Viva la Chile!
My Five Month Adventure Studying Abroad in Santiago, ChileArchive for Santiago
homesickness/loneliness
I don’t really know if people can understand what I mean when I say that i’m lonely in Chile or slightly homesick. Being exposed to so many different things, customs, and people is very exciting. I love this experience, do not get me wrong. However, you cannot help miss certain things about your own country that you have grown up with for twenty years or the people in your life that have always been there whether it be for a laugh or for a cry.
But, see, every since being at Notre Dame, my “homesickness” slash loneliness has followed me wherever I go: my home in California with my parents, my home “under the dome” in Indiana, and now, my chilean home in Santiago, Chile. I am not really sure if anyone would understand what I am trying to explain unless you have been through something like this “experience” I am having.
I have basically spent the last two years approximately 1,862 miles away from home. I have grown into my own person at Notre Dame, my “home” despite whatever complaints I have made.. But, this past semester at Notre Dame especially, I have felt a rather loneliness due to my huge differences compared to the rest of the student body. I mean, I’m a mixed, feminist and Catholic female from California that comes from (perhaps you would call) a middle class family..and I definitetly do not fit the average body type for females Domers – this is what most would NOT call the typical Notre Dame student.
But, my point is that I do not fit in necessarily with the Notre Dame community in that I am very different from the norm; thus, sometimes, it can be lonely, trying to feel “at home” in a community that I have lived in for two years. It is hard to explain and I am sure this does not make sense. But, when I am at Notre Dame, I miss home in California. Yet, despite my family being there and the memories I share with them since my birth, my home in California isn’t really my home anymore. Because when I am there, I miss Notre Dame – my friends, my freedom. I don’t seem to fit in with my family quite like I did before 2007. I have grown up a little and have changed. And so have they just as time does not stay still.
Thus, it does not surprise me, that after two months of being about 5588 miles away from California, I get frustrated with cultural differences: the people staring at me on the bus, not being able to express myself clearly or use sarcasm, and simply not making friends like I had expected. I mean, I love it here..it is just not easy, of course. I am slowly getting into the groove of things within the household and with classes. But, it isn’t my home. It is my temporary vacation in my eyes.
And at times, it gets frustrating and lonely…just for a few moments, until I refocus and realize where I am at and what I am doing because it is simply amazing and still surreal to me.
I just wonder if I’ll ever feel at home again…wherever that may be..
Warden Message, from the US Embassy of Santiago
Santiago
September 11, 2009
TO: ALL AMERICAN CITIZENS
FROM: CHRIS BENDSEN, CONSUL GENERAL
SUBJECT: WARDEN MESSAGE 2009–06: Potential September 11th Violence
BEGIN TEXT
WARDEN MESSAGE 2009 – 06
September 11th marks the anniversary of Chile’s 1973 military coup against the government of Salvador Allende, establishing military rule from 1973 – 1990 (led by General Augusto Pinochet, who died in 2006). Each year the anniversary is marked by demonstrations, marches and protests, usually in the downtown areas and some outlying communities of the Metropolitan Region.
Demonstrations are likely to take place, especially in downtown areas near government buildings and universities. These demonstrations could begin as early as noon and are expected to continue into the evening. As these demonstrations can turn violent, American citizens should monitor the media for the latest information on the locations of the demonstrations and to avoid those areas. The demonstrations will affect transportation services in some areas.
We wish to remind American citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. American citizens are therefore urged to avoid the areas of demonstrations if possible, and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any demonstrations
Americans living or traveling in Chile may obtain consular assistance by contacting the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Santiago, located at Avenida Andres Bello 2800, telephone 011 (56)(2) 330-3000, fax 011 (56)(2) 330-3005; website http://santiago.usembassy.gov, e-mail SantiagoAmcit@state.gov. Hours of normal operation are 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, except U.S. and Chilean holidays.
For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, Travel Warnings, and health-information resources can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada or, for callers in other areas by calling a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
END TEXT
Notre Dame football schedule/first game watch
I am a domer…the irish fight is in my blood. Thus, the schedule for this season has to be included in my blog. And basically if I am not traveling or something very important is going on, I will be watching the game of my fellow domers (preferably at the bar 
). So, here is the schedule:
ND vs Nevade: 35-0!!!
| 09/05/09 | vs. Nevada  |
Notre Dame, Ind. | W, 35-0 |
| 09/12/09 | at Michigan |
Ann Arbor, Mich. | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| 09/19/09 | vs. Michigan State |
Notre Dame, Ind. | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| 09/26/09 | at Purdue |
West Lafayette, Ind. | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| 10/03/09 | vs. Washington |
Notre Dame, Ind. | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| 10/17/09 | vs. USC |
Notre Dame, Ind. | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| 10/24/09 | vs. Boston College |
Notre Dame, Ind. | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| 10/31/09 | vs. Washington State |
San Antonio, Texas | 6:30 p.m. CT |
| 11/07/09 | vs. Navy |
Notre Dame, Ind. | 2:30 p.m. ET |
| 11/14/09 | at Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, Pa. | TBA |
| 11/21/09 | vs. Connecticut |
Notre Dame, Ind. | 2:30 p.m. ET |
| 11/28/09 | at Stanford |
Palo Alto, Calif. | 5:00 p.m. PT |
We viewed the season opener at an American bar…So much fun! There was a recent Alumni (just graduated in 2009) who is Chilean and he, along with some of his friends, and the gringo group watched the irish dominate the Wolfpack. It definitely was a different experience sitting inside, drinking beer, and cheering on our school. However, it made me miss those precious game day Saturdays in South Bend.
Push-ups with every touchdown (we had to go outside because apparently last year some girl hit her head on the low ceiling):
Cheering on the Fighting Irish as they dominate the Wolfpack!
Irish car bombs during half-time:
The Irish jig right afterwards:
The gringo group:
At the end of the victory, we sang the alma mater as the rest of the ND community did in South Bend (I thought the whole across-the-world thing was cool:
Top 20: 23 de agosto de 2009
20) Being mistaken as a Brazilian for the third time
19) Herlinda’s mom complementing me on my Spanish.
18) Cementario General: a very beautiful, huge cemetery (over 15 million people are buried there) and I would not mind being one of them
17) When Chileans talk in English with their Chilean accent
16) Lazy weekend lunches with the family
15) Visiting Santa Adriana (an before- and after-school day care center in Santiago and possible place of service)
14) Chilean pan
13) Seeing a friendly Chilean face near the bus stop 
12) Paltas
11) The previa before la disco de los 80s, where we found pisco sours 2 for 1 for only $1800 pesos (like $3) 
10) Fantaschop with mis primos
9) Empanatodos: a restaurant with 31 flavors of deep fried empanadas
8 ) Villa Grimaldi, a horrible torture center during the dictatorship of Pinochet. Our guide was a survivor, then, just a student of Universidad de Chile. His crime: being involved with the school’s socialist club.
7) La disco de los ochentas (80s) en español e ingles in Bellavista
6) Having a Mexican lunch with cousins and friends: cerveza, vino and singing American songs with the drums and guitar.
5) Chilean sunsets
4) Los Andes in the morning with the Sun
3) Isla Negra
2) Getting Notre Dame approval of my Chilean classes
1) Feeling free with my whole life ahead of me
My Class Schedule at La Catolica este semestre
MONDAY
8:30 am to 9:50 am: Analisis e interpretación literaria
2:15 pm to 4:15: Español por extranjeros (Notre Dame)
4:30 pm to 6:15: Sociedad y politica chilena (Notre Dame)
TUESDAY
3:00 pm to 5:45 pm: Pobreza y desarolla (Notre Dame and other extranjeros)
WEDNESDAY
8:30 am to 9:50 am: Analisis e interpretación literaria
2:15 pm to 4:15: Español por extranjeros (Notre Dame)
4:30 pm to 6:15: Sociedad y politica chilena (Notre Dame)
THURSDAY
10:00 am to 1:00 pm: Cine y literatura chilena
FRIDAY
8:30 am to 9:50 am: Analisis e interpretación literaria
*NOTE: classes marked “Notre Dame” are with only Notre Dame students, no chileans.
