Week One: Chillin' in Chile - Ali

Though my bank and cell phone carrier have not been so nice about my travels, Chile and its culture have been unbelievably welcoming. Amid the new vocabulary that can be confusing lies a world I never expected to love so much. From the mountains and morning rain I can see from my window to the delicious dinners and care that I get from my host family, I’ve had absolutely no problem with the cultural change.

The Andes Mountains in the distance

My first weekend here, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I was nervous about living with a new family without expectations, being responsible for children and their education, and of course, eating as a vegetarian in a country that prides itself on its meat-rich dishes. However, with an understanding and kind family, they gradually stopped having to ask me, “Why are you so nervous? Calm down!” by the time Monday’s school bell rang.

One of many murals that symbolizes the school's Masonic values

The food here is absolutely delicious, and I have my wonderful host-mother to thank for that. She has gone out of her way to pull out every vegetarian recipe she knows, and never fails to make me feel welcomed, happy, and full, of course. I arrived the day before Mother’s Day, and I was so shocked to see the family gather around a fully-set dining room table, tablecloth and all, for several meals throughout the day. By the time the school week started, however, I realized they weren’t always so fancy. Nevertheless, I’m still very happy that their meals have become no less delicious and no less family oriented.

El once: Afternoon Tea

I tend to live life on the quiet side, so school and being in classrooms took a little bit of getting used to. But these teachers have really amazed me in how much they care for their students. In just a few days, I knew I really appreciated the philosophy of the school and the values they try to instill in their lessons and applications. Biology class is interesting, especially since the students who choose biology are usually ones who want to go into a scientific field in college, like medicine. As an environmental science major, I’ve been able to talk with them a lot and answer some of their questions about my research. Even though it’s not extensive, I love being able to show kids what I love and see how much they appreciate it.

Science Lab

I’ve finally discovered what “El Lenguaje” is as a class, which has been a quest for me since we got our schedules because we don’t have an equivalent in the US. Since most students tend to pick one subject to major in and the concept of a “minor” exists pretty much only in America, it’s been really interesting to see how the kids react to the fact that I study both science and literature. I’ve had great conversations about books with both the professors and the kids. Right now, one of the classes of younger students is reading The Chronicles of Narnia, which has led to some great discussions since we really don’t read fantasy books in American schools.

Going into next week, my bucket list has definitely expanded. I want to further get out of my comfort zone and talk to more people about what they do. I’m excited to get out of the school next week with the activities we have planned and understand more about this country. Most importantly, I want to try these empanadas that I can’t seem to go a conversation without being asked about.

Aunque mi celular y mi banco no funcionan, Chile es maravilloso. El nuevo vocabulario es confuso, pero nunca esperé encantar a la cultura. Puedo ver las montañas y la lluvia de la mañana de mi ventana y comer comida rica con mi familia anfitriona. Con todas estas experiencias, no tengo problemas con el cambio cultural.

Mi primer fin de semana aquí, no sabía qué esperar. Estaba nerviosa por vivir con una nueva familia, ser responsable de los niños, y por supuesto comer una dieta vegetariana en un país que está orgulloso de su carne. Sin embargo, con una familia amable, gradualmente dejaron de tener que preguntarme: "¿Por qué estás tan nerviosa? ¡Tranquila!" para el lunes.

La comida es deliciosa, y le agradezco a mi mamá anfitriona por cocinar mucho. Siempre estamos felices después de cada comida. Llegué el día antes del Día de la Madre, y me sorprendió que tengan comidas elegantes todos los días. Pero esto fue solo para una ocasión especial. Sin embargo, estoy muy contenta de que sus comidas estén orientadas a la familia.

Necesitaba acostumbrarme a estar en una aula rodeado de tanta gente. Pero estas profesoras se preocupan por sus estudiantes y les facilita sentirse cómodos. Realmente aprecio los valores y la moral de este colegio. Tuve la oportunidad de enseñar en una clase de biología con estudiantes que quieren ser doctores, y discutimos el tipo de sangre. Llegué a enseñarles sobre el fenotipo Bombay. Me encanta hablar con ellos sobre mis investigaciones.

¡Finalmente descubrí lo que es la materia "Lenguaje"! Ha sido una búsqueda porque no tenemos la misma clase en los EEUU. Porque la mayoría de los otros países no tienen el concepto de "especialidad menor", los estudiantes están muy entusiasmados de saber que estudio ciencias y literatura. Me encanta leer, y he tenido excelentes conversaciones sobre libros con los estudiantes y profesores. Es difícil porque los títulos de los libros no se traducen directamente entre inglés y español. Los estudiantes más jóvenes están leyendo Las crónicas de Narnia y hemos discutido que no leen libros de fantasía en las escuelas estadounidenses.

La próxima semana, hay tantas cosas que quiero hacer. Quiero conocer gente nueva y ver más lugares. Lo más importante es que quiero probar empanadas de las que todos me hablan.