September

September is here! This is pretty exciting, since September is when stuff starts happening in Chile. The supermarkets are full of paraphernalia for Independence Day, the metros and collectivos are sporting red white and blue streamers, and everyone is starting to emerge to see the sun and make travel plans for the week’s vacation mid-month. Plus, ya know, spring and stuff.

I have made three new major acquisitions to my weekly routine: Zumba, volunteering, and a small group at church. I haven’t had the chance to actually go to small group as yet, so let’s talk about the other two. Zumba here seems a bit more intense than the version I’d seen at GU, maybe because of the teacher, but maybe also because it’s Latin America. No sé. Either way, the room is jam-packed with 40 or so people (finding a spot is a little competitive), and yelling is involved. Today I’m going with a Chinese friend, should be fun.

As for volunteering, my Gender teacher heard another girl and me talking about bothering the volunteer coordinator for information and volunteered to show us a day center literally a stone’s throw from the university that needs volunteers. Accordingly we marched over the next day to find them, and were shown a snug little building that offers showers, laundry, a kitchen, and workshops for homeless people by a very friendly and smiley volunteer coordinator. I went to work yesterday morning with another friend; it was surprisingly exhausting work to simply socialize with various participants in our wobbly Spanish. I talked with the director, and I think I am committed to leading a 2 hour improv theater workshop next week. In Spanish. I’m slightly terrified. It will be a challenge, but hopefully in a good way.

Yesterday in written Spanish class we talked about Chilean stereotypes. The stereotypical Chilean (especially in comparison with their neighbors) is serious, responsible, cold, formal, and really a drag at a party. Chileans actually like this image, according to a study, because their country has rules and things actually work like they’re supposed to. I also learned that Chile is environmentally much like an island, since the Andes, Patagonia, the Pacific, and the Atacama desert surround it. Thus the lack of terrifyingly poisonous animals or devastating diseases. Definitely not your stereotypical Latin American country. Also, bland food and cold temperatures. Very very not Mexico.

I have discovered two English words that have been adopted here with their pronunciation intact: Pie and Colgate. Only the ignorant call it Peeay or Colgahtay. I asked what a lemon pie was called and was told Lemon Pie. Got that one down.