Jenny
Law: Study Abroad in Chile
Chile, as has been said probably since the formation of the country, is a land of extremes. In the North, there are vast deserts and beaches stretching for miles along the coastline. In the South, there are expanses of thick forests and ancient volcanoes poking their snow-capped heads up into the atmosphere. In the extreme South, there are craggy mountains and crystal clear lakes fed by glaciers. Chile is also home to Easter Island, where the moias continue to spark the imagination and curiosity of several thousand tourists a year.
I myself lived and
went to school in Santiago, a bustling metropolis of five million people
and just as many stories to tell. While attending the Universidad Nacional
Andrés Bello and meeting more Chileans, I slowly experienced a
rather strange transformation. I suddenly found myself saying "cachai?"
(you know?!) or "sí po" (yeah, or of course) after every
sentence as my Chilean companions did. I figured out that I really have
an affinity for a good pisco sour (a national alcoholic drink of which
Chileans are very proud) and a good soccer game (if I had to pick, it
would be Colo-Colo!). I picked up an obsession for Latin American literature,
art, and poetry (for all those who haven't read Cortázar, according
to Pablo Neruda, you haven't lived yet).
But I think most
of all, after a year abroad in this very strange (strange in a good way)
and wonderful place, I would have to say that the most drastic transformation
has been my awareness overall: awareness of the effects of American ideas
like capitalism and globalization, trade agreements and international
policy. While in Chile, I discovered that I have a passion for politics
and international relations. Had there not been that little threat of
deportation printed there on my passport, I would have definitely marched
right along the Chileans protesting the war in Iraq, the treatment of
the obreros (menial laborers), and the ever-increasing amount of American
merchandise and advertising. So maybe this next time around I'll be able
to do just that: get knee deep in the thick of social movement that makes
Chile so unique.
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