Definition of the Chilean lifestyle: Very relaxed!
I know that I have mentioned this numerous times, but it still amazes me everyday. This is the greatest struggle for me right now, because as you all know, I am about as far from relaxed as is possible. My parents are hoping that this laid-back society will rub off on me a little bit. J I don’t foresee this happening, but maybe after five months it will happen.
I don’t feel that the Spanish is coming any easier, but one of my Chilean friends told me yesterday that I am speaking more fluidly. Yippee!! Sometimes I feel that I can understand more, but this is a very rare occurrence. I am starting to worry that I still won’t be able to understand the Chileans when I leave. I may be here a while, because before I leave, I am determined to have the ability to carry on relatively fluid conversations with the Chileans. Thankfully, I don’t get overly frustrated with the communication difficulties.
The past week went well. I only had one class cancelled!! There was going to be a bus strike on Friday because the bus tariff was lowered and gas prices went up. It turns out that the strike did not occur, so I assumed we would have class… no, still no class.
The sleep schedule is another challenge for me. On Thursday I went over to a friend’s house. At midnight her parents told us that it was time for tea, so the entire family gathered for “once” (this is a Chilean term for teatime, with bread, cheese, meat, etc.). We were at the table from midnight until 2 a.m. Out of the 10 people at the table, I was the only one who was on the verge of falling asleep. Chileans are definitely nocturnal people! Weekend gatherings usually begin at midnight and go until about 5 or 6 a.m. The day is spent sleeping. Therefore, mornings are the best time to go running along the beach, because I have it all to myself.
Yesterday was a great day. I enjoyed a solitary morning run and then went to church with my friend and her family (her dad is the pastor). It was great Spanish practice to listen to a sermon in Spanish. I also volunteered at a children’s home yesterday afternoon. The kids are at the home because of bad home lives. There is a small group of students on campus who volunteer at this home every Sunday, so I decided that I definitely have the time to join the group. The kids were full of energy and so excited we were there. They all wanted to know how to say words in English, but didn’t quite grasp that their names don’t change to a different word in English. No matter how many times I explained it, they still wanted to know their name in English. I also spent about 10 minutes with the kids surrounding me and admiring my blue eyes. J
Exciting news of the week: I found out that there is an aerobics class every morning. I am going to my first class tomorrow.
That’s about it for now. Missing you all!
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