18th Birthday/Mi Cumple

"Feliz Cumpleaños!" - that was the first thing I was greeted with when I arrived at school Monday morning. As soon as I was walking toward the group of classmates near my classroom all the girls got big grins then surrounded me in a circle and started to sing "Feliz Cumpleaños" and then after "Happy Birthday!" Then all the hugs and kisses after from everyone. All day I had people coming up to me, from different grades, some I've barely talked to but still they gave me a "Feliz Cumpleaños" and a kiss. At lunch my classmates broke into song again for me - they're so cute, I love them!

The night before my birthday my host-mom had told me that my friends had planned a surprise party for me the next day after school. I was a little disappointed that I knew about it but she didn't want me to feel sad on my birthday, but it's good because I would had made sure I had plans anyways! So all throughout the day I saw my friends whispering to each other, and then two of my friends asked me if I wanted to go to the mall with them after school to look at iPod accessories... one guy was almost laughing when he asked me, it was a little obvious but I went for it with enthusiasm pretending to know nothing. So after wondering around the mall for a while I got a "Vamos(let's go)"... so I asked where... and all I got was another "Vamos!" Starting to walk towards the exit and to the street closest to my house all of a sudden my 4 best girlfriends walk-by carrying a birthday balloon - cover blown. I finally admitted to the guys that I knew all about the party and they were kinda irked that I didn't say anything and had to make them make-up a stupid plan to distract me. So we hung out for a while, got some ice cream then walked back to my house to give some more time.

I know your jealous of my hat

Back at home I was greeted with a surprise from my Chilean chicas, host-mom, and Titi (lady who comes every other day to clean/family friend). We had completos (hot dogs) and then some torta (birthday cake). I was then sang 3 different versions of happy birthday (Religious, Spanish, English) and then had 3 wishes - I always that it was only 1! After making up my mind of what my 3 wishes were I blew-out my candles and then SPLAT - I had my face pushed into my cake! This is a Chilean tradition, but the birthday person's face in the cake. Needles to say I had some frosting up my nose and a face-print in my cake!

The gang: Simon, Marimar, Cony, Daniel, Barbara, Nicole


This is what friends are for!

It's weird having a birthday in another country, another thing that kinda makes it not really feel real that your technically another year older. Also I feel like I've matured so much, even before arriving in Chile, and now being here for 3 months I've matured and changed more than I think I can really realize.

I've also been expecting a lovely package from Canada for quite a while now... I really hope those stories of people actually stealing parcels isn't true!

I have a home and family in Chile!

I am so excited to finally find out that I am going to be living in Las Condes, Santiago, Chile!!

Tonight I received a friend request from a guy in Chile on Facebook. In the hopes that it was my host brother I accepted, and he turned out to be my host brother!! I was ecstatic when I found out I was going to be living just outside of Santiago, and that I now have a family!! I believe Las Condes is a part of Santiago, sort of like a suburb/neighborhood but I still need to do some research. I was actually running up and down my house and screaming to my parents every bit of information that I received from my host brother! He is going on exchange to the USA around the time that I leave, and my older host brother is 21, but he doesn't live at home so therefore I will be an only child! I will stay with this host family until around Christmas time and then I will move.

This seems so surreal that I now have a place to call home in Chile! It's also quite nerve-wracking to realize the language barrier that I will be facing with my host family! I'm still in shock and amazement that this is now reality, I will be doing a lot of research on my city and area now!

Oh and the school that I will attend is Colegio Adventista Las Condes, feel free to try and translate the website! This also means that I will get to wear a uniform to school for the first time! I know that this shouldn't be exciting news but hey, it's CHILE!

Update: With all of my excitement I forgot to check my e-mail but I have received an e-mail from my host dad. Thanks to the help of Google Translator I was able to read it! So I am really living in Santiago and my older host brother is studying in Argentina.

I will be going to...

February 21st was a life-changing day for sure.

I drove to Brampton with my family to meet with all of the inbounds, outbounds, rebounds, and everyone's family to find out where everyone was going on exchange this coming July/August. As I entered the Rotary Club I was the second outbound to arrive, and I was almost immediately fitted for my red Rotary blazer which I'll receive in May. It was so good to see all of the exchange students again since most of us haven't seen each other since Wanakita! After some catching-up the Rotarian's got us all settled down and Announcement Day had finally begun!

First the Rotarians were all introduced and they were very skillful at keeping up the anxiety and suspense. After finding out that no one was going to Ecuador this year I was a little worried because I was hoping for a South American country, but I was ready for anything! Finally the Rotarians called up the first girl for her envelope but before she could open it they read the full letter out for everyone to hear. With my last name starting with a "W" I was expecting to be the last person to open their envelope, but NOPE... I was the second one! I was so nervous but also strangely calm as I walked up to the podium to open up my envelope in front of everyone. As I opened up my envelope I had the great please to announce...

"I'm going to... CHILE!"

Just after opening my envelope

That's right! This blond hair, blue-eyed Canadian girl will be living in Chile for the next year of her life! I'm so happy that I'm going to Chile, it was my first choice to go to and I cannot wait! As every outbound opened up their envelope the inbound/rebound from that country would run up and hug the inbound, it was so awesome! After everyone's country was announced we spilt up into three groups, South America (Chile and Brazil), Europe (Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France), and Asia/Oceania (Thailand, Japan, New Zealand, Australia). We were able to talk to the inbounds and rebounds along with our Rotarian coordinator to learn more about our countries and re-assure our parents. After that we were able to just hang out again, take pictures, and just enjoy the fact that we are all going to amazing countries! Finally to my parents relief, we finally left and I was surprised with a little present at home from my mom and step-dad. My mom being confident in me going to Chile bought me a map of the country a week ago and I also received a lovely little "rough guide" to Chile along with some Canadian flag badges.

Book (from Thailand), Sampo (from Finland), Me (Canada/Chile), and Cristobal (from Chile)

I am so thrilled, ecstatic, joyous, grateful, blessed, appreciative, excited to go to Chile and to have this amazing cultural experience!