Sorry there won't be any multimedia to accompany this blog, but I haven't been taking my camera with me because even when I carried it, I used it very little to avoid looking and feeling like a tourist.
Anyhoo, school has been nice. The classes are easy and the kids are very friendly. During the classes the kids are somewhat less attentive and serious than they were in my classes in the US, but it's nice for me because I can socialize and talk and ask for definitions from my classmates the whole time without being considered a disruption. My class is apparently notorious for being a bit crazy like that though, so I'm not sure to what extent it is the norm.
Outside of school, I have had the chance to do a few things:
Soccer- I went to a practice, and it was very nice to be able to play, and I didn't feel at all out of place which is good. Unfortunately, I can't play in the official games because you have to have been born in 1992 or later, but I can play in the friendly matches. I also watched all of the school teams play today (different age groups, plus the girls' team), which was fun, and a good way to take a break from Spanish without having to use English, and still be entertained.
Cueca- All of the Rotary exchange students in Curicó are required to take lessons in Cueca, the national dance. We have them twice a week up until the Chilean Independence Day-- Sept. 18. I was very glad to meet the other exchange students in town, and it was interesting to experience, but I think that before we're done with the lessons, I may feel like I've already attained a level of skill at the cueca that is plenty satisfactory for me...
Asado- A classmate is going on exchange to England and leaving sometime within the next few days, and there was an Asado/Carrete (BBQ/Party) in her honor, with a hint of welcome party for me tacked on. It started right after the cueca classes ended, so there was a bit of coordination required for me to get there, especially since Plan A fell through due to someone not having access to their car. Anyhow, the party was a good fun. They dance a lot more here, and that suits me well.There were a lot of songs I didn't know, but there were also a lot of spanish remixes of hip-hop and electronica songs I know. All in all it was a grand ole time.
Mall- One day our language teacher was sick and didn't come to class. My classmates managed to talk some school administator into just letting us go (it was the last class of the day) instead of finding us some busy work or a substitute. So, I went to see the mall with a couple of classmates. It was a mall like just about any other, but I was very glad that someone wanted to hang out with me, and I felt like I was getting a taste of the vida curicana.
A Few Things That Are Noticably Different So Far:
A Brief List That Will Probably Be Continued
-Bread. I'm yet to see any in loaf form (it's all been individually sized), and I've eaten it with every single meal.
-Eyebrows. Perfectly maintained eyebrows are very uncommons, and unibrows are heavily abundant
-Driving. In general, everyone is a little more aggressive. There are also a lot of speedbumps here and not as many stop signs. The thing that still makes me a little nervous though are the bikers. People bike on the edge of the road, and the cars drive really really close to them...
On the Spanish front, I think I'm doing pretty well-- I've had a few dreams in Spanish, and it's hard to tell to what extent, but I'm starting to think in spanish somewhat. I'm not sure how much I'm still translating when I speak spanish, but I noticed that when I switch to English, at least for a little bit, when it comes to words I know in both languages, the Spanish word pops into my head first.
Heading into the weekend, I'm a little bit afraid that boredom will strike because I don't have any definite plans, and I don't know if my classmates are feel close enough to me that they'll call me and make plans.
Wow. This is a pretty disjointed entry. Oh well.
All in all, all is well.
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