I've been in school for three weeks now, and although the novelty certainly hasn't worn off, I think that I am very close to being "completely adapted" to this Chilean life.
The past few weeks of school have been so great. I have 13 subjects that are covered throughout the week, most of which are repeated. For example, I have math almost everyday, but I only have P.E. once a week. The classes that I have to take and that every student in my grade takes are: Math, Language and Communication, Philosophy, Physical Education, English, History, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Art or Music (Art for me), Biology or Language Elective (Biology), Physics or Chemistry Elective (Chemistry), and Math or History Elective (Math). I have a schedule that I keep with me at all times because every day is a different schedule, and it's impossible to remember what classes I have what days. As you can imagine, my favorite class is English. Mainly because I can understand EVERYTHING that is going on in that class, but also because I am able to help teach people my language. The English teacher often asks me to explain what words mean, or give synonyms so that my classmates can better understand. One day I read a paragraph aloud out of our text book, and when I finished, everyone burst out laughing! They didn't understand any of what I had said, even though I was just reading at a normal speed for me, but I'm sure it sounded to them like their Spanish did to me at first! To put it simply, English class is entertaining. As far as friends goes, I think I would consider pretty much everyone in my class my friend. The class that I am in consists of 32 students, including me, and makes up the entire 3rd medio, which is 11th grade. Even though these kids have been going to school together since they were in preschool, and are like a family, they have been so welcoming towards me, and have made me feel so happy and apart of their big family. I will be forever grateful to the students in my class for helping me to have such a great school experience.
Like I said before, the novelty still hasn't worn off, so here are some of the things about myself that I have found to be the most different from the norm here: My height. Chileans are generally a short people. There are of course exceptions, but I happen to be a very tall exception. I usually have to bend down to see myself in mirrors. Next, my eyes. It's like they crave eyes any other color than brown! They say my eyes are "preciosos!" and scarcely find a moment when someone isn't starting at them. Usually kind of awkward... I have had a few offers from people wanting to buy my eyes. Also my hair. Even though it is brunette, it's not the SAME dark Chilean color, so I've gotten a few offers for that too. Lastly, MY NAME!! Stephanie doesn't come out too bad for most people, as Estefany is a name that is used here. However, they completely slaughter Hedger. I haven't found a single person yet who can correctly pronounce my last name. But that's ok.
The other day, my friend Javiera told me that her cousin is in her last year of college studying to become and English teacher, and wanted to know if I would come over to her house to just speak English with her so she could practice. I of course said I would, so I went with Javiera after school this past Tuesday to her cousin's house. It was just a few blocks from school, so we walked. On the way, I saw a friend I had met in the plaza when I had first got to Parral, and he doesn't go to our school, so Javiera didn't know him. I felt so cool to have known someone and been able to talk to him as we strolled down the street. It made me feel Chilean. Once I met Carla, Javiera's cousin, we sat and talked about school, exchange students, public school versus private school, public and private in the US versus public and private in Chile, parties, friends, etc. Her English was very good-she made very few mistakes. She told me that she has a couple of friends that are in her class that are studying English in the US right now. I asked what state and she said California. Oh wow! That's cool I live in California. Then I asked if she knew what university they were studying at. Maybe I would know it? Oh yes, she said it was something Davis. Oh my gosh!! UC Davis! That's like two hours from where I live and happens to be the exact college that I want to go to! Small world.
School pictures are a lot different here. Instead of having a photographer come to school, we go to the photographer. But it's not really even a photographer...My siblings and I went to the Kodak Center after school the other day to get our pictures taken, which the school needs for the "yearbook" and we also have to put one in our agenda book. Well the Kodak Center is a gift shop, and there's a lady in a little back room that takes pictures with a Kodak camera and prints them out for you right there. So we all had a little picture taken with our adorable uniforms on, and then the lady added our name so it represented a mug shot, printed them out to about 1.5 inches by 2 inches, and handed us each our little packet. It was two dollars for 8 little pictures.
My family here goes on vacation to another country every winter, and this year I get to go with them! My parents haven't decided where we are going yet, but it's between Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. They've already been to Mexico and Brazil in past years, but I think it will be awesome wherever we end up going! We have the two weeks before I leave Chile as winter vacation off from school, but my family takes off the week before that as well to go on vacation. I believe we're going for two weeks. That means when we get back, I'll have one week before I leave for the US! Also, my host sister, who is in the US on exchange right now, will be back for our winter vacation, so I'm excited to meet her and spend time with her, since were the same age.
I only have 13 weeks of Chile left!! I feel that I have acclimated pretty fast considering the disruptive earthquake there at the beginning, and I know that I am going to get everything and more out of what I hoped to get from being on exchange. I've learned to never turn away an opportunity, even if it's just going to the grocery store with my host mom, or watch Disney Channel with my little brother. All of it leads to something huge, and It's going to be something I remember forever, and that is currently changing me as a person.
Well tomorrow is my 17th birthday, and I will be celebrating it Chilean style! It's my host family's tradition to wake up at 6am and sing the birthday person Happy Birthday (the Spanish version of course) to wake them up, and then lay all their gifts on top of them. Then gifts are opened, we eat breakfast, and the rest of the day I'm not sure about! So I'm planning on going to bed quite early tonight as I will be waken up before the sun comes up...I'm having a birthday party next weekend with all the people in my grade, so I'm excited for that. I'm not really sure how birthday parties are with friends here in Chile, but we'll see how it goes!
Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Steph
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