Concepción

This past weekend some other volunteers and I (3 others from Angol and 2 that met up with us) spent the weekend in Concepción! Conce (as the Chileans call it) is one of Chile's main large cities, and very important for trade since it's right on the coast.  There are also a lot of universities in Conce, and we were pleased to see tons of people our own age everywhere! (not the case in Angol).  We took a 4-hr bus ride there and stayed in a residencial, which like a hostel but even smaller/more personal, just a large house run by this lady and her family and 2 employees. They were incredibly nice, and it was incredibly cheap, so that was a great find!  

The first night we headed to a karaoke bar, and my friends Caroline and Dan and I attempted to enchant the crowd with our rendition of Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer," but it did notttt go as planned. We were really tanking, so much so that at one point a man at the front table was giving us the double-thumbs-down boo (very rude, but probably deserved).  I think we were a little too big for our gringo britches. BUT we got it together by the end!  And we made up for it later with a lovely "Hey Jude." 

The next day we all set out walking towards the center of downtown, and happened upon this little flea market set up near the University of Concepción. So many cool things! A little camera crew interviewed us for their project about the arts & cultural events in the city. 

handmade doll outfits! there are even little nurses' uniforms

caught spinning MJ. ain't nothin wrong with that

Then we made our way to the downtown shopping area and Plaza de Armas (there is a plaza de armas in every Chilean city; it's just the main square). I gave some kids a few hundred pesos (only about 50 cents) towards their school's Harlem Shake party, and we all watched a belly-dancing performance. 

chalk drawings in the plaza!

Then we got lunch in the market (empanadas! delish), which, coincidentally, burned down the morning after we ate there! I would never celebrate a fire, but no one was hurt and I must say I don't mind that these things went up in flames: 

NO THANK YOU

jesus christ

don't worry, mom, I found this picture on Google

After lunch we got some de-LICIOUS ice cream to eat in the plaza. It was a huge two-flavored cone dipped in chocolate. You have to eat it with a spoon because it's so much to handle (in a good way). This photo captures my excitement well... 

Then we took a bus out to one of the ports, called Talcahuano.  There is a navy base there where you can go on board this ship that Chile took from Peru in the War of the Pacific in 1879, the Huascar.  It will be getting its own post, because I took so many pictures of it! But before we got to the ship, we were trying to figure out why there was such a large swarm of people along the water.  It was the busiest I've seen anywhere in Chile!  We soon caught a glimpse of a Red Bull BMX show in full swing, and it was AWESOME.  We actually got up pretty close! 

Conce is on a major fault line; this is where the 2010 earthquake hit hardest. that also means tsunami waves!

just look at these tasty treats

at this point we are still trying to figure out what the hell everybody is looking at

... and then we figured it out

yeah that's pretty cool

That night we ventured out to one of the bar districts near some universities, and of course there was more karaoke. This time Cher's 'Believe' and some 'Bohemian Rapsody.' There weren't many other people in the place but WE thought we did wonderfully, and the DJ agreed so he let us keep singing.  Practice makes perfect! 

Then on Sunday we took it easy and just enjoyed some breakfast and tv before we caught our bus back to Angol. It was a great weekend!  My host family is planning another long weekend in Conce, and I'm already looking forward to seeing even more of the city : ) 

here's the group, plus the daughter of the residencial lady, who came out to karaoke with us!
apparently gringos make her laugh

News

First, the bad: my host dad broke his ankle! Playing soccer.  He's ok but they will operate on it on Wednesday to set everything straight.  He's been a great sport about it though!  Quite admirable.

Also we have new volunteers in Angol!  They got here last weekend, so we met up with them to introduce ourselves and then did a volunteer cookout together on Friday.  I learned the cueca!  It's the traditional Chilean dance that's very popular here in the South, and the idea is that the man and woman imitate mating chickens.  We had a group lesson at our cookout because one of the volunteers' host parents used to win awards in cueca competitions! Very fun.  I have a ways to go until I'm a convincing mating chicken, but at least I know what I am supposed to do.

Also I made a brilliant purchase: the P.E. uniform that all the kids at my school have to wear. I know what you're thinking, but you're wrong--it's awesome.  It's a super comfy track jacket in the school colors, with the name on the back.  I don't know if I can wear it out of the house but I'm sure as hell wearing it all the time in the house. 

This week there's a English teachers' network meeting, and my school is hosting it so I have to do an activity for everybody that they can then use in their classes. I've been dreading planning it, and have been procrastinating for several days.  Thank you, blog post, for eating up some extra time for me. 

Chile on Facebook

So I caved in and made a separate facebook account for myself just for students at my school to be friends with me, because so many of them wouldn't stop bugging me about it.  I learned quickly that most Chileans (not just kids) are obsessed with facebook, way more than any Americans I know.  Little 4th graders are posting statuses about being at school with each other and then everybody likes every single status and photo that anyone else posts.  Needless to say, every time I log on I am bombarded with notifications and chat messages.  For most of them, their limited knowledge of English cuts us off after "Hi Maddie! How are you? What are you doing?" but if I'm lucky they will try to an online translator to send me entire sentences of mis-translated nonsense.  Not that I'm complaining! I love them!  And I have been learning about online slang and different emoticons.  Yes, they use different emoticons! Who'da thought?  They make this funny little faces using letters and a period (where the letters are the eyes and the dot is the nose).  You kind of have to use your imagination; I was reallyyyy confused until someone explained it to me.  For your enjoyment:

u.u    (sad)

e.e    (squinty?  so I guess that means expectant/wary or disgusted)

n.n    (happy)

So now everyone in America can start using these. You're welcome. 

Rainbow(s?!) over Angol

This is a little late, but I have some pictures from last Tuesday.  Every Tuesday after school I do karaoke for whatever freshmen want to come, and there's a good group of 10-12 that are there every week!  Now we're also in the habit of walking (partway) home together after karaoke since most of us are going the same direction.  Last Tuesday I was having a bad day, just general grumpiness, and was not looking forward to having to stay after school to sing songs for an hour, but it turns out that was just what I needed to cheer me up!  That group never fails to put a smile on my face : ) 

On our walk home one of the boys pulled out his guitar so they could all sing me one of the Chilean songs that they are trying to teach me ("Quien fuera" by los Bunkers- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFhPknjnvTM ) and I couldn't resist taking some pictures.  And then we noticed that there was a rainbow and I got all excited and once I was almost home I caught a glimpse of an (albeit very faint) DOUBLE rainbow. So yeah my grumpy Tuesday turned around! 

can you see the double?!

miscellany

Since I didn't post really at all last week, here are a few things to catch up on: 

I tagged along to my friend's host brother's birthday party.  When was the last time you were at a 13th birthday party? Do you remember how awkward those gatherings are? My friend Dan and I were enjoying ourselves just people-watching the youngins, and then we made the mistake of joining in on a soccer game in the yard.  One of my shots on goal clocked a fifth-grader square in the face.  He was ok though!  Just in the way.  Afterwards Dan's host dad told me, in all sincerity, that I play really well for a girl.  There are so many things I wanted to object to, but he meant it as a compliment and I didn't feel like trying to protest in Spanish.  Instead Dan and I dazzled (?) the crowd with our Gangnam style dance, a weekly event at that house.  Pretty sure all the 13-year-olds hated us.

Also I went to the hospital yesterday!  It's not as serious as it sounds.  There are no clinics here, so if you want medical attention but don't have an appointment at your own doctor's office (so if it's urgent, or the weekend), you just go to the ER.  I've had a cold hanging on for a few weeks, and on my birthday I was feeling a little funky, and then I woke up in the middle of the night freaking out because I thought they had turned the furnace on and transported me downstairs without waking me up (but really I was just in my own bed, and delirious). The next morning when I told my host parents that they immediately wanted to take me to the hospital, so we went.  Turns out it's just a virus, and I have meds now! But the doctor thought that it might be pneumonia and wanted to take xrays, and then let me keep them!  Look at my beautiful lungs! 

And then, today, I finally got my Chilean ID card!  One the one hand, I am very glad to have it because getting it was a long and tedious process, but on the other hand... it is by FAR the worst in my long history of horrible ID photos.  I mean, it's bad.  For some reason I thought you weren't allowed to smile at all.  Let's attribute it to the language barrier, shall we? I don't even want to show it, it's just embarrassing. 

But I will! (embarrassment has never held me back) 

Don't I look like I just murdered someone for making fun of my wonky eye?  On the plus side, no one will mess with me now.  I'd like to see them try!  Last week on our family trip there came a moment when we needed to reprimand someone who had cut us in line, and I offered to start yelling obscenities in English (to confuse him, you know, and maybe intimidate him a little with my foreign rage), and the guy in question may or may not have overheard my rehearsal, because our problem was solved! So now the host family always jokes that they'll just send me in cursing up a gringo storm when need be.  Glad to be of service!   

The Birthday Post

I'm 22! Now I can finally--wait...  

So it turns out I had to work on my birthday, even though I work at a school and my birthday was on a Saturday.  I guess the school is taking a whole week off for Chilean Independence Day in September (BFD down here) so they're making up the days on various Saturdays.  No one could tell me why they don't just add another week onto the school year.  

But it was actually kind of fun to be at school on my birthday, because my students made a bigger deal about it than anyone has ever before in my life.  It was so sweet! I lost count of how many happy birthday songs I got, and they surprised me with presents and cards and treats all day.  A big group of mostly freshmen and sophomores surprised me at the bottom of the stairs during a passing period, with a big "Happy Birthday Maddie! I love you!" sign (they toss around "I love you" like it's their job, with no regard for conjugation/grammar--but who really cares about grammar in moments like these?), and balloons, and a tasty pastry with a birthday candle in it.  Then of course I had to saludar (cheek kiss) everyone, which took like 5 min.  I wish I had a picture!  I DO have a picture of one of my favorite classes, who decorated their whiteboard top-to-bottom for me and hid under their desks to jump out and sing for me when I walked in. Ladies and gentlemen, class 1B: 

And then in the teachers' room they had a big kuchen for me, which is a delicious German tart-like thing that's popular down here, and everyone sang for me and I gorged myself on kuchen. 

Thennnn I got to come home and relax all day.  My host family decorated for my birthday with balloons and streamers and a feliz cumpleaños sign!  And they gave me some sweet slippers and a striped sweater that I will wear all the time when it gets cold! And that night some cousins came over and we had a nice big meal (tacos!) and cake : )  We took pictures, but on my host family's camera, so I will post those once I get my hands on them. 

And then even today at school I was getting more bday treats. There's a 7th grade class that I go to once a week, with a different head teacher, and they surprised me with a birthday party today!  I mean like they decorated the room, had a disco light going, mountains of snacks and treats for everybody, and multiple presents for me!  I was serenaded in both Spanish and English and then they said a class prayer in thanks for me/my birthday.  Too sweet.  So all in all, at school I have received several decorative boxes, a little notepad thing, two sets of chocolates, two bracelets, and this little lion that says "I love you" when you squeeze his tum (from the 7th grade head teacher).  Very unexpected! 

 I'm so lucky to have all these fantastic people around me every day! : ) 

Three Day Weekend

Happy belated Easter!  Semana Santa (Holy Week) is a big deal here, so school ended Thursday at lunchtime and my host family had a trip planned!  We left early Friday morning and drove 3 hours southeast to Pucón, Chile.  It's a major tourist destination in the region because there's a concentration of beautiful natural landscape nearby: several huge lakes, mountains, volcanoes, waterfalls, hot springs, etc.  It was so gorgeous! I don't think any of these pictures capture it well.  But I tried!  

So we got there Friday.  We met up with some cousins and an uncle and the grandparents there, in a little cabin/condo.  Here's the view from the sidewalk: 

Friday afternoon my host siblings and cousin and I played cards/Jenga while the adults got settled (notice that I do not include myself in that group) and, much to our amusement, our Jenga game had to end without a loser because there were no more moves to be made.  I have never seen that before so of course I had to take a picture. 

But then we went to see some waterfalls called the Ojos de Caburgua!  According to wikipedia the water comes from Lake Caburgua (which we also saw, hang on just a sec) via "underground infiltration."  I had to look it up because basically the water just pours out of the earth into the bluest natural pool I've ever seen.  I stubbornly refused to believe the blue was natural, but my host dad explained it's from the rocks at the bottom or something.  You can't see the deep blue that well in these pictures, but it's there... 

It's called "ojos," "eyes," because it's like a face crying

that little guy in the front would be a host cousin, a 10-yo bundle of energy, and in the back is another uncle.  We were all trying very hard not to slip here 

Along the trails around the waterfalls (which were very root-y, as you can see) we found an adorable kitten and my host mom spent about 5 minutes trying to convince the rest of the group that we should take it home with us.  It was pretty damn cute, I'll give her that, but we left him where we found him.  

                                       

Then we went to see Lake Caburgua itself.  Everyone else was dismayed to see that the water level was much lower than the last time they saw it (summer is the dry season here, so it hasn't rained in a while), but I still thought it was pretty!  Look at it, how could you not?

even all the way down here in Chile there are gingers, thank goodness

 Ok, Day 2!  We went to the Volcano Villarrica, which you can see from everywhere in Pucón as well as Villarrica (the neighbor town that obviously got preference when they were naming things.  Or maybe it was there before Pucón, I don't know).  Anyway, it had just rained and the day was cloudy anyway, so up there everything was green and it was so foggy that we could hardly see anything.  Including the volcano peak itself.  But no matter, because the setting was so surreal that I felt like I was on a movie set or something.  We set off along a path to see come craters up close without knowing that the path was 5k, and ended up turning back after about 1.5k.  Ooof it was exhausting.  But tell me this doesn't look like we wandered into some godswood on the set of Game of Thrones!  I loved it. 

Then that afternoon we went to some hot springs!  There are bunches throughout the mountains around Pucón, and it was a beautiful drive.  We finally ended up at one called los Pozones, where there are 5-6 pools (each a different temperature) along a strip next to the river, which you can also go into.  We wanted to try the river (not first, of course) and oh my GOD it was cold but it was fun.  Quite the experience! 

this pool was the hottest, and Francisca and I tried it but quickly decided it was unbearable so switched to another where we could put mud on our faces and relax a bit

Over the trip we ate a lot of seafood.  Even though Pucón is on the Western side of Chile, relatively close to Argentina, there was a lot of fresh seafood everywhere (maybe for the tourists?).  So we ate crab claws and shrimp and a bunch of stuff I couldn't identify.  The shrimp we ate hot, tossed with noodles, but everything else was cold, dipped in various mayo sauces.  Sadly, garlic sauce does not appear to be in the Chilean repertoire.

Then Easter!  The sun finally came out on Sunday, and we went to see the lake on which sits Pucón.  It's called Lake Villarrica (surprise) and Villarrica also sits on the same lake, but down a ways.  It's huge.  And beautiful.  And, unfortunately for our plans, freezing cold.

the volcano! finally I can see it

I couldn't get both sides in one picture.  Told you it was big

this volcano is such a tease

this was as far in as we made it...

much to everyone's amusement, I keep finding myself friends with street dogs such as these

And then we came back home to Angol and ate papas fritas (homemade french fries) because none of the 7 places we looked had empanadas!  I'll find them someday.  It was still a fantastic weekend even though there were no empanadas : )