Watch out for Chile in COPA AMERICA!!

So things have been going really good! I've been keeping busy which is good for me, even though it can be at times, really tiring! I keep telling one of my friends, I can't believe I've only been here for 2 weeks, cause it feels like it has been so much longer because i've done and learned soooo much already! Its actually good that it is going by slow because I love this country and living here. I actually had some big news the other day, because at the end of the first month we decide if we want to look for other housing or stay with our families and I decided that I am going to stay! Mi mama chilena and hermano chileno were really happy as was I because I am really getting comfortable here and loving it. I'm going to be paying about what I pay at school and still get meals and my laundry done which is great! We didn't have much of a weekend since we had school on Saturday, but it was one of our fellow students birthday and we all went out to an area called Bella Vista, which is basically where a lot of night life is. Its actually a really cool place with a ton of bars and discotecs and anything you can imagine. We've had some good times! Also I've been doing a lot of exploring during the day after class which is fun and helps me get my barrings. I still easily get really turned around. There are a lot of streets that curve and some that are one way which makes things pretty confusing. A friend and I actually got really lost one day when trying to get back home, ended up walking around for like 2 hours and finally giving in and taking a taxi. It was aweful! Especially because if you don't know where you are giong then the taxi drivers drive you around in circles so you have to pay them more. It stinks and I hate them!!! But fortunately as long as I've been here i've only had to take two. And both times was ripped off. But anyways enough of the taxi rant. Its actually really cool to me that EVERYONE uses public transportation whether its the metro or buses or both. I love it cause you can get anywhere without a car. Its crazy how many people use public transportation or "TransSantiago" but basically they get really full, and if you want to use the metro in rush hour, FORGET IT!! Oh another cool thing we did was on Sunday a group of us heard about this market a little more south of the city, but not all the way, and ended up going and it was quite an adventure! It was ALL local people and there were food vendors selling all kinds of stuff and clothing vendors and trinket vendors and books and scarfs and shoes and just anything you could ever imagine. It was just a really neat experience seeing a different area of town and seeing what types of things people do who live here. Another cool thing we did was today, we got a tour of "La Moneda" which is basically like the white house of Chile, where the president works. He actually doesn't live there though. But it was pretty cool. The tour was a little boring but the whole experience was pretty cool. Then after we went with our "cultural groups" and ate and watched the Chile futbol game! It was 0-0 the whole game and Chile scored in like the last minute. It was soooo exciting!! But yeah the Copa America has been really fun to follow. This weekend a group of 5 of us are traveling up to La Serena which I'm really excited for because supposedly it is really pretty there. Other then that, I think thats all for now... sorry my thoughts are kinda disorganized but i've kinda just been spilling the contents of my brain as the thoughts come to me. haha. Missing you all! Chao!

This is the view of Santiago from "Cerro Santa Lucia" 

This is the administration building of my school which is still on strike

"La Moneda" ... where the president works :)

Our "cultural group" right before we ate and watched the "partido" or futbol game!