Jacquelynn Kleist is whisking us away on a semester long trip to Santiago, Chile. A 20-year-old Junior at St. Norbert College, this Wisconsin native is ready to trade in her brutally cold winters for a fiercely warm spring so she can perfect her Spanish. Her expected arrival date is February 16. Her two posts have already discussed her anticipation. And trepidation:
Although I can't wait to see Santiago, my anxiety level spikes a little bit every time I describe my anticipated adventures in Chile and someone goes "Is that in North or South Africa? Why would you ever want to go there? Don't drink the water!" Even my dentist felt obligated to warn me, "Watch what you're eating. Those people have been known to boil guineau pigs..." Pre-departure advice is always appreciated; however, I was hoping for something more along the lines of "Have fun!"
Fortunately a 19-year-old from Georgia was able to respond to her blog with just the sort of advice she needed:
Santiago, Chile is the love of my life! My mom was born there and my dad lived there for 14 years. They moved to the U.S. once they got married and I have been raised here, but I absolutely LOVE Chile and have stayed there for months at a time. My ita (short for abuelita) lives in Vitacura in Santiago and I have about 40 cousins and 18 aunts and uncles spread throughout other parts of the city. Really really try to go to Valpara’so and Viña del Mar during your stay, both are beautiful. Oh, and I really recommend buying "How to Survive in the Chilean Jungle" by John Brennan and Alvaro Taboada. I don't know if you're familiar with Chile's brand of Castellano, but the dialect varies quite a bit from textbook Spanish and they have quite a few "dichos y modismos" (idioms, slang, sayings) that are worth knowing in getting around. I know this reply is entirely too long, but I get so excited when someone even knows where Chile is! Well, please feel free to ask any questions you may have, I know some great things to do and see. Have a great trip! I'm so jealous! I haven't been in nearly 2 years.
Just one week away from stepping into the exciting land of Santiago. How will our young Wisconsin resident survive the "Chilean Jungle?" Find out soon by tuning into her weekly episodes. You won't want to miss them.
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