday party so you can imagine that most of us were slightly exhausted. But no matter how tired I was, it was still a fascinating trip.

Most people know that Chile had a dictatorship. Beginning on September 11th, 1973 with a military coup d'estate, Augusto Pinochet ruled over Chile with a harsh, unforgiving, ruthless iron hand. He persecuted any and all political opponents, putting anyone with remotely leftist affiliations into torture camps until he was finally outed at the end of the 1980s.

This trip was extremely interesting for me, not just as a history major. Given that my family is slightly political (shocking, I know) it really made me wonder if I would have had the courage to fight against this government that willing killed anyone who it thought was even somewhat against it. In addition, we had the opportunity to hear from a torture camp survivor, and to talk to her and hear her experiences and know that she is still actively fighting for political equality was really inspiring.

A photo from our trip to the Human Rights Museum

I've really started thinking about what I'll bring back with me. Besides photos and souvenirs and memories, I mean. I've started doing a lot of thinking about the kind of person I'd like to be, and if I'm actually living up to what that means. And while I'd love to get all philosophical now, I've got a test to study for and a bucket list to finish!

I'll keep you posted! Wish me luck!

Some Musing on the Frailty of Life

Hello Everyone,

During the last two weeks or so, there's been a much larger world spotlight centered on Chile than usual, and it hasn't been for a positive reason. You all heard about the earthquake, tsunami, and aftershocks that rocked (no pun intended) Iquique about a week and a half ago (and thank you all who checked in to make sure I wasn't dead), but now central Chile, and Valparaíso in particular, is facing something too. Fire.

Courtesy of BBC Latin America

Over the past 24-48 hours, what was first a forest fire has spread to the far cerros of Valparaíso. Helped by the wind, this fire has burned over 500 homes to the ground, killed (as of now) 11 people, and caused more than 5000 men, women, and children to be forced out of their homes into shelters across the city. The President has declared Valparaíso a disaster zone. This is the worst fire in 60 years. Living in Viña, I'm fine. I'm lucky. And I know that. Over the next week I'll be volunteering at some shelters around the city, and there's even an event on Thursday specifically aimed at helping the children affected (which sounds super cute and I'm very excited about). But this post isn't about how great of a person I am for volunteering and helping and doing what decent people should do. It's about stuff.

Last weekend, our IFSA group went on a four-day excursion to two Mapuche villages in the south of Chile. We spent the first two days in an area around Lago Budi, learning from the people there about their community, their struggles as Native People against a government that will not recognize their right to their lands, and how they as people believe in supporting the Earth they live on. Translated, their name means "People of the Earth", and it is reflected in the way they interact with the world around them.

Lago Budi

Our Mapuche history lesson

Our third day was spent visiting one specific family (in a different Mapuche community) near the town of Pucón, a little further south. There, we had a remarkably interesting conversation with the cultural leader of the community and his son, who is trying to begin a tourism project in order to have Chileans and Argentinians come and learn about who the Mapuche are and about their struggle to survive as a people.

That experience, added to the earthquake scare and now the fire that has still not burned out really made me think about the way in which I live my life and what I place my value on. And while it might to some seem like the superficial thoughts of a "little white girl who has never had to fight for anything a day in her life", that's exactly the point. I have never struggled to be heard because of my race (sometimes gender, but that is not nearly as demeaning), my socioeconomic status has never limited me from having opportunities, and my way of life has never been threatened by anything, neither government nor natural disaster.

I feel like I don't say thank you enough. That sometimes I take from granted what I have, just because there has never been a risk of it being taken from me. That maybe I need to be a little less complacent.

So thank you. To all of you. To my friends, to my family, to everyone who has ever had anything to do with my life, good or bad. Thank you. I really am so grateful to know all of you.

Long Time, No Blog

Hello!

I know, I know, I've been majorly slacking on the blog post front. Luckily I upload my entire life to the Internet, so it's not like you couldn't keep track of me anyway.

Since my last update was about a month ago (wow!) I have a lot to catch you all up on.

As most of you probably heard, I went hiking for a week in Patagonia with five other girls from IFSA. It was absolutely incredible. We flew in to Punta Arenas, took a bus to Puerto Natales, rented enough stuff to make sure we all didn't die, and then walked along a W shaped trail for five ways. Objectively speaking not the way most people would spend their time, but I would go back in a heartbeat and never leave.

All of us again!

I camped with Greta. Team Strugglebus had a great time.

Probably the greatest photo I've ever taken

There's just something about being that close to the end of the world (geographically speaking) and seeing all those mountains and hearing that silence. It's absolutely incredible. Reminded me of why I loved summer camp.

The trip was also a really great way to bond with some of the girls I felt like I hadn't gotten as close to But then again, being around people 24/7 (except for that one night Merisa got lost) will do that.

Oh! I went to Lollapalooza Chile this past weekend. It was a massive 2-day music festival, and I saw some pretty amazing shows. Capital Cities, Cage The Elephant, Imagine Dragons, Ellie Goulding, Nine Inch Nails, Lorde, Kid Cudi, and Vampire Weekend just to name a few. Absolutely incredible.

We also went on a vineyard tour this past Friday. I fell in love with a Cabernet Sauvignon from 2012 that they export under the label of Gil Ferrer. Apparently available for purchase in the States, so I'm in luck.

Shoot I had more things to say. I'm sorry this blog post has been pretty awful. I originally had a lot more to say and then in true Alison tradition went and forgot them all right when I started typing.

Tomorrow we leave at 7:15 in the morning for a trip down south, so I'll hopefully have enough to make a blog post about that!

Acensores y Temblores

Sorry it's been a little while since I've posted anything. I fear that I'm drawing close to the crashing point of culture shock where I begin to hate everything and anything about the place I must now call home. Plus a whole tornado of personal issues from back home. Feelings, am I right?

Anyway, I have so much to talk about. First of all, I finally got my opportunity to explore Valparaíso and I have to say that I could not have chosen a better place to come live. Last Thursday we had a 9 hour walking tour of the entire city, and while it was long and incredibly hot and my nose looked like Rudolph for the next week because I missed a spot with the sunscreen, it was without a doubt the best day I've had here so far.

Me and Valpo!

Our tour guide's name was Leo, and he had some incredibly insightful things to say about the city, and a lot of them have continued to stick with me. Some of my favorites:

“Valparaíso looks like you could kick out one support and the whole thing would come crashing down, but it never does. And here, we have earthquakes.”

“Chile is the end of the world. I love saying that. We live at the end of the world.” 

“If fishermen and men from boats come here, bars will open. If there is alcohol, there will be women. If there are women, there will be poets. If there are poets, there will be music. And if there is all of that, there is Valparaíso.” 

“It might be a world heritage site but people here are born in an old and dirty city, and they live it.”

He was a very insightful guy. And he was completely right. There's just something about the city that strikes a chord with me. It's dirty and messy and dangerous as all hell but there is no doubt that it is absolutely beautiful. I can't really describe it, but there's just some part of me that connects to the way people view and live their lives here. At first there was a part of me that regretted not going to Spain, just because it's Europe, and it has that reputation of being cultured and sophisticated and all that jazz. But there's something quirky about Valparaíso that just fits right into my soul and somehow manages to fill that little spot that's been empty for a little while.

Ah! How could I have forgotten? We also went to Pablo Neruda's house, and holy goodness was it beautiful. We weren't allowed to take pictures, but it was like the perfect mix of ocean and pops of colors with random stained glass doors I loved it.

The physical city itself is absolutely incredible. Street art is legal, anyone can ask you to paint their house and it has turned into the most fantastic collection of colorful buildings ever. Also, since the city itself is spread across 43 hills (or 47, depending on who you ask), they have these really cool acensores that are basically elevators to take you up some of the hills. We got to go on the oldest one in the world, originally constructed in 1883. Don't worry, it's been restored, perfectly safe. Well, pretty much safe. It's South America, nothing is perfectly safe here. And I love it that way.

Probably the best graffiti I've ever seen.

I've got plans with some of the girls to explore some parts of the city tomorrow after we stand in line for hours registering our visas so we don't get deported. Very important, but at the same time I have to get up at like 8 am and that I'm just not feeling.

Classes have started! I'm still (anxiously) waiting to hear back from Wheaton about how my credits are going to transfer. I could potentially have to take more (and more challenging) classes than I would like to. Yes, I realize I am here to "study" abroad, but at the same time there's no point to me going halfway around the world if I'm just going to be stuck doing work the entire time. Of course, I could just go to a hilltop café......

I'm also going to Patagonia! There are six of us total, leaving on the 14th and coming back the 21st, hiking a trail called "The W" in Torres Del Paine. It's one of Chile's largest national parks, and it's going to be spectacularly beautiful. And very, very cold. But totally worth missing a complete week of class. It's still the add/drop period, attendance isn't real until the 27th. And when's the next time I'm going to be in Chile?

What the week after next will look like.

Danielle and I also have plans to go to Mendoza, because I haven't been drinking nearly enough wine and I really need to get on that. That sounds bad. But the wine is so cheap here and it's so good so how could I not drink as much of it as I can?

I'm really enjoying the girls I came down with. We had to say goodbye to Emma, which was absolutely heartbreaking, but we're all becoming really fast friends and I'm so glad I've been given the opportunity to get to know them all.

Hannah and Kayla!

There have also been so many earthquakes! Well technically they've only been temblores (tremors) because Chile is so hardcore that it only counts as a terremoto (earthquakes) if it registers as a 7 or higher! My Spanish teacher told us that Chile is actually nervous, because it's been almost 30 years since their last really big earthquake. I guess the one in 2010 didn't count?

Anyway, I realize I've written a lot, but there's a lot to talk about! I'm making some Chilean friends. Not as many as I'd like to, but it's only been a few weeks. I'll let you know how that goes.

Chile So Far

Hello again!

As I write this second blog post it's currently about 60 degrees and sunny in Viña del Mar, Chile. It is also 8:15 pm. This is the greatest February weather I have ever experienced in my entire life.

We spent our last day in Olmüe going on a really nice day hike in the national park. Apparently from the tallest hill there (which is about a 4.5 hour hike, both ways) you can see from the Andes on one side to the ocean on the other, the entire width of Chile. We didn't have a chance to do it, but it's so close I might grab a bus out one morning and hike it with some of the girls.

View of the park

All of us!

While we were there we also got to go into an old mine from the colonial times and actually see some of the iron and copper that's still embedded in the rocks. It was really cool.

Unfortunately we didn't have any time in between when we got back from the hike and when we met our host families to shower and become presentable, so I wasn't making the best first impression. Luckily for me, no one else was either.

Mark (our program coordinator) scared the ever loving bajeepers out of me. He informed me right before we got on the bus to travel from Olmë to Viña that I was going to be attending a wedding with my host family! Surprise! In a panic I did my makeup on the bus and I got to get off first so that we could get my stuff and bolt. But it was only after I got to the house that I found out I wasn't actually going with them, it was only Diego (my eldest brother) and the parents. A+ first impression! We all laughed about it in the morning, since it was just Mark not really listening and just hearing the word "wedding" and not "Diego needs to pick Alison up so he can go to a wedding."

Sunday morning we got up relatively late and all sat around the table going over some of the rules of the house and just generally talking. Then we went out to lunch. Apparently it's tradition for the entire family to go to the same restaurant with every new American student. 

Pancho, Ximena, and Diego

My room!

I  had another day of relaxation where I got to hang out at home and bond with my new brothers. I have to say, going from a family where it's just me to one where I live with five other people has been one of the most dramatic shifts I've ever experienced. There's hardly any moments of silence, which I'm finding oddly comforting. It's nice to know that there are always people around.

Food has been one of the most interesting experiences. Pizza has been dinner for the past few days, but we also went to Ximena's café for lunch on Monday. They call it “musical,” and it’s actually the cutest thing in the entire world. They play music from the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s, and have posters up along the walls with information about all the bands. Also the food is freaking amazing. They season the French Fries with all kinds of spices! I’m in love! The only problem is I keep forgetting to take pictures before I start eating!

Pizza! (No idea what was on it)

I also got in some solid bonding time with Diego and Nacho (the middle brother) along with Marciel (their cousin). Because what's better bonding than buying and sharing an entire bottle of Pisco? For reference: Pisco is a vodka-like drink but it's made of grapes, and is incredibly popular in South America. I had some when I was in Peru last summer, and it was absolutely spectacular. Still is.

Pisco and Canda Dry

Today I finally to experience the buses, Valparaíso, and go to my university! Conveniently, the bus stop is only two blocks away and it's a straight line between my house and school, no tricky switching lines or any complications that I have to deal with. And since I get off at a pretty common bus stop, there are a lot of busses I can take to get back home. It was nice to finally get to see the city where I'm going to be spending so much of my time, I can't wait to go on our tour on Thursday!

We had the first day of orientation. I got a little annoyed because we were supposed to meet with and talk to some of the students that help with the international programs, who are called "monitors," but we were supposed to have a print out of the classes that we wanted to sign up for. The only problem is that neither Mark nor Páme mentioned anything about it, so I didn't really have anything to talk about.

I'm really excited to sign up for classes. Obviously, I have a lot of my time dedicated to the history department, but I'm also looking forward to a class that explores the relationship between society and poetry, as well as the possibility (??) of a photography class, which would be awesome!

After we were done, Danielle, Monica, and I took the bus back to Viña and got me a SIM card for my phone, so I finally have a way of contacting people, which is great. Before that I was walking around with nothing. Granted, I'm not in a particularly dangerous place, but it still makes me feel better to have my phone work as an actual phone again.

We stopped at this really cute little restaurant for lunch. The nice thing about South America is that they don't just bring the check over right after you finish your meal, so the three of us were able to sit and have a few drinks and laugh and talk and just generally have a really nice time. After we went to this really cool little artisan fair where I got a super fantastic new scarf (that I'm going to wear all the time) and saw a really cute dress that I might have to go back for later.

Tomorrow we have a Spanish exam at 9 am to determine our level of Spanish going into the program. The idea is that we take it at the beginning and the end and feel awesome about how much we've improved. I'm not too excited though, 1) because it's at 9am, and 2) because I BOMBED the grammar part on the last Spanish exam we took, so goodness only knows how this is going to go. I'll keep you posted!

Pisco Sours! (Actually the best)

I can't even find my name spelled right at home!

Pollo con Arroz

Monica y Danielle

Building in Viña I thought was pretty

A Quick Update About My Life:

Hello everyone!

So for those of you who don't know I have spent the past few days making my way out of the United States into the spectacular country of Chile! It is absolutely beautiful here. Sunny, in the 80s, not a drop of humidity. I never want to leave, and I've only been here for three days.

Actually arriving was an adventure in and of itself. In true Boston/New England fashion, it was snowing, with the most intense storm warning between 4 and 6 pm. Right when my plane was scheduled to take off. Luckily the storm wasn't as bad as everyone expected it to be (despite being a named snowstorm) and we were able to take off after an extensive de-icing process.

In Atlanta, finding the rest of the girls was easy. Since the flight in from Boston was the last to arrive, there was an area that had already been clearly taken over by a bunch of 20-ish year-old college girls. After an bout of confusion about whether or not we were being re-assigned seats and some minor and not at all concerning electrical problems, the plane took off. I was actually able to sleep, which was a shock. It might have had to do with the free glass of white wine that I got to accompany my surprisingly enjoyable chicken salad.

Our orientation packet said we had to arrive at the designated meeting place in the airport by no later than 9:30, otherwise we would be forced to find our own form of transportation to the orientation hotel. Our plane, on the other hand, didn't get in until 10:30, and then with customs, immigration, and an annoyingly long wait for baggage, we didn't get there until almost noon. So close. Luckily since it was the group flight with almost everyone from the trip on it, they weren't about to just abandon us in the Santiago airport.

All together there are 21 of us, and once we gathered up our stuff and met our two orientation leaders Mark, the director of the program, and Páme (Pamela), the assistant director, we headed out. I tried incredibly hard to stay awake during the two hour bus ride from Santiago to Olmüe, the town we're staying in for orientation, and it was totally worth it. The scenery is incredible. No matter where you look, there are mountains, and the sky is a shade of blue I haven't gotten to see in a very very long time.

The view from our Hotel Pool

Orientation is fun. The lectures about classes and culture are a bit reminiscent of high school Spanish classes, but I'm actually learning a lot and my Spanish is improving by the day.

Food, however, is an adventure. Our first day here there was mayo on my salad. Not as part of a dressing, but about six individual little dollops of mayonnaise all around. I mean, I ate it anyway, but still. Today there was a giant piece of lettuce, half an avocado, and either tuna or chicken salad on top, the jury is still out on that one. 

Today's Salad Adventure

We're also having some pretty entertaining dance classes. Today we've got a visit from some Chilean students that we get to dance with. I'll let you know how well that goes (hint: I'm not expecting it to go well).

I get to meet my host family tomorrow! Apparently I'm staying with the same family that the girl from Wheaton stayed with last year, which is pretty cool. And the director of our program has been telling me that everyone who has lived with them has loved them, so I'm pretty excited. I'll be living in Viña del Mar, which is just outside of Valparaíso, where I'll be going to school, and I move in tomorrow! I've also been actively pre-registering for classes and figuring out how to get my life in order enough so that I won't get lost. To be completely honest I'm slightly terrified of tomorrow, but hey, who knows what'll happen? Wish me luck!

Elena and Brooke

Me and Kayla

Walkway into our hotel

My favorite picture of Nancy from dance class!