tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63558342011-04-21T22:31:26.252-03:00Reactions to the flow of life...fed the length of its course by converging cultural tributaries Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comBlogger1761100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1105644821934990022005-01-17T08:31:00.000-03:002007-02-09T16:20:58.886-03:00

The most important conclusion I have reached during my year long personal and academic studies is that----It is ok to be a product of my culture...but only with constant conscientious reflection.Throughout the year, I found it difficult to tell people that I am American because of the problems and hostility that this often carries. No one was afraid to be blunt and everyone has an strong opinion

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1105968786410689842005-01-17T08:15:00.000-03:002007-02-09T16:04:04.286-03:00

My last 36 hours in Santiago were busy- and absolutely fabulous. I went to a wedding where we partied till 7am, slept three hours then ran errands, ate lunch at Juan Pablo's family's house (typically the day after the wedding the whole family gets together again for a big meal of seafood...it was delcicious), and finally got together with my good friends at Natalia's restaurant to drink my last

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1105798908135539422005-01-15T11:13:00.000-03:002005-08-27T20:02:58.936-04:00

"Slow Fades Are Worse Than Sudden Endings"That is what my horoscope told me today. Tomorrow I will probably agree. However, in the past few days I haven´t really been able to think much about the fact that I am leaving Chile on Sunday night. I have been too busy tying up lose ends with my apartment, writing cards to people, trying to sell my TV, paying bills, requesting school records, etc etc

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1105560282532685382005-01-12T16:55:00.000-03:002005-01-13T16:31:36.863-03:00

I just finished climbing a volcano. It was awesome. But it was playing with me- the sucker spewed up lava so high but it never let me get a good picture. My hands were freezing, my nose was running, my eyes and lungs were burning from the sulfuric gases, and I just couldn´t capture the image that I wanted. Oh what a person will go through to try and get a good picture... I´m leaving the Lake

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1105483253496865152005-01-11T19:39:00.000-03:002005-08-27T20:03:47.146-04:00

I ate it big time going down some class 7 rapids today in Pucón! I hope to post a picture soon.Tomorrow I am going out with a bang...but hopefully not too big because I´ll be climing an active volcano! Should be fun....

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1105134534076674962005-01-07T18:44:00.000-03:002005-08-27T20:07:38.703-04:00

On Friday I arrived on the storybook island of Chiloé. Its quaint fishing villages with houses built on stilts over the water and picturesque fields with grazing cows brings you back a century in time. Out of all the placecs that I have visited in Chile- this is the one place where I could live...if the government didn´t have plans to build the biggest brige in South America connecting Chiloé

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1105070165536737392005-01-07T01:49:00.000-03:002005-08-27T20:10:13.100-04:00

Yesterday I visited the penguins of southern Chile. Limping around in the cold weather sucked until I saw the first penguin... then I forgot the pain completely. It was the best trip to the zoo- only I wasn`t at the zoo. The 500 wild penguins on the coast of southern Chile were very self-absorbed and hardly noticed us tourists. Today, I took a ten minute flight in a 9-passenger plane over the

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1104976709672806062005-01-05T21:44:00.000-03:002005-01-07T18:38:51.080-03:00

Before On the Navimag ship I met a tall dude from Denmark (Jens),a cute Norweigen (Brigt), and a smart American (Ken) and the three of them let me tag along with them on the W-shaped trail in Torres del Paine National Park. Day 1 (Dec. 31) Upon arrival the weather is beautiful so we take advantage of the time and set up camp with a beautiful view of the namesake rock towers of the park. At

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1104895169391928482005-01-05T01:13:00.000-03:002005-01-05T00:19:29.393-03:00

after all three of the above in the last few days (during 50 km) i am still alive....will write more tomorrow....

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1104416660348777792004-12-30T11:14:00.000-03:002004-12-30T11:24:20.350-03:00

I had a good past three days in a boat heading towards the southern end of Chile. The second night was a bit rocky but I had no problem with sea sickness so that was great. In general it was a great learning experience (ha- what time here hasn´t been?). I talked to some amazing people and really ended up clicking with a few. One of the first few people I met was a Chilean from Puerto

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1104111499110199062004-12-26T21:35:00.000-03:002004-12-26T22:38:19.110-03:00

If it does, then I´m heading towards it! I spent the day in Puerto Octay and Frutillar- two towns known for their Scandanavian architecture and German population. The kuchen (German pastry) is delicious and the views of Volcano Osorno is amazing as well. I´m in Puerto Varas right now in an Internet place and will stay the night here. I will catch a bus early to go to Puerto Montt and then off

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1103994002006854332004-12-25T13:39:00.000-03:002004-12-25T14:00:02.006-03:00

I took the passenger train from Santiago yesterday and was heading to Temuco but changed plans about an hour into the trip. I wasn´t aware that the train passed by Los Angeles, but when I heard a few Italian travellers mention that they were heading that way- I knew I had to go there. My friend Natalia´s mom is originally from Los Angeles, a city of about 150,000 people 6 hours south of

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1103923665179345092004-12-24T18:15:00.000-03:002004-12-24T18:27:45.180-03:00

Last night was hard. I was in downtown Santiago passing out food and Christmas presents (the items that I had been collecting all year from exchange students who were leaving and couldn´t take everything with them) to people who live on the street. Kids too. Lots of them. By the time we finished, it was late so I went home in order to pack. I was planning on packing up everything in my

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1103850837858955052004-12-23T22:07:00.000-03:002004-12-23T22:13:57.856-03:00

I haven´t been in the blogging mood lately...sorry. But in order to update the world- I´m leaving Santiago tomorrow morning to go down south. I´m going to be on the island of Chiloé for Christmas and then I take a cruise down to Port Natales. New Years Eve I should be backpakcing in Torres del Paine National Park. According to the Lonely Planet, it is one of the most breathtaking places on

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1103487563131836612004-12-19T17:03:00.000-03:002004-12-19T17:19:23.130-03:00

Last night we celebrated Natalia´s birthday at her parent´s restaurant. It was a big bash with lots of food, friends, family, and fun. Unfortunately I won´t be in Santiago on the 28th to help her celebrate the real date, but I guess that means that I´ll just have to come back to Chile in a few years to help her celebrate a different birthday. Maybe the 25th? Hahaha. Happy birthday Nati- I

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1103277693394374222004-12-17T07:01:00.001-03:002004-12-18T10:34:08.866-03:00

I had a dream that the other day I slept in a cave after a night replete of shooting stars and woke up to the sight and sound of waves crashing on the rocks of a beach on an island thousands of miles away from anything I had ever known before. This picture is the image from the end of my dream. Cuando parace ser un sueño pero sabes que es otra realidad- ¿debes tratar despertarte? O solo tratar

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1103086871713113002004-12-15T01:45:00.000-03:002004-12-15T02:01:11.713-03:00

When I left Easter Island I felt empty, yet so full. I was so confused. When arrived to Santiago, I spent about an hour with Adrien in her apartment before heading to the metro to go home. On my way towards the station, I had such an urge to cry and I didn´t know what was wrong. I didn´t want to go home and be alone. I called my roomate Hector, hoping that he would be there, but he didn´t

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1103340172020825472004-12-14T01:02:00.000-03:002004-12-18T00:23:17.776-03:00

Easter Island is amazing but there are many cultish, strange things that the average tourist doesn´t get to know because of how blindingly beautiful it is. Number one- practically everyone on the island is related, but that doesn´t mean that their "family" lives in a "family" atmosphere, or are even friends for that matter. Imagine having four brothers and sisters by your mom and dad and

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1102983677529476482004-12-13T20:50:00.000-03:002004-12-17T07:51:17.443-03:00

Well I´m back in Santiago and the past week already seems like it never really happened. But I do have photos to prove it. I´ll try to get them posted soon. I´m leaving with such a twisted impression of possibly one of the most beautiful places on earth. It´s funny how you see pictures of a place and expect one thing, and then you go there and it is so much different, even though it looks the

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1102882125595649682004-12-12T17:04:00.000-03:002004-12-12T17:08:45.596-03:00

I have one day left here in Temptation Island. Adrien and I are going to rent a car and go camping with a few friends that we have made. I hope it goes well. And then its back to the real world.

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1102735060549670532004-12-10T23:45:00.000-03:002005-01-28T17:17:27.183-03:00

Sometimes I hate getting online. Why? Because I prefer to not worry and pretend that the world is as happy as where I am at. Right now I´m in the middle of nowhere (practially) yet when I get online I learn that some soldier in another part of the world admits to killing a wounded soldier from the opposition. And it makes me sad. (Mind you- I didn´t read the entire story... not that it

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1102557757283956242004-12-08T22:46:00.000-03:002004-12-17T07:37:02.790-03:00

I think that Rapa Nui, as Easter Island is known to the natives, would have been a better set for Gilligan´s Island....This place is absolutely amazing! Adrien and I are staying the hotel of a Rotarian right outside of the small town of 4000. Today we went on a tour of about half the island with a group of five other Chileans. We saw many "moai"- the big statue heads made out of volcanic rock-

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1102373191607290402004-12-06T19:37:00.000-03:002004-12-17T07:03:30.436-03:00

Today is my last day on campus. I ate lunch in the Food Garden with my friend Deyanira where we usually eat together. It wasn´t sad or anything because I´m going to see her again. It did suck though because it wasn´t as good as usual, and that is sad... You always want to go out with a bang, you know? But given that we waited until 5pm to eat, there were slim pickings. I´ve been taking

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1102288597245321382004-12-05T20:12:00.000-03:002004-12-06T10:38:00.476-03:00

Tomorrow is my finance final and I still have to turn in my take home final for my international political ethics class, but after that- I'm done with school here in Chile! Ahh...nice, but kind of sad at the same time, you know? Well, I'm sure that going to EASTER ISLAND will help me forget about that! Yes, I am going to Chile's Polynesian island in the middle of the Pacific. What a good way

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1102102885324922732004-12-03T16:40:00.000-03:002004-12-03T17:40:27.306-03:00

I love this blog because even if my mom is the only who reads it, then at least someone is listening. So hey mom- if you want to read some more of my liberal spew, visit the Reno News and Review website- http://www.newsreview.com/issues/reno/2004-12-02/travel.asp

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1102005393420418722004-12-02T13:21:00.000-03:002007-02-09T16:42:03.516-03:00

I had originally planned to return to Santiago by today, but I just couldn´t leave without meeting one of my few goals while travelling up north- visiting COANIQUEM (www.coaniquem.cl), the largest burned victim treatment centers for children in Latin America.There are two centers in Chile- one in Santiago and the newest site in Antofogasta. Given that the directors of both locations are Rotarians

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1101945562656265642004-12-01T20:45:00.000-03:002004-12-03T15:50:19.140-03:00

I was in Iquique yesterday, a port city in the north of Chile. I didn´t have much time and the paragliding business didn´t have room for me, so I hopped on a bus to visit a ghost town that is about an hour away. Humberstone Humberstone was a nitrate mining company town where, at the turn of the century, employees and their families were payed with tokens instead of cash which kept them

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1101675067180087442004-11-28T17:41:00.000-03:002004-12-03T16:38:06.313-03:00

I have done so much in the past five days that I don´t know where to start. As of right now, I am in Arica, the border city in the north of Chile right next to Peru and very close to Bolivia. I´m staying the house of a Rotary couple and last night I went out with some Rotaract kids here. Sandboarding the other night was cool- its a lot different that snowboarding because you have to crouch

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1102007866184888232004-11-28T13:48:00.000-03:002005-01-28T17:36:47.006-03:00

Arica lies on the northern border of Chile, right next to Peru and is also about an hour away from Bolivia by paved road. I arrived here at 7am by bus on Saturday morning and a local Rotarian picked me up and brought me to her house. I took a quick shower and ate half of my breakfast before we hurried out to the final activity of the Rotary-Lions Club Olympics at the military base. The final

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1101426221986994072004-11-25T20:41:00.000-03:002004-11-25T20:43:41.986-03:00

I arrived in San Pedro de Atacama today- its in one of the driest deserts of the world. I am going sandboarding in a half an hour and tomorrow I have a full day tour to several lakes that are around here. I should be pretty tired tomorrow night when I take a ten hour bus ride to Arica (the northernmost city of Chile)

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1102097336363427412004-11-25T15:08:00.000-03:002004-12-03T16:06:14.410-03:00

I spent Thursday with a Ricardo, a Rotaract member in Calama. He took me sightseeing in the area. Chile´s oldest church- from the 16th century. Made from adobe and leather Me with Rodrigo, another Rotaracter and safety inspector, at the copper mine Chiquiquamata. It´s the biggest open mine pit in the world.

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1101007627956563852004-11-20T23:41:00.000-03:002004-11-22T15:55:43.083-03:00

Despite the images you may have seen on CNN, the protest in Santiago was very peaceful. There were approximately 45,000 people who marched, all for various causes- supporters of women and gay rights, plabor laws, preservation of the environment, not 4 sale and of course anti-APEC and especially anti-Bush.... It came to a close with a concert in the park right by my house and things stayed

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1101148785586736032004-11-19T15:39:00.000-03:002004-11-22T15:53:17.540-03:00

Friday night I went to a fundraiser for a missionary group on campus. Although idealogically I personally don´t support their projects, I went because I am a fundamental supporter of volunteer projects, especially ones that help unite communities, like this one does. Victor, Pía, Me, Andrés

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1100782903594736542004-11-18T09:56:00.000-03:002007-02-09T16:43:14.906-03:00

Besides a few protesting incidents downtown and tear gas thrown by the police, there haven´t been too many APEC troubles. Of course, the conference hasn´t even started yet...It is kind of funny because my friend Adrien is quite radical and hung signs saying "Fuera Bush" and "Gringos Against Bush" outside of her apartment window- which faces directly into the police station where protestors are

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1100627698762482902004-11-16T14:24:00.000-03:002004-11-18T09:56:08.980-03:00

Where am I? I´m not in Iraq, not in Gaza, nor South Africa....so why are there BOMBS going off? I´m not joking. This morning, an abandoned package was found inside one of the metro stations very close to my apartment. The police evacuated the building and then detonated the sucker. I saw on tv the news media reporting that the loud noise and slight tremors that were felt had something to

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1100542686678248212004-11-15T13:39:00.000-03:002004-11-15T15:18:06.676-03:00

...I wish it were Sunday. Oh, nostalgia...yesterday was absolutely amazing. I spent the day walking around downtown, visiting museums, talking with random people, buying cheap vegetables and going to church....Wait, what?! I went to church? Yes, mom and dad, I went. Don´t croak, ok? It had been a good ten months since I had actually gone to mass (I am not religious-although I have been

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1100434880687312222004-11-14T09:21:00.001-03:002004-11-14T17:03:07.126-03:00

Today will be an uncharacteristically beautiful day in Santiago given that it rained for the past two days. Here are a few pictures for you to see for yourself. The view of Santiago from Adrien´s apartment Yes, those are snow-capped mountains (Don´t forget- we are in the middle of spring here) la banda de los carabineros de chile la iglesia en la plaza de armas

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1100434849910896632004-11-14T09:20:00.000-03:002004-11-14T09:31:20.836-03:00

Last night I partied WAY too hard- I stayed up until 2am playing KITTY- a poker style game imported to Chile from the US. :-) It was fun- I was with my friend Claudio (one of the Chileans I met in Reno), his wife and little boy, his brother, and their aunt, uncle, and cousin. I had never played it before but I imagine that it is a big game amongst the retired or circles of women back home in

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1100283643367034212004-11-12T15:13:00.000-03:002004-11-12T15:20:43.366-03:00

Hey all- I am on my lunch break from LINK Chile, an e-education conference, and found ths nifty connection, conviniently placed in the foyer of UTEM, the physical campus of the virtual university that is sponsoring this whole deal. I`m learning a lot (of course) and meeting some great people with a lot of interesting points of view on distance learning and everything that applies to it. Of

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1100189069228093262004-11-11T13:24:00.000-03:002004-11-14T09:34:18.066-03:00

We`re just finishing up our finance project. Not that it matters much since the deadline was extended until tomorrow due to the death (from cancer) of one of the director`s of the school. At least we are finishing... My test in business ethics was postponed as well, so I have a lot of stress lifted off of my shoulders. I never met the woman that died, but I am sure that we are both in better

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1099921426378865612004-11-08T10:23:00.000-03:002004-11-08T10:43:46.376-03:00

I don´t know what is wrong with me- I have so much to do, so little time, yet I still notice the small things and don´t think I have ever been happier in Santiago. Every day, great things seem to be falling in my lap- I can´t help but be very grateful. This week, besides all of my projects and test that my friend just reminded me about, I will be going to another e-learning conferece. On

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1099708930776247062004-11-05T23:33:00.000-03:002004-11-05T23:52:36.030-03:00

This morning I went to meet with the director of USAC, the exchange program that my university (University of Nevada Reno) has with another university here in Santiago, the University of Andres Bello. While there, I happened to mention to the secretary that I was planning on writing a research paper on e-learning in Latin America and she informed me of an e-learning conference that was to take

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1099607649447131922004-11-04T18:26:00.000-03:002004-11-04T19:34:09.446-03:00

I´m going to introduce you to a friend of mine- her name is Deyanira and she is from Sinaloa, Mexico. She is a self-professed flirt who likes to have a good time, laugh a lot, and practice her English with me. (If you want to see what she looks like, I posted a picture a few posts ago of me, her, and my roomate at a gala- scroll down to see us.) We have suffered through Finance together,

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1099496173653004342004-11-03T13:26:00.000-03:002004-11-03T16:23:59.473-03:00

I went to sleep last night after watching CNN until 3am and had a really good dream...only to wake up today and find that it hasn´t come true. Back to reality. Back to Chile, Santiago, school, Rotary, and all the amazing things things that I am able to enjoy here. Wait? Am I still dreaming? Apparently not. I am incredibly lucky to be here and although things didn´t "swing" the way I had

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1099406658094718682004-11-02T11:37:00.000-03:002004-11-02T11:44:18.096-03:00

You know that scary looking contraption that women use in order to curl their eyelashes before putting on mascara (known commonly as an eyelash curler)? Well it doesn´t exist here in Chile. Women use spoons. They use their thumb and rub their eyelashes on the edge of the spoon in order to curl them up. I lost my eyelash curler when I went home for my sister´s wedding so I have tried this

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1099343636976812052004-11-01T18:00:00.000-03:002004-11-14T08:54:04.063-03:00

I am dead tired. I think that I have slept about ten hours in the past three days. If I could keep my eyes open, I would write more but I am going to summarize quickly so I can go home and go to sleep. Friday- Halloween party and fundraiser for children with metabolic disorders. It was fun but since Chileans don´t like to dress up the foreigners were the only ones with costumes. I don´t know

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1098976131453641832004-10-28T11:48:00.000-03:002004-11-02T11:34:06.066-03:00

I voted this morning! I went to the embassy before class and dropped off my absentee ballot- it was a quick and easy way to exercise my right and am happy that I did it. Now I just have to wait and hope that my candidate (if you are a frequent reader of this blog you should know which one I voted for) wins the majority and that the electoral representatives of California vote for him too.

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1098917634939472402004-10-27T19:48:00.000-03:002004-10-27T19:54:48.176-03:00

Just finished with a Rotary meeting this afternoon with my host club at the Union Club downtown. Right now, I am working on a translation of a project proposal for a different Rotary club whose meeting I have to go to tonight. In this meeting, we will be smoothing out the wrinkles for the Halloween fundraising party that we are planning for Friday night. So much to do and so little time...

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1098832103351294252004-10-26T20:08:00.000-03:002004-10-27T19:56:09.306-03:00

After the Rotary meeting on Friday night, we tried to go out for Karaoke but the place was completely packed. Since we were a group of more than ten people, deciding where to go turned into a big production. Finally, we ended up at my apartment- the same place we have gone EVERY Friday night for the past two months. Don`t get me wrong- I am not complaining at all because that means that I don`

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1098828895143470802004-10-26T19:06:00.000-03:002004-10-27T19:43:52.513-03:00

For those of you who don´t speak Spanish- here is a quick lesson for you. The first phrase (which makes absolutely no sense in English) is a guide to how to pronounce the Spanish phrase in parenthesis. Kiss sea ram most dose tea kill as (quisieramos dos tequilas). We would like two tequilas. Much as grass see as (muchas gracias). Thanks a lot. Web ohs cone chore is so (huevos con chorizo).

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1098641438771580842004-10-24T14:52:00.000-03:002004-10-27T20:17:04.363-03:00

I haven´t been a very good blogger in the past week. But I am still alive. Just tired. I wish I had more time in general to write about everything that I do here, but if I spent the whole day writing then I wouldn`t be doing anything. So tidbits will have to do. Good Business This past week we had two meetings to organize the Halloween party that we are throwing as a fundraiser for kids with

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1098201038925746182004-10-19T13:22:00.000-03:002004-10-26T19:31:28.553-03:00

This past weekend, I traveled with the organization Un Techo Para Chile (A Shelter for Chile) and a group of 250 young people to small town about an hour outside of Santiago in order to build one-room houses (well, by our terms, they would be called emergency shetlers...practically large tool sheds) for very low income families. It was similar to the same project that I did last semester with

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1098199229706680502004-10-16T13:15:00.000-03:002004-10-26T19:33:59.736-03:00

This is my "boyfriend"- an orange and black bug about the size of a nickel called a "pololo" which is, coincidentally, the same word used for "boyfriend" here in Chile. my "pololo"

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1097706901481337152004-10-13T19:33:00.000-03:002004-10-15T15:19:45.613-03:00

Today I went to a Rotary club meeting to ask for financial support from the Rotarians for the Rotaract conference that is being organized for Chileans, Ecuadorians, Bolivians, and Peruvians. I was expecting a lot more support, considering that this is THE club in Chile (I mean presidents of large corporations, media analysts, public officials, etc) but we didn´t get much- about 50.000 (or about

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1097630134186597142004-10-12T22:10:00.000-03:002004-10-13T20:00:40.933-03:00

Oscar-winning Gael Garcia Bernal with two Chilean actresses from "Diarios" This is a copy of a letter that I sent to the local tv station and newspaper today- Televisión Nacional de Chile Avenida Bellavista 0990 Comuna de Providencia, Santiago Estimado señor o señora, En enero pasado, dos semanas antes de venir a estudiar a Chile, vi la película “Diarios de Motocicleta” de Gael Garcia Bernal

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1097443703107594632004-10-10T18:11:00.000-03:002004-10-10T23:39:20.263-03:00

This morning at 10 I had a Reiki class (originating from Japan, Reiki deals with energy, chakras, and healing) in the south of Santiago. I wasn´t in a rush because I knew that it would really start at about 10:15 or 10:30, so I took my time drinking my tea and eating my oatmeal. When I left my apartment, my cell phone said it was about 10 til 10- I was right on time since it was going to take

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1097374349015520192004-10-09T22:08:00.000-04:002004-10-11T00:11:30.676-03:00

Last night, I went to my first Rotaract club meeting. (Rotaract is a service club that is a division of Rotary for 20 somethings- there are 4 clubs in Santiago.) I had a great time at the meeting- it was informal yet they were getting business taken care of. Right now, they are putting the final touches on the Latin American Rotaract conference that is going to take place here in Chile at the

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1097372537151169662004-10-09T21:42:00.000-04:002004-10-09T22:06:58.340-04:00

This is a picture of a Mapuche (native culture of Chile) dedication and blessing ceremony that was performed on Thursday in the city´s main park. It was a very powerful, serious ceremony performed in Mapudangui, their native language. The approximately five minute offering performed by the Machi (the religious, doctor, psychologist figure) consisted of asking permission for being in the park in

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1097364641805181732004-10-07T19:30:00.000-04:002004-10-09T19:48:20.860-04:00

Wednesday night I went to a dinner celebration of the 80th anniversary of the founding of my university´s business school. It was probably one of the best dinners that I have had in Chile, not to mention a great live band with dancing until 4am. Needless to say, not many people showed up the next day for class. My business ethics class, which starts at 3pm, was practically empty. Not even the

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1096907494018561152004-10-04T13:00:00.000-04:002004-10-04T12:31:34.020-04:00

I was reading a book about political theory and moral philosophy (Walzer) and needed a break, so I came to check my email. In my inbox, I found a forward from a friend of mine from Mexico and thought it pertinent to share a few of the (maybe rhetorical) questions that were in it... -Why is a person that handles your money called a 'Broker'? -If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests? -Why is

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1096851910707496482004-10-03T20:40:00.000-04:002004-10-09T21:35:34.263-04:00

At the Centennial Celebration of Rotary today, I learned that for the first time in history, a woman will be governor of a Rotary district in Chile- her term begins in a year. She will spend this next year preparing, like all future governors do, and then take over next August for the year 2005-2006. Now, if only all the clubs would agree to integrate women in general.... Rotary Scholars at the

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1096742048886883612004-10-02T14:16:00.000-04:002004-10-02T14:34:08.886-04:00

I don´t know what happened to this week. Heck, I don´t know what happened to September. But they both finished WAY too quickly. If the time keeps on passing like this, I will be back in Reno way too soon. Wednesday was my roomates birthday- that morning at 12:05 I gave him a bottle of tequila (that we later put to use on Thursday night to celebrate). Wednesday evening, I made a good Mexican

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1096301149444771482004-09-27T13:01:00.000-04:002004-09-27T12:13:53.390-04:00

I just came from the US Embassy in Santiago- its set-up seemed more like a DMV or university than anything. But it didn´t take too long to accomplish my goal of filling out the card to apply for an absentee ballot. The real trick will be whether or not the ballot actually arrives in the mail. I hope so... While I was waiting, I took note of the HORRIFIC pronunciation of the people on the

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1096145853419408902004-09-25T16:37:00.000-04:002004-09-25T16:57:33.420-04:00

And the crowd goes wild!!!!..... Ok, not really. But the scoring part was true- I just played in a water polo game and added a point for us- we won. The score was like 17-3 or something ridiculous like that. But it was fun and very relaxing- not too competetive because mostly everyone was a beginner, which is fine with me because I am no pro. Women´s water polo is just starting to gain a bit

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1095952504367676772004-09-23T11:09:00.000-04:002004-09-23T11:15:04.366-04:00

The difference between paying someone to do my laundry at the laundromat and doing it myself (therefore spending time waiting around instead of taking care of other errands) is about 400 pesos for each load- that is less than one dollar. A cost-benefit analisis clearly shows that I should pay someone else to do it. So I do. Gladly. How spoiled am? But this is really the first time in my

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1095879065213205522004-09-22T14:46:00.000-04:002004-09-22T14:51:05.213-04:00

The pharmacy by my house offers a discount to senior citizens- adults age 49 and above! That´s six years of discounts earlier than in the US...

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1095703619603688272004-09-20T13:34:00.000-04:002004-09-20T14:06:59.616-04:00

This past Friday I began helping Chileans celebrate their independence- during the afternoon I went to a fair/rodeo (called a fonda) with my roomate where we met up with Adrien and some of her classmates. We drank some chicha, watched a horse show, ate some BBQ, listened to some music, played some games (foosball, mainly- and I kicked butt!) and generally had a very good time. That evening,

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1095186219995987282004-09-14T13:57:00.000-04:002004-09-14T14:25:12.353-04:00

Hmmm.... I think that in the past few weeks, I have kind of strayed from the original point of this blog which was to "share my experiences from my point of view- that of a young woman in a paradoxical Latin American metropolitan area within the atypical borders of the developing country known as Chile". Instead, I have been leaning more towards sharing my personal viewpoints in regards to past

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1095095438988360012004-09-13T13:00:00.000-04:002004-09-13T13:10:38.986-04:00

Right now, I am in a small town in the desert named Vallenar (population about 20.000) on my way back to Santiago and luck is with my- this week is the beginning of the desierto florecido or flowering desert that only occurs every few years, depending on the rainfall. This means that instead of staring out of the bus window at the bleak, monotonous desert, I am seeing a light carpet of white

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1094955295896167362004-09-11T20:53:00.000-04:002004-10-10T23:50:26.173-03:00

The town of Copiapo (population approx. 30.000) has two faces and yesterday I had the opportunity to see both. During the day, there was a festival in the plaza put on by one of the candidates who is running for mayor- there were a few performers who sang before the candidate spoke, some kids putting on a drum show, children blowing bubbles and people selling all types of food. So small town.

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1094852720744464352004-09-10T17:00:00.000-04:002004-10-11T00:01:30.903-03:00

I arrived in Copiapó this morning after the 12 hour bus ride from Santiago and was pretty tired since the five guys sitting in the rows in front of me wouldn´t stop talking all night. But when we got off the bus, we became friends- I saw that they all had instruments and asked where they would be playing. They have a gig here in town tonight so I am going to stop by and check ´em out. While

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1094743820511662392004-09-09T11:26:00.000-04:002004-10-10T23:57:33.453-03:00

Whoa- yesterday was absoulutely amazing. I went snowboarding (finally!) and apparently is was the best day of the season. Not only that- it was the best day of snowboarding in my life! The last run was impeccable- untouched powder on a sunny day! If I never went snowboarding again in my life, I would die happy knowing that I went yesterday (well, not really- but you get what I mean). I

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1094599467033455652004-09-07T19:19:00.000-04:002004-09-07T19:24:27.033-04:00

Can you imagine it? I just bought some Chilean brand potato chips (they were good!) and the ingredients listed: potatoes, sunflower oil, and salt. I looked at the back of the Lays bag and there were six words that I couldn´t even begin to pronounce!

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1094492611006432352004-09-06T13:41:00.000-04:002004-09-06T13:43:31.006-04:00

I studied Friday night, all day Saturday, all day and night Sunday, didn´t sleep a wink last night...... and I still failed. I thought I would be able to hang with Finance in Spanish, but apparently not. I am going to have to give in and check out the English version of the book for the next test. Grrrr.

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1094247979406596652004-09-03T16:45:00.000-04:002004-09-03T17:46:19.406-04:00

On the way to school, I thought of something really funny to write about in this blog- it made me laugh out loud. But for the life of me, I can´t remember what it was... so I can´t write about it. So instead, I am going to talk about... the weather. Not so funny, huh? But the thing is...it is cloudy outside and it is threatening to rain! Normally this wouldn´t make me all that happy, but if

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1094046665636946882004-09-01T09:48:00.000-04:002004-09-01T09:51:05.636-04:00

Is today really September 1st? That means that I have been here for seven months. Time flies when you are having fun, learning a language and culture, studying, volunteering, spreading the Rotary word, travelling, and finding yourself, doesn´t it?

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1093971807574095682004-08-31T13:00:00.000-04:002004-08-31T22:55:20.133-04:00

Finally- more pictures! Check out the links on the right hand side to see some shots of my travels to Machu Picchu, Fray Jorge National Park in the north of Chile, as well as the volunteer project of building a simple housing structure that I did earlier in the year with students from my university. Keep checking back- I will post some more pictures soon!

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1093705520203821372004-08-28T10:41:00.000-04:002004-08-31T22:54:15.313-04:00

So I didn´t go out last night just like I had planned- instead the party came in... After a Rotary meeting with the young club (that is in the middle of re-structuring and forming Sister Club bonds with Adrien´s club in Jacksonville), five of the Rotarians came to my place for what was supposed to be pre-game before they were supposed to go out to listen to music. Instead, pre-game turned into

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1093649995505512562004-08-27T19:30:00.000-04:002004-08-27T19:40:25.296-04:00

Today while walking to the metro, I looked up and lo and behold..... the trees are blooming! What is going on? Did I miss winter? It flew right by me it seems- although I guess being out of the country for two weeks probably hurried along the process, right? Although I am quite enjoying the warm weather and cloudless (but still smog-filled) sky, I am hoping that one (just one!) storm is lurking

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1093455540953681992004-08-25T12:56:00.000-04:002004-08-25T18:53:48.990-04:00

While in a crowded public area, it is very common to accidentally stumble and bump someone, walk too closely behind someone due to the mass of people and step on their shoe. It is not unheard of to, in order to get where you are going, have to speed up and in doing so end up cutting someone off unintentionally or be dancing in a club and accidentally elbow someone. Well, in the US, I can recall

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1093292138736946712004-08-23T16:02:00.000-04:002004-08-23T16:15:38.736-04:00

In case you didn´t read the news- Chile won two gold medals in tennis! Yesterday, Nicólas Massú beat USA´s Mardy Fish for the gold in mens tennis! That means that Chile now has two gold medals to its name! The ceremony was picturesque- two Chileans side by side (Massú with the gold and Fernando González with bronze) and an American with silver! I was so proud to be where I was at (Chile) and

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1093198237703300712004-08-22T13:49:00.000-04:002004-08-22T14:32:55.136-04:00

Athens 2004- Chile wins its first Olympic Gold in history! Yesterday afternoon, doubles tennis team of Nicolás Massú and Fernando González won the coveted gold medal after a hard battle against Germany. Earlier in the day, González played USA´s Taylor Dent and secured Chile´s first medal of the games- the bronze in singles tennis. For the gold medal match, I was in downtown Santiago with masses

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1093023009105012262004-08-20T13:09:00.000-04:002004-08-30T23:38:02.006-04:00

Adrien and her friend Bryan went to Buenos Aires last weekend- apparently they had a good time (how can you not have a good time where the music is good, food is cheap, and the shopping excellent?) Bryan told me about a dinner that they shared in a typical Argentine place (I don`t know what that would be since I haven`t been to Argentina yet) and how Adrien got a bit upset because even though

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1092862770834589242004-08-18T16:07:00.000-04:002005-01-28T17:27:20.286-03:00

Today I went to my Rotary club´s meeting in order to talk to my host counselor about service project ideas. Afterwards, I was given a tour of the Union Club (where the club meets) by one of the Rotary associates. Historically, the Union Club was a very exclusive, upper-class club of the forties and fifties where the movers and shakers met to drink, smoke, and make their business deals. Women

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1092686299818833352004-08-16T15:22:00.000-04:002004-08-17T15:09:40.970-04:00

This past weekend, I was able to play Guide to a group of skiiers from California, one of whom was the aunt of a very good friend of mine. On Saturday, we met up for a very good (although a bit expensive) dinner show with folkloric dances (they treated me, but I felt a bit guilty because I didn´t know how expensive it would be), and Sunday we went to the pre-colombian art musuem and the plaza

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1092260493498653432004-08-11T17:30:00.000-04:002004-08-11T17:41:33.496-04:00

I am getting a roomate next Tuesday- imported directly from Mexico!! Hahaha...he is a friend of my friend Gaby, also from Mexico. Since I have an extra bedroom in my apartment, now that Mom and Dad and Brother are gone, then I might as well try to rent it out. I don´t know long he will stay with me- maybe the semester, or maybe less time if he finds another place. But for the time being, it

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1092169638429783072004-08-10T15:52:00.000-04:002004-08-10T16:27:18.430-04:00

When I first got here, I noticed that old women liked to cut in line. Not just for the bathroom, but for anything- at the grocery store, the movies, waiting for the bus, etc. At first, I was very surprised and I think it was my shock that prevented me from saying anything. After it happened quite a few times, I figured that since I am young, I have the time to wait, so there really is no need

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1091717683442647422004-08-05T10:45:00.000-04:002004-08-05T10:54:43.443-04:00

Today was the first day I went to school (yesterday I was up in the north with Mom, Dad, and Miguel). My schedule said that my Ethics in International Politics class was in E15, a classroom in the Construction building. It seemed a little fishy to me, but I had to go to find out. Since I didn`t know where it was, I had to be pointed in the right direction. Upon arrival, it of course, was the

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1091416629362628322004-08-01T22:41:00.000-04:002004-08-05T10:59:11.080-04:00

Since coming to Santiago, I have always noticed the stories on the lighted billboard-like signs in the metro that showcase the winning entries in the contest that is put on every year by the city- Santiago en 100 Palabras (Santiago in 100 Words). I wrote the greatest piece that I am sure would have taken at least honorable mention because it is way better than some of the ones that I have read.

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1091331167320834212004-07-31T22:54:00.000-04:002004-07-31T23:54:17.803-04:00

Being in the southern hemisphere offers me the awesome opportunity of hitting the slopes dirung the month of August. Did I take advantage of that tody? No. But my brother and father did and they told me it was less than optimal. Bummer for them...while they were suffering with bad equipment and worse snow, I was in Santiago enjoying the surprisingly warm weather and shopping with Mom. Not bad for

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1091117408574025922004-07-29T12:06:00.000-04:002004-07-29T12:10:08.573-04:00

I don{t have much time to write (I have lacked a lot of that in the recent past) but I am back in Santiago, only this time I have the pleasure of being accompanied by my family.  We have seen a bit of the coast, today we will be in Santiago, and tomorrow we´ll go to the mountains to go snowboarding.  It is kind of wierd because I feel like we are in our own English-speaking bubble in Chile. 

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1090614384169192752004-07-23T15:21:00.000-04:002004-07-24T21:22:43.453-04:00

I have been putting off writing in this blog because I wanted to wait until I had formed a hard opinion about my experience back home.  I wanted some time to think.  I have been home for a week now but I don't know where the time has gone.  I am very happy to have been able to be here for this short time in order to help my family prepare for and celebrate my sister's wedding (it's tonight!). 

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1090129040604408192004-07-18T00:51:00.000-04:002004-07-20T12:32:32.826-04:00

I love surprises.  Yesterday was a great day because it was full of them- I came home to so Cal in order to surprise my sister for her bachelorette party!  It was great fun...oh, and the party was too.   I got into California at noon yesterday and my mom and came to pick me up (she knew I was coming) with my niece who had no idea.  When Brittany saw me at the airport she started crying!  Later,

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1089671794667212772004-07-12T17:50:00.000-04:002004-07-12T18:37:23.696-04:00

When I first arrived, my host father admitted that Chileans are classists (pejudiced in terms of economic status) and sexist, but was very sure theat they were not racist. However, after having lived here for over five months, I now know that he wasn`t entirely correct. Having grown up in southern California, I have always seen and known people from various racial backgrounds. When I moved to

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1089495274805414102004-07-10T17:08:00.000-04:002004-07-10T17:34:34.806-04:00

I don´t know what other word to use to express or describe last night other than...WOW. The reason why is because I went with a Chilean friend of mine to a gay club in Bellavista, one of the ¨party neighborhoods¨ and I think it was probably the most interesting night I have had since arriving in Chile. Since I had never been to a gay club before so I had no idea what to expect- boy, was I in

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1089233174613938522004-07-07T16:20:00.000-04:002004-07-07T16:46:14.613-04:00

So after the first few weeks of mix ups at the library, our schedules finally coincided and I began teaching my computer classes a few weeks ago- I am now looking forward to lesson number 5 (although I should be on 6 but each lesson seems to go a little more slowly than the one before). Considering that I began using an Apple II when it first came out (I think I was like 8 years old) and I

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1088999603887212122004-07-04T23:25:00.000-04:002004-07-06T15:49:46.160-04:00

Today is the 4th of July. To you, that probably means a BBQ, time with the family, maybe going to the beach, and most likely seeing fireworks. In Santiago, it was just another Sunday, which means that everything but the malls and movie theaters are closed, and the lack of space means that our "BBQ" was indoors and on the stove of my friend Natalia´s apartment. Hey- we tried, ok? We had

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1088807385783656522004-07-02T17:54:00.000-04:002004-07-04T23:24:22.786-04:00

I returned to the medical center on campus today in order to make an appointment for the lung x-ray that the (cute) doctor ordered and it definitely was not as easy as it sounds. Well, doing anything productive down here is never really easy, let me tell you... Things are always much more complicated then they need to be. I first went to the student medical center and the girl told me I had to

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1088181732520865742004-06-25T12:12:00.001-04:002004-06-30T13:54:58.206-04:00

I went to the doctor yesterday in the medical center that is on campus and I think I had the best doctor´s visit I have had in a long time- probably because the guy was so cute. While he was busy prescribing me antibiotics for my bronchitis, I was busy checking out his ring finger- WHAT? Since when have I ever looked at ring fingers to see if a guy is married? Never... before yesterday. And

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6355834.post-1087845448415284702004-06-21T15:14:00.000-04:002004-06-21T15:17:28.416-04:00

My last day of classes are tomorrow- I have one quiz in my Intercultural Health class and really nothing else, although I still have to finish a few essays and turn them in. But other than that, I am almost able to breathe freely (although not well because I am still sick and there is still smog in Santiago). But, no plans for my winter break yet before going home. I will probably do some

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051487805079902451noreply@blogger.com