Ethical Issues in My Profession:
For the most part, I found that many of the companies we visited in Chile had similar policies to those of companies in the United States regarding ethical issues. Working standards and safety policies seemed to be high and although we weren’t given any exact information on this, wages and benefits seemed good for the workers as well. I also found that the owners of the companies seemed to really respect and know who was working for them. For example, the owner of Conservas Centauro was the fourth generation in his family to own the company – his great grandfather actually founded the company about 100 years ago. Many of the workers there were also fourth generation and their great grandparents had started working at the company at the same time it was founded. The owner here also seemed to know a lot about all of the workers, including what they did in the off seasons. I think that in many companies in the United States, this kind of relationship between owner and worker is uncommon.
In terms of diversity, I did not find the workplaces to be as diverse as they are in the United States. However, I don’t think this is due to a lack of addressing diversity in the workplace, but rather a lack of diversity in the general population. The United States is a very diverse country with all kinds of ethnicities, while Chile has a population of mostly European and mestizo. Thus, this racial diversity is not really an ethical issue faced in the workplace in Chile. I do feel that gender diversity was addressed and that women and men are given equal opportunities in the workplace. With a liberal, woman president, I would imagine that there are regulations to prevent gender discrimination at work.
Educational Breath as Professional Development:
Understanding the impact of engineering and business solutions in a global and societal context is beyond important in today’s world, it is absolutely crucial. The world has become so interdependent that almost all business decisions made in our country affect someone, somewhere else in the world. As Americans, we often overlook the importance of the global economy and focus more on ourselves. However, as Thomas L. Friedman puts it in his book, The World is Flat, “the playing field is becoming leveled” and countries such as China and India are becoming major world players. The world is becoming smaller and smaller and individuals from most countries in the world are finding more opportunities to be a competitive force in the global economy. This is a huge thing for business owners and students to consider in both Chile and the United States as the global workplace is constantly evolving and creating new challenges.
For this reason, I am definitely a firm believer that students in both the United States and Chile need to expand the classroom experience to include learning about different cultures. For me, this means continuing my studies in language, looking into whatever classes Pitt offers on the global economy, and studying abroad as much as possible. Exposure to and knowledge about different cultures in this day and age can definitely give an individual a high competitive advantage. What’s more is that in four years, by the time we graduate, the global economy will have changed even more and we need to be prepared for whatever new challenges could come our way. In the "Did You Know?" video that Manuel Madrid showed us during lectures, we saw the importance of the Internet and being connected to people from all over the world. The one fact that has really stuck with me from that video is that in ten years, it is predicted that China will be the number one English speaking country in the world. This fact speaks for itself as it shows that we as Americans have to become more aware of others cultures and how the world is changing.
Lifelong Learning, Continuing Education as Professional Development:
All of life is a learning experience and no matter what you do to prepare for a job, there is always a certain amount of learning that occurs from day to day experiences. And as mentioned in the above section, the global economy is constantly evolving and changing. There is no way that a person can be completely prepared to compete in the future with just the knowledge he or she has of today. For example, in the Santiago Stock Exchange, brokers now do most of their work from their offices, on their computers. Five to ten years ago, the floor was bustling with brokers doing their jobs but when we visited the company, there were only two brokers going about with their work on the floor. These brokers had to learn an all new way of doing their job because of the Internet and computer phenomenon.
With all kinds of business, the search for process enhancement and product differentiation leads to new technologies that produce more efficient and different ways of doing business every day. Individuals in the work place need to be prepared to learn new technologies and new ways of performing their duties if they wish to compete in the future and even in today. Just as knowledge about the ever-changing global economy is crucial, so is the ability to embrace these changes and to learn new ways of utilizing the latest technologies. Doing so is the only way to maintain a competitive advantage in the global economy.
The Social Environment of Professional Life:
With the upcoming presidential election and our country currently in the midst of a heated race for the Democratic Party nomination, we were lucky to have been able to travel abroad and see what the rest of the world thinks about what is going on in our country. For many of us, I think it was an eye opening experience to find out just how much people around the world know about the current events in our country. In Chile, almost everyone with whom we talked knew about the upcoming election and had an individual opinion on the matter. I am ashamed to say that before I decided to apply to Plus 3 Chile, I had only a little bit of knowledge on what the political scheme of the country was and I was very unaware of any of the current events. With the world becoming more and more connected, it is unacceptable to be ignorant of what is happening in countries throughout the world. If an individual wishes to be a player in the global marketplace, there comes a responsibility to be aware of news not only close to home, but everywhere else in the world as well. Not only is it important to know the current events of a country, but also to know the customs and business routines when dealing with international clients. It would be very easy to offend an international client by simply being ignorant, but then again, it would also be very easy to do a little research and learn more about the world.
Functioning on Multi-Disciplinary Teams:
Being able to function in a diverse team with people of different race, gender, religion, values, knowledge, etc is a vital skill. Throughout an individual’s lifetime, he or she will probably have to work in numerous different groups and the ability to communicate effectively with people with different backgrounds is the only way to be able to get a project done. Having spent only two semesters in college, my teamwork skills have already improved significantly. I have learned that when working in groups, you have to learn how to get past differences. Even when you aren’t getting along with the other members of the group, you have to remember that each member in the group shares the common goal of finishing the project to a high standard. If nothing else, all members of a group share that common thread.
I found it interesting to see how business and engineering students separated themselves on this trip. In the beginning, many of the engineering students stayed with other engineering student, while the business students stayed with other business students. It is easy to see that this happened because each of us had built up comfort with other people from our majors just by having spent the past two semesters in classes with them. However, by the end of the trip, the separation between “engineering student” and “business student” was not as distinct. In fact, I think that everyone, including myself, had formed new friendships that are beyond the matter of major. There are of course differences between business and engineering students because we have all had different experiences and have learned different things in our classes. However, we are all students at Pitt and share more commonalities than we do differences because of this fact.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Friday, May 16
The last day... I can't believe that it is over. To make sure that I had bought everything I needed to buy during this trip, a group of us went back to the boardwalk this morning to do just a little bit more shopping. Throughout the trip, people have been buying the hats that have ear flaps and a woven llama pattern. I didn't think that I would want to buy one of the hats at first but today I bought two and I have to say that I am very happy with my purchase. I also bought a scarf for my sister, and so now I am officially done with shopping for myself and for my family. Before going back to the hotel to pack, we stopped at McDonald's to get one last bite of authentic Chilean cuisine.
We said goodbye to the hotel and to our favorite emapanda places as we pulled out of Vina to go to the airport. At the airport, we got dinner at Ruby Tuesday and were laughing that our last meals in Chile were at McDonald's and Ruby Tuesdays, two very American chain restaurants. Now, we are waiting to get on the plane to take the 10 hour plane ride back to our normal lives. It has been fun.
We said goodbye to the hotel and to our favorite emapanda places as we pulled out of Vina to go to the airport. At the airport, we got dinner at Ruby Tuesday and were laughing that our last meals in Chile were at McDonald's and Ruby Tuesdays, two very American chain restaurants. Now, we are waiting to get on the plane to take the 10 hour plane ride back to our normal lives. It has been fun.
Thursday, May 15
Today was our last full day in Chile and I can't believe that the trip is coming to an end. We started the day off with our last company visit, Multiplant which grows and sells ornamental plants. We all kind of thought that we wouldn't enjoy this company visit as much as the other, just because it seemed like the smallest and least interesting of all the companies. However, it was a lot more enjoyable than some of the other visits in which we only received lectures on the company. At Multiplant, the owner of the company took us through the greenhouses and showed us the different plants that they are currently growing. I found it interesting that they company is trying to make a big push for more tourism and are trying to attract more visitors. So far, they have tried to do so by adding a llama farm and a gift shop, but I think they have more plans for the future.
After Multiplant, we went to what was listed on our itinerary as 'day at the farm." Turns out that "farm" means spa. I was pretty excited because I thought it would be nice to get a massage or manicure and just spend the day relaxing. Unfortunately however, the spa was completely booked already and we could not get any appointments. Instead, we spent the entire day laying out in the sun, playing cards and ping-pong, and drinking the endless amounts of free beer. All in all, I enjoyed having a day to relax but at the same time, it would have been nice to have another visit to Santiago to do more sight-seeing. I guess I am just going to have to add more things to my list of things to do when I come back to Chile some day.
After the bus ride back to Vina Del Mar, we had our farewell dinner at Diego pizza. We gave the Chilean students Pitt hats, and they gave us really nice polos that have the logos of both the University of Santa maria and the University of Pittsburgh. Tomorrow, we leave and I am feeling that I am going to miss being in Chile a lot.
After Multiplant, we went to what was listed on our itinerary as 'day at the farm." Turns out that "farm" means spa. I was pretty excited because I thought it would be nice to get a massage or manicure and just spend the day relaxing. Unfortunately however, the spa was completely booked already and we could not get any appointments. Instead, we spent the entire day laying out in the sun, playing cards and ping-pong, and drinking the endless amounts of free beer. All in all, I enjoyed having a day to relax but at the same time, it would have been nice to have another visit to Santiago to do more sight-seeing. I guess I am just going to have to add more things to my list of things to do when I come back to Chile some day.
After the bus ride back to Vina Del Mar, we had our farewell dinner at Diego pizza. We gave the Chilean students Pitt hats, and they gave us really nice polos that have the logos of both the University of Santa maria and the University of Pittsburgh. Tomorrow, we leave and I am feeling that I am going to miss being in Chile a lot.
Wednesday, May 14
On the itinerary, we originally had "Multiplant" and "Activities at the University" listed for today. However, we will be going to Multiplant tomorrow instead of today and we unfortunately are still unable to return to the University. Instead, we had another free day with a soccer game in the afternoon with the Chilean students.
A group of us decided to spend the morning visiting some of the castles located around Vina Del Mar. Our first stop was a Castillo Wulf. I never got to know the significance of the castles we visited because all the information was in Spanish, but hopefully when I get home, I can find more information on what I saw today. Anyway, Castillo Wulf was a very picturesque building located on rocks looking out over the sea. We spent some time admiring the view and also some time walking around the museum inside the castle. While there, we also picked up a map of the other sights in Vina. We were supposed to meet the group at 2:00 to go to the soccer game but we asked if we could skip the game and instead do more sightseeing. She said it was okay and so we spent the entire day walked around Vina. We saw all the castles, old mansions, and various other sights such as the theater, the Vina Del Mar club, an Easter Island museum (my favorite part of this museum were the shrunken heads which were used as trophies of war during the time of the Machu Pichu), and some very old churches. It was interesting to me because a lot of the sights we saw today and what I have seen of Chile so far looks a lot like something you would find in the United States. I guess I expected a lot of the sights to be a lot older and to have a lot more history than they do. I shouldn't be surprised though, considering the fact that North and South America were founded and colonized by European settlers around the same time. The U.S and Chile are still both very young countries compared to a lot of the rest of the world.
A group of us decided to spend the morning visiting some of the castles located around Vina Del Mar. Our first stop was a Castillo Wulf. I never got to know the significance of the castles we visited because all the information was in Spanish, but hopefully when I get home, I can find more information on what I saw today. Anyway, Castillo Wulf was a very picturesque building located on rocks looking out over the sea. We spent some time admiring the view and also some time walking around the museum inside the castle. While there, we also picked up a map of the other sights in Vina. We were supposed to meet the group at 2:00 to go to the soccer game but we asked if we could skip the game and instead do more sightseeing. She said it was okay and so we spent the entire day walked around Vina. We saw all the castles, old mansions, and various other sights such as the theater, the Vina Del Mar club, an Easter Island museum (my favorite part of this museum were the shrunken heads which were used as trophies of war during the time of the Machu Pichu), and some very old churches. It was interesting to me because a lot of the sights we saw today and what I have seen of Chile so far looks a lot like something you would find in the United States. I guess I expected a lot of the sights to be a lot older and to have a lot more history than they do. I shouldn't be surprised though, considering the fact that North and South America were founded and colonized by European settlers around the same time. The U.S and Chile are still both very young countries compared to a lot of the rest of the world.
Tuesday, May 13
Today, we left at 10:00 am to go to Pablo Neruda's home on Isla Negra. I had heard that this was a pretty fantastic thing to do when in Chile, so I was pretty excited for it. Outside his home are a bunch of artisan vendors that sell a lot of the same things that all the other vendors have, but they also had a lot of pretty glass items such as wind chimes and bottles. We didn't really have a lot of time to shop around because we had to go straight to Pablo Neruda's home for our tours. We split into four groups depending on Spanish proficiency. There was one tour guide who spoke English so there was one group who went with her, two groups who went on a Spanish spoken tour with a translator, and one group who went on a Spanish tour without a translator. I was in the completely English group and i was really glad because the tour guide was from Rochester, New York and she was a very interesting woman. After the tour, she told us about how she had gotten to Chile and how she had gotten to be a tour guide at Isla Negra. Apparently, she had been in Chile for Pablo Neruda's funeral, which was around the same time as the military coup. She talked about seeing all the men in uniform with guns around the funeral procession. After she went back to the United States, she met a Chilean man who had been in prison. They fell in love and after saying in the United States for about 16 years, they moved back to Chile and that is how she got here. I thought that was really interesting and I was glad that someone asked her about her story.
The tour itself was also fantastic. Everything in Pablo Neruda's life was symbolic for something, or reminded him of something he loved. For example, he always wrote with green ink to remind him of the forests of the South of Chile where he grew up. There are a lot of things about his house and him that are a bit strange but interesting all the same. There was one room that contained a large life-size horse made of paper mache that Neruda had purchased after 45 years of bargaining. He didn't have a room in his house to fit it when he finally got it, so he built a new room and had a welcoming party for the horse to which which guests had to bring gifts. I can also see where Neruda drew his inspiration for the poems he wrote and the meaning he found in everything. His home is located on the top of a hill overlooking a rocky beach with large waves. he had been a captain at one point, so he loved the sea and it inspired him. He collected figureheads from different ships and kept them all in one of his living rooms. There is one in particular, which he said was his favorite, that would "cry" whenever the fireplace was one. Because condensation would build up behind the eyes of the figurehead, water would roll down its cheeks and Pablo Neruda said that it was crying.
Finally, when our tour was over, we hopped back on the bus and headed to lunch at a seafood restaurant and after lunch, we headed back to Vina Del Mar for some more free time. 
The tour itself was also fantastic. Everything in Pablo Neruda's life was symbolic for something, or reminded him of something he loved. For example, he always wrote with green ink to remind him of the forests of the South of Chile where he grew up. There are a lot of things about his house and him that are a bit strange but interesting all the same. There was one room that contained a large life-size horse made of paper mache that Neruda had purchased after 45 years of bargaining. He didn't have a room in his house to fit it when he finally got it, so he built a new room and had a welcoming party for the horse to which which guests had to bring gifts. I can also see where Neruda drew his inspiration for the poems he wrote and the meaning he found in everything. His home is located on the top of a hill overlooking a rocky beach with large waves. he had been a captain at one point, so he loved the sea and it inspired him. He collected figureheads from different ships and kept them all in one of his living rooms. There is one in particular, which he said was his favorite, that would "cry" whenever the fireplace was one. Because condensation would build up behind the eyes of the figurehead, water would roll down its cheeks and Pablo Neruda said that it was crying.
Finally, when our tour was over, we hopped back on the bus and headed to lunch at a seafood restaurant and after lunch, we headed back to Vina Del Mar for some more free time.
Monday, May 12
We had the first company visit of the week today with a visit to the smelting division of Codelco. Originally, we were supposed to go to the copper company in the Andes but last week, the workers there were on strike. The strike is over now, but because it has just ended, the company is still is disarray and couldn't prepare anything for us in time. The back-up plan was the smelting plant and so there we went.
The presentation at Codelco was in Spanish with translations by Jo and some of the Chilean students. It was kind of difficult to follow but after the presentation, we got to drive through the plant and see where the company melts the metal down, where the smelting happens, and we also got to see the copper sheets ready for use. My favorite part of the tour was when we got to see the fires that were burning the metals down. After the tour, we went to yet another empanada place for lunch - an empanada place that was proclaimed to be the very best by some of the Chilean students. I thought it was good but I am starting to get really sick of empanadas and I can't really think of any empanada as being "the best."
When we got back to the hotel, we had some more free time so Jess, Ben, Sydney, and I went to downtown Vina to try to find a CD of Reggaeton or authentic Chilean music. We found a CD store but never did find a CD that we liked. They were also fairly expensive and none of us felt like paying that much. We did however find another artisan tent and walked around there forsome time. After getting back to the hotel, a group of us walked down to the beach to get ice cream and watch the sunset and then later on, we went to dinner at a Tex-Mex restaurant where we got tacos and margaritas.
The presentation at Codelco was in Spanish with translations by Jo and some of the Chilean students. It was kind of difficult to follow but after the presentation, we got to drive through the plant and see where the company melts the metal down, where the smelting happens, and we also got to see the copper sheets ready for use. My favorite part of the tour was when we got to see the fires that were burning the metals down. After the tour, we went to yet another empanada place for lunch - an empanada place that was proclaimed to be the very best by some of the Chilean students. I thought it was good but I am starting to get really sick of empanadas and I can't really think of any empanada as being "the best."
When we got back to the hotel, we had some more free time so Jess, Ben, Sydney, and I went to downtown Vina to try to find a CD of Reggaeton or authentic Chilean music. We found a CD store but never did find a CD that we liked. They were also fairly expensive and none of us felt like paying that much. We did however find another artisan tent and walked around there forsome time. After getting back to the hotel, a group of us walked down to the beach to get ice cream and watch the sunset and then later on, we went to dinner at a Tex-Mex restaurant where we got tacos and margaritas.
Sunday, May 11
Today was our first free day of the trip and I wanted to make sure that I got to do as many things as possible, so a couple of us woke up early to start the day. First, we headed off to a coffee shop down the street to get some caffeine and had some really good specialty coffees. The shop was kind of like the Chilean Starbucks but it was probably a little bit more fancy and had a wider selection of drinks. After finishing our coffees, we headed over to the mall and on the way, we found another artisan tent, at which we, of course, had to stop. I was excited because I was finally in a really good shopping mood and was able to find a lapis lazuli necklace, copper earrings, and some caramel. It has been amazing to me the number of artisan shopping areas there are here. We stopped at one in Santiago and one at the top of the incline in Valparaiso, there are artisan tents all along the boardwalk, and here was yet another. They all sell pretty much the same stuff but it is really interesting to me that there are so many people here that spend day after day selling their crafts. After finishing up at the tent, Jess and I decided to go back to the boardwalk to do more shopping there while the rest of the group went on to the mall. I didn't find anything to buy at the boardwalk and so after some browsing, we went back to meet the rest of the group.
After finishing all our shopping, we decided to spend the rest of the day sightseeing in Valparaiso. I'm not quite sure all that we saw while there, but it seemed like we walked the entire length of the city. We even decided to take the funicular back up to the top where we were on Tuesday. For me, it was fun because I have ridden the incline Pittsburgh and I have also been on the funicular in Quebec. Now, I can add to my list the funicular in Valparaiso, Chile. After the bus ride back from the city, we tried to find ice cream but because it is Sunday, all the stores closed early and we couldn't find any. However, I can say that I definitely did get a fell-day's worth of stuff done today.
After finishing all our shopping, we decided to spend the rest of the day sightseeing in Valparaiso. I'm not quite sure all that we saw while there, but it seemed like we walked the entire length of the city. We even decided to take the funicular back up to the top where we were on Tuesday. For me, it was fun because I have ridden the incline Pittsburgh and I have also been on the funicular in Quebec. Now, I can add to my list the funicular in Valparaiso, Chile. After the bus ride back from the city, we tried to find ice cream but because it is Sunday, all the stores closed early and we couldn't find any. However, I can say that I definitely did get a fell-day's worth of stuff done today.
Saturday, May 10
I can honestly say that today, I had one of the coolest experience of my life. Admittedly, when I saw horseback riding on the itinerary, I wasn't too excited - i was kind of bummed that I had to be ready by 9:30 a.m in order to go ride some horse. My idea of "horseback riding" was the kind of riding you do at the zoo when you are five years old - the kind in which you get on a pony and ride around in a circle a couple of times while the other kids wait their turns. Well, that idea was wrong.
Driving up to the ranch, we saw acres upon acres of land illuminated by the rising sun - I was beginning to get the idea that we were going to be riding in some very large circles. When we first got to the ranch, we were greeted by the family that owned the ranch. The mother told us all about what we were going to be doing. She told us that we were going to take about a three-hour ride over sand dunes to the beach where we could gallop if we felt comfortable. After riding on the beach, we were going to ride to a picnic and finally, after being out on our horses all day, we were going to ride back to the ranch. Finally, she told us that he six-year old daughter was going to be out with us and that we shouldn't try any of the tricks that she did because she was a very talented rider. I didn't really believe that a six-year old girl could be all that amazing at horseback riding until I later saw her galloping all around and going crazy on her horse. I am still fascinated by how that little girl knew how to ride horses so well by her age. Anyway, by this point, all previous negative thoughts about horseback riding were erased from my mind and I couldn't wait to start. We even had to sign a release form, so I knew that this was going to be some serious horseback riding.
After the woman finished speaking with us about what we were going to be doing, we walked over to meet our horses and one by one, we were paired up. When it came time for me to get on my horse, I was amazing by the size and strength of the animal. Granted, he was probably one of the bigger horses at the ranch, but I felt insignificant next to him. I never did know his name, it was unfortunately not on his saddle like many of the other horses but I liked to call him Speedy. As a group, we took a practice round of riding on our horses around the gated yard and after we felt relatively prepared, we set out on our "journey."
At first, Speedy didn't really want to cooperate with me. He enjoyed bringing up the very rear of the group (he wasn't being so Speedy) and when the group stopped for a moment, he made sure that we stayed at a distance from the group so that I couldn't talk with anyone while waiting. At one point, he started going off in a different direction and I couldn't stop him. One of the guides had to come help me and point us back in the right direction. he told me that I couldn't be afraid to show the horse that i was in control and he showed me how to be more firm and how to show the horse that I was making the calls. Its crazy, but after that conversation, I got the hang of it, and I had no more troubles with Speedy. You could even say that Speedy and I had a really good relationship after that. In fact, from then on, we rode closer to the front of the group and even had no trouble going into a full-blown trot.
While crossing some sand dunes and trotting, another guide was trying to give me some more general direction on how to position myself while going a little bit faster. He was trying to explain but was having some difficulty getting his points across because he didn't speak that much English and I don't speak that much Spanish. He told me that he spoke Spanish, French, and Italian, but that his English was shaky. I told him that I spoke French and we were able to have an entire conversation in French. Throughout the rest of the trip, he even had me translate for him. It was really exciting for me because this entire time that we have been in Chile, I have felt really useless not being able to speak Spanish in a Spanish speaking country. But here I was, using my French to communicate with a Chilean! It reaffirmed for me the importance of language, my love of French, and my desire to double major in French and Marketing.
When we finally arrived at the beach, the horses all broke out into a gallop, Speedy being no exception. He was incredibly fast, and I don't mean to brag, but he was definitely one of the fastest. The first time he decided to sprint, I thought I was going to fall off, but at the same time, it was such a high to be galloping with this amazing animal along the beach on a beautiful Chilean day. I can't explain the feeling, just to say that it was incredible.
At one point, we were galloping with the beach to one side and a little pond on the other side. Ian's horse was just in front of mine and all of a sudden I saw his horse inching closer and closer to the pond until finally, they both went straight in and under the water. I felt Speedy trying to follow him but we were fortunately far enough away from the pond that I was able to stop him in time. When I got the chance to look back, I saw Ian running out of the water asking if the horse was okay. Thankfully, both of them were fine - Ian lost his glasses and his camera is broken but other than that, he is okay. Although the horse got a little bit wet, he was fine as well. Seeing as I was terrified by the whole thing, I can't imagine what it was like for Ian, but he was a good sport about it and got right back on his horse as soon as it was cleared that they were both unharmed. Unfortunately, Ian wasn't the only one who fell off his horse today. Earlier, after crossing the first stream, Daniela's horse buckled and she fell off backwards into the water. I wasn't witness to this, but she was thankfully also unharmed except for some bruises. However, he camera is also broken.
Finally, after about three hours of horseback riding, we arrived in the forest, parked our horses, and sat down to a prepared lunch of choripan, grilled pork, salad, rice, couscous, potato salad, pisco sour, and wine. It was absolutely gorgeous with the sun shining through the trees and the horses in the background while we ate a fabulous lunch. I know I said that it would be hard to top the Mercado Central lunch but this comes pretty close. After finishing our meal, we stood around the fire and took in the warmth while also drying off Daniela and Ian's clothes. And when the time came, we hopped back on our horses and rode back to the ranch. I didn't really want to day to end and I didn't really want to get off my horse - I felt like Speedy and I had formed a relationship and I didn't really want to say goodbye. At the same time however, my derriere was getting pretty sore and I was ready to sit on some cushioned bus seats. We said our goodbyes to the family at the ranch and headed back to the hotel. Now, I am exhausted and sore, but I am incredibly happy to have just had this amazing experience.
Driving up to the ranch, we saw acres upon acres of land illuminated by the rising sun - I was beginning to get the idea that we were going to be riding in some very large circles. When we first got to the ranch, we were greeted by the family that owned the ranch. The mother told us all about what we were going to be doing. She told us that we were going to take about a three-hour ride over sand dunes to the beach where we could gallop if we felt comfortable. After riding on the beach, we were going to ride to a picnic and finally, after being out on our horses all day, we were going to ride back to the ranch. Finally, she told us that he six-year old daughter was going to be out with us and that we shouldn't try any of the tricks that she did because she was a very talented rider. I didn't really believe that a six-year old girl could be all that amazing at horseback riding until I later saw her galloping all around and going crazy on her horse. I am still fascinated by how that little girl knew how to ride horses so well by her age. Anyway, by this point, all previous negative thoughts about horseback riding were erased from my mind and I couldn't wait to start. We even had to sign a release form, so I knew that this was going to be some serious horseback riding.
After the woman finished speaking with us about what we were going to be doing, we walked over to meet our horses and one by one, we were paired up. When it came time for me to get on my horse, I was amazing by the size and strength of the animal. Granted, he was probably one of the bigger horses at the ranch, but I felt insignificant next to him. I never did know his name, it was unfortunately not on his saddle like many of the other horses but I liked to call him Speedy. As a group, we took a practice round of riding on our horses around the gated yard and after we felt relatively prepared, we set out on our "journey."
At first, Speedy didn't really want to cooperate with me. He enjoyed bringing up the very rear of the group (he wasn't being so Speedy) and when the group stopped for a moment, he made sure that we stayed at a distance from the group so that I couldn't talk with anyone while waiting. At one point, he started going off in a different direction and I couldn't stop him. One of the guides had to come help me and point us back in the right direction. he told me that I couldn't be afraid to show the horse that i was in control and he showed me how to be more firm and how to show the horse that I was making the calls. Its crazy, but after that conversation, I got the hang of it, and I had no more troubles with Speedy. You could even say that Speedy and I had a really good relationship after that. In fact, from then on, we rode closer to the front of the group and even had no trouble going into a full-blown trot.
While crossing some sand dunes and trotting, another guide was trying to give me some more general direction on how to position myself while going a little bit faster. He was trying to explain but was having some difficulty getting his points across because he didn't speak that much English and I don't speak that much Spanish. He told me that he spoke Spanish, French, and Italian, but that his English was shaky. I told him that I spoke French and we were able to have an entire conversation in French. Throughout the rest of the trip, he even had me translate for him. It was really exciting for me because this entire time that we have been in Chile, I have felt really useless not being able to speak Spanish in a Spanish speaking country. But here I was, using my French to communicate with a Chilean! It reaffirmed for me the importance of language, my love of French, and my desire to double major in French and Marketing.
When we finally arrived at the beach, the horses all broke out into a gallop, Speedy being no exception. He was incredibly fast, and I don't mean to brag, but he was definitely one of the fastest. The first time he decided to sprint, I thought I was going to fall off, but at the same time, it was such a high to be galloping with this amazing animal along the beach on a beautiful Chilean day. I can't explain the feeling, just to say that it was incredible.
At one point, we were galloping with the beach to one side and a little pond on the other side. Ian's horse was just in front of mine and all of a sudden I saw his horse inching closer and closer to the pond until finally, they both went straight in and under the water. I felt Speedy trying to follow him but we were fortunately far enough away from the pond that I was able to stop him in time. When I got the chance to look back, I saw Ian running out of the water asking if the horse was okay. Thankfully, both of them were fine - Ian lost his glasses and his camera is broken but other than that, he is okay. Although the horse got a little bit wet, he was fine as well. Seeing as I was terrified by the whole thing, I can't imagine what it was like for Ian, but he was a good sport about it and got right back on his horse as soon as it was cleared that they were both unharmed. Unfortunately, Ian wasn't the only one who fell off his horse today. Earlier, after crossing the first stream, Daniela's horse buckled and she fell off backwards into the water. I wasn't witness to this, but she was thankfully also unharmed except for some bruises. However, he camera is also broken.
Finally, after about three hours of horseback riding, we arrived in the forest, parked our horses, and sat down to a prepared lunch of choripan, grilled pork, salad, rice, couscous, potato salad, pisco sour, and wine. It was absolutely gorgeous with the sun shining through the trees and the horses in the background while we ate a fabulous lunch. I know I said that it would be hard to top the Mercado Central lunch but this comes pretty close. After finishing our meal, we stood around the fire and took in the warmth while also drying off Daniela and Ian's clothes. And when the time came, we hopped back on our horses and rode back to the ranch. I didn't really want to day to end and I didn't really want to get off my horse - I felt like Speedy and I had formed a relationship and I didn't really want to say goodbye. At the same time however, my derriere was getting pretty sore and I was ready to sit on some cushioned bus seats. We said our goodbyes to the family at the ranch and headed back to the hotel. Now, I am exhausted and sore, but I am incredibly happy to have just had this amazing experience.
Friday, May 9
We started out bright and early today with e visit to my company, Bolsa de Commercio de Santiago - the Stock Market of Santiago. The visit was incredible; the woman who spoke with us showed us a video and gave a presentation on stock markets in general and the Santiago Stock Exchange. She gave us an incredible amount of information and answered all of our questions before we could even ask them. We then got to see the floor, and at the time there were only one or two brokers there - now that technology allows them to do pretty much all their work from their offices the floor has become almost obsolete. Our presenter gave my group a pack of information on Bolsa de Commercio de Santiago - something that will help make our project in the fall a lot easier.
After the visit, we left the stock market and went to a new museum in Santiago where we saw an art exhibit and a furniture art exhibit. Then, we got on the bus and went to "Mercado Central" - market central. We were all laughing that we had come all the way from the Pitt campus where our cafeteria is called Market Central to eat in Mercado Central. However, the food we eat in Market Central comes nowhere near to being as amazing as what we had in Mercado Central. First, we were served a plate of mystery seafood - none of us really knew what any of the items were, but we ate it all anyway and it was very good. Then, we were served a huge plate of about six different types of fish, all of which were incredibly fresh and delicious. I don't think I have ever had as good of seafood as we had today in Mercado Central. It was also a really fun atmosphere because we were sitting with just our group on a type of balcony/alcove that overlooked the market. A mariachi band came and played for us as well and although we ended up having tip them, it was really fun listening to them. This has definitely been the best meal of the trip so far and it will take a lot to top it.
After lunch, we went to high-point Santiago where there is a huge white statue of Mary and a great view of Santiago. We actually drove up the mountain and then took a ski lift up to the very top. Although the view of the city was beautiful, it is also very smoggy and you cannot see very far, which is very unfortunate. Then, we drove back down and went to a small shopping area where there were a lot of handcrafts. I didn't buy anything, but there were a lot of souvenirs such as jewelry, magnets, scarves, hats, post cards, etc.
After the visit, we left the stock market and went to a new museum in Santiago where we saw an art exhibit and a furniture art exhibit. Then, we got on the bus and went to "Mercado Central" - market central. We were all laughing that we had come all the way from the Pitt campus where our cafeteria is called Market Central to eat in Mercado Central. However, the food we eat in Market Central comes nowhere near to being as amazing as what we had in Mercado Central. First, we were served a plate of mystery seafood - none of us really knew what any of the items were, but we ate it all anyway and it was very good. Then, we were served a huge plate of about six different types of fish, all of which were incredibly fresh and delicious. I don't think I have ever had as good of seafood as we had today in Mercado Central. It was also a really fun atmosphere because we were sitting with just our group on a type of balcony/alcove that overlooked the market. A mariachi band came and played for us as well and although we ended up having tip them, it was really fun listening to them. This has definitely been the best meal of the trip so far and it will take a lot to top it.
After lunch, we went to high-point Santiago where there is a huge white statue of Mary and a great view of Santiago. We actually drove up the mountain and then took a ski lift up to the very top. Although the view of the city was beautiful, it is also very smoggy and you cannot see very far, which is very unfortunate. Then, we drove back down and went to a small shopping area where there were a lot of handcrafts. I didn't buy anything, but there were a lot of souvenirs such as jewelry, magnets, scarves, hats, post cards, etc.
Thursday, May 8
Today, we started at 10:00 with a company visit to LAN Airlines. WE had a short presentation and then we got to walk around the hanger while our presenter showed us information about the company and the maintenance that was being performed on the planes. It was a little difficult to hear and understand our presenter, so I am not really sure all that he said, but it was interesting to hear about how LAN has expanded through Europe, other South American countries, and even to the U.S. Unfortunately, we didn't get to go inside a place but it was fun to see the planes in the hanger - they look so much more massive when you are standing beside them.
After this company visit, we had lunch and headed off to Vina Indomita, a winery and one of our company visits. I was really excited for this one because I have heard that the Chilean wine industry is very up and coming and that Chilean wine is gaining a lot of recognition throughout the world. So far, this has been my favorite company visit; I was not disappointed at all. Although the presentation probably wasn't as informative about the company itself as some of the others have been, we were able to see where the wine is made, where it is stored in barrels, and the different processes used to make the wine. After the tour, we had a wine tasting, which was very sophisticated indeed. WE tried two red wines and one white. Admittedly, I could not taste any of the flavors that we were supposed to be able to taste in the wines, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. When that was done, we had some time to admire the view of and from the winery. The building is completely white with an all glass facade that reflects the view of the vineyards that the building looks out upon from its perch on top of a hill. As we stood out there and admired the view, the sun was beginning to set and was reflecting off the building all the more. It was absolutely beautiful. I could have admired the view all day long but eventually it was time to go back to the hotel and call it a day.
After this company visit, we had lunch and headed off to Vina Indomita, a winery and one of our company visits. I was really excited for this one because I have heard that the Chilean wine industry is very up and coming and that Chilean wine is gaining a lot of recognition throughout the world. So far, this has been my favorite company visit; I was not disappointed at all. Although the presentation probably wasn't as informative about the company itself as some of the others have been, we were able to see where the wine is made, where it is stored in barrels, and the different processes used to make the wine. After the tour, we had a wine tasting, which was very sophisticated indeed. WE tried two red wines and one white. Admittedly, I could not taste any of the flavors that we were supposed to be able to taste in the wines, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. When that was done, we had some time to admire the view of and from the winery. The building is completely white with an all glass facade that reflects the view of the vineyards that the building looks out upon from its perch on top of a hill. As we stood out there and admired the view, the sun was beginning to set and was reflecting off the building all the more. It was absolutely beautiful. I could have admired the view all day long but eventually it was time to go back to the hotel and call it a day.
Wednesday, May 7
I woke up at 8:30 today and I was really excited because it was our first day of company visits. We got on the bus and traveled about an hour and a half to the first company - Conservas Centauro, which specialized in producing and packaging tomato products. In particular, it is known for its tomato paste (we even got to try some tomato paste during out tour). I really enjoyed the company visit and I thought that it was really interesting. We got to walk around the factory and the owner of the company showed us the various steps of production and where the products are packaged. He is the fourth generation owner of the company - his great grandfather actually started it.
Then, after grabbing some canned prepared meals and saying thank you to the owner of Centauro, we left and went to lunch. After lunch, we headed to our second company visit - Gerdau Aza, the steel factory. After stepping off the bus, we were handed heavy yellow jackets and were put on smaller buses that took us to the factory. We were all pretty excited because we though we were going to be able to walk through the factory like we did in Centauro and I for one thought that the inside of a steel factory would be really interesting. Unfortunately, instead of walked through the factory, we had a two hour lecture on steel and Gerdau - some of which was interesting, a lot of which I had trouble paying attention to. The need for the heavy yellow jackets will forever remain a mystery.
After the presentation, we took the hour and half bus ride back to the hotel and ended the day with empanadas for dinner.
Then, after grabbing some canned prepared meals and saying thank you to the owner of Centauro, we left and went to lunch. After lunch, we headed to our second company visit - Gerdau Aza, the steel factory. After stepping off the bus, we were handed heavy yellow jackets and were put on smaller buses that took us to the factory. We were all pretty excited because we though we were going to be able to walk through the factory like we did in Centauro and I for one thought that the inside of a steel factory would be really interesting. Unfortunately, instead of walked through the factory, we had a two hour lecture on steel and Gerdau - some of which was interesting, a lot of which I had trouble paying attention to. The need for the heavy yellow jackets will forever remain a mystery.
After the presentation, we took the hour and half bus ride back to the hotel and ended the day with empanadas for dinner.
Tuesday, May 6
For the first time since being here, we got to go sightseeing today via a bus tour through Vina Del Mar and Valparaiso. I was glad to finally be playing the part of the tourist because we got to see a lot of really beautiful places and the fact that I am in Chile finally sunk in today. Also, the sun had finally come out and it turned out to be a really beautiful day, which made for many great photo ops. There were two places in particular that I really enjoyed visiting. First, we went to the top of the incline in Valparaiso (we got there by bus, not by the incline), At the top, there were a lot of vendors selling jewelry, magnets, hats, and a lot of other souvenirs. Other than the vendors, there was also a magnificent view of the port and all the colorful cargo lined up. I would have never thought that cargo would have made such a beautiful scene. My other favorite stop of the day was a stop along the sea where the rocks jutted out over the water and we got a great view of the ocean. We stopped just as the sun was beginning to set and was reflecting off the water - a glorious scene it was.
Before our bus tour, we had more lectures in the morning. Because of last night's events, we couldn't return to the main Santa Maria campus and instead went to a branch of the university in a different location. Manuel lectured some more, this time on the benefits of doing business in Latin America and Chile in particular. He also spoke about his own business - what his idea was in the first place, how he has implemented his idea, and how it is working out. His business is a machine that sorts grape bunches for packaging, a machine that makes the grape sorting process a lot more efficient. I think that he is a very interesting person and he is, in a way, inspirational in terms of how he is a young entrepreneur going for something about which he is obviously very excited.
We finished the day off with a barbecue at Werner's home. I was really excited for this because a lot of the people with whom we have spoken have told us that the one thing everyone has to try while in Chile is the barbecue. I was also extra excited because I was going on half a ham and cheese sandwich for the entire day and i was ready for some good food. When we first arrived at Werner's home, we were supposed to have a Reggaeton class. The students were there to teach us, but we had a very short lesson because most of us were way too hungry to think about dancing. However, after the first round of choripan - chorizo on a toasted bun - a lot of people got up and started dancing. We were also served meat skewers, which were also very good. All in all, it was a very fun night with lots of dancing, chatting, and hanging out.
Before our bus tour, we had more lectures in the morning. Because of last night's events, we couldn't return to the main Santa Maria campus and instead went to a branch of the university in a different location. Manuel lectured some more, this time on the benefits of doing business in Latin America and Chile in particular. He also spoke about his own business - what his idea was in the first place, how he has implemented his idea, and how it is working out. His business is a machine that sorts grape bunches for packaging, a machine that makes the grape sorting process a lot more efficient. I think that he is a very interesting person and he is, in a way, inspirational in terms of how he is a young entrepreneur going for something about which he is obviously very excited.
We finished the day off with a barbecue at Werner's home. I was really excited for this because a lot of the people with whom we have spoken have told us that the one thing everyone has to try while in Chile is the barbecue. I was also extra excited because I was going on half a ham and cheese sandwich for the entire day and i was ready for some good food. When we first arrived at Werner's home, we were supposed to have a Reggaeton class. The students were there to teach us, but we had a very short lesson because most of us were way too hungry to think about dancing. However, after the first round of choripan - chorizo on a toasted bun - a lot of people got up and started dancing. We were also served meat skewers, which were also very good. All in all, it was a very fun night with lots of dancing, chatting, and hanging out.
Monday, May 5
Welcome to Chile! And what a welcome it has been! I finally got on the plane last night after being delayed about an hour because the crew was cleaning the place, and landed in Santiago this morning at about 8:30 a.m. I have to say that I was really scared to go through customs by myself, having never done it alone before, but everyone at the airport was really nice and helpful. I got through without any troubles and met Jo and Werner's cousin who drove us to the hotel. On the ride there, I got to see my first bit of Chile, and I tried to just take it all in. First of all, it is really cold and foggy. I know that it is almost wintertime here, but I guess I didn't really expect it to be this cold. I also didn't really expect to see some of the poor living conditions along the highway. Lastly, when we arrived in Vina Del Mar, the stray dogs were a bit of a shock. They follow people around but they don't really seem harmful at all. Even so, they are going to take a bit of getting used to.
Luckily, I got to come back to the hotel and take a shower before joining the rest of the group. The hotel is definitely a lot smaller and less extravagant than anything you would see in the United States but it has pretty much everything that we need. The maid was making my bed while I was in the room so I tried to use my very limited Spanish to speak with a her a little bit. I wanted to tell her that I had only ever taken one Spanish class but all I knew to say was "Tengo un classe de espanol" - I take one Spanish class. Oh well, at least I tried, and i guess I got the point across.
After getting ready, Jo and I took the bus to the University. I never appreciated how nice our bus system is in the U.S. Here the buses are small, rickety, and the fares are confusing. Luckily, Jo was there to help me out on my first bus ride. The university itself is absolutely beautiful. When you get off the bus and look up, you can see a really majestic building that sits on top of a cliff and looks over the ocean - that is the university. The cliff part also makes it a bit of a hike to get up there (and I thought Pitt was on a hill). I finally joined the group as their first lecture was about over. Apparently, I didn't really miss much in the first lecture - an hour and a half on the geography of Chile. I think everyone was very ready for the break, which happened right after I came in. I'm happy because everyone has been really nice about me coming in late and it hasn't been a problem at all that I missed the first day. After break, the woman who gave the morning lectures, Monica Kunstman, had another lecture for us, this time on famous authors of Chile and more on the geography. I had only ever heard of Pablo Neruda (whom I had known was something of a national hero) and Isabelle Allende, so it was interesting to find out about other famous writers from Chile. I will admit though, that the lectures were kind of boring. After Monica's lectures, another man named Manuel Madrid came in and lectured. I enjoyed more his lectures; he seemed very knowledgeable and showed us interesting facts about South American countries. Particularly interesting to me was the bit about corruption throughout South America. It was fascinating to see where different corrupt practices are and are not acceptable.
After lectures were over, we had a bit of a break before our Salsa lesson. Jo had told me on our ride from the airport that the students from the University are protesting the buses because there has been a rise in the fare. Tonight, the students were holding a riot - something in which we were all very interested but that the Chilean students though might put us in a bit of a dangerous position. They told us all about the protests and the riot and were more than happy to answer our questions about what was going on but they wanted to make sure that we stayed away from the riot itself. We were fine with this and stayed in a courtyard until we went to our Salsa lessons.
The lessons themselves were a lot of fun. Our teacher was a student at the University who was an amazing dancer and she was also really funny and a great teacher. It was hilarious to see us trying to follow all of her moves and we had a great time. In the middle of our lesson, Arturo (one of the Chilean students), came in the room and told us to immediately grab our stuff and follow him. We all knew that something had happened with the riots but in that moment, no one questioned him - we just grabbed our stuff and followed him, which meant literally running out of the school. Once outside, we had the chance to stop and find out what was happening. Apparently, the police had gone into the university in search of rioting students and it was a big deal because police hadn't been inside the university in a really long time. We had to run out because we would have been in a bad position if the police had come into the room and thought that we were part of the riots, it was better to avoid them all together. It was scary though - seeing the remains of the riot, running out of the building and seeing police lined up, and having our eyes water up because of the remaining pepper spray in the air. At the same time though, it was all very fascinating, especially considering that I am not sure if the students at Pitt would ever get behind a cause such as raised bus fares as much as these students have. It was probably one of the best glimpses that I have gotten into the Chilean culture so far.
Since the buses probably weren't safe to take (considering that the students were rioting the buses), we took the train back to the hotel and got ready to go out with the students from the university. Now that we are back at the hotel, i can say that it was quite an interesting first day in Chile and what a welcome it has been!
Luckily, I got to come back to the hotel and take a shower before joining the rest of the group. The hotel is definitely a lot smaller and less extravagant than anything you would see in the United States but it has pretty much everything that we need. The maid was making my bed while I was in the room so I tried to use my very limited Spanish to speak with a her a little bit. I wanted to tell her that I had only ever taken one Spanish class but all I knew to say was "Tengo un classe de espanol" - I take one Spanish class. Oh well, at least I tried, and i guess I got the point across.
After getting ready, Jo and I took the bus to the University. I never appreciated how nice our bus system is in the U.S. Here the buses are small, rickety, and the fares are confusing. Luckily, Jo was there to help me out on my first bus ride. The university itself is absolutely beautiful. When you get off the bus and look up, you can see a really majestic building that sits on top of a cliff and looks over the ocean - that is the university. The cliff part also makes it a bit of a hike to get up there (and I thought Pitt was on a hill). I finally joined the group as their first lecture was about over. Apparently, I didn't really miss much in the first lecture - an hour and a half on the geography of Chile. I think everyone was very ready for the break, which happened right after I came in. I'm happy because everyone has been really nice about me coming in late and it hasn't been a problem at all that I missed the first day. After break, the woman who gave the morning lectures, Monica Kunstman, had another lecture for us, this time on famous authors of Chile and more on the geography. I had only ever heard of Pablo Neruda (whom I had known was something of a national hero) and Isabelle Allende, so it was interesting to find out about other famous writers from Chile. I will admit though, that the lectures were kind of boring. After Monica's lectures, another man named Manuel Madrid came in and lectured. I enjoyed more his lectures; he seemed very knowledgeable and showed us interesting facts about South American countries. Particularly interesting to me was the bit about corruption throughout South America. It was fascinating to see where different corrupt practices are and are not acceptable.
After lectures were over, we had a bit of a break before our Salsa lesson. Jo had told me on our ride from the airport that the students from the University are protesting the buses because there has been a rise in the fare. Tonight, the students were holding a riot - something in which we were all very interested but that the Chilean students though might put us in a bit of a dangerous position. They told us all about the protests and the riot and were more than happy to answer our questions about what was going on but they wanted to make sure that we stayed away from the riot itself. We were fine with this and stayed in a courtyard until we went to our Salsa lessons.
The lessons themselves were a lot of fun. Our teacher was a student at the University who was an amazing dancer and she was also really funny and a great teacher. It was hilarious to see us trying to follow all of her moves and we had a great time. In the middle of our lesson, Arturo (one of the Chilean students), came in the room and told us to immediately grab our stuff and follow him. We all knew that something had happened with the riots but in that moment, no one questioned him - we just grabbed our stuff and followed him, which meant literally running out of the school. Once outside, we had the chance to stop and find out what was happening. Apparently, the police had gone into the university in search of rioting students and it was a big deal because police hadn't been inside the university in a really long time. We had to run out because we would have been in a bad position if the police had come into the room and thought that we were part of the riots, it was better to avoid them all together. It was scary though - seeing the remains of the riot, running out of the building and seeing police lined up, and having our eyes water up because of the remaining pepper spray in the air. At the same time though, it was all very fascinating, especially considering that I am not sure if the students at Pitt would ever get behind a cause such as raised bus fares as much as these students have. It was probably one of the best glimpses that I have gotten into the Chilean culture so far.
Since the buses probably weren't safe to take (considering that the students were rioting the buses), we took the train back to the hotel and got ready to go out with the students from the university. Now that we are back at the hotel, i can say that it was quite an interesting first day in Chile and what a welcome it has been!
Sunday, May 4
Today. I was supposed to arrive to Santiago at about 7:30 a.m. I was supposed to go to the hotel and then go to a soccer game with the group. Instead, I went to breakfast with my brother, played Mario Race on the Wii with my brother, picked out patio furniture with him and his wife, and arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare before my flight to Santiago took off. Although I missed the flight yesterday and I did not get to do all the things that I was supposed to be doing today, it was a good day and a good visit with my brother. All of yesterday's events are even starting to be funny to me! For the most part though, I am just really excited to finally get to Chile and meet up with the rest of the group.
Saturday, May 3
Well, I can honestly say that the first day of this trip has been very interesting and very stressful for me. My plan was to drive to JFK with my parents and meet up with the rest of the group there. I left my house at 11:00 this morning in order to arrive at the airport at 1:30, three hours before the flight. Usually, the trip from my house to New York takes two hours, but we gave it two and half hours, just in case. Apparently, the extra half hour was not enough "just in case" time because five hours and two multi-car accidents later, I arrived at the airport and had missed the flight with the rest of the group. On the way to the airport I had called Delta because I was pretty sure that I was going to miss the flight and I wanted to know what other flights there were that I could take. I thought that maybe I could catch up with the group in Atlanta but the next flight got me there without enough time to catch the 10:10 flight to Santiago. What's more in that the next flight to Santiago left from Atlanta at 10:10 the following night. I was trying not to freak out, but I was so mad at myself for not giving myself enough time.
Fortunately, a very nice woman helped us out at the JFK change-of-flight counter an booked me on the 6:45 flight to Atlanta tonight and the 10:10 flight to Santiago tomorrow night. She told us that the price of the ticket change would normally cost me the price of the original ticket but because of the circumstances, she gave me an exception and only charged me $200. It was the only good news of the day and I was very thankful for that. I am also lucky because I have a brother who lives in Atlanta. He picked me up from the airport and I am staying at his house tonight. In a way, it worked out for me because I haven't seen my brother in a long time and I also have not yet seen his new house. So, although I would categorize my day as "very bad," there is also a part of me that is excited to be in Atlanta visiting my brother and to have this chance. Sadly, I will miss the soccer game tomorrow but if that is the only thing I miss, I won't be too disappointed.
Fortunately, a very nice woman helped us out at the JFK change-of-flight counter an booked me on the 6:45 flight to Atlanta tonight and the 10:10 flight to Santiago tomorrow night. She told us that the price of the ticket change would normally cost me the price of the original ticket but because of the circumstances, she gave me an exception and only charged me $200. It was the only good news of the day and I was very thankful for that. I am also lucky because I have a brother who lives in Atlanta. He picked me up from the airport and I am staying at his house tonight. In a way, it worked out for me because I haven't seen my brother in a long time and I also have not yet seen his new house. So, although I would categorize my day as "very bad," there is also a part of me that is excited to be in Atlanta visiting my brother and to have this chance. Sadly, I will miss the soccer game tomorrow but if that is the only thing I miss, I won't be too disappointed.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Pre-Departure Questions
My international experience to date is:
I have been out of the country four times, two times to Canada and twice to Europe. In middle school, I went to Montréal and Québec with my French class and a few summers later, I traveled to Prince Edward Island with my family. I have also been to Europe twice with my high school. The first time, I went with my French class again and traveled around France, seeing all the major cities. Last summer, I again went to Europe with my high school and traveled through Italy, Monaco, France, and Spain.
I want to go to Chile because:
I have never before been to South America and I don't know when I will get another opportunity to go to Chile. Having never really known that much about Chile in the past, I am excited to get to know more about the history, politics, people, and culture of the country. I also love to travel and would like to add another country to my above list.
I think the main professional work differences I will experience will be:
I don't expect there to be huge differences in the professional work place. However, I do think that Chileans will do business with a bit more formality than we do business here in the U.S. I expect that the dress, culture, and atmosphere of the workplace will be more formal and that people will interact with more politeness. I also think that positions in the workplace are more respected.
I think the main cultural differences I will experience will be:
Being a primarily Catholic country, I expect that religion will play a bigger role in the everyday culture of Chileans. I also think that family life will be more important and that Chile will be less individualistic that the United States. Other than these aspects, I am not quite sure yet what to expect but I do think that Chileans will be very friendly and welcoming.
I think the main political differences I will experience will be:
I don't really now what to expect of the political differences in Chile but I think that the system is generally very similar to ours. However, it is very interesting to me that Chile has a woman president and that she was ranked #27 on Forbes Most Powerful Women of 2007 list.
I think the students I meet in Chile will be:
I am very excited to meet the students in Chile and to learn more about the typical Chilean student. However, I expect that they won't be too different from us because I think that students almost anywhere you go around the world all want the same things in terms of education and social life. I think that we will be surprised to find how many interests we have in common.
I predict I will be surprised to find:
I think that I will be surprised to find a lot of things about Chile but I am not quite sure yet what those surprises are. Mainly, I will probably be surprised to see the differences between Chile and the U.S in terms of how people live but I think that I will also be surprised by all the similarities.
I think the major differences in living conditions will be:
In the places that we visit, I think living conditions we be very good and I don't think that people will live very differently from people in the United States. However, Chileans probably are less grand with how they live and I expect that homes will generally be smaller and less extravagant than many homes in the U.S.
Anything else you want to say:
I can't wait to go to Chile and have this amazing experience!
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