La Cruz al Valle de Lluta

Before I start this, sorry for the typing mistakes, the computer I did this on doesn't have english spellcheck number two, it took forever to upload on this computer, but I hope this is something cool for you guys to check out, so I spent the time on this thing to get it out.

This past weekend we went to the valley of Lluta, which is a 40 minute drive from our house in Arica.  21st of May was the big date, the date for the celebration.  However 2 weeks before this, we went to Lluta to bring the cruz/cross down.

At first I was told that this was all about faith, doing multiple/many things for the cruz, yes I can say it's a bit more than just about faith, but about sacrifice as well.  Boris had to spent a pretty penny on everything that occurred this weekend...

I'll try and get this in chronological order, but forgive me if I get a on a tangent here or there.

So, this all starts with the supposed 'drug deal' that occured when it really just was two scarves for the cross.  They are blue and decorated, however after a week of having these scarves(I don't know a better word for them...) we went to Lluta, We climbed up the hill(I´d call mountain) and got the crosses.  This was done with a few beers and a kind of procession on the way down.  Once we got the crosses back to the 'house' in Lluta, here is where a lot of people came from Arica and we had a religious type ceremony.  They took the old scarves off and we replaced them with the new ones.  We also had a large bottle of wine, and each person spilt a bit of wine on each of the four corners of the base/alter of the crosses.  This was to comemerate sacrifice and blessing of tierra madre(mother earth/god).  After, two by two, we all went up to crosses/altar and put some insence on a pan of burning carbon(the same wood used for asados) and blew the smoke/insence to the crosses, after some people said a prayer and/or kissed the scarves.

Well, all of the photos I took of that were stored on my now broken laptop... However, the crosses/alter and all were placed on the side of the garage, with a large white sheet covering the back of the wall.  There were flowers there placed every couple of days and candles that were continuiously replaced for the entire 3 weeks of the crosses being at the house.

This is what it looked like everyday, The picture is of my host-grandparents that live with me.



The tuesday before bringing the cross back up to the concrete alter on the 'mountain' most of the people who came this past saturday went to mass with us. The crosses were blessed by the priest after communion.  When we arrived to the house, a band was there and greeted us with music.  We had a lot of finger food/appetizers and some beers for the musicians/guys(us) at this 'reception'.

Yes, that is Mother Mary above the altar, not Jesus...

Video of music in garage.

Band symbol on the drums.

Apparently this is just a Chilean tradition from the north.  On our way to the valle of Lluta, I did see a few other crosses high above on the 'mountains'.  However, another tradition, solely in the north is a 'Guatia', or in english, an underground barbaque, this is solely a northern chile tradition, because of the heat, you would not be able to do this in the US, maybe the desert in Arizona or Nevada, but not in Chicago or the south of Chile for that matter.

La Cruz en Lluta.

Claudia comemorating the Guatia with wine, before traveling to put the crosses up on the mountain.  We all, well most of us, did the same thing, with the altar of the crosses, 2x2 poured wine in all four corners, I asked if I could put a cross in the middle and was denied.

Band praying before the trek.

Guatia Lit.

Our trek up the mountain/hill was a big procession, but before, we made the trek up the mountain during the morning.  I worked with a cool guy from Peru.(forget his name, it was hard to prounce, called him compadre/buddy, everyone else did too).  Anyway Boris, Compadre, Tonio(my uncle that lives with us), Boris' dad and I went up during the day.  This was tough, we had 5 cases of beer, and around 12 bamboo torches for the way up/down.  We used a wheelbarrel for half the way up, compadre and I took it up.  I carried the wheelbarrel while he led the charge with his belt around the front of it.  This wasn't too hard we usually stopped after 10-20 yards depending on where the next torch was put.  And well we cracked a beer at every other stop. (yes my kind of work).

Now the actual procession. It was lead by Compadre and Claudia's dad, they lit the torches on the way up. Following not too closely behind was Boris' dad, and his sister.  They had two candles that led the next charge up.  Following them, but they quickly got passed, was Jorge(one of Boris' friends from college, cool dude) and Claudia's cousin, they carried the arc that was covered with flowers that compadre and I put on the night befrore(among other things).  After them was Boris and Claudia, carrying the actual crosses.  And following them, was a massive amount of people, including the band.  We all stopped before the steepiness got too bad and most of the people who couldn't make the climb, kissed the scarves and walked away, some of the people were crying or had tears in their eyes.  

Crossing the street to get to the mountain to make the trek.

Martina y Julia kissing the cross, they will not make the trek, while other have some tears.

Lighting up the torches.

Another look to show the steepiness.

The band didn't play on the way up.  I helped Boris' dad and his sister on the way up, I was behind them the entire time, catching them a few times to get them back on their feet/stable again.  Once we got to the top, fireworks were going off, beer, yea some beer and oh some more beers were passed around.  Boris gave a speech, the band played.  We danced(like the circle dance at the school 'last supper' lunch, except boris and claudia where in the middle doing some kind of two partner dance), some prayed after.  This was fun, here is some media:

A look at the cruz, concrete altar up on the hill.

Fiesta at the top, A look at the entire valley too.

On the way down, I am not going to lie, Boris' dad was drunk, I had a few, but was ok, and we were locked arm and arm for the way down.  Now it is super dark, with only 12 torches from top to bottom.  We were cocky at first, haha, yea we had an arm around eachother and a beer in the other hand, we got about 30 feet in this manner and fell. We both instantly tossed our beers and fell about 2 more times on the way down. Haha, even the trek down was kinda fun, a bit tipsy, falling here and there.  Boris' dad kept going fast to be close to the band and singing the songs as the band played on the way down.

Once we got back to the house in Lluta, We had a huge Asado, We had potatoes, corn on the cob, a full goat, which was freshly killed that day, and some chicken, and of course some wine.

They cover up the pots with the dirt and use the rocks that have been roasting for several hours to cook everything, some rocks were put inside some of the pots for the meat.

After eating, the band got all set up and played many tunes many of us danced, yes I did, I danced with everyone and anyone, my host-grandma kept denying me, but I finally got her to dance at the end of the night.  All in all it was really fun, and a huge cultural difference.

Houses in Lluta.

I took a bus back to Arica with Compadre, and the host grandparents that live with us and Julia, the nanny.  I slept most of the day and as soon as I got home.  I was in Lluta for Almost 3 days with no shower, it got freezing in the night and I made the mistake of not going to the bathroom before going to bed, had to go in the middle of the night and froze for about an hour before I started sleeping again...

On a sidenote, I went number 1 out of number the 2 hole, like terribly on Sunday night. I think it was the dirt in the Guatia... And I lose everything, left my darn sandals in Lluta, totally forgot I had them there. Shouldn't have brought them anyway...

Comida/food Misa/Mass

I have no really spoken to much about food, other than the fact that I get 2 squares a day not counting breakfast(bread+butter+cheese).  My appetite has not yet yearned for bread, butter and cheese, So I make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for breakfast.  It is nice to get a little taste of home.  But usually I eat rice everyday, coffee either in the morning if my classes are later, or at night if my classes are earlier, to stay awake, either to go on the internet, talk to my host-family, or hang out with my host-grandpa who is an avid soccer fan, I wouldn't say a fanatic(like my host-dad over one team), but he usually watches every chance he gets, whether its during the day or at night or on weekends and he can be seen watching the big games around the world if they are on.  Especially Barcelona or Real Madrid... I have actually learned a lot about soccer(i ask questions like a little boy when we watch) and compare it often to hockey, but hockey is just on a completely different level. Well after that tangent...

Food, yes I usually get meat with the rice and either potatoes, which are always skinned, no matter what, or like a lentle soup with beans and some other stuff.... I said I liked fried(carmelized onions) onions, and got that for about 2 weeks with everything I ate...  But the lentle soup is very popular here, as I had it in the hostel in Santiago and here as well. The meat everyday differs, some days I get a slim piece of 'steak'(about the size of my hand, about .25 inch think), they always use the stove for lunch and microwave what is left for dinner.  Other kinds of meat include carne molido especial, which is ground beef.  Or a meal that come around at least once a week, usually on the weekend is large pieces of chicken broiled, with pasta, and a kinda of ketchup sauce.  I say ketchup, because they really don't use too many sauces here.  Again meat, sometimes we have fish, we had swordfish one night, and tuna from a can in their potatoe/mayo/bean/pasta like soup, but its thick...

All in all the found is pretty good, It is very hearty.  The chileans seriously eat about 3 to 4 like large french rolls of bread every day.  One with breakfast, one with lunch and one with once(my family doesn't follow once rules, its supposed to be a snack with tea-coffee, but we have a full blown dinner-cena)I was only eating about half of what they gave me the first 2 weeks, from then on I have been buying bottles of Chileano Aji, which is like hot sauce, but thicker.  It comes in like a 20/18 oz bottle and I have already bought about 12 of them since I have been here. I am glad they are cheap, only 1$.  But my eating schedule has come to a science, I eat my pb and j if I am not coming home for lunch, that is if I have classes all day(3 days of the week). So I eat dinner, of course with aji to finish it all.  When I have classes really late, or early, I can come home and eat lunch, and can only eat about half of what they give me at dinner...

The reason it's a science, is because its like bad manners not to finish your plate, kind of like I was taught with my vegetable when I was little, to clear the plate before I could leave the table...
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Chilean Catholic Mass

So I went to another mass, We are going to LLuta to bring the crosses up, I want to write an entire post on this with pictures and videos, but I don't when I'll be able to upload them... anyway, this mass was done by one of the priests at our school, and yes we did have a homily, it was super long, like a good 30 minutes(seems longer when you have no idea what the heck is being said), The entire mass seemed rushed like before(we went to the same place), but it was a around a full hour this time, because of the homily, I believe...


ps.  got paid by the government today, kinda nice not going to lie.

my treat to you or shameless plug

Haha, I don't know if I can call this a slameless plug? I mean I think there might be a total of 10 people who read this, and it's basically my diary of the trip...

Any who, check out Talkie Pictures it is bunch of videos from my very talented buddy, Brendan Kelly.  He writes and acts in about 97% of the sketches(?).  They come out with a new video every Thrusday, and I think they are pretty funny.  He is also an improv comedian and does shows downtown at second city.  In fact my sister is going to his show tomorrow.  So click his name(yes its a link), to see when his shows are,(if it's not updated, I know he reads this so this is a reminder) if you ever want to go downtown Chicago for a night of fun/good laughs.

Update on me: Got my luggage yesterday. I have a smile on my face.  Met two other americans here in Arica doing the same program, at different schools.  Hoping to go to a kareoke bar tonight.

Woh-oh-oh-oh, Heaven let your light shine down

Outsider o Extranjero

I have rarely felt this before in my life... Being a outsider, it's not like I am completely shunned, it's actually quite the opposite, but I am used to my support groups.  Only being away from these support groups have I realized how important they are and probably more important who they are...  Even at home seeing someone three times a year is good enough, even when you are kept in constant contact through texts/calls/facebook.  Well, I cannot text, but I have facebook here, also, I am able to call people despite receiving calls.  So 2/3 should be pretty good right? But I think the fact that I am NOT a car/train ride away from these people is where I have begun to realize, yes I am not on vacation, no, I am not going home soon.  I think this has to have occurred to people much earlier(It's May 5th, I got here March 19th).  But it's starting to hit me... starting to hit me like a rock the half size of a football right on the top of the head, or like running full speed into a brick wall.  Maybe it was getting robbed that triggered this unprepared feeling¿?..

I do not know, I am disoriented, this has hit me and I don't know if I'm struggling to get up or if  I am running full speed again. (probably the latter).

By outsider, I mean foreigner.  I don't understand everything, so people have resorted to bringing me to computers with the google translator or like one of three luncheon's I have been sat next to one of the english teachers.  However, these cases were rare and only meant for the explanation of things.  Most of the people I have met, being teachers and friends of my host-parents have been very nice, and overall good people.  But, there is still this feeling of being on the outside.  Something I've never really felt before.  I've always been in the middle of something or at least had friends experiencing the same thing.  This is a tough feeling to express.  I'm guessing only foreigners are the ones who can relate to this, but perhaps there are some people that feel like foreigners in their own countries...

Maybe I should have stayed home? What if I am not ready for this, I mean I'm going to be away for almost an entire year...

Haha, normal people ask these questions first. I planned on leaving the day after St. Patrick's Day. But I am not the kind of person who ask questions first. I do and ask later, this has gotten me in a lot of trouble and being in a foreign country this strategy isn't always the best.

Maybe this was the real reason I wanted to the leave the USA.  To be forced out of my comfort zone.  I am rarely out of comfort zone and when I am, I run at full speed at/with it.  To adapt, I have been playing football my entire life.  Went to college, because it was the next thing to do, football helped/sucked there too.  But what do I do now? Sure, I can adapt physically, but what about emotionally, what about adapting to a different language/culture? Am I doing well? Am I failing?

I would love these questions to be answered, but I am afraid of the answers.  Sure making friends has been tougher than I thought, well this is because I am weird and feel that I cannot call people.. That they must call me(I do have a couple of #'s) .  So I hang out with my host-parents, and their friend's a lot.  Like the baptism this past Saturday, I think in overall I am doing well and at least getting a full experience of chilean culture.

Probably the worst thing that could probably happen: My laptop`s screen just doesn't want to turn on.  Yea the laptop runs and I can hear the sound, just complete darkness.  Well that isn't as bad as it not working at all, it's just I need to go to Iquique, 4 hours away to the nearest apple store(I think it's the bulb).  I need to wait another 3 weeks for my creditcard to come in from my parents, as it got stolen when I was jumped.... And I don`t think I have enough money for a trip like that at the moment...

So I don`t know the next time I'll write the next post of the blog... I had already written most this, and I am inbetween classes at school...  So we'll see, maybe this is a good thing, I have to disconnect from home completely.  Which adds two points, my "fake" comfort zone here, was that, I have been able to talk to people at home, e-mail, skype, gmail voice(what I have been calling a few people at home on)... that is being taken away...  So now an overshift on my ability to adapt, and to get out of my comfort zone completely, let`s see how I do... 

One more thing, now I must lesson plan at school....

Happy Mother's Day - Baptism

Well happy Mother's day to all you mothers out there....

Host Grandma last night when the clock hit 12:00 for mother's day, I gave her a flower.

Well on to big and better things, such as a big fiesta for a Baptism or Bautizo. Everyone went to the church at 6, except my host-parents and me.  I think they didn't go, because I was at the hospital for 4 hours waiting to get my stitches out from my head.  Two stitches to get put in and taken out was a total of 60 dollars.  I should have just cut them out myself...  At least it doesn't look like I have a piece of bread on my head now, and many people who I've spoken to/seen on the street and mentioned that I have something on my head...

Well anyway after napping for about 2 hours, because I got home at 6, we left at 8:30.  We arrived and I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, well with the help of captions.

The place:

 A look at the place we went to. Really boring at first, sitting on the walls talking...

Then the finger food came out, and at this time is where I took these two photos.  As you can see it's decorated.

 They even have napkins, this is to show it's importance in chilean culture. And weird fact, they get baptised at 3 not when they are babies/newborns.

More decorations, even the balloons had the little boy's name on them.

Finger food, made by my host-mom's cousins. Her cousin married a man from switzerland and they live there now.  The green stuff is spinich, it was good.  The other is cheese and ham o jamon y queso.

MMmmm... called Cervicé(i don't know how to spell it).  Fish that has cilantro, onions and lemon juice. 

Followed by croissants, empandas(there's no party in chile without these), and Shisco-bobs(?).

After eating, wine is given out, of course. And then they had a DJ and dancing afterwards. Photo of Boris y Claudia dancing.  A girl gave me her number at a family function... I don't know whether I wooed her from my dancing skills, or because we wants to take english lessons(yea definitely the latter). We danced majority of the night, and yes I cut a rug.

I don't have too many pictures of me in here so here is one for ya, with my host-parents.

Last night was fun, very different experience than the somber Baptism parties in the US.  I hope someone gets married while I am here so I can experience a wedding.

Things on the mind, updates

Luggage isn't here yet, maybe tomorrow or Tuesday. Running out of dip.  Bought my host-grandma some thin mint chocolates and host-mom a bottle of wine(thanks dad for the suggestions).  Planning classes is getting easier, but I need to do some more fun activities I think...  First hangover here in Chile, Boris and I stayed up for a long time drinking rum and cokes... It hurts...  I have a bunch of pictures from the Valle de LLuta, but I am waiting for the next time we go there, in 2 weeks, to make one big post about that...

Chilean Mass

So this is my second chilean mass that I have attended.  And well, this one was completely different from the last in a couple aspects.  Number one, there is no crucifixion at the front of the church, but a statue of Mary, the mother of Jesus.  I always knew Latinos had a special liking towards her, but correct me if I am wrong(Yea that means you theology teacher) Mary is not as important as Jesus in anyway shape or form.  Granted she is important, but not equal to Jesus.

Number two, about a third of the church went up for communion.  I was waiting for my 'host-family' to go up, yet they just stopped serving when no one went up there. I was like wtf?! This is my favorite part about mass, receiving the body and blood of christ and praying.  As I don't pray everyday I make up for during the 5-10 minutes I have at this time.

Number three, There was no homily, I mean maybe I missed it, my spanish isn't perfect, but the mass was a half hour long(which would have been my reason number 4).  So there could not have been a homily, and they didn't just run through the mass, they sprinted! Haha, most of the things I'm used to like the traditions of the priest walking from the outside of the church to the inside to his slow moving part where be converts the bread into the body was just well... rushed.

Maybe it was a special mass, but I don't know.  The mass we had at the school was a more traditional mass, or traditional in my sense of the word...

Fotos del centro de Arica

Before you see pictures, quick update. Got an e-mail today, my luggage has left Santiago.  Tomorrow I have to go to the I don't know like DMV, to get my visa/chilean ID card.  Things are finally falling into place...

Can easily be on a magazine.

Ow!

So I went to the disco Saturday(last) night with Tearrie and her host-brother. I had to get up early so I took off a little earlier to be able to wake up, because my host family was going to El Valle de Lluta, where they have a kind of religious ceremony with a cross. Anyway I was an idiot and walked home alone. I got jumped by 3 chileanos wanting money, once i pulled out my wallet to show them I really had nothing, the one behind me hit in the in the head with a rock. I tackled one to the ground while the others bolted with my wallet. Chased the others for a bit, but by the time I got up to go after them, they were far, and as well by the time I turned around the guy I got on the ground bolted the other way. Walked the rest of the way home, with a ripped shirt and blood coming down the side of my head and neck, didn't realize this until I got home to wash up.

Went to the hospital today and got two stitches in my head... So I have to wait for my parents to send a new credit card, glad I still have my passport and that I went to the ATM last week.

All in all I learned my lesson not to walk home alone. And it's not as bad as it sounds, I'm alright. Sh*t happens...

Police and la marca de los chileanos, McDonalds

Green and white:

The police here in chile have one major difference than in the US. In the US we have state troopers, county troopers, city/town/village police. For instance, traveling from Tinley Park to Joliet, I will be able to see: Tinley Park police officers, once I get to I-80, I may see Illinois state troopers(looking for speeders), Will County police officers doing whatever they do(ie usually for towns without a police department, ie Homer Glen). and then once I get into Joliet, obviously some Joliet cops. And mind you all have different colors, (joliet's white, Tinley's dark blue, State/county are white) except those speed catchers with hidden lights and look like normal cars...

In chile, there are no variations of color, only green and white.  And they are not called 'La policia', they are called "Carabiñeros".  I like the fact that no matter where you go in chile, the carabiñeros, are the same color and easy to spot.  And I have asked, but it seems like the police will work together without problems, as seen in many cop shows, because of the different counties, city/towns, and states there could be some friction...

Also the Detectives are not part of the carabiñeros, they have their own cars and can dress formally(like in the US).  They are called PDI, Policia de Investigaciones.  They drive white cars with blue lettering. I have not been looking for them, but I think I've only seen one or two here in Arica.

Took this for their logo, this was on a back of a van.

Carabiñeros that stopped traffic for us on our Desfile.

Pickup as a paddy wagon.

Squad Car.

Stole this from google images, this is what a PDI SUV looks like.

Mark of the Chileans:

I found this out the past weekend while one of my students/family friends was wearing a tank top.  She had a scar about the size of a nickel/dime on her left upper arm.  I asked 'Que Pasó', what happened? She shrugged and said it was for the vacunos(aka vaccines).  After discovering it once, I later found that everyone gets the vaccine with a scar, and I think they purposely do this to see if people have had the vaccine yet, but no one has given me definite answers on that.

My buddy Rodrigo was nice enough to let me take a photo of 'la marca de los chileanos'.

McDonalds:

First time eating Mcdonalds in a foreign country.  Fries were the same if not a little worse, they seemed not to had the added 'meat' flavor.  Big Mac sauce was a little different and the bread was a tad different as well.  And the coke here isn't the same at home, McDonalds does something to the coke at home... Overall, I've had better and worse at McDonalds in the states and it is more or less the same.  The meal was a medium, so people help me at home, but I think the price is around 5.39 in Joliet/Tinley. The price here was 3140 pesos While looking today the exchange rate was 460 something. So $ 6.82, f*ck you McDonalds. Tearrie and I went to a restaurant earlier this week, got a burger, with fried onions, and an a fried egg, with fries and two beers, it was around $6 for the burger and $5 for both beers.  I don't think I'll head back McDonalds anytime soon...

Good business, if anything, to have basically the same experience all over the world.