School's Out for Summer

Summer vacation!!!!

One of the best parts about going on vacation in the Southern Hemisphere is that summer vacation is included.  Today was my last day of school until March.

I've been really busy so I apologize for not writing sooner.  Here  are some of the things I've been up to:

A few weeks ago, my fellow inbounds and I got together to celebrate Thanksgiving,  While for the North Americans it was a way to keep a tradition alive within our exchange family, for the Europeans it was a way to experience something new.
I cooked my mom's famous sweet potato and squash casseroles, among other things,  One of the favorites was a big pitcher of sweet tea.

This month hasn't been too crazy eventful, but its nice just to be able to relax and have a normal life in my not normal home.  My Spanish is definitely improving, which is an awesome feeling.  I've been reliving my senior year with my college application process, of which the results have thus far been promising.
The Chilean Telethon was also this month, and I had a lot of fun going to raise money with the other students.  The only US television event of comparable size and importance is the Super Bowl, so I was glad I got to be a small part of it.

Last day of schoo1

PJ day to raise money for Teletón

Look at all my pins!

I'm going to have to cut this blog post short because I'm about to leave for Punta Arenas, but I can assure you that I will take LOTS of pictures.
Cuidense,
Max

From Santiago to Easter Island, Chile is a Place of Extremes

Every day, I am greeted by a barrage of Chilean idiosyncrasies to which I just cannot bring myself to adapt, specifically the friendly lack of punctuality. Some days, it’s frustrating, but last week it saved my life.

But let me start from the beginning.

On Friday, a group of exchange students and I went to Santiago, Chile’s capital and largest city. There, we took a break from trying to blend in with our native classmates and were tourists for the day. We visited La Moneda, the presidential palace, and watched the changing of the guard. Afterward, we went to Cerro Santa Lucia, a big hill in the middle of the city with a great view. We followed this with a visit to an artisanal market, where I bought an alpaca sweater. (It’s so soft that I may never wear wool again.)

A great day became even greater when I got a literal taste of home at La Costanera, the biggest mall in South America. Though we didn’t have much shopping time before catching the homeward-bound bus, my Taco Bell and Starbucks fix made me so happy it didn’t even matter.

Of course, we forgot that it was Friday rush hour in a city bigger than Los Angeles, so navigating the metro back to the bus station was stressful, to say the least. Running late, we had to sprint across the Alameda, the city’s busiest and widest street, to get to the bus stop on time — not the best mix with Starbucks and Taco Bell.

Our bus was scheduled to leave at 6:20 p.m. We got there at 6:22. Though a near constant lack of punctuality is frustrating, we only made it because Chilean transportation is more relaxed.

When most people think of South America, a bustling metropolis is not always what comes to mind. Santiago, however, is just that. With the tallest buildings on the continent, the Santiago skyline is dwarfed by the Andes mountains that loom in the distance. With the hustle and bustle of downtown, the dirt and grime of Queens, and the vibrant colors of SoHo, Santiago is just like New York, albeit with a little Latin flair. Actually, make that a lot of Latin flair.

Santiago lies in stark contrast to Easter Island, another of my recent experiences. This tiny, remote and barren island in the South Pacific is home to less than 5,000 permanent residents and is administered as a Chilean territory. Best known for its Moai statues, it receives more than 15 times that in tourists every year. Why? Isla de Pascua, or Rapa Nui as it is called by the indigenous residents, has a sort of magic to it, and I had the opportunity to experience that firsthand.

Though it shares a cultural heritage with other Polynesian islands, such as Hawaii, Easter Island is not a tropical paradise. When I was shivering in the icy rain at the upper lip of a volcanic crater, huddled with exchange students from France, Germany and Holland like penguins, the only place I wanted to be was St. Augustine Beach in July.

What it lacks in beaches and sun, however, it makes up for in mystery. The Moai statues are everywhere. There are hundreds of heads strewn across the island, though, unfortunately, many are no longer standing. These that you see in the ground are actually much bigger than they appear, with their bodies buried below.

Home to the driest deserts, the longest coastline, bustling cities and remote islands, Chile is a land of extremes. Of course, I am extremely happy to call it my home.

*Also published in the St. Augustine Record.

Spring has Sprung in the Southern Hemisphere

Finally. Winter is over, and at last my Floridian self can be at home again.  At home, 5000 miles away. 

With the change in the weather have come a series of changes in my daily life as well.  I have moved into the home of my second host family (my new host dad is also my counselor) a bit early, and certainly unexpectedly.  I won't get into the details, but I can say that leaving the Mendez Ferrada house was difficulty, as I had really begun to feel like a part of the family, and they had provided me with so much. 

That being said, I am truly happy in my new home.  There are trees, a yard, a pool, and in general it just feels more like what I’m used to, until you see the mountains and vineyards going in every direction. 

I love my new home in the countryside, or el campo as it’s known in Chile, but I miss living in the middle of everything like at my old house.  Instead of being in walking distance to the mall, movie theater, and grocery store, I’m now a two-and-a-half mile walk to the bus stop.  But, I get my own bathroom.  Priorities. 

On top of all that, I’ve been pretty busy. 

When I was back from Easter Island, I was really sick; sicker than I’ve been in a long, long time.  If I were back home, I would be so stressed about missing school, but here I just caught up on Netflix.  It was nice. 

Last Monday was Día de la Raza, which I think has something to do with Columbus Day, so Jaqui and I took a trip to the beach.  We ate traditional mariscos, a soup-like mix of seafood—but mostly clams.  I even got to ride a horse! 

Friday was also a day off at school, and all the inbounds in the district went to Santiago, the capital.  There, we toured La Moneda, the presidential palace, and watched the changing of the guard. 

Afterwards, we went to Cerro Santa Lucia, a big hill in the middle of the city with a great view.  Then, we went to an artisanal market where I bought an alpaca sweater.  It’s so soft that I may never wear wool again. 

After some convincing, we managed to get the Rotarians to let us go to La Costanera, the biggest mall in South America.  Though we didn’t have much time before catching the bus, my Taco Bell and Starbucks made me so happy it didn’t even matter. 

Of course, we forgot that it was Friday rush hour in a city bigger than LA, so navigating the metro back to the bus station was stressful, to say the least.  We were running late, and had to sprint across the Alameda, the city’s busiest and widest street, to get to the bus stop on time.  Not the best mix with Starbucks and Taco Bell. 

Our bus was scheduled to leave at 6:20.  We got there at 6:22.  Thank God I’m not in Germany, we only made it because Chilean transportation is never on time. 

Fortunately, the fun didn’t stop there. This week was my school’s anniversary celebration, and the festivities lasted the whole week long. 

Our school was divided into alianzas, or alliances: roja, blanca, and azul.  We competed against the other alianzas in sports, art, music, dance, and more.  Tristan, Jules, and I (the exchange students) represented Alianza Azul in a rendition of YMCA.  Everyone was so surprised that I already knew the song’s famous choreography, and just laughed when I tried to convince them that nearly all Americans know it. 

The dance proved to be a crowd favorite.  Who doesn’t like to see blonde foreigners with accents shaking their butts to a classic song?

Though we were a crowd pleaser, there was no way that we could compete with the other dances, almost half of which would never be permitted in an American school.  There were Tarzan swings, tumbling, stunting, and even aerial silks, all without a mat.  Multiple cars were driven onstage, at one point even a hippy van.  Girls competed for the best bikini body , complete with angel wings straight out of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, and even guys dancing in nothing but their bright red boxer briefs to prove they had the most hair or best legs. 

All this with parents, teachers, and even the principal in the audience.     

All in all, I’m having a great time.  Moving was hard, but I’m really settled in with my new family.  Every week I feel closer to my classmates, and I’m super excited for summer break in a month. 

Hasta pronto,

Maswal

(That’s just one of the many misspellings of Maxwell.   Gotta love it)

Easter Island

Rapa Nui, Isla de Pascua, and Easter Island are all names for a tiny, remote, and barren island in the South Pacific, home to less than five thousand permanent residents.  However, it receives more than fifteen times that in tourists every year.  Why? The "navel of the world" has a sort of magical mystery to it, and I had the opportunity to experience that firsthand.  

Here are the highlights from my trip. 

Arriving at the airport was definitely the first of many unforgettable experiences.  The island seems to come out of nowhere.  The runway spans the width of the entire island, flanked by volcanoes on both sides.  The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was bigger than the airport itself, which is just two rooms. 

After our arrival, we were greeted with leis , and then boarded the buses that would take us all over the island in the week to come.

Repping Nease Interact Club with the first Moai that we saw.

There are hundreds of horses all over the island, they say more than there are people.  Most of them are pretty friendly, like this one.

First time seeing the Pacific Ocean! Here I am with a bunch of other Americans. 

Easter Island only has one sandy beach.  The "tropical paradise" is really just a rock in the middle of the ocean, which leaves lots of cliffs to explore.

The Moai are literally everywhere.  There are literally hundreds strewn across the island, though unfortunately many are no longer standing.  These that you see in the ground are actually much bigger than they appear, with their bodies buried below.

Talca Squad with the big 15, the longest platform of Moai restored on the Island.

Adjusting to new sights, sounds, surroundings in Chile

In August, my plane touched down on an empty tarmac that scarily sliced through the center of the bustling city of Santiago in my new home country, Chile. After clearing customs I searched eagerly for three smiling faces, glimpsed earlier in photographs: my Chilean Mom, Dad and sister.

I should have known better to expect only three. Waving a big sign, they were surrounded by multitudes of unexpected cousins, aunts and uncles. Chilean families are huge and, happily, they all wanted to come meet the mysterious blonde boy named Max. Even my 86-year-old abuela (grandmother) made the long trip to the airport in Santiago.

My first days were a whirlwind of exciting confusion, but, fortunately, things have calmed down a bit. My small house has become a home, and I enjoy the sense of normality and routine that comes with it. The cold winter weather is now tolerable, and the language barrier gets smaller day by day.

Most days start to the sound of my alarm, just like in the U.S., but instead of opening my eyes to the blue Florida sky and mockingbirds chasing chattering squirrels, most days I awake to the sound of rain pattering on tin roofs, trying — and failing — to wash away the dirt and graffiti that have accumulated for decades. Outside my barred window, if the smog has cleared, I can see the snow-capped Andes mountains towering in the distance. New urban sounds replace the sounds of suburbia, the sputtering of older cars coughing to life, a stray dog barking and chirping pigeons that accompany the Latin rhythms of cumbia and reggaeton still echoing from last night’s fiesta.

Every morning I dress in my school uniform. The red shirt, gray pants and blue sweater help me blend in, but my blonde hair and green eyes scream “gringo.” After a breakfast of yogurt, coffee, bread and fruit, I take the city bus to school, and I fall right in alongside my classmates.

The language barrier is a constant struggle. In religion class one day, I defined Yaweh as God in “drunk” instead of “Hebrew.” At the frozen yogurt shop, I confidently ordered, but instead was given a coffee instead of yogurt. I was incredibly confused until I realized that it was, in fact, what I had ordered. Fortunately situations like this aren’t too frequent, and I largely credit that to the great language education in St. Johns County, especially at Nease High School. (Go Panthers!)

Many people here are quite surprised that an American can speak Spanish as I do. When they hear I’m from Florida, they quickly assume I’m from Spanish-speaking Miami.

It’s safe to say that from the moment I stepped off the plane, I have been fully immersed in the Chilean experience. I shouted some unpublishable expletives at the other team during a soccer game. I danced La Cueca, the Chilean national dance, in front of my whole school on the national holiday. I even felt the ground shake beneath my feet in the most seismically active country in the world.

The Sept. 16 earthquake caused little damage in my city, however, it was still quite strong, and I can surely say that the rumbling earth is not a feeling I would eagerly experience again.

Along with my classmates, friends and family, I walk daily past debris and rubble from prior earthquakes.

Although the buildings have yet to be rebuilt, the Chileans confidently carry on, and now, like them, so do I.

*Also published in The St. Augustine Record

Fiestas Patrias and More

Sorry it's been a while since I last blogged, but I've been really busy.  Last weekend was Fiestas Patrias, which is the Chilean national holiday.  The whole month of September is devoted to celebrating the Republic of Chile, made obvious by the abundant flags, food, and fanfare.

At school, my classmates have been practicing a traditional dance for over a month, which I'm glad I got to be a part of.   Also, Tristan, Jules and I danced La Cueca, the Chilean national dance in front of the whole school.

The celebration at school was followed by a celebration with my HUGE host family.  Evidently I still haven't met them all, but I don't understand how one can be related to this many people.  The best way I can describe the family celebration of Fiestas Patrias is that it is kind of half way between Fourth of July and Thanksgiving.  

 After the celebration ended, I had a very busy week,  On wednesday, the Rotaract club of Talca invited us to their meeting.  I hope to get more involved in their organization.  It seems like they do a lot of great service for the community.

Thursday night I went to my sponsor club's Rotary meeting.  It's very different than Rotary in the US.  There are no women allowed in the club, and we all sit at one huge table.  Laurel and I couldn't help but make Downton Abbey references.  

Saturday I cooked for my host family.  I prepared a huge meal (way too many leftovers) of shrimp and grits, green beans, banana pudding, and of course, sweet tea.  My host parents really liked it and I think they want me to cook more often.

Every day I feel more and more at home here, and I love the independence that comes with it.  I am fully  mostly functional on public transport, and have no problems getting where I need to go.  Of course, that makes it harder to have time at home to work on my college applications.  

This week I am so excited to travel to Easter Island with Rotary, and I plan to post lots of great pictures, so keep your eyes open.  

Nos vemos. 

Max

Earthquake: Safe and Sound

Thank you everyone for your concern, it really shows how much support I have back home.  Yes, there was an earthquake here in Chile last night.  Fortunately, the epicenter was much farther north, but my city is close enough that it was still pretty strong.  At the epicenter it reached 8.3 on the Richter scale, and there were tsunami warnings up and down the coast, but my city suffered minimal damage and was not evacuated.  Overall, we had it pretty good in Talca.  The shaking was a lot stronger in Santiago, and my friends on the coast all had to leave their homes until the water subsided.  Here is my story.

Yesterday I arrived home after school like normal, had a snack, and was mostly just killing time until my host parents got home from work and I would go to my friend's birthday party.  All of a sudden, I heard this sound, like a tap-tap-tap.  My first thought was that it was the dog coming up the wooden stairs, but then the door began to move in its hinges, and I realized that the sound was coming from the side of the desk hitting the wall.

Everything began to shake: the bed, the lamp, the chair.  The dogs barked. The walls creaked.  

When I stood up, the floor moved below me like the deck of a boat gently rocking from side to side.  I had never experienced anything like it, and I hope I never have to again.  In a split second I grabbed my coat (winter, remember?) and phone and carefully went down stairs and out into the driveway, Gari the dog still barking at my heels.

Outside, on the ground level, the shaking was less sway-like and a bit stronger than it felt upstairs.  I was surprised by how long the shaking lasted, 2 or 3 minutes, which is uncommon, even in Chile.

The first aftershock was almost as strong as the first quake, but didn't last as long.  The next were virtually imperceptible.

Both of my parents were at work, so it was I think the solitude that scared me the most.  I was worried that I had done something wrong, or made some mistake in my evacuation procedure.  I tried calling but neither answered.  All of a sudden, after the ground settled down, my phone began blowing up.  My extended Chilean family, and my classmates, were all checking up on me, and each other, verifying the security of their family and friends.  Multiple people offered to come pick me up so I didn't have to be alone, and reassured me that the seemingly impossible movement of Earth was a part of life in Chile.

After the tremors stopped, life moved on.  I went to a birthday party, and we just socialized, danced, and ate like friends do.  Of course everyone shared their earthquake stories (one of my friends was on the toilet when it began to rock back and forth).

At about 1:00 am (party still going strong), a New Zealand radio station found me on facebook and called me to get some first hand comments about the quake.

Reporter: "So what's it like outside now?"
Me: "Ummm there's a 15-hour time difference between us, so its 1:00 am.  Most everyone is asleep"
Reporter: "Oh."

They did not use my comments in the broadcast, but it was fun nonetheless.

Shaken, not stirred,
Max
 

I Got Friends in Low -Latitude- Places

Update since my last post: I am no longer sick, I'm doing just fine.  If you were praying for me, thanks, it worked.  But my friend from France is sick so maybe it will work for him too...


When people ask me what its like to be an exchange student, I tell them the truth.  Sometimes, it's really boring.  I understand a lot, but not enough that I can fully participate in every conversation.  And subjects at school that I haven't extensively studied before, namely physics and chemistry, are almost impossible to follow, so sometimes I end up just reading my book.  I finished all the books I brought with me (I highly recommend Slaughterhouse Five), so my parents are sending me more. Also, I haven't yet earned the same freedom I had back at home, and being in a new city where I can't drive and don't know my way around too well, sometimes I'm stuck at home.
Yes, being an exchange student can be boring, but sometimes, that's the farthest thing from the truth.

Last week, school was pretty uneventful until Friday, so here are just the highlights, or just skip to Friday:

Monday I presented to my English class about my life in the USA, in English, so I'm really not sure how much my classmates understood.
Tuesday I began Spanish class with the other inbounds in Talca (as well as a random French couple? Not sure how they ended up in with us... They're chill though.)  I like it because I get to skip math class to hang out with exchange students.  Sometimes I learn stuff, too.

From left to right: Laurel, Canada; Jelka, Germany; Jeanne, France; Henri, Germany, Tristan, Germany; Yours Truly, USA; and Jules, France 

Wednesday I went to have lunch at my friend Aldo's house.  His family has really gone the extra mile to make sure I'm comfortable here, and I can't convey how truly appreciative I am of that.
Thursday my host mom and I went to drink mote con huasillo.  There are no words to describe the taste, but its made with peaches and corn.

Literal corn and peaches,,, in drink form? Idk.

FRIDAY! SKIP TO HERE. After school, I went to the mall with my exchange friends, and we ate lunch at KFC.  Yes, it was just as bad as it is in the States.  Yes, I enjoyed it anyway because it was the first American food I've eaten.  Walking around downtown, a group of seven blondes attracts a lot of attention, especially considering the fact that among us we speak a combination of four different languages.  Sometimes its nice, though.  We were stopped and joined by an Australian exchange student and exchange alumna along the way.

Minus me and Henri

 Saturday I went to Rancagua for my district exchange student conference.  I saw Americans for the first time (except the mirror, of course) since arriving in Talca, and I got to reconnect with my friend Dani who came to Jacksonville on her exchange last year.  My gator blazer pins were a huge hit, and my blazer is newly covered in all sorts of cool pins from all over the world.  Also, to get to Rancagua we took the bus.  The Chilean intercity bus system is really good, and it is a lot more comfortable than I expected.  However, it's harder to walk down the aisle, especially when its dark.  And there are stairs.  Because its a double-decker.  And you nearly fall.  How can I negotiate a boat that's eighteen inches wide without falling yet I get tripped on a bus the size of my house? So it goes.

I got friends in low latitude places

Talca squad

If you're looking for me look for the Stars and Stripes, then up.

Guess what? Saturday's not over yet.  After coming home from Rancagua, I went to the University of Talca with Jeanne, from France, and her host dad.  We went to the sculpture museum and farm, both owned by the university.  At the farm, I got to pet and take pictures with a REAL LIVE VICUÑA! A vicuña is basically a llama, but smaller, and not domesticated.  Exhibit A of how happy this made me:

Exhibit A 

Exhibit B

After the farm, I went home, took a siesta, then went to a get-together with all the guys from my class at my friend Lorenzo's house.  It was a lot of fun.  We mostly just socialized and listened to music, but also I taught them a couple American dances and they taught me some Chilean ones.  They made me show them the cotton-eyed-Joe over and over, but they all know it now and do it randomly at school.  I spent the night at Aldo's house, and the next morning it was-

Sunday! Aldo's super-nice family took them to the mountains with them.  I wasn't quite sure where or why we were going, but I'm an exchange student, so I always say yes. In a nutshell, we went to one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.  I kept kicking myself for not having my camera.  Oh well, I guess its an excuse to go back!  We went fishing, played soccer and basketball, had asado (kind of like Chilean barbecue), and introduced me to his HUGE family.  Some of his cousins go to school with me as well.  When I got home I was so tired and went to bed early.

This is the best picture I got and it still looks amazing.  Some of the mountains are covered in snow.

This week coming up is Fiestas Patrias, the Chilean national holiday.  I will be dancing the Chilean national dance, in costume, in front of the whole school, so stay tuned.  

Chao, 

Max

Settling In

I'm pretty sick, so I won't make this too long.  I don't know if its the foreign germs, spring allergies, bone-dry air, or general stress, but I can certainly say that I have had better days.  Jaqui, my host mom, brought me breakfast in bed this morning.  After talking with the other exchange students, they're all sick, too, so I'm not alone.

Last weekend, I went to the Talca Rangers soccer game with my host brother, Cristian, who's older and moved out of the house, as well as my host cousin Sebastian.  We lost to Temuco, but I still had so much fun.  His wife is also an amazing cook, and it was definitely one of the best meals I've eaten in Chile so far.  

The market where we went to buy the salmon and clams

Ra Ra Rangers!

I still look forward to school every day.  I learn more and more and my spanish gets better and better.  Jules, Tristan, and I are learning to dance La Cueca in gym class to perform in the school's independence day celebration.  Because it is on the 18th, known as Fiestas Patrias, September is basically Chilean Heritage Month,  My school even had a Catholic mass to begin the celebrations.  While I couldn't follow everything, it was a great reminder of how important Catholicism is to the Chilean history and culture.  

That's all for now.  I have to go find -another- box of tissues.  

Max

P.S. I posted a journal entry on the RYE Florida page.  You can read that here.

First Day of School!!!

(Actually a more apt title would be first days of school because today was my 3rd, but who's counting?)

In this picture I'm pressed all the way against the wall because I'm too tall for Chilean mirrors. 

On Wednesday, I started school at Colegio San Ignacio de Talca.  Going to school was one of my biggest apprehensions about my exchange year, but it has definitely been my favorite part so far.  At school, I'm making friends, practicing my Spanish (especially the words they would never teach in School), and learning in class... ok maybe not that last one, but the other two definitely.  

My class is called Tercero Medio B.  The closest American equivalent is Junior Year/11th grade.  There are about 30 students in my class, including two other exchange students, Jules from France and Tristan from Germany.    The three of us have quite the fan club.  Every day I spend my recess (yes, we have recess in high school, how great is that?) posing for pictures and greeting other students.  Everyone wants to be friends with the gringo who speaks Spanish.  Today, I was late to history class because I was meeting so many new people!   

This is my Uniforme Deportivo that I wear on days when I have P.E.  Sorry for the blurry picture, I was likely shivering when I took it.    

Jaqui, my host mom, and I riding the bus home from school.

On Fridays, we only go to school in the morning, so I had the afternoon off.  Jaqui took me to see La Virgen, a huge statue of Mary on top of the mountain overlooking the city.  Many Catholics believe that if you travel to La Virgen and pray to her, she will grant any request.  Every December, hundreds of people walk up the steep slopes, praying and singing Ave Maria on the way.  

 Me, I enjoyed the views more than the religious element.  It was cloudy today, so I didn't bring my nice camera, but if you look closely you can make out the Andes on the other side of the city through the clouds.  Also, I could see my street from the mountain, and that was pretty cool.

 My classmates invited me to a party this weekend, so hopefully I can go.  I can't wait to make lots of friends, especially with the Rotary Youth Exchange district conference and Easter Island trip coming up!  Stay in touch.

Nos vemos,
Max

First Impressions

Te amo, Talca! I love my new city, and my family is pretty great, too, especially my host parents Jaqui and Coqui (yah-kee and coke-ee). 

On Sunday my family and I ate seafood soup for lunch.  Seafood soup, called "mariscos" in Chile, is a classic Chilean dish.  Meals in Chile are always accompanied by bread and coffee.  Coffee here is served so hot that I think my tongue will be perpetually burnt for the duration of my exchange... or life maybe.  Or, it could be that unlike coffee in the USA, it never mixed with milk or cream.  That being said, I would give anything for a latte from Starbucks, especially in this weather.

Chile is cold.  Very cold.  The buildings don't have heat, even houses and schools.  My abuela heats her house with a wood stove that looks like it could have been featured in Little House on the Prairie: the Movie.  My other exchange student friends from Germany, Massachussets, and Michigan make fun of me for my distaste for the cold, but this Floridian gringo is ready for summer in a few months.  Not to worry, I'm sure that I will complain more about the lack of AC.

Apart from "tengo frio", another frequently used phrase of mine in my limited vocabulary is "estoy cansado", or I'm tired.  Speaking Spanish all day, every day, is tiring.  I have to intently listen to catch as many words as I can, and then take my time to properly formulate a response.  All in all, the cognition is draining, but it is definitely paying off.  People are frequently surprised that a gringo speaks any Spanish, and are eager to help if they can.  Nonetheless, they still laugh at how slowly I speak (but so do I (-: ).

Yesterday was a full day.  In the morning, my host mom Jaqui and I went to the police station to complete my immigration paperwork. Chile is renowned for its incorruptible and honest "carabineros", or police officers.  Once we finished my paperwork at the police station, we had to go to the Registro Civil, which is a lot like the DMV in the US.  We waited, and waited, and waited some more for rude service.  Sound familiar?  At the Registro Civil we applied for my carnet, a form of ID that all Chileans must carry, even the children.  It took a few tries to explain to the woman behind the counter that yes, I only have one last name, unlike the two, or three, or four or more that many Chileans have.  As far as Latin stereotypes go, the use of multiple names is one that I can definitely affirm.  For example, my host father's name is Edinson Esteban Antonio Mendez Arenas, but he goes by Coqui.  I have no idea why.

During my short time in Chile, I have spent a lot of time at my Abuela's house.  I like it there not only because its warm from the wood stove, but also because its full of people.  In Chile, I have a really big family eager to help me with my Spanish and introduce me to the Chilean culture.  My host cousin, Sebastian, lives there with Abuela, his mom, Carmen Gloria, and his sister, Javi.  Seba and I went together to eat completos, a popular Chilean fast food.  A completo is a hot dog on a freshly baked bun with ketchup, mustard, sauerkraut, palta (avocado), and abundant homemade mayonnaise.  Chileans love mayo.  I look forward to spending more time there.  In fact, Jaqui told me that I will eat lunch at Abuela's house every day during school because its closer and she works during lunch.  Que divertido!

Tomorrow, I will start school. Also, I have a new phone number so the best way to reach me is on facebook .  Thank you for reading!
Chao,
Max


Side note: Most Chilean toilets are low-flush toilets and don't really spin, but those that do spin go counter clockwise.  Regardless, you can't flush toilet paper.  The more you know!

Bienvenidos, Max!!!

"Bienvenidos, Max" was what greeted me on a big sign as I finally cleared customs in the bustling Santiago airport.  On it, were the Chilean and American flags, la rosea (Chilean national flower), and a big, fat alligator-- my host family knows me so well, and they hadn't even met me yet.  Let me start at the beginning.  

I left Jacksonville Interational Airport on Friday afternoon, after saying goodbye to my family, and after they wished me a "buen viaje".  Upon clearing security, I grabbed a quick dinner to-go from Chili's-- the irony in the name being better than my sandwich.  

From Jacksonville, I met up with another group of outbound students going to Chile who would be on my flight.  

Me, Cady from Massachusetts, Matt from Canada, Rachel from Kansas, and Bradley, an American living on a military base in Japan.   

The flight from Atlanta to Chile was definitely the longest flight I have ever been on.  I tried to sleep, but found it near impossible from the adrenaline running through my veins.  We must have crossed the equator sometime after midnight, and I found myself admiring the cordillera, or the Andes Mountains, just after sunrise.

La Cordillera

 After landing in the airport, all the Rotary students were escorted through customs together after uniting with a group from Germany.  There, I met with my host family.  I was expecting just my host parents and their daughter, but instead they were there with my abuela, 3 aunts, uncle, and cousins.  It was overwhelming, to say the least.  At the airport, one of the Rotary clubs performed la cueca, the Chilean national dance for us.  Then, I went to get breakfast with my host family.  We went to my cousin, Marcos' apartment in Santiago.  It had an incredible view. We were on the 29th floor overlooking some of the tallest buildings in South America, and the Andes still towered overhead.

Santiago Skyline, with a cathedral in the foreground. 

Santiago Center, its just as busy as New York, but with less traffic.

   After visiting Santiago for the day, we took my host sister, Tamara, back to the airport to begin her exchange year in the USA.  At this point I was so tired that I nearly fell asleep on multiple occasions. 

 After Tami left the airport, the whole family piled into a borrowed van to make the long drive to Talca.  There were 15 of us, and 12 seats.  No seatbelts.  My luggage was on the roof.  It was terrifying, but I didn't care because I slept through a lot of it.  

Three hours later we arrived at my new home in Talca.  I haven't taken many pictures yet, but I will soon, not to worry.  

Chao for now, 

Max