Did that just happen?

You know those moments when you just cannot understand why things happen to you of all people? I was lucky enough to have one of these moments this past weekend when we went horseback riding...

The weekend had already started off great with slack-lining and relaxing with friends at the Botanical Gardens this past Friday. We then went to have dinner with our friends from Mexico who made us a classical Mexican breakfast (which is nothing like you would expect).

After all that fun, a horseback ride on Saturday was going to be the icing on the cake for the weekend! We took a bus to Ritoque, and the crew picked us up and drove us to the ranch.

They then assigned us each a horse, and we got started. From the beginning my horse had a spunky attitude, and was a little bit stubborn. I've had some experience riding horses (minimal) at my Grandpa's in Nebraska, so I can somewhat handle myself on a horse. No big deal, I just won't let him get away with anything... or so I thought. 

Isn't he pretty! His name was Aponco.

Initially we headed down to the beach, and the guides said we were free to run on the beach with the horses until the next check-point. This was so cool because this would NEVER happen in the States. So about half the group takes off, and it was a blast! The beach was gorgeous, and the horses were fast!  Of course it was also entertaining to watch a bunch of gringos riding a horse for the first time and flopping around because they don't know how to sit in a saddle. Everyone ended up being fine, but there were a couple of scares initially.

We had to cross a river over a railroad bridge!

At this point we are about to head into the forest in Ritoque, but the horses wanted to eat first. I didn't let my horse eat much, because he was starting to get cocky and thought he could do what he wanted. He really didn't like that I was being strict, but the guides told me to keep on him. Others were not so strict on their horses, and the horses start to just do what they want. Again, my horse had an attitude... so I wasn't giving him any rein. 

Now we've hit the sand dunes! They were HUGE! They made the sand dunes in Con Con look like sandboxes. The horses loved running in them. Aponco started to get a little bit competitive and would chase other horses. Oh my gosh dude, CHILL OUT! 

Why is it that they can be friends when they eat? But not when riding.

Now up until the point where we got back on the beach, the ride had been perfect. Yeah Aponco had a bit of an attitude, but nothing too bad. If anything it was entertaining. But once we got back to the beach, two riders from the same company joined us to get back to the ranch. For some reason my horse was going bonkers! He only wanted to be near those horses, and I was not having it. So a group takes off running down the beach, and so do Aponco and I. Once we caught up to the group, Aponco runs straight to this other horse, and he does not care how hard I am pulling back on the reins. I thought the other horse was a male, and that Aponco wanted to pick a fight...

I WISH! No the horse was a mare, and Aponco wanted to do the exact opposite of fight her! Aponco proceeds to MOUNT the mare while I was still on him!!!!!! The rider of the mare had hopped off as soon as she saw what was coming, and I had no choice but to hold on and not fall off. This is where the "Is this really happening?" question popped into my head, and when I looked at my friends' faces I could tell that indeed it really was happening. The guides quickly came over to get Aponco off, and were laughing the whole time through it. As were my friends and classmates. It was so funny and awkward all at the same time! I was so embarrassed for my horse, and the next thought that pops into my head is, "Well, at least it's a good story." And I'm sure you agree that it is. 

Overall, it was the most fun horseback riding I have ever had. And the most strange. All of it made for a great weekend though :) I made today a little more low-key by waking up and going to mass at the Cathedral in Valpo, then we went to this market called "Pulgas". It's basically huge garage sale that extends for 10 blocks through Valpo. It was super cool, and we surprisingly found some great items! 

Hope everyone else's weekend was just as fun ;) Ciao!

The depth of a language.

There are core elements to language that make them extremely similar, or extremely different to one another. French and Spanish are very similar, while English and Spanish are definitely not. Learning the differences between these languages can give perspective on how people of that language think, and perceive the world. For example, in Spanish every word has a masculine or feminine identity. "La" and "El" are words that in english mean "the", and "la" is feminine while "el" is masculine. But a word can only use "la" or "el", not both. So "la casa" could never "el casa". That's like misspelling a word. If you were to ask someone who speaks English if they feel that their house is a boy or a girl (humans have a funny habit of giving a gender identity to objects), they could respond either way. Someone who speaks spanish is more than likely to say their house is a girl just because houses are already "feminine" by how they are spelled. This is a small example of how a language can affect the way you perceive the world.

There are some aspects of the Spanish language that I am genuinely starting to appreciate! Like the fact that they have SER and ESTAR. These are spanish verbs that in english mean, "to be". While we only have one way to describe how someone or something "is", in spanish they have two ways and it makes a world of difference. The verb SER is used for a more permanent sense of "being", while ESTAR is not a permanent state of being. For example, if I were to tell someone in spanish that my car is red, I would use the verb SER to describe my car, because my car isn't going to change color. Whereas if I were to tell someone in spanish that my sister is grumpy I would use ESTAR, because that will change (hopefully). Emotions, weather, locations of people, etc all use ESTAR. While personality traits, identity, and unchanging things use SER. Initially when learning Spanish, this is a huge nuisance! Why can't I just say that my sister is grumpy, and my car is red, with the same verb (like in English). However, now that I speak the language I find that there can be some beautiful things that come from this way of thinking. When I say in Spanish "I'm sad", I am literally forced to recognize that this isn't a permanent state because of the use of ESTAR in my sentence. I'm sad, but only for now because this condition is going to change, otherwise I'd be using SER. I have to recognize that this will change and  I will be happy soon. If I don't recognize that, I wouldn't use ESTAR and I wouldn't be speaking proper spanish. What a wonderful way of thinking! The language makes you recognize the things in your life that are fleeting and short-lived. Even better is SER. This verb makes you recognize the actual being. Not just a condition about a person, but who they are. If a man wanted to woo a woman he would tell her that she's beautiful, using the verb SER. Not ESTAR. If he used ESTAR it would be the equivalent of saying "You're beautiful, but this is just a condition of your person right now, not who you are." But by using SER, he's saying "You're beautiful, and that is who you are and it won't change." Yeah, which is more romantic? In english we don't get this opportunity, because we only have one verb to describe things and people, and our verb doesn't address as to whether the description is a fleeting condition, or the actual substance of the object. I would prefer to use Spanish when complimenting my family and friends, because the language would show that I am looking into their being and speaking about who they are.

One last thing that I appreciate about Spanish is there two words for "you". They have Usted and Tú. Usted is formal, therefore I would address my teachers, elders, boss, etc with Usted. Then to everyone younger than me, my peers or those I'm really close with I would use Tú, which is less formal and more personal. I have to be careful because often I get so used to talking in the Tú form that I forget to change to the Usted form when I get to classes. You have to conjugate verbs and talk different between these two forms, which is hard since in english I never have to switch mentally when trying to say "you". The beauty of these words is that you can tell what a relationship between two people is like based on their use of Usted or Tú. I am close enough to my host parents that I use Tú when I address them and it's not rude or disrespectful of me to do so. You can tell if someone is older or in a position of respect when people use Usted. Lastly, if there are two people and they are using the tú form when it appears that they should be using the Usted form, you know that they are close and have a close relationship. So you can imagine my delight when I discovered that in the mass, when we pray to God, we use the Tú form. I mean c'mon, who would be more deserving of being addressed in the Usted form than God? But instead we address each other in the Tú form, and that little, two-lettered word reminds me of how much my God loves me. Of how humble He is, and how much He wants to be close to me. Even to the point that I would be allowed to address Him like a friend instead of someone with power. He is good to me, and prayers in Spanish are more beautiful just for that little change in perspective.

Hope this was a good Spanish lesson! Don't worry I will be doing more exciting things coming up, so that will mean more pictures and less chatter :)

Halfway.

I cannot believe it, but I am half way done with my semester here in Chile. I officially have 2 more months here, which is so bitter sweet (a lot of bitter right now)! The rest of my semester here already has flown by, yet I feel that I have been living here forever. It's hard imagining going back to school, living in my apartment, and continuing to study Biomedical Sciences. It's been quite a while since I last touched a science textbook. I miss it, but I think it's been a good break to give me some energy to finish my studies at CSU. I am hesitant to come home for the obvious reasons (Chile is awesome being #1) but another reason is that I am sad that my career at CSU will be coming to a quick close when I return.

In my time in Chile I have learned a lot about how culture affects a person. No one really can understand this unless they've lived in a different culture for an extended period of time. Even I will not fully understand after being here for nearly 5 months. Culture is very strong and really important in the formation of a person, how they behave, and how they view life. Here are some of the cultural aspects of Chile that have started to affect me... their informal lifestyle, and their compassion to the poor.

When I say that Chileans live an informal lifestyle, I kind of mean that they are lazy. At first it was a wonderful break from the high speed life I live in the States, and I really enjoyed the laid back mentality. Now however, I am starting to go a little crazy with the amount of time I have, and how chill everyone is. Ambition does not mean the same thing here as it does in the States. In the States, ambition usually means that you devote all of your time to studying and being successful, and though I have many worries about how that can shape a society for the worse, there is still some virtue to be gained from being a hard worker. Chileans let life happen to them, which could not be more opposed to the idea of the "American Dream", where we make life happen. Of course, there are many problems when a person starts to think that they will control every aspect of their life, and that their success defines them, but it's no better to just let life happen to you. A good mix of the two would be the ambition of the States and the understanding that sometime you can't control everything like in Chile. Hopefully I can try and master that mix when I return, but for now I am taking advantage of a relaxed semester. It's perfect because by the time I get home and all the craziness of Christmas is happening, I will be so ready to get busy my parents won't know what to do with me.

Something that I will also try to bring back to the States is the compassion for the poor that Chileans seem to have. It's not even like they do more things for their poor than we do in regard to monetary charity. It's how they treat the poor when they are serving them that makes it more compassionate than our service. They treat them like neighbors instead of some random guy on the street. They chat with them for 30 seconds when giving them their pocket change instead of just tossing a coin their way. Even when they don't have change to give, they smile and acknowledge the person as they pass by. I feel that most of the time in the States we choose to ignore the person. To be brutally honest, we ignore them because generally that person is dirty, ugly, and they're being a nuisance. That might seem harsh but I've ignored many a person on 16th street mall for those very reasons. When I see how Chileans treat their poor though, I start to notice that their poor aren't quite as poor as ours are. Our poor are not only poor in the material sense, but they are also lonely. Not saying that they aren't lonely here, but at least they are acknowledged on the street, and they get to have conversation with the man on his way to work. In a way that's a better gift than the dollar I gave him beforehand. I want to remember to treat the poor with the same human dignity I give my friends. A conversation could work miracles in a person who no longer feels that they are worth anything. A smile could remind that person that they are seen, and though others don't meet their eye, their existence does matter. It's a simple lesson, but a hard one to practice.

This weekend we are going to hike La Campana, which one of the most popular places in the Andes to go hiking. I pumped! After this week, pretty much all of my weekends are full of activities and trips, so the blogs will really start rolling in. Ciao!

The random things I miss.

I'm super happy here in Chile. Yet, I am starting to notice that there are some small things that I really miss in the U.S. They're so small, and it's funny to notice that I actually miss them.

Things about the States that I miss...

• Self-checkout lines... especially when only 2 out of 30 lines are open in the store and you have all but 2 items.

• The sound of my Bialetti making REAL coffee. The instant stuff got old after the first packet. 

• Dogs being excited to see you. Almost all the dogs here are strays and are just laying around on the street. They don't care that you're walking by. Just wag your tail dang it!

• Good customer service. If there's one thing that America does better than the rest of the world, it's customer service. No such thing here or really anywhere else in the world. 

• Studying in coffee shops. This also doesn't happen here in Chile, because people can come  and steal your stuff. Actually people only ever study in there houses, which is no fun after coming from  Fort Collins.

• Bike rides. It's a dangerous endeavor here. 

• Cooking for myself.

• Driving. Also a dangerous endeavor here.

• Salads. Their idea of salads here is iceberg lettuce and peeled tomatoes (um, yeah they peel tomatoes) all soaked in lemon juice and oil. It tastes fine, but it just looks too pathetic to be called a salad.

• Not having to worry about a potential strike. There's always a strike at the post office, bus station, or some place important... gosh it's so irritating when people fight for something they believe in! ;)

I guess if that's the list, then life must be pretty good. And it is. Happy Fall in the States, happy Spring and beach weather here! Ciao!

Chile is simply wonderful: A brief update.

After so much traveling last week, I am pleased to report that there is nothing to report. Except that I am pretty much 100% settled here in Viña, and looking forward to my last 2 and 1/2 months here (what!?). The time has blown by yet it feels like ages ago when I was dropped off at the airport by my family. I've been able to keep in touch with pretty much everyone since I left, which is also a weird feeling. I am very far away, but technology makes the world a lot smaller. It's funny being in touch because in the States it's starting to become fall. I'm hearing about snow in the mountains! AH! Fall is my favorite season, so it stinks to be missing it... but then I just go on a run by the beach with the sea mist spraying in my face and suddenly I'm totally ok with missing fall ;)

Classes have been great, and I'm doing well in them. I'm amazed by how much free time I have here. I literally can do everything I want to do in a day, without being stressed. The only times that I'm stressed is when I procrastinate. This is a strange feeling that I don't think I've had since I was 4 years old. America is so fast paced and everyone is going going going! Initially the laziness of Chile really bothered me; teachers always showing up 5-10 minutes late for class, people walking slower than sloths on the street, and others just not doing what they should be doing. Now however, I'm finding that it has its benefits. One such benefit being siestas! I nap a lot here, because so does everyone else ha. Another benefit is having the time to read for pleasure, which is a luxury I rarely get to enjoy during the school semester. I promptly finished a book within 2 weeks here and am tackling 3 books right now, and about to finish one of them.

My spanish is getting a lot better. And I am really glad that I can say that, because after the first month I was starting to panic a little because I didn't feel that I was improving at all. But you hit hills and plateaus while developing your skills, and as of now I'm in an upward hill and loving it. I can have good conversations that are better than basic small talk. I just have to brace for the inevitable plateau that is coming, because they are pretty frustrating. Not being understood, and not being able to communicate your thoughts or feelings has been one of the most humbling/enraging experiences here. You feel very alone and stuck. Thanks to good friends, such as my buddies from Mexico, it can also be a hilarious situation. They are such fun people, and we enjoy making fun of our bad spanish together. They teach us a lot too, so I guess their payment is entertainment.

Volunteering has been hard, yet so good. I volunteer for two hours every Monday at the nursing home in Viña. The residents are very interesting people, and it's cool to note the differences between our elderly and the elderly here. Our elderly are generally more depressed than the elderly here. The reasons for this are completely logical... it's all about the family. Chile still holds the family unit as very important, in fact it is the most important thing here. For America, this is changing a little. Success, adventure, and fun lives are what is important. It is strange for people to get married young because they are "throwing away" their youth. They could have so much more fun before they have to settle down! Why would they do that? But here, the family is the adventure! Getting a house and starting a family is still really important here, and people work so that they can make a good life for their family. Most of the time in the States people work to make money, buy fun stuff, gain power, and show how successful they are. I know these are huge generalizations, but the patterns exist. Anyway, since family is still the core of society here, it's actually quite strange to not visit your parents in the nursing home. Actually it's strange to even have your parents in a nursing home. It's a rare situation in Chile, but even when it does happen, the family is visiting so much it hardly affects the resident. I like visiting these residents, because they love seeing me and I'm not a bitter reminder to them that they're no longer young... I simply remind them of their grandchildren :)

I think that's good for an update! I felt another earthquake today! It was freaky! My teacher was not even phased until she looked up and saw Kaylin and me. Our eyes were huge and we were just trying to comprehend how the whole building could be moving. Haha, she just laughed and continued with class.

I'm sending prayers for my friends and family to the States! Hope all is well... oh, and GO BRONCOS!
Ciao!

Fiestas Patrias, Parte II

The second half of my vacation was very different from the first half! No more hiking volcanos or going rafting... we just ate, drank, and saw some pretty cool sights. It was nice to relax. I am once again going to brag about my host family. I was back in Viña for the 17th and 18th, so I got to partake in the preparations for the 18th, which is their Independence Day. I woke up on the 18th and by 10am we were in the kitchen cooking empanadas and drinking this cinnamon/coffee liquor drink. By helping make them, I quickly found out exactly how bad empanadas are for you! It's why they taste so good I suppose. By 11am we were making terremotos (earthquakes), which is pipeño wine with a fruit syrup and ice cream. They don't sound appetizing, but they're actually good! Then we all sat down to eat choripan, grilled meat, empanadas, more food, and more drinking :)

The brown mix on the left was the cinnamon/liquor drink, and the other two plates were the filling of the empanadas we were making.

Making terremotos!

The meat ready to be grilled, and a  completed terremoto!

On the night of the 18th a group of us went to the Fonda in Viña del Mar. A Fonda is basically a fair with rides, food, and dancing! Below is a random couple that started dancing Cueca, which is the traditional dance of Chile.

The Fonda was SUPER crowded in Viña, and after some food and a ride, we all decided to go home. The next day we caught a bus to La Serena, which is a beach town about 6 hours north of Viña. It's the second oldest city in Chile, and you could tell by the architecture because all of the buildings were Spanish colonial style. There were also old Catholic Churches nearly every 5 blocks.

Below are pictures from the Cathedral de La Serena.

We made a wonderful spur of the moment decision that night in La Serena! We had heard that one of the best and biggest Fondas in Chile was in Pampilla, just a short bus ride away from La Serena. Initially, none of us were very interested because we were so tired from the day, but a bus came by and it said Pampilla, so we just hopped on and went! Thank goodness we did! This Fonda was HUGE! There was food everywhere, big rides, and even though there were more people than the one in Viña, the area was so big that it was definitely less crowded. We rode the roller-coaster (montaña rusa), and ate some good food with terremotos of course!

Below is a man preparing Chorillanos, which is basically a heart attack waiting to happen... french fries with all kinds of meat, grilled onions and peppers piled on, then a sunny-side-up egg is placed on top and you're given a fork... dig in! 

They also have this thing called an Ass... yep try ordering that with a straight face. It's just seared meat with sauerkraut, onions, mayo, and mustard on a hotdog bun. 

Always more terremotos! And Kaylin figured out how to make them even better! In Fort Collins, Beer/Margaritas (aka beer-ritas!) are really popular. So she decided to try adding some beer to the terremotos to see if they would taste similar. Um yeah... it was perfection! The beer took away the sweetness of the terremoto, and made the flavor a lot more smooth. Beer always seems to fix things ;)

(Disclaimer: We always drank responsibly, don't worry Mom and Dad)

Another great thing that La Serena is known for is it's huge beach. The beach runs about 6km without being broken. It was the softest sand I have felt, and we went on a Calbagata (horseback ride!) on the beach. The Calbagata only costs $4, so that was a given!

We only had two days in La Serena, and this was a great way to end those two days. Below, you'll see my friend Dana who really enjoys learning and dancing Cueca. We entered this restaurant, and they were playing good music for Cueca and Dana started pretending to dance. Then the man who worked in the restaurant got really excited, went and changed his outfit, and came out ready to teach Dana to Cueca! Normally you dance with a fancy handkerchief, but he grabbed to paper towels and they danced like pros! Chileans are really fun people, especially during their independence week!

I've had a long 10 days celebrating Chile, and discovering so much about it's people, nature, and customs. It's been an absolute blast, but I am definitely ready for the routine of school to come back and  for a break from all the travel. I have some great friendships here after all this because once you travel that much with someone, you just get more comfortable with them than you ever thought you would. You get to see each other in all your greasiness after a 12 hour bus ride ha! It's been so much fun, and a week I will remember for the rest of my life! CHI-CHI-CHI! LE-LE-LE! VIVA CHILE!