Chilean Cultural Explosion and Salsa (5/10)

In the morning, I was expecting that there would not be hot water, as students were use to taking leisurely showers. Despite there being cold water the night before, it was not a problem in the morning. Most students ate breakfast that was provided at the hotel, which consisted of tea, orange juice, bread, cereal and milk, yogurt, and an assortment of fruit.

After breakfast, we met another Chilean student who helped us take a public bus to Santa Maria for the first time. Although Pitt students get to ride buses for free, we had to pay for our fare. Riding the bus was relatively cheap, even for foreigners (compared to what one would pay riding public buses in Pittsburgh for non-students). Buses traveled very quickly, which I was not prepared for. One had to be sure to be seated or holding on to the railings. At the University, there was security at the entrance. This was different than Pitt that had security at every building, but safety was not a concern, as there was no way to enter the University otherwise. Buildings appeared to be castles, which made the University unique (possibly differentiating it to appeal to students who may apply). The campus was large, but was not too spread out like Pitt’s campus. What was different was that there was no campus housing. Students had to commute from apartments near the campus. Also, the hotel overlooked the Pacific Ocean, which was a beautiful site. There was an outer plaza that was relaxing in which many students hung out.

During the department reception, we discussed the purpose of the trip and what we would learn during the two weeks. The first lecture taught us about industrial and business engineering, but we learned how personable Chilean culture can be (we were all asked to introduce ourselves and explain why we were on the trip). The lecture transitioned to discussing Chilean history, politics, and literature; which refreshed discussions from pre-departure meetings. Our lecturer, Mimo, could go into more detail because we already knew basic information about Chilean culture. We learned about gender inequality and related it to the political transition from former President Michelle Bachelet to current President Sebastián Piñera. Also, it was interesting to discuss the earthquake from a Chilean perspective. Mimo’s personal story captivated what it actually felt like to endure the earthquake firsthand. Lastly, we discussed the differences in culture within Chile between the North, middle, and South. Because Chile is long in geographic length, different cultures persist in different regions (which can be seen in differences between the New England States, the South, the Mid West, and the East and West Coasts in the U.S.).

The lunch line was a unique experience, because it was long at first, but moved rapidly. It was fun to talk to Chileans when we found tables. What I remember from the experience was large portions of food. At the snack bar outside the café, I began to notice that many students smoked but cigarette advertisements said not to because it was bad for health. I thought this was severely different from the approach in the U.S.

Later, we went on a tour of Viña del Mar. There were many beautiful buildings and statues. The best part of the tour was visiting a giant rock that oversaw the ocean. I was disappointed that my camera batter died and I could not take pictures of everything I wanted, but the experience was still memorable. During the tour, I also noticed the abundance of street vendors. Even on the rock, there was a seller of Chilean attire (such as soccer jerseys). I was not use to seeing this type of market in the United States, but it is convenient like a shopping mall to have many sellers in close vicinities. At dinner, we were introduced to empanadas, a Chilean delicacy. They were delicious; these ones were filled with crab meat and cheese. Also, Coca-Cola was served in a bottle, which I had not seen in years. I learned that it is indeed true, that Coca-Cola is one of the most recognized words in the world.

At night, we had salsa lessons. Our instructor was very talented, despite the difficulty of the dance. It was a unique experience, but it was hard to learn quickly, lacking a dancing background. Most of us felt similarly, so we could struggle learning how to dance together. After, we learned that Chileans go out to clubs late into the night. We went to a karaoke bar which was different because I am not able to go to bars in the U.S. Also, almost all of the songs sung were in English, which shows how culture from the U.S. spreads into South America (and to the rest of the world).