Day 13 - End? Or just the beginning

 And so my time in Chile is up.  Today I woke up around 10:00AM to finish packing for home.  After a nice shower, it was time for the group to go out for our final lunch together.  We went to a restaurant a few blocks from the hotel.  Here I ordered a cheeseburger and received a little bit of heaven on bread.  It contained two layers of meat with two layers of cheese to separate them and toasted bread.  I even had a freshly squeezed berry juice to wash it all down with.  This was definitely a great way to end my stay in Chile.

After the long bus ride to the airport, we had finally arrived to our flight.  The endless flight was made better with the nice chicken dinner to pass the time.  I was also able to watch the intense movie with Angelina Jolie and some of the show ‘Glee’. 

The most memorable part of this departure, however, was discovering how much of Chilean culture and language I had picked up during this trip.  I was able to help the Chilean couple next to me with the all-Spanish form they had to fill out for their arrival in the United States.  On top of this, I was even able to have a long genuine conversation with them in Spanish and English.  This is something I would not have even imagined doing before the trip.  It turns out that the man I was speaking with is an engineer at an international engineering company.  The couple left me their contact information, so hopefully when I am applying for Co-ops or jobs, I can use these newfound connections!  The study abroad opportunity in Chile has benefitted me in all ways possible!

Chao!

-Marquis

Day 12

Today we were able to sleep in until lunch at noon.  This gave me some much needed rest for the day.  We began the day at the University by listening to the experience of an exchange student from Europe who had decided to come take classes at the University.  This was to give us an idea if we would like to study at the University as well.  She seemed very pleased and enthusiastic about studying in Chile.  This is easy to understand because the students seem very welcoming, the campus is filled with gardens and lies across from the sea, and the food and nightlife are ideal.  The only difference for me would be learning to fluently speak the language would be my greatest barrier.  Other than this, I could completely relate to the things she was discussing about studying in Chile.

After hearing her experience, we went on to eat lunch at the University cafeteria.  Here, I met Carla.  She was an engineering student who had a busy schedule and was telling me about how she is managing.  I realized that engineering students in different countries are all facing some of the same challenges. 

After the brief lunch, the group went on to play soccer against other Chilean students.  Of course, my team started off ahead.  Soon, however, the other team with the Chilean students came back with their talent to win the match.  We even played a competitive game of basketball against the students.  By now, we were all tired from the soccer match, but still managed to play a tough game.  Playing sports against the students followed by a giant Pizza dinner where we received our sweatshirts was a perfect ending to the trip.

Day 11

Starting the morning off early, we boarded the bus to Santiago to visit the stock exchange of Bolsa De Comercio Santiago and to tour the giant city.  Arriving to Santiago, I quickly realized that this city was very different from Viña del Mar.  The city looked more like New York City.  It had larger skyscrapers, busy streets, and more familiar cars and buses.  Clearly, the lifestyles of Chile vary with distance from Santiago. 

At the Bolsa, we were given a brief presentation on the history and the workings of the stock exchange.  Unlike the New York stock exchange, where the trading floor is still loud and busy with traders, this trading floor is usually relatively empty and quite.  This is because in Chile most of the trading is done on an online system now.  Unfortunately, during our visit the trading floor was not open for us to visit and tour. 

After the visit to the Bolsa, we toured the city of Santiago itself.  We stopped at one of the first and one of the largest Churches to be built in the city, a history museum, and other sites throughout the city.  While we were walking around the city, a group of students wanted to take pictures with us (I guess we stood out).  This eventually led to more and more students wanting to take pictures with our group.  Eventually we were surrounded by a large crowd of students taking pictures of us.   I was surprised to see that there was a much larger diversity among the people in Santiago.  This is certainly because it is such a large city.  I saw this first hand when our tour bus took us up a hill overlooking the city.  The city seemed to endlessly stretch out in all directions.  A perfect site to end the day on!

Day 10

Starting today just like any other day, with our usual breakfast, we were off for our day at the Spa.  After a long bus ride, we were finally at the location.  The area around the spa seemed to be like any other neighborhood and the high fence and trees shielded anyone from seeing what was on the inside.  So, I was expected a small house with a group of people or a family as the staff.  Instead, when we entered through the gates, we were greeted with a large palace!  The building itself had tile floors, arches to walk under instead of doors, staff in uniforms working at the front desk, an upstairs all you can eat buffet, an indoor pool, and even a gift shop!

Now let’s talk about outside.  There were palm trees and roses greeting you as you walked in, at least four different pools, a unlimited access food and drink bar, and of course a live DJ to top it all off.  But, let’s continue.  There was even a ‘fútbol’ court where, of course being in Chile, we had to play a game.  The Chilean students clearly had better footwork for the game, but we managed.  For a while, it seemed that the teams were even, with both teams having an equal number of Chilean students.  Eventually, the other team couldn’t handle our offensive attack.  I scored a goal, followed by a quick goal off of a head-butt by another teammate. We won the match!  After the game, I relaxed on the paradise spa and ate at the endless buffet.  This was another great Chilean day.

Day 9

Today was definitely one of my best days thus far.  After beginning the week with our usual breakfast, we went off to the ‘farm’.  The place rested on the side of a mountain and was surprisingly close to the hotel.  Once there, we were given brief instructions about horses and horse riding.  Next thing I knew, I was getting on the horse.  Gave it a kick, and we were moving.  Controlling and telling the horse where to go was easier than I had expected.  This was because the horse wasn’t an unintelligent animal; it knew where I generally wanted to go and when I generally wanted to stop.  As we left the farm and down the mountain, I realized that my horse was a very competitive one.  When we would tell our horses to go faster my horse would always try to get out in front of the others, which for someone without any horse riding experience, was a thrilling ride to say the least.

Once we were down the mountain, we made it to the beach.  Riding my horse on the beach with the waves splashing, the city of Viña del Mar and the Andes Mountains in the background made me feel like I was on a movie scene rather than in reality.  After riding through the beach, we came to a forest-like area and then a desert.  We were soon surrounded by sand on all sides as if we were in the Sarah Desert in northern Africa.  The hills of the forest, the slopes of the sand, and my competitive horse made for a rollercoaster of a ride through the desert.  We eventually came to a patch of trees in the desert and stopped for a rest.  The guides cut big slices of fresh pineapples for us to eat.  Soon, we were riding back toward the beach, from the beach to the mountain, and then up the mountain to the farm.  Once we made it back to the farm, we were greeted with a large open barbeque.  There was steak, grilled chicken, authentic hot dogs with the bread grilled as well, potato salad, and plenty of drinks.  I must say, this was the way to have a barbeque!  Horse riding is certainly a common cuture aspect of Chile and this certainly was a day that will always remain with me.

Day 8

Sunday began with some much needed rest! I got out of bed at around 10:30 AM only to relax, eat some breakfast, and watch TV to let myself unwind on this morning.  But, this is the paradise of Chile so I decided to get up and get out and go into town to the market.  Together with Ryan and Brianna, I went to shop at the local flea market where things are a lot cheaper than in the United States.  We purchased some things and saw some others that forced us to want to go back to the market on another day. 

While we were shopping, we realized that we were starving and surrounded by dozens of places to eat.  We walked down the street, past many different kinds of restaurants.  Each shop offered something different and gave a different smell as we walked past them.  We finally came across one with an English speaking man urging us to come in and eat.  He made sure we understood everything on the menu and served us himself.  He told us that he was from Ecuador and was starting his career as a chef.  I got a steak, mashed potatoes, corn, a drink, and dessert for around seven or eight dollars.  The food was very good, so I just might have to go back there and get some more of his food.

For dinner, the whole group dressed up and went to a fancier restaurant on the beach.  Again the food was very good as I got salmon and creamed corn.  Another great end to a Chilean culture filled day.

Day 7

Today was the start of the weekend! It was our first day off.  I began the day after waking up around noon time with breakfast.  I ate some cereal bars and juice I purchased at a local supermarket.  They were flavors I haven’t seen before and they were very good.  I found myself relaxing, watching television in Spanish, and catching up with my friends in the United States online. 

Eventually, my roommates and a group of the students decided to go out to a restaurant for lunch.  One of the students, Brianna, had found a small place to eat that she thought would be a nice inexpensive place to go.  She was right! It was a small restaurant but, the food selection and prices were perfect.  I ordered a chicken quesadilla and orange juice.  The food tasted and smelled fresh and the orange juice seemed to be freshly squeezed from the orange itself.  One of my best lunches so far. 

Soon after lunch we all met up for dinner at around 6:00 PM.  We went to eat at another local restaurant near the casino.  Our seats were on the second floor by a window so we could look out into the lively city.  There was a live DJ and the food again was fresh and filling to eat. 

After the satisfying dinner with the view and music to remember, a group of us watched some TV in Spanish.  Comedy, drama, and scary movies were all very amusing to us because the Spanish voice over the actual speaking made everything seem less real. 

Finally, after watching some movies, it was time to party!  Two of the Chilean students took us out for a little pregame first.  At around 1:00 AM we went to the discotheque a few blocks from the hotel.  I even met up with some Chileans that were at the casino discotheque from the previous night.  There was a lot of hip hop from the United States that played as well as some Latin American music that was easy to dance to.  On to the next day!

Day 6

Following our usual breakfast in the hotel, we set out to visit Isla Negra.  This was the house of the famous Chilean poet, Pablo Naruto.   Of course, not everything goes as planned.  As we were on the bus we soon realized that we did not need to be at Pablo Neruda's house until another four hours.  So simply put, we had some time to kill.  We first took a stop at a local beach before heading up a hill to arrive at another poet’s grave.  This was a bumpy ride up a steep dirt road but we were able to learn how Chileans gave respect to their own as his grave was more like a garden with places for people to sit and visit.  After this visit and short lesson on who this poet was, we arrived at a local restaurant.  I must say, the spaghetti with meat sauce was one of the best I’ve had as there were clearly very fresh ingredients.  So, it didn’t surprise me that this restaurant was being filmed on CNN Chile as we were there. 

Now it was finally time to head to Naruto’s house.  It was filled with statues, collections, and a theme that the house was more like a ship.  His house was a clear reflection of his creative and poet nature and was unlike any house I have been in before.  Another experience I will not forget.  Today ended with the Reggaeton class, another perfect way to end the day before heading out to the OVO Discotheque at the local casino.  This had to of been the best night of the trip so far as we danced reggeaton, salsa, and met so many Chilean people.  A perfect end to a Friday night!

Day 5

Following our usual hotel breakfast, we began the day with a Company visit to Vina Indomita.  This was the wine company that my group covered for our company, so it was interesting and fulfilling to see that our data and ideas about the company were correct.   The company was definitely a more aesthetically pleasing to visit as it was on top of a hill gazing over the mountain ranges and vast fields of grapes the company owned.  Inside the company walls, we were able to see the large bodega where they stored and mixed their wine.  At the end of the bodega we were able to see the lab where they tested the win to make sure everything was in the correct quantities for the best possible wine.  Finally, we were taken to the cellar where the company stored their different wines.  Here, I learned the importance engineering can have on an entire company.  After the earthquake, the company only lost a small percentage of its wine because it was structurally built with great support.  This is unlike a neighboring company that lost all of their wine due to the powerful earthquake.  After the tour, we began our wine tasting.  I was surprised to see three full cups of wine in front of me as I was expected us to each get a little small sampling of the wine.  Of course, I won’t complain.  We tasted the different wines, the fruity white wine, the tasteful red win, and the reserved white wine that left us felling hungry.  Each wine was clearly of very good quality as they were very smooth to taste. 

Next, was our company visit to LAN Airlines.  Here we were able to learn about how the company is expanding and the business side of how a smaller company can grow into a very productive and prosperous company like LAN.  We were able to see the different maintenances that go into the planes before we were able to get on one of the planes.  We saw the impressive business class seats that had reclining chairs and TVs for each passenger.  A plane ride that I wouldn’t mine to ride.

Today ended with a good dinner at a local restaurant before going out to a karaoke bar where I sung “I’m still In love” by Sean Paul.  Another experience to remember, and a great way to end the day. 

Day 4

Today started off with our hotel breakfast and followed with our first company visit of the trip.  We visited Bosque del Mauco, the mushroom company.  We had to wear our boots today and I was glad we did.  The first cite of the company we saw was the raw materials used to create the soil for the mushroom.  Simply put, this looked and smelled like fresh poop!  We walked up-close to this ‘soil’ and felt the steamy piles blowing into our faces.  A funny experience I will not forget.  Next, we visited the different rooms where the mushrooms are actually grown.  We saw the different stages of mushroom growth and learned that the entire process was not that long and seemed to be rather efficient.  Following this, we were able to see the place where there was a machine for canning the different mushrooms and we could smell the freshly cooked mushrooms in the air.  Finally we could see where they packaged different mushrooms by having a line of people sorting out bad products and good ones.  They fed the good mushrooms to a packaging machine that wrapped and labeled them.  This company visit allowed me to see how engineering processes truly work in the real world. 

Next, we visited the Centauro company.  This was a food production company that specializes in tomatoes.  This family owned company was also very impressive.  The owner, a descendent of the company founder, could answer any of our business questions which helped me get a feel for how a large and successful company like Centauro operates.  There was also a Chemical Engineer who oversaw the plant.  This allowed me to understand the role the engineers can have in a given company.

The company visits were followed by lunch and another lecture on Chilean culture.   This time we learned about the deadly natural disasters that Chileans are constantly faced with.  We even saw some of the stories behind the 2010 8.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Chile.  To brighten the mood we than learned about Chilean music and the role it has on the nation as a whole.  After a short break we had to discuss our business idea that our groups came up with that had to exemplify what we learned about Chilean culture.  My idea of having a type of dog pound and adoption center won first place because it demonstrated that passion and respect for nature the people of Chile had.  Of course following the informative lecture and presentations, we had another engaging salsa class.  This was still another great way to end the day before going to another bar for the night.

Day 3

Today we began bright and early with the same hotel breakfast.  After eating, we had our lecture on Business in Chile.   We promptly began as conflicts caused us to begin a little late.  This highly qualified professor, has traveled all around the world, including Pittsburgh.  His global awareness of business allows me to see that the more experience and awareness we have abroad the more overall knowledgeable and successful we can be for business.  This was seen clearly because he could speak on any topic with great detail and was very informative.  We soon had our lunch break in the same cafeteria as the previous day.  Again, it felt good to feel welcome in a completely different atmosphere than I have ever experienced.  The people I sat with started to talk to me in Spanish and I soon began to feel a little more confident speaking to the Chileans in Spanish.  I ended up sharing my food with my neighbor before leaving to head to the next lecture on Chilean business. 

 The business professor was more engaging this time because he knew it had been a rather long two days for us and wanted our input of what we were thinking.  This professor could also answer our wide variety of questions and improved our understanding of Chilean business, South American business, and business in general.  After the time consuming and engaging lecture we took a brief break before our Company presentations.  Since we had done them before, they all generally went well because I knew what I was going to say and how I was going to say it without looking at the slides too much.  In addition the business professor asked questions to each of the groups and further increased our understanding of the company and the product.  Finally to end the day we had our energetic Reggeaton class.  The music was upbeat and the instructed showed no shame in showing us all of the various promiscuous dance moves.  Another great way to end the day.

Day 2

Today was the day I started to get a real feel for the Chile.  After a breakfast of a small tasteful ham and cheese sandwich and orange juice, we began our tour of the Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria main campus in Valparaiso.  Simply put, the campus was more like a mixture of a paradise island and an Ivy League college in America.  There were gardens filled with trees, flowers, and places to study.  Although, there are no longer any dorms on the campus, the vast majority of the students live nearby.       

After the campus tour, we had an interesting first lecture on Chilean culture.  This informative lecture allowed us to see the rich history and traditions of the Chilean people.  The professor was very knowledgeable and could answer any questions we asked him.   After this first lecture we went to the cafeteria in the school to eat dinner.  Sitting next to and around the Chilean students, I soon felt very welcome among the crowd.  Next we had our second lecture of the day.  Again it was very informative and the professor was very engaging and really enjoyed created discussions to see our opinion on certain views.  This allowed us to begin to understand the business and engineering opportunities and differences in Chile. 

When the culture lecture was finished, we then began the city tour of Vina del Mar and Valparaiso.  As I was looking at the different cites and streets as we drove by, I felt as if people were generally more happy and peaceful.  But, that could just be me.  During the tour was walked up on of the hill to see the breathtaking   view of the colorful, lively, and unique city.  On this hill, I brought a necklace and a hat because they were much less expensive here than in the United States.  Next was a much needed dinner followed by the Salsa dance class.    The energetic dancing was a perfect way to end the day before going to a bar for the night.  On to the next day!

Day 1: The Great Arrival

Today was the day I traveled from New Jersey to Santiago, Chile.  The first step of this process was being able to get from airport to airport.  With no experience in airports alone this was interestingly an easy process.  I arrived to the Newark airport around two hours early which gave me plenty of time to make it to the gate I was assigned to.  Once I made it to Atlanta, the flight to Chile was a nine hour flight.  A much longer flight than any trip I have experienced to California.  The long flight had surprisingly good and filling food.  Once I arrived in Chile, there was a big misunderstanding that I faced.  The temperature was shockingly colder than I had previously expected based on online weather reports.  Immediately after getting off the plane, I could see my own breath and the landscape was completely fog covered.

The first thing I noticed while taking the bus to the hotel was that the landscape was simply (I know this sounds cliche) breathtaking and amazing.  The mountains were much longer than the Appalachian Mountain chains and the various houses and buildings were colorful and gave a new and unique view in the landscape as I drove by.

The Hotel America itself was drafty, cold and much smaller than I had expected.  But it turned out that the shower water was warm, making the hotel quality to be enough for me to live for this trip.  Outside of the hotel and around Vina del Mar I soon found out that there are many stray dogs running loose, starving and possibly diseased.  Walking around the city, I received many smiling faces and positive vibes from the different Chileans who lived in the city.  I also soon found out that the food in Chile was very edible and I found myself quite full of food by the end of the day.  Overall the views from the Ocean, the positive feeling that I felt from the native people, and the colorful city gave me the impression that this will be a truly epic and fantastic experience for me that I will surely not forget.

-Marquis