Welcome back from Spring Break!

Hey Everyone,

Hope you all had a nice week off for Spring Break! So, you had some great questions and I'll do my best to answer them. 

1)What do children our age like to eat there? 

The food in Chile is not particularly distinct. It's alot like what your parents might cook for you... dishes with chicken, ham, and turkey, pastas, rices, lots of fruits and vegetables. However, there are definitely foods here that are particular to the country that you can't find in the States. For example, "empanadas" are a favorite with kids! People order empanadas to their houses the same way you might order pizza. An empanada is kind of like a small calzone, meat and cheese and sometimes vegetables baked or fried in dough "pockets." Other foods include "paila marina" or "curanto" which are like seafood stews! Seafood is very plentiful and delicious here! One interesting thing about meals in Chile is that the main meal of the day is lunch, so schoolkids often go home for lunch at noon and then go BACK to school in the afternoon! Lunch is an important family time and meals at lunch are normally really large. Therefore, sometimes families don't even really eat dinner but have more like a snack or tea time in the late afternoon, which is called "once" (pronounces "on-say"). Here are some food pictures: (empanda, then paila marina, then a chicken curanto....)

2)What are some things they do for fun? 

Chileans LOVE soccer ("futbol"). Kids are definitely into playing sports here, but especially soccer. There are playgrounds and sports fields all around the city. The other day I saw some kids playing on the sidewalk with these cards that you slap and try to flip over (kind of like pogs, if you know what those are). There are also many of the same afterschool activities like we have in the US - dance classes, music classes like piano or violin lessons, and art class like ceramics and painting. 

3) Photos....

 

Me.....

In Torres del Paine National Park in the south of Chile....
In Punta Arenas, Chile, one of the southernmost cities in the world!

My new home... Santiago. There are 6 million people that live here!

This is from my recent trip to the south of Chile. The next three pictures are from the island of Chiloe which is covered in green hillsides, farms, and small fishing villages. I ate a TON of seafood here! 

This is one of the classic landscapes for Torres del Paine National Park. I hiked and camped in this park for a week. 

4) What is the main religion of folks in Chile? Have you observed any religious services yet?

The main religion is definitely Catholocism. Chilean people are very conservative and religious. Many of the schools here are Catholic schools and kids wear uniforms. Most all Catholic (Christian) holidays are observed nationally. I have not been to a church service yet, but I have visited several of the Cathedrals here in the city. The one in the main downtown plaza is immense and beautiful. In fact, when the Spanish settled Chile and founded Santiago back in the 16th century, the Cathedral was the first building to be constructed!

5) What is the average temperature there on a fall day?

The average temperature on a fall day is probably around 70 degrees. It still gets very hot around noon (possibly even 80 degrees) and then in cools way down at night (around 45 degrees). I'm giving you these temperatures in Farenheight, but in Chile they measure in Celsius... it's definitely still taking some getting used to!

6) Are you finding it easy to make friends? 

I have been lucky enough to have already made several friends. One good thing about my school program is that I am in the same 5 classes with the same people, so we all see each other every day. (You all are used to that in elementary and middle school, but in college when you change classes all the time and only have certain classes once a week, there are some classmates you rarely see.) I like the fact that I am with the same people every day because, although only 3 weeks have passed, my classmates and I already know each other very well. Almost all of my classmates are Chileans, but other than me there are three other foreigners - a girl from Cuba, a girl from Argentina, and a guy from Ecuador. In general, Chileans are extremely friendly, and always willing to give advice!

I've also met some other Americans who are living here in Chile. Most of them are here teaching English in Chilean schools and universities. While I like speaking Spanish with my Chilean friends, it is certainly nice to be able to speak in English every once in a while with my American friends.

With my friend Karen who is teaching English at a community college in Chile. This is us on the night UNC won the national championship!

At a cookout with some of my Chilean and American friends...