Blogs from Maule, Chile, South America - page 2

Well – I thought that last week was my last trip to Talca, but like many other times here in Chile, my expectations were unfulfilled. As I am here in Chile for over 3 months, I have to obtain a visa. The program that I’m with helped me start the visa, but they certainly don’t help finish it. I hadn’t heard anything official about my visa, and the paperwork I did have was expired. I began to imagine showing up at the airport in a few weeks only for them to say I can’t travel. So, I asked around, and the first 3 people I asked did not respond. I finally was able to find some counseling on what I should do from the people in Santiago. They advised me to go to Talca – where ... read more

Stormy Weather and a Daring Rescue Torrents of non-stop, winter rain and howling horizontal winds had pelted the valley for five days. Don't go to the Tricahue River Lookout," Dimitri warned me. "The water is coming over the bridge and a woman was washed away and drowned there last year."Water washing over the bridge--I've got to see that," I thought. I bundled up but within minutes, my extra-strong Dutch poncho and my boots were soaked, and I would be squishing up trails that had become creeks. I whistled and up came running Bacan (Chilean slang for "cool"), the wise, terrier/spaniel mix and Cachay (slang for "Get it?") the young, not-yet-always-getting-it, black Labrador. They yipped and danced as we headed out for adventure. The pups and I hiked up to the cement slab bridge, where the river ... read more

I learned some new vocabulary: Huelga means strike. Early last week I was informed that the biannual negotiations with the administering corporation for the school were happening now. Satisfactory offers were not made and therefore, Thursday began the strike. Everyone showed up, but the teachers did not enter. They stayed outside (luckily in the sunshine) making signs, standing around, and later in the morning, eating breakfast. The cooking teacher made bread dough at home and cooked it over fire at the school. Always bread no matter the occasion! And boy, this hot dense bread with a generous dose of butter was delicious… Besides for the bread, I showed up to get a glimpse of what exactly was going down. I had the opportunity to talk to a bunch of people that I hadn’t talked to before, ... read more

I’m so fortunate to have such a great bunch of friends from school. I am having a ball with Sayuri, her boyfriend Juan, and the rest of the guys: Luis, David, Milton, Gonzalo, Sergio, Cristian, and Narciso. I’ve gotten to go out with them a couple times now, and I always learn a lot. Over some pollo marinera (delicious chicken, sausage, and shellfish cooked together and served in a massive family style casserole dish) we discussed my life’s love story and then the state of Chilean education. I know – intense dinner conversation. I got a little more insight to the brokenness of the educational system… for example, Politecnico has many resources that go unused – 2 smartboards and a handful of laptops for one! They sit in storage for fear of damage. This country has ... read more

I traveled to Talca again this weekend, but I spent most of the time at Cody's house with him and the others who live in Talca. I sucessfully took the micro (bus) by myself and found the place. Walking toward the house, I ran into him and Valeria coming from her house. We spent the afternoon planning and shopping for our great feast for the evening. Valeria, being from a Mexican family prepared quite an array of Mexican foods: refried beans from scratch, seasoned ground beef, and roasted tomato and pepper salsa from scratch. I prepped a lot of the vegetables and put together the guacamole which turned out delicious I must add! Cody - our sole man - did some grilling outside: corn - fresh from the family's farm, zuchinni, onions, and sausages. Justine brought ... read more