Saturday, August 31, 2013

Sand, empanadas, and... Spanish struggles.

My sister got on my case today about not writing enough blogs... so this one's for you sis.
Today was a great day that began with sleeping in, lunch/reading on the beach, then a friend and I met up with some other peeps from Mexico that I know (different ones than previously posted about) to go to Con Con.
Con Con is a little town just up the road from Viña del Mar. It's a 20 minute bus ride, and right before you actually get into Con Con you hop off the bus to hike up to the sand dunes (los dunes).





Lucky me, my friends had a sandboard and a sandsled! You just strap in, shut your mouth, squint, and head down the hill. On my first try I was laughing so hard that I ate a mouthful of sand that was blown into my face! I didn't care though, this was way too much fun!







The sledding was so fast! I was the gringo screaming all the way down the hill ha. 




The ride down is super fun! The hike back up... not so much. It feels like you're summiting a 14er. 



We then walked down to the beach and had a really funny moment. Kaylin and I were looking at these rocks from a distance, and we swore we could see a man walking on water! Like no joke, we saw a figure walking on water! So just imagine this... the gringos already sound funny when trying to speak spanish. Now they are trying to explain that they see a man walking on water. En serio! That was so funny and frustrating at the same time. Then I realized that the guy was actually slacklining! From so far away you couldn't see the line, so he just looks like he was walking on water. Then we got closer to watch some of the action. If you don't know what slacklining is you should google it cause it's pretty cool. I brought mine to Chile and I'm really glad I did. 








I mean let's be honest... I look just as cool if not cooler than those guys... (;


After the sand dunes we actually went into Con Con and stopped at a restaurant that is known for its empanadas. I got a cheese and mushroom empanada that was to die for! Empanadas are certainly going to be something that I will miss when I come back to the States. So I plan on enjoying every single one I get while I am here!
Hope all is well in the States! Happy Labor Day weekend :)

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Homework still stinks in Chile.

Yeah this is going to be a boring blog. (Ha! What a great way to keep you reading). Anyway, school has started getting busy and I once had too much free time. Now I am back to that old feeling of always running out of time thanks to homework. All the homework is in Spanish too, therefore it takes me twice as long as it normally would to write, read, and prepare. I have an oral presentation tomorrow about Los Deportes en Chile (Sports in Chile), so I thought I would blog about it so that I know my layout. It counts as practice...even though it's not in Spanish... it still counts in my mind.

When I went to talk to my host mom about this topic the first thing she told me was that Chile is not an athletic nation. I would have to agree with her on that! Especially compared to Colorado, Chile is a very lazy country when it comes to exercise. I think it's because everyone walks everywhere and there is less need for it than the U.S. where we sit on our butts for 80% of the day. I also think because it's not seen as such a big deal. There's not a huge obese population here so there's less attention on health in regard to weight and diet. Even so, this is South America, so there are definitely sports and there are definitely some cultural differences that are fun to learn about.

Palín or Chueca was the first sport in Chile, and it was practiced by los indígenas (natives who were called "Mapuche") before the Spanish conquistadores came to Latin America. It was named Chueca by the Spanish when they arrived. Chueca is a sport that consists of two team of 5-15 people on each team. They line up in a linear fashion with their wiños, which is basically a wooden shaft (it looks similar to a hockey stick) and they try to hit the ball to the other side of the field toward a goal. Simple. It's basically hockey. The interesting thing about this sport is that it played a larger role than just entertainment. If two Mapuche communities had a conflict, they would play a game of Chueca so solve the issue. The team that won would also win the argument or conflict for their community. Chueca was a way to physically train the young for war (uh, like I said... hockey) and was often a social event as well. It could also be a religious event. Before a game the players and community would have ceremonies where they prepared the bodies of the players and their wiños for the game. I didn't find much on the ceremonies, but they sure sound interesting. Chueca is still practiced today, and there are teams in Santiago, Los Ángeles, and Osorno.


Don't worry, the teams that play now wear T-shirts and shorts. 


The most popular sport in the Chile is also the most popular sport in the world AND therefore the best sport in the world. Socc...NO! Fútbol :) Fútbol is the most popular to watch and play. Chileans are obviously good, but actually not as good as you would picture a Latin American country to be. In 1962, Chile hosted the World Cup and won third place. That's about as good as it has ever gotten for them. Third place is great, but since then their team hasn't really gotten anywhere. When I play with the girls on the UVM (Universidad de Viña del Mar) I notice that their foot skills are pretty good... and that's it. They just have some years of practice on me and beyond that I can outrun, outsprint, and be more aggressive than them. You'd have better luck finding fútbol fanatics in Brazil.



The most successful sport in Chile is Tennis. I know nothing about tennis... so...



The National Sport of Chile is the Chilean Rodeo. When I found this out I was pumped! Then I saw what it was and it was a bit of a let down. Rodeos in the States are entertaining, exciting, intense, and just awesome. In Chile the main event is the only event, and that is simply this: pin the calf. No, it's not even a cow or a steer or a bull... it's a calf. So there are two huesos (Chilean version of a cowboy) and their caballos (horses), and the goal is to pin the novillo (calf) against one of the walls in the medialuna (literally "half-moon" - it's the stadium). The riders corner the calf and the horses squish the little guy against the wall with their chests. You get certain amounts of points depending on where you squish him. The head is worth zero, and their butt is worth 4. It's just... different... but we can put it in the "It's a Culture Thing" box and call it a day. Just google "Rodeo Chileno" and you can see what I'm talking about. Don't get me wrong, I am sure it takes skills to do this, but I prefer the good ole' American Rodeo.






Yep, that's my presentation. Ha don't worry, I'm going to talk about tennis a little. I am super pumped today because we (3 classmates and I) just bought the bus tickets for our trips during fall break in September. We are returning to Pucón to tackle Volcan Villarica, then on to Valdivia (brewery town!), then La Serena (beach town!). It's going to be a great week, and it's Chile's Independence week, which means lots of wine and empanadas! Best day ever! I'm going to do a blog on empanadas one of these days.
Ciao!



Monday, August 26, 2013

Chile is very "Catholic"

I went on a tour of Santiago this weekend, and though it was a cool city there wasn't much that stuck out to me... except the Cathedral. Santiago is a big city, so of course there's some fun things to do, but I wasn't blown away. If you ever come to Chile, spend a day in Santiago and you will see about everything that's interesting there in one day.











Since the Cathedral was the only thing that stuck out to me, it makes sense for me to write about it. This is a loaded topic though, because I have so many thoughts, beliefs, and emotions about the Catholic Church; what it is, what people think it is, and what I know it to be. Of course the most important is "what it is." I could go into a lot on topic, but I will restrain myself to the few things that have impacted me most here in Chile. The Church is my true home. The Church is misunderstood. The Church is adorned as the Bride of Christ.

I have experience a little bit of being homesick, but I have found that I am luckier than the most of the people studying abroad here, because I have my true home wherever I go. Nearly every place in the world has a Catholic Church; and definitely every place in South America, therefore Chile, has a Catholic Church. My hometown of Viña has about four Catholic Churches and I have grown attached to the church that is right by my campus: "Our Lady of Sorrows" o "Nuestra Señora de Dolores." It's a beautiful, stone church that is well decorated and has the gothic look to it. The first day that I was able to go to daily mass, I was overwhelmed with the feeling of home. Like I could walk in and leave the world for a bit to talk to and adore my God. For those that don't know, "catholic" means universal, so the mass or ceremony is the same all over the world. Everyday, every Catholic Church is using the same readings, prayers, and psalms to pray together. I can go to any Church in the world and I know that this place has the same creed and beliefs as my church at home, and I know that I already share so much with the people there with me. We share the same Savior, Father, Mother, beliefs, Pope, devotions, and religion. It's a beautiful gift God has given me. I am truly a pilgrim on this earth, but I have my home in the Church. Though I will admit... the mass in Spanish is hard! I sure am paying good attention though to try and figure out where we are in the mass so that I don't kneel at the wrong time... yes, I already made that mistake. Slightly hilarious, and immensely awkward :)

Here in Chile, like anywhere else in the world, the Catholic Church is misunderstood. Chile is the last country in South America where abortion is still illegal. Many people come to hate the Church because of this issue and many other issues without ever asking a true Catholic why the Church takes the stance it does. This past July there was an attack on the main Cathedral that I visited in Santiago. I am not going to delve into the issues, because I already believe that there are too many "Cyber Theologians" out there who don't have the guts to talk to someone face to face about these things. They are important issues that require human interaction, not raging typing and courage behind a screen.
Anyway, since the Church is misunderstood and the "modern" world starts to move beyond the needs of religion, people just keep the Church in their lives as a culture thing. It is something that looks nice on their resume. It breaks my heart to see people coming to the mass and not really participating, but just going through the motions. I can't blame them, because I was and am blessed with a thorough formation and teaching in the Church. I can understand the depth of the mass (not in its entirety) and enter into this wonderful mystery given to us daily. Honestly until recently the Church hasn't been the best at educating and ministering to it's most basic layman. The youth are starting to reap the fruit of Vatican II, while the generation that should now be leading and carrying out the missions of the Church are leaving. Most Chileans are "Catholic," and the apostrophes are completely necessary because many claim to be Catholic, but they don't practice. Yet our Creed says that you must practice the faith to be Catholic, so therefore I add the apostrophes. I am an odd sight in a Catholic Church here. I am gringo, young, I pay attention, and I still kneel at the wrong part sometimes ;)

Lastly, the Church is the Bride of Christ, and the churches here really reflect that truth. What groom would not want His bride to be adorned, and what Bride would not want to reflect the glory of Christ her Groom? In basic terms I am trying to say this: "OMG, the churches here are like, gorgeous!" The Cathedral in Santiago was stunning, and I was blessed to walk in right when mass was starting during my tour. I had just enough free time to stay for mass! The churches here have statues, art, magnificent altars, and history! I needed more time to soak it all in. I wish I could have had a guide to tell me all the history and details of the church. But instead I just took pictures. We also got to see the Statue of the Virgin Mary that overlooks Santiago. That was a beautiful monument with a cool church on top of the hill as well.






























I have more to say, but I should wait for another blog later in the semester. So, enjoy the pictures, and send prayers my way for volunteering, which starts tomorrow. I am really nervous, because the hospital was more intense than I thought it was going to be. But I am still committing to it! Adios!