Chile's Independence Day Festivities

Although it has been a little bit of time since some of these festivities occurred they are worth writing a blog post about! Technically Chile's Independence Day is on the 18th, but it's more than just one day of celebrations, it's more like a week worth! We got the week of from school, which was very nice if I say so myself! From traditional games at school and traditional outfits to some very good homemade empanadas and fresh meat on the grill! 

For me the celebrations began a couple of days before the week off in school.  Hallways and classrooms were covered in Chilean flags, streamers, "Viva Chile", "Feliz 18", and other decorations.  It looked awesome!  On the Friday before our week off it was a day filled with activities. The "seniors", the oldest kids in the school here set up "Ramadas" which are like little shelter type of structures.  There were traditional foods being served and being cooked.  There were tug-of-war, which I took part in! There was also 3-legged races and sack races and other games going on.  The best part was watching students in the traditional outfits dance the official Chilean dance, the "cucea".  I myself learned the very very basic steps to the dance later in the week! People here are very good dancers and I am really not!

My family headed to our country house in Ninhue for the week!  Many friends and family joined us there for the week!  On the 18th my family dressed in the traditional clothing and went to a church ceremony, not sure what was said, but it was good to experience it!  The rest of the gorgeous, sunny afternoon was spent playing tennis and ping pong and making food!  I learned how to make empanadas, although I prefer only empandas de queso (cheese) it was still fun to do! We then enjoyed delicious grilled meat and vegetables-delicious!  Later that night went down the road where Ramadas had been set up in Ninhue.  Parts of it were just lots of people dancing and enjoying themselves!  It was fun to watch and also take part in, but once again..I can't dance, at all! Another part was more traditional games that you could pay to play.  We all played a couple of the games, and once again it was fun! And to end the night everyone danced the cucea.  Overall it was a great day and it was exciting to take part in my first holiday here in Chile!

Preparing homemade emapandas with my host Mom!

Host family in traditional clothing on the 18th!

Extended family on the 18th! 

 Picture perfect day in Ninhue, Chile! 

 Enjoying the Chilean cuisine!

One Month Mark

It feels like it was just yesterday when I was writing a post about how I had been in Chile for a week. Time is really flying by! I really can't believe that I have been here for a whole month! It still doesn't feel real to me that I will be here for another 10 months or so, but I am so grateful for this experience and all of the amazing people I have met along the way so far. I can't wait to see what the next 10 months will bring, I am sure lots of adventures! I want to thank my parents for being able to give me this opportunity and also my host family for letting me become a part of their family!  My family is truly amazing, they are so funny and caring and loving.  I really feel like a part of their family.   

I continue to enjoy myself here.  Everyday is a new adventure.  Everything continues to be good as well; school, family and friends. I have really begun to open up and I am not as shy anymore.  I am much more confident in speaking and just trying. I am much more comfortable in school with my classmates and as well as at home with my family.

School is going great as well.  I still don't understand a lot of what my teachers are talking about in class, but I am trying my best!  It is difficult to have that feeling of not understanding all of the time.  It is frustrating, but I know in time I will be able to communicate a lot better than I can now, it just takes time!  The other day in Physical Education, I learned how to dance the Samba.  It was interesting to say the least!  From my understanding, we are going to learn a choreographed dance and then have to preform it.  That will be quite the experience! It is really fun so I now look forward to gym class.  My classmates are great though, they think I am so funny which is funny to me.  We joke around a lot and it feels like I am with friends from home, they have really made me feel comfortable within the classroom. Overall the social aspect of school is great!

In the past month, I have learned so much about myself, I have tried foods I have never even heard of, and liked most of them too! I have gotten to know a new lifestyle, I have made amazing friends that I know will last a lifetime. And, I have craved Al's French Fries almost every day...plus my Mom's baking. I have never craved Maple Syrup so much in my life either, it's hard being a Vermonter without syrup for a month!

"Ya Sí"

An ongoing joke now with my family and friends from school is "Ya Sí".  When someone speaks to me in Spanish, and if I understand I always say "ya".  Then I have to answer in Spanish so I say "sí". So I just end up saying "Ya Sí" literally all the time. It's really funny now because it has caught on and the kids in my class and my family always say "ya si" to me now. Some of the kids in my class joke around with it and make fun of it and then I see them later on Facebook commenting "ya sí".  It may not be funny to people reading this because it's hard to explain the reactions from people when I say it or they say it to me, but it just shows to me that my family and friends are making an effort to keep me laughing and having a good time. I know at the end of the year, when I actually can fluently speak Spanish, this will be something that we will look back on and joke about.  I have great classmates and they are always asking me questions and keep me laughing even when I am completely lost in the language!  I am so happy that I am here in Chile!