okay, a couple random comments/updates/thoughts/ponderings--
1--i had my first chilean test today, which they call a "control," which is quite ironic, as thats anything but what i was feeling as i studied until 330am last night. the test was hard, but it went well, i think. we'll see. it'll depend on how hard i'm graded, whether at chilean level, or exchange student level. vamos a ver. i learned, however, that it's pretty hard to memorize in spanish. things go in in a mix of spanish and english, no matter which language i'm reading in, and so it makes it more difficult to recall. just another interesting lesson.
2--i had another amazing convo about world politics today with a girl from class after the test. granted, i understand that i keep hanging out with poli sci majors, but seriously, i'm amazed.
3--the other night camilo (my host brother) and i somehow got on the topic of high school activities and i brought up show choir. i decided to youtube it, just in case by chance one of the songs was on it and EVERY song i ever did in high school is on it. (search 'davenport west connection' and watch years 2003, 2004, 2005, if interested). anyways, i showed him about 4/5 and he seemed to enjoy it. he was obviously impressed. the point is i am, single-handedly bring show choir, the pride and joy of the midwest united states (according to some, i'm sure) to the southern hemisphere. you can thank me later.
4--i don't think chilean women wear sports bras. sorry if this makes anyone uncomfortable, but i'm amazed! in my dance class, i'm ALWAYS the only one wearing a sports bra! they all wear their cute little tank tops and real bras! i dont get it.
thats all for now. need to catch up on a bit of sleep and the parents come in a couple days! yay for trying new things!
chao.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
reader beware
i´m writing from a computer at the university because i haven´t gone home yet, so these thoughts are fresh on my mind/heart.
i´ve been relatively moody/emotional today anyways. i think the crazy weather here is screwing with me.
so with those things in mind, know that this may be a charged post. i don´t apologize for a word, but just beware.
the last couple days have been interesting ones. it started with a good conversation with my brother, fresh from his trip to ethiopia, about what true poverty looks like; something we have only had small glimpses of in our lives. last night while volunteering, i had a conversation with a 14-year-old kid about how he wasn´t going to have a party/celebration for his upcoming 15th birthday because the people that would come would just start street-fights, just like the party he went to this weekend. he also talked about how he might start a technical program to become a mechanic next week, as he had dropped out of school to work (selling mp3 players on the street) to help his parents with money. i also saw another 14/15-year-old kid buy weed as he got out of his high school.
this morning, i had my political science class which was, in reality, more of a discussion group as all the students chimed in their opinion about the development of foreign policy in latin america, specifically as it relates to the united states and the USs influence in LA. i, however, sat quietly in the back, hearing for the first time of many of the wars/conflicts, policies, leaders about which the chilean students were so opinionated.
and i just finished watching a video about the disappearances and torture during chile´s dictatorship in the 70s and 80s and couldn´t help but think about the cia report i just read about how aggressively the US supported augusto pinochet, the dictator, politically and financially.
in all honestly, i´m not writing this to focus on misdeeds of certain countries or people. the fact that i am extremely frustrated with right now is the lack of AWARENESS that is so prevelant in the US. i know it´s not just the US, and i know it´s not everyone in the US, but when i think of the common ´american,´ (i use the term ironically as, in fact, central and south americans are also american) i think about people that may have the best intentions, but are simply not aware of what´s actually going on in the world. i include myself in this!
i wonder...
--how many foreign leaders can you name?
--how many conflicts has the US really been involved in in the last 20 years? 30? 40?
--have you ever heard of the dictatorship in chile or argentina that was supported by the US? the us goverment no longer denies it´s involvement, so it´s not a conspiracy theory. it was during the height of the cold war. if you´re interested, go here to read more.
--did you know that the US provides the most weapons of any country, and which countries does it send them to? i believe the top 10 were all in africa. i´m pretty sure ethiopia was near the top.
--have you ever heard of oscar romero? (loyolans, you don´t count.)
again, i honestly say that this is not in an attempt to bash the states. this is a challenge to myself as much as anyone else. i think that´s why it´s hitting me so hard right now. it´s just the fact that, for whatever reason, i feel like we are kept in the dark about what is going on in most of the world, most of the time. and we accept it. i wonder when we´ll start demanding to know what´s actually going on in the world and stop believing what we´re told.
i´ve been relatively moody/emotional today anyways. i think the crazy weather here is screwing with me.
so with those things in mind, know that this may be a charged post. i don´t apologize for a word, but just beware.
the last couple days have been interesting ones. it started with a good conversation with my brother, fresh from his trip to ethiopia, about what true poverty looks like; something we have only had small glimpses of in our lives. last night while volunteering, i had a conversation with a 14-year-old kid about how he wasn´t going to have a party/celebration for his upcoming 15th birthday because the people that would come would just start street-fights, just like the party he went to this weekend. he also talked about how he might start a technical program to become a mechanic next week, as he had dropped out of school to work (selling mp3 players on the street) to help his parents with money. i also saw another 14/15-year-old kid buy weed as he got out of his high school.
this morning, i had my political science class which was, in reality, more of a discussion group as all the students chimed in their opinion about the development of foreign policy in latin america, specifically as it relates to the united states and the USs influence in LA. i, however, sat quietly in the back, hearing for the first time of many of the wars/conflicts, policies, leaders about which the chilean students were so opinionated.
and i just finished watching a video about the disappearances and torture during chile´s dictatorship in the 70s and 80s and couldn´t help but think about the cia report i just read about how aggressively the US supported augusto pinochet, the dictator, politically and financially.
in all honestly, i´m not writing this to focus on misdeeds of certain countries or people. the fact that i am extremely frustrated with right now is the lack of AWARENESS that is so prevelant in the US. i know it´s not just the US, and i know it´s not everyone in the US, but when i think of the common ´american,´ (i use the term ironically as, in fact, central and south americans are also american) i think about people that may have the best intentions, but are simply not aware of what´s actually going on in the world. i include myself in this!
i wonder...
--how many foreign leaders can you name?
--how many conflicts has the US really been involved in in the last 20 years? 30? 40?
--have you ever heard of the dictatorship in chile or argentina that was supported by the US? the us goverment no longer denies it´s involvement, so it´s not a conspiracy theory. it was during the height of the cold war. if you´re interested, go here to read more.
--did you know that the US provides the most weapons of any country, and which countries does it send them to? i believe the top 10 were all in africa. i´m pretty sure ethiopia was near the top.
--have you ever heard of oscar romero? (loyolans, you don´t count.)
again, i honestly say that this is not in an attempt to bash the states. this is a challenge to myself as much as anyone else. i think that´s why it´s hitting me so hard right now. it´s just the fact that, for whatever reason, i feel like we are kept in the dark about what is going on in most of the world, most of the time. and we accept it. i wonder when we´ll start demanding to know what´s actually going on in the world and stop believing what we´re told.
Friday, April 11, 2008
round 2
my first attempt at chocolate chip oatmeal cookies are in the oven right now. i'm pretty nervous. this is a lot of pressure. my family didn't even know what chocolate chips were! (i barely found them in the huge grocery store.)
wish me luck...
and, as i wait in suspense but you all, not so much...
success! they're different again, like the apple cake, but good nonetheless. i will introduce this continent to northamerican baking one sugar-y dish at a time!
wish me luck...
and, as i wait in suspense but you all, not so much...
success! they're different again, like the apple cake, but good nonetheless. i will introduce this continent to northamerican baking one sugar-y dish at a time!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
good things!
so, it's only about 2pm, but it's been a great day.
1--i was studying at starbucks this morning and i swear to you, the barristas there, and i mean specifically at the one by my house, are the nicest people i've met in santiago. they are all really friendly. when i was getting ready to leave, about 6 of them were sitting down to do a taste test/lesson time with one of the managers. so, they invited me to join them! they were studying their little booklets and sniffing the coffee and tasting little cakes with it and things. it was pretty delightful.
2--i found out that i my application for the provost fellowship at loyola was accepted! it basically means i will be working with my favorite social work professor about 10 hours/week on a mentoring project on chicago's southside with kids who've been involved in the justice system. i'll be on the team that organizes and implements the program.
i'm very excited!
okay, chao!
1--i was studying at starbucks this morning and i swear to you, the barristas there, and i mean specifically at the one by my house, are the nicest people i've met in santiago. they are all really friendly. when i was getting ready to leave, about 6 of them were sitting down to do a taste test/lesson time with one of the managers. so, they invited me to join them! they were studying their little booklets and sniffing the coffee and tasting little cakes with it and things. it was pretty delightful.
2--i found out that i my application for the provost fellowship at loyola was accepted! it basically means i will be working with my favorite social work professor about 10 hours/week on a mentoring project on chicago's southside with kids who've been involved in the justice system. i'll be on the team that organizes and implements the program.
i'm very excited!
okay, chao!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
la vida es bella
have i named a post that before? i guess it's a testament to it's truth.
bueno, so i returned from my 'sabbatical' from english. and it really was a great week. i'll admit, it was not completely english free. it's tougher than you would imagine. the most obvious way is that when the north-americans get together, we speak in english. and i guess i was never ballsy enough to just speak in spanish, but in my defense, bi-lingual conversations are difficult if both parties are not agreed to it.
but more than that, it's hard to escape english because it's almost a regular part of the culture here. that is, i walk around and hear US music. US shows are on tv. some of my class readings are even in english. it was weird to notice how much i was exposed to it without even realizing it.
so, anyways, here are some things i learned/gained from this experience:
--i would say i'm beginning to think more in spanish. it depends on what i was just doing and what i'm thinking about, but if i get in the right mode, it's spanish.
--i need more good running music in spanish. i haven't found my latin lupe fiasco or bloc party yet.
--i made some more spanish-speaking friends. i think in my attempt to avoid gringo-time a little more, i pushed myself to hang out and had some great convos in spanish.
--i got sucked into a chilean teleseries. i'm not sure thats a positive thing, but it is what it is. i'm officially hooked on 'mala conducta.' jajaja.
--cultural activities!
---that is, monday i went to a speaker at the university who is chilean but now lives and teaches at georgetown in the states. he worked in the bill clinton white house and is now working on the hillary campaign. other than that fact, he was great. the point of the speech was to explain how the upcoming election in the US would have significant effects on latin america, but he ran out of time and ended up just talking about the election. it was really interesting to hear. and also to be in a room full of people so interested, asking so many questions. that can be tough to do in the states with US politics, let alone if it was about a different country.
---tuesday i explored the national library of chile, and it was pretty interesting. its an amazing, huge old building, and it had a big study room that took me back to the quiet room at loyola. after, i went to a my good friend sarah's apt and made her speak with me in spanish.
---wednesday i started my volunteer work in a really poor neighborhood called cerro navia. it was amazing, and i'll write more about it in the near future.
--thursday i just had class all day and went out with the gringos. don't judge. jaja
--friday i went to the cultural center to enroll in a modern dance class (yay!) and later went to the national symphony of chile. it was beautiful.
--yesterday i tried to go to a theatre. well, i did go. but when i get there, bought my ticket and went inside, i realized it was a children's theater. so i felt pretty silly. BUT, it's a great example of US influence, because the play had 5 musical numbers in it, and i'm not making this up: 'step by step' by new kids on the block, 'it's raining men,' 'my heart will go on' from titanic, and then the music, but different lyrics from 'baby one more time' by britney spears, 'i'm too sexy' by right said fred, and 'lets get retarded' by the black eyed peas. i was almost crying i was laughing so hard when 'it's raining men' came on. i honestly think they had no idea what the song was about.
--and today, i broke my sabbatical by going to the movies to see the first US movie since i've been here. (i saw 'the darjeeling limited' and LOVED it. i recommend it if you're at all wes anderson fan. or even if you're not.)
ok, so, obviously, it was a great week. i saw/heard some amazing things, met some great people, gained a nephew (see below), and learned a bit about myself.
bueno, i cant continue to put off my reading anymore. this whole 'not having class on mondays and fridays' thing is a tough temptation.
y por los de uds que me escribieron(/hablaron) en castellano, montones de gracias. aun si todavia no he respondido, me encanto recibirlos.
besitos!
bueno, so i returned from my 'sabbatical' from english. and it really was a great week. i'll admit, it was not completely english free. it's tougher than you would imagine. the most obvious way is that when the north-americans get together, we speak in english. and i guess i was never ballsy enough to just speak in spanish, but in my defense, bi-lingual conversations are difficult if both parties are not agreed to it.
but more than that, it's hard to escape english because it's almost a regular part of the culture here. that is, i walk around and hear US music. US shows are on tv. some of my class readings are even in english. it was weird to notice how much i was exposed to it without even realizing it.
so, anyways, here are some things i learned/gained from this experience:
--i would say i'm beginning to think more in spanish. it depends on what i was just doing and what i'm thinking about, but if i get in the right mode, it's spanish.
--i need more good running music in spanish. i haven't found my latin lupe fiasco or bloc party yet.
--i made some more spanish-speaking friends. i think in my attempt to avoid gringo-time a little more, i pushed myself to hang out and had some great convos in spanish.
--i got sucked into a chilean teleseries. i'm not sure thats a positive thing, but it is what it is. i'm officially hooked on 'mala conducta.' jajaja.
--cultural activities!
---that is, monday i went to a speaker at the university who is chilean but now lives and teaches at georgetown in the states. he worked in the bill clinton white house and is now working on the hillary campaign. other than that fact, he was great. the point of the speech was to explain how the upcoming election in the US would have significant effects on latin america, but he ran out of time and ended up just talking about the election. it was really interesting to hear. and also to be in a room full of people so interested, asking so many questions. that can be tough to do in the states with US politics, let alone if it was about a different country.
---tuesday i explored the national library of chile, and it was pretty interesting. its an amazing, huge old building, and it had a big study room that took me back to the quiet room at loyola. after, i went to a my good friend sarah's apt and made her speak with me in spanish.
---wednesday i started my volunteer work in a really poor neighborhood called cerro navia. it was amazing, and i'll write more about it in the near future.
--thursday i just had class all day and went out with the gringos. don't judge. jaja
--friday i went to the cultural center to enroll in a modern dance class (yay!) and later went to the national symphony of chile. it was beautiful.
--yesterday i tried to go to a theatre. well, i did go. but when i get there, bought my ticket and went inside, i realized it was a children's theater. so i felt pretty silly. BUT, it's a great example of US influence, because the play had 5 musical numbers in it, and i'm not making this up: 'step by step' by new kids on the block, 'it's raining men,' 'my heart will go on' from titanic, and then the music, but different lyrics from 'baby one more time' by britney spears, 'i'm too sexy' by right said fred, and 'lets get retarded' by the black eyed peas. i was almost crying i was laughing so hard when 'it's raining men' came on. i honestly think they had no idea what the song was about.
--and today, i broke my sabbatical by going to the movies to see the first US movie since i've been here. (i saw 'the darjeeling limited' and LOVED it. i recommend it if you're at all wes anderson fan. or even if you're not.)
ok, so, obviously, it was a great week. i saw/heard some amazing things, met some great people, gained a nephew (see below), and learned a bit about myself.
bueno, i cant continue to put off my reading anymore. this whole 'not having class on mondays and fridays' thing is a tough temptation.
y por los de uds que me escribieron(/hablaron) en castellano, montones de gracias. aun si todavia no he respondido, me encanto recibirlos.
besitos!
Saturday, April 5, 2008
cause for celebration
okay, so the week isn't officially up yet, and it's been going pretty well, but i need to post and i want everyone to be able to read it.
so, as a lot of you may already know, i have a new nephew! my brother zach and his wife tesi are currently in ethiopia to meet him and bring him back to the states.
and may i just say, he is one of the (5) most beautiful children i've ever seen, anywhere on the planet. and keep in mind that latina children are pretty beautiful. i cant believe i have to wait 3 months to hold him!
so, without further ado, i give you:
TARIKU ASAMO XAVIER KLIPSCH. (go to my sis-in-law's blog to see other pictures, equally if not more amazing. www.hotflawedmama.blogspot.com)
so, as a lot of you may already know, i have a new nephew! my brother zach and his wife tesi are currently in ethiopia to meet him and bring him back to the states.
and may i just say, he is one of the (5) most beautiful children i've ever seen, anywhere on the planet. and keep in mind that latina children are pretty beautiful. i cant believe i have to wait 3 months to hold him!
so, without further ado, i give you:
TARIKU ASAMO XAVIER KLIPSCH. (go to my sis-in-law's blog to see other pictures, equally if not more amazing. www.hotflawedmama.blogspot.com)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)