what's in a name?

"a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

language is utterly amazing in its complexity. right now i am being bombarded with this truth. and this oh-so-famous shakespeare quote really exemplifies my most recent conundrum. that is, spanish words do not stand for english words which stand for the things themselves. the word "rosa" does not mean "rose," the word "rosa" means a sweet red flower with thorns. the word "arbol" does not mean "tree." "arbol" means the brown and green things that line the streets. i'm learning the when a person has to learn a second language post-childhood, we are taught to equate the new language with our first, as opposed to the things themselves. and granted, i understand that it would be difficult to teach 8th graders by only speaking to them in spanish, but i can't help but feel that this language-to-language teaching does a disservice to students. its as if we (all students who learn this way globally) are taught a bit of ethnocentrism from the start. we are taught to take what we're learning, put it in our terms, and then try to learn it. i guess as i'm learning words here that i never knew in english, like foods or colloquialisms, i'm realizing that spanish does not exist in it's ability to be translated into english. i don't know, this may not make any sense at all. or maybe only to those that have longed and worked to learn another language like i'm trying now.

also, i'm learning how many things about me are wrapped in my words. not just my ability to express myself and display my personality, but other things. ie--the last couple days, i've found myself slipping and saying random words within a conversation in english. this worried me a bit, because i felt like i was back sliding. however, it isnt words that i don't know, it's words like "because" or "last night." and the more i think about it, i think this is because i'm becoming more and more comfortable in general here, and therefore i'm forgetting that i'm an extranjera (foreigner.) at first, i was consistently uncomfortable because everything was so foreign. but as i settle in more, even with my host family, i sometimes forget that i'm not in chicago and express myself as i would if i was there.

ah, it's confusing, i know. but when is language not? i mean, look at this entry. i used the world "conundrum" but i never used a capital letter.

chao and goodbye.

(not-so-)mini-update

i don't really have anything new to say, but i've had so many people tell me that they read my blog (they're probably all lying), that now i feel pressured to keep up. so, here goes:
--i've actually been busy this week, with presentations and projects for class, plus an application for loyola that will be a lot of work. but, it's been great to have things to do.
--i finally got to spend time with my friend sarah who did this program two years ago and lives here now, so that was amazing. it's really life-giving (megan-word) to have a friend who knows me. someone i can mention a family member or friend to, and not have to explain. and also, it's great to be that for someone.
--we're starting our travel plans to the south of chile, and i'm getting really, really excited.
--it's kind of crunch time for the language, i feel. my english is definitely suffering, especially in thought, but i can't just think in spanish yet either, so when i want a word, i cant think of it in either language. it's rough. and like i've mentioned, one day i'll go to bed thinking "this is great, i'm practically fluent," and the next i'll night i'll be thinking "i don't know anything. i'm not sure what i was doing the last 8 years of spanish class."
--i hung out with my host brother and his girlfriend for a while a few nights ago (i can finally kind of understand him) and i really like them. i hear he studies a ton once school starts (med-school) so i'm hoping she'll want to be my friend. :)
--i'm continually being challenged with discussions and readings about poverty and development, the theme of this program. if you ever want a glimpse into my thoughts on the subject and the theories that get me passionate, check out chapter one of "pedagogy of the oppressed" by paulo freire. i read it before i got here, but i'm reading it again as i keep learning. i'd love to discuss it over email with you all.
--i'm discovering chilean folk music, and it is absolutely breath-taking. it's so amazing to learn, slowly, that each country, of which there are what, thousands?, each has it's own bloody, painful, inspiring, and beautiful past--and the mediums that go along with recording and expressing that. in the states we have bob dylan, joni mitchell, sufjan stevens (damn straight). in chile they have violeta parra, victor jara, nicanor parra. and every country the same. how amazing this world is.

okay, thats all i got for now. just as a warning, i leave for traveling in about a week and a half, for about 4 weeks, during which i will rarely have internet access. so, if you've been dying to tell me anything, do it soon. chao.

love and peace.
amor y paz.

valparaiso and a shameful confession

hola todos y todas,
so, this weekend i went to a town called valparaiso, about 2 hours south of santiago, and then briefly to a neighboring town called vina del mar. valparaiso, where we were the majority of the time, is really quite enchanting. it's a very artistic, bohemian town built up on a hill with seemingly no logical organization whatsoever. the grafitti is breathtakingly beautiful and political, as is all grafitti in south america, it seems. i also had the opportunity to see one of the houses of pablo neruda (i quoted a couple entries back) while in valpo, and it was really incredible: 5 floors, each only a room or two, so that every room had a window, which looks over the amazing harbor. there are pictures below. that night we went dancing and stayed in a great hostel, and on sunday we explored vina, a touristy but beautiful beach town briefly, but came home early due to exhaustion. overall it was a great weekend and im sure we'll be back to visit when we get back from traveling in the south during february, which we're starting to plan now and i am very excited about. and the shameful confession? i've already purchased a fanny pack. they are really popular here, especially in santiago, since it's much harder to steal from. and, i decided to try this culture on for size. so, you'll see the proof in the pictures. but don't worry, it's a kick ass fanny. so, the pictures are as follows:
-the garden/patio outside my house in santiago. delightful.
-a park by my house.
-my friend nikki and i on our way to valpo.
-pablo nerudas house. doesnt seem like much, but it's a work of art.
-the view from nerudas house. how could he not be inspired?
-another view of valpo. really amazing.
-the "fanny" pack, if you will.
-a shot of valpo. it's not very good, so i'll try to get one from someone else to post, that shows a little more the (lack of) organization of the city.

chao.

a little taste of home

so, today we went as a whole group, with one of the professors (who is ferociously cool and i want to be her friend), to get our chilean ids, which we need around santiago, just in case, i guess. so, we had to get there early so that we'd be near the front of the line, because supposedly it is a madhouse if you go any later. so, we go there, and all around, it takes about two hours (we have to wait, meet with an international policperson, and they type out a card), which wouldn't have been so bad, but because we're a big group of "pretty american girls" they were a little slower than usual, it seemed. and in fact, a few of us had met one guy randomly at a restaurant last week, and he was trying to show off a little bit and ended up taking longer than anyone else. but regardless, we got them and went off to the next stop.

we now had to go to the 'registro civil' to get the actual id. this place was, honestly, like the dmv from hell. i know that sounds redundant, but they don't use air conditioning in santiago, and instead of a seated, number calling system, like the first place, it was a long, winding, rollar-coaster style line. we waited for almost 2 hours in this line.

so, i finally got up there to go have my little meeting, get my picture taken, etc. i sit down, the lady was very nice, but then...she told me...the date on my card from the international police was wrong. the *-*** (you may know what i want to type, but my mom reads this) at the international police was trying to show off too much and he screwed up my paper. so, i needless to say, i was pretty pissed. it had been a long day, and i have to do it all over again on monday. luckily, it happened to another girl, so we're going to go together, and i think i might also beg my host brother to go, so he can be "pissed off in spanish" like my professor told us to be in the international police. ha.

and how this is a taste of home? i was reflecting on it as i laid down for my daily afternoon nap, and i realized that this is nothing new to me at all. in fact, it was really bound to happen, which is probably why i was only mildly pissed when it happened. let's go back, shall we?
flight to santiago--1st missed, had to take a different one
my visa--2 trips to the consolate
passport--3 trips to the post office
renewing chicago parking pass--2 trips to the downtown office
originally buying chicago parking pass--3 trips, plus a 50 ticket on the first day i was there.
most recent drivers license--2 trips to the dmv

i believe life has themes, and honestly, this is one of mine. maybe i'm being taught patience. who knows? but if you ever need any type of official documentation for anything, leave me at home.

chao!

eye candy

i thought it might be time for some actual pictures. below are 1--me and the two girls i'll be traveling with. next, is my campus here. it is beautiful. next is a random shot of the mountain backdrop of the city, not too far from my house. next are a couple more shots of the campus. as i get more pictures, i'll be sure to send them along.
paz.

try a little tenderness

so, it's been a week here in santiago. it's really hard to believe it's only been a week, because i feel like i've had enough experiences to fill a year. and so after my first week, i make my first observations about los santiaguinos:

in this first week, i have noticed, overwhelming, that there is something of a tenderness in most chileans that is unlike anything i've ever seen. it is not just in the couples making out EVERYWHERE (pda is also unlike anything else, but it really doesn't bother me, to be honest), but it's also the greeting/parting with a tender kiss on the cheek, even between men, and the sweet affection between family members. my family may be moreso than others, but they are so affectionate, even between the brother and sister, that love just radiates. and as for the topic of couples, EVERYONE here is in a relationship, it seems. walking by a park, on the train, in a store, or at a restaurant, you are guaranteed to see couples, probably kissing or whispering sweetly to each other. it is not obscene or uncomfortable (usually) but it is also not hidden. now, i promised myself i would not "america-bash" while i was gone, but i must comment that this tenderness is something that is just not seen nearly as much in the states. of course it happens, but even in my family, who loves one another immensely, we're just not as physically affectionate. and when we meet people, we do not kiss, of course. nor do we stand extremely close to each other (i'm still getting used to that.) maybe it's the ethic of individuality that just kind of radiates into all spheres. who knows? but it's definitely different, and the chilean people are definitely endearing because of it.

until my next observation, i leave you with this stanza from pablo neruda, the famous chilean poet, who seems to me the perfect representation of this chilean tenderness. it's not that everything is perfect and happy, but still sweet and affectionate:

Para mi corazón basta tu pecho,
para tu libertad bastan mis alas.
Desde mi boca llegará hasta el cielo
lo que estaba dormido sobre tu alma.

(for my heart, your chest is enough
for your freedom, my wings are enough
from my mouth to the sky will arrive
what was sleeping in your soul.)

paz.

cada dia mas (more everyday)

i'm learning that the "success" of a conversation in spanish really effects me, even in physical ways. that is to say, i will sometimes (right now, usually) finish a conversation and find myself physically exhuasted. it is so much work to understand when most people talk. i dont want to miss a thing, because they usually ask for a response. but other times, the opposite happens, like the conversation i just had with my host brother. to be honest, as of late i've been kind of avoiding him at home because he is by far the most difficult to understand. he uses some slang, but more than anything he just doesn't pronounce his words very clearly. in part, i think he chooses to not speak slower or better for me because he knows that in the long run it will help me learn. but regardless, i usually find myself very tired after a converstaion, eyes drooping and head hurting. however, i'm already feeling this changing a bit. as in, tonight i was exhausted. after school i went to the pool with a couple friends (i didnt say my life was hard) and the sun is incredibly strong here (high polution means high uv rays), so by the time i got home at 7pm, i was exhausted. i ate dinner at 830, so i was by myself (they dont generally eat until around 10/11 here) and i then retreated into my room and closed the door (for the first time) and watched CNN in spanish. (sorry tesi, fox news doesnt broadcast in spanish). when i finally heard voices in the house around 10, and i knew everyone had finally come home, i decided to go out to just say hello. i ended up staying for an hour talking to my host mom, then my host brother and his girlfriend. it was markedly easier to understand him, although still hard work, and he mentioned multiple times how much i had improved in just a few days. and now? i'm overly alert. my blood is pumping and i'm actually excited to watch all the presidential canditates post-new hampshire speeches dubbed in spanish. ok, maybe not, but i'm at least okay with it. maybe i'll watch seinfeld or miss congeniality or one of the other many things they have dubbed.
peace.

cosas importantes

para los que la quieran, mi direccion en chile es:
(for those who want it, my chilean address is:)

Kaitlin Klipsch
Nevería #4704, Las Condes
Santiago, Chile

he llegado. i have arrived

it's true, i have finally arrived in santiago. after plane troubles in chicago on thursday, the girls i was traveling with and i missed our connecting flight to santiago. thinking we would be spending a night in the miami international airport, we were pleasantly surprised to be put up in the miami marriot by the airline. we ended up spending a day galavanting around miami, and caught the same flight the next day. this got us into santiago this morning around 11 am, santiago time.
therefore, i am exhauasted and will be crashing soon. but, i thought everyone should know that i made it.

overall excitements/highlights thus far:

i have met some truly amazing people already. the airline worker in miami was a man from haiti that played football for northwestern and briefly for the kansas city chiefs. there was a guy on the chicago to miami flight with us that missed his connecting flight to bolivia, where he his returning to his peace corps site, so we ended up spending significant time with him on friday around the hotel. then, we met an elderly couple in the terminal for the flight to santiago and they shared with us their stories of post-retirement world travel (they were heading for an antartic cruise).

and the kindest, most amazing people--my familia en chile. they are truly as amazing as they seemed in correspondence beforehand. the parents picked me up from the airport and were graciously kind and affectionate and visibly excited. then, the son and daughter sat around and talked with me for a while in the porch (i'll post pics soon.) then, the son, camilo, took me around to get some necessary errands done, such as buying a metro card and buying a cell phone. i would not have been able to do those things without him. or if i had, i'd a gotten swindled. his spanish is pretty hard to understand, but he is very kind.

also, the food's been great. my first chilean meal: fresh chilean salmon. delicious.


you may have noticed (probably not) that i changed the quote at the top of this blog. i just finished reading slaughterhouse-five by kurt vonnegut, and this quote really stood out to me. i wrote in my journal during the first flight and decided that this would really be my focus for this trip. i'm not going to live in the past or the future. i want to simply take in the present. to understand it's depth, width, and capacity to be kept.

hasta pronto.
peace.
kait