Karrah's Chilean Adventure: One Month Down!

Hello. So I once said that I would blog often, and that apparently wasn't exactly accurate. I have now been in Chile for 4 weeks! It's extremely crazy how quickly and slowly the time has gone. I feel like I can't believe that one month ago I was boarding a plane to come to see my new life and now it's just here. At the exact same time I feel as though I've been at this school all year, and known these girls for months. It's crazy how two feelings are so strong like that. I have been missing my family and friends,but to the major extent I know that everything back home is the same. However, I am going to try to continue to blog frequently, which to me isn't every other day. I think that I've been feeling so adjusted to life, I almost don't know what I should write about. So I apologize to anyone who was dying to hear from me, I'm sure there wasn't many people.

THE CERRO DRAGON

As you have probably seen in most of my photos, there is a lot of giant sand hills that lie behind my city. One of them is called Dragon Hill and the peak looks like the back and tail of a dragon. So one Saturday morning I went with Jaakko an exchange student from Finland and his host brother and girlfriend to climb the big old hill. By the end of this year, I'm probably going to be a fairly decent hiker... (okay probably not). Anyways, we hiked up the hill which took awhile and every step into the sand you went a bit forward and then a little backwards, it was frustrating. I felt like Sisyphus, from Greek mythology that once he'd roll the stone to the top of the hill it'd roll down again. (I have no idea how/why I made that reference, but i'll carry on). I felt like the second I got up a few steps I was going to suddenly fall all the way down again. However, I finally made it. It was such a gorgeous view of Iquique and the ocean I can't really describe it. Jaakko's brother Jose brought a body board so that we could try to sand board, however it barely worked. I went a few feet and then I would continue and the board would stop. I was bummed, but they said there are better spots and boards that I will have to try.

Me at the top of the hill

PICA & HUMBERSTONE

My family wanted to show me cities that were on top of the great hills behind our city, and they had a few to go to. On a random Sunday which is commonly family day we went to a little place in literally the middle of nowhere. Literally. All you can see is sand and hills. There is this little old town that they have made into a museum type area for people to go visit. It was run by rich people who forced intense work on people and only paid them in "tickets" that they could only use at their encampment. It was fairly interesting however, being a teenager my brother and I quickly saw the whole "town".

I'm in this too, but I'm a little bit white so I don't' know if you'll notice me

On the way to our next stop we stopped at a random small restaurant in a pueblo to eat lunch, there were only two options meat and rice or chicken and noodles. Then we stopped by this random place in the desert with dinosaur statues.

Then we were headed off to a city called Pica, they have tons and tons of fresh fruit and trees. There were orange trees, and mango trees, and they have avocados, and just about everything. The biggest attraction in the small city of Pica however is a natural hot spring. It's a pool basically that is formed naturally with hot water that comes from the ground. There were also two tunnels that you could go into and I went in and actually felt with my foot where the water comes from in the ground. It felt like quick sand almost. Only being with my twin brothers swimming didn't last long, just because when you're 9 years apart you enjoy different types of swimming.

BEING SICK AWAY FROM HOME
During my travel to Pica I began to feel really sick and not so happy as we were in the middle of the desert in a car, that seats 5 and we had 7. I had my first experience of being sick away from my mama. (my real mom who I coincidentally call mama) My stomach was starting to hurt and have pains and my family was pretty sure that it was from the water. I was warned about the water here and my doctor's told me to drink bottled water only, well when I went hiking there was bottled water that I drank.. that was from Jaakko's sink, little did I know. Plus when you just climbed a big hill in the desert where the water came from isn't your biggest concern you're parched. ANYWAYS, I was sick for a good 5 days or so and actually missed school for two days. I just laid around and watched movies, living off jello and soup and crackers. Finally, my stomach felt a little more normal and I was back on.

LA MIZA
September 2nd (last Sunday) my parents and I woke up early to go to a religious ceremony to meet with other girls/families from my school. We followed a bunch of cars and buses hauling people up the hill and towards the middle of the desert. Once we finally arrived at a random spot on the side of the road, the festivities began. This was a place for Saint Laura, a famous saint here in Iquique and in Chile. We basically had a church service with a bunch of songs and and prayers and there was a bunch of people there. Afterwards, we ate and talked and it lasted a few hours before we returned. I didn't get any photos, but it was really a cool experience.

TSUNAMI ALERT
This past week on what I believe was Wednesday the 5th I was with my classmates reading in our patio when someone came and told us we might get to leave school early for a Tsunami alert. The word spread like wildfire and I was completely confused. There was sudden chaos. The girls weren't necessarily scared, but trying to reach their parents, friends, and younger siblings. We looked out the windows and the boys school a few blocks away were evacuating. yet I was still confused what was going on. There had been a large earthquake in Costa Rica and so our coast line was at risk for a Tsunami, we were in an alert, which is just a warning, not an alarm. I had heard that this happens a lot, but that we hadn't actually had a Tsunami in over 100 years. I truly wasn't that nervous, all the girls just seemed excited to leave school. But, just like Northfield with 3 feet of snow, our school was stubborn to close. Most people's parents were already going to pick up their siblings from their closing school, so they were picking up their kids from our school too. My mom called me telling me she'd come get me in 15min. 1hour and 40min later I was pulled from class, and the classes were at about 15 people by now. When I walked out I saw why it took so long, there was a large line of parents waiting to sign out their kids and have someone go grab them from class. Apparently at 4:45pm when school would've gotten out there were 3 girls in my class of 35. The alarm was called off from Chile right around the time I was leaving and it never really ended up being a big deal. I still have yet to experience a "temblor" a small earthquake, but I'm sure soon enough I will be writing about my first experience with that.

MISC.

School is still going well, however at times I find myself very bored and mostly coloring. I usually don't take any exams and they have a lot of those. My friends and I have still been going out on the weekends, to birthday parties, going to the beach at night, etc. I also am still in "scout" my girls scout type group every Saturday where we play games and do random activities. Chile's independence day is September 18th and they basically celebrate the entire month. I get to miss a week of school for it, and we have a bunch of activities going on. Today I went to a rotary event and we ate and played various Chilean games. I'm loving Chile, however all the talk about Jesse James made me want some french fries and cheese curds, and a smoothie from the big purple stand. Oh and of course a shish kabob. This morning my mom brought me something "typical" of Chile for breakfast and I wasn't sure what to think. I thought it was brains in tea.. not a joke. It was tried peaches in tea though and most people here love it. I did not. It was hard to get myself to have a bite, and when I did I knew it'd be something I'd have to take up to the kitchen once my mother left. Which is exactly what I did, my mom left for the rotary thing and I begged our nanny to eat it and pretend that I did. :) My nanny and I have actually been talking a lot and we eat together every now and then. She is super sweet, and I almost feel bad when she cleans my room, and takes my plates. I always try to clear my own plate, but she insists that I just leave it and she will do it. That is one thing about the culture I'm not super fond of the kids (at least at my house) have 0 responsibilities and don't have to do anything.

MINI VENT SESS.
Okay I was going to try to stay away from doing this, but while I was on the topic, I thought I had to expand a little bit. One thing that at my host family is difficult for me is just that the kids are free. We don't have to clean or clear dishes, or cook, or anything and usually that would be a score, but I like to be proactive in my house. Since, it is my house as well. I have been helping prepare dinner and snack and such, and I can usually get away with clearing my own plate, but for the most part I am babied, as well as all of the kids. Especially the babies of the family, the twins, they are 9 and they are loud and energetic. They also just ask for money everyday before school and are given it. They also play Grand Theft Auto which I believe in the USA you have to be 17 to even buy. However, my oldest brother is very responsible and often drives me places and takes care of his younger brothers. With two crazy brothers (boys will be boys), I am much more appreciative of my crazy little sisters. :)

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