WHEN IN ROME

Something about the phrase "When in Rome..." really tickles me, you know?  I think it has something to do with the fact that the expression is frequently employed to justify heavy alcohol consumption and/or generally erratic behavior.  And also that "Rome" can be anywhere from, well, Rome, to Saskatchewan, to your grandmother's nursing home.  It's all about blending in.  Cultural camouflage.  Being at one with your surroundings.

In the spirit of doing as the Romans (in this case Chileans) do, I've been trying to achieve the most Chilean lifestyle possible.  This means:

• Eating a giant brick of food mid-day and sleeping it off with a delicious afternoon nap. 
• Minimal exercise. 
• Listening to reggaeton, pop latino, cumbia, pachanga, and bachata.  To share the love, I recommend that you listen to this, this, this, this, this, this, and this.  This in no way means that I have left behind my love for gringo delicacies like this.
• Drinking pisco and going dancing when all I really want is a fine microbrew and some quality conversation.
• Growing accustomed to "piropos."  Let's face it...I can walk the walk and talk the talk as much as I want, but my pasty white skin and strawberry blond locks won't ever really blend in here.  After two decades of being the most whitebread variety of 'murrican imaginable, it was something of a shock to suddenly become exotic and different upon hitting Latin American soils.  Now, though, I've come to expect eyes to follow me as I go about my daily business.  I know with 100% certainty that when I pass a certain type of man, whether I'm well groomed or flushed and soaked in sweat after a jog on the beach, said gentleman will whisper something along the lines of "come closer, tasty gringa."  If he is more creative, he might say "a ten" or "blondie, you beat me."  My personal favorite began with the typical "precious, tasty gringa" dog and pony show, but ended with "Take care, my dear.  Walk with God."  This combination of hot-blooded perviness mixed with genuine goodwill struck me as 100% Chilean.  Far from being chauvinistic or insulting, "piropos"are considered perfectly appropriate and, in fact, flattering within Latin American society.  While at first they made me feel uncomfortable and objectified, these little comments have come to be completely commonplace.  And honestly, they don't hurt the ol' ego.  A little part of me will feel disappointed and insecure when, upon returning to the United States, I don't get ogled and jeered at on my way to the supermarket.  
• Dealing with the presence of paperwork and bureaucracy in nearly every aspect of everyday life.  This one's pretty self-explanatory, but I'll share a little anecdote just to drive home my point: A few weeks ago, I needed to pay my cell phone bill.  You can't just pay online in Chile, oHOO no.  One must go to the special bill-paying store, take a number, and wait in line.  Well, I arrived at "ServiPag" and, remarkably, there was no line, just one woman paying her bills.  Feeling that the "take a number" system was irrelevant in this situation, I merely sat down and waited for my turn to come.  In the meantime, another woman arrived, scanned the room, CLEARLY saw that I was there before her, and took a number.  When the cashier finished with the customer in front of me, he hit the button to advance the number and I walked forward to pay my bill.  Before I could say "hola," this wack-job of a woman behind me in line marches forward and says "EXCUSE ME, THAT'S MY NUMBER."  I started to explain that numbers are far from necessary when there are only two customers, before taking a deep breath, resignedly shrugging my shoulders and allowing her to cut me in line. From this experience, I learned two things: 1) in Chile, bureaucracy is king and 2) I am the bigger person.  
• Greeting with besos.  I kiss everyone I meet on the right cheek now.  It's such a warm, nice way to greet people.  I think I'll be bringing it back stateside.    
• Spending as much time with family as possible.  Family is at the center of Chilean life.  It's not uncommon to spend an entire Saturday or Sunday gathered around the kitchen table and talking, with lunch blending into dinner.  These marathons of family togetherness are wonderful.  
• Gaining a new appreciation for youth activism.  Where I come from, the highest expression of student discontent is a strongly worded (read: bitchy, but with an intellectual veneer) e-mail to the editorial staff of the college newspaper.  Here, it's a national strike where students march in the streets and barricade academic buildings.  Different?  I'll say.  Critics will tell you that this kind of militant approach has become kind of knee-jerk...reaching the extreme where students take to the streets for a 1 cent increase in bus fare.  I, for one, love that young people here are so passionate, willing to do whatever it takes to get their government's attention.  It's refreshing, frankly.  And it all ties back to my favorite chilenismo: "the baby that doesn't cry, doesn't eat."  Watch out, America.  Next time you see me I'll be sticking it to The Man, quoting Che Guevara incessantly, and drawing sharpie anarchy signs on anything within arm's reach.  
• Throwing my toilet paper in the wastebin next to the toilet.  After the initial shock, I'm now 100% used to this custom.  Family, friends, if you notice an unpleasant smell in my bathroom back home, know that I am missing Chile and kindly allow me to continue coping with my reverse culture shock the only way I know how.  

Well, I've only got three weeks left in this whirlwind adventure.  Where the H-E-DOUBLEHOCKEYSTICKS has the time gone?  Next week I'm headed to Peru to visit my friends Joanna and Ben and see Machu Picchu!!!!!

XOXO, K8

PS:  I had a CLASSIC "when in Rome" moment last week, sampling Chorillana- typical Valparaíso dish consisting of a mountain of french fries topped with, onion, cheese, fried egg, and assorted meats.  Note how in this case "when in Rome" means "I'm going to eat like a fatass and chalk it up to cultural immersion."  See photo below.

UPD8 (update)

Hello all.  I really just want to write my next post, which I have already drafted in my head and which (spoiler alert!!) will be titled "when in Rome."  Intriguing, no? But before I do, I feel that I owe you all a leif (like the first part of my last name) update.

1.  I went to Argentina last week to visit my host family from a Sister Cities exchange I did in high school.  It was great to see them and to indulge in 5 days filled almost entirely with sleeping, movies, drinking yerba mate, and eating.  I left with my heart warmed from reconnecting with the Segura family, my belly bloated from unrestrained gluttony, and a backpack stuffed with dulce de leche and yerba mate. I also carried with me the peculiar feeling that I AM ANCIENT.  Seriously, how is it that four years have gone by since my last visit?  Worse still, how is it that I'm old enough to talk about "time flying by" and "that freak snowstorm back in aught seven"?  What has happened to me?  It perhaps didn't help that I went out dancing with my host sissy Agustina and a passle of her 16-year-old friends.  Luckily, I have a matched set of "Kate posing with meat" photos to illustrate my point, the first taken during my visit in June 2007 and the second taken in June 2011.  Kindly ignore the fact that I look hideous in both and try to see my point.  Nod your head and say "Why yes, Kate.  You are a relic of a bygone era."

Quarter-life crises aside, I had a great visit and I love, love, LOVE Argentina!  Though I have to play down my pro-Argentine sentiments among Chilean company... there's a bit of bad blood between the southern cone neighbors, mostly to do with territorial disputes and man-stealing (which, let's be honest...same thing).  

2.  School's on strike!  Well, technically, the literature and arts campuses are "en toma"...taken over by students, with desks and chairs barricading all the entrances.  Even if professors wanted to conduct classes, they couldn't.  Here are two good articles about the strike: 1 & 2.  So what does this all mean for me?  Well, I'm going on three weeks now without classes.  Rather conveniently, this meant that I didn't miss anything when I went to Argentina.  Since then, I've been taking advantage of the extra time by logging hours at my internship and getting started with final research projects for Middlebury.  My program has arranged some educational forums in Santiago for us next week.  Apart from that, I've been spending time with my Chilean family and taking it easy.  Here are some interesting photos/videos of student activism at my university.

rub-a-dub-dub, thanks for the grub

This post owes its title to my most preferred pre-Thanksgiving-Dinner prayer.  So let's talk turkey.

(FOOD POST!)

I've been eating well in Chile, to say the least.  My host mother prepares all of my meals from market-fresh vegetables, bread still warm from the bakery, and meat fresh from the butcher.  Life is good.

Allow me to describe some of the typical foods that I've tried.  I haven't really been taking photos of my food here (because, let's face it...that's kind of weird) so please excuse the google images.

1.  Pastel de Choclo: a sort of pot-pie type baked dish of shredded chicken and corn paste.  Delicious.

2.  Zapallos Italianos Rellenos: zucchini stuffed with corn, ground beef, and parmesan cheese.  My host mom's specialty.

3.  Completos:  hot dogs smothered in avocado, diced tomato, and astounding amounts of mayonnaise.

4.  Empenadas:  a pocket of dough filled with meat, seafood, or cheese.

5.  Choripan con pebre: chorizo sausage on a hardroll with pebre (tomato, onion, cilantro, hot pepper) ...generally served as an appetizer to a hearty meal of asado (Argentine-style grilled beef).  Chileans like their meat.

6.  Cazuela: Chilean beef stew

7.  Calzones Rotos: "broken panties" - fried dough covered in powdered sugar.  No idea where the name comes from.

8.  Panqueques de Manjar: dulce de leche crepes.  A Valparaíso café standby.

9.  Mote con Huesillo: A non-alcoholic summer drink similar to iced tea.  Made with husked wheat and dried peach.

10.  Pisco Sour: Pisco (grape brandy), lime juice, sugar, bitters, and egg whites (optional).  Best drink on the planet.

11.  "El Terremoto": "the earthquake" - Chileans are the most self-deprecating people on the planet.  As such, they commemorate last year's earthquake with this drink of white wine, pineapple ice-cream, grenadine, and whatever other liquor the bartender has on hand.  Wanna know the best part?  One refers to a post-terremoto hangover  as a "réplica"(an aftershock).

12.  Vino: WINE.  Chile is one of the leading producers of wine, both red and white, in the world.  One can buy a bottle of decent wine for less than a bottle of water.  As such, wine is a welcome addition to any Chilean meal or social gathering. 

13.  Mariscos y Pescado: Seafood.  With its incredible coastline, it should come as no surprise that Chile has a bounty of shellfish and fish-fish.  And it's all good.  

14.  Frutas y Verduras:  Fresh fruits and veggies like you wouldn't believe, both commonplace and exotic.

As in Ecuador, the main meal here is lunch.  Main courses are generally served with rice or potatoes and some form of vegetable/salad.  Breakfast is bread, cereal, or oatmeal with coffee and dinner is a light meal or "once" of sandwiches/cake with tea.

Well.  I think that's eat!  I mean...it.  ahahahahhasjdlfkjslkdfjlkajflkalfkds

Wipe that drool off your face.  

Mayo (May/Mayonnaise)

In keeping with my recent trend of updating once every 3 weeks/when the guilt is so much I can't bear it, I'M BAAACK!

Well, readers of mine, I write to you a changed woman.  I had a rough couple of weeks in Chile and just recently resurfaced from a brief period of hybernation, filled with excessive chocolate eating and facebook stalkery.  Without being a drag, I will tell you that I got hit by a perfect storm of homesickness, real sickness, and petty crime (I lost my handbag in a non-violent, but nonetheless traumatic altercation with a Valparaíso hoodlum a few weeks back).  I think it was just a kind-of mid-semester schlump and, honestly, it was long overdue.  I had spent 4 blissfully happy months in South America without a single glitch...it was about time that karma came a knockin' to take me down a peg or two.  Knock it did, and I can honestly say that I am stronger and more world-wise because of it.  More importantly, I'm back to savoring every last moment in Chile.  I am reborn.

All in all, the month of May was pretty laid-back.  I did, however, have a nice little mid-month retreat with the Middlebury program in Santiago.  We gathered for a viewing of The Judge and the General, a documentary about the human rights trial against Chilean dictator Agusto Pinochet, followed by a question-and-answer session with Judge Juan Guzmán, the judge responsible for bringing Pinochet to justice.  Meeting Judge Guzmán, such an important figure in Chilean history, was absolutely unreal.  Afterwards, we went to La Museo de La Memoria y los Derechos Humanos, a museum dedicated to the countless Chileans who were tortured, oppressed, and "disappeared" under the military dictatorship in the 1970s and 80s.  From there, we moved on to El Cajón del Maipo, a beautiful nature reserve outside of Santiago, where we stayed in cozy cabins, enjoyed the fresh air, ate well, and drank good wine.  As a whole, the weekend was a perfect mix of learning and relaxation.

May also brought with it some great opportunities to celebrate with my host family.  My host sisters, host dad, and I teamed up to make an exquisite lunch on Mother's day.  My chocolate cake made big waves...TGMS (Thank GAWD for Martha Stewart).  Note that in the photo below my host dad is wearing an apron that says "I'm not whipped...BUT HE IS!" (with arrows)  ...pretty rich.

This past Friday my host family, some gringa friends, and some friends of the family gathered to celebrate my host mom's birthday at an establishment called "Donde La Cuca."  As far as I'm concerned, "La Cuca" is Chile's answer to a supper club.  We gorged ourselves on parrillada (heaping platters of grilled meat), ordered much pisco, rum, and wine, and then hit the dance floor to shake a leg to some outdated (though highly entertaining) live cumbia and salsa music.  It was without a doubt one of my favorite nights in Chile.

This week I'll be sneaking off to Buenos Aires, Argentina for a 5-day reunion with my Sister Cities host family from summer '07!  In the mean time, though, I'm going to get to work responding to the questions some of you have been sweet enough to post.

The Oooool' Catch-Up (ketchup) Game

I am woman enough to acknowledge when I've been shirking my responsibilities.  And when it comes to this blog, I've been shirking hardcore.  Rather than beg your forgiveness and provide you with a number of very legitimate, but nonetheless unsatisfying excuses, I'll just tell you what I've been up to (which, if you want to split hairs, might just be a sneaky way of making excuses).

1.  Lollapalooza and Southern Chile.  I made reference to said trip in my last post and consequently left you all hanging on tenterhooks for a month, wondering how it went.  I know that what I did was cruel, that the suspense has been eating away at you... so I'll spill.
     Lollapalooza was a treat.  The best acts I saw were Francisca Valenzuela, Chico Trujillo (both Chilean), Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and, well, KANYE.  The only blight on my good times was that time that, due to some iffy crowd control, I got caught in a stampede trying to see Devendra Banhart and almost got trampled like Simba in the Lion King.  It was wild!  So wild, in fact that I almost lost a Birkenstock in the mayhem.  (But don't worry...I didn't ACTUALLY lose a Birkenstock.  Just almost.)  Near-tramplings and mortal threats to my crunchiness aside, I had a blast!  The music was great, it was a perfect, sunny weekend, and I was wearing a truly exceptional fanny-pack the whole time.  And, as far as I'm concerned, it's pretty much impossible to have a bad time in a good fanny-pack.

    If Lolla was great, Southern Chile was DOWNRIGHT STUPENDOUS.  I spent six days roaming around Chile's lakes region with my friends and Midd peers, Katie and Andrew.  In that time, we were able to see the mystical island of Chiloe (a GORGEOUS island literally shrouded in mist), Lagos Llanquihue and Todos Los Santos (crystal clear waters nestled in between towering volcanoes), and Valdivia (beer and chocolate...what more can I say?) The views were great, the weather was stellar, and my travel companions were top-notch.  It was the trip of a lifetime.  I think I'll leave it at that and let the pictures do the talking, but for a more comprehensive review, please see my friend Katie's blog post.

2.  MY PARENTS CAME TO VISIT!  Tom and Amber (affectionately known as T&A) spent Holy Week with me here in Chile.  I did the whole family-meet-family thing, translated my buns off, and showed my parents all of my favorite haunts in Viña and Valpo.  For their part, they fed me and my friends EXTREMELY well, put me up in luxury hotels, took me on a wine tour, and showered me in love.  They even brought a little hunk o' sconny with them for my host dad (see photo below)!! It was great to see them and show them around this little corner of the world that has come to mean so much to me.  I miss them already.

3.  My Internship.  I've been spending between 10 and 20 hours a week at the urgent care center where I have my internship.  From my time shadowing doctors, I've learned a ton about primary care and, more specifically, about the public healthcare system here in Chile, its strengths and its weaknesses.  When I can, I help out taking vital signs and assist in minor procedures.  Best of all, thanks to my time at the SAPU, I can make fast friends at parties by whipping out a delightfully graphic story about lancing a puss-filled cyst in a man's groin!!!!  ...Any takers? 

4.  School.  Anyone who tells you that study abroad is just a 5-month vacation that you get college credit for...well...isn't me.  I've been going to classes, reading like you wouldn't believe, practicing my written Spanish in my journal, learning to take and develop photos, and studying for tests/quizzes.  On top of all that, I've had to keep Bowdoin happy, taking care of housing and classes for next semester, planning for some on-campus research this summer, and sorting out a few extra projects to spice up my senior year.  

But what all this boils down to is that I've been having the time of my life.  Please excuse the EXTREMELY patchy bloggage and I hope to write again soon!!!  As always, drop me a line if there's a specific topic you want to hear more about. ;)

Attentively Yours,
Kate

la guagua que no llora no mama

Hola!  The title of this post is an expression my host family taught me the other day: "The baby that doesn't cry doesn't eat."  Wise, no?  It basically means that once in a while, you have to complain to get ahead in life.  Tuck that away for later.

What else?  Hmmm.... Well.  Prepare yourselves for another willy-nilly list of observations and anecdotes, dear readers.  I'm not sure I have it in me to write anything with real structure anymore.

1. OBAMA WAS HERE!  The Obamas are much loved in Chile.  Barack gave a few nice speeches and Michelle looked mega classy. (really, though, when doesn't she?)  There was some discontent here when Obama skirted the issue of America's role in supporting the Pinochet dictatorship, but all-in-all it was a successful visit.  Heck, I'll go ahead and say it.  I was Proud to be an American.  
2. I am currently eating upwards of 1 entire avocado a day here.   They are delicious and cheap and I am in heaven.  
3. Nicknames.  My host family has had 2 girls from the Middlebury program before, but I have earned the glorious title of "La gringa mas gringa" - the whitest white girl.  My family has also referred to me as the "sandwichita de palta," an avocado sandwich.  Why, you ask?  When you squeeze an avocado sandwich, all the good stuff flows out the sides. It's akin to calling me "an open book," or, if you want to put a negative spin on it, "a blabbermouth." I tell them everything, including stories that are perhaps not mine to tell (e.g. my friend Andrew's love life, my friend Becca's ongoing struggles with fleas).  Finally, my friend Katie calls me "la floja," the lazy girl, mostly because I, unlike the other girls in our program, do not work out 6-7 days a week... generally preferring to take long, luxurious naps during my free time.  SO SUE ME.  
4. I miss my Ecuadorian friends, Judith and Melba.  I say this because I mean it from the bottom of my heart and ABSOLUTELY NOT because they told me they were expecting a blog shout-out in the near future.  :)
5. The weather here has been delicious.  Sunny and mid-70s.  My deepest condolences to those of you living in Maine and Wisconsin.  
6. We went on a sunset cruise of the Valparaiso harbor to celebrate my friend Katie's birthday.  GORGEOUS! 
7. Remember how we have a "Middlebury Language Pledge" that says we're only allowed to speak Spanish?  Well we're thinking about making PROMISE RINGS!!!!
8. There's a special way to be a cheapskate when trying to reach someone by cellphone in Chile.  It's called "pinchando" (loosely translated = poking!):  you dial someone's number and hang up before they answer so that they call you back.  Thus, you can converse on your friend's dime and not spend your own precious track-phone minutes.  I am a HUGE fan of pinchando and do it in excess because a) it's funny and delightfully tacky/rude and b) I hate spending money.  However, the last time I employed this tactic in contacting my friend Andrew, he responded with an INCREDIBLY vulgar text message: "pinchate tu madre, puta!" 
9. Chileans drink the most horrible soda in the world.  It's florescent orange and meant to mimic the flavor of papaya fruit.  And it is called...wait for it...PAP!  When pronounced in Spanish, this sounds more like "pop."  But I prefer to say it with a sharp, nasal "a" (could you pass me some PAP?  PAP me some skin!  I'm gonna bust a PAP in your a*$!)  Furthermore, I have officially decided that an alcoholic drink of pap mixed with pisco shall henceforth be known as a "pap smear."
10. There was a little boy crying uncontrollably at the clinic where I have my internship.  When I asked him what was the matter, he told me that he had a fear of heights (the examination table is about 3 feet off the ground, mind you).  Precious.
11. My friend Lizzy (also from Wisconsin) and I had an impromptu contest to see who could say "ooohh maii gaaaahhd" with the strongest 'sconsy accent.  I think I won.
12. Some cars here have a special horn installed to make a cat-call noise.  Hassle-free sexual harassment!!!
13. My friend Becca and I went to a movie with my host sister and her boyfriend a couple of weeks back.  By NO FAULT OF OUR OWN, it ended up looking EERILY SIMILAR to a double date.  My credit card wasn't working so Becca had to buy my ticket... my sister and her boyfriend shared a bag of popcorn, we shared a bag of popcorn... you get the picture.  When the other kids in our program got wind of this, they began to call us "las pololas"...the girlfriends.  UGHHHH.  
14. I've been going to ZOOMBA classes with my host mom, except here it's called "baile entretenido" (entertaining dance!)  Each time I tell my host sister that I went she replies, without fail "awww que entretenido!"  (awww how entertaining!)
15. Once, I asked my Middlebury monitor Cristian how to order a drink light on the alcohol.  He told me that the best way to do this is to order, for example, "un mojito suave" (a smooth mojito).  Eager to practice this new and useful phrase, I asked "Entonces, uno se dice al barman 'un mojito, por favor...damelo suave.' ?" ( "So, one says to the bartender, 'a mojito, please...give it to me smooth' ?" ).  Cristian's eyes got very large and he shook his head in a very decisive "no."  To make a long story short, it turns out that asking complete strangers to "give it to me smoooooth" is not the most advisable way to comport myself in a Chilean discoteca.  

Well that's about it, folks.  This weekend I'm headed to Lollapalooza Chile in Santiago with my Midd friends and host sis to see Kanye West, Devendra Banhart, The National, Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros, Cat Power,  and many more delightful musical acts.  After that, we've got a week of vacation from school and I'll be traveling to southern Chile with my friends Andrew and Katie.  To quote those awful t-shirts, life is good.

Smell you later!  -K8

and i'm a monkey's uncle.

Many Chileans have a working knowledge of English and can be downright obstinate about putting it to use when they meet a gringo.  Case in point:  a couple of weeks ago, my friend Andrew and I were in a taxi and the driver told us that he'd been to several cities in the US.  He wanted to explain that he'd been a merchant marine for many years, but instead of simply telling us in Spanish (which without a doubt would have been easier to understand), he stuck his thumb to his chest and declared, in heavily accented English "I am seaman."  We had NO idea what he was saying, or even that he was speaking our mother tongue.  But rather than admit defeat and switch to Spanish, he opted to repeat himself until the weight of his words sunk in: "I am seaman.  I AM SEAMAN.  I.  AM SEAMAN.   I. AM. SEAMAN.  I AM SEAMAAANNN!"

GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT: THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED CHILE POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's officially been a month since my last post and I've been catching some flack.  LONG time no blog, I know!  SORRY!  I got MEGA busy with orientation, new friends, classes, new family, spanish up the wahzoo, blah blah blah.  What matters is that I love you and I've missed you, dear readers, and I return to you with renewed blog fervor!  

What I've decided to do is to give you really broad overview of my time here.  Excuse the outline format and if there's a particular topic you'd like to hear more about, LET ME KNOW GOSHDARNIT!  

I. ARRIVAL

I got here safe and sound on February 23rd in the year of our lord 2011.  Travel was really uneventful, actually, so I'll spare you the details.

II. SANTIAGO/ORIENTATION

     When I say "I got here," I actually mean that I arrived in Santiago, the capital of Chile, for orientation.  Before coming to Chile, all I knew about Santiago was that it was a big city (home to 40% of Chile's population) with a bad smog problem.  The LA of South America.  I was pleasantly surprised, thus, when the city turned out to be sunny, charming, and super-clean.  Santiago (or at least the part I saw) is very modern, with wide streets, lots of concrete, and skyscrapers.  In other words, very different from much of Quito, the capital city of Ecuador.  It struck me how very apparent the process of development can be.  I stayed in a SUPER ADORABLE bed and breakfast in Santiago and Ignacio, the innkeeper/sweetest man in the word, was great about giving me directions and bent over backwards to make sure I was comfortable and well-fed.  Before orientation began, I met some people from my program, did a bit of exploring in Santiago, and bought my cell phone.  All in all, a productive couple of days!  

     Orientation lasted 2 days and was a bit tedious, though very necessary.  On the bright side, I got to know the Middlebury team (our program director, Jeff, his assistant, Paula, and our writing instructor, Juan), my monitors at the Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Nicole and Cristian (students that will help us sign up for classes, etc.), and all of the kids that will be in Chile through Middlebury this semester.  I'm sure I'll tell you more about these folks later, but for now I'll just say that it's a solid group of people.  Other perks of orientation included a swanky hotel, nice food, and wine/pisco sour up the wazoo, all on Middlebury's tab.   Here's a photo from a scenic overlook in Santiago, Cerro San Cristobal:

III.  VINA DEL MAR/VALPARAISO/FAMILY
     I took a bus to Viña del Mar with the two other Midd students who will be living there, Andrew and Becca.  We arrived at the terminal in Viña and my family was there waiting- my host dad David, my host mom Ruby, and my host sister, age 22, also Ruby...Rubyta (little Ruby) to avoid confusion.  My family made me a tasty lunch of choripan and asado and dove in to the get-to-know-you conversations.  David is a retired naval officer who now works as a freelance accountant and apartment complex administrator.  Ruby (the mom) works as a sales executive.  Rubyta is in her final year at the Universidad de Valparaíso, studying to be a biomedical engineer.  THEY ARE THE NICEST FAMILY IN THE WORRRLLLD!!!  After lunch, we went on a little walkabout in Viña to get to know the neighborhood.  To give you an idea, I can see 3 malls, a GIGANTIC Chuck-E-Cheese, lots of high-rise apartment buildings, and the beach.  All the American brands that a person could want are right at my fingertips.  It's kind of scary, actually.  
   While Viña is new and modern and heavily americanized, Valparaíso is just the opposite.  "Valpo" is full of murals, brightly colored buildings, galleries, cafes, and winding cobblestone streets.  The city is organized into 42 hills, "cerros," each one with its own cable lift, "ascensor." Here's a picture of me with my family in Valparaiso.  

IV.  CLASSES
     My first week was filled with orientation activities Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso with some added paper pushing to register my visa here in Chile.  All I can say about that week, really, was that it was a long, overwhelming, bureaucratic process and I'm glad that I'm done.  I'll be taking 3 classes at the University: a literature class, a photography class, a class about globalization in Chile, and/or an art history class about pre-Columbian cultures.  

School for the next 5 months

V.  INTERNSHIP
     I'll be working at an urgent care center, SAPU Miraflores, for 10 hours each week.  SAPU is a public facility located in a very poor neighborhood in the hills above Viña del Mar.  The people that come to SAPU have nowhere else to turn.  They can't afford to visit a private clinic and, as such, are forced to settle for the basic care that SAPU- perpetually understaffed and strapped for resources- can manage to provide.  For now, I'm just shadowing doctors and nurses to get the lay of the land.  BUT SOON, I will start taking vital signs and will eventually learn how to give injections, start IVs and suture.  AHHHHHH!

VI.  FRIENDS, BIRTHDAY, TSUNAMI DE TRAGOS, Y TEMBLORES
   I've already got a great group of friends here.  I spend most of my time with other students from the Middlebury program.  Because we are bound by the "Middlebury Language Pledge" to only speak Spanish, we end up speaking a unique brand of the language, filled with words that we assume are cognates (example: animosity --> animosidad...which it turns out isn't a word) and American colloquialisms translated directly to Spanish (e.g. "creo que debemos llamarla una noche" - I think we should call it a night).  Little by little, I'm making friends at the University and I LOVE spending time with my host sister and parents.  
   Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of celebrating my 21st birthday here in Chile.  Valpo and Viña are known for their nightlife, so it's a downright ideal place to celebrate the big 2-1.  In case you are curious, my first legal (by American standards at least) drink was consumed at midnight on the 11th.  It was a flaming shot purchased by my friends.  The "real" birthday celebration (on the night of the 11th) had to be delayed to the 12th because of a tsunami warning in Chile following the earthquake in Japan.  I sought refuge on higher ground with my family and waited for the big wave...which turned out to be a dud.  In the words of my host father "Kate, it's looking like you won't experience a real tsunami tonight, but there is no doubt in my mind that you will experience a booze tsunami ('tsunami de tragos') tomorrow!"

Birthday dinner in my apartment!

Since my birthday, the the tectonic plates have been having a field day.  Living in Wisconsin and Maine, I had never felt a tremor before.  It feels kind of like a boring amusement park ride.  Without fail, though, the tremors always make me think about one thing and one thing only: CAROLE KING.

So that's that.  I hope this post finds you all happy and healthy.  Now that I've got you caught up on the basics, you can expect a bevy of short, witty entries about my day-to-day life.

XOXO,   K8

Chao, Ecuador. Te amo.

Tomorrow morning I leave Ecuador.  I've gotten to explore a beautiful country, made some great friends, gotten some serious abuelito face time, and learned a lot about Ecuadorian culture and nonprofit work.  My only regrets are that I never ate cuy (guinea pig, a traditional dish here and a PRICELESS photo op) and that I was never able to tear myself out of bed early enough to help the baker at the Foundation, Don Lucho, make bread in the morning.  The people here have been so warm and welcoming and all the love flowing in my direction the past few days has made me feel like my heart is swelling out of my chest.  It seriously reminds me of that part in How the Grinch Stole Christmas when the grinch's heart grows three sizes upon hearing the Whos singing "Welcome Christmas."  Not to say that I was grinchy up until now.  But you get the point.  I'm going to miss this place and the people I've met here.

Even though saying goodbye has been hard, I'm looking forward to Chile and the next chapter of my adventure.

Until next time,
Kate

La Playa

This past weekend, I went to Atacamas Beach with some friends, near a city called Esmeraldas in the Northwest corner of Ecuador.  Remember how I told you that there are some Universidad San Francisco de Quito students that live with me here in Cumbaya?  Well I went to the beach with two of them, Melba and Judith (both from Guayaquil, Ecuador) and their friend David (from Riobamba).  David has a car and was nice enough to drive us.

Atacamas was gorgeous and warm and everything that a beach should be.  The water along the equator is so warm it's INSANE!  We rented a pretty nice apartment for but $50 a night and gorged ourselves on fresh seafood and coconut milk.  I only got a little bit sunburned (quite the achievement for me) and generally had a blast hanging out with my Ecuadorian friends for a farewell weekend of fun in the sun.

THAT SAID, we had a few mishaps that you might find amusing:
1.  The roads were in really bad shape and we blew a tire in a particularly nasty pothole.  We didn't have the wrench to change the tire so we had to flag down a car to help (mind you, it was pouring rain and we were dressed for the beach).  The spare was a dinky little thing that looked like it belonged on a lawnmower or bicycle.  Nonetheless, we had to ride most of the way to the beach on that sad little tire because no repair shop for two hours had a big enough patch.
2.  Once we got there and checked into a hotel, we were all in a hurry to eat and hit the beach.  In all our revelry, we lost sight of the room key (the only copy) and ended up having to hire a sketchy man with a rat-tail to pick the lock and replace the handle.
3.  Through the course of the evening we lost sight of a pair of glasses, a pair of sandals, and a friend.  Only the friend was recovered.
4.  I ate some bad clams and fell ill on the way home.  I was too busy holding in the vomit in to ask David to pull over.  So I (and part of my seat) ended up covered in sick.
5.  I changed clothes on the side of the road.  Many Ecuadorian motorists expressed their delight by honking and fist pumping.

FOOD POST No. 2 - La Comida Costeña

Food on the coast is pretty different from typical sierra dishes.

Ceviche (a seafood soup, served chilled in a tomato and citrus broth) is probably my favorite food here.  Unlike its Peruvian cousin, Ecuadorian ceviche is not spicy and is prepared with fully cooked seafood.  There is also a variant of ceviche called "ceviche de chochos," prepared with a kind of bean rather than shrimp/fish/clams.  Either way, it tends to be served with popcorn and chifles (fried green plantain).  mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

some ceviche that my friend Katia made me

ceviche de chochos

Here's some food from Esmeraldas:

camarones encocados con patacones y arroz:

shrimp in a coconut milk broth with fried plantains and rice

pescado entero con patacones: a whole fish with fried plantains

LOOK OUT! THIS ONE'S GONNA BE MEATY!

So I'm headed to Chile on Wednesday and there are few things that I've been meaning to tell you about Ecuador, but never quite got around to.  At this point, I invite you to peek at the subheadings below and decide whether you want to read on or whether you want to skip to my beach post.  

ECONOMY

Ecuador is the second poorest country in South America, after Bolivia. Most of its GDP comes from exports: oil and agriculture (shrimp, cacao, coffee, flowers, bananas).  In 2000, Ecuador decided to officially dollarize its economy.  Which is to say, the official Ecuadorian currency is the US dollar.  Needless to say, this has been quite handy for me.  But why would a country do such a thing, you ask?  Luckily, I took a Latin American Economics class last semester and can answer your ever-so-astute question.  Dollarization is known to effectively put an end to inflation.  Ecuador was suffering from soaring rates of inflation in the late 1990s.  Since dollarizing, its inflation rate has been more or less exactly that of the US dollar.  With a stable currency, the Ecuadorian people can rest easy and Ecuador can work to attract foreign investors.  In an ideal world, dollarization implies a degree of fiscal prudence (i.e. if the country’s economy gets in a bind, it can’t just print more money).  However, the government here tends to borrow from abroad to finance its deficit spending on social programs.  Economists are wary of this accumulating debt and don't necessarily trust Ecuador to remain dollarized in the long-term.  Ecuador’s economy exhibits only sluggish growth, if any, in recent years.

POLITICS

After a long period of political instability and corrupt administrations, Ecuador has enjoyed a relatively stable 4 years under President Rafael Correa.  Correa is a left-leaning politician working to execute a “Citizens’ Revolution” in Ecuador.  He has created bureaucracy up the wazoo to administer his social projects and has implemented some controversial policies such as “pico y placa,” whereby Quiteños are barred from using their cars during a predetermined block of time to reduce carbon emissions.  He also got into a scuffle with the police last September after attempting to adjust their benefits.  Most of the people I’ve talked to are on the fence, valuing Correa’s vision of social change, while fearing that his socialist leanings will carry Ecuador too far in the direction of Chavez’s Venezuela.   

HEALTH CARE

Public health care is available to all Ecuadorians.  Under President Correa, those without means no longer have to pay any form of copay.  Due to long waits and perhaps lower quality of care at public hospitals, wealthy Ecuadorians often buy health insurance and seek care at private hospitals.  

the day-to-day

It has occurred to me that I have failed to tell you how exactly I pass my minutes, hours and days at the Foundation.  I’ll try and fix that.  My daily activities can be divided into 4 categories:

• Medical.  I spend about half of my time working with the doctor, nurse, and physical therapist.  For the physical therapist, I keep computer records of which abuelitos receive treatment each day.  This information is important for monthly reports, funding, and the like.  I’ve been helping the nurse distribute anti-parasitic drugs to all of the abuelitos.  The doctor, employed by the Ecuadorian ministry of public health, has me working on a database of all the abuelitos (there are nearly five hundred), noting which ones suffer from chronic illnesses like diabetes and hypertension, without a doubt the two most prevalent chronic illnesses in this population.  This involves looking through each patient’s medical history and confirming that the proper diagnostic and treatment algorithms have been followed.  For example, if a patient presents with moderately high blood sugar, I should see documentation that a repeat measurement was taken and that the doctor recommended that the patient modify his/her lifestyle before diagnosing the patient with diabetes and prescribing medication.  I also need to check that the proper follow-up has been carried out (i.e. that labs, EKGs, and x-rays, have been performed regularly and according to protocol since the date of diagnosis).  Because the Foundation is chronically understaffed, with a rotating door of medical staff, it is extremely rare to come across a medical history where everything has been done by the book.  Once I have waded through all the files, the doctor will compile the demographic data to map out the epidemic and make a plan for prevention.  Sorry if was too much detail, but this project is wayyy interesting for me.
• The Kitchen.  Providing hot breakfast and lunch for up to 150 abuelitos each day is no small feat.  I try and lend a hand in the kitchen when I’m not needed in the doctor’s office.  I wash and chop vegetables, make juice, and help plate out and serve all the food.  Once all that is done, the kitchen must be cleaned top to bottom.  From about 9AM to 1PM, the cook and volunteers work in a flurry of frenetic motion.  On the days that I work there, I usually leave exhausted and covered in lunch foods.  But content that I've worked my patoot off so that some sweet old folks have something to eat.

• Chillin’ with the ‘Litos.  I make a point of sneaking out of the kitchen/doctor’s office every now and again to attend painting classes with the abuelitos, dance my heart out with the “payasos” group, or play games with the abuelitos.  If I can’t make it to these more structured activities, I usually take a post-lunch break with a group of abuelitos that hangs out in the courtyard of the Foundation, soaking up some sun shooting the breeze.  I’ve had some of the best conversations of my LIFE on the Foundation’s stoop.  Trust the elderly to surprise you with deep philosophical insights while they wait for their afternoon poop to come a knockin’!

• Miscellaneous.  I know, kind of a non-catagory.  SO SUE ME.  Often, errands need to be run.  As I enjoy a nice walkabout as much as the next person, I am quick to offer my services making copies or picking  up some last-minute ingredients from the grocery store.  Also, I sort through donations of clothes, books, and medicines to see what is salvageable and what is junk.

weather

Whether (WEATHER!  HA!) you’re willing to admit it or not, I know that you, dear reader, have been dogged by an inexplicable urge to ask me about the weather down Ecuador way.  Don’t worry.  It’s only natural.  They say everyone’s a little cli-curious (climate curious).  PLUS, as expected, my time with the abuelitos has got me in tip-top shape when it comes to discussing the weather.  So here goes.  I’ll make this quick and painless for both of us.

Due to the high altitude, weather is spring-like year-round and temperatures here rarely exceed 75 degrees Fahrenheit.  Being on the equator, there’s not a whole lot of seasonal temperature variation, though there are certain months with more precipitation than others.  Though this time of year is usually considered “winter” or the wet season (usually with about 4.5 inches of rain monthly and an average temperature in the mid-60s), thanks to global warming I’ve enjoyed a very pleasant climate.  To that end, people here have told me that I must have brought some of that good ol’ Wisconsin sunshine with me!  I don’t bother to explain that “Wisconsin sunshine” is more than a little bit oxymoronic this time of year.  Usually, there’s a bit of a bite to the air as I walk to work in the mornings.  I’d gauge the temperature to be in the low 60s.  In the afternoons on a sunny day, it’s probably in the mid-70s.

To make a long story short, the weather here is nice.  

affirmation

Greetings from the mystical valley of Cumbayá!  I was video chatting with a friend the other day and explaining my new exercise regimen.  Every other day, weather and willpower permitting, I will go for a jog in the park near my house for increasingly long intervals of time.  Before you scoff, this plan is indeed ambitious because a) I don’t jog.  Ever.  When it comes to my fitness, I prefer cushier options like cycling and the elliptical machine (i.e. things that don’t make me feel like I’m dying) and b) jogging at 7000+ feet above sea level is no small potatoes.  When she asked how my first day had gone, I told her, and I quote:

“My hips haven’t hurt this much since that time I tried to go latin dancing!!!”

And then I smiled.  That right there is why it makes ABSOLUTE SENSE for me to spend the bulk of my time with the elderly.  

Otavalo

Otavalo is an indigenous community about 2 hours northeast of Quito.  It is a picturesque little town, nestled between 3 volcanoes, with several crystal clear lakes nearby.  Otavaleños are famous for textile production and the central market of Otavalo, Plaza de los Ponchos, is known far and wide for its handcrafted wears.  I was lucky enough to have the representation of an acclaimed Ecuadorian lawyer (my host papi, Alfredo) as I haggled for the lowest possible price on various souvenirs.  
Sample interaction:

• Me:  How much does it cost?
• Vendor:  Normally $15, but I will give you a good price.  $12.
• Alfredo:  Ahhh so expensive?  I know what you're up to.  You see that she is a gringa and you take advantage.  Well, I am a native of Otavalo [note: not at all true] and I know that this neckalace is only worth $2.
• Vendor:  I will give it to you for $5, no less.
• Alfredo:  Bahhhhhhhh!  [begins to walk away]
• Vendor:  Fine, fine, $3.

Pretty slick, eh?  Well, here are some pictures.