Toddler, Trips, & Track
7 years ago
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Semana Mechona
Well two weeks of classes are done, and I've still only attended 2 out of my 4 classes! The first week I only had two, because the others are optativas (electives) and so they start a week later; however, the second week of classes here is called Semana Mechona. It's basically a big welcome week filled with some fun and some not so fun activities for all the first year students. They have concerts and parades, but the major event of the week is when all the second year students torture the first year students who have the same major as them. And it's quite the event to watch, as they throw mixtures of oil, butter, garlic and flour at the students, take their shoes, draw all over them with markers, and then force them to walk into town and beg for money to get their shoes back... Let's just say I'm glad that we don't have the same tradition in the states. If you're interested, there's a few pictures of it all in the Valdivia folder on Picasa, they were taken by a friend of mine here who is teaching english as part of his internship. From what he said, the pictures look gross but don't do it justice because you can't smell it... (yuck!) Anyways, so because of Semana Mechona most of the afternoon classes are cancelled, which mean that once again I only had classes on Tuesday and Wednesday. These two classes are fully underway though, which means that *gasp* I've had to start doing homework! Something I haven't done for almost four months now... It's mostly reading for quizzes that are coming up in the next few weeks but there's a lot of it, and of course it's all in spanish so it takes me a while to decode it. It's definitely been good practice though and it's starting to feel second nature which is pretty cool. For instance, this morning I was reading Teorías del Aprendizaje (Theories of Learning), and realized that I was actually learning things in spanish that I didn't know in english - that was a weird feeling!
I also got to try a new sport this week! Whenever I head into town I have to cross a river and there are almost always people rowing. I asked my host mom about this and said I was interested in trying it so on Monday she took me to the sports club and I signed up to take remo (rowing/crew) lessons. It's really popular here in Chile, especially here in Valdivia because there are so many rivers that are perfect for it. I had my first lesson Thursday and it was actually a lot harder than it looks, but still a lot of fun. There's a lot of technique required, plus all my instructions were in spanish, which complicated things a little further. It also requires use of your whole body, which meant I was a little sore on Friday! I definitely enjoyed it though and I'm looking forward to the rest of my lessons!
That's about it. I'm looking forward to hopefully another week of nice weather (it's about 70° and sunny right now! yay!) and am getting really excited to see my family! My grandparents are currently in the Galapagos Islands and are arriving in Santiago on Friday a few hours before my mom and sister will arrive! We have lots planned and hopefully they'll enjoy seeing a little bit of what my life is like in Chile, along with having fun being a tourist!
I also got to try a new sport this week! Whenever I head into town I have to cross a river and there are almost always people rowing. I asked my host mom about this and said I was interested in trying it so on Monday she took me to the sports club and I signed up to take remo (rowing/crew) lessons. It's really popular here in Chile, especially here in Valdivia because there are so many rivers that are perfect for it. I had my first lesson Thursday and it was actually a lot harder than it looks, but still a lot of fun. There's a lot of technique required, plus all my instructions were in spanish, which complicated things a little further. It also requires use of your whole body, which meant I was a little sore on Friday! I definitely enjoyed it though and I'm looking forward to the rest of my lessons!
That's about it. I'm looking forward to hopefully another week of nice weather (it's about 70° and sunny right now! yay!) and am getting really excited to see my family! My grandparents are currently in the Galapagos Islands and are arriving in Santiago on Friday a few hours before my mom and sister will arrive! We have lots planned and hopefully they'll enjoy seeing a little bit of what my life is like in Chile, along with having fun being a tourist!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Community
Before leaving for Chile, quite a few people asked me how they could be praying for me. Of course there are lots of things that I could use prayer for, but the one thing that was at the forefront of my mind was community. I was realizing that by leaving Michigan and heading to a completely new country, I was also leaving behind my support system - my friends, family, church, everything that was comfortable and safe to me - and this was definitely the thing that I was most nervous about.
And now, here I am almost a month into my trip and feeling incredibly blessed because of that very community that I thought I was going to miss so much. Don't get me wrong, I miss you all like crazy, but it's been amazing to me to see how even when I am 5 thousand miles away God has allowed me to be in community with people from home. On top of that, I've been able to realize once again how blessed I am to have found such a great community. I'm also learning that community means more than just being in the same room as another person. It's so much more than that, and sometimes doesn't even require that you are in the same country (although this certainly helps). There's no formula for community, and it's not an easy thing to do in the least bit, but when it's done right it is incredibly rewarding.
For example, I was on facebook the other day and noticed that a friend from Central was on so I decided to say Hi for a minute and hear about her recent spring break trip. We've known each other since freshmen year but didn't really get to know each other well until last spring break when we went on the same trip through His House. We spent a lot of time together on that trip and shared a lot, especially in regard to relationships. We both realized that we were at very similar spots in regards to dating, and finding each other was an answer to prayer for both of us at the time. We were able to be honest with each other about a lot of different things, and it was so great to have someone who understood because she was going through the same things. Since then, we try to get together occasionally but unfortunately we both tend to lead very busy lives so it doesn't happen all that often. As we were able to catch up again via facebook chat though, sharing recent stories and thoughts, it struck me that even though I don't talk to her regularly, I still feel safe opening up to her about what I'm struggling with. To me, this is community. We were thousands of miles apart but we were still able to lift each other up in prayer, to share in each other's joys and failures, and to be encouraged by each other. And this is only one of many examples. So thank you to those who I have been able to facebook and skype with over the past few weeks; I feel so blessed to be able to be a part of your life, even while I'm here in Chile.
As for an update on my life in Chile. I'm still wanting and waiting to find my community here, but I'm not worried about finding it. I know that I can trust God to provide me with the community I need - whether that be in the form of my Bible, my friends and family from the states, or new friends here in Chile. And He knows what I need better than I do, so that's pretty reassuring. My God is my Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer and has shown Himself to be faithful time and again. And this is a promise that I can take with me wherever I go (and so can you!).
Joshua 1:9 "For the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
P.S. There are some new pictures in the Valdivia album of my University if you want to take a look!
And now, here I am almost a month into my trip and feeling incredibly blessed because of that very community that I thought I was going to miss so much. Don't get me wrong, I miss you all like crazy, but it's been amazing to me to see how even when I am 5 thousand miles away God has allowed me to be in community with people from home. On top of that, I've been able to realize once again how blessed I am to have found such a great community. I'm also learning that community means more than just being in the same room as another person. It's so much more than that, and sometimes doesn't even require that you are in the same country (although this certainly helps). There's no formula for community, and it's not an easy thing to do in the least bit, but when it's done right it is incredibly rewarding.
For example, I was on facebook the other day and noticed that a friend from Central was on so I decided to say Hi for a minute and hear about her recent spring break trip. We've known each other since freshmen year but didn't really get to know each other well until last spring break when we went on the same trip through His House. We spent a lot of time together on that trip and shared a lot, especially in regard to relationships. We both realized that we were at very similar spots in regards to dating, and finding each other was an answer to prayer for both of us at the time. We were able to be honest with each other about a lot of different things, and it was so great to have someone who understood because she was going through the same things. Since then, we try to get together occasionally but unfortunately we both tend to lead very busy lives so it doesn't happen all that often. As we were able to catch up again via facebook chat though, sharing recent stories and thoughts, it struck me that even though I don't talk to her regularly, I still feel safe opening up to her about what I'm struggling with. To me, this is community. We were thousands of miles apart but we were still able to lift each other up in prayer, to share in each other's joys and failures, and to be encouraged by each other. And this is only one of many examples. So thank you to those who I have been able to facebook and skype with over the past few weeks; I feel so blessed to be able to be a part of your life, even while I'm here in Chile.
As for an update on my life in Chile. I'm still wanting and waiting to find my community here, but I'm not worried about finding it. I know that I can trust God to provide me with the community I need - whether that be in the form of my Bible, my friends and family from the states, or new friends here in Chile. And He knows what I need better than I do, so that's pretty reassuring. My God is my Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer and has shown Himself to be faithful time and again. And this is a promise that I can take with me wherever I go (and so can you!).
Joshua 1:9 "For the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
P.S. There are some new pictures in the Valdivia album of my University if you want to take a look!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Start of Something New
Well, I was informed that I should blog and update again (you know who you are! haha). And I realized it had been much longer since I posted than I thought... so here goes. Nothing too thought provoking probably, but hopefully some interesting stories for ya'll.
Since my last post, quite a bit has changed in my life here. One of the most exciting events was my trip to a nearby town called Pucón with the other CMU girl. It's a pretty touristy town but since summer is officially over and we went tues-wed it was pretty dead. The town has just about anything to do that you can think of including: white water rafting, climbing a volcano, zip line/canopy tours, hot springs, shopping, the beach, bike riding, and horseback riding; just to name a few! Of course these all take time and/or money so we didn't do them all, but we did take a cool canopy tour and relax in the natural hot springs which were a balmy 39°C. :) We also stayed in a hostel owned by a super nice couple and ate some delicious food! We even ran into some fellow gringos and got to talk to them for a little bit. Only downside of the trip was that I lost my cellphone (I'm pretty sure it fell out of my pocket into the bus seat, and of course I didn't notice until it was TOO late!). But overall, a super fun trip - feel free to check out the pictures to your right!
I've also started to meet more people and my classes finally started! We now have two more guys start living with my family here who are also studying at the University - so in case you are counting that's now 5 guys, me and my host mom in our house! Thankfully it's not too crowded and there's definitely always something going on which keeps life entertaining! I also met a guy from England who hung out last semester with the girls from CMU. We went out to a cool restaurant Saturday night that I hadn't been to yet and then to a sushi place last night with Rachel and one of his coworkers and her fiancee, who is actually Dutch! Both nights were a lot of fun getting to know new people, trying to figure out what my last name means (I couldn't remember, but we found it!), and learning about British accents and parliament! And with the start of classes I'm slowly meeting new people - both American and Chilean.
As far as classes go, I say they started but in reality I've only attended 2 classes so far, and I only have one more this week! We picked a list of about 8 classes each and then were planning on going to each of them this week and then deciding on 4 classes to take for the rest of the semester. Of course, at this point (last Friday) they still hadn't posted the schedules yet so we also had to plan for possible overlaps which would elminate a class or two. So, first thing Monday we headed to the U to find our schedules. That wasn't too hard once we finally found out where they were. Then we went to our first class - Precolombian America! It was an okay class, and I was a little reassured by how much I could understand but not very interesting and definitely not one of my first choices. Then that was it for the day. I had 2 classes to go to today, but the first one was cancelled because the prof was gone on medical leave (at least, that's what I gathered.. hah) so I hung around the U and then went to my second class, Intro to Anthropology. It wasn't bad but still isn't one of my first choices. I have that class again tomorrow, and then I'm actually done for the week! Hopefully next week I'll be able to go to all my classes and get them figured out - right now I'm hoping that I'll take/like History of Chile, Contemporary Latin America Literature, Creative Writing, and a psychology class. Whatever my classes do end up being though, I won't have class Thursday or Friday... so that should be nice and very conducive for travleing - I keep hearing about more places to go!
I think that's a good summary for now.
Chao
Since my last post, quite a bit has changed in my life here. One of the most exciting events was my trip to a nearby town called Pucón with the other CMU girl. It's a pretty touristy town but since summer is officially over and we went tues-wed it was pretty dead. The town has just about anything to do that you can think of including: white water rafting, climbing a volcano, zip line/canopy tours, hot springs, shopping, the beach, bike riding, and horseback riding; just to name a few! Of course these all take time and/or money so we didn't do them all, but we did take a cool canopy tour and relax in the natural hot springs which were a balmy 39°C. :) We also stayed in a hostel owned by a super nice couple and ate some delicious food! We even ran into some fellow gringos and got to talk to them for a little bit. Only downside of the trip was that I lost my cellphone (I'm pretty sure it fell out of my pocket into the bus seat, and of course I didn't notice until it was TOO late!). But overall, a super fun trip - feel free to check out the pictures to your right!
I've also started to meet more people and my classes finally started! We now have two more guys start living with my family here who are also studying at the University - so in case you are counting that's now 5 guys, me and my host mom in our house! Thankfully it's not too crowded and there's definitely always something going on which keeps life entertaining! I also met a guy from England who hung out last semester with the girls from CMU. We went out to a cool restaurant Saturday night that I hadn't been to yet and then to a sushi place last night with Rachel and one of his coworkers and her fiancee, who is actually Dutch! Both nights were a lot of fun getting to know new people, trying to figure out what my last name means (I couldn't remember, but we found it!), and learning about British accents and parliament! And with the start of classes I'm slowly meeting new people - both American and Chilean.
As far as classes go, I say they started but in reality I've only attended 2 classes so far, and I only have one more this week! We picked a list of about 8 classes each and then were planning on going to each of them this week and then deciding on 4 classes to take for the rest of the semester. Of course, at this point (last Friday) they still hadn't posted the schedules yet so we also had to plan for possible overlaps which would elminate a class or two. So, first thing Monday we headed to the U to find our schedules. That wasn't too hard once we finally found out where they were. Then we went to our first class - Precolombian America! It was an okay class, and I was a little reassured by how much I could understand but not very interesting and definitely not one of my first choices. Then that was it for the day. I had 2 classes to go to today, but the first one was cancelled because the prof was gone on medical leave (at least, that's what I gathered.. hah) so I hung around the U and then went to my second class, Intro to Anthropology. It wasn't bad but still isn't one of my first choices. I have that class again tomorrow, and then I'm actually done for the week! Hopefully next week I'll be able to go to all my classes and get them figured out - right now I'm hoping that I'll take/like History of Chile, Contemporary Latin America Literature, Creative Writing, and a psychology class. Whatever my classes do end up being though, I won't have class Thursday or Friday... so that should be nice and very conducive for travleing - I keep hearing about more places to go!
I think that's a good summary for now.
Chao
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Happenings...
Well, I'm feeling more comfortable here at home and in the city so Rachel (the other girl) and I have finally started taking mini adventures since we haven't had a lot to do otherwise. It's been fun to walk around downtown and see all the people and shops. We walked through a couple cool markets with different hand made crafts (artesanías) and of course walked through the fish market. I need to take a picture because I haven't ever see anything like it in Michigan! There are ALL types of fish that you could imagine. There are sea lions here too that just lay by the river all day waiting for scraps from the vendors. We also have been sure to try all the different varieties of ice cream!
On Thursday we took a trip to Niebla, the local beach. Of course we picked the one cloudy day all week but it was still fun to see the ocean and black sand. We had lots of fun trying to figure out how to get everywhere (including finding the right bus stop!) and ended up walking a lot but got to then enjoy all the sights that pass by too fast when you are on a bus. We also ate at a cute restaurant, Entrecostas. We were both pretty adventurous even! Rachel ordered some empanadas with mariscos (shell fish) and I got an array of sea food - including shrimp, mariscos, crab, octopus, and a few other things I couldn't identify - and I tried them all! It came with a dip of onions and cilantro that was really good.
We also walked all over town yesterday in order to start the matriculation process at the university. First we had to register with the police, which wouldn't have taken too long except the police couldn't count... (they had to figure out how long our visa was good for and had a lot of problems counting 200 days), and then go to another office to get our carnet de identidad, which you need for everything. Needless to say, we pretty much know our way around the city now!
In terms of other new foods I've tried, last night we went to some friends' house for dinner where I tried crudo for the first time. It's a pretty traditional Chilean meal and consists of white bread, raw meat finely ground with salt and oil mixed in (crudo), onions, a mayonesa type sauce, pepper, and lemon juice. It was different but not bad. Maybe I'll come to like it more as I'm here. I've also had some really good soup with mariscos, and finally empanadas today! They also have a sauce here called aji (a-he), which is similar to a spicy salsa and is put on just about everything (just like avocados!).
I've also started running, and am hoping to train for the Chicago marathon again. It's a fun way to see the city, and dinner here is very conducive to running because I can run at 7 and not be hungry (because lunch was at 3) and not trying to let my food digest. Plus then it's still light out but not very hot! And the best part is that I don't think my family thinks I'm crazy yet for wanting to run. :)
This is getting long, but I wanted to add one last thought. It's been cool to be here in the aftermath of the earthquake and see the solidarity of Chile as a nation. They are currently in the process of a teletón, and EVERYONE is involved, from the cities in the very north to the cities in the very south. Here in Valdivia, there's a huge concert going on in the Plaza and my brother is actually helping volunteer there. And ALL of the micros (buses) and taxis have writing on the window about the teletón (Chile ayuda a Chile). I've just been very impressed with how unified the country is and how important it is to the people to help their own and bring restoration to their country. Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers, both for me and for the people of Chile.
Chao. ¡Fuerza Chile!
On Thursday we took a trip to Niebla, the local beach. Of course we picked the one cloudy day all week but it was still fun to see the ocean and black sand. We had lots of fun trying to figure out how to get everywhere (including finding the right bus stop!) and ended up walking a lot but got to then enjoy all the sights that pass by too fast when you are on a bus. We also ate at a cute restaurant, Entrecostas. We were both pretty adventurous even! Rachel ordered some empanadas with mariscos (shell fish) and I got an array of sea food - including shrimp, mariscos, crab, octopus, and a few other things I couldn't identify - and I tried them all! It came with a dip of onions and cilantro that was really good.
We also walked all over town yesterday in order to start the matriculation process at the university. First we had to register with the police, which wouldn't have taken too long except the police couldn't count... (they had to figure out how long our visa was good for and had a lot of problems counting 200 days), and then go to another office to get our carnet de identidad, which you need for everything. Needless to say, we pretty much know our way around the city now!
In terms of other new foods I've tried, last night we went to some friends' house for dinner where I tried crudo for the first time. It's a pretty traditional Chilean meal and consists of white bread, raw meat finely ground with salt and oil mixed in (crudo), onions, a mayonesa type sauce, pepper, and lemon juice. It was different but not bad. Maybe I'll come to like it more as I'm here. I've also had some really good soup with mariscos, and finally empanadas today! They also have a sauce here called aji (a-he), which is similar to a spicy salsa and is put on just about everything (just like avocados!).
I've also started running, and am hoping to train for the Chicago marathon again. It's a fun way to see the city, and dinner here is very conducive to running because I can run at 7 and not be hungry (because lunch was at 3) and not trying to let my food digest. Plus then it's still light out but not very hot! And the best part is that I don't think my family thinks I'm crazy yet for wanting to run. :)
This is getting long, but I wanted to add one last thought. It's been cool to be here in the aftermath of the earthquake and see the solidarity of Chile as a nation. They are currently in the process of a teletón, and EVERYONE is involved, from the cities in the very north to the cities in the very south. Here in Valdivia, there's a huge concert going on in the Plaza and my brother is actually helping volunteer there. And ALL of the micros (buses) and taxis have writing on the window about the teletón (Chile ayuda a Chile). I've just been very impressed with how unified the country is and how important it is to the people to help their own and bring restoration to their country. Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers, both for me and for the people of Chile.
Chao. ¡Fuerza Chile!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Be Strong and Courageous
Well, I've almost been in Chile for a whole week. Which in reality, isn't a lot of time, but it's been enough to start to adjust to the culture and my new family. I'm having a lot of fun, but have also found myself with more down time than I can ever remember having (and I also realize, will probably never have again once I leave Chile.. ah so is life I guess). Hopefully this will change a little once classes start but for now I'm trying to just enjoy it by spending time with my family, sleeping (yay naps!), and spending some time digging into the Word and journaling. Anyways, I just finished my devotions today, and decided that they were worth sharing.
Since I've been here, I've been trying to figure out what kind of person I wanted to be. I mean, NOBODY here knows who I am. I could go by a different name, like different music, act differently, etc. etc. and no one would know the difference. This is a crazy thing to realize. And I've been struggling with this a little bit, because I want to be accepted by my family and their friends here, but I also know that I'm called to live a lifestyle that glorifies God. So where do these two meet, and how do I get over my fear of not being accepted because of who I am in Christ? And where in all of this does sharing the Gospel fit in?
Today, I found the beginning my answer in Day 33 of Battlefield of the Mind (Joyce Meyer) and the book of Joshua. In day 32 and 33, Meyer talks about what it means to truly meditate on Scripture. To be more concerned with understand scripture than getting through a whole chapter or book. She actually compares it to eating a meal - where you take time to comment on the smell, the appearance, the texture, and finally the taste. That in doing this, we will be able to take God's word to heart, obey it, and be successful - not necessarily in worldy terms, but in the kingdom that matters. She also mentioned Joshua, which, 'coincidentally' Joshua was the book that I was planning on starting to read today. In Joshua 1:8-9, God commands Joshua to meditate on the Scriptures day and night, and to 'Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.' All of this, was just the reminder that I needed. Not only can I rest in the fact that God is with me, but because He commands me to be 'strong and courageous' I can trust that He will give me the strength to be just that. I'm not sure how people will respond to me, but I know that if I continue to obey God's plan for my life (which I can understand by reading and meditating on the scriptures) He will give me the strength to overcome whatever struggle, and he will turn my obedience into growth (and success) for His Kingdom. And I can't ask for much more than that.
That doesn't mean that I'm not scared at all. I am, but I'm also at peace about it, and I'm learning that being in God's peace is a pretty great peace to be. And for those of you looking for ways to pray for me, well here you go :).
Chao. Shalom.
Since I've been here, I've been trying to figure out what kind of person I wanted to be. I mean, NOBODY here knows who I am. I could go by a different name, like different music, act differently, etc. etc. and no one would know the difference. This is a crazy thing to realize. And I've been struggling with this a little bit, because I want to be accepted by my family and their friends here, but I also know that I'm called to live a lifestyle that glorifies God. So where do these two meet, and how do I get over my fear of not being accepted because of who I am in Christ? And where in all of this does sharing the Gospel fit in?
Today, I found the beginning my answer in Day 33 of Battlefield of the Mind (Joyce Meyer) and the book of Joshua. In day 32 and 33, Meyer talks about what it means to truly meditate on Scripture. To be more concerned with understand scripture than getting through a whole chapter or book. She actually compares it to eating a meal - where you take time to comment on the smell, the appearance, the texture, and finally the taste. That in doing this, we will be able to take God's word to heart, obey it, and be successful - not necessarily in worldy terms, but in the kingdom that matters. She also mentioned Joshua, which, 'coincidentally' Joshua was the book that I was planning on starting to read today. In Joshua 1:8-9, God commands Joshua to meditate on the Scriptures day and night, and to 'Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.' All of this, was just the reminder that I needed. Not only can I rest in the fact that God is with me, but because He commands me to be 'strong and courageous' I can trust that He will give me the strength to be just that. I'm not sure how people will respond to me, but I know that if I continue to obey God's plan for my life (which I can understand by reading and meditating on the scriptures) He will give me the strength to overcome whatever struggle, and he will turn my obedience into growth (and success) for His Kingdom. And I can't ask for much more than that.
That doesn't mean that I'm not scared at all. I am, but I'm also at peace about it, and I'm learning that being in God's peace is a pretty great peace to be. And for those of you looking for ways to pray for me, well here you go :).
Chao. Shalom.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Mi dirección!
¡Hola todos!
Well, I finally got my address, and a couple people have asked me for it so I figured it was just as easy to post it on here. Feel free to send me mail. And I promise to send mail back!
Las Lengas N° 641, Isla Teja
Valdivia, Chile
Chao
Well, I finally got my address, and a couple people have asked me for it so I figured it was just as easy to post it on here. Feel free to send me mail. And I promise to send mail back!
Las Lengas N° 641, Isla Teja
Valdivia, Chile
Chao
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