Day at the University

Well, today was a busy day. We woke up pretty early to have a full day at the University. We had four classes today, the professor’s name was Memo. It was an interesting day, I didn’t realize how similar Chile is to the United States. There is more of a culture associated with Chile, while in the US I feel as there is no one significant culture that defines everyone. Granted there are variations of Chilean culture considering the length of the country and the different climates but generally I feel they are united. We learned about everything Chile today. Everything from their history, music, art, natural disasters, Chilean social issues, government and much more. I didn’t realize how diverse the terrain was in Chile, which causes many of the natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis. Another thing that interested me was the dances throughout Chile. The north, middle, south, Easter Island, and indigenous people all have different dances and music. Personally, my favorite was the dance of Easter Island. It reminded me of hula dancing except the men danced also – it was very unique.

We also ate lunch at the University today. I learned that lunch is only served between 1 and 2 so that’s why the lunchroom is so crowded and hectic. I liked the food today, it was a meat and salad with a soup on the side. I wasn’t a fan of the soup but it still enjoyed my meal. I learned that if the students don’t finish their food they leave their extra uneaten food on the tables for people who don’t have money to pay for lunch to eat. I thought that was really nice and I think it’s a good way to give back to others easily.

At the end of the day we walked around the University. The sun was setting over the ocean and it was absolutely beautiful. I would love to study here but I feel I would always get so distracted by the amazing views. We had a cueca class at night also, Cueca is the national dance of Chile. I’ve never seen a dance like it before, it’s sort of like a man and a woman dancing around each other but rarely making direct contact. The group learned it as a whole and it was fun! The instructor was very fun and entertaining so it made the class go well. Now we’re back in the hotel and tonight we’re adventuring around Viña del Mar and the beach! Adios mis amiosJ!