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 

Last Day in the USA

I apologize that it has been a while since I posted last, but hopefully that will change soon.  Needless to say, it has been a busy summer.

Last week, I got called to Orlando to pick up my visa from the consulate.  After the mountain of paperwork it took to apply, the painless process was a bit of a let down.  All it took were a couple signatures and my thumbprint.  

After getting my visa, my travel agent booked my flights, as well.  I leave tomorrow, the 21st, and I connect through Atlanta on my way to Santiago! It's a long flight, about nine hours, so I hope I will be able to sleep.  

Meanwhile, I've been lying on the floor avoiding responsibility attempting to pack.  Fitting things in the suitcase is the easy part.  The hard part is making sure its under the weight limit!  Of course, my newly acquired winter clothing is not of much assistance in that department.  I made a super-detailed list, so that is definitely helpful.  

Once I arrive in Chile, I will post as soon as I can, and certainly more often than I have thus far.  Stay up-to-date here or on my facebook page.  Adios and hasta luego!

Setting Off on a South American Adventur

Imagine boarding a plane, alone, and at takeoff everyone and everything you have ever known disappears into the clouds below the silver wings, not to be seen again for another year.

Sounds scary, doesn’t it?

In fact, more than 2,000 teenagers worldwide willingly do just that every year, and I am one of them.

My name is Maxwell Nelson. I am the Rotary Youth Exchange Florida outbound student to Chile. For the next 11 months, I will be living in the city of Talca, Chile, with my host family, attending the local high school and experiencing life in an unknown and unexpected culture.

All this is thanks to Rotary International, whose global projects include not only business networking and youth exchange, but also philanthropic works such as End Polio Now.

As a 2015 graduate of the International Baccalaureate program at Nease High School, many people ask why I would choose to “throw away” an entire year before college. Yes, my peers are busy preparing for places like Wharton, Brown or UF, but I chose the road less traveled.

As an exchange student traveling on a student visa, I am required to attend school — I can be deported if I don’t. While my assigned Catholic school surely will be a new experience, I hope to do most of my learning outside the classroom. Also, I cannot wait to become fluent in Spanish, a language that I have studied for many years, beginning with the LEE Spanish program at Cunningham Creek Elementary.

The few weeks [before my departure], I [spent] wrapping up preparations for my 4,580-mile journey. Living abroad presents a daunting task. My application process for RYE Florida began last fall, and since I have attended two orientations and language camp, presented at Rotary meetings, and painstakingly completed the short novel known as a visa application form. After a background check and fingerprinting, I traveled to Orlando in August to make my personal appearance at the Chilean consulate. Expecting an intensive interview at a cold, uninviting office building, it was quite the opposite. Instead, I found myself simply signing a few documents at the practice of a Chilean-American doctor, in between his patients. I was cleared for takeoff on Aug. 21.

Each month, I will be sharing with you, the readers back home, my trials and tribulations, and possibly some epiphanies, so you catch a glimpse of life in this long, skinny country to the south. In 30 days, you will hear from me again. By that time, I will be immersed in a sea of new and exciting tastes, sounds and smells. I will have felt the joy (and awkwardness) of being embraced by a family with whom I can barely speak, and I will be loving every minute of it.

How does one successfully pack for an entire year, you ask? Fortunately, school uniforms are required, so I do not have to pack as many clothes as one might think. Nonetheless, fitting everything into my suitcase proved trickier than Tetris on expert difficulty.

Thank you to RYE Florida District 6970 for this opportunity, and to The St. Augustine Record for allowing me to share it with you.

Until next time, or as they say in Chile, “hasta luego.”

*Also published in The St. Augustine Record