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Published: February 14th 2006
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Feliz Día del Amor!!
So last night was my last one in Viña del Mar, and we didn't waste one minute of it sleeping. We started the evening with a dinner at the program director's house...Easter Island dancers came to do a show for us; the pisco sour and Chilean wine flowed like water; we watched slide shows of the trip with sappy background music, and did group dances until we dropped. Then dancing till 6...one more outing with Gabriel and Eduardo, our two wonderful Chilean teaching assistants/hired Chilean friends. Fun!
I guess it's been a few weeks since an update...let's see what I can highlight
1. Trip to Santiago!
Stayed with Adrienne! Man, so good to see her and catch up. On Friday, we toured the American Embassy...sadly, it's a big ugly building in the middle of the most expensive sector of town, but it's really clean and efficient inside. The Americans who work there were very informative and welcoming...one of the marines stationed there invited all of us back to the embassy for a Super Bowl party with pizza and an open bar. Now, there are some tax dollars well-spent. We had an all day tour
of Santiago on Saturday...complete with a trips on a funicular and telesferico (see pictures). The city is rather modern and very spread out. Suburb-like areas are connected by metro to the city and I guess those people get the best of both worlds. We went to a Cuban salsa show one night, and went out to lunch with Adrienne's host family at the country club. Sunday we had a SuperBowl party and barbeque at a house here...although I thin I only saw about 2 minutes of the game.
2. HOGAR! shopping, visit, updates
Big news about the girls' home project. This project is moving right along...so far along that it has a name and a website. It's called "Contigo" and the website will be ready for everyone to see soon. Here's an update/overview of the project: We visited a shelter for 40 abused girls to deliver some books that Jane Powell (our professor's wife) brought to donate. We got there and knew this place needed a lot more than books and visitors. The building is falling apart, there is no hot water or soap, and there was no fridge. Jane decided to get this project underway. With a list
Contigo!
here's the team heading up the girls' home project. of a ton of immediate needs, a group of us headed to Lider (a WalMart type store) and With donated money we were able to buy everything on the list...trashcans, cups, shampoo, blender, mops, brooms, school supplies, and a whole car load of other stuff. We spoke to a man with conections who is getting a new store to donate a fridge, and the bus driver who took us there was so moved by what he saw that he gathered funds to buy a living room set, a television, and some new dining tables as well. Things are really moving. We've met with the board of directors of the home, and there is a team of Chilean professionals that is here to take care of the money that we are able to send from the states. Now logistics about sending money and tax issues are being worked out, but things are looking great. We provided a lot of the immediate needs, but what the home needs is a place of its own...somewhere where a new, bigger, structurally safe home can be built. I am so excitied to be a part of this project...can't wait to see more things happen! I'll
Portillo
this city consists of one hotel, and this is the beautiful view from the back porch keep you updated.
3. Portillo/Mendoza
This past weekend we headed over the Andes to Argentina. I don't think I've ever seen such beautiful scenery as what we saw on the drive over the cordillera. We stayed one night at a ski resort where we relaxed and chatted. Then over the border to the land of mate, beef, and gauchos. Mendoza is a wine city...we visited a vinyard and learned about the wine making process, had a big barbeque and day of fun at a farm (pool, scavenger hunt, relay races, naps, fruit...all sorts of fun), and enjoyed the plazas in the city. Fun trip, but glad to get back home after the 10 hour bus trip home...prolonged by a long stop at the border where all of the bags were checked and the bus searched by dogs...c'mon policia, geez.
4. Everything in between...random
I learned how to make Pastel de Choclo...I'll make it when I get back. We all did our presentations of our projects over a two day presentation extravaganza. Today I'm going with my brother Rodrigo to the beach get a massage. I've met more Chileans in the past week than I met the entire trip.
Visited an old prison that was converted into a cultural center...circus school included.
Ok, it's my last day in Viña..I gotta get away from this computer. I'm off to the desert with Angela, Suzanne, and Laura. It should be fun. Update later.
Un abrazo,
Morgan
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