I am now at my pensíon in Viña del Mar, Chile. After a few hours of anxiety, a few days of gringos, and a few weeks of hostels, I could not be happier to be here. You truly underestimate how wonderful it is to unpack until you've been living out of your backpack for over a month. Better yet, I have a room all to myself, and I cannot imagine a more simpático y choro* Chilean family.
I suppose I have a few days of catching up to do. I am terrible at blogging when I'm tired.
The night before we left, a bunch of kids from ISA went out to carretear. I hung out with mi amigas en Santiago antes de meeting them at a bar. Due to this, I showed up without having eaten dinner, or stopping at the hotel to get money. My hangry attitude was not entirely appropriate for a discoteque, or for the Chileans constantly grabbing my arm or asking me to bailas. Oh well, you live and you learn (to get drunk before going out).
I arrived at my pensión on Sunday, and immediately loved the house and the dynamic between the 60 something year old Rosa, her two 20 something sons, and the 4 other Chilean students. Although my Spanish is not super bueno, they really do try to explain things to me, slow down when they talk to me, and listen when I manage to say a few jumbly spanish palabras. I've already had a heart to heart (in Spanish) with Romina, the 22 year old architecture student, and another (in English) with Pancho, the 2(3?) year old business tourism student.
School is bueno too. I took a diagnostic exam yesterday that put me into an intermediate Chilean Culture and Conversation and Grammar class. The teachers seem nice, and speak very slowly. Not to mention, I'm only too excited to learn how not to sound like a 3 year old child all the time.
We had a tour of Valparaíso, which was lovely, and actually reminded me quite a bit of San Francisco. I forgot to take my camera, but I'm sure I'll have plenty more opportunities to take pictures. Now, I have some homework to get to, some once (basically bread with various toppings and tea) to eat con mi familia, and some sleep to catch up on before I go out with Paco for a carrete mañana!
*I apologize for the random spanish phrases, especially those in Chilean slang. Hint: if it's not on google translate, try http://cachandochile.wordpress.com/glossary-glosario-chilenismos/
Love your blog...keep writing and I will read it every day, I promise. love you, you little chiquita
ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonderful experience. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou are the coolest. How did you negotiate a pension from chile? How much do you get?
ReplyDeleteJajaja, I just realized that people were commenting. Thanks guys! My pension was a housing option that I specifically requested from the study abroad program that also collaborates with the university to host our classes. I just got lucky that my pension happens to be so amazing! I get my own bedroom and bathroom, 3 meals a day, laundry once a week, and an incredibly welcoming family.
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