Yes, I'm back already. I know, I know, you all are already overwhelmed because you haven't read my last post yet. No worries. But I woke up this morning (to the sound of rain), had this amazing conversation with my host mom (Mamá) over breakfast, and am now in the "blogging" mood, if there is such a thing.
Alright, so breakfast this morning consisted of Nescafé coffee (para mí) and tea (té) for Mamá as well as bread (pan) with this cheese stuff (queso fondido) that is kinda like cream cheese, which we mixed with soy sauce. It sounds really strange (extraño) but it was actually quite delicioso. I also had some kiwi and orange slices with a Activia yogur - believe-it-or-not, they have Activia. Haha. Anyways, we got to talking about the key to life (la llave de la vida). Yes, it was kinda deep for a breakfast conversation but it was one that I thoroughly enjoyed. We both agreed that life is more than tons of money, tons of things, and a really exciting/successful career. Those things aren't bad in and of themselves but one must appreciate their family, friends, and what they do have before anything else. She told me that the people who concentrate on what they don't have and what others do have are not very happy and are only angry. (This conversation was also linked to the one we had last night about politics. My host mom doesn't care too much for politics. She'd rather just live her life and not concern herself with the messiness of politics.) I was able to tell Mamá how my time in Spain really gave me perspective about what life is all about. Before I went to Spain I was dead-set on traveling and living abroad for the rest of my life because I though life in the Midwest was dull and boring (haha). However, observing and living the life in Spain taught me that friends and family are the bread and butter of life, without which life is not as meaningful, in my opinion. Thus, I told her that I love to travel and experience new cultures and peoples but eventually I want to settle in the Midwest (surprise, surprise) and be close to "home." Qué sabiduría, cariño. I know the whole "settle down in the Midwest" thing surprised my mom (to some extent) but I just don't think I could stand missing out on the important stuff - like when Jared & Gina have kids, which they say will be awhile but they have already added a new addition to their family - a puppy! It's kinda funny to observe that in the U.S. families often live hundreds of miles away from one another and only see each other on major holidays. Whereas in Spain and Chile, for the most part, families live in the same town and often the same neighborhood or even the same house!! Interesting, no? Anyways, this is getting a little deep so I'll digress but it's just some food for thought, I suppose.
Next Subject: What is with all these protests and demonstrations you've heard about in Santiago?? Well, during our orientation, we had a presentation on exactly that - the political and social scene of Chile. We are in a very interesting time in Chile as the first generation removed from Pinochet's dictatorship arise and begin to have their voices heard. There is a cry right now for education to be considered a right, and not just a freedom as the 1980 Constitution lays out (the 1980 Constitution was ratified under Chile's dictator and is still in existence, which is interesting). Anyways, there is a lack of investment in education, which has led to a growing student debt. There is also a growing amount of privatization of education, which has led to education being considered, and even declared by the President (Piñera), as a "consumer good," which is usually for profit. A Few Facts: Chile has one of the lowest numbers of public universities in comparison to private universities when compared among OECD countries. 85% of the costs of higher education is paid for by families and 15% by the state. Federal aid is almost non-existent. Most of education etc. is funded by Chilean municipalities (instead of the central government), which are usually poor because Chile has such a segregated society. For student loands, there is a 6% interest rate, which is higher than their mortgages for most....
Enough with the facts, hundreds of thousands of students, children, parents, grandparents - people of all ages - have taken to the streets. They want a Free and Equal education system, more financial aid, lower interest rates, and greater involvement in state education. One problem, however, with these goals is that they are very idealistic and there is little room for compromise. The government, on the other hand, has proposed little and often speaks empty words and promises. (That sounds familiar, no?) Anyways, most if not all of the demonstrations take places on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Most are peaceful, although the media plays up the violent protests. A few nights ago the small group of more "violent" protesters set fire to a church. Some of the news footage seems pretty crazy, scary, and chaotic. One 16-year-old boy was recently killed due to these "explosions" of anger. Many Chileans participate in cacerolazo, which is a uniquely Latin American phenomenon where people take to the streets banging kitchen utensils on pots and pans. Many students have barricaded themselves in their universities or took place in short hunger strikes.
Needless to say, there is a lot of noise being made. ¡Basta! Enough! The cry for social change is huge. Terremoto Social. Social Earthquake, more or less.
A few more interesting facts I want to add because I'm a nerd and love this stuff... Chile is the wealthiest country per capita in Latin America. The seven richest families in Chile earn more than the entire GDP of Chile (essentially, they earn more than the Chilean government). President Piñera is included in these seven families and he himself is part of the top 100 richest billionaires in the world. From about 1989 to 2010, Chile was governed by a center-left coalition and with the election of Piñera about a year and a half ago, there is now a more right-wing government. Costs: The minimum wage of Chile is about $350 per month ($4200 per year) whereas college costs about $6000 per year, making it extremely difficult if not impossible to go to college.
Okay, okay, I'm done. I could continue to ramble on but I have to go get ready for my afternoon out and about in Santiago. I am going to meet up with Wen, another Chilean contact I have from my friend in Chicago. We are going to go eat SUSHI for lunch. These Chileans love sushi, including my host family, who, after finding out that I love sushi, has planned a day to go to the Asian grocery store and make sushi!! If these aren't people after my own heart, I don't know who is! Haha. I hope you all are doing well and I hope you all are enjoying my posts. If you would like to hear about any other specific facets of life in Santiago, please email me and I'll try to talk about that next time.
Saludos Cariñosos,
Sarah
PS My Mailing Address, in case you all want to send me a card or something. Note: It takes about 3-4 weeks to send stuff.
Sarah Routh
Programa USAC
Universidad Andrés Bello
República 230, Piso 1
Santiago, CHILE - South America
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