2 weeks

Wow - I just looked back on my post that I wrote when I had only been in Chile for 2 weeks and here I am... with only 2 weeks left in my exchange. I know I say this a lot but really my exchange went by way to fast. Re-looking at some of my first photos here in Chile I see and know that there has been such a big change since those first few days, weeks, months here. Especially looking at photos of the kids in my class. When I first took those photos with them I had no clue who they were, what their personalities were like, what their life was like. But now they're my family who I unfortunately have to say hasta luego to in a short time.

I've made some of my best friends here, and in such a short span of time we've become so close. I have my best Chilean amigo, amiga, and gringa... they all know who they are, and I couldn't imagine my time here without them. It' amazing how you can travel so far away from your homeland and find people who feel like you've known them all your life. People who you tell them things you may have never told your best friends back home. It's things like this that make it seem impossible to get on that plane back home.

It's only 14 days until I'm on that plane and I'm already starting to turn into an emotional wreck. Sometimes I feel like I could cry instantly - it's the mix of being so excited to go home and see my family, friends, and my familiar world... and then the unimaginable reality that I will no longer be in Chile and never sure of when I can come back. Sometimes exchange feels to unfair in that aspect... I've finally made my life here and your telling me I have to leave?!

As for life lately I've been trying to keep busy busy! On friday I had my last day of school. The night before I had made a cake (delicious Lyndsay-style) for my class. The day was actually quite boring as my classmates had to actually work in their classes. But I was able to get one of my uniform shirts signed by mostly everyone while I was anxiously awaiting to do my Rotary presentation for my class - but I never ended up doing it! For our last class of the day they had organized a goodbye party and ordered sushi and pizza for everyone! After devouring our food and my cake I made a little speech/nervous blab about how much I love my class and that I'll miss them - which is the truth! They've really become my family here, and I can't thank them enough.

Friday night was the birthday party of one of my good exchange friends. A lot of the exchange students came and we made the most out of night dancing and laughing until the sun rose. Unfortunately it was also the last time that us Santiago kids would have the opportunity to see the exchange students who live further south like Curico and Talca. So early in the morning with 3 hours of sleep we had to say our goodbye's and part our ways. The goodbye's don't seem real, I don't know if they ever will. Then on Saturday night I went out with my Chilean friends to celebrate the 18th birthday of one of my friends. It's going to be hard going home and not being able to go and dance in a club, it's so normal now, but the music wouldn't be as good anyways! Oh course my Sunday I'm dead from little sleep but I'm trying to make the most out of the little time I have left, spending one weekend night with exchange students and the other with my Chileans.

a mix of Canada, USA, France and Germany!

So that's where I am, not quite sure what I'll do in my next two weeks but hopefully exploring parts of Santiago, last shopping trips, and hopefully if we get some rain/snow I'll have the chance to go skiing (but that's a big hopefully).

41 days...

It's official, I now know when I'll be heading back to to the Great-White North, and it's coming faster than I want it to. I'll be leaving Chile on June 12th and arriving in Toronto on June 13th bright and early. That only gives me six more weeks in this beautiful country... not enough time, not enough.

These last two months especially I've really felt at home here. Like I've really fit in, and found my place here in this big city. I've also gotten so much closer with my Chilean friends which was a huge challenge in the beginning, but now I don't know how I can leave them now. There are going to be a lot of difficult goodbye's coming at me soon. As much as I don't like going to school I love the time that I have with my classmates. Even if I'm sitting with people and not talking, just listening I enjoy every minute of it and the atmosphere that I'm surrounded in - even though my school looks quite feo.

There's so much that I'll know that I will miss about living here. But there's also that feeling inside of me that knows, "Yep... I could go back home now." Sometimes I feel like I've exhausted this city, gone so many places, made a lot of memories, met a lot of people, and so much more. You can only live in the dream-world of exchange for so long, and then it's back to reality. But don't get me wrong, I am truly excited to see my family, friends, house, eat my favourite foods, drive, have my own family rules, and have my small-town life again.

But while I'm reflecting on the little time I have left here I'm also gearing up to head to Easter Island/Isla de Pascua/Rapa Nui on Wednesday on my third and final Rotary trip! Also tomorrow I'll be meeting two girls at the airport, who were my bosses when I did Ontario Rangers and now we'll be co-workers this summer, as their traveling and volunteering here. Maybe I'll be lucky and do the "Santiago tour" once again - hmmmm 4 times now??

And on a side note - finally I'm 18 and can vote in elections, but yet I miss the Federal Election!

Photos from the past week's birthday activities of Cony and David

Lesson of the Day: Never try to return something in Chile

Saturday I finally got to check another thing off my "to do list" - I climbed Cerro San Cristobal in Santiago. I met-up with my exchange friend Jo-Ellen and her Chilean amiga and we headed to the cerro. We took the road trail up to the top, and it was stinking hot out that day. Sure we could have started earlier, but why not go at 12 when the suns out! We were hoping to go the pools that are part way up the hill... but those weren't open (darn it). We finally made it to the top, saw the Virgin Mary, saw all the smog covering Santiago, and were able to see the beautiful city that we can say that we live in. It's quite weird, I still haven't gotten that shock of "I'm living in Chile, this is my life!! What?!" But once I was at the top it was just like "Cool - this is my city, I live here"... no intense realizations, but maybe I've already passed that point and haven't noticed. After some mote con huesillo we decided to take the trolley car down the side of the hill (another thing off the list!) I want to climb the cerro again but next time really hike it. I'm talking off-paved trail/perhaps trespassing/trekking up the side of it! And plus I forgot my dear Traveling Gnome!

Nos ♥ Santiago!

Smoggy Santiago from the top of Cerro San Cristobal

Ok and now to the title of this post...
On Sunday I met-up with Emily and we had some lunch then went shopping. At one of the big department stores here (not mentioning any names.... Paris) we found lots of good deals and these watches that were 1/2 off - so we bought them. Then we realized that they were full price because we didn't have the "store card." After having many problems with the somewhat in-knowledgeable salesperson we went to another salesperson to return our watches. It took a lot of waiting, and waiting, and then explaining our problem, then waiting, then following a person to another level, waiting, getting official papers and paperwork done for returning the item including our ID cards, then going back upstairs, signing the official forms... all in all it took over 30 minutes to finally return a little item. Now, I'm no professional or anything, but after working in a big chain department store in Canada this kind of thing should NOT be very difficult! Anyways just yet another experience in Chile, and I may boycott going into the store for a while now.

Only in Chile

Today is the last day of November, I only have 3 more days of school, and I leave for Patagonia on my Rotary trip in 5 days! Things are starting to go really fast... its crazy!

Tid-bits of the last week

Nothing to exciting has happened here lately, maybe its because I've started to adjust to my life here. Things are starting to feel more normal, the school uniform, the rush to school... but not to rushed because I'm on Chilean time now, the attempts at speaking Spanish at school (still not very successful, only some of my friends can understand me), the teachers telling me to be quiet (that should be good right?!), public transit, my room, once with the host-fam, exchange student hangouts... just stuff.

Last Friday I was approached by some younger girls in my school because they heard I was a cheerleader (porrista) in Canada and they wanted me to help them with their group at school - why not! So I skipped the last hour of my class on Friday to start helping some of the girls with basic stunts, and then spotted some back-walkovers... all those hours of coaching birthday parties at Cheersport really helped! Then on Monday I helped again but this time armed with a picture of my team back home and some drawings of what I wanted to girls to learn eventually. It's really difficult, frustrating, and a little scary when I can't fully communicate what to do and how to do it safely - but at least I can just grab the little ones and say to "No, put her down that's not safe." But we've made progress on technique and of course they wanted me back again the next day, and the next day... but maybe tomorrow!

Cheersport Shark influence... had to be done!

Sometimes I get a little panic-attack when I see a World map, like the other day in the mall... and you realize how far away your are from your home country... but then again it's so amazing that your able to live this far away for 11 months!

Life gets more normal when you bake a batch of your real-Mom's AMAZING chocolate chip cookies, and they don't turn out the same, but your host-Mom wants the recipe in Spanish!

One the cookie-note it's time to start getting my butt-in-gear again... the affects of bread, potatoes, manjar and lack of strenuous physical activity are starting to have an affect. I've been trying for about a month now to find a field hockey team here. The first one I approached was very recreational, and an hour into the practice they had done nothing. I've also e-mail two other clubs (more competitive) and one responded, eventually, so I went to see the practice tonight but no one was there. It's frustrating when I don't get replies or no one shows up for the time of the practice shown because I can't have the opportunity to talk with a coach, talking on the phone is still not an option with my limited language. So I may just find a regular gym here hopefully!

Only 12 more days until I travel to Argentina with my class!

Why there's a Quebec flag for sale in the market in Santa Lucia I will never know!

Saturday I ended up back at my school, on the weekend. Not really knowing what my host-parents were telling me I jumped in the car and was dropped off at my school/church... I guess. My host-family and school is Adventist, I don't really know much about the religion but I guess they go to church on Saturday. I ended up sitting in my school cafeteria listening to a lady talking about soy beans and how to make milk, fake meat and other things out of it... in Spanish. It was different to say the least. Then we changed rooms and I listened to some more talking about soy beans, then once that ended I helped to set-up a baby shower. To say my day was random is an understatement. I went back home then returned with my host-mom for the baby shower. They had a few games and one of them you had to give advice, so I gave mine in English. "Interview all of her boyfriends - for fun!" - I'm thinking of you Uncle Paul and dad!

Once the games and prayers were done we were able to talk and eat. I swear everyone ran to the food, you could barely get in to get anything, too funny! At the shower I had been introduced to a man who's an English teacher here, so obviously he was able to translate for me. Then my host-mom made a plan for me to go over to his friends house the next day for lunch.

Before I headed to the lunch I finally went on my first solo walk not to/from school or to the supermarket. I had no idea of where I was going other than I saw the mountains, and headed for them! I walked a good hour out and found this cool looking park but I couldn't find a way to get there without attempting to scale a large barrier or walk near the old men whistling at me. After walking a little bit more I had the feeling to turn around, 2 hours is enough to worry my host-family and I was quite far from my home by then. I have a fairly good sense of direction, I don't need to know street names, just landmarks.

Hey there Andes in the background


Stop signs are always better in foreign languages

After a little time back at home I headed out to meet up with the English teacher, his wife and daughter. We walked to his friends apartment and I was welcomed by some more English speakers. Again it was such a nice break for my head to hear English, but it didn't improve my Spanish. After an amazing meal (vegetarian may I add... mmmm!) we talked for a bit and then watched an English movie with Spanish subtitles. I still read the subtitles to see how similar they were to what was actually going on in the movie. Also everyone who was at the apartment was Adventist, the religion of my host-family and the school I attend. I was able to ask questions about the religion to try and get a grasp of what it was about. Religion is and will always be a touchy subject, but I found their beliefs to be similar of what I know of Jehovah's Witnesses.

I am now in my second week of classes here and I am really liking it! Everyone is so nice, the only bad parts is when it's freezing and there's no sun, like the past two days. Today we had another church service (we have them on Tuesday's) and it was pretty good with upbeat music put on my some of the kids. Although the sermon was lost in translation my attempts at trying to sing the Spanish songs was pretty good. I also had an English test today, and the sad part is that I didn't get perfect because there was a section where you had to get the English verb from the Spanish one... that's just now fair! I've also started to get the hang of taking the micro and am going to and from school by myself now. Tomorrow I have the whole day off due to testing, hopefully the sun will come out again!

Mi colegio

I love attempting tests in Spanish!

Also, another really big part of exchange is homesickness and emotional stress. I really do not want my blog to have a negative tone so I have decided to keep those feelings and experiences out. But it is the ugly truth because exchange truly is like your childhood seesaw, you can be up one minute and then right back down to the bottom again. So things are not always fun, foreign, funny or amusing on exchange, some times life can hit you really hard and the realizations of what you used to have and don't anymore can really get under your skin. It's all in the exchange experience!

11 days until the first Rotary 4340 Inbound meeting!

One week!

One week. Seven days. Siete dias.
It's hard to imagine that these last few days left in Canada have finally arrived. It's been about nine months since I was accepted into RYE and the last few months have flown by. I've spent my summer working, seeing old and new friends, family vacations and getting prepared for my exchange. I've finally started the dreaded task of packing, ok not really, so far I've only managed to put all my Canadian loot into one suitcase, which is now half full! My friends and family know that I'm not a very good packer, or that I tend to forget things (like my whole entire suitcase) but I'm determined to pack as light as I possibly can!

Some of the 4340 Inbounds have already started to arrive in Chile and I'm sure ready to join them! Also the 7080 group of Outbounds is slowly starting to dwindle in numbers as we're all slowly taking our turn to depart to our host countries and turn into those crazy Inbounds!

I'm lucky enough to have a host mom who loves to chat and also a host brother who has now arrived in the US on his exchange. It's great being able to talk with them every other day or so, even though I am still translating pretty much all of the Spanish, but I'm working on my Spanglish! I also found out about a month ago that I will be traveling with my class on their school trip to a bit of the South of Chile and Argentina!! Although this means another trip to the consulate to have a form signed so that I can exit and re-enter Chile. It's really too bad that my birthday is only a few days after the trip, or else being 18 I wouldn't need the form. Todo esto está bien!

I've also been busy trying to get things that I will need for my school uniform, after 13 years of public school I finally have to wear a uniform! Since I'll be arriving in winter I was told by my host mom that I need to have a navy blue parka. I don't think the Chilean version of a parka is the same as a Canadian version because I am not headed to the Arctic, or the Antarctic! But still, it's VERY difficult to find a winter coat in the middle of summer! I really can't wait to wear my ugly uniform, this will be funny!

As my days are numbered in Canada it seems as if I'm starting to have some "lasts", but really I'll be back in 11-12 months, I can go without driving, real maple syrup, my dog, spring-rolls from Red Basil or Tim Horton's for a year! It's just the simple comforts of home and Canada that I know I will slowly start to miss while I'm abroad.

Having only seven days left it doesn't seem real, packing for a whole year doesn't seem real, and the day of my departure will probably not seem real, more like a dream that I've had many times but this time it will be in real life and I'll be ready to start my adventure!

My special little piece of Canada, Georgian Bay

Two burned fingers, and 40 home-made pins later...

I am the hot glue gun master!

I just spent my morning making Canadian pins for my exchange. I made little ribbons with pennies or nickels in the middle. So altogether 30 penny pins and 10 nickel pins (I'm to cheap to give up all my tip money from work, haha.) A couple of other Outbounds have also made these but I am very proud of mine! Also a Rebound suggested making pins out of beer caps, don't know how Rotary would feel but hey, beer is practically Canada's national drink!

I just got back from a family vacation to Florida, and it's really crazy how I now notice EVERYTHING that has something to do with Chile. When we were at Universal Studios they have a part with flags from around the world, and which one stood out the most... the Chilean one! It's quite weird how my eyes are automatically drawn towards the Chilean flag than any others. Also at dinner one night at a seafood restaurant we noticed a "Snowboarding Chile" sticker put on the eavesdrop, really random but all the same pretty awesome!

Also I have to say that I ate alligator, yes it's been 4 months as a non-vegetarian and I ate alligator.. I guess I'm ready for anything in Chile, even a completo (giant Chilean hot dog) or an asado (meat bbq).

I now have 34 days until I leave for Chile, 5 weeks from today I will have been in the country for almost 2 hours! I still have a lot to do before I leave but luckily I have all really important stuff out of the way. Already 2 out of the 11 Outbounds have left to go to their countries, we're all slowing starting to leave to go on our own adventure and year abroad and have our own once in a lifetime experience!

Departure Date: August 17th, 2010!

Yep, I finally booked my flight and have an official date that I'll arrive in Chile! That means I only have 54 more days in Canada before I leave! I have to try and fit in so much before I leave, family vacation, seeing the Inbounds before they leave, family time, hanging out with friends, getting everything prepared, saying goodbye... it's going to come so fast!

Last week I had to say goodbye (at least for a month) to Mickey and Karla, the Inbounds in Cambridge. They`re on an amazing Cross-Canada Trip starting in New Brunswick all the way to Vancouver, I don`t think many Canadians can say that they`ve done that!

Mickey, Myself, and Karla at a Rotary meeting a while ago

Today I have officially finished high school! Well at least Canadian high school because I'll be going right into my new Chilean high school when I arrive in August. But my class did not go out without a bang, we pulled a Senior Prank last Friday and played a big game of road hockey in our student parking lot... it was amazing!

Erica, Laura and I ready for some road hockey!


GOAAAAL!

Chile Pride!

In the meantime I've been trying to get as much stuff ready as I can. I now have all my forms to get my visa, but due to the craziness in Toronto I'll have to wait until next week when the G8 and G20 summits are over. I've also been busy trying to get pins to give away while I'm down in Chile but its pretty hard to find inexpensive ones, not to mention the federal government likes to give out the really tiny ones!

Yesterday I also raided the dollar store and got a lot of Canadian loot! One of the best finds - a Canada flag that plays the national anthem.... haha I had to get it! I don't know how I'm going to bring everything down with me! Then when we were driving we saw a sign that said "Chile Soccer Tees Here" so we obviously had to go in. It was weird that there was actually a place around where I live that sells Chile stuff, I've only seen one other vehicle besides my own that has Chilean flag on it! The lady in the store was so sweet, she was from the South of Chile and asked if I needed references or anything when I went, and then she went on to warn me about how cold it will be when I get there (there is no central heating). So sweet!

Chile vs. Spain on Friday.... VIVA CHILE!

Unofficial Countdowns

4 months until I leave for Chile (approximately)

4 months to save as much money as I can

4 months to learn some basic Spanish

3 months until final exams

3 months until I am done high school forever! (in Canada)

2 months until prom

2 months until I have to decide which university I want to go to

1 more cheerleading competition ever