Actual Accomplishments

First of all, I promise this post is more interesting than the last. I have actually accomplished two whole class sessions, finding a church, and even visiting some touristy stuff. If you’re still not impressed, I dare you to do the same in a foreign country. Mollie invited me to a non-denominational church in Viña, so I took a micro all by myself for the first time (after my mother had rehearsed several times, with a map, which street I was to ask the driver to deposit me in…I didn’t ask the driver, but I have memorized this all-important phrase) and found the church without any trouble. O happy days! Union Cristiana is basically a Chilean version of New Community – super casual, pastors in jeans, in a non-traditional church building, lots of young people and young families smiling at anyone new, and a hefty sermon. I got there early, so after hanging out a while in the courtyard someone invited me into a little side room where people with small children could watch the service. I got a text and bounced back out into the courtyard to find Mollie (!!!) and a couple other exchangers from her program. We filled up a row in the church, where ushers worked throughout the service to help crowd more people in. It was nice to recognize quite a few of the worship songs as translations of songs from home, and I actually understood the majority of the sermon. I was glowing by the end, I was so happy that I got what he was saying and I was actually learning. I didn’t manage to take notes in Spanish, but I did make a list of vocab words to look up when I got home. After church I came home for a huge Chilean lunch. Paula was visiting with her boyfriend, so I think Gabriela (mi madre) was cooking a little extra fancy for company. We had sopapillas, a Chilean specialty. They’re basically fry bread, eaten as a savory side dish or with something sweet for desert. We also had cabbage with lemon, another Chilean dish. There was also some kind of roast meat and mashed potatoes. And homemade flan for desert. Chileans eat well. In the afternoon I met up with Mollie and co. to visit the Dunas, the sand dunes in a little touristy/rich people town a ways up the coast from Viña. We climbed the small mountains of soft sand and watched the sun set. It was cloudy, but normally you can see all the way to Valpo from there. We ran into some other students from Mollie’s program who happened to be there and watched them try to sandboard down the slope. A few zipped down quite successfully, others putsied along and later regretted necessitating the long climb back to the top. When we got back to Viña we went to El Guaton to eat. I’m not sure if El Guaton is a chain or just a type of restaurant, but they offer ENORMOUS sandwiches and completos, or hotdogs slathered with mayo and guacamole (which is apparently a Mexican term, here it’s called palta). Mollie and I split a sandwich, luckily. Even the sodas, served in 350 ml glass bottles, seemed large. After dinner we walked down to the flower clock, which is just what it sounds like: flowers/ topiary with some clock hands turning around them. I wasn’t too impressed, but I guess it’s a landmark around here and it’s one of the only mildly touristy things I’ve seen so far. It was fun walking and talking and trying to work on my Spanish. This morning I woke up early but got up late (upon request of Gabriela. I think she wants to feed me and be together, but I’ve been getting up early and everyone else is on vacation and sleeping until noon. We settled on a reasonable 9 for getting up.) We had bread and cheese and pastries with tea for breakfast, and it was nice to just be with her and talk some. She is very patient and speaks a bit more slowly with me since Chileans talk like New Yorkers. I then scampered off to meet Mollie downtown. We had planned to visit Quinta Vergara, a big garden in Viña, but there seemed to be construction at the entrance so we got pasties and walked instead. I’m so glad Mollie is here, seeing a friendly face every now and then makes a big difference. This afternoon I had my first two classes, Ecoliterature and Ecocriticism and Español Escrito. I think the Ecolit class will be interesting, the professor is enthusiastic and we get to take a field trip to see the most polluted spot in Chile. I’m sure I will be impressed. The professor immediately thought of Into the Wild when she heard I was from AK, and once again I had to say that I’ve never read it. I did not mention that many Alaskans just think the dude was stupid, but I really ought to read it before joining in on that. And at least to know what everyone is thinking about in association with me. In my written Spanish class there are 2 francophones; I did not reveal my intense interest and secret French skills, but I kinda want to ambush them at some point. There are also 2 Japanese guys who seem pretty cool, and everyone is American. It feels good to be back in a classroom. A word on transportation here: there are 3 options for people without cars or walking shoes. 1. Metro (I hear it’s orderly and easy, but I haven’t tried it yet) 2. Collectivos are kinda cross between a bus and a taxi; they take you to your doorstep, but have more set routes than the micros, only take 4 people, and cost more. I haven’t tried one yet, but I might never since 3. Micros (buses) take me basically to my door and let me avoid climbing the long hill to get there. The buses make an impression – they shudder and rattle along at incredible speeds and most of them seem pretty beat up. Drivers stop for about 2 seconds when you’ve flagged them down, and start moving while you pay them and they give you change. Their multitasking is truly impressive. They seem to personalize their bus with little stickers or messages, like Mercedes Benz logos or icons of the Sacred Heart. I really like the micros. They run at all hours, on a slow street they pick you up wherever you happen to be, they’re cheap, and the seats are actually quite cushy. And you won’t fall asleep. Another random fact: Dental floss here is shockingly expensive. I paid 4 bucks for one little package. It’s hard to know what is expensive and what is not – pastries are less than a dollar, a bus ride is like 50 cents, and dental floss is 4 bucks. Go figure.