La Economista

Thank you for, well, YOU!

2008-11-27T13:52:00.000-08:00

It's bizarre to live Thanksgiving in a country where Thanksgiving doesn't exist. Today in the English class I am teaching to women in the neighboring city of Valparaiso, we told them about the Thankgiving tradition, the story of the pilgrims and indians, the turkey, and went over the words for every member of the family. One of the things I am most thankful for on this Thanksgiving day are YOU, all of my family. Whether friends, relatives, mentors, neighbors, or strangers (creepin' on my blog), you are all a part of my family, and we are all a part of the Human Family. The last four months I have been blessed with the opportunity to get to know a different part of this Human Family and a little less than a month remains in that continuing adventure. Tomorrow night we will celebrate the turkey feast with all the St. Ben's-St. John's group, our host families, and professors. Lots of love to the Schumacher and Fourre crews, I'm missing the food today!! My tummy's ready for a Christmas feast with all of you :D

I want to wish a great big thanks to all of you near and far who are supporting me so much in this adventure and in my life's journey in general. I am deeply blessed to have such a loving family and group of friends who remain my grounding and foundation (even from thousands of miles away). I am also especially thankful for all of the wonderful teachers and professors who have supported my passion for learning throughout the years. I realize how blessed I am to recieve such an amazing education.

Love to all and wishes for a very Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours around the world.

Stinky Bird Sh**, Good Luck, and Laughing

2008-11-16T10:09:00.000-08:00

According to the old woman in "Under the Tuscan Sun", getting crapped on by a bird is good luck. Well, I must be a lucky girl because, while walking home from a study session today, a rather large sea bird decided to empty its bowels directly above me. This little incident was the perfect addition to a week of homesickness and high stress. As I face the last month of my study abroad experience there is so much that is out of my control, so much I'm not ready to give up, and so much to get done, in so little time. I, like most humans, am not good at dealing with things which are out of my control. But I've realized that in moments in life like these (or when you get crapped on by a bird), all you can do is laugh. Surround yourself with people who care about you and LAUGH.

Cinco Dias Seguidos de Carrete (Partying 5 days in a row)

2008-10-20T18:10:00.000-07:00

Tuesday: Karaoke at Tutix

Wednesday: Partido clasificatorio Chile v. Argentina @ Estadio Nacional, Santiago

Chile beat Argentina 1-0 for points in a World Cup qualifying match for the first time in HISTORY!!! I love football (soccer)!!!

My host brother, Felipe, came with us.

There were fireworks and flares coming from the stands....it was nuts!!

Thursday: Dancing at El Huevo, a gigantic club in Valparaiso with 4 floors and 5 different musical environments.

Friday: Asado (barbeque), then 5 Dptos! Three of the European students organized a party where we went to 4 different apartments and had food and drinks from Spain, Chile, Belgium, Germany, France, and Brazil!!

Saturday: Cumple de Rodrigo (Rodrigo's Birthday Party) in Limache!! Lots of food, lots of drinks, a pool, soccer and volleyball, and the best people ever!!
Me and the birthday boy (Laura had to tickle him to get him to smile)

The view from Rodrigo's backyard!! Heaven is in Chile :D

Needless to say, I am exhausted after so much fun!! This week means lots of studying for me. This weekend I'm going to Santiago with my friend Javiera to hang out with the girls. I'm also starting to plan my post-semester travels: Machu Picchu, Argentina, Uruguay. We shall see!

Santiago Excursion Part 2

2008-10-12T10:18:00.000-07:00

Saturday, September 13:

Cementerio General- My favorite part of our tour to Santiago was our visit to the national cemetary, a huge expanse of land in the middle of this large busy city. Such large cementaries are must-see destinations in most large Latin-American cities. Here families are entombed together in mausoleums and family tombs, arranged like little houses along the streets of the cementary, giving it the feel of a city within a city. There are notable socio-economic divisions in this ornate city--paved streets where the tombs of wealthy families stand in rows, aisles of one or two story mausoleums and, on the outskirts, fields of simple iron crosses marking plots covered in flowers, toys, decorations, and signs.

It was impossible to capture the majesty and tranquility of the cementary on film. For an architecture nerd like me, it was fascinating to meander the streets and see the the varying tomb styles which included everything from flying buttresses to a sleek Arabian style in white stone. Walking through this cementary, you see the cultural and ethnic mix that makes up Chile. The names on the tombs and crosses are as varied as their architectural styles. The tombs carry last names of Spanish, German, English, French, Italian, Basque, Croatian, Chinese, and Arabic origen (among many others). Here are a few pictures.

A family tomb constructed in an indigenous Mexican style.

Barely visible in the distance is the tomb of late former president Salvador Allende.

Flying buttresses!

La Chascona (Casa de Pablo Neruda)- One of the Poet's three houses in Chile, La Chascona was the house from which Neruda conducted his political affairs and entertained his fellow artists, writers, and left-wing politicians. I didn't know until coming to Chile that Pablo Neruda was, in fact, a senator in the Chilean parliament. A staunch member of the Chilean Communist Party, one of Neruda's known works is the "Ode to Stalin" written after the death of the Russian communist leader. I will write a separate blog entry about Neruda's houses.

Barrio Bellavista- We culminated our trip with a visit to this bohemian neighborhood where Neruda's house is located. I enjoyed the laid back vibe and the friendly people we met there, as well as the delicious crossaint sandwich sandwich I had for lunch (with lox and the ever abundant avocado) and a glass of wine, of course.

Santiago is a large and very busy city with a lot of pollution, not my favorite. By the afternoon on Saturday we were all ready to head back to our homes in Viña. Eyes stinging (Santiago smog), we boarded our tour bus and headed back to the coast.

I miss "Minnesota Nice" or An Ode to Fall

2008-10-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

I realize I still have to update my blog with the events of the last few weeks, but today I need to write about the things I am missing from home. As spring begins here (no complaints) that means that fall in Minnesota is turning the leaves on Summit Avenue, the banks of the Mississippi, the trees on Lake Sag, and the sugar maples on Wheeler. Here we are pulling off the layers and I am missing sweater season, my favorite cuddly time of the year in Minnesota. I miss the cool northern lake breezes. I miss the way the light turns golden before dusk on fall nights. I miss cafés, a concept and culture lacking from the Chilean landscape.
Most of all, however, I miss smiles. It is not a wise practice to make eye contact with, smile, or nod at every person you pass on the street (as is our habit in Minnesota). I have realized that my favorite activity, walking (which, in Minnesota, is a very social activity even if you are walking alone), is a solitary experience here. I find myself walking around with my head down and brow furrowed. It is hard to manifest positive energy during walks when you cannot smile at everyone who walks by. The whole smile and nod culture which is, for some, a selling point for CSB-SJU and equally acceptable in St. Paul, is a part of who I am, a nourishing part of my daily life. Now it's something I have to surpress. It's depressing.
So here's my plan. I want all of you back in Minnesota (or places that favor our smile and nod culture) to smile extra big for me back home. Knowing you are all smiling at strangers back home will warm my heart. While you're at it, bundle yourself in a sweater and scarf, walk down Summit Avenue to the monument and watch the leaves change on the banks of the Mississippi, walk down to Lake Sag and drink in the fall air, drink a chai tea at Starbuck's or a vienna from Brewberry's. Share a hookah, order Dairy Queen until the last day possible, step on the crunchy leaves when they start to fall, watch out for falling acorns. Make eye contact, smile, nod...embrace the simple human interaction that you get every day.
Maybe that's what gets us through the winters...

Santiago Excursion Part I

2008-09-27T20:19:00.000-07:00

The guards outside La Moneda. These guards are special carabineros (police) whose job it is to protect the presidential palace.
Plaza in front of La Moneda. The giant Chilean flag was hanging up in anticipation of the national holiday to be celebrated in the coming week. The colors of the Chilean flag blue, white, and red represent the blue of the sky and the ocean, the white of the snow-capped Andes, and the red blood spilled fighting for independence. There is one star on the flag to represent the fact that Chile is a single state (unlike our 50 federated states).
The room where the Chilean president welcomes other heads of state. Our tour guide told us he hopes one day some one in our group would return to Chile and be welcomed in this room as an ambassador or head of state. I told him not to worry, I'll be back.

One of the plazas inside La Moneda (there were orange trees and many gorgeous sculptures!)

Our excursion to Santiago was what I would call "un viaje muy largo en poco tiempo" (a long trip in a short time). Both days included visits to many different sites and organizations in our journey to discover more about what it means to be Chilean and the navigate the complicated arena of Chilean politics (and you thought the U.S. had a left-right split?).

Friday, September 12:

Vicaria de la Solidaridad- We began our tour of Santiago at the Vicariate of Solidarity, an office of the archbishop of Santiago which has created and stored an archive of tens of thousands of testimonies from Chilean citizens during the Pinochet dictatorship. These archives have been used by documentary film makers and judges in showing and trying the events of those years.

Villa Grimaldi- Secondly, we toured the park at Villa Grimaldi, once the headquarters of DINA, Pinochet's intelligence agency and secret police, and a detention and torture center. The grounds have been turned into a peace park with tile markers denoting the previous location of the mens' and womens' cells, torture chambers, and latrines.

Plaza de Armas y El Palacio de la Moneda- During the third stop of the day we met with our history professor, Rodrigo Moreno, who gave us a quick explanation of the statues and plaques in the Plaza de Armas near the Catedral de Santiago before we had to rush off to our guided tour of the Palacio de La Moneda, which is Chile's version of the White House. There we saw the changing of the guard and were guided through the presidential palace (a gorgeous and premier example of neo-classical architecture, for all of you architecture nerds like me). Unlike the White House, La Moneda does not act as a residence, but only as an office for the head of state. It was incredible how accesible this building is to the public. It stands in the center of Santiago and is surrounded by buildings on all sides with an expansive plaza in the front. During our tour we even ran into the Minister of Defense! The building is called the Palacio de la Moneda because it was originally built as a factory to make "las monedas", or coins, of the republic.

Fundacion Presidente Augusto Pinochet- Perhaps the most interesting and revealing stop of our excursion was our visit to the Foundation Pinochet, an organization founded in honor of the late general. We were welcomed by the director of the foundation (a retired general) who showed us a video and talked to us about his relationship with his general answered our questions about the dictatorship and Chilean politics today. To this day there has been little to no public discussion in Chile about the coup of 1973 and the following dictatorship. Chile remains a country harshly divided between left and right, Allende and Pinochet. While I do not understand more clearly the political divisions of Chile today, our visit to Fundacion Pinochet allowed me to more clearly understand the position of the Chilean military in the coup of 1973. It should be noted that the director of the foundation, and Pinochet supporters in general, do not consider the events of September 11, 1973 to be a "golpe de estado" or coup d'etat. Rather, they consider it a "pronunciamiento", a pronouncement, a justified pronouncement of the Armed Forces' allegiance to the constitution.

Chile's 9/11

2008-09-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

On September 11, 1973 Chile's Presidential Palace was bombed and overtaken by the right-wing Junta government of Pinochet which would rule until 1980. In the days after the coup, Allende supporters and leftist activists were taken to the Estadio Nacional (national soccer stadium) which was temporarily converted into a detention and torture center. Men and women were tortured, raped and killed in the same stadium where, last night, the Chilean soccer team defeated Colombia 4-0 in a world cup qualifying match. Abandoning political and religious divisions Chilean soccer fans poured into the bleachers en masse and filled the stadium with chants of nationalist fervor and pride. During the game, Chileans were everything but divided. But Chile's history is a complicated one, as are its present day manifestations.

The meaning of September 11 and the memory of the coup is different for every Chilean. For some, it is a day of mourning and remembrance of the leftist popular movement and those disappeared, tortured and murdered during the Pinochet dictatorship. Many Chileans believe the coup "put right" the Chile which had been torn apart by the socialist economic policies of Allende's government and saved the country from civil war. Still others feel that everyone should get over what happened during those years--that every war, every movement, has its share of torture, death, and the oppression of innocent people. That happened thirty-five years ago, let's stop the fuss.

I have no grasp of what today feels like for the average Chilean. It's odd for me to be outside of my country as we mark the seventh anniversary of our own September 11. It is hard for me to draw comparisons between the two dates. Chile's 9/11 was an attack of the Chilean military against the Chilean government: Chileans vs. Chileans. On September 11, 2001 and outside force attacked the United States. The strongest comparison can be made in the fallout of each day. Both dates left their countries shaken, scarred, and polarized. Chile is still deeply divided politically.

Today raises many powerful questions. Who owns the memory of September 11? What does that day mean for our nation or to you and I as individual citizens? These questions hold true for both Chileans and U.S. citizens alike.

One Month

2008-09-09T13:15:00.000-07:00

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

Photos!!!

2008-09-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

Finally, as requested, here are some photos from my first 3 weeks in Chile. I don't think people could open the video link I sent, but these are the photos minus the cool background music in the video, which you can listen too (while browsing the photos :). Right click on the link and Open in New Window to listen to the music if you'd like :)

Que dulce es la vida chilena!!!

Chef Leo! My host father

My host siblings: Felipe, Ignacio, Macarena y Antonio

Macarena, Anna, y Marcela, my host mom

Feliz Cumpleaños!!

Almost all of us (we're missing 4!)

The view from my bedroom window

Our house

Two of my host brothers, los gran jugadores de pin-pon!!

Macarena, my host sister and Nely, our housekeeper

From the beach, a view of the church across the street from our house.

Hotel Sheraton Miramar, one of the three 5-star hotels in Viña.

Mucho Carrete

2008-08-31T11:44:00.000-07:00

Like most Spanish speaking countries, Chile has its own word for "party". In Chile, that word is carrete, and that's what I've spent this weekend doing. Discotheques, asados (bbqs), bars, la vida loca!!! All of you who understand Junior Year Anna would be very proud of me :)

Today my host family barbequed for my birthday. We had carne, empanadas, ensalada, papas, y choripan (sandwiches made with bread, chorizo sausage, and mayo) super delicioso!! And then, I got not one, but TWO delicious cakes!!! One was made of crispy waffle-like stuff, like what rosettes are made of, plus raspberries, custard, manjar (dulce de leche caramel), all covered in merengue. INSANE!!! And the other one was tres leche, YUM :) They sang Cumpleaños Feliz, it was a GREAT birthday celebration!! (One day early, of course, because we all have classes and work tomorrow.

I have met many new friends this weekend from Chile, France, Italy, Sweden, all amazing people! My Chilean adventure has been a bit like a book which takes a few chapters to get into (like 3 weeks) but once you get past the first few chapters you cannot put it down. Well, I'm past those few chapters and now I cannot stop reading!!!!!! So this week is more classes, and next weekend we're going on our first group excursion to Pomaire, an artisan village near Santiago. Today I think I'll head to the beach to try and read, try being the operative word in that sentence. It's a GORGEOUS day! The weather is getting warmer and sunnier every day.

Love to all!

Hitting Home

2008-08-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

Well, home came to me in Chile in more ways than one today. First of all, I recieved the very sad news that we had to put our precious puppy, Meeko to sleep after learning that he had a mass on his spleen and was bleeding internally. My darling dog of 11 years will be greatly missed by all of us!!! :( I will miss him SO MUCH when I come home this December.

Secondly, the images and words of the Democratic National Convention have been streaming in from Denver for the past few hours in the lead up to Hillary Clinton's address. It's very amazing to watch this race from a different country, a different hemisphere! I miss the U.S., even more, I miss Minnesota. Our nation is a great one which I'm glad to be representing during these months abroad!

My first house call

2008-08-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

Well, shortly after my last post, my medical condition worsened and I ended up with the sorest throat I've had in my life! My whole body hurt every time I swallowed. Turns out I have strep throat--too much cold and humid air and too little sleep. Today my host mom called a doctor to pay me a visit. I've never had a house visit, it was amazing, only something I've seen in a movie. Two Chilean doctors came and checked my vitals and left me with a prescription for Cefadroxilo, an oral penicillin. I have to take this twice a day for 7 days.

I feel so blessed by everyone who has been taking care of me. In a weird way, I am glad I got sick. I feel like it is my body's way of shedding all the energy that is holding me back from jumping into this experience, or any reservations I might have. I know I will recover from this infection more aware, present, and attentive to this experience. Everything is a blessing. Some blessings are just hard to swallow.

So I'll stay in my bed for a few more days, drinking tea, and eating soup, yogurt, and flan. Watching cable TV and doing some homework. Then back to classes on Monday!!

Over and out,
Anna

Feelin' Better

2008-08-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

I just spent the entire day in bed with a fever. But no worries, my host family has been taking great care of me, especially Nely, who has been bringing me tea and ibuprofen and cookies and soup! Yay :) Anyways, my host mom wanted me to switch rooms, so I've moved upstairs to a warmer room. I swear, this place is like a 5-star hotel and world-class hospital all in one. I've just gotta keep taking Advil for the sore throat and I should be fine in no time.

So last night our class went to Santiago, the capital, for a film premier at the Palacio de la Moneda, which is the Chilean equivalent of the White House. It was pretty incredible. I am very excited to return to Santiago and spend a weekend exploring! It's such a beatiful city. Very European, with enchanting narrow side streets and busy thoroughfares.

Well, I'll have more to tell later. Over and out!

To market to market to...buy mountains of fruits and veggies!!

2008-08-16T13:34:00.001-07:00

So, I just had my first experience of a Latin-American market. I went with my host brother Ignacio and our housekeeper, Neli. There, we bought more than 20 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables (lemons, spinach, tomatoes, kiwis, artichokes, cauliflower, lettuce, apples, etc.) for the equivalent of $24 USD. Mom and Charmagne, you two would probably faint at the sight of so much fresh, delicious, cheap produce!!

Today, the sun finally came out after a day of rain which put many rivers over their banks, including the one next to the usual market area (which left the stand owners and their produce to organize themselves along a narrow street). Many people have been asking me for photos. I will surely bring my camera when we go to the feria (market) next week. Once I see everything here with my eyes, I will be better able to capture it with a lens for all of you to see.

On Thursday I finally went out walking through the city. I walked down to the beach, which is a 15 min walk from my house (maybe 20 min.). By the beach there is a boardwalk with artisan stands. I walked along the beach (trying to avoid the waves, but I ended up getting my boots wet). After walking along the beach I went to a yoga center to find information about their classes. I might do yoga while I'm here. We'll see.

Today we had our first group meeting with all the CSB-SJU students and directors at the university. I'm going to try out rowing!! They've got rowing! I was so hoping that I could do rowing here! Yay!

Tonight I'm going out salsa dancing with my host mom tonight. Then maybe out to a club. We'll see. Monday I start classes.

Laters.

My first class, and more about Chilean life

2008-08-12T18:01:00.000-07:00

Today I had my first class in Chile. The professor seems like an amazing woman. She is as passionate about her subject, ancient civilization, as she is passionate about "metodologia de ensenanza", pedagogy. That always makes for a fantastic professor. I am very excited for this class. She speaks at the speed of a machine gun, but I understood the majority of her 2.5 hour lecture today, so I should be fine.

Tomorrow is my last day "alone" as the only CSBSJU student in Chile. It's going to be odd to welcome the whole group on Friday. I'm excited to see them, of course, but I've very much enjoyed my independence in this new experience and the opportunity to discover this city on my own. Well, I'll have to make the best of tomorrow, then. I have the whole day free before my host sister and I have a movie night :)

One of my favorite Chilean customs so far (or customs of my Chilean family) is that every night at 7 or 8 I eat the evening meal with my host parents. As I said, the third meal of the day is the smallest here. So every night we take our tea and whatever else--tonight I had yogurt, toast, and soup--and retire to my host parents' room to watch the TV or the news and chat about the day while we eat. I've only been here a few days, but I already know this is one of the things I will miss when I leave Chile.

Thanks to all who have sent emails and asked to add people to my blog list. Please, let me know if there's anyone I should add. Hopefully I'll have some pics to put up soon from my life in Chile!

Hasta luego.

Ya me enamoro (Already in Love)

2008-08-10T10:31:00.000-07:00

I woke up to in my new Chilean bed for the first time today. I am already in love with this country and this city! Last night I drove across town with my host mom to play cards with her mom and sister. On the way she showed me the three cities nestled between and sprawling over the hills by the sea. High scale Reñaca lies to the north, urban Valparaíso to the south and my new home, the beautiful Viña del Mar, in the middle. Jon, you would love the five star hotels (two of them) and the Casino de Viña, which looks pretty much like Monte Carlo.

Today we will walk an hour down the boardwalks by artisan stands and parks if the weather is nice. I feel so accepted and loved by my host family. They are such amazing people. I feel so infinitely blessed by this voyage and those I’ve met so far.

My tummy is grumbling, so I think I’ll go into the kitchen to find some breakfast. My host mom told me to make myself at home and explore the cabinets to find what I need. Meals are very different here, but they all include tea. Yummy tea! Mom, you would love that. We eat lunch at 2pm, and dinner at 7 or 8pm. Dinner here (or in my house, at least) is the smallest meal; tea, bread, eggs, and something sweet. I’m falling right into the Chilean routine and loving every bit of it.

Hasta pronto,
Anna

My Unintentional Olypmic Boycott

2008-08-10T10:28:00.000-07:00

I always forget that there is no free wireless internet in airports. So I’m here in Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, typing this blog entry into a Word doc. One flight down, one more to go. My flight from MSP was great. I sat next to a kid named Robbie on his way from hockey camp in St. Cloud (small world) to his family’s cottage in Canada. We chatted the whole time.
I’m listening to a new mix from my dear Caitlin. It’s so much fun to listen to a new mix, not knowing what song to next expect!

The only disappointment of my voyage this far is that a bank called HSBC basically owns this airport (there ads are everywhere). And apparently this HSBC feels very strongly that every television in the terminal should show only the CBC (Canadian Broadcast Service) with intermittent commercials and weather reports. On any other night, this would not bother me. However, as I’m sure you are all aware, tonight is 8.8.08!! The opening of the Beijing Olympics! I have been an ardent fan of the Olympics since birth, so this is a small tragedy for me. I was so excited to catch the last part of the opening ceremony from an international location in a crowd of international travelers. Alas, that’s apparently not the Universe’s (or HSBC’s) plan for me tonight.

Well, this is a good encouragement for me to dig into the next chapter of Eat, Pray, Love. Thanks to all (especially Mom, Dad, and Jon) for your encouragement, support, prayers, guidance, love, financial support, etc. as I launch into this adventure!! You are all my strength as I embark on this journey.

Over and out,
Anna

p.s. praying for the people of Georgia and Russia

Day One

2008-08-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

Today I arrive in Chile. Today I start a new life (or at least that’s what it feels like). We land in about 30 minutes. This has been the longest flight ever! You’ve gotta love modern technology, though. I’ve watched an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy”, the movie “Definitely, Maybe” (sooo cute!), and I’m just now finishing “The Other Boleyn Girl” (sad, but good—so glad I don’t live in the Middle Ages).

So, how do I feel? I don’t know quite yet. I am stepping into a new world, a new city, new people, a new language, a new family which will host me for my stay, and, surely, new friends. As my darling brother wrote to me: Just remember…HAVE FUN!!

As the sun shines through my window (over the snow-capped Andes to the East), I thank the Universe for this experience.

Life is love, amar es vivir

Live for others

Keep it simple

Live in the questions

Invite divine silence.

Una vida nueva

2008-08-07T07:28:00.000-07:00

I feel like I am starting a new life on Friday, tomorrow. That is the only sentence I have come up with to capture the magnitude of the adventure I am about to begin. How do you pack for a new life? How do you prepare yourself mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually for a new life?

Tomorrow evening I set off for the biggest adventure of my 19 years to date. I will be spending the next 4 1/2 months in South America, specifically Chile. This whole adventure will not become a reality, surely, until I have been in Chile for about 3 weeks. At that point, I will realize I am not going home anytime soon and that this is for real.

I don't have much to say now, the excitement is all to come: packing, packing, last-minute shopping, packing, packing, unpacking, repacking, farewells, etc. Then I board a plane, and...bam, I'm off. I don't know how I am going to feel in that moment, when I say au revoir to my family in the security line. Okay, don't want to think about it, I will cry.

Thank you to everyone for your support, excitement, and blessings as I prepare for this experience. I will miss you a very much, you are the rock from which I am diving into this enormous adventure. Thank you for the strength you give me.

Let the story begin!

With love,
Anna

One Track Mind

2008-04-27T20:40:00.001-07:00

Approaching this weekend I had numerous good intentions about completing great amounts of studying. Of course, none of these plans were realized. However, I had one of the most enjoyable weekends of the year. I lounged and indulged myself in others' company. The whole time I had lingering thoughts of "I should be getting (this, that, and the other thing) done". I have been reflecting upon my frequent distraction and realize:

"Life can be found only in the present moment. The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life."
-Thich Nhat Han

So during this last week of classes I am focusing on focusing; on one-mindedness--meditation. I wish you all clear minds, peaceful thoughts, and blessings in this week ahead!

Namaste.

Que Vida La Mia

2008-04-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

(acabo de escuchar la cancion de Reik)

Tonight I'm going salsa dancing! And I'm going out for literally the first time this entire school year. Such is the life of a resident assistant. Good times. But anyways, I am beyond excited. Then I am going home early tomorrow morning to see the fam and start the end-of-the-year moving out process. I absolutely cannot wait for this semester to be over but it is bittersweet because I won't be seeing many of my dear friends for over a year! It is going to be very bizarre.

I'm going to admit right now that I have an addiction to PowerPoint. I'm trying to put together a presentation for my policy proposal which I'll be presenting next Wednesday and I just spent a good half hour editing the animation settings on 2 slides. But don't worry, this is probably the best animated PowerPoint flowchart ever! Go team.

So, I'm going home this weekend. Back to the STP. I'm excited to see the fam and go to church. Teresa, I got religious when I came to college, don't ask me how, I'm still confused as to how this occurred. It will be so good to be back in the Cities. The feeling is less urgent when it's sunny and gorgeous up here, but I really miss civilization and Starbucks most of the year. Let me clarify, I miss all the camaraderie associated with our specific Starbucks--I can live without caffeine and sugar. I have good feelings about this summer. I'm hoping to be doing a full time internship in one of the mayors' offices or with a state rep. We shall see. It'll be nice to have nights and weekends off.

I've been dreaming a lot lately, and often my dreams mix with whatever is on MPR when it wakes me up in the morning. But last Sunday I woke up from a very profound dream: a pregnant woman speaking to her baby in prose, a poem about America. The significance was that the child represented America: Black, White, Asian, Latino, Native American, rich, poor, gay, straight, etc. and she was absorbing the lessons of life and passing them on to her unborn child in utero. She kept saying "I am America, and America is living inside of me" (that is the one line I could recall when I woke up). She spoke of absorbing pain and ignorance and transforming it into a beautiful rebirth. Her poem was so beautiful and I haven't been able to stop thinking about her words this entire week.

Dreams never cease to fascinate me. Because those words were in my dream are they mine? Where did they come from? My answer is God, I think He's the Oscar winning cinematographer of our dreams. But when He puts people in our dreams, do they exist in the world or do we imagine them? Hmm...good things to ponder. I'm trying to get better at recalling my dreams. Any tips?

Feliz viernes a todos!

...April?

2008-04-11T19:55:00.001-07:00

So, if I hadn't forgotten my camera at home over break, I could post a photo of the 8 inches of snow that fell overnight and cancelled classes today! It was absolutely ridiculous! I'm not complaining, though, because that cancelled my 8am corporate finance exam which I was entirely unprepared for. But really, a snow day in April? Typical Minnesota.

craptastic and homesick

2008-04-07T11:02:00.000-07:00

Well, one not great way to start your very busy week is to sleep through the 8am review session for your corporate finance exam and then lay in bed because you don't want to get out and face the Monday music and then you start to feel like your body can't move. I've noticed myself falling into the same rut I pulled myself out of after the horror that was last semester. But now I'm slowly sliding back into it: taking myself way too seriously, avoiding socialization, sleeping too much, and being a complete grumpfest. I'm just not a fun person right now.

Oh woe is me. Okay, I'm over it.

Solutions:
1. Count your blessings
2. Be Christ to others
3. Write thank you letters to everyone
4. Exercise
5. BREATHE!

Go team. I think I'm just antsy because summer is here in approx 1 month and I want to go home and see my girls! Also, the closer I am to summer, the closer I am to 1 semester in Chile!...which I still cannot believe. We have our first trip meeting on Wednesday.

Ohm shanti shanti shanti...

"Mi Confesion" by Gotan Project (feat. Koxmoz)

2008-04-03T21:45:00.000-07:00

...new song I just heard on the Current. Bomb.

Wow, this has been the week of all weeks! Lie, I've had way busier weeks. But Wednesday was the Microeconomics exam of death and I don't know if I'll make it to bed tonight. I have to edit my policy memo proposing a universal pre-K program in MN and that involves lots of source-searching and blah blah blah. Oh, Anna, when will you learn to work ahead? I am looking forward to a weekend like I am looking forward to summer, which is A LOT!

Let's see, what has been on my mind lately? My dangerous independence which makes it hard for me to incorporate others into my life. I am rather selfish with my time and priorities, I find. I went to praise last night (so good!) and we sang my favorite praise song. "Not to Us", Chris Tomlin: "Not to us, but to Your name, be the glory." So true. That's what it's all about.

Finished Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger. Such a good book! Every single time I read it, it is an entirely different book. I get something out of it each time--something deep. I swear it just sits there on my shelf until I am in need of some divine message then BAM! like Emeril it just pours out the wisdom to me! The message I got this time was to focus on being detached from material and concrete things. Brilliant. It's such a treat to be able to read for fun!

Hmm...what to pick off the shelf next? I saw a great seafaring tale on a shelf in the library the other day whilst browsing the stacks. We'll see.

Well, this weekend is gonna be crammed with homework, homework, homework. Summer is just around the corner and it's getting sunny, though you can never predict Minnesota's fickle ways during the spring so I'm not keeping my hopes too high.
Xs and Os

rise to the occasion

2008-03-30T21:43:00.000-07:00

Had a great chat with my papa on the phone tonight. He passed along this quote: "Change is inevitable, but growth is optional." Life throws a lot of crazy things our way, especially at this age when I am trying to figure out who I am, who I want to be, etc. You cannot plan people into your life because, for better or worse, they always show up to the occasion in a different way than you had expected. The unexpected is challenging but offers great opportunity for growth.

On an entirely different note, I have been reading FOR FUN lately and am loving it. Just read On Beauty by Zadie Smith and am now rereading a favorite, Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger. Genius. Haven't decided what I'll read next. Probably a collection of essays by Natalia Ginzburg, fabulous Italian author.

Sunday night is perhaps the most melancholy time of the week. Another 5 days of work lay ahead--and one great big Microeconomics exam this Wednesday.

Bring on the unexpected!

"Life Plans"

2008-03-29T12:41:00.000-07:00

First Grade: Rainforest Specialist
Second Grade: Chemist
Fourth Grade: Author
Sixth Grade: Broadcast Journalist
Tenth Grade: Translator
Eleventh Grade: Politician, Anthropologist
Twelfth Grade: High School Teacher, Physicist
First Year: Diplomat, Theologian, Chef
Sophomore Year: International Market Analyst, Professor, CEO

Since a very young age I have been planning my life. College, grad school, summers in between, career, Ph.D., restaurants I shall own, investments I shall make, instruments I shall take, number of children I shall have, martial arts I shall learn, or books I shall write, etc. I love to dream about 12 years ahead of the present. I relish in the future, often more than I relish in the present moment.

Lately, and through various influences, I have come to realize that all of these plans I spend hours crafting aren't real, or tangible; they do not talk, they do not care about me, do not know how to have deep conversations, do not give hugs or kisses, do not give advice, do not have a personality. They exist as static frequencies in the blurry years ahead of today. Yet, so often, these plans take the place of close friends and companions. Often I would rather sit in my room with my papers and charts, planning the next few years ahead only to replan those years weeks later, and again weeks later, and again. My friends know that I have a new "life plan" every week.

I do not want to or intend to abandon any of my grand ambitions for the future, but these things will come with time. Opportunities will present themselves, others I will have to seek out when the time comes. But for now I want to devote myself to the PEOPLE around me. I want to be nourished by company--no matter how simple. I also need to focus on the part of my plans that exists in the present, namely, my studies. I will never get to Columbia or LSE if I don't kick ass this semester. Grad school is at least 3 years in the future. Friends and family are RIGHT NOW. I don't have to wait around for them to "happen". Moreover, how am I supposed to know what I want to do with my life if I keep cloistering myself and planning a little microcosm of a life for myself, expecting the perfect people to walk in at the perfect time and fill their designated roles: employer, advisor, partner, etc. Experience has taught me that nothing--especially relationships--play out in the way you had expected. Only time shall tell what degrees I earn, which career I pursue, etc. To the contrary, my actions now are what determines who will support me and surround me in the years ahead.

Who knows WHAT I'll be when I grow up. I wish people asked WHO do you want to be when you grow up? A better version of myself, of Anna, who just happens to be a market analyst, diplomat, author, professor, mother, et. al. No matter what I am when I grow up, I hope to be more fully whom God intended me to be.

"Who we are is God's gift to us. Who we become is our gift to God." -unknown

Jugo de coco asado

2008-03-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

In August I will depart for Vina del Mar, Chile where I will live and study for approximately 4.5 months. This trip hasn't quite become a reality yet. While in Chile I will be attending classes at Universidad Adolfo Ibanez and acting as the finance coordinator y economista for a microlending project created by one of my classmates during her time in Chile last semester. My dear friend Tiffany will be la sociologista and official people person for the project and my travel companion--we hope to visit Argentina and Machu Picchu. I will be living in South America for an entire semester and then some!!

I've been out of the country only two times in my life. The first was a weekend trip to Winnipeg for an Ultimate Frisbee tournament, but I don't really count Canada as "abroad". The second was a 3 week journey through northern Spain. I spent 5 days in Madrid and backpacked the last 150 miles of el Camino de Santiago de Compostela, the Way of Saint James, an ancient Christian pilgrimage route which begins, at its farthest point, in Paris (many pilgrims begin their journey from various part of France), and winds its way over the Pyrenees into Spain, crossing the northern part of the country into the region of Galicia, where we began our journey.
I prepared myself spiritually and physically for our pilgrimage in the months leading up to our June 2005 departure.

Travel as a pilgrimage has an entirely different essence than tourism or vacation. As a pilgrim you reflect upon an intended arrival at both a physical and spiritual location. Our final destination would be the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela where, it is said, rest the bones of Saint James the Apostle. As trips always do, this journey turned out to be a distinctly different experience than what I had expected and planned for.

Nearly 3 years later I have not fully processed my pilgrim journey. Over the trip I kept a journal, snapped photos, shared stories, and sang...boy, did we SING! Broadway show tunes, African spirituals, Avril Lavigne, seriously. Now, as I stand months away from my next pilgrimage, I think it would be beneficial to reflect upon my first journey abroad in preparation for my next much longer one.

Prepare for the history of Santiago de Compostela, el Camino de Santiago y la region de Galicia, Espana, as well as an account of mi viaje de peregrino en 2005, in Spanglish, because you cannot live a journey in one language and express it adequately in otra.

Buen camino.

in the beginning...

2008-03-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

This blog starts as auspiciously as any--in an hour or two or three when I am supposed to be doing homework. But I figure it's about time I get my humble sentiments out here into Cyberspace along with the masses. Perhaps we desire to preserve ourselves in periodic digital mutterings for posterity's sake, perhaps because we are full of ourselves. Either way, I'm joining the debauchery.

I've been paying attention lately...which has revealed many a harrowing detail of the state of this fine Union. An attempt at description won't convey these revelations, as they are truths we must each discover for ourselves. I recommend watching http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/. Two hours later...you'll know where my brain is right now. It is thus that I pose a question (to myself, to you the unlikely visitor, to Cyberspace):

What is truth? What is Truth? How do you distinguish between the two?