Well here I am, again. It's all very strange and familiar to be back in Valparaiso, a place I left about 6 months ago after undergoing what can only be described, albeit cliche, 'life-changing experience'. After about two days of traveling I made it to Valpo, only minor hiccups along the way, apparently they now fumigate the cargo hold of the plane 'standard procedure'... I spent a day in Santiago with Allyson and her boyfriend Seba, it was so nice to see them and kind of get on my feet before moving into my Valpo apartment. Allyson reminded me of things like, don't flush the toilet paper as I was watching it go down the drain. Seba reminded me that Chileans do not approve of wet hair as I tried to go to sleep right after my shower.
After a bus mishap in which I ended up in Vina and then tried to walk three blocks with two non-rolling suitcases, I made it to the house that I will call home for the next six weeks. I have four housemates, I think, am now remembering how vague Chileans can be. Three out of four of them are musicians, which is awesome because they love to sing and listen to music, and terrible because I don't know anything about 'good' music (Which I'm sure Dan, Max and Marina can attest to). Perhaps I will learn. The fourth is an exchange student from Mexico who is here studying architecture and shares the same dislike for salt as me, as well as being equally tone deaf. We also have a resident cat who is about the cutest thing you ever saw. His name is 'Sambo' short for something no doubt, and is pretty much insane, but will also calm down and cuddle with you (after destroying your sweater of course).
I went and saw my host family last night. My host dad is up north working but my host mom, sister and aunt were all there. It was interesting to see the subtle things that have changed around the house, a painting, a vase, etc. Gaby is now in high school and has braces, my host mom joked that she let her borrow hers (my host mom had them when I was here last year). I had a nice 'once' with them, met the new gringa that's staying with them, and then came back to my house for 'una cena de bienvenida', a welcome dinner, that my housemates made for me. It was really cute. I also feel like I'm at my first day of high school again, trying to make friends and assure people that I am in fact really cool. A little stressful, but mostly awesome. It's been a lot easier getting back into Spanish than I anticipated, but it's still really hard in groups. One on one is really easy now, but it's hard when a bunch of friends get together and are using colloquialisms and inside jokes to really follow what is going on. I'll get there.
The biggest thing that's going on right now, not sure if it's made news stateside yet, is the nationwide protest of public education. People are demanding free education all the way up through university, leaning towards something that resembles the system in Argentina and Bolivia. The government has been pretty non responsive even after a month or so of protests and strikes. After talking to students it's apparent that at this point they can't really stop until they get something, otherwise they'll have achieved nothing and be in school straight through December and January (when they normally have summer vacation). One of my housemates, Jorge, was saying that it's more important for the parents to get out and join the protests and strikes since they are the ones initially paying for their child's education. I thought that was an interesting point, though it may result in a nationwide strike of all municipalities, which has already started in some regions. No one is really sure what is going to happen, and it's going to affect the incoming exchange students (as well as the whole country) a lot. If the first semester isn't finished by the time the second set of students get here they'll have nothing to do for a month or more, compromising the integrity of the program as well as making for a mediocre experience. Yoyi was saying that this is similar to what happened a few years back with the 'Pinguinos' which was a student movement for free education that sort of died out. Last year I saw a bit of it at the beginning of the term, but that was it. Things got really violent then, and might now too. I saw lots of fires and tear gas today, as well as riot police. I, of course, am supporting the cause from a distance and taking in what it all means.
Tomorrow I'm going to get to work on my thesis, I'm here to work remember :)
