Playing 2 week catch up...

So as indicated by the title it has been a while since i´ve caught any of you northern hemisphere residents up on the goings on down here in the southern hemisphere. Sorry about the tardiness, but for one reason or another I just haven´t taken the time, and it probably would have been even more tardy if I hadn´t been prompted by the one and only Q who is bored with recovery from a knee surgery (pobrecito). So this one is for you Q.

Let´s take it back a couple of weeks to the end of my tourism stint (yeah right) and the beginning of the grueling studies (hardly). I left Santiago on a wednesday night so that I would travel the ~10 hour bus trip over night and arrive in Valdivia the following morning. I was more than ready to get out of the hussle and bussle of the capital city and settle into my more Oregonian lifestyle of the smaller Valdivia. Little did I know that the Valdivian lifestyle was going to be Oregonian in more ways than the one stated above. When I got to Valdivia the weather was partly cloudy and as I rolled into the bus station at the same time the sun was peaking over the horizon, I got a nice view of the rivers, the city, and the horizon, all of which were indicative of what was to be my home for the next few months. After taking a few moments to enjoy the sunrise, I met up with my host father, Egils (a name that is in no way chilean or spanish but latvian as a matter of fact - there´s a big German/European influence in town), and we went off into the city and to my new home. I spent the next couple of days walking around and exploring Valdivia on my own... I walked by the submarine which is apparently a tourist attraction, but I highly doubt it alone brings in any outsiders, and on down the river I walked and came across another tourist attraction/natural anomoly which probably does actually bring in a couple people a year... Lobos del mar, meaning sea lions, have taken over a dock along side the river and apparently in the summer will take over the sidewalk as well (looking forward to seeing it, haha). Apparently it is quite the problem because the authorities do not have the ability to move them without endangering themselves. I find this quite hilarious. I picture the carabineros (police men) with long oversized brooms attempting to shoo away these massive blobs of potential aggression with absolutely no results save their own embarressment.

Moving on... on Saturday we met with the entire group of gringos (not used in Chile in any sense of malintent or dislike), 18 in total, and we went over a little welcoming to the program, get a schedule of things we were going to do, took a tour of the campus, met the people we were going to be working with, yada yada yada, until we went out to lunch at a delicious sea food restaurant as one big group. Great experience, but this for me was when Valdivia started to reflect Oregon in a way which was less than agreeable. The rain began. And it continued for the next 4 or 5 or 6 days (really hard to tell when really all you can do is eat and sleep for fear of what might happen to you if you step outside). And this was the real ¨Bienvenidos a Valdivia¨ (also known as Valdlluvia, lluvia meaning rain, quite the lovely place to say the least). The truth is, it is quite the lovely place if and when the sun actually shines. I have gotten the chance to see it, although I thought that day would never come. We got 3 days of partly cloudy cold, tail of winter days, followed by one gorgeous, pure blue, nearly spring day, only to be followed by today, another day with a tramendous amount of rainfall. The funny thing about the rain here that is completely different to what we have in Oregon, and probably the only difference in the style of rain, is that the rain here is combined with winds that come from all directions. You cannot imagine how many times I´ve seen umbrellas broken and forlorn, deserted on the sides of the streets because the wind has turned them inside out. Umbrellas do not work here. I am fully greatfull for the wonderful gortex jacket that I have, I think it is the only thing with sufficient durability to battle the Valdivian rains. Most Excellent.

However, although it may sound like it, Valdivia has not been completely dreary and boring. on the contrary it has been great getting to know my host family, especially my host mother who is about 4 and 1/2 feet tall with the personality of a giantess. She really is great. She is an English teacher at a private school in town so she speaks perfect English, perfect Castellano (the spanish taught in the states), and perfect Chileno, which is not taught anywhere because it makes absolutely no sense what so over, but the Chileans are born and raised with this absurd dialect pouring from their bodies and so it is necessary to learn in order to get along here in Chile. It is also very entertaining to learn the Chileanismos because of how absurd they are when translated literally. I already have a four full pages of sayings in a little moleskin notebook i´ve been using (thanks Miles, it is perfect, and you´ll get quite a kick out of these dichos).

So onto some of the good times that I´ve had here. For the most part I have been going out with the consejeros (counselors, who are chilean students at the University and have chosen to take up the position of showing us around the town and helping us get accustumed to the Chilean lifestyle that takes place outside of the classroom), as well as with the other gringos. We went to a brewery called Kuntzmann, which is said to be the best beer in Chile and is brewed right here in Valdivia, and there, at the brewery, they serve 2.5 liter columns of beer that are just delightful. We had a good time there. I´d say that they probably do brew the best brew in the country. I´ve also gone out with either the gringos, or the consejeros, or a combo of the the two to a couple other places around town. My favorite so far would have to be a place called trota mundos (or something like that), that has a super laid back vibe, actually played good music (like some zep, the doors, stones, some good chilean reggea...) instead of the usual shitty beatles covers that I hear in various different locations. Nothing worse than hearing some dub/salsa version of ¨While my guitar gently weeps¨, absolutely terrible! So that place is chill, and we have also gone out dancing at the casino in town which has a nice dance club in the basement. And I have to tell you about one night coming back from this place... one of the consejeros was DD for the evening and I was last to get out because I live close to him, so as we were coming back towards our houses and we rounded a corner, we see this Chilean dude at one end of the crosswalk completely nude. As we come around the corner, he begins to run, passing directly in front of our car, across the street, and into the park on the other side and all we could do was just laugh at the rediculousness of the situation. Quite rediculous indeed.

Well I think that is all for now, I´ve got to be getting a move on and begin thinking in spanish all over again. Much love to all (I think about 3 now), but truly much love, and I hope that all is well in the northern hemisphere. No se preocupen too much for I will soon be in spring and then summer, HA! Besos. Chau.