History
When I see how modern, beautiful, and European Chile is, its hard to grasp that fifteen years ago, from 1973 to 1990, it was controlled by a brutally repressive military government. In my experience, people don't really talk about this, which makes it eerily easy to forget. I've had two conversations this week that have opened my eyes in this respect. First, with Erika, who over breakfast described how men in her conservative, quiet family were given electric shock to their bodies and genitals for supposedly being radicals. Second, with the man next to me on the bus today. When he told me that he "was forced to leave Chile 30 years ago," I stupidly had to ask why. Again, he was tortured. Apparently the heavily-fenced military police compound that I go by on my way to Oceanography class was one of Pinochet's infamous detention centers.
My major homework assignment for Wednesday is reading 300 pages of "History of Chile," about the last century. Its suprisingly interesting, though some of the pages I have to read twice or three times to have any idea what they're talking about. And the classes I took at Urban, like "America Transformed" really help me: the story of industrialization, urbanization, and the ensuing social problems is suprisingly similar, no matter which part of the world you're focussing on.
My planned trip to Argentina did not go well, or rather did not go at all. Just when we were in sigh of the BEAUTIFUL, cold, rugged Andes the bus driver got the message that the pass was closed because of all the snow. Arghh! I was so, so disappointed. At least I had a fun time with the girls I was going with. Disappointment is good for bonding.
My cold persists. Every time I either blow my nose or sniffle (I've been alternating...usually ever 30 seconds) someone makes a sympathetic comment, "Ayyyyyyyyy La Juuuuuulia!" Its rather embarassing being this contagious and snotty! I need to go lock myself up in my room and stop disgusting the houseguests ; ) Perhaps its a good thing that I'm 'home' instead of in Mendoza after all.
My major homework assignment for Wednesday is reading 300 pages of "History of Chile," about the last century. Its suprisingly interesting, though some of the pages I have to read twice or three times to have any idea what they're talking about. And the classes I took at Urban, like "America Transformed" really help me: the story of industrialization, urbanization, and the ensuing social problems is suprisingly similar, no matter which part of the world you're focussing on.
My planned trip to Argentina did not go well, or rather did not go at all. Just when we were in sigh of the BEAUTIFUL, cold, rugged Andes the bus driver got the message that the pass was closed because of all the snow. Arghh! I was so, so disappointed. At least I had a fun time with the girls I was going with. Disappointment is good for bonding.
My cold persists. Every time I either blow my nose or sniffle (I've been alternating...usually ever 30 seconds) someone makes a sympathetic comment, "Ayyyyyyyyy La Juuuuuulia!" Its rather embarassing being this contagious and snotty! I need to go lock myself up in my room and stop disgusting the houseguests ; ) Perhaps its a good thing that I'm 'home' instead of in Mendoza after all.
posted by Julia | 5:27 PM
2 Comments:
It is so hard to imagine snow and a closed pass....it is in the 100's here and it is actually cooler than it was! I am enjoying your notes. G'ma
Hey G'ma! Thanks for the note. I enjoyed the email (that you sent a while back) too. I'm just finishing up a quiet, lazy day...trying to get rid of this cold by taking it easy. My host family made me try some traditional Chilean cold remedy called "avocado honey." Well I'm not dead from it yet but I'm not better either : ) Tomorrow is a national holiday here, so I'll have another day of hanging out before classes.
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