Que tal?
Hope everyone is doing well and doing big things these days. A whole month and a week has passed since my arrival in Chile and it feels (sometimes) like a big blur and (othertimes) like forever.
REASON NUMBER ONE
One reason why time has started flashing in my brain is because in 1.5 weeks, our program will be splitting up into two groups: half going to the north to stay with the Aymara population in Arica/Putre and the other half to the south to stay with the Mapuche in Temuco. I'll be trading in my leisure Saturdays for community service and community work. I'll be giving up my view of the mar (sea) for a view of the desert. I'm going to the north to spend 2 weeks working and learning from the indigenous tribe of the Aymara. I'll have terribly cold mornings, extremely hot afternoons and dangerously freezing nights. A small population of people who take things slowly and work while the sun is up, eat yummy empanadas, and live in homes they built themselves. Their respect for mother earth is seen in their festivities and their work habits. This is the life I'll have for 2 weeks.
REASON NUMBER TWO
Another reason is that on December 5th, 2010 I'll have to turn in a 22 page proyecto de investigación (investigation project). "What are you investigating, Ife?" Well, I'm glad you asked. Music.Identity.Culture. -La influencia de la cultura indígena en la músic de la juventud (The influence of the indigenous culture in music of the youth)- I've got to achicar (make smaller) my ideas/investigation by Tuesday so that I can start on this. The program dedicates a whole month, after Nov. 5, 2010, to do this proyecto. No classes. No seminarios. Nada. Just me, mi computador, mi journal, ideas y preguntas. We also have the option of living anywhere for that month, so long that it is conducive to our investigation (ie. studying the miners in the north, investigating the immigrant population in Santiago, undertanding the environmental issues near a salmon farm). I, dear family and friends, will be staying right here, in Valparaíso with my host family. Though I'll be working with the indigenous population, I still need access to technology at all times and a large base of young people, which I can find here in the city. I could live in Santiago, but I think I'd have greater success somewhere I'm comfortable (P.S. I'm not ready to say goodbye to my family here yet. Not yet).
CLASSES
As classes are coming to an end, projects, large assignments, presentations and orals are amounting. This week was one of those. I have a final Spanish exam this coming up week, a presentation and 2 papers to work on. Thank God for 3 days weekend though! We're celebrating "Día de las razas" -Day of the races- (Races as in ethnic race). It's Christopher Columbus Day, but not a whole lot of South Americas appreciate what came along with Columbus's expedition nor what followed, so we skip Columbus and celebrate who we are as a race...I think. They don't really do anything here, just no classes/no work (for most people). I'm sure the buses keep running.
RESUMEN (SUMMARY)
Okay, so a resumen (summary) of my life since we've talked: It's October. There was a terremoto (earthquake), but, thank God, everyone is okay. I didn't feel it and heard about it from my family in the States before I realized it here. They have reached the mineros (miners) and hope to take them out before the end of next week. So much excitement. Our program went to Parque por la Paz-Villa Grimaldi: former detention, death, and torture camp during the dictator, Pinochet. It was almost impossible to believe that this took place less than 50 years ago, 1973 onward, but remember how many human rights are being violated as we speak. The injustice that goes on in our day and age. Our group volunteered in an ignored community in the larger region of Valparaíso. El Salto. It was a fantastic experience because I got to give back to the community and spend time working WITH the community in creating a playground for the kids. If you didn't know that I am a big fan of working with kids, now you know. I love it. I played camp games (!!!) in Spanish and the director asked me to come back and spend more time with the community's children. Imagine your favorite celebrity/famous person/politician. Go on...imagine, it's good for you. Now imagine him/her asking you to have dinner with him/her. How would you feel? I don't know what your answer was, but I was thrillllled!! <--Can you tell?
Well, thanks for reading and have a grand day!
Besitos y abrazitos,
Ife 'Quipayan' S.
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