Background:
As you know, I’ve recently packed my bags (1 suitcase, 1
duffle bag, and 1 backpack to be exact) to teach English in South America for 8
months. Some of you may not know where
I’ve landed, however. For those of you
who are unaware, I am in Chile. I chose this country because I have wanted to
travel here since 7th grade, when a girl spoke with our class about
studying abroad and traveling around South America. What little I knew about
this country prior to applying for the program I am participating in, deeply
fascinated me. It’s a culture with such a unique blend of traditional values
and progressive views, a nation with an intricate political history, and a land
so geographically diverse and beautiful that one cannot help falling in love.
Plus, there are avocados and empanadas.
Inglés Abre Puertas (English Opens Doors):
The program in which I am participating while abroad is
called Inglés Abre Puertas. It is a fairly recent initiative funded by the Chilean
Ministry of Education (I believe this is its 9
th year), with the
intention of employing native English-speaking volunteers to expose Chile to
the English language and different cultures (from the United States, the UK,
Canada, Australia, etc). Volunteers are sent primarily to rural communities,
where English is much less common. For
more information on the program, click
here.
I discovered this program through
CIEE, an American-based
program/company that has numerous study abroad and teach abroad programs
throughout the world. I completed my study abroad in Spain through them. I
really support the principles of this program and have enjoyed being a
participant thus far.
The Adventure Begins:
On Wednesday, 13 March 2013, my parents took me to the
airport in Chicago for my 2:30pm flight. I wasn’t nervous. The reality of the
situation hit me that Monday night, so by this point, I was mentally prepared.
Packing was a difficult process. Not because I couldn’t fit everything into my
bags but because I had a hard time selecting what was important enough to pack.
And this made me realize how privileged I am to be able to have these
“issues.”
My initial flight from Chicago to Miami was delayed. In
Miami, I was told that my departure terminal had been switched. Due to the
delay in Chicago, I had to literally run from one end of the airport to the
other in order to make it on time.
While boarding the plane, one of the airline employees asked
me for my receipt, proving that I had paid the reciprocity fee needed to enter
the country. Since I had not and did not
have a smartphone, he took out his iPhone to have me “create an account” and
pay my fee online with a credit card. Through much conversation in both English
and Spanish, it was concluded that I did not have to pay Argentina’s
reciprocity fee since I was not spending time there other than to transfer
flights to my final destination in Chile.
I held up the airplane. I was that
person. Everyone was very helpful and understanding, however. And my seat was
changed because they felt bad about the confusion, meaning I had plenty of
legroom on my 9-hour flight to Buenos Aires!
In Buenos Aires, I had to explain to customs why I did not
have the fee. They ended up sending me through a different exit, because I was
considered a “passenger in transit.”
One advantage to not having a direct flight is that we flew
over the Andes Mountains coming into Chile.
While gazing out the window at this incredible scene, I listened to
Inti Illimani on the in-flight radio (this is a well-known Chilean folk band). The
feeling was magical and surreal. I felt
so blessed for this opportunity and felt inspired to make the most of it.
Landing in Santiago was refreshing, but the stressful part
for me was just beginning – making sure I had all my bags and commuting from
the airport to my hostel. As I waited in line for customs to get my visa
stamped, I spoke with an excited German mathematician who was there for a
conference. He was so passionate about his studies and was excited for me as
well. At the window, I discovered that I apparently did not need to pay the
reciprocity fee in Chile because I entered the country with a visa. Score! I
found my bags and found a transfer (like a taxi, but you pay a set fee to get
to your destination and they cram as many people as possible into a van in
order to save money). I paid $12USD at
the counter and was taken directly to my hostel. It was super easy and economical.
On the transfer, I met an older couple from Chicago who told me about their
world travels.
Meeting My Mates:
About 15 minutes after I arrived at the hostel, I posted my
arrival status on Facebook, changed into shorts, and joined my fellow CIEE
members on a walk/hike up Cerro San Cristobal, the giant hill/park in Santiago
with La Virgen de Carmen (Chile’s matron saint). It was great to see the view of the city right
when I got there.
Everyone in my group is interesting in their own way and I enjoy
them all. It’s so cool that we can all get along so well so soon. We all have
different stories, but have many similarities as well, most importantly a
desire to learn Spanish and to become immersed in the culture and countryside. I’m excited for my journey, but also for
theirs.
(the CIEE gang)
Orientation:
I’ve been extremely busy with orientation business,
exploring the city, and getting to know the other volunteers. Everyone has been so helpful and kind. Our
CIEE orientation ended on Saturday and we just had our first day of English
Opens Doors orientation today. This one is much more formal, since we are
technically employees of the Chilean Ministry of Education and are representing
Chile as well as the United States. The CIEE group makes up about half of this
wave of the EOD (English Opens Doors) program. We became an awesome support
group, but now have to mingle with the others who came on their own. There are
a few Americans, as well as people from England, Ireland, Wales, and New Zealand.
It’s fun to talk to the other people here.
Today we learned about the Chilean education system, which
I’ll discuss later. It is interesting to see what similarities and differences
exist in the way we teach and structure the school day.
Noteworthy Things:
- There is a cloud of smog over Santiago because the
mountains lock in the air. It’s not too difficult to breathe, but it has been
bothering my eyes.
- There are a lot of stray dogs roaming the city. Some
hostels and businesses leave buckets of water outside their doors for them to
drink. They are dirty, but adorable when they play in the park sprinklers.
- At the art museum, I saw an exhibit by an artist named
Paula Lynch. They were life-size sketches that looked like black and white
photographs. It was incredible. She only sketched “ordinary” clothed men in
order to contrast the infinite number of nude women who have been portrayed in
art over time.
- I ran into a fire hydrant because I was so excited to see
the huge Chilean flag waving fully in the wind in the center of the city
(apparently this rarely happens because it is not very windy in the city).
- We toured Pablo Neruda’s house in Santiago. He is a famous
Chilean poet and political activist. He was a foreign ambassador in France and
was on good terms with people all over the world, even in troubling times. He
was openly Communist. He was diagnosed with cancer and died in a hospital 12
days after the military coup in 1973 when Pinochet took over the government. It was determined that he had died of cancer,
however, his body is being exhumed in a few weeks to investigate if perhaps he
was killed by people under Pinochet’s reign…this is going to be a fascinating investigation
to follow while here. *Fun Fact: Neruda was born in the region of Chile that I
will be living in (La Araucanía).
- I ate my first empanada for lunch. It was delicious.
- Apparently, I experienced an earthquake this morning. It
was a minor one that no one really felt. I think I may have, but it wasn’t very
noticeable. These happen often in Chile, so I’m fully prepared.
