One Month

Wow, I cannot believe that I have been in Chile for an entire month as of today. I wrote the following in my journal last night: It is definitely a different experience--travelling to a new place and knowing you don't get to go home for a time so far from today that it is unreachable by anticipation.

Last weekend we visited Pomaire, an artisan village near Santiago. It was a small town of shops and restaurants so quaintly enchanting that I could've spent the entire day wandering the streets and browsing the thousands of pots, plates, mugs, piggybanks, etc. made of the native "greda" clay. In Pomaire you can buy enormous painted planter pots (the kind you'd find at Gerten's for $45) for about $6 or beautiful vases (which would sell at Pier 1 for $25) for $2. It's unbelievable. Of course, shipping those items becomes problematic, but they were beautiful to look at. We were able to visit a local studio and even got to work on the wheels. I have apparently forgotten most of what I learned in Ceramics I at CDH, but it was very fun to work with clay again.

I have formed a small group of friends here in Viña. There is a great group of Chilean students and European exchange students who I go out with and am becoming friends with. About three weeks ago I met my friend Andréanne, a Canadian exchange student who is here for the entire year. She is also studying at Adolfo Ibañez where I am studying, so we see each other periodically between classes. Last Friday we had lunch together at a neapolitan pizza joint near school which could rival Punch. She's my "winglady" on weekends.

This weekend the CSB-SJU group is spending Friday and Saturday in Santiago. Iwill have many interesting anecdotes to report back from that trip. Next week are the "fiestas patrias" or national holidays in Chile so we don't have classes on Thursday or Friday. I may travel three hours north with some friends to go windsurfing and hang out on the 3-mile beach of Pichidangui.

Love to all my lovers who have recently started their study abroad experiences in London, Madrid, Rome, Athens, etc. !!!!!

Hasta luego,
Anna