Fondas, Asados, and the Bicentenial!

The 18th of September was a celebration of 200 years of independence from Spain.  Most people had work and school off for five days of partying... for us, it began Thursday after class:
Happy to be free at last

We learned to dance the Cueca (the national dance of Chile)

That night we went out together to an Irish pub and Chilean restaurant

I had a sleepover with someone every night of the weekend so that we didn't travel home alone at night (at this point, 3-4 AM, picture taking wasn't done carefully)

In the morning we played frisbee!

Then went out again to a fonda (a party during independence day) to see live music

...................And we danced........................................... and we cried,

..........................................and had a really, really, really good time!  (and no, I haven't heard this song yet in Chile, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time since they do play lots of foreign pop songs)

We had an extended family lunch the next day with Chilean wine and empenadas (traditionally these are bread baked around meat, onions, one egg, and one olive)

And then out again that night to another fonda with live music and, as always, lots of dancing

 In the morning after this party (by morning I mean I awoke at noon because in Chile the schedule is morning: 8AM to 3PM, afternoon: 3PM to 9PM, night: 9PM to 6AM), I felt so gross from the party I had to go running.  I went to the park near my house and proceeded to kick my butt with a VERY intense, late season frisbee workout.  I certainly appeared crazy doing frog jumps across a field in the middle of the city where most people were having a barbaque or flying kites.  Most absurdly though, is that in my excitement to be active I totally overdid my workout and walking has been a challenge ever since :(...

That night I spent a bit of time with spiderman (the very crazy 5 year old brother of my friend)...

Before heading out to an asado (Chilean barbaque, with my favorite: choripan, a kind of hot dog with chorizo sausage in fresh bread topped with pebre-tomatoes, onions, cilantro and something spicy)
Here we chatted with some Brazilians about politics, ate, drank and played music.  Though still late into the night, it was much more relaxed to have a quiet asado with adults after going out with "jovenes" (young people) every night that weekend.

I finished the long weekend with some homemade sopapillas, homework, and a father-daughter drum lesson...

Though it was a very exciting, fun weekend, I was partied out by the end and glad to get back to a normal schedule in which I did more than sleep, eat, drink, and dance!

Protest and Remember

My Saturday was a very emotional, busy, interesting and cultural day in Santiago.  September 11 is a very sad day for Chile as well as the United States because it was the start of the Pinochet's military dictatorship.  On 9/11/1973 socialist president Salvador Allende locked himself in his palace (after escorting his daughters to safety) and recorded a final radio message to the Chilean people before his death (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1QJ-y_xUmk&feature=related or read the English translation: http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Salvador_Allende%27s_Last_Speech).  Meanwhile the majority of government leaders, intellectuals, and cultural icons were being rounded up by the army under Pinochet's rule.  Over the next 17 years of his military dictatorship thousands of people (the number of thousands is disputed) disappeared and/or were killed.
So every 9/11 there is a huge march through the city.  This year more than 8,000 people participated.

There were indigenous rights groups with dancers, and anarchists

Communists, bands and feminists

Gay rights... or maybe not in Chile yet!... but a rainbow flag for something :)

Anti-capitalist groups

(translation of the text: Capitalism likes to describe any organized action that tends against its interests "terrorism", including non-violent action).  This sign is a reaction to the government's imprisonment of indigenous Mapuche in a hunger strike under an "anti-terrorism" law.  http://www.rnw.nl/international-justice/article/chilean-opposition-members-join-mapuche-hunger-strike (I have not read this specific article but it's a good starting place if you're interested).
... as well as people who were marching in memory of missing loved ones

There were also many other political parties, soccer teams, and people marching for their own personal reasons.
People were spray painting the walls

And once in the march you could not leave because every side street was blockaded and guarded by tons of police

I spent the majority of the march with Hayley's host family.  Her host-mom is Mapuche and here we are with her flag

We were at the end of the march when we saw someone on the roof... bad news

And minutes later a mob was forming around a disturbance... burning blockades

We were far away from the mob, watching at a distance with Hayley's family, as some masked people tore down a street sign and burned an American flag

We all had lemons to counteract the tear gas that the police often release

However, Hayley and I left once the disturbance increased and waited safely behind the cemetery gate with our lemons.  Minutes after we had left many people appeared coughing, covering their mouths with scarves, tears in their eyes, and eating their lemons...

I compiled my footage from the march into this short video. I couldn't upload the full version so the end scenes are kind of impossible to see... still you can hear the smash of the street sign and the little bomb thing the guy from the roof throws.  Sorry about the quality, I tried to upload the big one three times (for over an hour) with no success.

We walked through the Santiago cemetery towards the car

There is a huge memorial for the desparecidos (those who disappeared)

In the cemetery we caught sight of one policeman hidden between the tombs, I'm sure there were many more.  Looking back towards the main street we were glad to be safely away from the disturbance

This fire was accompanied intermittently by a view of the high-pressure water that police cars shoot to fight mobs.
Leaving the protected area required to us walk by literally more than 15 or 20 police

After the march we were in need of some sillyness, music and beer

We found these glasses in our friend's apartment.  There we chatted about the march and exchanged songs because Eduardo (friend of the family) was a musician too!  Here are Hayley's host-parents:

I ate lunch with my family and then Hayley's family was kind enough to adopt me again for more excursions.  I met little Salvador, who turned five that day, and is named in honor of Allende (he REALLY likes spiderman)

And during the drive we saw many, many police

Setting sun, street murals, and distant mountains... Santiago

The sky's color this night felt fitting

We went to Via Grimaldi, now called, Parque Para la Paz (park for peace), which was a site where many, many people were tortured and killed.  Everything is rebuilt as it was (from testimonies) and there is a small museum.

It was very intense to be in this place on this day

Afterwards we joined many Chileans and many of our classmates at the Estadio Nacional, another site of hundreds of deaths.  We helped light candles for the desparecidos and we listened to short speeches separated by beautiful musical performances.  Quite a day...

That night I went back to Hayley's house, had a traditional Chilean dish and watched a concert DVD of a Chilean artist I like as well as footage of violent protests in the 80's during Pinochet's regime, then headed to a different friend's house to sample Chilean wine, exchange stories and generally relax with friends.  Early night in Chile... 3 AM.  ¡Nos vemos!

Welcome to Santiago!

Hola mis amigos (hello my friends)!  I'm now in Santiago, comfortably settled in my third floor apartment with a wonderful family, attending classes every day, and close enough to walk to most of the major centers in the city.

I live on a tiny street that only runs one block called Capuchinos

After getting through three locked doors (harder than it sounds since each lock is uniquely difficult and requires special techniques to turn the key)...

... I arrive in our third floor apartment.  There are three bedrooms, one bathroom, one living room, and a kitchen, all of which surround (with a hallway in-between) the dining room.  My room is wonderful and fills with sunlight (and warmth) in the mornings.

Now... to introduce my family (from left to right):

Patty, my host-mother, works in insurance, loves to dance (in spite of a difficult knee), and is always friendly and inviting.  Alejandro, my "father", is a professor of music at a private university.  He plays guitar and piano and especially likes playing Jazz.  I've spent most of my time with my parents because my brothers are always busy.  They're wonderful!  We joke around a lot and cook together.  Living here is really relaxed, there are few rules, as long as I communicate my plans and don't do anything dangerous.

Sebastian (Ta-tan) is 25 and is studying film in Santiago.  He's in his 3rd year of university so he's really busy much of the time.

Javier is 20 and is studying drums privately (but for a degree).  He is in a serious relationship and has a daughter who is one year old and adorable (from the pictures, I haven't met her yet but I will soon!).  He works as a DJ every night (from 9 PM to around 4 AM) in a local bar.  Ta-tan also works there on weekends as a bartender and cook.

There is one other brother (27) who lives in France and plays cello, I don't think I get to meet him...

Most mornings I go for a run in a park that's about 10 blocks north of my house.  Hopefully this will help get me in shape for the pickup frisbee I play with some really good players on Sundays...

In the distance in every direction you can make out the mountains through the smog

On my way home I pass almost more taxis than cars (this is also my method of transportation around the city after 10 PM because it's not totally safe to walk alone late at night and the metro/buses stop around 10)

There is street art in a lot of places and grafiti everywhere!

Also there are stray dogs everywhere... I'll post pictures later.  Unlike most strays in cities I've seen most seem pretty well-fed and some sport dog jackets that were given to them by someone random.  They seem pretty comfortable and happy, like community pets :)

In the mornings I walk to school (~20 minutes).  I usually hang out in this sunroom before class begins

And then Roberto (our incredibly kind and loving academic director) gives lectures in our classroom

Walking home in the evenings is lovely

Today I walked to the top of Cero Santa Lucia, a hill in the middle of the city with an old castle

It was stunningly beautiful, and from the top you can see all of Santiago

Watching the sun set this evening was magnificent

And in the distance you can see a 17,795 ft. volcano called Cerro el Plomo

More research is needed but it seems like a very difficult, multi-day expedition sort of climb... if there's time....
The old castle is beautiful, with antique cannons, pools and fountains

So... that's my life in Santiago right now!  I'll leave you with this flyer I saw in an internet cafe:

(Dance, kiss, smile)  Adios!