Hola!!

Hello all! Hope you are enjoying the fall weather and that it isn’t getting too cold for you yet! As for me, spring has finally arrived in Santiago and the weather has been gorgeous. I live on a quiet pedestrian street with lots of outdoor cafes, and it has been so fun to see everyone in my neighborhood enjoying the outdoors on long walks or sitting at the cafes sharing a cup of coffee. I don’t have many pictures of the neighborhood, but I will try to take some and include them in my next post!

Now, in response to your great questions:

As for books I read for pleasure: I mostly read books in English when it comes to simply reading for pleasure. I used to try to force myself to read Spanish novels, but that was when I was still learning the language. I am nearly fluent now and don’t feel as much pressure to be practicing my Spanish all the time. Since I am reading things for school and talking in Spanish all day long, it’s always nice to relax at the end of the day and simply read a good novel in English. I am also a New York Times junkie which I read online all the time!

I hardly ever get CARE packages from home! My Mom and Dad must not love me!! Haha, not true at all, but I can’t say they have ever sent me a CARE package. I received one once from my best friend Kennedy when I broke up with my boyfriend last May. She was feeling sorry for me and sent me a box full of candy, American magazines, and a Tar Heels basketball championship T-shirt. It was such a great surprise… good friends are the best, aren’t they?

We love sweets here. Do you have a favorite Chilean sweet treat?

Hmmm… in general I think Chilean sweets are gross. They put WAY too much sugar in everything and it overpowers all the yummy flavor. I will say they have excellent ice cream though, which has always been my favorite dessert. They have this fruit called the chirimoya that they make ice cream out of – it is DE-LICIOUS.

Tasha wonders about the cars that people drive in Chile...do they have Fords, Chevrolets, Hondas...?

Most of the cars you’ll see here are imports from Japan and Europe… I haven’t seen many American makes like Ford and Chevy… but certainly I have seen Peugeots, Hondas, Mercedes. Couldn’t tell you much more than that… I’m not the best person to ask about cars. I’m pretty car-illiterate.

Rachel wants to know if you have a boyfriend

Welllllll Rachel, funny you should ask! I guess I half answered that question in the previous info about having broken up with my last boyfriend in May. However, last month I met a wonderful guy and we are now dating, and I’m really happy! His name is Brendon and he teaches English in Santiago.

Michaela asks, "Do many folks there grow their own foods, like in their own gardens?"

Michaela, I think you are very cool. I love this question because I am very into agriculture and agricultural trade and policy, and I personally find it very important for people to make an effort to grow their own food. The truth is, in Santiago you hardly ever see people growing food in their own gardens. What are very common here are large ferias which are basically farmers markets. And I guess people don’t feel the need to grow food when fresh produce is so readily available at these ferias. However, there has been a shift in food consumerism in the last ten years as large grocery stores have become more common in Chile. This has made the farmers markets less needed and less popular. I really hope they don’t fade out completely over the course of time, because the produce is delicious and cheap and it’s important to buy directly from the source…. it’s better for the poor farmers in a lot of cases.


Eli wonders if they have a WalMart or a KMart?


No WalMart or Kmart here but they do have Jumbo and Lider which are exactly the same. As in, you can buy everything from groceries to food to electronics to home items.

What kinds of crimes do they have the most problems with?

I do not have a TV so I hardly ever watch the news and therefore I hesitate to make a generalization about crime here. The main difference is that you have to be more aware of petty crime here like pickpocketing in the streets. In addition to that, I’ve heard stories of all the major crimes that occur just as they do in the States or anywhere – murders, assaults, drug problems, etc. I don’t think Chile is very dangerous at all… you just have to watch out for those pick-pocketers on crowded buses and subways.

Do they celebrate Halloween? Do they dress up and trick-or-treat?

They DO celebrate Halloween. The grocery stores have had Halloween candy aisles up since the beginning of October. It is certainly an American tradition that they have “imported.” The more Latin American tradition is to celebrate the Day of the Dead on November 1^st. I don’t know if trick-or-treating works the same way here… I’ll have to see and get back to you. I think people definitely dress up though. I still don’t have a Halloween costume!! If you think of any good ideas for me, PLEASE let me know!

Do you want anything special for your birthday?

Haha, hmmm I really wish I could have a big burrito from Chipotle but that is unfortunately impossible. My favorite thing to do for birthdays is just to share a nice, big meal with friends. I’m hoping to have a fun evening of hanging out at a nice restaurant with lots of laughing!

Are you able to keep up with American football, especially college ball? Do you have a favorite college team? We are really into college football here. We have lots of folks who like Tennessee Volunteers, the Georgia Bulldogs, and the Florida Gators (Mrs. Hubbard's team and she is converting lots of fans!)

It is hard to get any of the games here! HOWEVER, this American couple down here in Santiago just opened up a new sports bar that shows American games so now I have a change to watch the big games! It is brand new so I haven’t been yet. I am a huge Panthers fan, so I follow the Panthers as best I can down here, although its tough. And they aren’t looking that good this year… it’s time to retire Jake, I’ve decided. I’m a Carolina football fan as well (total dedication despite our consistent poor performance), and a Georgia Bulldogs fan because both of my siblings go to UGA.

Chris wants to know if you have a certain thing for breakfast usually.

Cereal with bananas on top. And tea. I am a big cereal girl.

Do you cook for yourself?


I do cook for myself! I love to cook. It’s very relaxing for me to come home in the evening from class and put on some music and cook myself a nice meal. I’ve been teaching myself a lot of new recipes that I’ve found on the internet. I love to make pasta, quiches, and homemade pizzas especially.

Last Saturday I had a dinner party with friends in my apartment. Once I get those pictures uploaded I will send you some!

Storm wonders if anyone is involved in sport hunting there.


I think the answer is most probably yes but I could not say for sure. Since I live in a big city, there’s not much sport hunting around here… but the majority of Chile is rural and I have no doubt that sport hunting is popular in certain parts.

Has anyone from home visited you there?

Yes! I have several college friends traveling around South America and I’ve had two come visit me so far, Priyanka and Amit. They had been living in Ecuador from 2008 to 2009 and they came to visit me last April. In November, one of my very best friends, Kate, is coming down on my birthday and staying for 10 days. It will be her first time to South America so we’re both very excited!

Amit and Priyanka:

Kate:

Have a great week everyone and I’ll write again soon and send more pictures!

Shepard

HAPPY OCTOBER

Hello all!!!

Thanks for all the great questions. I feel like I am getting to know you all better through the questions you ask me. Hope you’ve been enjoying learning about South America and find it as interesting as I do.

Ok so to answer your questions:

Tyler wonders about religion in Chile. Do people go to church? How often? What kind of religion is prevalent there?

Chile is a deeply religious, Catholic country. Although not everyone goes to church (or mass) on Sunday, nearly everyone will identify themselves as Catholics. About half of the schools in Chile are Catholic schools, perhaps the best University here is La Catolica, the Catholic University in Santiago, Chile celebrates Catholic holidays like certain Saints Days, and the government is still quite influenced by the Catholic Church.

Michael is wondering about the fuel for cars and other vehicles. What kind of fuel do folks use, mostly, and how expensive is it?


They use gasoline and go to the gas station just like we do, but a cheaper option is to use natural gas to fuel cars. The latter is more common in Argentina as natural gas is cheap and abundant and the cars are made for it. In Chile, it is less common to see cars that run on natural gas, but they exist. For the most part, however, they drive cars that run on gasoline just like we do, and it is about the same price as the US.

What are some of the places you have visited outside the city since you have been there? Can you send pictures?


Here are some pictures from Chiloe, an island full of farms and fishing villages in the south of Chile.

These are pictures from Valparaiso, a port city just an hour and a half west of Santiago.

This is a picture of Bariloche, which is a city just over the border in Argentina where I went skiing the other weekend.

What kinds of homes are there in Santiago and in the rest of Chile? Do they have single-family homes or mostly apartments? What are homes built of?


In Santiago you will find a little bit of everything – from shacks on the outskirts of town, to gorgeous old mansions. The majority of people live in single family homes (almost all made of wood and cement, you hardly ever see brick here) or apartment buildings which they are constructed left and right all over the city. I live in an apartment building on the fourth floor and I have a nice view of the street below and the rest of my neighborhood.

Do folks there use ATV's for getting around?
For fun?

That is a good question. I don’t really know because I haven’t spent much time in the country outside of the city. I haven’t seen any ATVs but that doesn’t mean they don’t have them!

Isaac wants to know if cowboy boots are worn there? By the Chilean cowboys?


Hi Isaac. Yes, absolutely. Not so much in the city, but outside of the city you certainly see men wearing cowboy boots. The Chilean “cowboys” are called “wuasos”

We liked hearing about Fiestas Patrias. Do they have any other holidays we might like to know about, to help us understand Chilean culture?


This answer definitely goes along with the question about religion. Many holidays in Chile are similar to holidays in the US – Christmas, their Independence Day, etc. – but the main difference is the Catholic Holidays. For example, we had Saint Peter’s Day last semester, and this semester, coming up in October I believe there is another one. It shows how the Catholic faith is deeply rooted in this culture.

If you have visited any national parks, could you send us pictures?


Here are some pictures from Torres del Paine National Park – probably the most spectacular place in all of Patagonia. I went last March and camped and hiked and fished in the park for 8 days.

Do you ever see any wild animals? What kind are there, and can you send pictures?


I did see some interesting animals in the south of Chile in Torres del Paine National Park. For the most part, the animals I saw aren’t all that exotic – some interesting birds, for example, but I did see guanacos, which are like small llamas (see picture). In Torres del Paine, there are mountain lions, but they try to avoid humans, thank goodness! I’ve also attached a picture of the huemul, which looks like a small deer and is in an important, symbolic animal here in Chile that is very rare these days. I have not seen one in person.

What kinds of homes are there in Santiago and in the rest of Chile? Do they have single-family homes or mostly apartments? What are homes built of?


In Santiago you will find a little bit of everything – from shacks on the outskirts of town, to gorgeous old mansions. The majority of people live in single family homes (almost all made of wood and cement, you hardly ever see brick here) or apartment buildings which they are constructed left and right all over the city. I live in an apartment building on the fourth floor and I have a nice view of the street below and the rest of my neighborhood.

Do folks there use ATV's for getting around?
For fun?

That is a good question. I don’t really know because I haven’t spent much time in the country outside of the city. I haven’t seen any ATVs but that doesn’t mean they don’t have them!

Isaac wants to know if cowboy boots are worn there? By the Chilean cowboys?


Hi Isaac. Yes, absolutely. Not so much in the city, but outside of the city you certainly see men wearing cowboy boots. The Chilean “cowboys” are called “wuasos”

We liked hearing about Fiestas Patrias. Do they have any other holidays we might like to know about, to help us understand Chilean culture?


This answer definitely goes along with the question about religion. Many holidays in Chile are similar to holidays in the US – Christmas, their Independence Day, etc. – but the main difference is the Catholic Holidays. For example, we had Saint Peter’s Day last semester, and this semester, coming up in October I believe there is another one. It shows how the Catholic faith is deeply rooted in this culture.

If you have visited any national parks, could you send us pictures?


Here are some pictures from Torres del Paine National Park – probably the most spectacular place in all of Patagonia. I went last March and camped and hiked and fished in the park for 8 days.

Have you been able to see any snow up close? Do they have like feet and feet of it during winter?


Except for when I went skiing the other weekend, I haven’t seen much snow this winter. In Santiago, I never went up to the mountains. I see the snow-covered mountains from the city every day, but there is no snow down here in the valley, unfortunately. Up in the mountains, they do indeed get feet and feet of snow!

Can you tell us about the types of music that are most popular there?

They love really bad popular American music, haha. They like music that was popular on the radio in the US about 10 or 20 years ago that never really made it into the “classics” category. Don’t ask me why.

As for Latin pop, the main two categories of music are “cumbia” and “reggaeton.” Yall should go look it up on YouTube. They both have very basic rhythms that are just repeated over and over again. And while at first it sounded sort of strange, it is really growing on me – especially reggaeton! Daddy Yankee is by far the most famous Reggaeton artist.

How deep does the snow generally get in the mountains?


In the Andes, the snow definitely is feet deep in some places! There are certain parts where the snow remains all year round.

If you had to choose a country to live in besides the United States, would you choose to live in Chile? Why/Why not?


I think I could definitely live in Chile if not the United States. There are certain aspects of the culture that are frustrating, for example I think gender roles are still far too separate and unequal, kids stay at home and live with their parents until they are married which delays personal maturation and prohibits personal independence in a lot of ways, and there is very little environmental consciousness among the population in general. However, as far as Latin American countries go, the institutions and government of Chile are well-run, there is much to appreciate in the efficiency of Santiago, the natural beauty of this country is unbeatable, and the people are wonderful and friendly. I could certainly find my niche and live here for an extended period of time. Everything one could want in the States, you can find here (except for good Mexican food – I am REALLY missing that!).

Do folks there drink lots of soft drinks, tea, water? What is a favorite drink?


All of the above. They are big tea drinkers, definitely more so than coffee. And they have all the typical soft drinks we have, Coke, Sprite, Fanta, Ginger Ale - Coke definitely being the favorite. When it comes to products like soft drinks, Chileans are very “Americanized.” In Peru, for example, you’ll find they have their own brands of soft drinks, like IncaCola, which is fruity and sweet. Chile lacks those sorts of unique cultural quirks.

Matt asks, "Do you join in with any of the soccer or other sports activities?"


Hi Matt! I have not played much soccer here. I know some girls play, but it is not that common. In general, girls only play sports in school for fun and rarely play on competitive teams like the boys do. That is unfortunate in my opinion, and I wish I had more opportunities to play sports because I am very athletic and enjoy soccer and basketball and tennis. Now that it’s finally spring here, I’m hopefully going to start playing some more tennis soon!

Joe wonders..."What are some things you enjoy doing in your spare time?"

In my spare time, I take salsa classes, which is a really fun way to meet people and integrate myself in the culture. I also take yoga class a couple times a week. When it’s nice out, I love to take long walks and go exploring. Big cities are so cool because they are full of surprises. Every time I go on a walk, I discover a new street market selling vegetables, or a little shop selling interesting old books, or I’ll find a nice quiet place to sit under a tree and read, or I’ll end up bumping into a classmate on the street. It’s fun to just go out and see where the day takes you! Unfortunately, I haven’t had much time to just wander lately as school is getting really busy. I have a big quiz next week… wish me luck!

Until the next post, take care and have a great weekend.

Shepard

Fiestas Patrias

Hello everyone!

Thanks for all the great questions! I will do my best to answer them.

This week in Chile we are celebrating the Fiestas Patrias, which means the Independence Day Celebrations here in Chile. We have Thursday and Friday off from school and I'm excited to hang out with my friends and enjoy the cultural festivities. Some of the customs for this time of year include eating certain traditional foods like empanadas, and drinking traditional drinks like chicha and pisco, and it means lots of traditional dancing, which here is called the "cueca." I've attached some pictures for you to get a better idea.

Empanadas:

Pisco:

1) Do the high schools have organized sports teams? What sports do the students play for their school?

Yes, the high schools do have organized sports teams here, and the most common and popular sport is definitely soccer. The university level teams are really exciting to watch! While soccer is clearly the dominant sport, you also see golf and tennis - but hardly any baseball or basketball - in Chile.

2) What is your favorite thing about living in Chile?

My favorite thing about living in Chile is feeling like I am a part of a culture other than my own. It is extremely challenging to adjust to daily life in a different country because here they speak a different language and have different customs. However, now that I am comfortable here, I feel very proud to live in a place where I have so much to learn every day, and it makes me happy that I've now formed relationships with so many different types of people, from my classmates to the old lady who works in the little supermarket across the street in my neighborhood. Every day is a challenge and that is very exciting to me.

Some friends and me:

3) What is the temperature like there now?

Right now we are juuuuust getting over winter! It's still pretty chilly at night, but spring is right around the corner and we've had some really gorgeous days over the past two weeks. Just think about how the seasons are exactly opposite here as they are in North Carolina. As it starts to cool down for fall in NC, you can imagine that for me in Santiago, it will be just starting to finally warm up!

4) Can you tell us about watching television...the programs they have? Is it all in Spanish?

Most TV here is in Spanish, for sure. However, some of the popular shows from the U.S. come on TV here, like Grey's Anatomy, Friends, and others, and these shows are in English with Spanish subtitles. Chilean TV is funny, I don't really like any of the programs. They have alot of dramatic soap operas with bad actors and then pop culture dance shows, kind of like Chilean MTV. But I do really enjoy watching the Chilean news, it helps me learn about what's going on here and practice my Spanish at the same time.

5) Are video games popular there? Which ones?

Unfortunately, I do not have a clue about video games :) I know they have video games here but I can't tell you which ones are popular or not! But I've seen them for rent at Blockbuster (yes, they have Blockbuster here!) just like you would see that in the States.

6) Are you finishing your Master's Degree? And students wonder how old you are... Yes, I am here doing a Master's Degree in Environmental Planning and Management. I'm learning about environmental problems like conservation, contamination, global warming, etc in the context of Chile, but also how to confront such problems no matter where I am in the world. I hope to come back to the States and either continue to study to become a professor or work with environmental policy. I am 23 years old and turn 24 in November!

7) How did you get involved in the studies you are doing now in Chile? I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to study here in Chile because of a scholarship from the Rotary International Foundation. I chose this program in Chile because the quality of education here is quite high for Latin America and because I wanted to return to Latin America to perfect my Spanish and continue to learn about Latin American policy (which I studied in college). Here are some pictures of my classmates and me. There are 12 of us in my class (we all started together last semester, and this is our second semester; it's 2 years total):

8) Do you have any pets? Are you living in an apartment? I would love to have a pet but since I'm leaving in a year, it wouldn't really be fair to get one and then abandon it when I go home at the end of 2010! I am not a cat person, and I would love to have a dog, but I guess now is not the time. Maybe I'll get a bird.....

I am indeed living in an apartment. It is a studio and I live by myself in a great historic neighborhood with lots of nice cafes, restaurants, and theaters. And it's only 2 blocks from school! I love having people over to eat and hang out.

Having coffee with some girlfriends in my apartment:

9) Shawna wonders if teenagers and pre-teens dress the way we do in the US. Hi Shawna! In general I would say yes, but perhaps here they dress a bit more "casual" or "punk" than is typical in North Carolina. They wear skinny jeans and Converses, and sweat shirts with those Arabic looking scarves wrapped around their necks - guys and girls. And for some reason people tend to wear darker colors here... goes with the more punk style I guess.

10) Have you travelled out into the Andes Mountains yet? If so, what was it like?

I have been to the Andes! In fact I was there last weekend! It's incredible to live so close to such huge, gorgeous mountains. Here are some pictures (these are from last summer before the snow... now they are covered with snow!) :

11) Is there much snow in Santiago? If so, what does that mean for being able to get around? Santiago itself gets no snow, unfortunately! We are nestled into this valley among these huge mountains, and unless you live up in the hills, you never get snow here. However, it snows big time on the mountains which are right next to us, and you can just look up from anywhere in the city and see it. And it only takes an hour to get up to the snow by bus.

12) Can you tell us about the shopping? Malls and such? Do you shop there, or do you mostly shop in the local neighborhood stores?

Malls became really big here in Chile within the last 10 years. I am telling you, Chileans LOVE the malls. There are some extremely nice ones with all sorts of stores and restaurants and movie theaters. I hardly ever go to the mall, I prefer to shop in the local stores in my neighborhood. There are some cool local designers who have stores on my street actually, and if I want to buy clothes, I check those places out first.

Looking forward to the next questions. Take care and have a great week!!

Shepard

Intro to Chile

Happy Friday!

I'm excited about communicating with you all the way from Santiago, the capital of Chile.

As you can tell from the picture at the top of this blog, Santiago is a very large, modern city situated at the base of the Andes mountains. Chile is a long, skinny country on the western coast of South America, and Santiago is located in the very middle.

I have now been living for six months in this big, exciting city. Santiago is divided into different neighborhoods, called "comunas;" some are very quiet and tranquil with lots of trees, while others feel more urban with modern transportation and tall buildings. Two years ago, Santiago opened its subway system so it still feel very clean and new. I either get around the city on the subway or on my new bicycle!

The seasons in the Southern hemisphere are opposite from the seasons in the Northern hemisphere. Therefore, it is freezing here right now! It's very strange to think that it is still summer for you guys in North Carolina!

Chileans are very friendly and hospitable, and I feel very welcome here. I look forward to telling you more about the people and the culture in my next post.

Hello!

Hola from Santiago de Chile!
My name is Shepard Daniel, and I will be communicating with you over the next few months. I'm an American student studying Environmental Planning at the University of Chile. I'm excited to share my experience with you and hopefully provide a window for you into Chilean life and culture.