Those promised pictures...

As Madeline mentioned, I've been taking some pretty awesome pictures. Not because I'm a professional or anything. Chile just makes it so easy to capture beautiful things!

First and most importantly, the sandwich from Pablo Neruda's house. In both of our opinions, it was The Best Sandwich Ever. That's because every savory layer of it (tomatoes, cheese, oregano, and some delicious bread with seeds) was "hand-crafted by Jesus," in the words of Madeline.

Second, while on the topic of food, here is a picture of Madeline contemplating how good her strawberry and banana frozen yogurt is.

Back to Pablo Neruda's house ...

For those of you who have not been graced by Pablo's poetry, he is one of Chile's very own who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. Although he was a self-proclaimed communist, he was also quite the hoarder (hmmm). His house was filled to the brim with out-of-the-ordinary collectors' items ... Russian nesting dolls, shoes, paintings of watermelons, seashells, colored glass. Quite the brilliant oddball, he was. We hope to visit his other two houses in Valparaíso and Isla Negra.

Now, as Mads said, I've always been fascinated by graffiti. I think it's really quite beautiful. Here are some pieces of my growing collection.

And lastly, since Madeline showed you her furry friends, I shall show you mine. Here's the little guy who followed me around as I snapped pictures at the base of the Andes this Sunday afternoon. Sadly, stray dogs are quite a big problem in Santiago. People let dogs (un-neutered) run free once they outgrow their cute puppy stage. And some of 'em are just too dang cute.

Until next time!

Salsa?

It's been a wonderful weekend here in Santiago! As Abby mentioned, the three Vanderbilt girls went to see Shrek Para Siempre on Friday night. It was thoroughly entertaining, and we chose to see it en español, so we were still being immersed. It was really fun to do something so normal, with two people I just love being around. I think we were laughing harder than anyone else in the theater because we were so excited to actually understand what was being said. Other highlights of the evening included the free puzzles we got with our tickets, and the conversation we had in line with a Chilean boy and his mother.

After a solid night's sleep, Abby and I met up around noon on Saturday to do some exploring/ wandering in an effort to get to know this great city. We walked from the metro stop down one of our favorite streets, stopping to browse a few tables of used books, and stumbling upon these guys hanging out the windows of their house:

From there, we wound our way to el Museo de Bellas Artes (Fine Arts Museum), and spent about an hour looking at paintings and sculptures and feeling oh-so-cultured. A student ticket to the museum only cost 300 pesos, or about 60 cents in the U.S!

Then we headed over to Bella Vista, a really cool area of the city that's full of shops and restaurants, and home to one of Pablo Neruda's famous houses, La Chascona. We got some frozen yogurt that we had been craving (what are we going to do without Sweet Cece's and Yogurt Oasis??), and bought some deeeelicious sandwiches for lunch in the cafe at La Chascona (We had been with CIEE to tour the house on Friday, and we saw someone else eating the sandwiches and had to go back. So good.). Another really awesome part of Bella Vista is the graffiti that covers most of the walls! It's not your average, destructive American graffiti-- it's an art form and a part of the culture here. (Abby has some great pictures with her fancy camera that she can add later...)

After our full day of walking, we each returned home to rest up before our night adventures... We went salsa dancing! Along with about 6 other girls from CIEE, we went to a "salsoteca" to first take a lesson, and then danced the night away... sort of. The salsa is a lot harder than it looks! Actually, I think it looks really hard, so maybe it just is as hard as it looks. Regardless, it was still so much fun and a great way for some gringas to experience some Latin American culture.

Ok and then today (sorry this is getting long!), I slept in again, until almost 11 (to which my host mom said, "What are you doing up so early?"), had breakfast with the fam, and then went to mass (once again, en español) with my host mom and host sister. Then the three of us walked from the church to a mall nearby that felt so American! They had a Dunkin' Donuts, and a Nike store... it was so nice. Then we came home and had a huge lunch, and have just been resting/ trying to keep warm since then.

I hope you've all had wonderful weekends in the USA!

Sweet little moment

Just thought I'd drop in real quick to say I made a cute little memory after returning home from Shrek 4 (¡en español!) with Madeline and Allison Buterbaugh ... Mamá and I completed an owl puzzle (gifted to me when I purchased my movie ticket) in the kitchen while sharing a plate of spinach and potatoes, or espinaca con papas. Then she invited me to sit in the fuzzy alpaca fur chair in her bedroom. Mamá snuggled under the covers, knitting a fuchsia pink scarf for me (the scarves I brought don't sufficiently insulate my neck, in her opinion). Papá sat on the other side of her, half reading his newspaper, half watching a Paul McCartney concert on TV. It was a sweet sweet moment with the family I'm already growing to love.

Buenas noches.

Let's Celebrate: One Week!

Hola everyone!

Today, Madeline and I are celebrating our one-week anniversary of being in Chile. Woo hoo! In honor of the seven days we've been in this fascinating country, I'm going to list my seven favorite things about la vida chilena.

1. Today, in an effort to eliminate just a small portion of all those carbs we've been eating (in the form of bread, pasta, and potatoes), Madeline and I went running along a path near la cordillera, the Andean mountain range. As I mentioned in my former post, rain clears up the smog that typically makes the vista hazy. And boy o boy did it rain last night. So clean(er) air + a cold front that has brought much snow to the mountain caps = quite the magical backdrop for some exercising. Adding to our pleasant jog was a setting sun that made the magenta pink clouds look like, in the words of Madeline Swayze, "an alpaca tongue. Unless, of course, alpacas have black tongues. Then I retract my simile." To verify the legitimacy of her figurative language, I have included a picture of an alpaca tongue. I'll let you be the judge of Madeline's proficiency in making realistic comparisons.

Also included below is a picture of la cordillera during the daytime (taken today from the top of Santa Lucía Hill in Santiago).2. Also tonight, I played volleyball, or vóleibol, with my host parents. At first, I wasn't going to play. I had just wanted to tag along to take pictures. But when my parents introduced me to the group, they feigned that I was a Nordic import, ready to contribute my height and ferocity to a good match. Coincidentally, my mom had brought an extra pair of knee pads. So I played with the senior league-ers, and now my arms are swollen and bruised. But for good reason. I had a blast, and everyone was very patient with my rusty joints!

In the picture below appear the trophies, proudly displayed in the dining room, that my parents have won + a picture of the lovely couple whose teamwork earned them.




3. I'm in avocado paradise here. We eat avocados, or palta, with everything. Hamburgers. Bread. Spoonfuls alone. Ahhhhh. Christmas better be avocado season in Kansas City ...

4. As Madeline mentioned, we took a trip to La Vega, a ginormous open air market where independent vendors (many of them Peruvian) can sell their harvest. While I am usually averse to any sort of "cat call," I found much humor in the comments, or piropos (both whispered and shouted), that came out of the mouths of the Shrimp Man, Pickles Man, and Pumpkin Man. "I love you." "You're beautiful." "Hi there." If I ever need a confidence booster, I'll head to La Vega again.

5. I met my future co-ed touch rugby team last week :). Ali, the gringa girl who stayed with my family the whole past year, also played touch rugby with my host sister Paulina. Ali has been traveling throughout South America since classes ended a few weeks ago, but she's in and out of the house and will be departing very soon for los Estados Unidos. The small gathering, complete with cheesy garlic bread and red wine, was a goodbye party for her and an introduction for me. As if understanding my parents wasn't hard enough, Chilean youth have their very own accent and vocabulary. Sooooo I'm simultaneously excited and nervous to spend more time around the team and pick up on some more chilenismos.

6. Chileans add an article before names. So I'm not just "Abby," but "la Abby." I'm sure this doesn't directly translate as "the Abby," but it's nice thinking my family thinks I'm the only Abby in the world.

7. The Bachelorette is available in Chile. In the spirit of Latin America, go Roberto. For those of you who have no clue what I'm talking about, you should watch the super high-quality reality (joke ... maybe) television show The Bachelorette. It'll transform you.

Thanks for reading! ¡Buenas noches!

Happy Tuesday!

Today was a GREAT day! Despite the fact that it was cloudy and rainy (it was snowing in the mountains, but luckily not down here!), I just really had a great day in Santiago. We had our CIEE class on "Contemporary Chile" in the morning, and I was so proud of myself for once again successfully navigating the metro and bus system to get myself there.  We got to learn all about Chilean Spanish, including the origins from Spain and the indigenous peoples, and about phrases they use only here, and the fact that they say -ch instead of -sh ("suchi" instead of "sushi"), and how certain linguistic things affect racism and the class differences  here. It was really really interesting!

Then we got to go walk around the two big markets here, el Mercado Central and la Vega. El Mercado Central is more touristy, but la Vega is HUGE and where the lower/middle class Chileans buy their produce and meat and fish and everything you could want. And it's just stall after stall of people doing their daily shopping. I'm excited to go back in a much smaller group, so we don't have to constantly be followed by catcalls and "gringos!"

And then the day got even better. Abby, Ashley, and I went to a cafe called Cafe Literaria (that we found thanks to Abby's previous exploring). It was the perfect day to snuggle with some coffee (even though they don't have "real" coffee here... just espresso. It did the job.), and have some sweet American conversation with some wonderful people. And we navigated our way there, too! (I don't know if I'll ever get over being excited about mastering the transportation system here... sorry.) I think Cafe Literaria is going to be our Chilean JJ's, Bongo Java, Fido, and Frothy Monkey... it was a great little taste of Nashville, and I have a feeling that we'll be there very often. It's about a 5 minute walk from a major metro station, and it's all windows that overlook a beautiful park with a reflection pool. And it has two floors that are full of chairs and tables-- perfect for "studying," if we ever get around to that part of "studying abroad."

A few more random things:

1. In my Chilean family, I'm referred to as "la Maddy." I should've seen this coming...

2. A Chilean woman on the metro on the way home today asked ME for directions to the mall! And I knew the answer! I think my eagerness to answer her freaked her out a little...

3. It's really strange that we went from summer to winter overnight. Besides the temperatures, it weirds me out that it gets dark so early! I was on the bus home today around 6:30, and it was completely dark outside. It tricks me into thinking that I get to go to bed, but that's not so much true.

4. Crazy that it's been a week! I'm feeling more and more adjusted every day. Thanks for reading!

Y mía ...

(Posted by Abby, but written by Madeline. Madeline's computadora hasn't decided if it likes Chile yet.)

I made it back to Santiago! It’s so weird to me that I’ve officially spent more of my time in Chile outside of Santiago… 2 days here and 3 days in Quilpue. It’s only been 5 days? Seriously?? Ok, I’ll start at the beginning and try to be brief. So far, Abby and I have experienced very different things. We didn’t see this coming, but we just decided that it’s good for us. Personal growth or something.

Wednesday, I got here (without my security blanket, Abby) as scheduled, and met up with a big group from the program, which was surprisingly not at all scary or stressful. Everyone is really cool (although there is only ONE other Southerner…), and we instantly bonded in the FREEZING airport. Did we tell you yet that Chile doesn’t believe in central heating?? Strugglesville. But we’re adapting pretty well. During the day, it’s almost hot sometimes if you stand in the sunshine, but at night and in the mornings, it’s pretty darn cold. Anyway, we went to the hotel and did a few orientation type things, like a mini-scavenger-hunt around Santiago to take pictures of ourselves with typical Chilean items. Then we had free time starting around 4, so we rested for a while, and then a few of us went out to find dinner. We ended up eating some typical Chilean completos, basically a hot dog with avocado and tomatoes on top. They are BIG on avocado here, which of course we love. Contrary to the vocab we learned in school (aguacate), here it’s called palta. Another fun fact about Chilean cuisine: they eat an average-sized desayuno (breakfast), an enormous almuerzo (lunch) around 1 or 2, and not really dinner at all, maybe just some bread or cake with café or té con leche around 8 or 9. They super love bread and mayonnaise, bread and avocado, bread and marmalade… I could keep going.

So then Thursday, we had more orientation, and Abby finally decided to show up (es una broma, Ab!), and we got to go buy Chilean cell phones. And then around 5, it was time to go with our familias!! I wasn’t nearly as nervous as I thought I would be. For some reason, it was totally not a big deal that I was going to move in with a bunch of strangers for 5 months… But there was no need to be nervous, because my family is wonderful! And huge! So it feels just like home. Sorta. There are 7 of us living here: Fernando, my Chilean padre, who is a huge goofball and always making sure that I’m entertained; Silvana, my madre, who is also very concerned with my well-being at all times; their daughters Francisca (19) and Fernanda (12); and their live-in nanny of 14 years, Teresa, and her 13-year old daughter (Carla). And they have another daughter, Coni (23), who’s in grad school in Italy for 5 years… And Francisca’s boyfriend, Wes, is here whenever we’re awake, so he feels like part of the fam.

Friday morning, I had to be at orientation at 11:30, so Fernando decided we should get some good sight-seeing in. It was a Saints’ day, so everyone was off work, so the city streets were virtually empty! He couldn’t get over that, and kept telling me to take pictures of the streets, just because there were no cars. He took me to everything important in all of Santiago. I got to experience the metro and micro, and we climbed a huge hill that overlooked the city, and I saw la Moneda (palace), and two huge markets, and so many other things. It was awesome. He’s a great tour guide. 

That afternoon, we all (minus Teresa y Carla) piled in the minivan to go spend the weekend with Fernando’s family in the coastal town of Quilpue, about a 20 minute drive from Vina del Mar. We stayed with his parents, affectionately called el Tata and la Tutu. I love them. From the moment we met, they wouldn’t stop hugging and kissing me and greeting me with “ah, mi corazon” (“ah, my heart”). We also spent time with about 20 other cousins and aunts and uncles and friends during our 3 day trip. It was SO fun and sweet to experience their family, but at times very overwhelming. As Ab said, we’re only understanding about half of the Spanish around us at this point, because of how fast they speak, and the fact that they don’t really care to pronounce consonants. So I did a whole lot of watching and listening and concentrating this weekend. But they were all very good about asking me questions and trying to include me. It was just like being at one of our family gatherings, except everyone was speaking a different language. Overwhelming, right?? But they showed me all the sights of Vina and Valparaiso and Quilpue. I can’t wait to go back to visit! I’m feeling very informed about Chile these days.

La primera impresión

First off, Madeline and I are safe and sound in Chile! Madeline has eloped with her host family to Viña del Mar (near Valparaíso on the coast) for the weekend, so I will take the liberty of writing the first blog post.

I will begin this post with an excerpt of what I wrote while on the airplane … then I’ll describe my first introduction to la vida chilena! And then Mads can add her two cents when she returns.

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I can’t be 100% positive, but I’m pretty sure that, as I stare out my 39A window, I’m seeing mountains. Then again, those black silhouettes that appear to be projecting upward against the backdrop of the rising sun could just be holes in the clouds. The flight map says Lima is to the east. Bolivia is fast-approaching. It’s 7:17 AM Santiago time on July 15th, and I’m set to arrive in about three hours. My mind is not the most reliable right now. The last 36 hours have been interesting, to say the least. While Madeline was probably enjoying her last American meal with her family in Hotlanta, I was preparing to hop on a plane to Dallas, where I’d have a short layover and then head to Santiago. As I was about to go through security, Allison Buterbaugh, also a Vandy participant in this study abroad program, called from Pittsburgh to notify me that our connecting flight in Dallas had been delayed from 10 PM til 8 AM. Since we were required to be in Santiago by 10 AM, that wasn’t going to cut it. Paul Murphy, a refreshingly jolly American Airlines employee, helped me switch to a Delta flight going out of … guess where … Atlanta! I boarded that plane from Kansas City to Atlanta with a barely containable excitement. Madeline was going to be my headrest, and I hers, for the long 9-hour flight. Charming.

But Mother Nature had other plans. Storms in Atlanta caused me to miss my connection in ATL by just minutes. After re-booking for the 10 PM flight out of ATL for the next night, the lovely father-daughter duo of Scott Sr. and Adair Swayze picked up my exhausted, dejected self and shuttled me to their beautiful home. Madeline was on her way to South America. I was on my way to having a slumber party at the Swayze household. I had to smile at the absurdity of the situation.

Those Swayzes, man … they’re something special. They made my inconvenient extra day in los Estados Unidos absolutely wonderful. I awoke Wednesday morning to adorable black lab Jackson patiently waiting outside my door. I then spent some tumble time with a delightfully exuberant 10-month-old named Lacy Elaine … Adair’s progeny for the day. Mrs. Swayze and I had a lunch date at Goldberg’s Deli (apparently an ATL staple), ran some errands, drove through Westminster (further confirming my inordinate obsession with that high school), and arrived home with plenty of time to spare for some Jodi Piccoult and napping. And before I knew it, I was eating my “last American meal” yet again before being whisked away to the airport.

Well, as my 10 PM flight was about to take off, the captain announced a “hydraulics problem” that would take til 3 AM to fix—if the airport had the proper equipment, that is. A chorus of Spanish cusswords filled the air. I recognized many of the faces as those who had begrudgingly waited with me in line last night for re-booking. No way was I going to be delayed two days. By some unusual twist of airport serendipity, our flight crew secured a different plane for us to fly. Of course, re-boarding and mechanical check-ups took until 1:30 AM … but hey. I’m now two hours from Chile!

Fun fact of the day: An airplane “security check” involves taking off all the seat cushions in an airplane, inspecting, and re-fastening them.

So while I will always be one day less of a Latin American than Madeline and Allison, I’ll cherish those sweet, simple memories born of Swayze generosity. That dose of southern hospitality must’ve been God’s way of priming me for really southern living.

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Ahora, Chile. Ahhhh, what can I say. I think I’ll focus on my host family for this post, then describe more about the city and country as I learn and see more. I am enamored with my host family. There’s host brother Alvaro Esteban, my mom Rosa Correa Santelices (pictured below with a dollar she found in my laundry), my dad Carlos González Jedia, host sister Paulina Andrea, host brother Carlos Antonio, and hyperactive golden retriever el René (pictured with Dad below). Alvaro is a civil engineer in Australia, and Carlos Antonio is an air traffic controller in Osorno (southern Chile). He lives with his girlfriend and one-and-a-half-year-old daughter Sofía. Paulina is living at home while she finishes her thesis in engineering for the Universidad Diego Portales. She plays co-ed touch rugby and field hockey, and has invited me to play on both teams … I’m thinking I might go for it! Papá has green eyes, is muy “quirky,” likes to blast French classical music in the car, and is a die-hard aficionado of the Chilean professional soccer team called Colo-Colo (“For a team that has won 29 national titles, it better be your team too …” said Papá). He makes homemade mayonnaise with garlic and lemon (“cosas caseras comunican el amor” … homemade things communicate love). Mamá is the typical Latin American matriarch, always worrying about my comfort and happiness. She has crazy vivid dreams, and harvests and makes her very own marmalade, in three flavors: blackberry, peach, and apricot. By the end of my semester here, my pores will be oozing marmalade. We eat it with breakfast and dinner on big slabs of bread called tortillas, but they’re not your typical Tex-Mex brand. They’re much thicker, and can be peeled into layers almost like string cheese. Mamá buys them hot-n-fresh out of the oven from the local panadería, or bread store, each afternoon.

I can only catch about 40-50% of what my family says to me … Chileans speak verrryyy fast, drop the “s” in many words, and have an entire arsenal of chilenismos (expressions and words that only exist in Chile). All of this makes carrying on a productive conversation difficult. But I’m learning, and everyone is very patient!

Below are pictures of the decorations that greeted me upon arrival + some of my own (BIENVENIDA = WELCOME!). Plus some of my house.

My quaint yellow casa is situated in a district called Ñuñoa, a little to the east of downtown Santiago, closer to the cordillera, or the Andes mountain range. Sidenote: the cordillera, which is very visible from my driveway, was absolutely majestic when I arrived on Thursday. Today, though, the smog (aka la contaminación or, as my mom endearingly calls it, “el esmoke”) COMPLETELY obscured the entire range. It’s like it doesn’t even exist. Rain and increasingly warm weather alleviate the pollution a little, says my family, but as for now I’m stuck with a mountain range that likes to play hide-and-seek.

Hmmm what else … it’s winter now. During the days the temperature is around 50˚, but at night, with temperatures dropping below 30˚, it’s cold. My house is older, so there’s no central heating. We have two estufas, portable gas-powered heaters that can be rolled from room to room for a little bit of heat. But at bedtime, I’ve been sleeping in Under Armor + sweatpants + a sweatshirt + my North Face. I’ve been snuggling with a little rubber pouch filled with hot water, so that helps a little. Otherwise, I’m dreaming of la primavera.

I think I’ll stop here for now, because I am headed out soon for my first taste of Chilean night life with la gringa (girl from the United States) who stayed with my family the whole last year. Carretear = “go out” in Chilean speak. Mamá just gave me a shot of pomegranate, lemon, and honey to prevent "the sickness of staying up late." So don't you worry ... I won't fall ill due to too much dancing! Pues, hasta la próxima vez (until next time …)!

(Oops. I forgot to post this last night. Sorry it's a little dated!).

Welcome! Bienvenido!

Hello there! Or should we say, "HOLA!" That's right, we're talking in Spanish because, well, we're going to a Spanish-speaking country (Chile, to be precise!) for 5 months! And we wanted y'all to be involved in our experience as much as vicariously possible. But to those of you who know one of us and not the other, maybe we should do a little introduction*:

Madeline Swayze, n., possibly a verb when used in certain contexts (Example - Person A: "Hey, look at this picture that was just taken of me." Person B: "Did you Madeline it?" Person A: "Why, are you asking if I stuck both thumbs up in the characteristic Madeline Swayze photo pose? Yeahhh.")

5'6" beautifully bubbly brunette from Atlanta, Georgia (Buckhead, to be exact). Majoring in Spanish. Will soon be applying to nursing school at Vanderbilt. Loves fried pickles, the word "snarky," snuggling, illegal coniferous plants, and floral blouses. Can speak French and Portuguese in addition to Spanish, but only if you want to hear, "I'm sorry I left the milk on the table," or "Good luck." Also answers to Mads, Madandelion, and Badger.

Quote about Chile: "I can't wait to be a native Latin American!"

Abby Hannifan, also a n.

5'10" blonde bombshell from Kansas City/Leawood/Overland Park (Confused? You’re not the only one.), Kansas. Majoring in Medicine, Health, and Society and Latin American Studies. An Ingram Scholar with a heart the size of the Milky Way, on a mission to save the world one continent at a time (watch out, South America). Loves fried pickles, neon earplugs, neon Post-Its, Ezekiel cereal, and illegal immigrants. Prides herself on her abilities to manually perform peristalsis and to testify against creepy criminals. Also answers to Abner, Hannifla, and Abdominal.

Voted most likely to come home with an alpaca.

*Note: Madeline's biography composed by Abby, Abby's biography composed by Madeline ... for credibility's sake.
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Now, what about the name of our blog? Believe it or not, "Chile Cheese Blog" did not magically materialize at first thought. We went through many ideas before finalizing the title. Here appear some of the original sketches:

Cornbread and Chile
Apropos in Santiago
Hillbillies in Chile
Red Hot Mabby Peppers (Madeline + Abby = Mabby)
Gringo Lingo
Llama Drama
Chile? Grab a sweater.
Alpaca the suitcase, you pack-a the duffel bag.

After months of deliberation, heated dinner table vote-casting, and rejection after rejection of rhymes and witticisms, we settled on "Chile Cheese Blog." The title came to us on America's birthday when news broke that Joey Chestnut (pictured below) secured his fourth victory in Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest by consuming an impressive 54 hot dogs. What's more American than that? Probably not much. So, in the end, it was this great American tradition that inspired our blog's cheesy (hehe) title. While we might be two traditional Americans, we're about to embark on anything but a traditional American experience ... we're going to Santiago! Hurrah!

With our adrenaline hopping like a can of Mexican jumping beans, we are oh so excited for our adventure! We are also going to miss family and friends like crazy, so starting on July 13th, our Chile Cheese Blog will be here to fill you in on life below the equator. Feel free to comment and send some virtual love our way! Thanks for reading! ¡Hasta Santiago!