Chilean Adventures: I can't believe its been 2 months already.

Hello Everyone!! I'm sorry I haven't updated my blog in a while. At first I hadn't updated it cause, I didn't do much and thought it would make a boring blog post, and then I didn't update, because I got really busy and didn't have time. haha. Last Wednesday and Thursday there was a 2 day national strike. I heard that they played it on the news in the US and wanted to clairify somethings first hand since I know some of you have been worried. It is true that is was a big strike and a lot of people participated. Some police and civilians were hurt in the action. The people in Chile mean buisness when they say that they want the constitution to be changed for more affordable education without business profits. They have been on strike many times in the past but usually the promises from the government are not followed through with and things end up the same as they were in the past, so now they are not settling with the proposals that they are getting and want action. I have learned that the situation is different then the U.S. because protesting and striking for your rights when you are unhappy with the government is more a part of the culture. If the people are unhappy the cause disruptions to be heard and make change. The socialist movement of elected president Salvador Allende and then military dictatorship of Agosto Pinochet are political events of the very recent history that the country is still dealing with and healing from. The protests have been somewhat violent and dangerous in certain areas, but with that said it is very easy to avoid the protests. We always know when there is going to be a big protests because the word is out and we know what areas to avoid at those times. I have been completely safe. My family also supports what they are fighting for but avoids all major protests and doesn't agree with the destruction of kids who just want to cause destruction. We have agreed that that doesn't solve any problems and makes things worse because then the city has to pay for the repairs. I have been emailed that our classes are going to resume this week so that is good, but also I am aware there is a chance for them to be cancelled as in the past, because in reality noone knows what the following days will bring. The protests are always full of surprises.

With that said, I have had a fun past few days. On Thursday I went up to Valle Nevado, which is apparently the best ski resort in South America. I went snowboarding with the international club on my campus. The day was beautiful and I had a great time. On Friday, we had a field trip to Villa Grimaldi, which was a torture center in the 70s during the military dictatorship of Pinochet. It was very interesting, and really sad. Also, the man who gave us the tour was someone who suffered in that camp and then was forced to leave the country for 15 years. He moved to New York and then San Francisco and when Pinochet died he moved back to Santiago. His story was really sad and he was very emotional showing us that place. There they did horrendous, tortourous things to the people similar to how i would imagine a Nazi concentration camp. He said there are other ones also, and he had been to 3 at the time. He was a university student about the same age as me. After, he took us to the Cemetario General where President Allende was buried in addition to other important people, as well as regular citizens. The whole trip was very informative and helped me understand the recent history a little bit better. I had been confused because I heard about people who supported Allende and others who opposed him and didn't know if he or his policies were good or bad, the same with Pinochet. And it was then I realized that I am always thinking of history and people of the times in black and white. They were good or bad. But that is not the case and there is more to this story, and after Friday that all became more clear. I enjoy learning these types of things and being able to see them first hand, and the people who were effected is just incredible and more valuable then any cancelled class at my university.

On Saturday, some of my best friends and I got up early and left for Valparaiso! This city is about an hour and a half away and right on the ocean. It is known for its uniqueness with its large hills, vibrant colors, small streets, stairs, murals, the harbor, and much more. It was amazing. We were only there for one night but it was one of my best trips. The group I went with was so great and we had a really relaxing time. It was a beautiful place. At night we went dancing to one of the famous discoteques, it was really fun! They played all spanish music and it was pretty much all Chileans which was really cool. The only bad thing is that when I came home I realized that my wallet was either lost or stolen. So I have been dealing with that process which is no fun at all :/ I realize that these things happen even if you are extra careful.

Finally here are a few pictures of the past couple weeks....