Santiago in Summer (Winter, Actually ...) by Mae Condalary

This is my final post for this blog - now that the Chile study abroad trip is over and I'm back home, I find myself missing so much about South America: watching soccer matches, exploring a new culture, and speaking Spanish.  Since leaving Santiago, I've been busy traveling to Argentina, being sick (thanks, food poisoning diet!), and then heading back to vacation in the States.  Needless to say, I feel like I took some of these pictures years ago, and the nostalgia I feel for Chile is alive and well.

Let me start with some highlights from my week in Santiago.  To begin, I got to meet with an amazing family - Pamela, Alfredo, Agustin, Santiago, Catalina, and Eva (the family dog) made me feel like a family friend staying for an extended visit the entire time I was there.  I shared a room with Cata, my Santiago sister, who also became my own personal profesora de español for the week.  

Cata with her guitar

Agustin and Eva

During the week, Pamela, my host mom, took me to Los Dominicos, an old church with a little puebla in the back that doubles as a Chilean artesian craft fair.  We had a great time eating completos and window shopping that day.

Monument in front of Los Dominicos.  See the Spanish-influenced
architecture in the background?

Chilean woodcarver in his element, aka his workshop.
He was a pleasure to speak with!

Sweets stand in Los Dominicos.  He offered traditional Chilean
treats - see those hanging lollipops?

 This last week really flew by - I felt as though I needed three to really get acquainted with Santiago.  I had such a blast exchanging culture, cheering for la roja, and learning Spanish tenses I didn't even know existed before I came.  Oh, and being terrified every time Alfredo scaled the forty-five degree hill that was the driveway in reverse (aka la montaña rusa).

My family, posing with Louisiana Tabasco sauce, haha.
From right: Alfredo, Cata, Agustin, Pamela, Santi

And I haven't even started to describe my new school experience at Southern Cross for this week!   This week I got to experience teaching English at the elementary school level with a great group of fourth graders and their teacher, Miss Gabriela.  I couldn't have asked for a better class and mentor - as a secondary education major, I never thought I'd get to work with students who were actually excited for me to read a book aloud in goofy voices.  I also got to teach the class about hurricanes, Louisiana, English spelling (which is harder than you'd imagine) and how to annunciate the "th" sound in English.

In return, they taught me a ton of Spanish words and threw me the greatest going-away party I think I've ever had, complete with lemon pie, singing, dancing, presentations, and presents!  It was awesome - I tear up a little thinking about it, but I know the class is in good hands with Miss Gabriela.  If you're reading, Miss Gabriela, thank you for allowing me into your classroom for such an amazing experience.

One day, we got off of school early because it snowed outside.
My folks back home in Louisiana couldn't believe it.

Me with the best fourth-grade class in Chile
(for real, they are).

Overall, I'm so glad to have had the chance to study abroad in Chile.  The experience ignited my passion for foreign language - I'm already trying to figure out how to get a Spanish teaching certification - and showed me what it's like to travel outside of my comfort zone.  The risk of leaving the familiar is worth the reward of gaining new knowledge and becoming more conscious of the global community everyone is a part of.  I definitely plan to go back someday, perhaps as an English teacher with my family in tow.  Time will tell.

¡Viva Chile!

Great Times in Santiago by Valerie Thornton

My travels are finally over, and I have had time to reflect on my time in Santiago.  Visiting Santiago was an absolutely wonderful experience, and I am so glad that I took the opportunity to go work in the Southern Cross School.  My week there went by incredibly fast, but it was a very rewarding experience, getting to work with Ms. Valeria Zuniga’s fourth grade students.  I had a nice time with Ms. Valeria as she taught me how fun a fourth grade classroom can be.  The students were smart, inquisitive, and absolutely adorable.  Throughout the week I read the book Top Secret by John Gardiner with them, helped them write a letter to the main character of the book, and helped them work on their English speaking skills. 

Ms. Valerie and I

The fourth grade class

Reading to the students

Even in just a short week, I was able to bond with some of these amazing students, so I was sad to leave them on Friday.  They made things better by having a small little party and creating a card for me.  It was so sweet that I wished I could bring them all back home with me and teach them here.  

The party on Friday

Awesome students

My host family, Ms. Rossana, Isi, and Joaquin, were great hosts.  One thing that I really liked about my host family was how close knit they were.  Every day we had breakfast and dinner together and talked.  I felt like part of their family.  They showed me some of the city, the mountains, and helped me learn more about the culture in Santiago.  Every day I woke up and looked out of our balcony and couldn’t believe how beautiful the view of the mountains was in Santiago. 

The snow covered mountains were gorgeous!

Wall by Neruda's house 

The Palace

My host family (Isi, Joaquin, Ms. Rossana, and I) 

Isi, Ms. Rossana, and I

Twice during the week, I cooked for everyone.  I made jambalaya and dirty rice to show them a little bit about the South. 

My host family and I got along wonderfully, and Isi even took a day off of school to go with Mae and me to Valparaiso during our extra week there.  Valparaiso was one of the most beautiful cities that I have ever visited.  There was color everywhere, multicolored buildings and murals all throughout the city.  We visited one particular neighborhood that had a museum, which overlooked the port, and I couldn’t take enough pictures of the beautiful view. 

Valparaiso

Color is everywhere!

During our stay in Valparaiso, Chile was playing in the World Cup, so naturally we decided to visit a local restaurant for traditional Chilean food and watching the game.  Chile won, and the restaurant and city took on a new life.  Everyone was in the streets yelling patriotically and waving the national flag.  It was a great experience, maybe even more electrifying than an LSU win in Death Valley. 

After the game, everyone was in the streets cheering and showing their pride for Chile!

Going to Chile was a scary idea to me in many ways at first, but now that I have experienced five weeks there, I know that it is a great place to visit and one that I would like to share with my family.  I met so many wonderful people during my time there and became a part of two amazing families.  Chile offers so many breathtaking views, great foods, and things to do that it is impossible to find a moment when there is not something to be doing.  

Working in the schools there was a very rewarding experience for me, especially as a future teacher.  I learned a lot about teaching to incorporate into my future classroom.  In Chile, students have a little more freedom to move around than students in the U.S., and I saw how great that little freedom could be.  Not having to answer questions about throwing trash away was nice.  One thing that I never considered when deciding upon being a teacher was the possibility of being an elementary school teacher.  I never thought that I could deal with such young groups of kids for that many hours in a row; however, I absolutely loved my time with the younger kids.  They were enthusiastic about learning, gave thought out answers, and said some of the darndest things.  I became more open-minded about students and teaching through this experience, and I’m so thankful to have had it. 

Hopefully, I will make it back again one day!

Food of Chile by Nick Janzen

South Louisiana is certainly no stranger to good food. Some might argue we have the best in the world: red beans and rice, char-grilled oysters, BBQ shrimp…the list goes on and on and it doesn’t even include all our fabulous restaurants. While I love Cajun cooking as much as the next guy, Chilean cuisine definitely gives LA a run for its money.

A lot of us have written about food on this blog, mostly because everything we’ve eaten has been delicious. But food is also intimately tied to culture, and part of experiencing a new place includes trying new foods. So below are some of the foods I’ve enjoyed during my stay in Chile. The food itself is not so different from what I eat in the States, but it’s prepared with a special, “Chilean” style.

Our Los Pollos meal, served in a delightful yellow box.

The "before" photo…only the bones were left in the "after" photo.

I try to avoid fast food as much as possible when I travel; after all, fast food is pretty much the same everywhere, right? But one day my family and I succumbed to Los Pollos. As the name suggests it’s a chicken joint, and you have only four options: whole chicken, half chicken, quarter chicken, and with or without papas fritas (fries). The chicken is slow cooked throughout the day on a giant rotisserie. You can choose how you want yours cooked, from lightly roasted to fully scorched. And it’s absolutely amazing. Los Pollos definitely puts KFC to shame (maybe not Popeyes, though).

Asado in the making…Watch out!

We're almost there...

Perfection

Here, we find the crown jewel of Chilean cooking: asado. This is barbecue, Chilean style. And like BBQ, asado refers both to the method of cooking (grilling) and the event during which the grilling takes places. My first meal in Chile was a “welcome asado” and one of my last was a “farewell asado. ” Typically, you cook steak, chicken, and longenisa (sausage) for an asado, but other meats can be included, too (in more traditional, elaborate asados, sweetbread and other organs are included). When it comes to cooking meat, Chileans have developed a masterful patience. They’ll let the coals sit for hours to lower the temperature (asado is never done with a propane grill; sorry, Hank Hill). This technique ensures the meat isn’t overcooked and it also allows for more ole fashioned, around-the-grill fun.  

Not quite at Cafe du Monde level, but a valiant first effort.

What's this? Beignets? Surely, that’s not a Chilean food. And you’re right; it’s not (although sopapillas, a Chilean staple, are essentially beignets minus the powdered sugar). But what trip would be complete without sharing a little of your own culture with those who have so generously shared their own?Thursday night my family and I went over to Kenny’s house, whose family is friends with mine. We had a Louisiana night: Kenny cooked jambalaya, and I made beignets for dessert with a box of Café du Monde mix I had brought from New Orleans. Both dishes were surprisingly tasty. To be honest I was a little nervous about Kenny’s jambalaya. After all, he’s not a Louisiana native and had never made the dish before. But Kenny’s meal really impressed—it was almost as good as my Momma’s. When dessert time rolled around, it was Kenny’s turn to be nervous. Beignets are notoriously difficult to cook and I had never made them before. But with a little help from Kenny’s “mom,” they turned out wonderfully.

The night was filled with delicious food, good conversation, and great friends. It was the perfect way to wind down the trip. Friday was Chile’s first World Cup match and Saturday I was leaving for the airport. So, while it wasn’t billed this way, I considered this the farewell party. I actually preferred it this way: we had the chance to be together freely, without the specter of emotional farewells hanging over our heads. 

My time in Chile was amazing, an experience I'll never forget. I met amazing people, forged close friendships, and made wonderful memories. I already miss my adoptive country and hope to return soon.

Week 4 Santiago-By Morgan Walker

Santiago was very different from Concepcion. My first day in Santiago was similar to my first day in Concepcion because it was long, but it was a fun and interesting day. I was slightly nervous about living with a new family but right when I walked out of the airport I heard my name "Morgan". After that it was smooth sailing. Soledad, Martin and Damian met me at the airport. This encounter was very different from Concepcion because the parents and children spoke English.

It was raining when we got in so we went on a tour of the city in the car. Santiago is such a beautiful city, from the architecture with the influence of the spanish to being surrounded by the Andes mountains I never got bored looking at the city.

La Moneda Palace

My bedroom view on a rainy day

School was very different. I was with the third and forth grade classes. The school started at kindergarden and went to 12th grade. This school also had a lunch period because school didn't get out until 4:00pm; it was a long day. I really enjoyed being with third and forth grade that age is so fun. One of my host brothers Martin was in the third grade class. I was with Ms. Josefina and she taught math, English and science to third and forth. Many of the students from the school were from other countries. I met students from Canada, South Korea, and the USA. All classes were taught in English with the exception of Spanish.

It snowed at school Thursday and the kids went crazy because it rarely snows and probably because they knew that school would get out early.

My 3rd grade class trying to catch snow flakes

Friday was a very interesting day because it was the first game Chile played in the World Cup and it was my last day at the school. The third graders made cards and read them to me. I choked up a little, the cards were very touching.

Ms. Josefina's 3rd Grade Class

School let out early but it took us 2hrs to get home because of the traffic. Our bus driver was awesome, I'm not sure if I couldn't have maneuvered that traffic as well as he did. 

That night we got together with Edgardo's (my host father) side of the family and watched the game Chile vs. Australia. It was a great game. Chile won! Im not a big Soccer fan but watching the game with everyone was a lot of fun. That night we ate Chilean BBQ and sweets. I miss the good food!

Saturday came so fast. One week is way to short to see Santiago and really get to know and build relationships with people. My experience in Chile was a great one. I had two wonderful families and two totally different but equally great experiences. I would definitely do this trip again!

My Family with Mike (Sara, Martin, Damian, Soledad and photographer Edgardo)

Chao!  

The Long Road Home by Jai Jackson

After four weeks, 1 day, and 2 hours I've finally set forth on the journey back to the states and back home. I never knew that such a short stay could leave such a lasting impression on me. In my time in Chile, I've made several amazing friends, been adopted into two families, and fallen in love with a country and culture unlike my own. I've also begun to really like soccer too! 

The Southern Cross School and LSU

The faculty and staff of the Southern Cross School welcomed the LSU Tigers into their school with very open arms. I had an amazing time with the students, faculty, and staff and each one left lasting impressions on me. 

A special thank you to Paula, my host teacher. She was a very experienced, knowledgable, amazing teacher who taught me more than I could have imagined about teaching, classroom management, and relationship building. I will definitely miss our daily conversations and the random laughs at the expense of my horrible spanish. 

Jai, Kenny, Paula, School Psychologist, and Ken

Several fond memories, experiences, and opportunities that I will never forget. I met some great people, ate some delicious food, and learned about a far off place. The beauty of Chile is only improved by the kindness of the people and the openness of the culture. I can't wait for my next excursion to this beautiful land and hopefully by then I'll know more Spanish than I do now.

Nick, Jai, and Ken

A big thank you to all of the other participants, Ken, Margaret, and Kenny for being great partners in our exploration of Chile. We stumbled a few times but we never allowed any of us to fall. We started together as 25 strangers and left as 25 friends/family members. I can't wait to see you all stateside and I look forward to many new adventures with you all.

Until next time... Ciao!

Coming Home by Meghan Charbonnet

Upon my return, it took some adjusting. I was very sad to leave my Chilean family. I had become so comfortable with them, and I knew it would be a hard to say goodbye. Our goodbye was not forever. It is just until we meet again, but we all cried as I left to get on my plane. They had welcomed me with open arms, and I am very grateful for their hospitality.

Reentering the United States was bittersweet. I knew the experience was over, but I was excited to take everything I had learned in the Chilean school and incorporate it into my studies in the U.S. Among the things I will incorporate will be:
1) Let children be children. Even though the students in the Chilean school were often talkative during school and would have been considered borderline disrespectful to an American teacher, they are allowed to express themselves freely. In the U.S. children become robots at such a young age. We teach them to listen and sit still which completely goes against the natural free spirit of most children. I hope I will allot at least some time for my students to be young and free.
2) Be flexible as a teacher. In the schools I have observed, teachers follow a very regimented schedule. They are sensitive to the fact that not everything works out as planned. They have back up plans when their students do not respond well to a lesson or when they finish a lesson early. Teachers must be flexible. There is no way to predict what a classroom of children will do. We need to prepare to change our schedules if it will benefit our students.
3) Though this one may a be a bit difficult, teachers must express affection to their students. In Chile, students are allowed to hug their teachers. Though thins is kind of affection is frowned upon in the U.S. it is important for teachers to show their affection in other ways. We can use more words of affirmation, write encouraging notes, or use other methods of reinforcement to show children we are proud of them and love them. This creates a positive learning environment and is important for the child's self esteem.

Traveling to Chile was the experience of a lifetime. I am so happy I was privileged enough to go on thins is trip. I will never forget the people I have met on this journey, and it hope to see many of then soon!

It's official... I am an unofficial Chilean by Kelvin Jones

This week in Santiago has been simply amazing!!!

It all started when I left from the amazing family in Concepción and was picked up by another AMAZING family in Santiago at the airport! I am quite sure I was the luckiest person from LSU on this trip to be placed with another incredible family for another week in Chile (I know, maybe a slight bit of bias), but this family is amazing just like in Concepción.

First sight leaving baggage claim

My Santiago familia

From the moment I met my new host family at the airport, I have felt nothing but love and true sincerity from every member, as if I was a family member of theirs all along. We went to a popular Chilean restaurant in the downtown area, atop a hill that overlooked the city (that even the Pope himself came and blessed), and went to a nice coffee shop (where I had tea of course, lol)... That was all on day one and it was nonstop from there!

Lunch at a popular place in town called Galindo

Striking a Pose on the hill...

The school, Southern Cross, we worked at was equally generous and hospitable. I literally started teaching from day one and not just with high school kids, but everyone from Pre-K to 12th grade, and it was amazing! The music students were very excited to have someone from the states to come work and play for them. They even had a sign up sheet for students to work with the 'Professor of Music from Louisiana' (I'm quite sure they were disappointed when they found out it was just me, lol). But we had good times learning about Louisiana culture and music, all the way from New Orleans Second line brass bands to Saturday nights in Tiger Stadium.... It even snowed one day at the school (I know, in June, in South America of all places!).

LSU group at Southern Cross in Santiago... Top left is my major professor Dr. Byo (really cool being around him in another country)

The extremely nice music teacher I worked with, Javiera Barros

Literally the view at the school

Having fun in the snow

I have eaten so much food that I should probably officially join Food network or Travel TV. Since being in Chile I have eaten (all delicious by the way): cow tongue, octopus, squid, cow intestines, sea-weed, mucho avocado, and a lot of other things that I do not know how to spell, lol. I also for the first have eaten a lot of Peruvian cuisine and most say that it is some of the most delicious food I've ever had (next to my grandmothers' cooking that is... I do have to go home eventually).

A Chilean dish called Cazuela at Galindo

Pastel de cholo inside a bowl that literally keeps the food hot for over 20 minutes

But the total value of this trip was worth one trip in particular. My host father, Mauricio (who is literally one of the nicest and most gracious person I have ever met), took me and his two youngest kids atop the snow covered Andes Mountains. The views from this place are worth every penny and energy spent on this trip (just see below)! 

I am forever indebted to my professors Jane Cassidy and James Byo for making this trip possible, amazing colleagues I've had the opportunity to work with in Chile, my incredible host families, every gracious Chilean I've met (and stayed with) on this trip, and lastly my beautiful and compassionate wife who allowed me to spend a month away from Louisiana to partake in this trip. 

Thank you for all making Chile a place I can now call my new casa! 

Views from the Andes

At the Andes Mountains

The snow man, Elvis, created atop the mountains

Watching Chile's opening World Cup Match #VivaChile
Until next time!!!

Goodbye Hello by Nick Janzen

Leaving Concepción proved difficult. I’ve grown attached to my friends and family there, even though we’ve known each other for only a short period of time. Everyone was so kind and generous to us that it’s impossible not to miss them.

Camila (left) and Gumor, my translator (right), at a farewell dinner Tuesday night.  

Gumor Ignacio Castillo Fonseca was my translator for these past few weeks. Monday through Thursday we spent nearly every moment together. I don’t think I would have gotten anything accomplished without him. He told me what type of presentations the professors wanted me to make and he translated my presentations to the students. I think he probably learned more about wetlands over the past three weeks than he ever wanted to know, but he was always happy to help me. I am incredibly grateful for that.

Leo, Gumor, and I in the teachers' room. Yes, we posed for this photo.

Prof. Willie during our wetlands field trip.

Leonardo and Guillermo were the professors I was assigned to work with. Even though wetland science doesn’t have much to do with geometry and physics (which they teach, respectively), Leo and Willie were generous enough to let me talk about my field. It takes patient, confident teachers to turn their classrooms over to a relative stranger, but both were happy to do so. Wednesday of week two, Willy took Alex, Emily, Camila (Alex’s translator), Gumor, and myself to some wetlands around Concepción; the areas seemed to be used primarily as a swale. It was a really interesting trip for the science people, but it also demonstrated the generosity Willie, and the others at Colegio Concepción San Pedro, showed us during our stay.

The "Power Rangers," in a lake we visited during our wetlands tour with Willie. They were in a straight line before the 2010 earthquake.

Like I said, leaving was hard. Friday night my family went to Alex’s family’s house for a going away dinner. Saturday morning we got up early to go to the airport. I’m spending the next week in Santiago with 10 other LSU students, working at a new school. We were all on the same flight to Santiago, and it was the same scene at the airport for all of us: huddled with our families, waiting until the last possible moment to go through security (which, due to different security regulations, takes MUCH less time than it does in the States).

Panchi, Benja, and my "mom" María at Alex's house for our farewell dinner—a strikingly similar scene to the welcome lunch Alex and I received our first Sunday in Chile.

My "dad," Claudio, wondering what I'm doing with my phone pointed towards him.

The flight to Santiago was strange. Leaving Concepción was sad, but I was really excited to meet my new Santiago family—who are, of course, wonderful. After picking me up from the airport, we went to lunch, and then we took a tour of Pablo Neruda’s house, La Chascona (which is a Chilean word that refers to a woman with a wild mane of hair, in this case Neruda’s third wife, Matilde Urrutia). It was a wonderful day, and I’m very excited for the coming week. I think this week will go by all too fast; come Saturday evening, I’ll be heading back to the States. It’ll be nice to get back home, I guess, but I’m really glad I have this extra week in Santiago.

My new Santiago family at La Chascona: (from left to right) Paulina, Francisca, me, Juan Paulo, and Lorenzo.