An Added Twist

           As of right now I am sitting in the Philadelphia International Airport, which I suppose means our trip is officially over. Today at around 6:15 am we landed in Atlanta. From there we had to go straight to passport control which took over an hour. I was actually really worried about making our next flight to Philadelphia which boarded at 8:00 because we did not get through passport control until 7:15. Thankfully the rest of the process went quickly and we made it to our gate with 10 minutes to spare. At that point I thought everything was good because we were going to make our flight. However I was wrong because even though we made our flight, our bags didn’t… Always a good time. This is why I am still sitting in Philly an hour after our plane has landed. And of course my bags weren’t ever scanned into the system so of course there is no indication of where they are at. Morgan’s bags are the same as mine, but luckily Colleen’s got scanned and they are on the next plane so I am hoping. As a result, I am now sitting in baggage claim, waiting for the next flight from Atlanta to land.

            While in Atlanta it was so weird to use American money. I was not quite successful with it at first which is funny. It was also so strange to suddenly understand all the conversations around me and to not have to worry about language when purchasing an item. It was definitely exciting to hear the patriotic music playing in the Atlanta customs area and to know I was back in the United States. While it feels good to be back, I know I am definitely going to miss Chile too. 

Leaving Chile :(

Today we are leaving Chile and it is definitely bittersweet. I have had such an amazing time here and I think the hardest part about leaving is knowing that we are not going to see many of the Chilean students we got to know again. However there are some advantages in the United States that I am most looking forward to- mainly my clean bathroom, hot water, clean drinking water, the food we are used to, and my bedroom. I am also going to enjoy my clothes not smelling like smoke everyday as well. I am looking forward to being home, yet at the same time I am definitely going to miss Chile. I am so glad I have had this opportunity. I absolutely loved seeing the country and getting to know the culture. It truly has been an eye-opening experience. 

            We celebrated our last night yesterday by going to one of our favorite places, Hollywood, and then by going to a discotec right on the ocean. Its location was perfect. There’s nothing like dancing on the dance floor while simultaneously watching the waves crash on the beach. It was great. However, there were hardly any people there besides us. Connie had said to me “not many people come here, I don’t know why.” And I don’t either. It is interesting how a place with such a great view does not have much demand. On the same note, another night we had gone to another place near our hotel that I thought had a great atmosphere. Yet again, this one was empty. I wonder what it is that makes a place popular because after this place, we headed to Alcazaba, a block away, which was filled with people. As Professor Atkin told us in MCE, bars and restaurants tend to come and go, not lasting for very long. It would be interesting to explore this idea further and to figure out what it is that makes a restaurant/bar/club popular.

            Not having to meet up with our “family” for lunch till 1, my roommates and I woke up, went to Starbucks, and then packed up the rest of our belongings. As we were on our way back to the wonderful Hotel America from Starbucks, men working on the Ruby Tuesday’s shouted down to us, calling out “Gringas, Gringas.” I had noticed in the past few days that more occurrences like this had been occurring.  For my whole life I have only been in the United States, as this was my first time travelling internationally. Thus I always belonged. However, being from America, I am used to seeing people of different cultures all the time. It was definitely weird to have the roles reversed and to be the foreigner myself, the one who is unique and stands out. When we went to Santiago many of the middle school groups that were touring for field trips got really excited when they saw us because they had never seen Americans before. I actually thought this was really neat. They all wanted photos with us which I thought was cool. I really enjoyed being from the United States and having people wanting pictures with us because of that. Also, when we were playing soccer at the University they called us team Gringo. It is weird because I am sure the Chileans have a certain way in which they see Americans and certain things they think of when they hear about the United States. It is just weird for me because I have always been with Americans and it is weird to be with people who probably see us differently than we do and view us a particular way. 

            After our family lunch we headed off to the Santiago Airport. It is unreal that this trip is ending. For so long I was always saying to people “I’m going to Chile, I’m going to Chile” over and over again. I can’t believe it has now actually happened. This has been an incredible experience which I am so thankful for. I learned a lot along the way and met some amazing people. 

Our Final Day

          Today was our last full day in Chile, which is very sad. We spent the afternoon at La Universidad Santa Maria. First Werner gave us a presentation on the university itself and what it would be like if we were to study here. Although the college is lovely and has great academics, I do not think I would be able to study here just because all the classes would be in Spanish. I do not think I’d be able to follow along and learn all that well. However, I have thoroughly enjoyed spending the last two weeks at the university and getting to know the students. Everyone is so friendly and has been so welcoming. I really like the culture here as well.

            After the presentation we had one final lunch in the wonderful cafeteria. I think it is safe to say that we have all taken Market Central for advantage. We are very lucky to have many options to choose from on a daily basis rather than one prepared meal like at Santa Maria. During our time here I have come to see how large of a part dance has in their culture. Before we went into the cafeteria there were students performing different, signature Chilean dances in the courtyard. It was really neat to watch but at the same time it also made me sad. In the United States we have nothing like this. If students came to the U.S. there would be no signature dances to see or to learn. Our culture is more boring in this sense. After lunch we headed to a soccer field on campus to play with some of the Chileans. It is so interesting to see how into it they are and how much they love it. Although in the U.S. we LOVE sports, I don’t think that there is one sport that the majority of people get really excited before playing. Guys like playing a lot of sports, but I wouldn’t say they get really excited before playing. Here the Chileans get excited even if it is only a casual game. They truly love it.

            This trip has been an amazing experience and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to see their culture. I wish I could have had a little more time to spend here just so that I could experience it a bit longer. Tomorrow we are flying home and it is going to be a very long day. We are planning on leaving Viña around 2-2:30ish and I will probably not get home until 1 on Saturday. It will be weird to  be in the U.S. again upon landing in Atlanta. 

Santiago

            Today was our last activity-packed day. We headed off to Santiago this morning to see Bolsa, the Santiago Stock Exchange. Upon entering Santiago I could tell right away that it had a different feel than Viña. It seemed much busier and crowded; things in Viña are more relaxed. On top of that it was dirtier and there were much more homeless people. In my entire time in Viña I have only seen one, and they were sleeping in a park. Surprisingly though it appeared as though there were a lot less stray dogs. I was glad to see however that Santiago had normal buses. This made me very happy. The Valparaiso buses bother me for some reason.

            Our first stop in Santiago was Bolsa. I was surprised to learn that they only have 233 listed companies. This is very small compared to the U.S. It also surprised me to learn that there are also two other stock exchanges in Chile in addition to the Santiago Stock Exchange, one being the Valparaiso Stock Exchange. The ISPA is composed of the top 40 most heavily traded stocks while the IGPA can be used as a general measure of how Chile’s economy is doing in general. This is a company where one can see the effects technology has had on companys’ processes. For instance, we learned that their floor is not really used for trading anymore. Brokers mainly do their work from computers in their offices. Most of the people who work at Bolsa, approximately half, are part of their IT department. It is their job to improve the software and systems that are used for trading. I have to admit that I was quite disappointed that we were unable to see the trading floor due to construction. I feel as though that would have been really neat to see.

            After Bolsa we headed to a market for lunch. I must admit it was an interesting experience. I wasn’t the biggest fan of walking in and seeing all of the dead fished piled up on stands. It was a good experience though. After lunch we headed up a mountain by bus to see the city from above. I was shocked at how large and expansive it is. I definitely think that it is comparable to Philadelphia. It was so nice up there and the view was amazing. Tomorrow is our last full day which is really sad. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here and am not quite ready to leave just yet. 

Day at the "Farm"

           Today we lucked out with another beautiful day here in Chile. The plan for the day was to go to the “spa” which has also at the same time been referred to as “the farm.” Going into this we decided that it would be best not to have any expectations. Connie had told me that it is nothing like a farm and that she doesn’t know why they call it that. However, because of how some of the things have gone to date, I wasn’t expecting anything particularly nice either. We knew that it wasn’t an actual spa where you get massages and manicures, but a place with a pool and where we could partake in athletic activities. As we were approaching the “spa” I grew quite skeptical. We were driving through a residential area with very small houses that didn’t look the nicest. Then, as we pulled up to the spa, there was a metal gate with a small building next to it. I have to admit my first thought was “oh great, here we go.” I had no idea how such a “spa” with a pool was going to fit into this residential area with small houses lining the streets. However, once we entered the main entrance building I think we were all amazed at what we saw. It was the lobby of an actual resort. It was very nice inside. After getting our entry bracelets we walked around the grounds outside and were all very pleasantly surprised. It seemed like any area you would find outside a very nice resort. Rosa Augustina, the spa, had to have at least six pools. There was even one with a waterslide. I have no idea how they managed to fit this very nice resort into its surroundings. From the outside you would have never even known it existed, yet inside it was so nice and spacious. Although it was nice to have the place all to ourselves, I wish I could have seen it in the summer in the in-season. I think it would have been much more exciting. Today was a thoroughly enjoyable, relaxing day at the pool though.

Horseback Riding Along the Beach

            Today was the most gorgeous day in Chile thus far. The sun was out and the fog burned off the most it has to date. It was so nice to have a clearer view of the ocean and the city. After breakfast at the hotel we drove to the ranch where we were to go horseback riding. At first I wasn’t all that excited, as I have never enjoyed horseback riding in the past when I have done it. However today was completely different. The only way to describe it is amazing. We started out on the beach and it was so nice to ride along the swells with the city behind us. We then rode in dunes. I cannot believe that such a landscape existed only five minutes from the beach. At every single moment along our ride the landscape was gorgeous. All of the horses were well trained which made things easier for us. On the way back along the beach we all galloped which felt very comfortable. It was honestly just an incredible experience. Words cannot even begin to capture our ride.

            After our long ride was over we had a barbeque with a vast array of food at the lady’s house who runs the horseback riding company, called Ritoque Expediciones. She was extremely nice and very hospitable. She must run a good business because she has a lot of different packages that she offers. Not only does her company give horseback riding expeditions, but they also have kayaking ones as well. Her horses were all in really good condition too and you could tell that she loves all of her animals a lot.

            Upon returning to Viña we all went out to get gelato which was very delicious. After we had all gotten ours we went out and sat on the rocks that are right on the ocean. It was absolutely magnificent. It was such a beautiful day and it was so nice to just sit and watch the waves break. It was so peaceful, relaxing, and pretty. It felt like something I do with my family when I’m at the shore. Today truly felt like a nice, relaxing, summer day at the beach. 

Sunday

Today was another free day which was very nice. We finally had the opportunity to catch up on some much needed sleep which was great. After waking up we decided to head to the mall. In order to get there we needed to walk along the beach. As it turns out, on their boardwalk they have lots and lots of stalls set up in which people sell goods. It actually reminded me a lot of a flea market that is set up on Saturdays near my town. It was really neat to go around and see what everyone was selling. Plus we were right on the ocean which is always enjoyable. After browsing we continued on our way to the mall. One thing that really surprised me were how many American stores were there. For instance there was Lacoste, Timberland, Nine West, Aldo, Tommy Hilfiger, Adidas, Columbia, and many more. Oh and you can’t forget the three Dunkin Donuts and the four McDonalds of course. This was not something I expected. On top of that many of the stores names seemed English. Having American stores in a foreign country means that those companies have successfully been able to attract and appeal to foreign target markets and that there is demand for their products abroad. I am sure that this is a very good sign for a company.

While we were passing by the McDonalds on our way back to our hotel we decided that it is viewed differently here than in the U.S. They are much nicer and seem like a place that is nice to hang out in. For instance is has the McCafe attached to it along with an upstairs that is completely away from the food. Later in the evening we went to Terra de Fuego, a very nice restaurant on the beach. The view was pretty, however it was unfortunate that it was dark when we were there. When we first got here I thought it was strange that the sun set at 6. Then I realized it is because we are on the opposite side of the equator, meaning at this time of year Chile is turned away from the sun while the U.S. is turned towards it. Today was a very nice and relaxing day and it was nice to spend a lot of time near the ocean. 

Futbol!

            Tonight we all got to experience our first real futbol game.  It was really exciting and you can tell that the Chileans take it very seriously. Upon entering the stadium there were very heavy police vehicles that looked more like military vehicles along with a SWAT team that had plastic shields. Seeing this I assumed the games got really wild, however it never actually did. I am sure that specific games sometimes do get out of control depending on what teams are playing though. I found that when it came to responding to things that took place in the game that the Chileans were much more reserved than Americans. For instance, when they scored a goal everyone clapped and stood, however there was not nearly as much screaming as there is at any American sports game and for not as long. We celebrate a score much more. Also when their team screwed up there would be an “ohh” but there wasn’t crazy shouting where everyone stood up and was screaming like we do in America. Also, they clapped when their team made an attempt to score but missed the goal. I feel as though Americans would get angry and shout because we missed. On top of that, for being so passionate about the game, they hardly stood up during it. At our sporting events people are constantly standing up throughout the game, especially if it gets to an intense moment. However, there was a lot of support for their team as the stadium was filled with banners and flags. On top of that they had a whole entire section that stood the entire time that screamed and sang fight songs NON-STOP throughout the whole game. I have no idea how they were able to chant for that long. In that section there was also a group with drums who played through the entire game, not stopping once. Again I have no idea how this section kept this up for so long. Tonight was definitely a great experience as this is a very important thing to Chileans and is a major part of their culture.

            Earlier in the day we had the time to walk around Viña which was really nice because it was a Saturday. As a result there were a lot of people out and all the shops were open. It was also nice because there were only four of us walking around so we didn’t stand out nearly as much so we felt like we fit in more. This was the first time where I really felt as though I really got a real feel for what Chile is actually like. Viña is a really cute place and I liked seeing all the vendors on the street selling their products. Although in a city, it felt very personable. One interesting thing that I’ve noticed here is that outside restaurants there is always someone trying to get people on the streets to come in and eat. They have one of their menus and talk to the people who walk past. This is definitely something that you do not see in the U.S., but almost every restaurant, and many of the clubs do it here. It is interesting to see differences in small things such as this.

Fail

Where to even begin with today. It was definitely interesting to say the least. We started off with the idea that we would be visiting the poet Pablo Neruda’s house, then have lunch, see the world’s largest pool and return to Valparaiso. Although this is what we did end up doing, it was most definitely not that simple. We arrived in a closed up town at around 11 where we then found out that our tour of the poet’s house (which turns out not to even be in this town) was at 4. This was confusion numero uno of the day. First off none of us knew why we were in this town and second why we left so early. So from there we ended up driving around the town in the bus at least four times to the point where we knew which buildings were coming up. Having nothing to do in this random town we headed for lunch in a town thirty minutes away. I guess I am still just beyond puzzled why we ended up in this first town to begin with.

            After lunch we went in search for the world’s largest pool. We found it, but with the news that it is empty. This was disappointing because we finally thought that something good was going to happen. Having accomplished absolutely nothing, we decided that we still wanted to see it anyways. Although empty, it was still miraculous. However, being on the beach and looking at the empty pool can give some insight into business, although not the best. For instance it shows the effect that seasons can have on certain industries, the tourism/hospitality industry being a prime example. The beyond massive hotel appeared deserted, although I am sure some people were still staying there. If many people were there I do not think they would have an empty pool as that would look quite poor. I am sure those who work at the hotel have to accommodate for the lack of demand in the off-season during the rest of the year and plan strategies around it. The empty pool also shows how companies must compare costs versus benefits. Apparently the pool costs at least a million dollars to maintain every year, and therefore the hotel may benefit from draining it in the winter. After the pool we finally saw the poet’s house which actually turned out to be really neat. To be honest, I do not understand how he had time to write poetry because he seemed to have so many other hobbies and interests that he partook in. However his house was gorgeous right on the ocean with unique architecture. 

Company Visits Day Two

Today was a really enjoyable day as both the companies we visited were very interesting. We started off today at Vina Indomita, a winery. It was really neat to learn about how they make their wine and see their bodega, however I really wish we could have learned more about their company itself and its business practices. For instance I would have liked to learn about how they do their pricing, marketing, and things they are looking to do in the future. Yet the lady taking us around did not address anything similar to this and I wasn’t able to ask the questions I had hoped to. She did give us a little bit of information relating to their business practices, although it wasn’t much. We learned that they export 95% of their wine and prefer to export. On top of that they informed us that they do not make sparkling wine and will not in the future as it would require a whole other production system. This was a concept that we had addressed in our MCE class and is one that businesses often have to face. What is produced is limited by the company’s production system. It was really nice to see the winery as it was gorgeous.

          

                 After Vina Indomita we went to LAN Airlines which I found fascinating. It was interesting to learn about their expansion and how they have successfully managed to make a profit while American airlines have been struggling in the past decade. While there they allowed us to view a plane they were prepping for Madrid. By looking at the plane you could tell that they take pride in their high quality. I personally thought that their planes were nicer than the U.S. airlines’ planes for international flights. I asked the man showing us around if this happened for all international flights, and his response was “with our company yes.” I found this very interesting. I wonder if the quality of their service has something to do with their profitability in the past few years. In Marcoeconomics I learned that people prefer lower prices to quality, but I personally don’t know if I believe this is always true. I’m guessing that their quality is a feature that differentiates them from other airlines. It was really neat to see how they maintenance their planes and to learn about their company. It was really awesome to be able to see the airplanes up close as well.  

            

Day One of Company Visits

I think it is safe to say that today definitely started out interesting to say the least. The first thing on our agenda was seeing Bosque de Mauco, a mushroom factory. The start of the tour was rocky as we were outside where they keep and maintain their compost for growing the mushrooms, which smelled beyond horrible. I don’t think there are words to describe it. I have to admit I was thinking at the time how am I going to be able to survive this for two more hours. Yet as we moved inside where they actually grow the mushrooms it got much better and actually quite interesting. I am apparently ignorant to the whole mushroom growing process. I assumed that they grew outside in a field and people then picked them when they were ready. However, they are instead grown inside in crates filled with the compost. The crates are located in dark rooms that are kept at specific temperature that vary according to the particular stage in the process the mushrooms are at. We got to see the room where the mushrooms were fully grown in their crates and ready to be picked. As we were in the room workers were in there actually picking the mushrooms. I remember thinking to myself that has to be one very long day and couldn’t imagine doing that myself day after day. The guy who was showing us around told us later that they all get paid the minimum wage. However, how much they actually earn is based off of how much they pick. At the end of the day they weigh how much each worker picked and the workers can earn two or three times the minimum wage. I thought this was a very good idea as it might provide an incentive for the workers to stay motivated.

One of the really interesting things to hear at the mushroom factory was that after the earthquake, their two competitors shut down due to damage. Thus Bosque was able to raise their prices. However in the next few months one of their competitors is re-opening and as a result, Bosque is going to lower their price so that the other company can enter the market. This was just something that I found particularly interesting. I’m sure that this is part of their business/pricing strategy.

After our tour of the mushroom factory we then headed to Centauro, a canning factory of mainly tomatoes and fruits. I was interested to learn that the factory is not fully operating all year round. The only products they make all year are their tomato products. The canning of fruits is only done in the summer. I really enjoyed the visit at the factory because the owner was very into it and was very helpful in actually giving us information about how they do business, not just how their processes work. He mentioned how they are looking to move their products to bags rather than cans in order to reduce costs. In addition to that they brand a certain tomato sauce for Jumbo, a grocery store. Because Jumbo is an upper level grocery store, they also partook in product extension and made a cheaper sauce under a different name that they can sell for less to lower income families. Although they are both tomato sauces, they are different in tastes because the composure is different. The higher quality tomato sauce is made up of much more tomatoes than the lower end one. The lower end tomato sauce is not nearly as good because it is made in a way such that production is cheaper because it sells for less. The company is also looking to make more ready to make meals. The company is a pull system, meaning that they distribute their products when they get an order. All in all it was a really great experience and it was really nice to see the owner so enthusiastic.

Later in the night we spent time with a lot of the Chilean students which was really nice because I feel as though we finally had an opportunity to really talk to them and get to know them. In our lecture earlier in the day we had learned about their 8.8 earthquake that occurred last year. I do not feel as though I would feel safe living in a place knowing that it could happen any second. I asked many of them how they felt about it and they were all very chill, not worried in the least bit about one occurring. I really enjoyed talking with them and getting to know their perspectives on certain things. 

Different Perspectives

             This morning after breakfast we headed back over to the university for our day-long lecture on Chilean business. However, as we waited a half hour for the professor, there was a group of students socializing in the hall where we were waiting. It was kind of awkward because we felt like we were intruding on their socializing, yet it was fascinating to watch. Yesterday we had learned about a customary tradition at the school where when a student passes their final test and receives their degree, they are thrown into the school’s outdoor pool, clothes (which is a suit on that day) and all. On top of that they cut off part of the mens’ ties. We all looked at the student who was showing us around as though he was crazy when he told us this. At first I don’t think any of us understood this, nor would want to do it. However, within the group that was socializing, one of them had just passed the final test to get his degree. He was wearing his suit and everyone was congratulating him. You could tell it was a very big and exciting deal. And that’s when it hit me. This is a very meaningful tradition. If you have been studying at the university for six years and throughout your time there seen others thrown in the pool for completing their degree, it must be exhilarating when it is finally your time. It symbolizes completing a huge accomplishment. As I thought about it I realized it is kind of a honor. Now when I think about it I think it is a really cool tradition to have.

            Another idea I really thought about throughout the day that came up during our lecture (and I don’t quite remember how it came up) was the fact that when we see someone speaking Spanish in America we automatically assume they are Mexican and that is that. We immediately identify them as that which is actually extremely unfair because there are many people from South American countries who come to the United States. It is unfair to group them all together when they are in fact different in many ways from one another and have their own unique culture. I began thinking about how I would feel if I were in another country and someone marked me off as another culture just because we spoke the same language and look somewhat alike. I would be really upset because I am American and that is where I come from.  

            In the evening we had yet another dance class, but this time it was reggeaton. It is fun but it is also kind of weird because it is just nothing that would ever be done in the United States. I love seeing the differences in the cultures though. I feel like seeing their dancing gives us insight into them as people. Tomorrow we get to go on company visits which will be exciting because even in the United States we do not really get the opportunity to talk to business professionals about how their companies actually run and the details surrounding them. I am looking forward to having these opportunities. 

La Universidad Tecnica Santa Maria

We started our first full day off in Chile with a breakfast in our hotel. Beforehand I had no real idea of what to expect. From what people had said I assumed that it would be a lot of food that we have never seen before, but it was very simple and was all food that we have in the U.S. such as cereal, yogurt, fruit, and rolls. From there we caught the bus to La Universidad Técnica Santa Maria. The city buses here are a lot smaller than those in the United States and tend to go fast at times when they probably shouldn’t. The bus let us off right at the University which is on top of a hill overlooking the ocean. We first took a tour of the school which was nice because it gave us an opportunity to see it. The school itself is very pretty. I love the landscaping with all the palm trees and flowers and of course how it has an ocean front view.

It was clear that Santa Maria provides a very good education, as their curriculum seems to be extensive. For instance, mechanical engineers start out by learning the operations portion of their area, and then as they progress they take classes in the administrative side. They have labs for the engineers with many machines in them where they learn to build things as part of their classes. The students all seem very knowledgeable as well. On top of that many of their tracks are six years in length which is very different from the universities in the states. It was weird to be mixed with 23 and 24 year olds on a college campus because in America we begin to work at that age. At the universities here they have a much larger age range than what we are used to. Another major difference is the fact that none of the colleges in Chile have dorms. To me living in the dorms is a major part of being in college and is what makes the experience. It’s hard to picture all of these students driving here everyday. It’s funny though because I think to them the concept of dorms seems weird yet it is so normal to us.

After our tour we had a lecture on Chilean culture at the university led by José who was very engaging in his lecture. He brought up some really good points that really got us thinking. One thing he pointed out was that when you think about it, there are many similarities between what has happened in United State’s history and Chilean history. One thing that really got me thinking was when he said how they do not like that we call ourselves Americans. To them, they consider everyone who lives in South America and North America Americans, not just those who live in the United States. I guess they see it as selfish of us.  As a result, they refer to us as United Statsians. At first I was annoyed by this thinking “Of course we are Americans, we are the United States of America.” However, the more I thought about it I began to understand. I always assumed we could be called Americans because with Canada it is Canadians and with Mexico it is Mexicans, hence that leaves us to be Americans. However, I never once thought about South America. This was something I found really interesting to think about. It was definitely a different angle that I don’t think we have ever really considered.

After our lecture we had lunch in the cafeteria which was nothing like Market Central in the least bit. Instead it was comparable to the cafeterias in our high schools. After lunch we headed out on a tour of Valparaiso. It was great to be able to go through the city and see all the different parts of it. Before coming here I had no idea that Valparaiso was a big port city. The city itself is very beautiful.

Later in the night we had a salsa class which was very interesting. As Americans we don’t really dance, particularly in this kind of way. I’m actually kind of jealous that they grow up dancing and are able to do it so well. You could say we were definitely thrown into their culture in that hour dance session. It was very fun though and I wish we had signature dances that we were good at in the United States. Just from spending time with the students in this one day I could tell that they are a very fun society who knows how to have a good time. I feel as though the social lives of the Chilean students in high school and college are quite different from ours. I can’t wait to experience more aspects of their culture as the week goes on.

            

Day One in Chile

This morning after our nine and a half hour flight from Atlanta we arrived at the Santiago Airport. It was completely hazy upon our arrival, and after talking with a Chilean, he seemed to indicate there is haze every morning but it burns off by noon, similar to the marine layer in California. Once we successfully went through customs and picked up our luggage, we boarded a bus to Valparaiso. On the way much of the land was very dry and there were also cactuses. It reminded me a lot of certain parts of western United States. One thing that surprised me along the drive was all the billboards along the way. For some reason I just didn’t expect them to have them here. As we approached Valparaiso the view was absolutely gorgeous. The city is built into the hills and overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

After checking into our hotel we went out to find a place to have lunch and we got our first glimpse of the city. I really enjoyed seeing the different kind of stores and restaurants. Most of them were a lot smaller in size compared to those in the United States. One thing I noticed however was that almost all of the stores were closed. I realized that this is probably because it is Sunday and the Catholic religion has a heavy presence in Chile. It was interesting to see throughout the day the other affects this in turn had. For instance, when we went to explore later on we passed a park and there were many families out spending time together. Most of the Chileans seemed relaxed and appeared as though they were having a good time. My guess is that they still take the day of rest pretty seriously, and as a result I feel as though they are less stressed and have more time to spend with their families. In the United States we are constantly focused on work and do not get much of a break from it. As a result we do not have as much time to spend with our families. It was nice to see a lot of Chileans out with their families having a good time.

Later in the night we went to a nice Mexican restaurant and it was nice to have more time to get to know one another better. I’m very excited for tomorrow when we get to go to the University and meet some of the Chilean students. I can’t wait to get a better feel for the city and culture throughout the week and to learn about the different companies. 

Leaving for Chile

Today we are leaving for our trip to Chile. I’m very excited and do not have any real idea of what to expect. I’m very much looking forward to seeing the city and having the opportunity to meet and get to know other students my age but of a different culture. I’m sure at first language may create a slight challenge but with time it will get easier. It’ll be nice to be able to actually experience the culture and see it in person rather than in just a short 2-minute clip shown in Spanish class. After doing some research on Chile, I’m interested to see if I’ll be able to pick up on some of the differences between the two cultures, and if so, what impact it has on their daily and professional lives. I’m also excited to talk to the students about their school experience and their daily lives and to then see how it differs from ours. I am very much looking forward to this trip, as I think it is an excellent opportunity. I cannot wait to see the city, culture, and companies, and to meet the Chilean students as well.