Mission: Chile

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 7^th 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.