Funny story and a little history lesson!

It is definitely Fall in Chile now. Now it is in the 70s with a cool breeze. I now get to switch to wearing jeans...no more tank tops. I was really enjoying the sunny weather, but I will get it again when I return to humid South Carolina in July!

Well, this week was a good week. In my Spanish class we had to do a dramatization of our experience so far in Chile...it was hilarious! I was working with a fun group so we had a good time being silly and laughing about all of the differences between Chile and the US. I had a hard time even getting through the presentation because I was laughing so much! Living here in Chile has just been a wonderful experience so far and such a blessing from the Lord. I have realized how awesome it is to actually live in a place and not just pass through taking pictures of the tourist sites and then returning to the comforts of home. I have traveled a lot with my family to many places in the US and in Europe, but as I look back on those trips, I could not tell you what life was like for the people who lived there. What is day to day living like for them? What do they eat for breakfast? What is a normal day like for them? These are things that I am thoroughly enjoying learning and I am discovering new things everyday! I really enjoy experiencing their culture day to day and getting a sense of who Chileans are and why they are the way they are. How has their government impacted their lives and how does having to take the metro and bus everyday affect them?

On a completely other note...I have a funny story for you all! Ok, so I am reading a book called "Calm my Anxious Heart"....thank you Mara-Diana for sending that with me. I love it so far and it is helping me find contentment in where I am right now and trusting the Lord with my future. I brought the book along with me for the metro commute to my clinical internships on Friday. Once I got to the hospital, as we were waiting for the other students to show up, I was reading it. My professor asked me what I was reading and I explained to her that it was a book about anxiety and how not to worry my life (mi vida), it is in God's hands. Then she proceeds to tell me that I should talk to the other medical seminar professor because she is heading up a study on AIDS in Santiago. Then her phone rang and she started talking on her phone. I looked at the student sitting next to me and asked her why she told me to talk to the professor about AIDS...what did this have to do with the book I am reading. Then I realized that she thought I said that I was worried about my AIDS (mi sida)! Oh my goodness!! Right when she got off the phone, I assured her that I was only worried about my life (mi vida) and not my AIDS (mi sida)!! We laughed so hard! This is why you must be careful speaking Spanish and pronunciate all of your words well...you could be walking around telling people that you have AIDS if you aren't careful! Haha. Hope you enjoyed that story...I laughed all day and my Chilean family died laughing too!

On Friday I went to El Parque por la Paz (Park of Peace) or Villa Grimaldi--it was the location of a torture center during the dictatorship of Pinochet (1973-1990). 4,500 people were tortured here (included Michelle Bachelet, the President of Chile, and her mother) and 226 people disappeared here or were killed here. I have posted pictures from the visit with captions that have more information about the memorials there. It was really sad to visit there. The history of the Military Coup is very powerful. All of the country suffered in some way under the power of Pinochet--especially psychologically. Pinochet died in 2006 (16 years after he stepped down) and on that day, people were crying outside of the hospital (which is right beside my apartment) and others were celebrating in the Plaza Italia. This is a sign of a country that suffered a lot and is still in the process of healing. The country is very divided and there is still a large gap between the rich and the poor here. Unfortunately, the US government supported Pinochet and we had our hand in the torture and killings that occurred here. It was believed that Salvador Allende (the socialist President that was killed so that Pinochet could take power) was going to be a communist. Therefore the US thought it wise to support Pinochet's effort to stop the rise of communism. However, instead of preventing communism, we helped a terrible dictator. I also went to La Moneda with my Spanish class this week and I have uploaded pictures of that visit also. There is a memorial for Allende in La Moneda because that is where he was shot and killed. La Moneda was also bombed the day of the Coup--September 11, 1973. Many people say that he committed suicide, but he was shot by Pinochet's army.

On a brighter note...thanks for all of the people who are sending cards! It is so wonderful to get mail here! I am by far the "mail winner" among the IES students! Thanks mom for the continuous flow of cards and to Lindsay too!! And...thanks to the Agape Circle at St. James for the beautiful Easter card with all of your messages...that was so sweet! My family keeps me updated on everyone at St. James...thanks for keeping up with my blog and for your prayers! I miss everyone!!

Chao,
Jennifer